March 31, 2012

Itsy-Bitsy Tiger Triplets Just Born At Calgary Zoo

Canada's Calgary Zoo announced that between approximately 4:30 am and 7:00 am on March 30, three Amur tiger cubs were born to female Katja. Their father is Baikal. For the moment, the mother and cubs are being allowed to bond in the security of the birthing area and can only be seen on the webcams (video below). ZooBorns will post updates  - pictures and video - as they grow. 

The birth of these tiny cubs, each weighing an estimated 1.6 pounds (750 gms) is potentially great news for this highly-endangered species. The birth is a result of a breeding recommendation for eleven-year old Katja and ten-year old Baikal from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Program (SSP) for Amur tigers of which the Calgary Zoo is a participant.
Video clip: Check out this video on YouTube:

Amur tigers are classified as endangered and at the last census conducted in the wild it was estimated that only about 350 - 400 Amur tigers remain. To put into perspective the truly endangered status of these beautiful animals, these three tiny cubs are representative of almost 1% of the entire wild population.
http://www.zooborns.com/

Those are some tiny babies!

March 31, 2012

Gah! Know how fast time flies?

This fast:
Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC)
3/31/12 12:07 PM
2nd graders who listened to George W. Bush read "The Pet Goat" on 9/11 will graduate HS in May & be able to enlist to fight in Afghanistan.

And no, we have not been having fun.

March 31, 2012

Bullying

When I taught school, I saw my share of bullying. I can no more imagine ignoring it or blaming the victim than I can imagine not trying to rescue someone in imminent danger.

If I saw it, I had an instantaneous reaction to stop it. It never occurred to me to think about whether the students were usually good students or star athletes or dressed like models on either side. I could have cared less if they were Goths or some other group. You don't bully people! PERIOD!

I told those who I caught that exact message. Every year the students in my classes and I discussed bullying. I made my position clear. I also made them 2 promises. I told them if they were ever having trouble to let me know. I also told them that if they were on school grounds, they were mine. If I caught them bullying anybody anywhere on campus, they would pay the price.

This doesn't make me a superhero or Mother Teresa. I believe it makes me human.

March 31, 2012

Okay! Why wasn't Josh Powell arrested and prosecuted?

Court documents: Susan Powell's blood, hand-written note expressing fear were found in Utah home

TACOMA, Wash. -- Authorities investigating the 2009 disappearance of a Utah woman found her blood in the family home and a hand-written note in which she expressed fear about her husband and her potential demise, according to documents unsealed Friday.

The files raise further questions about why Susan Powell's husband was never charged in her disappearance before he killed himself and their two young sons in a gas-fueled inferno in Washington state earlier this year. Investigators in West Valley City, Utah, never arrested Josh Powell or even publicly labeled him as a suspect in Susan Powell's disappearance.
<snip>
"There is direct evidence. There is circumstantial evidence. There is motive," said Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist. "There is everything but the body."
<snip>
More: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/30/10945991-court-documents-susan-powells-blood-hand-written-note-expressing-fear-were-found-in-utah-home

You do not have to have a body to win a conviction. It is a harder case to prove, but IMHO he should have been brought to trial.

I want to know a very good reason why no action was taken. If they had, those two little boys would be alive now.

March 31, 2012

Keith Olbermann

Throughout his career Keith has consistently been 2 things.

1- He has been been a brilliant, talented writer and a remarkable tv presence. He is still talked about by those at ESPN and other observers as the number one anchor who worked there. He was creative, unique, and capable of writing great copy in minutes. Some speak of him in awe.

2- Keith as also been an abrasive and difficult person for people to work with. This includes bosses, co-workers, and others he came in contact with. He can be incredibly kind and incredibly cruel. Some who worked with him refuse to speak of him.

These two characteristics have been a reflected in his jobs no matter where he has worked. They are as constant as the sun. The only question is how long it takes for KO to leave or be fired when he takes a job.

Keith may have valid reasons to complain about conditions or terms. He has never been the most politic person in expressing his views. KO seems to relish taking the path of most resistance and trouble.

I love Keith Olberman. I love him as an outspoken and fervent supporter of the values I cherish. He is able to express himself either using remarkably eloquent commentaries or withering satire. When he has had a bully pulpit, he has used it on any that deserve it.

As much as I love KO, i don't believe that excuses his treatment of those around him. I don't think I would like to work with him. Even if I was a favored nation, i would have to wonder how long that would last.

It pains me greatly to see Keith take the paths he does. He is a needed voice for progressives and a powerful counterweight to the opposition. Some may claim he has been set up. I have no doubt that that the PTB want him off the air and have tried to harm his career. Unfortuately, he has never needed any help in his downfall.

I will continue to follow Keith and hope that he gets another platform. I won't hold out any hope that he will stay on it. I believe that with Keith, you will always get both sides. That is the glory and ultimately the tragedy of his work.

March 30, 2012

Peeps Show - The annual Washington Post Peeps Diorama Contest

Some entries:
In the situation room watching the Seals take down bin Laden:


Peeps News:


Occupy Peeps:


The Hunger Games peeps show:

More:http://www.washingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/AFmp0h4C_page.html?hpid=z6

I loves me some Peeps Shows!

March 30, 2012

Check out this wicked cover on 'The Texas Observer'

http://www.texasobserver.org/index.php

Heh!

March 29, 2012

Nikki Haley Indictment Rumors Swirling - Is It Imminent?

The South Carolina State House is swirling with rumors of a possible “imminent” indictment of Gov. Nikki Haley.

In fact one left-leaning blog, Palmetto Public Record (PPR), is reporting that Haley could be indicted by the end of the week on tax charges related to the Sikh Temple Scandal.

“Two well-placed legal experts have independently told Palmetto Public Record they expect the U.S. Department of Justice to issue an indictment against South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on charges of tax fraud as early as this week,” the website reported. “A highly ranked federal official has also privately confirmed rumblings of an investigation and possible indictment of the governor, though the official was not aware of the specific timeframe (sic).”

Our sources on the Sikh Temple saga were not willing to go that far, although they confirmed that Haley’s father Ajit S. Randhawa will soon face a day of reckoning related to his role in the scandal – which was first uncovered by FITS nearly a year-and-a-half ago.

“Her father is under the gun and that’s coming down the pipe fast,” one source familiar with the status of the investigation tells FITS.
<snip>
http://www.fitsnews.com/2012/03/29/nikki-haley-indictment-rumors-swirling/

Yowza! More fun on the way?

March 29, 2012

Great Picture: Wildlife

Image of the Day: Nothing Here But Us Telegraph Wires

OK, so this photo has nothing to do with climate change (trust us, we tried). But we loved it so much we just had to share. A Little Owl is almost perfectly camouflaged among the ceramic insulators on a telegraph pole in Dobrogea, Romania. Wildlife photographer Mircea Costina only spotted the owl after another bird gave its position away.
http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/image-of-the-day-can-you-see-me-now

Heh!
That's a tiny owl!

March 29, 2012

We Love You - Israel & Iran (a facebook project between the 2 countries)