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Playinghardball

Playinghardball's Journal
Playinghardball's Journal
July 28, 2014

Scientists Warn We Are Approaching The Next Mass Extinction

The decline of various animal populations and species loss are occurring at alarming rates on Earth, contributing to the world’s sixth mass extinction. While these deadly events may ultimately pave way for the emergence of new species, Stanford scientists have warned that if this “defaunation” that we are currently experiencing continues, it will likely have serious downstream impacts on human health. The study has been published in Science.

Biodiversity on Earth is extremely rich at present; it’s estimated to be the highest in the history of life on our planet. But scientists have been recording species abundance and population numbers for some time now and it is evident that we are experiencing a sharp downward trend. While the extinction of a species is normal and occurs at a natural “background” rate of around 1-5 per year, species loss is currently occurring at over 1,000 times the background rate.

Thanks to the fossil record, we are very familiar with large extinction events. Indeed, there have been 5 mass extinctions throughout the history of life on Earth, but there is a key difference between these past events and what is happening presently: humans are almost entirely to blame for the current mass extinction. Climate change, pollution, deforestation and overharvesting are all contributing factors. While it’s difficult to be certain of the causes of the previous mass extinctions, they have been attributed to natural events such as supervolcano eruptions and asteroid strikes.

By reviewing literature and analyzing various data sets, scientists have found that since 1500, 322 terrestrial vertebrates have become extinct. The remaining species are also suffering a 25% average decline in abundance. Invertebrates are also experiencing a huge blow with 67% of monitored populations showing 45% average abundance decline.

Read more at http:http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/scientists-warn-we-are-approaching-next-mass-extinction

July 28, 2014

Breastfeeding Mums.....

July 28, 2014

Breaking: A huge victory covering much of the South....



A huge victory covering much of the South, from one of the most conservative circuits in the nation. Congratulations to hopeful LGBT couples in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina! #TheRightSideOfHistory
July 26, 2014

This, @nytimes, is how you write an Apollo 11 headline....


Lachlan Markay @lachlan
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This, @nytimes, is how you write an Apollo 11 headline
9:13 AM - 21 Jul 2014

Found on the Obama Diary
July 25, 2014

Face-Off With a Deadly Predator


Leopard seals are huge predators who mostly live in and around Antarctica. Though they will eat small fish and krill, they are the main predator for penguins. These seals can reach up to 3.5 m (11.7 ft) in length and tip the scales at up to 600 kilograms (1,320 lbs). They have massive sharp front teeth used for shredding meat and can open their mouths twice as far as a Grizzly bear. Yikes.

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen put his life on the line when he got into the water with these these huge predators. The first time they came face-to-face, the leopard seal put Nicklen’s entire camera and head into its mouth.

What came next needs to be seen to be believed:


Read more at http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/photographer-and-leopard-seal-come-face-face#LeC0CAjpfVFXli2I.99

July 25, 2014

'I HATE Obamacare!!!'


TheObamaDiary.com @TheObamaDiary
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'I HATE Obamacare!!!'

'Honey, a rebate has arrived from our health insurer!'

'I LOVE the Affordable Care Act!1!'
8:04 AM - 24 Jul 2014


http://theobamadiary.com
July 25, 2014

NYT: Meditation on President Obama’s Portrait


Dawoud Bey’s photograph of the man who would soon be president was taken on a Sunday afternoon in early 2007, at Barack and Michelle Obama’s Hyde Park home in Chicago. The portrait is at once stately and informal. Mr. Obama’s hands are folded gracefully in his lap. He wears an elegant suit and white shirt, but no tie. He stares intensely into the camera.

The Museum of Contemporary Photography had commissioned Mr. Bey the year before to take a portrait of a notable Chicagoan. He had known the Obamas for several years and saw them periodically at social gatherings. Impressed with Mr. Obama’s keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic convention, Mr. Bey sensed a “growing air of expectancy” about him.

“When I was asked who I wanted to photograph,” Mr. Bey said, “it took me but a second to decide that I wanted to photograph him.”

More here: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/25/barack-obama-photo-dawoud-bey/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

Found on the Obama Diary
______________________________________________

How about that.....no gray hair!!
July 25, 2014

LMAO

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Name: California Kid
Gender: Male
Hometown: Northern California
Member since: Wed Nov 17, 2010, 02:02 PM
Number of posts: 11,665
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