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(Hat-tip TruthDig & Georgianne)While National Geographic continues to rank among the world's best, mainstream sources for educating people about the gut-churning horrors of humankind, they also bring us some encouraging news once in awhile... Like this.Now that the "secret paradise" has been revealed, let's see how long it takes for the commercial poachers, loggers, miners and rebel "soldiers" to move in and wipe out our last-living ancestors, shall we? You can help Jack Hanna & the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project here,
and/or Dian Fossey's Gorilla Fund International here.P.S. Wait, what?... Tags: africa, animals, endangered species, environment, extinction, fox news, gorillas, poaching
From: Chicago
Mood:  Cautiously Pessimistic
Now Playing: 'Crash' - The Primitives
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(Hat tip Steve Benen)... Here's Ol' Straight Talk, dispensing a little common-sense advice on energy conservation earlier this year: What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing really. In fact, McCain's suggestion is just as sensible as what Obama said about inflating our tires and getting regular tune-ups. The difference is, the Dems didn’t spend a wild-eyed week pummeling McCain on it, or using light bulbs as a political prop (and snidely calling them " McCain's Energy Plan"). McCain vs. McCain: Hypocrite, Heal Thyself. http://www.StopMcCain08.comTags: '08 elections, energy, energy policy, gas prices, john mccain, oil, republican hypocrisy, republican scum
From: Chicago
Mood:  Amused
Now Playing: 'Kryptonite' - Neil Merryweather
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Hat-tip Vincent FerteySoldiers overthrew Mauritania's first democratically-elected president in a coup today and announced a military junta was taking charge of the northwest African state. Soldiers seized President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi at his palace after he sacked senior army officers during a political crisis in the country, which straddled black and Arab Africa. A "State Council" led by one of the sacked officers, Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, said Abdallahi was now a "former president" and annulled his previous decree sacking Abdelaziz and the heads of the army and Gendarmerie. The communique, described as the council's "Statement No. 1," was broadcast by Gulf-based Arabic television stations. Abdallahi won Mauritania's first free, fair elections since independence in 1960 last year, taking over from a military government which ousted President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya in a bloodless 2005 coup. Abdelaziz was also instrumental in Taya's overthrow, the last successful coup in Africa, and was No. 2 in the junta. The president's daughter, Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi, said the presidential guard came to the residence and took away her father at around 0920 GMT. "We are being kept in the house, forbidden to leave. There are guards posted in the kitchen, the bedrooms, even the showers. The phones have been cut," she said. The prime minister and interior minister had also been arrested, and the country's main airport was closed while soldiers on jeeps with heavy guns stood guard outside government buildings. Police reportedly fired tear gas at a crowd of 50 supporters of Abdallahi in the capital city of Nouakchott. "We are against the military and we are deeply against this coup. We support Sidi to the death," said one of the protesters. The international community, which had widely welcomed last year's democratic elections, broadly condemned today's coup. The Arab League voiced "deep concern," the African Union demanded the return of "constitutional legality" and West African regional heavyweight Nigeria said it would not recognize a government that came to power through unconstitutional means. The United States and United Nations called for a (*yawn*) "return to constitutional rule," while EU Aid Commissioner Louis Michel demanded Abdallahi be restored to power, saying the coup could "put into question our policy of cooperation with Mauritania." Abdallahi dismissed his government in May after criticism over its response to soaring food prices and to a series of attacks by al Qaeda's north African arm. A new government resigned last month in the face of a proposed no-confidence vote, and a replacement cabinet lacked the support of the opposition Union of Forces for Progress (UFP) and Islamist Tawassoul parties included in the previous team. Mauritania, formerly a French colony, is rich in iron ore, copper and gold, and both oil and mining investments have been on the rise recently. Companies such as First Quantum, ArcelorMittal and Industries Qatar all have mining and other projects there. Malaysia's Petronas also runs an offshore crude project there, and French oil giant Total is actively prospecting. Tags: africa, corruption, dictator of the month, greed, islam, military, mining, oil
From: Chicago
Mood:  Cynical
Now Playing: 'Another One Bites The Dust' - Queen
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Hat-tip Hunter... I think by now, we all realize that when the Republicans uniformly block each and every effort to deal with the rise in gasoline prices, then host a grand-standing circle-jerk on the floor of the recessed House in order to demand "something be done" about gasoline prices, they don't give a damn about gasoline prices. They apparently see it as another opportunity for a multi-billion dollar giveaway to the oil companies, and an opportunity to rail that Obama and NASCAR are in the pocket of Big Tire Gauge, but that's about it. But here's a thought. Since Congress is all about stimulus packages and tax breaks, let's give everyone a $200 rebate on tuning up their car! It'd stimulate the economy. It'll reduce gas consumption immediately, and significantly. A lot of people wouldn't otherwise do it, especially the people who tend to most need it. In other words, it would work. The only potential problem is that the Republicans don't give a rat's ass about blue collar commuters and auto mechanics, since the working class almost never plop down enormous campaign contributions like oil companies do — so that's not really the kind of "stimulus" they care about. But hey, I bet it'd have a big impact on the parts market, so maybe they can beg at GM's trough afterwards. (And - *cough* - many of those parts factories are in swing states.) Or, hell, we could just grind up some polar bears and call it a "gas additive." I bet you'd find sixty votes for that. http://www.StopMcCain08.comTags: '08 elections, energy policy, gas prices, john mccain, oil, oil drilling, republican hypocrisy
From: Chicago
Mood: Cynical
Now Playing: 'Mercedes Benz' - Janis Joplin
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Hat-tip John Sudbay... On Sunday, the McCrusty campaign announced that ol' Straight Talk will be participating in the Sturgis Rally 2008 at Buffalo Chip Campground in South Dakota, an annual tribute to American veterans. As the presumptive nominee takes the stage, the "Ringin' Wet & Wild" women's wrestling event will be taking place on the main amphitheater. Two hours before then, the "Miss Buffalo Chip Beauty Pageant - Bikinis on the Beach" will be staged at a nearby venue. As we see in this clip, McCain apparently thinks Cindy has a pretty good chance of becoming "the only woman ever to serve as First lady and Miss Buffalo Chip": Did I mention that the event in question is a topless (and, according to ESPN's Jim Caple, "occasionally bottomless") pageant? *chuckle* P.S. Wonder if Dobson and the Fundies will get their tickets comped. ☺ Tags: '08 elections, comedy, gop lizard queens, john mccain, youtube
From: Chicago
Mood: Entertained
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The latest from JibJab, if you haven't seen it yet: P.S. Open Letter to the Honorable Senator from Illinois: You & I don't agree on everything, and I have no inherent bone to pick with Evan Bayh (his voting record is sufficiently so-so)... but ferchrissakes, pick a fuckin' military guy like Clark or Webb to kill McCain's faux "national defense expert" pose. He's gonna beat you to death with that stick. If not Clark (i.e. for his " controversial" public statements about your opponent), I'm pretty sure Webb would take the slot if you ask him privately (and very nicely). P.S. When push comes to shove, I'm not a hard guy to please, so I'll tellya what: You pick whoever the hell your handlers tell you to in order to grab the swing-states, just appoint Clark at Defense, Biden at Interior, and Edwards as AG... Oh... and Richardson at State, too. Deal? Tags: '08 elections, barack obama, cartoons, comedy, john mccain, wes clark
From: Chicago
Mood: A Tad Worried
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(Hat-tip Anchorage Daily News)State wildlife biologists killed 14 wolf pups as part of a predator control program to help bolster the caribou herd on the Alaska Peninsula. The 4- to 5-week-old pups were caught at two den sites as biologists were shooting adult wolves from a helicopter near Cold Bay, about 600 miles southwest of Anchorage. Biologists shot and killed 14 adult wolves, including the mothers of the pups, bringing the total slaughter to 28. “As we got on the calving grounds, we took adults and in the course of taking adults we found there were pups,” said Doug Larsen, director of the state Division of Wildlife Conservation by phone from Juneau. “The issue then was do we leave the pups to fend for themselves and starve or do we dispatch them... our feeling was that it was most humane to dispatch them.” Each pup was shot in the head. Larsen justified the pup killings as part of a plan to halt a “precipitous decline” in the Southern Alaska Peninsula Caribou herd, which has declined from an estimated 4,100 animals to only 600 in the past six years. “Nobody likes to go out and kill critters, particularly when they’re young of the year,” Larsen said. “But when you have a specific objective and that’s the way to achieve that objective, sometimes you have to do things that you don’t like.” The department won the approval of the Alaska Board of Game to shoot wolves from a helicopter on the herd’s spring calving grounds in March. While there was no specific talk about killing pups, Larsen said “there was never any intent to do anything out of sorts with what the board was expecting.” The dens were on state land, just outside the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Had the dens been on federal land, “we wouldn’t have been in position to go in there,” Larsen added. The state issued a press release about the removal of wolves on June 27th, but it made no mention of killing pups, only that “wolves from three packs were shot from a helicopter by Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff.” Omitting the pup killings “wasn’t an attempt to hide anything, by any means,” Larsen said. Longtime Alaska wolf biologist Gordon Haber, who is often critical of the department’s wolf control programs, brought the pup killings to the attention of the media through his Web site, alaskawolves.org, and said that the department purposely didn’t publicize the pup killings because they feared public backlash. “They understood how strongly most people would react at the thought of state employees helicoptering to a couple of natal dens and, after killing the adult wolves, grabbing 14 frightened young pups and one-by-one blowing their brains out with a pistol,” wrote Haber in his blog. This marked the first time Department of Fish and Game personnel have actively participated in a state predator control program in 15 years. Prior to the action taken on the southern Alaska Peninsula, the state’s predator control plan included an army of private pilot/gunner teams shooting wolves from the air or ground in five different parts of the state, including three Interior regions, to help boost caribou and moose populations. Almost 800 wolves have been killed in the last four years. On August 26th, Alaskan voters will have the opportunity to pass a ballot measure banning the practice of airborne culling of free-ranging wolves, grizzly bears and wolverines. You can learn more (and lend a hand) here. Tags: animals, environment, greed, hunting, wolves
From: Chicago
Mood: | | |
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