The ever-increasing economic woes in the United States have everyone worried. People are worried about losing their jobs, finding jobs if they already have, losing their homes and how they will pay their bills. But, there are more victims of the economic downturn than just the people.
In many large cities across the United States, family pets have fallen victim to the financial crisis in the United States. One of those cities is Detroit, Michigan. Detroit is suffering through extreme economic hardships and it is thought there are as many as 50,000 to 100,000 stray and homeless dogs in Detroit. For whatever reason, the animals are now living on the streets and in abandoned houses and buildings fending for themselves. With just 23 Animal Control officers in Detroit, the dogs far outnumber those who bear the responsibility of catching them and helping them find new homes.
One woman, a producer who has worked with Discovery Channel, Monica Martino, and some of her friends and colleagues have focused on Detroit and have started an organization, Detroit Dog Rescue to help the stray dogs find the loving homes they deserve. Monica Martino developed a story idea for a program focusing on Detroit's stray dog issues. She proposed the idea to the city of Detroit but they passed on it, which came as a big surprise to her. Ms. Martino would like to work with the city of Detroit and even try to extend the rescue efforts nationally to assist other cities such as Cleveland and Los Angeles with the growing problem of dogs displaced by the hard times facing the United States.
Below is video of an interview Ms. Martino gave to NBC's Today Show about the problem facing Detroit and her wishes for Detroit Dog Rescue. Hopefully, Ms. Martino's efforts will succeed and the canine friends in the United States will get the help they so desperately need.
Showing posts with label United States. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United States. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Eastern Newfoundland's Newest Celebrity: A Pacific Coast Hummingbird
When you think of an island paradise Newfoundland, Canada might not be the first place that comes to mind, right? I would say "island paradise" are two words that most certainly can be used to describe Newfoundland. From the picturesque landscapes and breathtaking ocean views to the colorful charm of the capitol city, St. John's (which also just happens to be the oldest city in North America), Newfoundland has a beauty and charm a lot of other places cannot claim.
In August of 2010, the island got one more extremely rare thing to add to the already long list of attractions and beauty it's known for: a tiny hummingbird native to the Pacific Coast. Yes, you read that correctly. A hummingbird in Newfoundland, Canada. Eastern Newfoundland, to be exact.
In the summer of 2010, sisters Violet Power and Betty Marsh of Brownsdale, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland put out a hummingbird feeder with hopes of seeing one of the tiny, and fast-flying birds. Seeing a hummingbird in Newfoundland is extremely rare so one can only imagine their surprise when they caught sight of the little bird stopping at their feeder for a drink of sugar water.
Violet Power emailed Bruce Mactavish, an environmental consultant and expert birdwatcher from St. John's, NL with photographs of the new visitor. Mactavish was amazed at what the photographs contained. Sure enough, at the feeder was a true rarity. The little bird in the photographs was an Anna's hummingbird, a species native to the Pacific Coast of North America, an area over 4,000 miles away.
Mactavish and four birding friends, all with more than a century of birding experience between them, drove to Brownsdale in hopes of catching a glimpse of the rare bird. Five minutes after finding the Power home the five birding friends were treated to an exciting and rare sight indeed. The little bird flew first to a bush then to the hummingbird feeder for a drink. The bird, named Bruce after Bruce Mactavish, has fed from the feeder every single day since it arrived in late August. Due to the color development on the bird, Mactavish identified it as an immature male.
The fact Bruce (the bird) somehow managed to make the 4,000 plus mile journey to eastern Newfoundland isn't the only amazing part of this story. What is even more amazing is that Bruce (the bird) is still alive and well despite the harsh winter weather for which Newfoundland is so well known. Newfoundland winters can be very cold and severe and see a lot of snow. However, December was the most mild for Newfoundland in more than 100 years. How Bruce (the bird) survives during the cold nights remains a mystery but Mactavish credits the relatively mild temperatures and well-maintained feeder for Bruce's survival. Mactavish makes no promises that the hummingbird can survive through the entire winter, but he and everyone who has seen or knows about the bird are all cheering for his survival.
Little Bruce has gathered quite a following among the residents of his newly adopted home. Birders from all over Newfoundland have come to see the hummingbird to share in the amazement of his having arrived there in the first place and secondly his miraculous survival.
I find this to be a truly remarkable story in every way. I am first amazed at how Bruce the Hummingbird managed to make it all the way from the Pacific Coast to eastern Newfoundland. That's a lot of flying for such a little bird and I can only imagine how long the journey took. I am perhaps most in awe of how he has been able to survive in an area completely foreign to him. He's alone and dealing with temperatures he isn't used to, but he's doing an amazing job of surviving thus far. I most sincerely commend Violet Power and Betty Marsh for their dedication in making sure Bruce has all the sugar water he needs to keep him strong and healthy.
If you would like to see Bruce the Hummingbird (and I know you want to), watch the video from CBC news. Not only do I love seeing the bird, but I love that Bruce Mactavish actually stopped his interview when the bird arrived to drink. His enthusiasm is awesome!
In August of 2010, the island got one more extremely rare thing to add to the already long list of attractions and beauty it's known for: a tiny hummingbird native to the Pacific Coast. Yes, you read that correctly. A hummingbird in Newfoundland, Canada. Eastern Newfoundland, to be exact.
In the summer of 2010, sisters Violet Power and Betty Marsh of Brownsdale, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland put out a hummingbird feeder with hopes of seeing one of the tiny, and fast-flying birds. Seeing a hummingbird in Newfoundland is extremely rare so one can only imagine their surprise when they caught sight of the little bird stopping at their feeder for a drink of sugar water.
Violet Power emailed Bruce Mactavish, an environmental consultant and expert birdwatcher from St. John's, NL with photographs of the new visitor. Mactavish was amazed at what the photographs contained. Sure enough, at the feeder was a true rarity. The little bird in the photographs was an Anna's hummingbird, a species native to the Pacific Coast of North America, an area over 4,000 miles away.
Mactavish and four birding friends, all with more than a century of birding experience between them, drove to Brownsdale in hopes of catching a glimpse of the rare bird. Five minutes after finding the Power home the five birding friends were treated to an exciting and rare sight indeed. The little bird flew first to a bush then to the hummingbird feeder for a drink. The bird, named Bruce after Bruce Mactavish, has fed from the feeder every single day since it arrived in late August. Due to the color development on the bird, Mactavish identified it as an immature male.
The fact Bruce (the bird) somehow managed to make the 4,000 plus mile journey to eastern Newfoundland isn't the only amazing part of this story. What is even more amazing is that Bruce (the bird) is still alive and well despite the harsh winter weather for which Newfoundland is so well known. Newfoundland winters can be very cold and severe and see a lot of snow. However, December was the most mild for Newfoundland in more than 100 years. How Bruce (the bird) survives during the cold nights remains a mystery but Mactavish credits the relatively mild temperatures and well-maintained feeder for Bruce's survival. Mactavish makes no promises that the hummingbird can survive through the entire winter, but he and everyone who has seen or knows about the bird are all cheering for his survival.
Little Bruce has gathered quite a following among the residents of his newly adopted home. Birders from all over Newfoundland have come to see the hummingbird to share in the amazement of his having arrived there in the first place and secondly his miraculous survival.
I find this to be a truly remarkable story in every way. I am first amazed at how Bruce the Hummingbird managed to make it all the way from the Pacific Coast to eastern Newfoundland. That's a lot of flying for such a little bird and I can only imagine how long the journey took. I am perhaps most in awe of how he has been able to survive in an area completely foreign to him. He's alone and dealing with temperatures he isn't used to, but he's doing an amazing job of surviving thus far. I most sincerely commend Violet Power and Betty Marsh for their dedication in making sure Bruce has all the sugar water he needs to keep him strong and healthy.
If you would like to see Bruce the Hummingbird (and I know you want to), watch the video from CBC news. Not only do I love seeing the bird, but I love that Bruce Mactavish actually stopped his interview when the bird arrived to drink. His enthusiasm is awesome!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
History: John F. Kennedy Documents & Recordings Online for the First Time
Regardless of where in the world you live, you might have an interest in American history or American political history. If you do, the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts has just put thousands upon thousands of documents, photographs and recorded telephone conversations online that will make you very happy.
Before the digital age, amateur historians, researchers and individuals with just a passing interest would have had to travel from their homes to Boston to read, see and hear the historically significant material at the Kennedy Library and Museum. Now, anyone with online access can view 200,000 document pages, 1,200 recordings of telephone conversations, speeches and meetings and some 1,500 photographs of the late 35th American president.
Digitizing the material was a four-year project for almost two dozen individuals at the Library and Museum and work is ongoing to further expand the collection. Even major technology firms were involved in the process to bring these documents to the public. EMC Corp. donated high-speed storage, Iron Mountain provided secure computing facilities, AT&T provided hosting and networking and Raytheon led project management.
Massachusetts born John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States serving from 1961 until he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963. Many Americans consider Kennedy to be one of the finest presidents to date and he remains an American hero to many to this day. The Kennedy years, often referred to as "Camelot" are thought of by many as the closest to having royalty as the United States ever came.
Follow this link if you would like to browse the Digital Archive of the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70C4WE20110113
Before the digital age, amateur historians, researchers and individuals with just a passing interest would have had to travel from their homes to Boston to read, see and hear the historically significant material at the Kennedy Library and Museum. Now, anyone with online access can view 200,000 document pages, 1,200 recordings of telephone conversations, speeches and meetings and some 1,500 photographs of the late 35th American president.
Digitizing the material was a four-year project for almost two dozen individuals at the Library and Museum and work is ongoing to further expand the collection. Even major technology firms were involved in the process to bring these documents to the public. EMC Corp. donated high-speed storage, Iron Mountain provided secure computing facilities, AT&T provided hosting and networking and Raytheon led project management.
Massachusetts born John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States serving from 1961 until he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963. Many Americans consider Kennedy to be one of the finest presidents to date and he remains an American hero to many to this day. The Kennedy years, often referred to as "Camelot" are thought of by many as the closest to having royalty as the United States ever came.
Follow this link if you would like to browse the Digital Archive of the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70C4WE20110113
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Play Chess on a NYC Playground & You'll Get Your Day In Court
We all love New York, right? All the lights, colorful people, good food, entertainment, television shows that are set there, Central Park. What isn't there to love about New York? It's the big city at it's best!
However, if you are a resident of New York and live in the district of the 34th Precinct you better not let the police catch you playing chess on the Inwood Hill playground! That's right, you better not play chess on the playground or you'll get a ticket, buddy, because we all know that it's purely criminal to check or mate in public!
A group of men were playing chess at tables on the Inwood Hill playground last month and were ticketed by a swarm of bullet-proof vest clad police officers. It should be stated that it is against the law to be in the park if you are not accompanied by a child even if there is no one else in the park.
Laws are laws and should be followed and it's good that the police uphold all laws. But, (and there is always a 'but', isn't there?) is playing chess really the worst thing that could happen in that park? I seriously doubt that the truly hardened criminals that lurk in the Big Apple would be on Inwood Hill trying to grab a knight with the bishop. And even if there were kids in the park at the time, would it truly be so bad that they be exposed to a chess game? Granted, I'm no Bobby Fischer or Boris Spasskey, but a good game of chess isn't a bad thing every now and then.
Regardless, the group of baddies are due in court on December 28, 2010. Let's just hope the judge doesn't lock them up and throw away the key without at least letting them take their chess boards and pieces into the joint with them.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40261971/ns/local_news-new_york_ny/
However, if you are a resident of New York and live in the district of the 34th Precinct you better not let the police catch you playing chess on the Inwood Hill playground! That's right, you better not play chess on the playground or you'll get a ticket, buddy, because we all know that it's purely criminal to check or mate in public!
A group of men were playing chess at tables on the Inwood Hill playground last month and were ticketed by a swarm of bullet-proof vest clad police officers. It should be stated that it is against the law to be in the park if you are not accompanied by a child even if there is no one else in the park.
Laws are laws and should be followed and it's good that the police uphold all laws. But, (and there is always a 'but', isn't there?) is playing chess really the worst thing that could happen in that park? I seriously doubt that the truly hardened criminals that lurk in the Big Apple would be on Inwood Hill trying to grab a knight with the bishop. And even if there were kids in the park at the time, would it truly be so bad that they be exposed to a chess game? Granted, I'm no Bobby Fischer or Boris Spasskey, but a good game of chess isn't a bad thing every now and then.
Regardless, the group of baddies are due in court on December 28, 2010. Let's just hope the judge doesn't lock them up and throw away the key without at least letting them take their chess boards and pieces into the joint with them.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40261971/ns/local_news-new_york_ny/
140 LB. Newfoundland Dog Saves 95 Year-Old Neighbor
It's been a while since I've done one of my regular sort of posts as I've been focusing on a lot of television lately. I haven't forgotten about the sort of posts I usually do and will be doing my best to get more of them back on the blog, especially once the holidays are over and I've got a bit more time on my hands.
Anyway, I've got an awesome story for you today.
Murphy, a 140 pound full-blooded Newfoundland dog is a true hero tonight after helping to save his 95 year-old neighbor. The neighbor had apparently fallen in her garage and was in need of help. Murphy knew something was wrong even though his owners did not. He barked and caused a ruckus so that his owner, Stephanie Goese of Roseville, Minnesota took a look to see what was the matter. Stephanie was able to get her neighbor indoors and make sure she was OK (Stephanie is a nurse).
News stories like this just have a way of making you smile, don't they? And isn't Murphy the most adorable big guy you've ever seen?
You can watch a video of the news story courtesy of the MSNBC.com video player here:
Anyway, I've got an awesome story for you today.
Murphy, a 140 pound full-blooded Newfoundland dog is a true hero tonight after helping to save his 95 year-old neighbor. The neighbor had apparently fallen in her garage and was in need of help. Murphy knew something was wrong even though his owners did not. He barked and caused a ruckus so that his owner, Stephanie Goese of Roseville, Minnesota took a look to see what was the matter. Stephanie was able to get her neighbor indoors and make sure she was OK (Stephanie is a nurse).
News stories like this just have a way of making you smile, don't they? And isn't Murphy the most adorable big guy you've ever seen?
You can watch a video of the news story courtesy of the MSNBC.com video player here:
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
10,000 Packages of Marijuana Seized on Tijuana/US Border
We are all more than familiar with the ongoing drug war being waged in Mexico and the fact it is spilling over into the southwestern United States. The news is constantly dotted with headlines about the latest violence to erupt on Mexican soil.
So, it wasn't anything new to read that a shootout took place in Tijuana between members of the drug cartels and law enforcement. However, it was surprising to read the amount of marijuana that was confiscated following the shootout: 10,000 packages totaling more than 105 tons! The drugs are worth over $330 million on the Mexican market and as much as twice that if taken across the border and sold in the United States.
Soldiers and police arrested eleven people following the shootout between Tijuana policemen and gunmen in a convoy of seven vehicles. The drug violence in Mexico has claimed almost 30,000 lives.
For more information and to see a photo of the massive amount of weed confiscated by authorities, you can refer to this article.
So, it wasn't anything new to read that a shootout took place in Tijuana between members of the drug cartels and law enforcement. However, it was surprising to read the amount of marijuana that was confiscated following the shootout: 10,000 packages totaling more than 105 tons! The drugs are worth over $330 million on the Mexican market and as much as twice that if taken across the border and sold in the United States.
Soldiers and police arrested eleven people following the shootout between Tijuana policemen and gunmen in a convoy of seven vehicles. The drug violence in Mexico has claimed almost 30,000 lives.
For more information and to see a photo of the massive amount of weed confiscated by authorities, you can refer to this article.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Postal Union Election Delayed Because Ballots Were LOST IN THE MAIL
I'm not one who reads or watches Fox News but when I saw the link to this article I had to read it.
For anyone who has ever had a problem with the post, this will make you feel so much better. Almost enough to make you feel like the universe has somehow righted some of the postal wrongs we've all suffered through one time or another.
The American Postal Workers Union recently had to extend the deadline for their internal election after thousands of ballots were lost in the mail. Ballots were originally going to be counted this weekend in Washington D.C., but the deadline for submitting a ballot has been extended to October 14, 2010.
Now, tell me you didn't read this article and laugh out loud. I certainly know I did. Next time the post loses your letter to Aunt Martha, you can at least feel a little better about it knowing they lose their own mail, too.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/07/postal-union-election-delayed-ballots-lost-mail/?test=latestnews
For anyone who has ever had a problem with the post, this will make you feel so much better. Almost enough to make you feel like the universe has somehow righted some of the postal wrongs we've all suffered through one time or another.
The American Postal Workers Union recently had to extend the deadline for their internal election after thousands of ballots were lost in the mail. Ballots were originally going to be counted this weekend in Washington D.C., but the deadline for submitting a ballot has been extended to October 14, 2010.
Now, tell me you didn't read this article and laugh out loud. I certainly know I did. Next time the post loses your letter to Aunt Martha, you can at least feel a little better about it knowing they lose their own mail, too.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/07/postal-union-election-delayed-ballots-lost-mail/?test=latestnews
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
ASPCA-Sponsored Petition Regarding Horse Roundups
Yesterday, I posted about horse roundups being conducted by the United States government (Bureau of Land Management, BLM). I was hoping to have a link to an online petition at the time I wrote the post but I didn't. Well, I've got one now.
If you'd like to sign the ASPCA sponsored petition you can do so here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/517/697/713/.
If you'd like to sign the ASPCA sponsored petition you can do so here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/517/697/713/.
ASPCA-Sponsored Petition Regarding Horse Roundups
Yesterday, I posted about horse roundups being conducted by the United States government (Bureau of Land Management, BLM). I was hoping to have a link to an online petition at the time I wrote the post but I didn't. Well, I've got one now.
If you'd like to sign the ASPCA sponsored petition you can do so here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/517/697/713/.
If you'd like to sign the ASPCA sponsored petition you can do so here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/517/697/713/.
Horses vs. Helicopters: Roundup in the US West
In ten of the fifty United States there is a showdown going on. It's between some 40,000 wild horses and the cowboys who are trying to round them up. But this isn't the kind of showdown we've all read about or seen in movies depicting the Old West. The cowboys aren't riding horses wrangling the animals to where they want them to go. The cowboys doing this roundup are swooping down on the horses in helicopters in this high-tech showdown. For the past month, the cowboys have been working in the states of California and Nevada and have caught over 1,200 wild horses.
Just how do the roundups work? Horses are spotted from helicopters then driven toward the trap site through a funnel shaped opening into a temporary corral. Once in there, a "judas horse" is released to lead the wild horses into the trap where they must become accustomed to their new lives. ("Judas horses" are animals specially trained to lead other horses into these traps.) Sometimes the horses manage to outsmart the helicopters and can escape. Most of the time, however, they do not.
According to animal rights activists, the roundups are cruel, expensive and unnecessary. Activists cite the hard running the horses do and the distance they travel as being unnecessarily stressful on the animals, particularly the young horses.
The government disagrees, however. On Tuesday, August 10, 2010, lawyers for the Obama administration argued that leaving the herds of wild horses on public range land would do the animals more harm than good. Administration lawyers filed papers in court stating the population of horses "will have devastating impacts on the other resources in the area and on the wild horses themselves". A roundup organized by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began the following day, August 11, 2010.
The current roundup hasn't been without tragedy. Seven horses have died in this roundup alone. Last winter, a roundup in Nevada caused more than 100 horse deaths.
According to the government, horses that are captured are offered for adoption. If they aren't adopted, they are housed on large private ranches, most often in Kansas and Oklahoma. The cost of holding 34,500 captured horses and burros in 2009 alone was a full 70% of the programs $40.6 million budget.
About the only thing both sides of this issue can agree on is that the population of wild horses and burros is great. Once that agreement is out of the way, the disagreements start. Critics of the program say the government is catering to the livestock ranchers over the animals who inhabit the land naturally. The livestock ranchers pay the government to graze their cattle on public land while the government receives no money for the wild horses that live there.
In 1971, the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed into federal law protecting the dwindling population of wild horses and made it against the law for anyone to round up horses for sport or profit.
I can't help but think that if a private individual was the one doing the helicopter roundups and running these horses to gather them for themselves (regardless of what they did with them) the administration would have them in court faster than you could say "giddyup". I guess it's okay, though, for the government themselves to do it. That's different.
Sources:
(I've included both the original NYT article and the MSNBC.com reprint because I find the reader comments included in the MSNBC article not only add to the discussion but are a very interesting gauge of public opinion on this issue.)
Horse Advocates Pull for Underdog in Roundups (New York Times Original Article)
Helicopters vs. Mustangs: Cruel, expensive and unnecessary, animal activists say (MSNBC)
Feds: Postponing CA-NV roundup will harm mustangs
Judge allows wild horse roundup in Nevada
Just how do the roundups work? Horses are spotted from helicopters then driven toward the trap site through a funnel shaped opening into a temporary corral. Once in there, a "judas horse" is released to lead the wild horses into the trap where they must become accustomed to their new lives. ("Judas horses" are animals specially trained to lead other horses into these traps.) Sometimes the horses manage to outsmart the helicopters and can escape. Most of the time, however, they do not.
According to animal rights activists, the roundups are cruel, expensive and unnecessary. Activists cite the hard running the horses do and the distance they travel as being unnecessarily stressful on the animals, particularly the young horses.
The government disagrees, however. On Tuesday, August 10, 2010, lawyers for the Obama administration argued that leaving the herds of wild horses on public range land would do the animals more harm than good. Administration lawyers filed papers in court stating the population of horses "will have devastating impacts on the other resources in the area and on the wild horses themselves". A roundup organized by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began the following day, August 11, 2010.
The current roundup hasn't been without tragedy. Seven horses have died in this roundup alone. Last winter, a roundup in Nevada caused more than 100 horse deaths.
According to the government, horses that are captured are offered for adoption. If they aren't adopted, they are housed on large private ranches, most often in Kansas and Oklahoma. The cost of holding 34,500 captured horses and burros in 2009 alone was a full 70% of the programs $40.6 million budget.
About the only thing both sides of this issue can agree on is that the population of wild horses and burros is great. Once that agreement is out of the way, the disagreements start. Critics of the program say the government is catering to the livestock ranchers over the animals who inhabit the land naturally. The livestock ranchers pay the government to graze their cattle on public land while the government receives no money for the wild horses that live there.
In 1971, the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed into federal law protecting the dwindling population of wild horses and made it against the law for anyone to round up horses for sport or profit.
I can't help but think that if a private individual was the one doing the helicopter roundups and running these horses to gather them for themselves (regardless of what they did with them) the administration would have them in court faster than you could say "giddyup". I guess it's okay, though, for the government themselves to do it. That's different.
Sources:
(I've included both the original NYT article and the MSNBC.com reprint because I find the reader comments included in the MSNBC article not only add to the discussion but are a very interesting gauge of public opinion on this issue.)
Horse Advocates Pull for Underdog in Roundups (New York Times Original Article)
Helicopters vs. Mustangs: Cruel, expensive and unnecessary, animal activists say (MSNBC)
Feds: Postponing CA-NV roundup will harm mustangs
Judge allows wild horse roundup in Nevada
Horses vs. Helicopters: Roundup in the US West
In ten of the fifty United States there is a showdown going on. It's between some 40,000 wild horses and the cowboys who are trying to round them up. But this isn't the kind of showdown we've all read about or seen in movies depicting the Old West. The cowboys aren't riding horses wrangling the animals to where they want them to go. The cowboys doing this roundup are swooping down on the horses in helicopters in this high-tech showdown. For the past month, the cowboys have been working in the states of California and Nevada and have caught over 1,200 wild horses.
Just how do the roundups work? Horses are spotted from helicopters then driven toward the trap site through a funnel shaped opening into a temporary corral. Once in there, a "judas horse" is released to lead the wild horses into the trap where they must become accustomed to their new lives. ("Judas horses" are animals specially trained to lead other horses into these traps.) Sometimes the horses manage to outsmart the helicopters and can escape. Most of the time, however, they do not.
According to animal rights activists, the roundups are cruel, expensive and unnecessary. Activists cite the hard running the horses do and the distance they travel as being unnecessarily stressful on the animals, particularly the young horses.
The government disagrees, however. On Tuesday, August 10, 2010, lawyers for the Obama administration argued that leaving the herds of wild horses on public range land would do the animals more harm than good. Administration lawyers filed papers in court stating the population of horses "will have devastating impacts on the other resources in the area and on the wild horses themselves". A roundup organized by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began the following day, August 11, 2010.
The current roundup hasn't been without tragedy. Seven horses have died in this roundup alone. Last winter, a roundup in Nevada caused more than 100 horse deaths.
According to the government, horses that are captured are offered for adoption. If they aren't adopted, they are housed on large private ranches, most often in Kansas and Oklahoma. The cost of holding 34,500 captured horses and burros in 2009 alone was a full 70% of the programs $40.6 million budget.
About the only thing both sides of this issue can agree on is that the population of wild horses and burros is great. Once that agreement is out of the way, the disagreements start. Critics of the program say the government is catering to the livestock ranchers over the animals who inhabit the land naturally. The livestock ranchers pay the government to graze their cattle on public land while the government receives no money for the wild horses that live there.
In 1971, the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed into federal law protecting the dwindling population of wild horses and made it against the law for anyone to round up horses for sport or profit.
I can't help but think that if a private individual was the one doing the helicopter roundups and running these horses to gather them for themselves (regardless of what they did with them) the administration would have them in court faster than you could say "giddyup". I guess it's okay, though, for the government themselves to do it. That's different.
Sources:
(I've included both the original NYT article and the MSNBC.com reprint because I find the reader comments included in the MSNBC article not only add to the discussion but are a very interesting gauge of public opinion on this issue.)
Horse Advocates Pull for Underdog in Roundups (New York Times Original Article)
Helicopters vs. Mustangs: Cruel, expensive and unnecessary, animal activists say (MSNBC)
Feds: Postponing CA-NV roundup will harm mustangs
Judge allows wild horse roundup in Nevada
Just how do the roundups work? Horses are spotted from helicopters then driven toward the trap site through a funnel shaped opening into a temporary corral. Once in there, a "judas horse" is released to lead the wild horses into the trap where they must become accustomed to their new lives. ("Judas horses" are animals specially trained to lead other horses into these traps.) Sometimes the horses manage to outsmart the helicopters and can escape. Most of the time, however, they do not.
According to animal rights activists, the roundups are cruel, expensive and unnecessary. Activists cite the hard running the horses do and the distance they travel as being unnecessarily stressful on the animals, particularly the young horses.
The government disagrees, however. On Tuesday, August 10, 2010, lawyers for the Obama administration argued that leaving the herds of wild horses on public range land would do the animals more harm than good. Administration lawyers filed papers in court stating the population of horses "will have devastating impacts on the other resources in the area and on the wild horses themselves". A roundup organized by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began the following day, August 11, 2010.
The current roundup hasn't been without tragedy. Seven horses have died in this roundup alone. Last winter, a roundup in Nevada caused more than 100 horse deaths.
According to the government, horses that are captured are offered for adoption. If they aren't adopted, they are housed on large private ranches, most often in Kansas and Oklahoma. The cost of holding 34,500 captured horses and burros in 2009 alone was a full 70% of the programs $40.6 million budget.
About the only thing both sides of this issue can agree on is that the population of wild horses and burros is great. Once that agreement is out of the way, the disagreements start. Critics of the program say the government is catering to the livestock ranchers over the animals who inhabit the land naturally. The livestock ranchers pay the government to graze their cattle on public land while the government receives no money for the wild horses that live there.
In 1971, the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed into federal law protecting the dwindling population of wild horses and made it against the law for anyone to round up horses for sport or profit.
I can't help but think that if a private individual was the one doing the helicopter roundups and running these horses to gather them for themselves (regardless of what they did with them) the administration would have them in court faster than you could say "giddyup". I guess it's okay, though, for the government themselves to do it. That's different.
Sources:
(I've included both the original NYT article and the MSNBC.com reprint because I find the reader comments included in the MSNBC article not only add to the discussion but are a very interesting gauge of public opinion on this issue.)
Horse Advocates Pull for Underdog in Roundups (New York Times Original Article)
Helicopters vs. Mustangs: Cruel, expensive and unnecessary, animal activists say (MSNBC)
Feds: Postponing CA-NV roundup will harm mustangs
Judge allows wild horse roundup in Nevada
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Government-Endorsed Wolf Killings in the United States
Some twenty years ago, the Endangered Species Act began protecting gray wolves in the United states. The animals had been poisoned to near extinction and the U.S. government took swift action to protect the animals. The wolves began making a recovery. Currently, at least 1,700 wolves inhabitat Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have a population of more than 4,000 gray wolves. Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah and the New England states are seeing a rise in wolf populations as well. Recent court actions have set the gray wolf as an endangered species in every state in America with the exception of Alaska and Minnesota.
That should be good news, right? One would think. The purpose of protecting an animal under the Endangered Species Act is to protect the animals on the list from being slaughtered. However, the gray wolf is finding themselves in the sites again and the government is looking through the sites.
Government agencies are seeking authority to conduct "conservation" and "research" hunts, gas pups in their dens and surgically sterilize adult wolves. Officials claim that the hunts and public wolf hunting is a necessity to prevent packs of wolves from forming and causing problems. The most shocking of all the governments proposals is to bury wolf pups in their dens and poison them with carbon monoxide gas. They say this method would be used only when the rest of the pack has already been killed. Idaho has proposed one method of controlling wolves by surgically sterilizing them then tagging the wolves to monitor them.
Hunts have already been held in Idaho and Montana in 2009. A court ruling in August of this year nixed plans for a hunt for this year. The usual method of controlling problem wolves is shooting them from the air or ground.
Democratic Senator Max Bacus from Montana wants ranchers in his state to have the freedom to shoot and kill wolves harassing their livestock. Montana and Idaho want to re-instate wolf hunting seasons giving them more politically correct and less-barbaric sounding names such as "conservation hunting" or "researching hunting".
The Center for Biological Diversity is none too happy about the plans to kill the wolves. They feel that recent court rulings underscore the importance of protecting the wolves.
You can read much more about this situation here. For more information on the Center for Biological Diversity, including any current actions they have may have underway to help protect the wolves, you can visit their website: Center for Biological Diversity.
That should be good news, right? One would think. The purpose of protecting an animal under the Endangered Species Act is to protect the animals on the list from being slaughtered. However, the gray wolf is finding themselves in the sites again and the government is looking through the sites.
Government agencies are seeking authority to conduct "conservation" and "research" hunts, gas pups in their dens and surgically sterilize adult wolves. Officials claim that the hunts and public wolf hunting is a necessity to prevent packs of wolves from forming and causing problems. The most shocking of all the governments proposals is to bury wolf pups in their dens and poison them with carbon monoxide gas. They say this method would be used only when the rest of the pack has already been killed. Idaho has proposed one method of controlling wolves by surgically sterilizing them then tagging the wolves to monitor them.
Hunts have already been held in Idaho and Montana in 2009. A court ruling in August of this year nixed plans for a hunt for this year. The usual method of controlling problem wolves is shooting them from the air or ground.
Democratic Senator Max Bacus from Montana wants ranchers in his state to have the freedom to shoot and kill wolves harassing their livestock. Montana and Idaho want to re-instate wolf hunting seasons giving them more politically correct and less-barbaric sounding names such as "conservation hunting" or "researching hunting".
The Center for Biological Diversity is none too happy about the plans to kill the wolves. They feel that recent court rulings underscore the importance of protecting the wolves.
You can read much more about this situation here. For more information on the Center for Biological Diversity, including any current actions they have may have underway to help protect the wolves, you can visit their website: Center for Biological Diversity.
Government-Endorsed Wolf Killings in the United States
Some twenty years ago, the Endangered Species Act began protecting gray wolves in the United states. The animals had been poisoned to near extinction and the U.S. government took swift action to protect the animals. The wolves began making a recovery. Currently, at least 1,700 wolves inhabitat Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have a population of more than 4,000 gray wolves. Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah and the New England states are seeing a rise in wolf populations as well. Recent court actions have set the gray wolf as an endangered species in every state in America with the exception of Alaska and Minnesota.
That should be good news, right? One would think. The purpose of protecting an animal under the Endangered Species Act is to protect the animals on the list from being slaughtered. However, the gray wolf is finding themselves in the sites again and the government is looking through the sites.
Government agencies are seeking authority to conduct "conservation" and "research" hunts, gas pups in their dens and surgically sterilize adult wolves. Officials claim that the hunts and public wolf hunting is a necessity to prevent packs of wolves from forming and causing problems. The most shocking of all the governments proposals is to bury wolf pups in their dens and poison them with carbon monoxide gas. They say this method would be used only when the rest of the pack has already been killed. Idaho has proposed one method of controlling wolves by surgically sterilizing them then tagging the wolves to monitor them.
Hunts have already been held in Idaho and Montana in 2009. A court ruling in August of this year nixed plans for a hunt for this year. The usual method of controlling problem wolves is shooting them from the air or ground.
Democratic Senator Max Bacus from Montana wants ranchers in his state to have the freedom to shoot and kill wolves harassing their livestock. Montana and Idaho want to re-instate wolf hunting seasons giving them more politically correct and less-barbaric sounding names such as "conservation hunting" or "researching hunting".
The Center for Biological Diversity is none too happy about the plans to kill the wolves. They feel that recent court rulings underscore the importance of protecting the wolves.
You can read much more about this situation here. For more information on the Center for Biological Diversity, including any current actions they have may have underway to help protect the wolves, you can visit their website: Center for Biological Diversity.
That should be good news, right? One would think. The purpose of protecting an animal under the Endangered Species Act is to protect the animals on the list from being slaughtered. However, the gray wolf is finding themselves in the sites again and the government is looking through the sites.
Government agencies are seeking authority to conduct "conservation" and "research" hunts, gas pups in their dens and surgically sterilize adult wolves. Officials claim that the hunts and public wolf hunting is a necessity to prevent packs of wolves from forming and causing problems. The most shocking of all the governments proposals is to bury wolf pups in their dens and poison them with carbon monoxide gas. They say this method would be used only when the rest of the pack has already been killed. Idaho has proposed one method of controlling wolves by surgically sterilizing them then tagging the wolves to monitor them.
Hunts have already been held in Idaho and Montana in 2009. A court ruling in August of this year nixed plans for a hunt for this year. The usual method of controlling problem wolves is shooting them from the air or ground.
Democratic Senator Max Bacus from Montana wants ranchers in his state to have the freedom to shoot and kill wolves harassing their livestock. Montana and Idaho want to re-instate wolf hunting seasons giving them more politically correct and less-barbaric sounding names such as "conservation hunting" or "researching hunting".
The Center for Biological Diversity is none too happy about the plans to kill the wolves. They feel that recent court rulings underscore the importance of protecting the wolves.
You can read much more about this situation here. For more information on the Center for Biological Diversity, including any current actions they have may have underway to help protect the wolves, you can visit their website: Center for Biological Diversity.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Proof of Alien Life Could Come Within 25 Years, Astronomer Says
Astronomer Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) in Mountain View, California said on Sunday, August 15, 2010 that he believes the chances are pretty good they will be able to find ET within the next twenty-five years. Shostak made his comments at the SETIcon convention.
Shostak is using the Drake Equation, a formula invented by SETI pioneer Frank Drake that calculates the number of alien civilizations (N) we might be able to communicate with. The equation uses factors like rate of star formation in the galaxy, fraction of stars with planets, fraction of habitable planets, planets that actually develop life and the fraction of civilizations that have a technology that can broadcast into space, among other things.
The late Carl Sagan estimated the Drake Equation amounted to N=1 million. Isaac Asimov estimated N=670,000. Frank Drake estimated N=10,000.
SETI's quest to make ET contact will take a giant step when the Allen Telescope Array becomes fully operational, hopefully by 2015. The ATA is a network of radio dishes that should be able to scan hundreds of thousands of stars for signs of extraterrestrial life and intelligence.
For more information:
Source article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38727371/ns/technology_and_science-space/
SETIcon Convention: http://www.seticon.com/
SETI Institute: http://www.seti.org/Page.aspx?pid=1366
Shostak is using the Drake Equation, a formula invented by SETI pioneer Frank Drake that calculates the number of alien civilizations (N) we might be able to communicate with. The equation uses factors like rate of star formation in the galaxy, fraction of stars with planets, fraction of habitable planets, planets that actually develop life and the fraction of civilizations that have a technology that can broadcast into space, among other things.
The late Carl Sagan estimated the Drake Equation amounted to N=1 million. Isaac Asimov estimated N=670,000. Frank Drake estimated N=10,000.
SETI's quest to make ET contact will take a giant step when the Allen Telescope Array becomes fully operational, hopefully by 2015. The ATA is a network of radio dishes that should be able to scan hundreds of thousands of stars for signs of extraterrestrial life and intelligence.
For more information:
Source article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38727371/ns/technology_and_science-space/
SETIcon Convention: http://www.seticon.com/
SETI Institute: http://www.seti.org/Page.aspx?pid=1366
Proof of Alien Life Could Come Within 25 Years, Astronomer Says
Astronomer Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) in Mountain View, California said on Sunday, August 15, 2010 that he believes the chances are pretty good they will be able to find ET within the next twenty-five years. Shostak made his comments at the SETIcon convention.
Shostak is using the Drake Equation, a formula invented by SETI pioneer Frank Drake that calculates the number of alien civilizations (N) we might be able to communicate with. The equation uses factors like rate of star formation in the galaxy, fraction of stars with planets, fraction of habitable planets, planets that actually develop life and the fraction of civilizations that have a technology that can broadcast into space, among other things.
The late Carl Sagan estimated the Drake Equation amounted to N=1 million. Isaac Asimov estimated N=670,000. Frank Drake estimated N=10,000.
SETI's quest to make ET contact will take a giant step when the Allen Telescope Array becomes fully operational, hopefully by 2015. The ATA is a network of radio dishes that should be able to scan hundreds of thousands of stars for signs of extraterrestrial life and intelligence.
For more information:
Source article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38727371/ns/technology_and_science-space/
SETIcon Convention: http://www.seticon.com/
SETI Institute: http://www.seti.org/Page.aspx?pid=1366
Shostak is using the Drake Equation, a formula invented by SETI pioneer Frank Drake that calculates the number of alien civilizations (N) we might be able to communicate with. The equation uses factors like rate of star formation in the galaxy, fraction of stars with planets, fraction of habitable planets, planets that actually develop life and the fraction of civilizations that have a technology that can broadcast into space, among other things.
The late Carl Sagan estimated the Drake Equation amounted to N=1 million. Isaac Asimov estimated N=670,000. Frank Drake estimated N=10,000.
SETI's quest to make ET contact will take a giant step when the Allen Telescope Array becomes fully operational, hopefully by 2015. The ATA is a network of radio dishes that should be able to scan hundreds of thousands of stars for signs of extraterrestrial life and intelligence.
For more information:
Source article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38727371/ns/technology_and_science-space/
SETIcon Convention: http://www.seticon.com/
SETI Institute: http://www.seti.org/Page.aspx?pid=1366
Monday, July 12, 2010
Stephen Fry in America Sees US DVD & Blu-Ray Release
American fans of Stephen Fry's brilliant documentary Stephen Fry in America will be pleased to know that they will finally be able to buy the program on DVD and Blu-Ray! On July 27, 2010 the title will be officially available in stores. The list price for the DVD is $29.98. The Blu-Ray list price is $39.98. Stephen Fry in American can currently be pre-ordered through amazon.com for a $2.99 discount. The discount is in effect on both versions of the documentary.
Stephen Fry in America is a 6 part documentary that takes viewers to each of the fifty United States. Fry, driving his trusty little black London cab, makes a stop in virtually every state (a few states he only passes through). You can read a summary of all 6 parts here.
Amazon.com DVD Pre-order Link: Stephen Fry in America (2pc)
Amazon.com Blue-Ray Pre-order Link: Stephen Fry in America (2pc) [Blu-ray]
Stephen Fry in America is a 6 part documentary that takes viewers to each of the fifty United States. Fry, driving his trusty little black London cab, makes a stop in virtually every state (a few states he only passes through). You can read a summary of all 6 parts here.
Amazon.com DVD Pre-order Link: Stephen Fry in America (2pc)
Amazon.com Blue-Ray Pre-order Link: Stephen Fry in America (2pc) [Blu-ray]
Stephen Fry in America Sees US DVD & Blu-Ray Release
American fans of Stephen Fry's brilliant documentary Stephen Fry in America will be pleased to know that they will finally be able to buy the program on DVD and Blu-Ray! On July 27, 2010 the title will be officially available in stores. The list price for the DVD is $29.98. The Blu-Ray list price is $39.98. Stephen Fry in American can currently be pre-ordered through amazon.com for a $2.99 discount. The discount is in effect on both versions of the documentary.
Stephen Fry in America is a 6 part documentary that takes viewers to each of the fifty United States. Fry, driving his trusty little black London cab, makes a stop in virtually every state (a few states he only passes through). You can read a summary of all 6 parts here.
Amazon.com DVD Pre-order Link: Stephen Fry in America (2pc)
Amazon.com Blue-Ray Pre-order Link: Stephen Fry in America (2pc) [Blu-ray]
Stephen Fry in America is a 6 part documentary that takes viewers to each of the fifty United States. Fry, driving his trusty little black London cab, makes a stop in virtually every state (a few states he only passes through). You can read a summary of all 6 parts here.
Amazon.com DVD Pre-order Link: Stephen Fry in America (2pc)
Amazon.com Blue-Ray Pre-order Link: Stephen Fry in America (2pc) [Blu-ray]
New Batfish Species Discovered
Did you ever think there could be good news related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill? No? I didn't either. Until now.
Two previously unknown species of bottom-dwelling fish have been discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico, in the exact same area affected by the BP oil spill.
The fish are called "pancake batfish" and are so named because of the way they clumsily "walk" along the sea bottom. Their manner of walking looks similar to a bat crawling. The fish prefer to stay in the deepest parts of the sea and, thus, are rarely seen.
Pancake batfish have round, flat bodies with giant heads and mouths that can be thrust forward. Arm-like fins are used to "walk" along the sea floor and they can excrete a fluid from a modified dorsal fin to lure prey.
John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in New York issued a statement Thursday, July 8, 2010, "One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area. If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about."
Sparks and his colleagues named the species Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus. A third already known species, H. aculeatus, lives only in waters affected by the spill. Until now, the three species had been considered a single species but enough differences were found to alert researchers they were dealing with more than a single species.
To see a photo of the new batfish species, check out this article.
Two previously unknown species of bottom-dwelling fish have been discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico, in the exact same area affected by the BP oil spill.
The fish are called "pancake batfish" and are so named because of the way they clumsily "walk" along the sea bottom. Their manner of walking looks similar to a bat crawling. The fish prefer to stay in the deepest parts of the sea and, thus, are rarely seen.
Pancake batfish have round, flat bodies with giant heads and mouths that can be thrust forward. Arm-like fins are used to "walk" along the sea floor and they can excrete a fluid from a modified dorsal fin to lure prey.
John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in New York issued a statement Thursday, July 8, 2010, "One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area. If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about."
Sparks and his colleagues named the species Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus. A third already known species, H. aculeatus, lives only in waters affected by the spill. Until now, the three species had been considered a single species but enough differences were found to alert researchers they were dealing with more than a single species.
To see a photo of the new batfish species, check out this article.
New Batfish Species Discovered
Did you ever think there could be good news related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill? No? I didn't either. Until now.
Two previously unknown species of bottom-dwelling fish have been discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico, in the exact same area affected by the BP oil spill.
The fish are called "pancake batfish" and are so named because of the way they clumsily "walk" along the sea bottom. Their manner of walking looks similar to a bat crawling. The fish prefer to stay in the deepest parts of the sea and, thus, are rarely seen.
Pancake batfish have round, flat bodies with giant heads and mouths that can be thrust forward. Arm-like fins are used to "walk" along the sea floor and they can excrete a fluid from a modified dorsal fin to lure prey.
John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in New York issued a statement Thursday, July 8, 2010, "One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area. If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about."
Sparks and his colleagues named the species Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus. A third already known species, H. aculeatus, lives only in waters affected by the spill. Until now, the three species had been considered a single species but enough differences were found to alert researchers they were dealing with more than a single species.
To see a photo of the new batfish species, check out this article.
Two previously unknown species of bottom-dwelling fish have been discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico, in the exact same area affected by the BP oil spill.
The fish are called "pancake batfish" and are so named because of the way they clumsily "walk" along the sea bottom. Their manner of walking looks similar to a bat crawling. The fish prefer to stay in the deepest parts of the sea and, thus, are rarely seen.
Pancake batfish have round, flat bodies with giant heads and mouths that can be thrust forward. Arm-like fins are used to "walk" along the sea floor and they can excrete a fluid from a modified dorsal fin to lure prey.
John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in New York issued a statement Thursday, July 8, 2010, "One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area. If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about."
Sparks and his colleagues named the species Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus. A third already known species, H. aculeatus, lives only in waters affected by the spill. Until now, the three species had been considered a single species but enough differences were found to alert researchers they were dealing with more than a single species.
To see a photo of the new batfish species, check out this article.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Sunday Funnies: A Little Political Humor
The Sunday Funnies today is going to focus on politics. Politics doesn't make you chuckle, you say? Oh, my. Apparently, you haven't been watching the same politics I have. And, being the open-minded individual that I am, I can find something that makes me chuckle on both sides of the aisles in US politics so both the Democrats and the Republicans get equal time here today. Although, I admit that, of today's selection, one side of the aisle tends to make me laugh hysterically more than the other. (I'll give you a hint: it has nothing to do with pie.)
Now, on to the funnies...
Do you like pie? What kind of pie do you like? Do you like sweet potato pie? Coconut cream pie? Do you dream about pie? Pumpkin pie? Do you prefer your mother's sweet potato pie over pie you can buy at a diner? If you had to choose one pie, what pie would you choose? I like pie. I like cake more than pie, but I like pie. If it's the right kind of pie.
How many times can President Barack Obama say the word "pie" in a single speech? Once? Twice? Three Times? Fifteen times? Watch the video and find out. Both videos are basically the same thing, but, I think the fact that the same speech was given more than once certainly underscores just how much President Obama truly does love pie (or, at least likes to use it as an analogy)!
October 11, 2008, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
October 16, 2008, New Hampshire:
Have you ever wondered what God thought of Sarah Palin? Did you ever wonder if God thought the same thing everyone else does? Well, apparently he does have an opinion. And he's posted it on YouTube:
Now, on to the funnies...
Do you like pie? What kind of pie do you like? Do you like sweet potato pie? Coconut cream pie? Do you dream about pie? Pumpkin pie? Do you prefer your mother's sweet potato pie over pie you can buy at a diner? If you had to choose one pie, what pie would you choose? I like pie. I like cake more than pie, but I like pie. If it's the right kind of pie.
How many times can President Barack Obama say the word "pie" in a single speech? Once? Twice? Three Times? Fifteen times? Watch the video and find out. Both videos are basically the same thing, but, I think the fact that the same speech was given more than once certainly underscores just how much President Obama truly does love pie (or, at least likes to use it as an analogy)!
October 11, 2008, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
October 16, 2008, New Hampshire:
Have you ever wondered what God thought of Sarah Palin? Did you ever wonder if God thought the same thing everyone else does? Well, apparently he does have an opinion. And he's posted it on YouTube:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
