As always, The Weather Channel is great for more than just checking the forecast. Since I’m suddenly standing in for Wayne, today’s thread is going to explore a few recent articles from TWC:
First, from “A Race Against Time: Photos Capture Animals Before They Disappear”, by Michele Berger:
“Joel Sartore has ambitious plans: To photograph all 10,000 or so animals currently in captivity before they go extinct. Over the course of nine years, this National Geographic photographer has made great progress, capturing some 3,300 animals to date. Still, he thinks getting the remaining creatures will take the rest of his life — and he’s ok with that because he believes in this project.
It’s called Photo Ark, and Sartore sees it as both a snapshot of our time and as a call to action.” … “We really need to show people that this is a tragedy and it is the issue of our time,” he said. “It is folly to think that we can doom half of all species to extinction and think it won’t harm humanity.”
Among the animals included in the 15-photo slide show is the adorable Coquerel’s sifaka:
Coquerels sifaka (from the Bronx Zoo Gallery)
Next, we’re going to the birds with “Stunning Bird Portaits from Around the World”, also by Michele Berger. The 41 photos by Andrew Zuckerman include representations of such oddities as:
~ The Silkie Bantam Chicken, “…one of the few breeds with five toes instead of four.”
Silkie Bantam Chickens (photo courtesy keepingchickens.com)
~ The Wattled Curassow:
Wattled Curassow (source psms29-com)
~ The Lilac-Breasted Roller
Lilac-Breasted Roller
~ And the Twelve-Wired Bird of Paradise
Twelve-Wired Bird of Paradise
Finally, apparently I was unaware of the recent week-long international kite festival in parts of India, but there’s a photo gallery of 40 pics to prove it. (Some Bollywood actor is the subject of too many of the photos, but the kites are unusual.)
This is our daily open thread–if you’re somewhere freezing like Wayne and I, stay warm today!
TheZoo 
Photos of animals and birds are so cool!
I like your furry friends, gombasz, nice facial markings. 🙂
My orphans from hurricane Sandy. Mischief on left and Fluffington on right. Brothers.
Son’s first animal companion was a Silkie named Fluffy Feet. Son never learned to ride a bike, but he pushed his little bike all over the farm with Fluffy Feet perched on the handlebars. Silkies are one of the few breeds left that will reliably set and hatch eggs.
Those silkies look like miniature Big Birds! Our next-door neighbor has chickens, one of them appears to be a white Silkie.
Uh-oh, the snow is starting here. (sigh)
That made me smile – love the image of FF on the handlebars being pushed/chauffeured!
How’s your knee today, Outstanding?
I’m good. I have two narcotic choices, the ones that don’t help much and the one’s that render me unconcious. I’m trying to strike a balance.
I missed mandolin night. Carpathian Mountain Breakdown. I know I’ve posted it before, but I do love this piece.
Here’s an encouraging story. It looks like some RWNJs are actually going to get dragged into court for their outrageous lies. First we get a few of them for defamation and then we go after the big boys for sedition. It’s long past time that they learn words have consequences.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/01/24/3205111/mann-defamation-lawsuit/
They’ll need to be closely watched to make sure there’s no invoking the Second amendment against the ‘activist’ judge!
(it is still too soon to discuss amending the Second amendment – eff you NRA)
The expanding sun, now a red giant, will consume the earth before we can drag the rightwhiners to the table to discuss rationalizing our firearms laws. I think it’s past time to just move on without them.
I’d prefer repeal, but an amendment such as the following would be simple, and might be suitable:
For all who remain members of a well regulated Militia, the right to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.
Make that “members in good standing” and I’m in. That way, the idiots can’t break the law and still own guns just because they belong to a “militia.” 🙂
Yep, that’ll work.
So that’s where Little Richard got the idea for his hairdo from!
The Wattled Curassow
Smith & Wesson to phase away some future pistol models in California
So here’s a novel concept, just pass stricter and stricter regulations and maybe the death merchants will refuse to sell guns anywhere to anybody…filed under wishful thinking. Wonder why they’re not whining all the way to the SCROTUS on this law?
Wonder why they’re not whining all the way to the SCROTUS on this law?
It sounds like some of them might be prepared to do just that.
Illinois Republican Says God Makes Tornadoes to Punish Gay People
Like a great many Repugs she lives in the past.
Interesting that god does not visit tornadoes on one of the gayest cities in the world: San Francisco!
If there be a god – it is inflicting us with people like Atanus!
My child is no one’s punishment you hateful bitch. Our last sizable tornado took out four churches and almost nothing else.
I think the GOP poobahs are trying to get her out of sight and sound.
She is so crazy that even they recognize it.
Oh Jeebus on a stick, the Fort Worth hospital is gonna fight this. They only want to keep the fetus alive so that it will grow up to vote Republican.
Texas is so damn primitive. Shame on that hospital for putting the family through this torture. Cruel and inhumane, yet the hospital believes in ‘life’…brain dead, brain stem is not functioning and they believed a fetus would thrive in a corpse?
The hospital’s accreditation for healthcare facilities should be revoked!
“Bristol Palin’s ghostwriter has some advice for Wendy Davis, and that advice is to stop being a whore who abandons her children for her job and education and be more like Bristol Palin. It is titled, “Dear Wendy Davis, You Can Have a Job and Kids,” and if you’ll excuse us it’s time to eat our morning gun.”
http://wonkette.com/540268/bristol-palin-thinks-bristol-palin-is-a-better-mother-than-wendy-davis-and-would-like-to-tell-you-all-about-it
To be honest, I would be quite pleasantly surprised to learn Jack Webb was a Liberal.
BWAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAH! B__ch!
FTW!!!!!
Oklahoma Republican’s Bill Would Block Same-Sex Marriage By Stopping ALL Marriages
That baby’s circling the drain…
Wow, that works fine for me! So, being the religiosity nutcase capital of the universe, Oklahomans would not be able to marry, hence not be able to procreate without fornication, forbidden by their buybull. No more kids, and within fifty years, the state will be empty…Outstanding.
Former cop and gun instructor shoots himself. This is not a repeat from two days ago.
http://www.omaha.com/article/20140124/NEWS/140129104/1685
No, that guy was a police chief, and had shot himself for a second time. He claimed that his sweatshirt shot him.
Saturday nutpick-a-palooza: MLK brings out the crazy
Apparently the commenters here had a different Kindergarten teacher than did little “I have a drem” Sarah Elizabeth! That’s assuming they ever went to school at all, I suppose.
The New Ammunition That Has Gun Owners Drooling
Holy fucking bloodbath, Batman!
Well, heck, it’s only going to be used by our “well regulated Militia,” right? That should work. 🙄
It’s the best argument against “corporations are people” that I’ve ever heard.
Here’s another one for you Elizabeth Warren fans.
Wow! Isn’t she just hot ????
Down TtT! Down!
Scientists have no concept of the term ‘research prostitute’?
Watch this bear!
That’s one hell of a take away container. 😉
I just finished an Alabama basketball game on ESPN2, and they switched to BYU at Gonzaga. Kara Lawson is a current WNBA player doing the color, and Beth Mowins is the play by play announcer, who has done college football also. I think this is the first time I’ve watched a major college game done by two women.
Women are making inroads!
I’ll post it here and repost to Sunday Roast: