This video is courtesy of a keeper at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Absolutely freaking adorable!
20 February 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
Friday, February 13, 2015
Star Wars vs. Star Trek
Set phasers to "Force."
Make it so! And let's not forget the perfect character of Han Sulu.
13 February 2015
Make it so! And let's not forget the perfect character of Han Sulu.
13 February 2015
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Penguin Jumper!
If you are not from England or one of its former colonies, you might be forgiven for thinking the following when first hearing the words Penguin Jumper: "What? Some a$$hole is jumping penguins? Screw that guy!"
I'm not saying that a$$hole isn't out there. The world is full of them and let's face it, if you are a big enough dick to want to jump over a penguin, they don't especially move very fast on land to prevent this indignation.
However, today, the penguin jumpers about which I'm writing are actually tiny little sweaters knit especially to help penguins recovering from injuries sustained by oil spills. Since the fact that penguins are injured in this fashion is, of course, horrific, the very least we can do as a species is make sure that those injured both rest comfortably and look smashing while doing so. I think you'll agree that in this instance, the Australians have nailed it.
Generally speaking, I'm against dressing up animals in human clothing. In this case, I'm completely going the other way. You may actually have no soul if you feel differently.
The sweaters are used to prevent the birds from ingesting oil while preening themselves. The oil also causes their feathers to mat, reducing their body temperature.
The Phillip Island Nature Reserve's "Knits for Nature" program was most successful and all of the sweaters needed were completed by volunteers. One such volunteer was Australia's oldest man, Alfred Date, who knitted his penguin jumper at the commendable age of 109.
13 February Addition: I've decided to tack on one more photograph because it is just too awesome not to.
I'm not saying that a$$hole isn't out there. The world is full of them and let's face it, if you are a big enough dick to want to jump over a penguin, they don't especially move very fast on land to prevent this indignation.
However, today, the penguin jumpers about which I'm writing are actually tiny little sweaters knit especially to help penguins recovering from injuries sustained by oil spills. Since the fact that penguins are injured in this fashion is, of course, horrific, the very least we can do as a species is make sure that those injured both rest comfortably and look smashing while doing so. I think you'll agree that in this instance, the Australians have nailed it.
Generally speaking, I'm against dressing up animals in human clothing. In this case, I'm completely going the other way. You may actually have no soul if you feel differently.
The sweaters are used to prevent the birds from ingesting oil while preening themselves. The oil also causes their feathers to mat, reducing their body temperature.
The Phillip Island Nature Reserve's "Knits for Nature" program was most successful and all of the sweaters needed were completed by volunteers. One such volunteer was Australia's oldest man, Alfred Date, who knitted his penguin jumper at the commendable age of 109.
Additional information about the program can be found on the Australian Penguin Foundation website. And yes, you can financially adopt a penguin to further help the program.
You can find more photographs at The Huffington Post. If you have forgotten what penguins look like in their everyday clothes, they do still look quite fashionable in a simple tuxedo.
12 February 2015
13 February Addition: I've decided to tack on one more photograph because it is just too awesome not to.
.
Another Obama Video for the ACA
The president has shot another video to appeal for folks to sign up for the ACA. It is as funny as the last one and again presumably targets younger folks. If you don't have health insurance and have yet to sign up under the ACA, make sure that you do so by the 15th. You can find out more here.
12 February 2015
Post by BuzzFeed Video.
12 February 2015
Gay Marriage & Alabama
In the tradition of The Onion, Alabama's Redneck News is reporting on the [lack of] changes coming to Alabama now that gay marriage is legal in the state. Classic. And the first comment on TPM, which flagged the story for me as well, mentioned a similar piece in The Onion itself. (You can find the Redneck News video via the TPM link.)
Classic.
12 February 2015
Classic.
12 February 2015
The Breakfast Club
This is my favorite -- and I believe the best -- movie about high school kids ever made. It was originally supposed to be "The Lunch Bunch." Mercy, but I'm glad that changed! The Huffington Post has a feature on the film today. A few of the facts I knew, but many I did not.
12 February 2015
12 February 2015
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
What is Old is New Again
I knew Jon Stewart had to retire at some point from The Daily Show, but will still be very sad when that day soon arrives. I've been watching from the show's first days. I enjoyed The Daily Show under Craig Kilborn, but it really became an institution under Stewart. My wife and I were talking about this last night when the news of Stewart's retirement broke. In many ways, what we now think of The Daily Show is really a product of 9/11. That event changed the show because, I think, it changed Stewart's vision of what the show could and should be.
And because it is fun to see, here is the first segment of Stewart's first show. Oh, and his first guest was Michael J. Fox, who was asked only four questions because Kilborn took the fifth with him to Kuala Lumpur.
11 February 2015
And because it is fun to see, here is the first segment of Stewart's first show. Oh, and his first guest was Michael J. Fox, who was asked only four questions because Kilborn took the fifth with him to Kuala Lumpur.
11 February 2015
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Sunday Morning Caveman
My wife sent me this. I had not heard of these before. Makes me miss New Mexico, especially the exterior shots of storms in the distance.
10 February 2015
Thursday, February 5, 2015
The Supreme Court at Stake
Most people who use the term "activist court" in regard to the Supreme Court -- or to other courts for that matter -- use it incorrectly. Most use it in the context of matters that are exactly what courts are envisioned to do in the US. In other words, they use it in this manner because they simply don't fundamentally understand the role of courts in their country and the history that made them so.
The Supreme Court accepting King v. Burwell was an activist move in and of itself. It shocked most court experts and historians because the very question of the case has been firmly decided. The concepts of this case have been decided even by the members of the court so at odds with the Affordable Care Act as policy. There is not any legal basis for this case to move forward.
But it did.
And now the very nature of the court is at stake. To do anything other than completely side with the government will signal that in this day and age of partisan politics, such partisanship will have fully moved beyond elected politics to the judiciary. In the immediate term, this will hurt millions of Americans directly. This stupidity, this unnecessary assault should not be underestimated in its cruel effect. That said, it is the long-term consequence to the fundamental nature of America that is the greater danger.
A democracy without the protection of a neutral court system that follows precedent is not a democracy. People understand this, even people who don't spend much time thinking about such things.
There is not much in America left to chip away. This could lay the body bare.
For a good read on this issue, see Linda Greenhouse in The New York Times.
5 February 2015
The Supreme Court accepting King v. Burwell was an activist move in and of itself. It shocked most court experts and historians because the very question of the case has been firmly decided. The concepts of this case have been decided even by the members of the court so at odds with the Affordable Care Act as policy. There is not any legal basis for this case to move forward.
But it did.
And now the very nature of the court is at stake. To do anything other than completely side with the government will signal that in this day and age of partisan politics, such partisanship will have fully moved beyond elected politics to the judiciary. In the immediate term, this will hurt millions of Americans directly. This stupidity, this unnecessary assault should not be underestimated in its cruel effect. That said, it is the long-term consequence to the fundamental nature of America that is the greater danger.
A democracy without the protection of a neutral court system that follows precedent is not a democracy. People understand this, even people who don't spend much time thinking about such things.
There is not much in America left to chip away. This could lay the body bare.
For a good read on this issue, see Linda Greenhouse in The New York Times.
5 February 2015
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Kitten and Ducklings
Have you ever wondered what happens when you add a kitten to a box of ducklings? No? Well, this happens.
4 February 2015
4 February 2015
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Chipmunks Don't Like to Get Punked
A friend shared this with me. While it could have turned into a "circle of life moment" for the critter, instead he dished it out pretty well. You have to hand it to the little fellow. The tabby looks a bit bemused!
3 February 2015
3 February 2015
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)