Sunday, January 27, 2008

The Report that would end Arctic Drilling for Oil and Gas has been CENSORED by the Bush/Cheney White House.


Arctic environmental perils: In the colder environment, it could be harder to clean up tanker spills or leaks from faulty pipelines.
OIL AT THE NORTH POLE
Politicians Censor Report on Dangers of Arctic Drilling

By
Christoph Seidler in Tromsø, Norway
There's black gold beneath the snow white Arctic -- and oil companies are gearing up to exploit it on a massive scale. Scientists had hoped to warn of the scope of the environmental dangers of Arctic drilling in a new report, but 60 passages have been removed following pressure from the United States and Sweden.
By all accounts, this ought to be a triumphant day for John Calder. The graying director of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Arctic Research division spent four years writing his report titled "Arctic Oil and Gas" -- together with 150 scientists with the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP). And now it's finally time for Calder to publicly present his first summary of the report. His presentation in the large auditorium at the University of Tromsø is the highlight of the Arctic Frontiers Conference, at which 500 experts will spend the remainder of the week discussing the outlook for oil and gas production in the
ever-warming Arctic (more...).


ESA
Arctic environmental perils: In the colder environment, it could be harder to clean up tanker spills or leaks from faulty pipelines."All nations with territory bordering the polar region are
working overtime to exploit their oil and natural gas reserves in the Arctic (more...)," says Calder, as small beads of sweat collect on his forehead. But it is high time, he adds, to systematically address the potential dangers and problems. "We have compiled a document summarizing the facts on oil and gas production in the Arctic."...

Morning Paper - continued...

New Zealand Herald

French paraglider pilot fined $1500 for Queenstown stunt
New 3:31PM Monday January 28, 2008
A French paraglider pilot has been fined $1500 for flying low past a train near Queenstown earlier this month.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launched an investigation after media reports that two French tourists stunned passengers when they flew past the Kingston Flyer train in motorised paragliders on January 9.
CAA said today it had issued one of the pilots with two infringement notices totalling $1500.
The first notice and $500 fine relates to a breach of minimum height rules. The other relates to the requirement to hold a New Zealand pilot certificate and attracts a $1000 fine.
The second paraglider pilot involved in the incident was understood to have left New Zealand and efforts were being made to find him to discuss the matter.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10489207


Businessman faces court over death of tagger
11:25AM Monday January 28, 2008

By Beck Vass and Wayne Thompson
A 50-year-old businessman was remanded in custody when he appeared in a south Auckland court today charged with the murder of a teenage boy.
Bruce William Emery was remanded in custody by consent to reappear in Manukau District Court on Thursday. He was not required to enter any plea.
Emery was charged over the fatal stabbing of 15-year-old Pihema Clifford Cameron in Southview Place, Manurewa, on Saturday night.
His address was given as Mahia Road, off which Southview Place runs.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10489186


Cororner revisits 1961 missing girl case
11:48AM Monday January 28, 2008
Wellington coroner Garry Evans plans to revisit the mystery disappearance of an attractive teenager nearly half a century ago.
Mr Evans' office confirmed today an inquest into the baffling case of 16-year-old Wendy Mayes would be held in the next few months but no date has been set.
Wendy Mayes answered an advertisement in a Wellington newspaper on September 15, 1961 for a photographer's model and an interview was arranged for three days later on September 18.
At 7.30am that morning Ms Mayes left her home for work in the city - the last time her parents saw her alive.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10489200


Kiwis tuck into record pork consumption
1:13PM Monday January 28, 2008
New Zealanders tucked into a record 21.4kg of pork per capita last year but producers are struggling with rising costs.
The Pork Industry Board';s annual report states there has been an increase of 0.8 kilograms in pork consumption in the year to September 2007.
Board chairman, Chris Trengrove says New Zealanders' appetite for pork, bacon and ham continues to grow, which is good news.
However he says pork producers have been unable to benefit from the increasing demand because they are being squeezed between increasing costs and decreasing returns.
Mr Trengrove says the most pressing issue is the rising cost of feed, which is being driven by a global demand for grain as biofuel production steps up.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10489204


'Sexual' Charlie's Soda ad is branded indecent
5:00AM Monday January 28, 2008
A complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority about a "crude" and "sexual" advertisement for Charlie's Soda has been upheld.
The complaints board ruled the TV advert was indecent, used sexual appeal to sell an unrelated product and did not meet the required sense of social responsibility.
The complainant objected to the cartoon-style depiction of two young boys spying on a woman sunbathing nude in her backyard before cutting to the boys squeezing lemons to make homemade lemonade.
"It was not cute, funny or entertaining," he said. "Making a point of focusing on the woman's barely hidden breast, then the boys simultaneously squeezing/rotating lemons ... is a very crude sexual innuendo."


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10489116


Obama, Clinton face challenges heading to 'Super Tuesday'
12:29PM Monday January 28, 2008
COLUMBIA - Next week's sprawling "Super Tuesday" is the biggest single day of voting in a presidential nominating campaign - and Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton approach it with unique and separate challenges.
Two dozen states vote on February 5, including big prizes like California, New York, Illinois and New Jersey, as the campaign goes coast-to-coast after Obama's crushing win on Saturday over Clinton in South Carolina.
The two are neck-and-neck after splitting the first four contests, with Obama winning Iowa and South Carolina and Clinton winning New Hampshire and Nevada.
The goal for all candidates in the early state battles had been to build enough momentum to roll into February 5 on a wave of energy that would carry them to a decisive and clinching win.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10489202


Whale-watching vessel will take hydrogen power to sea
5:00AM Monday January 28, 2008
A view of the Elding boat in Reykjavik.
At first glance, the red ship hardly looks like a herald of the future. Even its owner admits the hull needs a coat of paint and the interior some spit and polish.
But in a few weeks, the Elding - Icelandic for Lightning - will be transformed into the world's first hydrogen-equipped commercial vessel, the latest sign that Iceland is pushing hard to become the first nation to break free from the constraints of fossil fuel.
Come April, visitors to Reykjavik, Europe's northernmost capital, will get a taste of that future by taking whale-watching tours on the ship, or renting one of the world's first hydrogen-powered hire cars.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10489107


Comic take on whaling
5:00AM Monday January 28, 2008By
Lincoln Tan
He used to eat whales. But now Hiroshi Nakatsuji feels so strongly about the killing of the giant sea mammals he is staging a protest against it.
The stand-up comedian will do what he does best, use a comedy stage show as a platform to drive home his anti-whaling message.
He is also gathering signatures for an anti-whaling petition addressed to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda which he will hand to the Japanese Consul-General next week.
In an interview with the BBC the Japanese PM was quoted as saying: "We should try to continue with our efforts to try to explain that we are engaged in this research whaling activity from a scientific viewpoint."


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10489124


Charles becomes longest serving king in waiting
11:32AM Monday January 28, 2008
A milestone today for Prince Charles, as he become Britain's longest serving king in waiting at the age of 59 years and 74 days.
That surpasses the age of his great great grandfather Edward VII when he succeeded Queen Victoria to the throne in 1901.Last month the Queen became Britain's oldest monarch, at the age of 81.
Newstalk ZB



Strongman Suharto dies, leaving controversial legacy
5:00AM Monday January 28, 2008
Former Indonesian President Suharto (C) in 1996. Photo / Reuters
Former President Suharto, hailed as the father of development by some Indonesians during his 32 years in power - and accused of corruption and rights abuses by others - died yesterday after a long illness.
He was 86. He died in hospital after lapsing into a coma and suffering multiple organ failure.
The former strongman steered Indonesia through three decades of rapid economic growth and stability, only to see much of his work unravel in months as the country was plunged into chaos.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10489155


Palestinians mourn founder of PFLP
5:00AM Monday January 28, 2008
RAMALLAH - George Habash, the founder of a radical movement that staged hijackings and kidnappings to highlight the Palestinian struggle, died in Jordan on Saturday, Palestinian officials said. He was 80.
Habash founded the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in 1968.
A refugee from fighting which broke out over the creation of Israel in 1948 in British-ruled Palestine, he lived in exile and died of a heart condition in a hospital in Amman, the officials said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office declared a three-day mourning period.
The PFLP favours armed struggle to establish a Palestinian state and was sidelined in 1993 when Yasser Arafat, then leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, signed interim peace deals with Israel.
- REUTERS


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10489142


Woods clinches 62nd PGA Tour title by eight shots
2:03PM Monday January 28, 2008
SAN DIEGO - Tiger Woods shrugged off three consecutive bogeys on the back nine on his way to an eight-shot victory at the Buick Invitational on Sunday for his 62nd PGA Tour golf title.
Eight ahead of the chasing pack overnight, the American world number one fired a one-under-par 71 in increasingly blustery conditions on the South Course at Torrey Pines.
Woods, hunting his fourth successive victory at the coastal venue and sixth overall, piled up five birdies and four bogeys for a 19-under total of 269.
Japan's Ryuji Imada closed with a 67 to finish a distant second at 11 under, two ahead of South Africa's Rory Sabbatini (67) and American Stewart Cink (73).


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10489205


$8b on domestic travel
7:00AM Monday January 28, 2008
New Zealanders spent $8 billion on domestic travel in the year to September 30, $1 billion more than the year before, according to a Tourism Ministry survey.
Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor, who released the figures, said it was good news for local businesses. He said domestic tourism was the backbone of the tourism industry, which now contributed 9 per cent of New Zealand's gross domestic product.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10489174


Irrigation pumps make men too tired for sex
7:15AM Saturday January 26, 2008
Malawi will investigate fears that labour-intensive manual irrigation pumps distributed to poor farmers are hurting their sexual performance.
The farmers say using the pump makes them too tired for sex and have voiced their anger to the Government.
"The Government is aware of the problem, the parliamentary committee on irrigation is also concerned about it and we intend to start probing and finding out if the pumps are really to blame for the problem," said an official.
The high-capacity treadle pump, touted as a leading reason for improved food security in the southern African country, is designed to lift water from shallow wells.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10488867


Gwynne Dyer: Might loses fight in new-look Thailand
5:00AM Monday January 28, 2008By
Gwynne Dyer
The Thai Army hasn't the faintest idea what to do next. Sixteen months ago, after weeks of anti-Government demonstrations by opposition party supporters in Bangkok, the military overthrew the elected Government of billionaire Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, accusing him and his wife of corruption.
They put in a former general as interim Prime Minister, promised a swift return to democracy, and set about rewriting the constitution to give themselves a bigger permanent role in politics. They also raised the military budget sharply, presumably as a reward to themselves for saving the country from Thaksin.
For a while, things went well. The coup was popular at first, at least in Bangkok. In May the military regime got the courts to order the dissolution of Thaksin's party, Thai Rak Thai, and to ban 110 of its senior officials from taking part in politics for five years.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10489114


Afghans want general not Ashdown
5:00AM Monday January 28, 2008
LONDON - Afghanistan wants a British Nato commander to become its UN envoy rather than politician Paddy Ashdown, said the country's Ambassador to the United Nations.
A Western source close to talks over the post said this month that Britain's Ashdown, the former UN High Representative and EU special envoy for Bosnia, had agreed with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to take the job.
However, Afghan President Hamid Karzai had been seeking clarity about Ashdown's role, newspapers reported.
UN Ambassador Zahir Tanin told the BBC World Service that Afghanistan had now proposed Britain's General John McColl as its preferred candidate.
"Our current proposal is that we would like to see General McColl as the new special representative for Afghanistan. That is what President Karzai has made clear to the Secretary-General."
- REUTERS


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10489141


Sicilian governor quits after Mafia conviction
8:48AM Sunday January 27, 2008
SICILY - Sicily's governor has resigned after being convicted of helping people linked to the Mafia.
Salvatore Cuffaro denied all charges and said he did not know at the time that the people he was helping were involved with the Mafia. He plans to appeal.
After his conviction by an Italian court last week, Cuffaro said he would not quit.
His resignation on Saturday followed reports that the national government was planning a move to oust him.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10489073


Falling spy satellite may hit Earth
9:52AM Sunday January 27, 2008
An American spy satellite has lost power and may hit Earth in late February or March, according to government sources.
Officials told Associated Press that the satellite can no longer be controlled and may contain hazardous materials.
The quoted source remained anonymous as the information is classified as secret.
- NZ HERALD STAFF


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10489078


Key Mexican drug hitman arrested near US border
2:39PM Sunday January 27, 2008
TIJUANA - A key hitman for Mexico's Arellano Felix drug cartel was arrested on Saturday in this crime-ridden border city, in another coup for President Felipe Calderon's clampdown on traffickers.
After an anonymous tip-off, soldiers stormed a house and arrested Alfredo Araujo Avila, also known as Popeye, Tijuana's military chief Gen. German Redondo told reporters.
"He is considered one of the most dangerous hitmen of the Arellano Felix cartel," Gen. Redondo said.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10489098


Can't shake that passion for plastic
5:00AM Monday January 28, 2008
American shoppers use around 100 billion plastic shopping bags a year. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey
Australia and China are phasing them out, Germany and Ireland tax them, but in the United States, the plastic shopping bag is still king.
Outside supermarkets across the country, Americans push shopping carts laden with a dozen or more plastic bags full of groceries to their cars. Even the smallest purchase, such as a magazine at a news-stand, seems to come in a plastic bag.
Americans use 100 billion plastic shopping bags a year, according to Washington-based think tank Worldwatch Institute, or more than 330 a year for every person in the country. Most are thrown away.
A handful of US cities and states have made moves to cut that number and Whole Foods Market, a supermarket pitched at the organic and natural food shopper, said last week that it would phase out plastic bags out by Earth Day on April 22. But critics say the United States is years behind countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10489118


Amazon rain forest destruction quickens
5:00AM Monday January 21, 2008
Deforestation of the Amazon has accelerated, in recent months and is likely to increase this year for the first time in four years, says a senior Brazilian government scientist.
The rise raises questions over Brazil's assertion that its environmental policies are effectively protecting the world's biggest rain forest, the destruction of which is a major source of carbon emissions that cause global warming.
"I think the last four months is a big concern for the government and now they are sending people to do more law enforcement," Carlos Nobre, a scientist with Brazil's National Institute for Space Research, told a seminar in Washington. "But I can tell you that it [deforestation] is going to be much higher than 2007."
Nobre, whose government agency monitors the Amazon, said that 6000sq km of forest had been lost in the past four months.
That compares with about 9600sq km in the year to July, which Brazil officials hailed as the lowest deforestation rate since the 1970s.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10487854


US blocks Arctic report as oil and gas get go-ahead
5:00AM Thursday January 24, 2008

By Daniel Howden
The United States has blocked the release of a landmark assessment of oil and gas activity in the Arctic as it prepares to sell off exploration licences for the frozen Chukchi Sea off Alaska, one of the last remaining intact habitats of the polar bear.
Scientists at the release of the censored report in Norway said there was "huge frustration" that the US had derailed a science-based effort to manage the race for the vast energy reserves of the Arctic.
The assessment was meant to bring together work by scientists in all eight Arctic nations to give an up-to-date picture of oil and gas exploitation in the region. It was also supposed to give recommendations on how to extract safely what are thought to be up to one quarter of the world's energy reserves.
Speaking from Tromso, Norway, one of the report's lead authors, who asked not to be named, said: "They [the US] have blocked it. We have no executive summary and no plain language conclusions."


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=37&objectid=10488409


Aussie floods upset coal market
5:00AM Saturday January 26, 2008
BHP Billiton and other coal miners in Australia's Queensland state may lose at least 10 million tonnes of coking coal due to flooding, driving up prices, Merrill Lynch & Co said.
The price for annual contracts for coal used in steelmaking may surge to at least US$210 ($272) a tonne in the Japanese fiscal year starting April 1, up from US$98 this year, due to the loss of supplies, Merrill said in a report on Thursday.
Discussions on the annual contract price would be "prolonged", it said.
BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance, the world's biggest exporter of the type of coal used in steelmaking, said deliveries would be delayed due to "extreme" wet weather in northeastern Australia.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=37&objectid=10488897


Fight against global warming goes into the deep
5:00AM Friday January 11, 2008
Scientists will send an unmanned submersible to track climate change by studying coral at unprecedented depths.
In the United States-Australian project, the submersible will dive to 2.5km in seas south of Tasmania to locate and film live and fossilised deep-sea coral, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation said.
Growth rings on coral reflect changes over centuries and millennia in ocean chemistry and environment, Australia's science agency said.
"Deep ocean corals are a litmus test of the deep ocean when it comes to identifying how temperature and salinity have changed over decades and centuries," said Ron Thresher, chief scientist on the voyage.
The Autonomous Benthic Explorer, on loan from the US, will be launched during the 23-day voyage which leaves Hobart today.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10486262


Greenpeace quits whale fleet effort
9:04AM Sunday January 27, 2008
Greenpeace has been forced to abandon its efforts against the Japanese whaling fleet.
The protest ship Esperanza has managed to disrupt the whalers in the Southern Ocean for two weeks, but is running low on fuel and has to return to port.
Expedition leader Karli Thomas says the ship sent a last radio message to the whalers on board the factory ship the Nisshin Maru.
She says Greenpeace Japan campaigner Sakyo Noda told the fleet that the activists believe the whalers are under orders from Tokyo not to allow anyone to witness their "fake science programme."


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10489076


'Weirdos' are close to dying
5:00AM Wednesday January 23, 2008
What do a blind salamander that can go without food for a decade, a frog so small that it fits on a drawing pin and another that lives only in human burial grounds have in common?
The answer is that, as well as being among the weirdest amphibians on the planet, they are some of the most endangered, yet they have been ignored by conservationists and the public. London Zoo's new list of 10 of the world's most unique and threatened amphibians is part of a project to pinpoint the most unusual species of imperilled animals and plants.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10488166

continued...


Michael Moore Today

http://www.michaelmoore.com/

'SiCKO' is Going to the Oscars!

...But Not Across a Picket Line

"My first problem is, I'm going to have to return my dress." -- Michael Moore

Congrats to the Other Nominees


Friday, January 25th, 2008
"Sicko" Gets the Oscar High-Five ...a note from Michael Moore
Friends,
I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know (if you didn't already) the good news that "Sicko" has been nominated for this year's Academy Award for Best Documentary. It was a pleasant surprise when we got the news on Tuesday.
Of course, every reporter who's called me in the past few days wanted to know if I plan on giving an "anti-war" or "anti-Bush" speech, should "Sicko" win, as I did when we won the Oscar for "Bowling for Columbine" in 2003. (As you may recall, it was the 5th day of the war when those Oscars were held, and I said from the stage that, while I enjoy making nonfiction films, we live in fictitious times with a man of fiction in the White House. A ruckus ensued with a loud roar of cheers and boos, then someone cued the band to get me off the stage. As host Steve Martin said a few moments later, Teamsters were out back loading me into the trunk of a car.)
Well it's five years later and we are still at war. But there's no booing these days. 65% of the public is now opposed to the war and to Mr. Bush. The Academy, instead of cutting off the microphone, now nominates anti-war films for Best Documentary. That's right, three of the five nominees this year are Iraq War films!

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=223



H.R.676
Title: To provide for comprehensive health insurance coverage for all United States residents, and for other purposes.
Sponsor:
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] (introduced 1/24/2007) Cosponsors (88)
Latest Major Action: 2/2/2007 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR00676:@@@N



"Which congressional district am I in?"

http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/boxscore/index.php?action=print



Thank Rep. James P. Moran

Information on
Representative James P. Moran
of Congressional District number 8 of Virginia

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=VA08&site=ctc&address=&city=&state=VA&zipcode=&plusfour=



January 22nd, 2008 9:47 am
`No Country,' `Blood' tie for Oscar lead
By David Germain /
Associated Press
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" led with eight Academy Awards nominations each Tuesday, among them best picture and acting honors for Daniel Day-Lewis and Javier Bardem — but it remained in doubt whether any stars would cross striking writers' picket lines to attend the ceremony.
"No Country for Old Men," a crime saga about a drug deal gone bad, and "There Will Be Blood," a historical epic set in California's oil boom years, will compete for best picture against the melancholy romance "Atonement," the pregnancy comedy "Juno" and the legal drama "Michael Clayton."
"Atonement" and "Michael Clayton" trailed with seven nominations each, including best actor for George Clooney in the title role of "Clayton." The lead players in "Atonement," Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, were shut out on nominations, however, with teenager Saoirse Ronin the only performer nominated for that film, for supporting actress.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=10790



January 22nd, 2008 5:13 pm
Oscar nom exuberance tempered by strike
By David Germain /
Associated Press
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Uncertainty rules the Academy Awards as "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" led Tuesday with eight nominations each, two other best-picture contenders trailed with seven, and a writers strike left the fate of the show itself up in the air.
Yet a sampling of reaction from nominees made one thing sound definite: Stars and filmmakers will skip the Oscars if the ceremony does not have the blessing of striking writers.
Hollywood's most glamorous night could go the way of the Golden Globes, whose telecast was scrapped because stars remained steadfast in support of writers and refused to come. If stars boycott and Oscar organizers push ahead with a broadcast ceremony, it could end up as a glorified clips show with no one on hand to collect their trophies and gush their thanks.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=10794



Best documentary feature

“No End in Sight” (Magnolia Pictures)
A Representational Pictures Production
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

“Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience” (The Documentary Group)
A Documentary Group Production
Richard E. Robbins

“Sicko” (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company)
A Dog Eat Dog Films Production
Michael Moore and Meghan O’Hara

“Taxi to the Dark Side” (THINKFilm)
An X-Ray Production
Alex Gibney and Eva Orner

“War/Dance” (THINKFilm)
A Shine Global and Fine Films Production
Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine

http://www.oscars.org/80academyawards/nominees/index.html


Paul Wolfowitz Goes to Fashion Extremes in 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bnpTK5mgZQ



January 24th, 2008 4:12 pm
Clinton will 'say anything and do nothing': Obama
By Alain Jean-Robert /
AFP
ROCK HILL, South Carolina - Barack Obama fought back against rival Hillary Clinton with stinging attacks on her record Thursday as the Democratic rivals battled for votes in South Carolina and beyond.
The two White House hopefuls have taken their war of words to the airwaves in this conservative southern state where polls show Obama with a double digit lead over Clinton ahead of a Democratic primary here Saturday.
The state is critical for the young Illinois senator, following Clinton victories in New Hampshire and Nevada, and amid polls that show her as the frontrunner nationally.
Faced with a Clinton radio spot -- or advertisement -- claiming he endorses Republican ideas, Obama shot back with a denial and a drubbing of her record.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10803



January 24th, 2008 6:49 pm
Cheney says standing ovation tempts him to run again, ‘almost’
By Thomas Ferraro /
Reuters
Vice President Dick Cheney received a sustained standing ovation from fellow conservatives on Wednesday, prompting the often-criticized vice president to joke about himself.
“A welcome like that, it’s almost enough to make me want to run for office again,” Cheney said, drawing laughter. “Almost, almost.”
Polls show most Americans disapprove of Cheney just as they do of his boss, President George W. Bush.
But Cheney was embraced at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank, where he urged Congress to pass a White House-backed surveillance bill. But first he subjected himself to some self-deprecating humor.
“I hold an office that has only one constitutional duty — presiding over the Senate and casting tie-breaking votes,” Cheney said.
“Before the Constitution was written, some, including Benjamin Franklin, believed that the vice presidency was entirely unnecessary. He said that if the office were to be created, anyone who served as vice president should be addressed as ‘Your Superfluous Excellency.’”
“That’s better than some of the things I’ve been called,” Cheney said, drawing more laughter.
Yes, because outside a group of demonstrators chanted, “Fire the liar, impeach Cheney.”

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10807



January 23rd, 2008 5:58 pm
Conflict king in docu race
War themes dominate nominations if not boxoffice
By Gregg Goldstein /
Hollywood Reporter
PARK CITY -- War-oriented documentaries might have been dead on arrival at the 2007 boxoffice, but they dominated the documentary feature Oscar noms.
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs' Iraq War investigation "No End in Sight," Richard E. Robbins' Iraq and Afghanistan soldier study "Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience," Alex Gibney and Eva Orner's Afghani torture victim story "Taxi to the Dark Side" and Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine's Ugandan conflict study "War/Dance" all made the cut on Tuesday. Michael Moore's health-care expose "Sicko" rounded out the field.
Moore's breakthrough "Fahrenheit 9/11," which grossed $119 million in 2004, proved there could be an audience for war documentaries and helped unleash the flood of conflict-themed docus and narrative films that flooded (and often bombed) last year at the boxoffice.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=10801



January 22nd, 2008 8:21 pm
'No Country for Old Men,' 'There Will Be Blood' Lead Oscar Nominations With Eight Nods Each
Daniel Day-Lewis, Ellen Page among Best Actor, Actress nominees.

By Gil Kaufman /
MTV News
Nobody knows what this year's Oscar telecast will look like due to the ongoing writers' strike, but one thing is for sure: "There Will Be Blood." The acclaimed Golden Globe-winning story of a California oilman starring Daniel Day-Lewis was one of the leading nominees for the 80th annual Academy Awards, along with multiple nominees "No Country for Old Men," "Atonement" and "Michael Clayton."
Among the surprise multiple nominees was teenage pregnancy comedy "Juno," which snagged nods for Ellen Page for Best Actress, first-time scripter Diablo Cody for Best Original Screenplay, Jason Reitman for Best Director, as well as a bid for Best Picture.
The Best Picture race is a strong one, pitting the George Clooney legal drama "Michael Clayton" against the Coen brothers-directed drug thriller "No Country for Old Men," against "Blood," the decade-spanning British romance "Atonement" and "Juno." "No Country" and "There Will Be Blood" earned eight nominations each, while "Michael Clayton" and "Atonement" scored seven.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=10797



Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2007 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2008, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

http://www.oscars.org/80academyawards/nominees/index.html




January 26th, 2008 9:00 pm
Obama regains momentum in S.C.
By Nedra Pickler /
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama won the biggest triumph yet in the Democratic presidential race, a lopsided victory that restored his momentum leading into Super Tuesday.
It also was a
stunning rejection of Hillary Rodham Clinton and perhaps even more so her husband, famously regarded as the "first black president." The black voters of South Carolina overwhelmingly said they wanted Obama in the White House instead of another Clinton.
Bill Clinton was the one who worked the state all week long as Obama's chief critic, even as his wife turned her attention to the states voting on Feb. 5 in anticipation of the loss. Voters listened — more than half said the former president's campaigning was an important factor in their decision, according to exit polls collected by The Associated Press and television networks.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10812



January 26th, 2008 10:14 pm
SC Dems see record turnout
Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The South Carolina Democratic Party broke its own turnout record in Saturday's presidential primary and eclipsed the number of ballots cast by residents in the Republican primary the week before.
With 98 percent of precincts reporting, more than 520,000 votes had been tabulated in Barack Obama's commanding victory. The returns easily eclipsed the 280,000 people who voted in the Democratic primary in 2004.
Democratic officials characterized the record-breaking vote as a sign that the party is resurgent in South Carolina.
"Even in this reddest of all states, Democrats can win," state party Chairwoman Carol Fowler said. "I hope it indicates Democrats are getting a new lease on life."

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10813



Op-Ed Contributor
A President Like My Father
By CAROLINE KENNEDY
Published: January 27, 2008
OVER the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.
Times Topics: John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Times Topics: Barack Obama
My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals.
Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/opinion/27kennedy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin



January 25th, 2008 4:08 am
Clinton, McCain win New York Times endorsements
By JoAnne Allen /
Reuters
WASHINGTON - The New York Times on Thursday endorsed Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton and Republican Sen. John McCain for their party's nominations to contest the U.S. presidential election in November.
In selecting Clinton, a New York senator, the influential newspaper's editorial board said her experience gave her an advantage over her chief rival in the Democratic race, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, though on the major issues they were not that different.
"Hearing her talk about the presidency, her policies and answers for America's big problems, we are hugely impressed by the depth of her knowledge, by the force of her intellect and by the breadth of, yes, her experience," the newspaper said.
During her years in the Senate, Clinton has immersed herself in national security issues and has won the respect of world leaders and many in the American military, the newspaper said, adding that she would be a strong commander in chief.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10810


Joking !!!!

January 24th, 2008 5:02 pm
President Bush Says Usama Bin Laden May Not Be Captured During His Time in Office

Capturing Usama bin Laden has been one of President Bush's top priorities during his time in office, but the president now seems to doubt the Al Qaeda mastermind will be found before his term ends next January.
Speaking about his goals for his last year in the White House, Bush tells FOX News in an exclusive interview to air this weekend that if U.S. military and intelligence knew where bin Laden was, they would have apprehended him already.
"If we could find the cave he is in, I promise you — he would be brought to justice or wherever he's hiding," he tells FOX News in "George W. Bush: Fighting to the Finish," a documentary scheduled to air Sunday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. ET.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10805



January 27th, 2008 12:12 pm
Choate Students Protest Selection Of Rove To Speak At Graduation
Some Trying To Line Up Comic Colbert As An Alternate Choice
Wallingford (
AP) — Students at Choate Rosemary Hall, the prestigious prep school attended by John F. Kennedy and Adlai Stevenson, are protesting the choice of former presidential adviser Karl Rove as this year's commencement speaker.
Some plan to walk out, while others are trying to bring comedian Stephen Colbert to campus for an alternate speech. The campus paper has urged the school to reject Rove.
“It's really just a minefield,” said Benjamin Firke, a senior who opposes Rove's visit.
Others said they're interested in what Rove has to say but are not sure the school's June commencement is the best venue because they are afraid he will overshadow the graduates.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10814



January 25th, 2008 7:09 pm
Judge wants explanation in CIA tape case
WASHINGTON (
AP) -- A federal judge said Thursday that CIA interrogation videotapes may have been relevant to his court case, and he gave the Bush administration three weeks to explain why they were destroyed in 2005 and say whether other evidence was destroyed.
Several judges are considering wading into the dispute over the videos.
But U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts was the first to order the administration to provide a written report on the matter.
The decision is a legal setback for the Bush administration, which has urged courts not to get involved.
The tapes showed harsh interrogation tactics used by CIA officers questioning al Qaeda suspects Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri in 2002.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10811



A flagrant Neocon chairing a panel on Arms Control? Who's kidding who? The Arms Control will be how to control everyone else's arms while the USA seeks expansion of nuclear research. Give me a break. "Wolfowitz for Peace?" Not in my lifetime.

January 25th, 2008 1:31 am
Paul Wolfowitz named to chair advisory panel
WASHINGTON (
Reuters) - Paul Wolfowitz, an architect of the Iraq war who was forced to resign from the World Bank because of an ethics scandal, will chair a U.S. advisory panel on arms control, the State Department said on Thursday.
The former deputy secretary of defense and advocate of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq will head the State Department's International Security Advisory Board, which gives the department independent advice on arms control, disarmament, international security and other matters.
Wolfowitz was forced to resign as president of the World Bank last year after a bank panel found he broke several of its rules by involving himself in the promotion of his companion Shaha Riza, a Middle East expert at the bank.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10809



January 24th, 2008 6:45 pm
Kucinich calls for Bush impeachment
NATIONAL (
NBC) - Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich may get excluded from Democratic presidential debates, but he's voicing his opinion on the House floor.
On Wednesday, Kucinich announced he'll be filing articles of impeachment against President Bush on Monday.
That's the same day of the president's State of the Union address.
The announcement comes as Kucinich railed the President and Vice President for how they have handled the war in Iraq.
In his lengthy statement, the Ohio congressman said, "The President and Vice President lied and 4,000 of our soldiers died. The President and Vice President lied and a million innocent Iraqis died in a war that'll cost us $2 trillion while people here in the states are losing their jobs, their health care, their homes, their dignity. Lies are weapons of mass destruction. Lies are also an impeachable offense. Monday, January 28th is the State of the Union. We already know the State of the Union, it's a lie."

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10806



LOBBY DAY PARTICIPANTS: Lobby Day 2008 actually spans two days this year: first, a spectacular Training Day at UC Davis School of Medicine on Sunday, January 27; then, on Monday, a noon Rally (on the North steps of the Capitol), afternoon Lobby visits, then a closing Candlelight Vigil to reflect on the human toll of our current profit-driven private health insurance system at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (across the street from the Capitol) from 4:30 - 5 pm.
Although we will gladly accept you if you can only make it for Monday, we have designed the Training Day to prepare you for Lobby Day; do whatever it takes to be present for both days. Because of space limitations at UCD SOM on Sunday, only if you can attend Monday will you be able to register for Training Day.
Please use the menu to the left to jump to the section of your interest.

http://www.calauhc.org/lobbyday2008/



Meet With the Walking Man
American patriot John Nirenberg began his
500 mile march to Washington D.C. in Boston at the birthplace of liberty--historic Faneuil Hall. From this place, the fight for independence began which resulted with the signing of our Constitution in 1787.
John Nirenberg believes that the Democratic Congress should act to uphold the Constitution and so his journey began on December 1. He marched through inclement weather and endured personal injury in order to meet with and deliver a petition for impeachment to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. His march ended in Washington D.C. on January 12, but the march is far from over--Pelosi will not meet with him.
We need to remind Pelosi that impeachment is enshrined in the fabric of the Constitution, and that to declare any part of the Constitution inoperative is as wrongheaded and treasonous as any of the Bush administration's illegal acts. Please write Speaker Pelosi and let her know it's time to put impeachment back on the table--and to invite John Nirenberg in.
We encourage you to change the title and add your own comments to the text below.

http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/issues/alert/?alertid=10810406&PROCESS=Take+Action

continued…

Species adaptation to habitat. Perfect. The ability of animals in the wild to camouflage. Genetic diversity. An Owl in Winter. Click for sound.


January 25, 2008
Kansas City, Missouri
Photographer states :: I was so excited to see this on the way to work!Needless to say I was late.I took about 50 shots.He was kind enough to stay close and pose for me in three different locations.It may be hard to tell in this photo but it is snowing.

Bears can be domesticated. They were star circus performers at one time. They aren't that popular as 'an act' anymore.

...and Hannibal used elephants in war. The Middle Ages saw armor on draft horses. In the past, animals in use during war was not unusal, but, this is the year 2008. At at time when Earth is facing species endangerment at every turn, battle is not the place for them. It's not the place for people either. Tell that to a Neocon. Will someone please tell Neocons "The War Is Over." We don't have that many enemies anymore. The last venue to global peace among nations are terrorist networks and the USA hasn't done a darn thing to stop them, so much as enable them.


Voytek in the zoo: He soldiered on there until 1963
...As for Voytek, he was just happy to be part of the unit... ever ready to lend a helping paw.
The 250lb brown bear, standing more than 6ft tall, was possibly the most remarkable combatant of the Second World War, seeing action amid the hell of Monte Cassino in Italy.
After the war, he and his fellow troops were billeted in Scotland and he lived out his days in Edinburgh Zoo, dying in 1963....
Zoos

Zoo to unveil N.C.'s largest solar project
From Staff Reports
Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008 3:39 pm
ASHEBORO — The N.C. Zoo will be soon be catching a lot of rays.
It plans to flick the switch on the state's largest solar power project Tuesday.
The new solar power system is expected to produce 130,000 kilowatt-hours per year, which is the energy used by 11 to 13 average homes in North Carolina.
It's 104 kilowatts, 9,600 square feet and features three picnic pavilions, which will also provide covered catering space for the zoo.
The pavilions, called Solar Pointe, will be near the zoo’s North America Entrance.
Educational graphics include a monitor with direct connection to a Web site that shows a live readout of the energy being generated and the pollution being avoided.
Residents will also be able to view the information online.
pavilions are a gift in-kind from partner Carolina Solar Energy with contributions from the N.C. Zoo Society.
The zoo, in turn, is leasing the pavilions' roofs to Carolina Solar Energy.
Carolina Solar Energy will sell the electricity to Randolph Electric Membership Corporation, another zoo partner. It also receives a subsidy from N.C. Green Power.

http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/NRSTAFF/45710809


Queens Zoo’s Carbon Impact Low
By Liz Skalka
The Wildlife Conservation Society, which owns and operates the Queens Zoo as well as other zoos around the City, has calculated its carbon footprint and is now aiming to decrease greenhouse gas emissions at all its parks.
A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases produced from human actions, thus measuring the impact of these actions on the environment. Greenhouse gases contribute to the heating of the earth.
“We can’t be a leader in global conservation if we don’t also live it at home,” said Steven Sanderson, president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society. “Conservation globally includes conservation at home. We strongly support Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC: A greener, greater New York – an effort to make our City a leading example of how we all can take steps to lighten our carbon footprint.”

http://www.queenstribune.com/news/1201187848.html



Zoo society pushes for amphibian conservation
Posted Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:14pm AEDT
The Zoological Society of London has drawn up a list of the 100 most endangered species of amphibians, such as frogs and salamanders, which it says are threatened by extinction.
Society officials say amphibians are highly sensitive to pollution and climate change but because they are not cute and cuddly, they attract little or no conservation attention.
Helen Meredith, who coordinates the society's conservation program, says by saving the endangered amphibians, more can be learnt about saving other species.
"By conserving their environment, we're also conserving the environment for a greater number of species," she said.
"So in each case, when we work on a species, we just want to protect its habitat for the future, get local people interested in education about the species, and hopefully ensure that it can keep on surviving for millions of years to come."
-BBC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/21/2143141.htm



A zoo gone wild?
John Diaz
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Tears welled in San Francisco Zoo director Manuel Mollinedo's eyes. After taking more than hour of questions that often challenged his professional judgment and competence, this one should have seemed easy. Yet this was the one that elicited emotion.
It was: Have zoos become an anachronism in 2008?
Mollinedo talked about growing up in East Los Angeles and the "very significant role" that zoos and other cultural institutions had on his life. He considers outreach to inner-city youth as the highest calling of a zoo executive.
"There's many children here that can benefit from an institution like the San Francisco Zoo because their parents don't have the money to take them to Africa ... they don't have the money to take them to Yosemite or some other place to see grizzly bears," Mollinedo said, his voice cracking at points during his meeting with The Chronicle editorial board Tuesday.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/27/ED6EUKNML.DTL



Fault lies with zoo over man's death

Kurt Wirth
Issue date: 1/25/08
Kurt Wirth is a junior majoring in communication. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
As you probably know by now, a tiger escaped from its pen on Christmas Day and mauled one young man to death and seriously injured his two brothers at the San Francisco Zoo. As a result, the tiger was shot and killed by the zoo. One of the men has admitted that all three had taken illegal drugs and consumed alcohol before visiting the zoo.
They also admitted to taunting the feline on top of a small fence surrounding a moat which encircled the 12.5-foot tall wall that enclosed the tiger.
But get this - police and crime scene investigators are actually investing their time and money in dusting for footprints on top of the moat's wall, strip-searching the vehicle in which the three traveled and inspecting the brother's cell phones.
The irrelevance of this investigation blows my mind.
Who cares? This massive investigation into the tiger's motivation behind its attack is senseless.

http://media.www.reflector-online.com/media/storage/paper938/news/2008/01/25/Opinion/Fault.Lies.With.Zoo.Over.Mans.Death-3167823.shtml


Counting Croaks: Help tally toads, frogs in area
By Gareth McGrath
Staff Writer
gareth.mcgrath@starnewsonline.com
In a few weeks, after the sun has set, Donna Finley and some friends are going to grab their raincoats, flashlights and the obligatory bug spray and head to some of the wettest spots on Bald Head Island just to listen.
For frogs.
Finley admits some of her friends were a bit skeptical when she first told them what she was doing, especially because the best time to hear the amphibians with whoopee on their minds is generally during or after a rainstorm.
"They said, 'You're doing what?'" she said with a laugh. "But people are interested when you start telling them about it because they've never thought about what it could mean if our frogs and toads start disappearing."
They are the bit players in dozens of children's stories, a staple of children's backyard adventures and the quintessential musicians that create much of the natural nighttime background noise heard in Southeastern North Carolina.

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080127/NEWS/801270410



Asian elephant and calf die in labor at Fort Worth Zoo
Staffers struggle with the loss of 40-year-old Babe
Associated Press
FORT WORTH — A 40-year-old elephant died while trying to give birth to a calf that also died, zoo officials said.
Babe, an Asian elephant that arrived at the Fort Worth Zoo in 1991 for its breeding program, was its oldest female elephant.
Last month, as the end of her 22-month gestation period neared, elephant keepers started watching her around the clock, zoo officials said.
Babe went into labor Sunday afternoon and her contractions continued for two days, but the calf did not move into the birth canal. Although Babe rested and did normal physical activity, her health unexpectedly declined and she died Thursday morning in her sleep.
Ron Surratt, the zoo's director of animal collections, said staffers were stunned and having a difficult time with the loss. The zoo has six other elephants.
A necropsy showed that Babe had a torn uterus, which probably caused her death, said zoo spokeswoman Remekca Owens. The calf that died during labor was full-term, she said.
In 2002, Babe gave birth to a full-term stillborn calf.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5487241.html


Special oil massage for jumbos at Lucknow zoo
By Kamna Mathur
Lucknow, Jan.25: While the entire north India is under cold wave, the jumbos at a zoo here are being given a special oil massage to prevent them from chill.
The mahouts at the zoo use about two and half kilogram of lukewarm mustard oil and massage the pachyderm for at least one hour after bath to keep their body warm. According to Ranu Singh, the Director of the zoo, such a massage helps in improving blood circulation and generating heat."Due to extreme cold, we felt that the animals must be facing problems. Hence, we first give the elephants a bath for cleanliness. Then we give them a hot oil massage. We massage them with mustard oil. This generates heat in their body.

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/210705.php/Special-oil-massage-for-jumbos-at-Lucknow-zoo


Tail-Braiding Animals Set To Come To Philadelphia
POSTED: 8:34 am EST January 25, 2008
UPDATED: 9:59 am EST January 25, 2008
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Zoo's monkey house is getting two new animals from South America.
A pair of Bolivian grey titi monkeys is due to arrive sometime next week.
Zookeepers are preparing their habitat, which at first will be covered with brown paper to allow the monkeys to adjust to their new surroundings before they go on view to the public.
Zoo vice president Andrew Baker said the pair usually sits side-by-side and often will braid their long tails together. He said that's behavior you don't see in other monkeys.
In a family of grey titis, you often can see "three or four animals all lined up on a branch with all the tails twisted together," Baker said.
Adding to the fun: titi babies are on the horizon. The female is pregnant.

http://www.nbc10.com/news/15135380/detail.html



Lion cubs debut at San Diego Zoo
The public got its first glimpse of seven lion cubs born at the San Diego Zoo.
The cubs, which were born days apart from each other this past November, were very playful and very entertaining for those on hand.
Four of the seven cubs were born on November 2nd to 4-year-old Oshana, while the other three were born on November 6th to her sister Mina.
The pride can be seen daily in the mornings.

http://www.kare11.com/news/national/national_article.aspx?storyid=494368


Babe, Fort Worth Zoo's oldest female elephant, dies
07:55 PM CST on Friday, January 25, 2008
By JEFF MOSIER / The Dallas Morning News
A 40-year-old Asian elephant named Babe died Thursday morning from labor-related complications at the Fort Worth Zoo, officials announced Friday.
Babe, the oldest female in the Fort Worth Zoo's herd of Asian elephants, died Thursday.
Babe was the oldest female in the zoo's herd of seven Asian elephants. Zoo officials said Babe went into labor Sunday afternoon, but the calf failed to move into the birth canal.
Babe died while sleeping about 7:30 a.m. Thursday. Zoo officials said the unborn calf also died.
"I can't remember a more difficult time for our elephant staff," Ron Surratt, the zoo's animal collections director, said in a prepared statement. "She will be deeply missed by all of the zoo's staff and our guests."

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/012608dnmetfwelephant.59af6905.html



Minnesota Zoo reviews security after San Francisco tragedy
The mauling death by an escaped tiger in San Francisco is leading to a sober reckoning and lots of questions at the Minnesota Zoo.
By
DAVID PETERSON, Star Tribune
Last update: January 25, 2008 - 9:41 PM
Nationally, the San Francisco tragedy has led to a new emphasis on zoo fatalities -- and near-misses. The Los Angeles Daily News for instance, reporting on calls to end the zoo industry's self-policing, mentioned these episodes:
August 2007: An alligator at the Los Angeles Zoo gets out and wanders for hours before being found.
July 2007: A tiger at the San Antonio Zoo attacks a keeper who forgot to close and lock a series of gates.
February 2007: A jaguar at the Denver Zoo kills a zookeeper who failed to follow precautions.
December 2006: A tiger at the San Francisco Zoo mauls a zookeeper during a public feeding.
Each morning, before the Minnesota Zoo's tigers are allowed back into their exhibit, someone walks the perimeter to be certain that an oak tree, weakened by disease, hasn't crumpled overnight and ripped out part of the fence or given the tigers a way to climb out.
And just in case the fence turned out not to be enough, guns are locked away in four spots scattered around the zoo.

http://www.startribune.com/local/south/14443852.html


British campaigners call for tribute to 'soldier bear'
LONDON (AFP) — Scottish campaigners are calling for a memorial to a bear which joined Polish troops on the front line during World War II and died in Edinburgh, media reported Saturday.
Voytek, a 113-kilogram, 1.8-metre (249-pound, nearly six feet) brown bear, was adopted by the Poles after they found it in Iran in 1943.
They gave the animal beer and cigarettes, trained it to carry mortar shells and even enlisted it as a soldier so that it could keep travelling with them.
At the end of the war, the troops were billeted to southern Scotland and Voytek went along too, before being sent to Edinburgh Zoo when they were demobilised.
The animal remained at the zoo until its death in 1963.
Now a teacher from southern Scotland, Garry Paulin, is writing a book about the bear and a campaign has started to have Voytek's life commemorated in a statue.
Campaigner Aileen Orr said she first heard about the bear as a child from her grandfather, a Scottish soldier.
"The story is totally amazing and it would be good if we could have some memorial in Scotland, perhaps at Holyrood (the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh), to celebrate the bear's life," she told the Scotsman newspaper.
Polish veteran Augustyn Karolewski, who still lives in Scotland, added: "He was like a big dog -- no-one was scared of him.
"He liked a cigarette, he liked a bottle of beer -- he drank a bottle of beer like any man."

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iEThuXEa1IfDmn-Fh1shq5PX1b5A



Zoo Leopards Find New Home at Preserve
Posted Jan 26, 08 6:00 PM CST in
(newser) – Brother-sister pair Sirius and Pitou grew up in a French traveling circus, spent the last nine years at the Monaco zoo, and have now found a new home at a wildlife preserve in South Africa. The 16-year-old leopards undertook their recent journey—sedated and via two airplanes—thanks to British actress and conservationist Virginia McKenna, the Telegraph reports.
McKenna persuaded Monaco's reigning prince, Albert II, to grant the leopards their freedom. Her animal welfare organization, Born Free, arranged the big cats' transport to a fenced-off area of the preserve, where they were last spotted feasting on antelope. Albert has promised McKenna that he will also release a camel, a hippo, and other zoo animals.

http://www.newser.com/story/17430.html?rss=y



Zoo welcomes tiger cubs for Chinese New Year
By MEERA VIJAYAN
Stripes of joy: The tiger cubs, Xi Xi, Fatt Fatt and Chai Chai, at the Saleng Zoo near Johor Baru.
JOHOR BARU: The Year of the Rat is fast approaching, but that has not stopped a privately-owned zoo here from delightedly welcoming the birth of three tiger cubs.
The 'babies' have been aptly named Xi Xi (Happiness), Fatt Fatt (Increased Fortune) and Chai Chai (Prosperity) in the spirit of the Chinese New Year.
Born two weeks ago in Saleng Zoo near here to Siberian Bengal tigers, nine-year-old Kasih and 12-year-old Kang, the cubs have just begun to open their eyes.
Zoo caretaker J. Sivapriyan said that the cubs were healthy and weighed about 2kg each.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/27/nation/20121737&sec=nation



VIDEO
Goose Chase

This school year, Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in Pennsauken unleashed a set of plastic cardboard dogs to scare off geese that enjoy congregating - and defecating - on the school's athletic field. Though not fully effective, school officials say the scarecrow dogs have worked better than previous schemes. The grass, however, remains a treacherous minefield of goose droppings.
Video by ROBERT MORAN / Inquirer Staff Writer

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/multimedia/13799907.html?adString=inq.multimedia/multimedia;!category=multimedia&randomOrd=011608014412



VIDEO
BooBoo's Birthday

Thirty-year-old BooBoo, the third oldest Andean bear in the U.S., celebrated his birthday, January 16, - actually, people celebrated it for him - at the Philadelphia zoo. The average Andean bear lives to be 25, so BooBoo is truly an oldtimer.
Video by ROBERT MORAN / Inquirer Staff Writer

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/multimedia/13842096.html?adString=inq.multimedia/multimedia;!category=multimedia&randomOrd=011608014804



National Zoo Tries to Get Asian Elephant Shanti Pregnant
2008-01-19 - Washington, United States
Its a bit early to decorate the nursery, but officials at the National Zoo are hoping that Shanthi the elephant will have another baby in 2009. Veterinarians conducted two artificial insemination procedures on Shanthi this week. Scientists will now monitor her hormones. If the level of progesterone in her blood remains high after 10 weeks, then shes most likely pregnant. An Asian elephants gestation period ranges from 20 to 22 months. In 2001, Shanthi gave birth to Kandula - the fifth elephant i...

http://www.elephant-news.com/index.php?id=3239


Shanthi means peace in Sinhalese. It also is translated to mean blessing.
In 2001, Shanti gave birth to Kandula, the fifth elephant in the world to be conceived by artificial insemination.
2007-03-00: Shanti Artificiallly inseminated in March 2007, without success.
2008-01-19: Zoo veterinarians artificially inseminated the 32-year-old elephant twice this past week. They will now monitor her hormones for signs of a pregnancy.

http://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=213



Endangered birds stolen from Nicaraguan zoo
Five armed men broke into a zoo in Managua, Nicaragua, Friday and stole 15 endangered birds and a raccoon.
Police are investigating the robbery of the raccoon, five bi-colored toucans, nine parrots and a macaw kept in the zoo's rescue center, zoo director Marina Argüello told U.S. newswire The Associated Press.
The thieves managed to get past a security guard in the rear of the zoo and headed straight for the rescue center, she said.
The toucans had been prepared for mating, she added.
The loss was “incalculable,” said Argüello, but the birds can gross up to $1,000 each in the underground market.
-Tico Times

http://www.ticotimes.net/dailyarchive/2008_01/0121083.htm



Govt asks zoo to answer animal cruelty accusations
Posted Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:48pm AEDT
The Victorian Government has asked Melbourne Zoo to respond to claims of animal neglect.
Melbourne Zoo has denied claims that animals have been mistreated, saying a widely reported incident involving an elephant was a case of a keeper protecting himself.
The reports said a former zoo staff member saw an elephant being repeatedly jabbed in the foot by a trainer.
Concerns have also been raised about the Healesville Sanctuary.
Victorian Premier John Brumby says the Government is expecting to receive a written response from zoo management soon.
"I have complete confidence in the zoos we run in this state, they have a very high level of concern for the animals in their care and I think they do a great job and our zoos are renowned around the world," he said.
"But I also understand they've made some statements today and defended their position."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/21/2143287.htm


Como Zoo wants help naming newborn orangutan
Associated Press - January 23, 2008 8:14 AM ET
ST. PAUL (AP) - The Como Zoo in St. Paul wants the public's help in naming its newborn orangutan.
Voters must choose from among three names. Votes must be accompanied by money, and the name that raises the most money, wins. All money goes toward the zoo's orangutan training program.
The three names to choose from are -- Jaya, Pandu and Bejo.
The male orangutan was born by Caesarean section last month.
Voting starts Thursday and runs through February 17th. The name will be announced the next day.
On the Net:
http://www.comozooconservatory.org

http://wkbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=7760437



City Zoo celebrates Frog Day in Pakistan
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
The Lahore Zoo on International Frog Day arranged a competition of poster making with themed threats to frogs in Pakistan and frog species in Pakistan. It was sponsored by WWF-P in which students leaped for frog conservation.
The Aizar School System, Allama Iqbal Town, stood first, the Lahore Grammar School, Junior Branch Gulberg, got second position and the EDCS Valencia got third position.
Wild Life, Punjab, Director Abdul Qadeer Mehal, Member Z M C Akbar Bhatti, University of Animal Sciences Dr Zulfiqar, and Zoo Education Officer Bushra Nisar Khan were the judges of the competitions.
All world association like Conservation of Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) and World Aquarium and Zoo Association (WAZA) and Zoo Outreach Organization (ZOO), South Asian Nation International Educators (SANIZE) and Amphibian Network of South Asia has declared 2008 as year of frog conversation to raise awareness of a looming , mass extinction of amphibian specie.

http://www.uniquepakistan.com/news/general/city-zoo-celebrates-frog-day-in-pakistan-20080123.html



Zoo chief wants elephants back
By GLORIA CAMPISI
Philadelphia Daily News
campisg@phillynews.com
215-854-5935
Maybe they can come home again.
And the Philadelphia Zoo is hoping its two young African elephants, scheduled to be moved in the spring to a conservation center in southwestern Pennsylvania for breeding, will do just that - accompanied by elephant babies, called calves.
The zoo's president and chief executive officer, Vikram Dewan, said yesterday that the idea of a new elephant enclosure at the Philadelphia Zoo is still a gleam in the eye of zoo planners.
But he didn't outright deny a 2011 time frame for the project, which animal activists say they have heard about.
Dewan yesterday said only, "2011 is a long way away for us.
"It's our long-term vision" to have an elephant exhibit at the zoo, and there is room to establish an elephant compound of more than 10 acres at the back of the zoo, Dewan said. The elephants' current habitat consists of a quarter-acre exercise yard, plus a barn where they sleep.
"We don't have a master plan," Dewan added. "It's merely a vision and a desire."
The zoo's energies right now are focused on a new aviary, to open on the zoo's 150th birthday on March 21, 2009, and a new children's zoo, to be unveiled in late 2009 and in regular use by 2010.
After all this is completed, the zoo could set its sights on raising money for a new elephant exhibit, he hinted.
The younger elephants, Kallie, 25, and Bette, 24, along with the zoo's one remaining elephant, Petal, 51, will be moved in April, May, or possibly June, to the Pittsburgh Zoo's new 724-acre International Conservation Center in Fairhope, Somerset County.
They will be the conservation center's first residents.

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080124_Zoo_chief_wants_elephants_back.html



Muscovites Adopt Zoo Animals

MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - Raccoons, penguins and kangaroos are the most popular animals among those of the city residents who "adopt" animals in the Moscow Zoo, spokesperson Raisa Koroleva told RIA Novosti.
She said that the "Adopt an animal" program was introduced more than ten years ago. People can help their favorite animals by signing a special agreement with the zoo and making donations over a chosen period of time, usually from three months to one year.
"Raccoons, penguins and kangaroos are very popular with private donors. Foxes also receive some attention. We have only one jerboa in the zoo and it is already spoken for, but those willing to adopt this very animal keep calling. Mus­covites love chinchillas as well. Only one of them is available at the moment," Koroleva said.
According to her, companies prefer more "substantial" animals, like bears. All the brown bears at the zoo have been adopted already.
"The polar bear is being supported by the company which has a polar bear on its trademark. A company which produces bags has chosen a kangaroo. The largest rodent, the capybara, has been taken into care as well. An ecological movement has sponsored the white tiger," the spokeswoman continued.
"Before, the adoption agreements were mostly signed by companies," Koroleva said. "But lately, the proportion of private persons is rising. In 2007, we had 70 caretakers of whom 35 were companies and 35 were private individuals, while in the previous year we had 56 caretakers of whom 39 were organizations."

http://mnweekly.ru/local/20080124/55305606.html

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