Sunday, September 30, 2012

Faces only a mother could love. Or a zoo.


Two tawny frogmouth chicks (click here) abandoned by their parents hatched earlier this July and are making great progress, the zoo announced Friday. 

The chicks are at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo sponsored by the Chicago Zoological Society.


This photo is an adult with prey.


Tawny Frogmouth (click here)

With their nocturnal habit and owl-like appearance, Tawny Frogmouths are often confused with owls, but are actually more closely related to the nightjars. Their feet are weak however, and lack the curved talons of owls.

Brand New Baby Eastern Black Rhino.



Updated: Saturday, August 04, 2012, 2:12 AM
By James Ewinger, The Plain Dealer 


...The newest arrival, (click here for article and more video) an unnamed male born July 1, is already over 150 pounds, more than double his birth weight, and should continue to add two or three pounds a day until he hits six months of age.
In the meantime he's throwing that burgeoning weight around as he runs around, behind -- and sometimes under -- Kibibbi, his doting 2,600-pound mom. He also prances, bounds, and dashes around the indoor enclosure as he gains mobility and confidence....



So, what else is new. I am sure the petroleum industry is in here somewhere.

Charles Monnett,(click here) who oversaw much of the government's work in the Arctic, was investigated over alleged use of false data

Susanne Goldenberg
Saturday 29 September 2012 09.55 EDT


...Some of the material disclosed by Monnett was later used in court to force the interior department to revoke its approval of Shell's drilling plan, the letter said.
Arctic researchers and environmental campaigns saw the investigation of Monnett as an attempt to discredit or sideline government scientists – and so clear the way for Shell and other oil companies seeking approval to begin drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.
Shell began drilling its first offshore well in the Chukchi this month but was forced to pull out because of a series of problems in its oil containment system.
"It was a witch hunt. They were looking for anything they could find on Chuck (Monnett) to try to get rid of him or at least try to discredit him," said Richard Steiner, who was the receipient of four of the five unauthorised email releases....

How did I guess ! The petroleum industry will go to any extent to find profits. They don't care about Earth, its scientists or the wildlife they protect. I congratulate Dr. Monnett for standing his ground and becoming the hero everyone needed.

Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul), also called the manul can live at 10,000 feet altitude.

Friday, August 3, 2012 
6:30 AM


Keepers at Banham Zoo are celebrating their first arrival of Pallas cat kittens. (click here)


Four kittens were born at the attraction at the end of April and have recently emerged from their nest box.
Staff at the zoo had been hoping their secretive Pallas pair would breed since 2009 when a male arrived from Jihlava Zoo, Czech Republic to join the female as part of the European Breeding Programme.
Pallas cats are classified as “near threatened” in the wild because of over hunting and poisoning and inhabit parts of central Asia and northern China. There are currently 125 Pallas cats in the European programme....
The Pallas's cat is familiar with the Himalayan Mountains as home. It is considered Near Threatened due to the destruction of habitat involving tourism as well as over hunting and poisoning.
Behavior: (click here)
Most active at dawn and dusk, these elusive cats are solitary except during mating season or when a mother is caring for her kittens—teaching them the skills they will need for survival. Pallas’ cats den in small caves and cracks and in the abandoned burrows of marmots, foxes and badgers. They are adapted for life in cold climates where temperatures may reach lows of minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Their extremely thick and heavy coats and long bushy tails help them combat the cold. These cats are not adept runners but are excellent ambush predators. Their coloration blends into the vegetation allowing them to sneak up on prey.


Leatherback Sea Turtles are endangered. This was a very special release.

The turtle before being released (New England Aquarium)

By Sarah N. Mattero, Globe Correspondent
09/28/2012 5:13 PM
The 655-pound leatherback sea turtle (click here) that was rescued in Truro last week appears to be doing well after being released by the New England Aquarium, the aquarium said....

Leatherbacks are the largest turtles on Earth, (click here) growing up to seven feet (two meters) long and exceeding 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms). These reptilian relics are the only remaining representatives of a family of turtles that traces its evolutionary roots back more than 100 million years. Once prevalent in every ocean except the Arctic and Antarctic, the leatherback population is rapidly declining in many parts of the world.
While all other sea turtles have hard, bony shells, the inky-blue carapace of the leatherback is somewhat flexible and almost rubbery to the touch. Ridges along the carapace help give it a more hydrodynamic structure. Leatherbacks can dive to depths of 4,200 feet (1,280 meters)—deeper than any other turtle—and can stay down for up to 85 minutes.
Leatherbacks have the widest global distribution of all reptile species, and possibly of any vertebrate....

Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) endangered throughout its range. (click here)


"Psycho Zookeeper" - Saving on veterinary costs, maybe?


Try asking for donations next time. 

It takes all kinds I suppose. PMS, maybe? I hope this woman has no children. I don't think anyone could live through that marriage.

By Justin JouvenalPublished: September 28


...Rood confronted Mogensen, (click here) resigned in protest and later called police.
“I think you and your father are sick and sadistic people, and I don’t want to be part of this anymore,” Rood recalled telling Mogensen, whose father owns the zoo. “It’s one thing to euthanize an animal, but it’s another thing to drown it.”
Mogensen, 26, of Silver Spring, was convicted of animal cruelty and sentenced to 30 days in jail after Rood’s whistleblower complaint. A judge also found her guilty of possessing animal anesthesia without a license.
The unusual trial featured testimony about a wallaby autopsy known as a necropsy, veterinary forensics experts and fingerprint analysis as prosecutors sought to show that Mogensen cruelly killed the wallaby and then mounted an elaborate coverup....

Giant Panda Cub Dies at National Zoo



By MICHAEL ZENNIE

...She said she found milk in the cub's digestive tract, (click here) meaning she had been successfully nursing from her mother before her death. 
'We’d all felt that Mei Xiang had been a very good mother and had been very gentle with the cub, and indeed, that turns out to be the case,' Dr Murray said.
The seasoned animal surgeon, and mother of three, nearly broke down as she described the dead newborn.
'The cub was just beautiful. Beautiful little body. Beautiful face, with the markings just beginning to show around the eye. Couldn’t have been more beautiful,' she said.
The tragedy is a familiar one for the National Zoo. Out of eight giant panda cubs born since the zoo began its breeding program in the 1970s, only one has survived to maturity.
The rest died within a few days of being born....

The Ellen Trout Zoo recently announced the birth of a lion cub. I think we know who Daddy was.



Jul 10, 2008

The second announcement is the arrival of a new male African Lion a year and a half old. This new addition is part of the Lion Species Survival Plan (SSP) of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is a valuable animal for the zoo. "Mashaka"-which means Trouble, as he is called, can be seen in the zoo's lion exhibit. The Ellen Trout Zoo, "The Wildest Place in Town and Your Place to Connect with the Natural World", is open every day from 9 A.M. until 5 P.M.



New Lion Cub

Updated: Aug. 16, 2012 PM EDT

By Alexis Spears

LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) 

The Ellen Trout Zoo (click here for video of cub and story) has announced the birth of a male African lion born on July 28.

Cercopithecus roloway (click here)

Owabi (Right, a two-week-old monkey cub of the Cercopithecus roloway family is pictured with its mother, Nyaga, at the zoo in Mulhouse, eastern France. An exceptionally rare Roloway monkey has been born at a zoo in eastern France that is striving to preserve one of the most endangered primate species on the planet.

They have a gorgeous coat and while it is true their habitat is being destroyed, one can't wonder if their fur is sought after as well. 


The Roloway monkey (click here) is one of the three most endangered monkeys of Ghana on the west coast of Africa. Roloway monkeys are an arboreal species found primarily in undisturbed, mature forests. Sadly, they do not appear to be very adaptable to changes in their habitat making them particularly vulnerable to human activity. Roloway monkeys are found in Ghana and eastern Cote d’Ivoire, also found in GuineaIvory CoastLiberia, and Sierra Leone. Roloway monkeys mostly inhabit forests and are found under the canopy of the rainforests.


War is very bad for wildlife and wildlife conservation. Sometimes zoos are the safest haven for these endangered species. Then we wonder why we are losing our jungles and rainforests. Poaching happens easiest if there is war. It isn't good for the people that live there and sincerely love the wildlife either. Guns and gore.





Senior ally of former Ivory Coast president re-arrested in Ghana (click here)

September 28, 2012|Reuters

(Reuters) - Interpol agents in Ghana have rearrested a senior ally of former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo amid a deepening dispute that has led to the closure of the border between the two West African neighbors, his lawyer said late on Friday.
Ivorian authorities are seeking the extradition of Justin Kone Katinan, a former budget minister, who was first arrested in Ghana last month during a wave of deadly attacks in Ivory Coast that the government there blamed on pro-Gbagbo exiles.

But, is she having babies and propagating the species?

Sarah the Cheetah (Source: Cincinnati Zoo)

Babies. 

Ask about the babies!

Zoo's cheetah sets land speed record (click here)





CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19)- Sarah, the Cincinnati Zoo's 11-year-old cheetah, has set a world speed record.
Sarah first earned the title of world's fastest of all land mammals in 2009 when she covered 100 meters in 6.13 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 6.19 seconds set by a male South African cheetah named Nyana in 2001.
This year, Sarah shattered all 100-meter times when she posted 5.95 seconds.  By comparison, Sarah's 100-meter run was nearly four seconds faster than the world's fastest man, Usain Bolt of Jamaica, whose fastest time for the same distance is 9.58 seconds.
Land speed records. Who cares if the kittens can't keep up with her. Might be good for catching prey, but, feeding the young is difficult at this speed.

Disappearing flora due to the Climate Crisis, means disappearing fauna.

Cristián Samper, the new president and chief executive of the Wildlife Conservation Society, at the Bronx Zoo on Wednesday.


...“My stature (click here) with the kids went up dramatically,” Dr. Samper said jokingly on Wednesday, his first day of work at the society’s headquarters at the Bronx Zoo. “This is much cooler.”
Dr. Samper, 46, a tropical biologist, arrived at the society after leading the Natural History Museum for nearly a decade. Born in Costa Rica and raised in Colombia, he roamed the forests there as a boy, cultivating a lifelong passion for studying and protecting plants and animals, and rising to become the chief science adviser for biodiversity for the Colombian government.
The transition from administering a vast collection that lies mostly in drawers and jars to managing one that actively prowls four of the five boroughs was motivated, he said, by a sense of urgency. Some scientists say that because of habitat loss, climate change and other factors, the world faces the possibility of a mass extinction comparable to the one that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
“I’ve spent the last 30 years of my life studying wildlife, and many of the cloud forests that I once did research on are now gone — literally,” he said. “When I go back to the field, I see an incredible loss of species. Part of my decision to make this career change is that I feel I can’t be a bystander. This is an opportunity to protect and conserve these species....

Pennsylvania Conservation Officers take on ATVs.


Published: Sunday, September 30, 2012, 11:05 AM     
Updated: Sunday, September 30, 2012, 11:12 AM
By MARCUS SCHNECK, The Patriot-News 

...Previously WCOs (click here) did not have authority to enforce Title 75 summary offenses, and "the Game Commission normally forwards these violations to other enforcement authorities, which typically ends in mixed results," explained commission Executive Director Carl Roe.
"Illegal ATV operation is a major source of wildlife habitat destruction across the state, and these violations are often accompanied by ATV classification offenses, such as a lack of registration or insurance, which are required under Title 75."
Board President Ralph Martone, noted, "This is giving more weapons to our officers in the fight against ATVs on commission properties."
Roe said, "Unauthorized ATV operation on state game lands and private lands enrolled in the agency's hunter access program continues to be one of the top 10 violations our wildlife conservation officers encounter each year."...

It's Sunday Night


Born to be wild - Steppenwolf



Get your motor runnin' 
Head out on the highway 
Lookin' for adventure 
And whatever comes our way 
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen 
Take the world in a love embrace 
Fire all of your guns at once 
And explode into space 

I like smoke and lightning 
Heavy metal thunder 
Racin' with the wind 
And the feelin' that I'm under 
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen 
Take the world in a love embrace 
Fire all of your guns at once 
And explode into space 

Like a true nature's child 
We were born, born to be wild 
We can climb so high 
I never want to die 

Born to be wild 
Born to be wild


Get your motor runnin' 
Head out on the highway 
Lookin' for adventure 
And whatever comes our way 
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen 
Take the world in a love embrace 
Fire all of your guns at once 
And explode into space 

Like a true nature's child 
We were born, born to be wild 
We can climb so high 
I never want to die 

His 47% statement at the fund raiser dinner party is his point of view. It was not a gaff.



There were also statements to journalists. I can't find the video, it wasn't that popular. He was in the jet talking to reports. He stated, "All I need is more than 50%." He sincerely has a philosophy regarding the poor and middle class. They are disposable for all intents and purposes. When one looks across the spectrum of his statements before the convention and after, it is all the same content. He works with the wealthy to drive job creation while reaping in monies. He isn't about the working class, he is about the elite. Money has value, people don't.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Until tomorrow....


We are getting there.


The increase in consumer confidence we are experiencing must have something to do with the return of home equity.
This movement improves the USA economic stability, but, it still does not answer the tax base issues being experienced in many cities across the country. Cities are still suffering from a smaller tax base since 2008.
But, we getting there. I think this is really good news.
Minneapolis, Minnesota (PRWEB) 
September 14, 2012
...The breakdown (click here) of information, and good news for homeowners, in CoreLogic's report is:
    •  This is down from 11.4 million properties, or 23.7 percent, at the end of the first quarter of 2012.
   •  An additional 2.3 million borrowers possessed less than 5 percent equity in their home, referred to as near-negative equity, at the end of the second quarter.
   •  Approximately 600,000 borrowers reached a state of positive equity at the end of the second quarter of 2012.
   •  More than 700,000 home borrowers moved into positive equity in Q1 of 2012.
   •  Over 1.3 million households regaining a positive equity position since the beginning of the year.
   •  The share of borrowers still underwater but current on their payments was 84.9 percent at the end of the Q2 in 2012, up from 84.8 percent at the end of Q1 in 2012.
“The level of negative equity continues to improve with more than 1.3 million households regaining a positive equity position since the beginning of the year,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic. “Surging home prices this spring and summer, lower levels of inventory, and declining REO sale shares are all contributing to the nascent housing recovery and declining negative equity.”...

Will someone please tell Michelle Bachmann she spelled Sterns County on her map wrong.

Michelle Bachmann website under "District" (click here)

There is a map of the Minnesota 6th Congressional District there. Now, I tried to be fair. I thought it was one of those eyesight things, but, the closer and closer I looked at, or should I say for, Sterns County the more I realized someone actually spelled it "Steams" County. 

I also noticed she does not legislate for Hennepin County where all the action is. See, Hennepin County is where Minneapolis resides. Do you know the Congressman for Hennepin County? No? None other than Congressman Keith Ellison.

Strange place, Minnesota. Even stranger to realize Bachmann and Ellison are neighbors. How did that happen?

The Sixth Congressional District is experiencing a sluggish return to housing values compared to the rest of Minnesota. I am not sure why, but, if there is something Bachmann objected to in the Recovery Act, it might explain it. Minnesota property values are rebounding. 


  • Article by: JIM BUCHTA , Star Tribune 
  • Updated: August 21, 2012 - 9:37 PM


The Minnesota housing market continues to move away from the bottom, as July home sales climbed 4.6 percent, the Minnesota Association of Realtors reported Tuesday.
Other positive signs emerged during the month: the median home price was up 11.1 percent, sellers received a higher percentage of their asking price, and homes were selling faster, on average....

Minnesota also had a lion share of the homes underwater until recently. The increase in property values are returning equity to some homes. 

Odd about the Sixth District. One would expect the values to return quicker there simply because the homes are more expensive, as a rule. But, there is this other reality which is somewhat disturbing. There is a trend to leave low income people out of the district. Very strange.


Report: Area housing prices too high for low incomes (click here)

Coalition: Area has shortage

10:50 PM, Sep 3, 2012

Stearns, Sherburne and Benton are among Minnesota counties with the least amount of affordable housing for low-income renters, according to a new report from a nonprofit coalition.

According to the Minnesota Housing Partnership’s 2012 County Profiles released today, 94 percent of the state’s counties have a shortage of rental housing that is affordable and available to their lowest-income residents.

“It’s a long-term trend,” said Chip Halbach, the partnership’s executive director. “What we’ve noticed statewide is that renter incomes have been falling relative to inflation, while rents have been pretty stable and some locales have actually been increasing.”...




Richard Mourdock takes a swing toward the moderates of Indiana. He is untrustworthy.



He states he does not believe in bi-partisanship, but, principle. He believes in segregating his power in a way that will continue the Middle Class of the Indiana and the USA. He is another dangerous Tea Party Darling that will hurt the country and not help it. If Mourdock sees the profit in lying about his core principles now, he will continue to lie if he were elected.

He chronically cherry picks words and phrases out of context of their meaning when used. Typical of the Right Wing, they like to be walking dictionaries rather than addressing issues.

So, let me not be a dictionary by pointing out the word 'conquer' is used several times to describe his role in the USA Senate. A conquering flip-flopper is probably a very dangerous thing.

September 28, 2012 4:09 pm 


Mourdock's awkward stagger to the center may be a necessary move if the Republicans are to hold a seat that had been a safe bet since Lugar first won it in 1976. The outcome will help determine whether the GOP manages to win control of the Senate, where Democrats now have a narrow four-seat advantage.
Advertising spending from both sides has topped $6 million so far and promises to explode in the final weeks. The candidates and outside groups have already surpassed the $5.6 million spent in Indiana's 2010 Senate battle.
The Tea Party has won Senate seats in South Carolina, Utah, Kentucky and Florida, but only one so far — in Wisconsin — in the more politically diverse Midwest. Mourdock and Texas Republican Ted Cruz represent the ultraconservative movement's best chance for increasing its clout in this election....

Nothing is sacred in Syria from Assad.

I am quite sure the market in Allepo was the one place citizens felt safe, until today. I am sure there are many people dead. It isn't like Assad was going to call a fire drill before he set the place ablaze.

By Karen Laub
September 29, 2012

...The Aleppo market, (click here) a major tourist attraction with its narrow stone alleys and stores selling perfume, fabrics and spices, had been the site of occasional gun battles and shelling for weeks. But amateur video posted Saturday showed wall-to-wall flames engulfing wooden doors as burning debris fell away from the storefronts. Activists said hundreds of shops were affected....

During his visit to the New York City, President Ahmadinejad stated in an interview with Piers Morgan he recognizes the rights of every individual human life. It is time for President Ahmadinejad to take himself seriously and remove any and all support from his fellow Shi'ite, President Assad.

President Assad is killing his own people in mass numbers. He is destroying their lives and taking away any hope. The time is long over due for the Iranian President to remove all forms of support from the Assad regime. He has no assurances the Iranians in Syrian custody are alive or will ever survive the Assad regime.


NEW YORK (AP) — Iran (click here) should only play a role in international diplomatic efforts to end the violence in Syria if it withdraws support for President Bashar Assad's regime, Britain's Middle East minister said Thursday.
Alistair Burt told The Associated Press in an interview that Iran could only have credibility in efforts to press Damascus by withdrawing its backing for Assad.
"Until the Iranians change their position in relation to Syria and stop their active support of a regime that's killing its own people, it's difficult to take them completely seriously," he said, noting that several nations in the Middle East shared Britain's skepticism....


Congressman Peter King is politicizing the death of an ambassador.

The earliest reportings of the attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi were sketchy at best. There were four dead people and others were threatened with their lives.

The idea there would be accuracy beyond the fact there was violence is a hideous concept. Congressman King knows that.

No one is resigning over such diffuse information in ONE incident. Ms. Rice is far to valuable at the United Nations to simply dismiss her at first glance. She is a competent representative for this country and such hideous demands have to be ignored. Ignoring such nonsense will at least give the matter as much attention as it deserves.

It is well documented the events following the discovery of the anti-Muslim film were well underway when the violence was conducted in Benghazi. There was no way of knowing what occurred, yet alone that those alive were safe.

Congressman King needs to understand the working conditions of some of the members of the State Department. Ambassador Stevens was a hero to many in the State Department. He was willing to do the impossible. He was hoping he could carry out the impossible.

Congressman King needs to reflect on the aggressive nature of his past party members in the Executive Branch to realize there is real fear of the USA abroad. In a country that just experienced a government overthrow there continues fear of a larger power coming in to rule their country. The USA has obtained the title of 'Occupier' since Iraq. It doesn't make the work of the State Department any easier. 

In Benghazi of all places where a power vacuum exists, there are still armed militias securing their local territory. The presence of the USA Consulate was a threat to at least one, but, more likely two militias. There is no doubt today the consulate and its staff were under constant surveillance and threat by patrolling militias. 

I don't know how many times the Right Wing has to hear these words, "The USA missions are DEPENDENT upon the authority of the country to control the conditions surrounding their safety." No one knew that more than Ambassador Stevens. There was false confidence in the minds of those in Benghazi. THAT is something Congressman King needs to focus on and not the fact the information immediately after the death of four people and the threat of more was 'clouded by war.' Or in this case, violence.

Past administration with similar circumstances have had the same 'clouds' swirling around their 'inaccuracies,' too.

The sad truth is, the Obama Administration carries more expertise than the newly formed governments themselves. I think that is the reason for the over confidence of the Ambassador and staff. They believed appreciation of the expertise they brought to 'help' would out way any fear. It didn't. At least by the folks with guns and bombs. The militias had more confidence in killing than listening, thinking or understanding they were under no threat from the USA. To them; a dead American was a good thing.

Originally published: September 29, 2012 10:54 AM
Updated: September 29, 2012 11:38 AM
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) (click here) called Friday for the resignation of Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, after the nation's top intelligence agency accepted blame for the deadly attacks on the Libya embassy earlier this month.
Extremists from groups linked to al-Qaida struck the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in a “deliberate and organized terrorist attack,” the top U.S. intelligence agency said Friday, as it took responsibility for the Obama administration’s initial claims that the deadly assault grew from a spontaneous protest against an anti-Islam video.
The unusual statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence appeared to have two goals: updating the public on the latest findings of the investigation into the assault, and shielding the White House from a political backlash over its original accounts....

Friday, September 28, 2012

Missouri the Show Me State

John Ashcroft, the former attorney general, was from Missouri. Was he not? Indeed, he was. A two term Governor.


I've been through Missouri. The Gateway to the West. I know everyone is tired of my stories, but, that is too bad.

I had children with me. We stopped to look at the big McDonald's arch. Their observation, not mine.


There must be something about Missouri men that drives them to modesty of every measure. Left is the picture of the former Attorney General. It was this picture that caused him to put statues in a burka.


So, it would seem as though modesty plays well among Missourians. He had this 'thing' about his hair, too. Let me see if I can find the video. Hopefully it is still out there somewhere.


At any rate, I think Ashcroft did regret called our current President Osama. There was no comparison and John Ashcroft wrote the Patriot Act. At least I think he did.


The impression I've always gotten about Missourians is there seriousness. They are definitely serious about life. The mean it, when they declared their state "The Show Me State." They are a very sober bunch.


They don't like deception and they don't like games. They like life served up straight and don't have time for anything else.


Currently, Real Clear Politics has McCaskell leading by 5.3%. But, being the dedicated Missourian she is and knowing how she loves the people she serves she is not taking polls as a real measure of the outcomes. I think she is correct to be as sober and serious about the issues facing Missouri.


The state of Missouri (click here) can be divided into five basic political divisions. The Democratic base is in central Kansas City and St. Louis.  Republicans run strong in the rural southwest, which has long been Republican, as well as in the band of counties stretching up the Missouri River from St. Louis to Kansas City, which were settled by Germans in the 1800s. The fourth division is found in the Republican-tilting suburbs, while the fifth division is basically the rest of the state, which is essentially a salient of the South jutting into the heart of the state. Democrats' successes are normally dictated by how well they run in these latter two areas....

A strange thing though. For as serious and religious as one would expect such extremism as Akin professes, I would expect that to be everywhere. Not so. And this is an odd one.


Religion in Whiteman Air Force Base (zip 65305), Missouri (click here)

I am not sure when this survey was taken, but, only 19.20% are religious at Whiteman. I am curious if Senator McCaskell has visited the military in her state lately. She should address the serious problems they face and what she has done and WHAT SHE PLANS TO DO to help them and their families.

This is a recent editorial by Phill Brooks in "The Joplin Globe." 


Even issues that dominated the legislative session just a few months earlier usually appear forgotten when the campaign season begins.

Let me highlight the top issues in Missouri’s state government that likely will be at the forefront of attention for the next few years.

Education: The state’s formula for allocating state funds among Missouri’s public schools is broken....

Missourians are tired of the rhetoric. They want something from their leaders. They want to hear how their problems are being addressed. And according to Phill here, Education (Arne Duncan) is at the top of the list.

See, rhetoric is SAFE for any politician. It is standard jargon of which says to people "I am you." Remember that video from a Delaware race?  People need to know they have representation that is REAL, not rhetorical. They need to know their representative is solidly appreciative of their concerns, problems and strife. There is real strife in the USA. There is profound poverty.

If I were Senator McCaskell I would be touring the military bases to shake hands and LISTEN. I would be visiting Joplin and listening closely for healing hearts and success in moving forward. I would be listening and speaking the words of my constituents and talking seriously about the future.

Missourians do not want to hear promises. They don't want to hear how the government is going to control child birth. They don't want to hear about science and whether or not Akin is correct. Missourians want to hear from their Senator how she HAS solved their problems, how much she takes them seriously and how much she believes in herself to move Missouri forward. 

Is Senator McCaskell married, because, if I were her spouse I would not appreciate what Mr. Akin has said about my wife, either. If she is unmarried, like other women in DC who dedicate their lives to serving people, then she needs a male champion. Whoever that might be to come forward in her defense. It isn't right a wonderful woman like Senator McCaskell be talked down to by a man with little kindness in his heart toward all women. But, someone needs to speak up and defend her dignity. It is correct to do that.

Poverty is not a minor issue in Missouri. There has been a lot of hardship, too. Wasn't there some significant floods? I am getting that right? How is the recovery going?

September 16, 2010 9:00 pm

Since 2000, the percentage of Missourians living in poverty has nearly doubled, new figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show. That number grew at more than 3.5 times the national average.
Also up sharply: The number of uninsured. Nationally, about 51 million people had no health insurance in 2009. That’s the largest number since the Census Bureau began collecting data on the uninsured in 1987....
Senator McCaskell can have a photographer take pictures, but, don't do photo ops. The visits to any place in the state has to be real. People suffering at this level have little patience for insincerity.

McCaskill Votes to Advance Bill to Help put Veterans Back to Work (click here)

Senator: Today’s vote a step in the right direction towards helping our veterans and their families

September 11, 2012
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the daughter of a World War II veteran and a founding member of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus, today voted to advance a bill that would help put more military veterans back work.
"After standing up and serving our country with honor, our veterans are returning home to find their unemployment rate is higher than the national average-and that's unacceptable," McCaskill said. "Today's vote is a step in the right direction towards passing legislation that will give our veterans and their families the help they need to find work. I'm determined to keep up my fight for expanded job opportunities for our returning veterans and I'm hopeful my colleagues will work together and pass this legislation into law."
The Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012 would establish a veterans jobs corps to expand local job opportunities for veterans as firefighters and police officers, and employ veterans to maintain, protect, and preserve our public lands...

Senator McCaskell has every reason to be proud of her voting record to help Missourians. She might even talk about how the Senate was unable to pass the American Jobs Act which was paid for and would not add a burden to the national debt. She might point out that many returning veterans might be finding jobs now if that bill had been passed.

Missouri Farmer Today (click here) I read this as often as I can get my hands it, don't you? No one is going to believe this either, but, I was once a farmer (produce primarily) that grew 40 acres of soybeans every year. No lie. Just fact.
...Biodiesel (click here) is made through a simple refining process called transesterification. The process involves mixing methanol with sodium hydroxide, then mixing that with an oil such as soybean oil. The final products are methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerine. Glycerine is a valuable material used in the manufacture of soaps and other products.
Methyl or ethyl esters can be produced from vegetable and tree oils, animal fats, and/or used oils and fats....
Now, of course, everyone wants to know what transesterification is. Please don't talk down to them and say it is a strange name for a woman. Bring an expert that can explain the darn thing. But, more than understanding the process of biodiesel (which I believe is a great invention actually) lets talk about the price of soybeans. Okay? Let's talk about drought, the cost of fuel and the increased cost of food because of the high cost of fuel, but, most of all talk about alternatives and how it makes a difference and how much more it can make a difference.

Talk about forming cooperatives for farmers to GROW THEIR OWN fuel. Talk about how the federal government stands by our farmers and how much they DESERVE all the attention they need. 


There is a lot for Senator McCaskell to talk about. There is more for her to listen to. I think the Missourians are going to be fine. She needs to stay away from the rhetoric and insults and let Mr. Akin prove how he can insult a wonderful Senator without the consideration of her honor.


Good luck, Senator. They need you in the Senate. It is up to you to let them know how much. OH, and if I can quote the Late Senator Edward Kennedy, "You have to ask them for their vote." Remember that. People like to be asked.