Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Someone is picking on bird research? There is nothing like a moron to find humor where there is none.

Birds of any kind  are indicator species. They tell the tale of our climate in ways the average moron can only imagine. The earliest signs of our stressed planet showed up in altered seasonal patterns in birds in the United Kingdom. So, when anyone wants to denigrate wildlife research of any kind they are only showing how ignorant they actually are. Any wildlife research, including the genitalia of ducks, supports companies that support sportsman and land conservation adding up to profits for companies and employment of individuals. Research of duck genitalia is important and it is someone's livelihood. All those involved with stupid mongering need to apologize.

If NSF grants were cut to such research the country suffers and Senator Coburn's hubris and abuse of power is among the most egregious. 

The recipients of the 2013 Gary T. Meyers Bird Conservation Award (click here) have been announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in collaboration with the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) and the Association of Joint Venture Management Boards (AJVMB). The recipients of the awards are Kenneth Babcock, Senior Director of Conservation for Ducks Unlimited, and the North Carolina Sandhills Conservation Partnership.

“Birds today face more challenges than ever before, but these conservation champions give us cause for hope,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “Their efforts show us that when we have the vision, the knowledge and the dedication, we can succeed and ensure that healthy bird populations endure for future generations of Americans.”

Kenneth Babcock has been an active member of the professional conservation community for over five decades, serving in leadership roles for the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Missouri Department of Conservation, and numerous Joint Venture management boards. Throughout his career, he has been a key player in many conservation partnerships, but perhaps most significantly in the development and implementation of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. This seminal enterprise helped catalyze the recovery of the continent’s waterfowl populations from record lows in the 1980s, and profoundly influenced all subsequent bird conservation initiatives. Ken was also instrumental in expanding the use of science in setting hunting regulations, developed the first long-range management plan for the eastern prairie population of Canada geese, and spearheaded the foundational “Design for Conservation” for the Missouri Department of Conservation. Since 1996, Ken has worked at Ducks Unlimited, where he secured the greatest number of conservation easement acres in the organization’s history...

And the National Science Foundation should not support this industry because it is not what exactly, a national security demand? Jerk! The GOP and Right Wing media getting their jollies on the backs of decent, hard working Americans, AGAIN? Or is it STILL !

MSU Ducks Unlimited chapter earns Sweet 16 (click here)

Apr. 3, 2013
...Mississippi Ducks Unlimited Regional Director Billie Ray Fann of Greenwood said the waterfowl conservation organization is focused on improving duck habitats. “Only Ducks Unlimited performs habitat conservation both in our state and on the breeding grounds where our annual migration originates. In Mississippi, Ducks Unlimited projects have improved waterfowl habitat on more than 289,000 acres and spent more than $37 million to date.”
In the past five years, Ducks Unlimited has averaged spending of $2.5 million annually in Mississippi to improve waterfowl habitat and hunting opportunities....

Hillary is wearing a 'campaign issue' pantsuit. Questions?



By Sarah Parnass | ABC OTUS News 

WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton stepped out of the shadows (click here) tonight at an award ceremony held to recognize leaders from around the world who worked to improve the plight of women and featuring such guests as Nicholas Kristof and Vice President Joe Biden. 
The event, Vital Voices' Global Leadership Awards, was the former secretary of state's second public appearances since she left her post at the end of January.
Clinton founded the original Vital Voices Democracy Initiative as first lady in 1997 with then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and has attended 11 of 12 such award ceremonies - every year except 2012 when she was traveling....

The art of clothing design. It pervades so much of life.


Think Local Economies



Thursday, April 4, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The colorful designs of international fashion designer Zandra Rhodes are well known to opera audiences. With Mozart’s "The Magic Flute" and Bizet’s "The Pearl Fishers," Ms. Rhodes’ work graced the San Diego Opera stage with a look that brought new life to these standard repertory items.

"Aida" is also a very ‘traditional’ opera, perhaps not a work that easily gives itself over to a new approach. But once more this designer has brought her unique palette to the sets and costumes of a familiar work in a brilliant burst of inspiration. In conversation with Dr. Nicolas Reveles, Zandra Rhodes will preview her designs for "Aida" and reveal the process which she used in creating them.
Free and open to the public but an RSVP is required as these venues have a capacity limit and previous events have reached their limit....


Three opposed the treaty. No surprise there. The three were joined in opposition by arms dealers. No surprise there, either.

The UN assembly voted 154 to 3 to adopt the treaty. There were 23 abstentions, including from major arms traders.


Arms traders object to the very laws that North Korea, Iran and Syria object to. Those are interesting bedfellows.


The caption to the picture should be the title of the article.

In landmark vote, UN forges first global arms treaty (click here

North Korea, Iran, and Syria oppose new restriction.

By Colum Lynch

WASHINGTON POST

APRIL 03, 2013

UNITED NATIONS — The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to create the first international treaty regulating the global arms trade, a landmark decision that imposes new constraints on the sale of conventional arms to governments and armed groups that commit war crimes, genocide, and other mass atrocities.
The UN vote was hailed by arms-control advocates and scores of governments, including the United States, as a major step in the global effort to enforce basic controls on the $70 billion international arms trade. But it was denounced by Iran, North Korea, and Syria for imposing restrictions that prevent smaller states from buying and selling weapons to ensure their self-defense.
The treaty covers a wide range of conventional weapons, including battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, missiles, and small arms. (Yes, that means guns.) These items could not be transferred to countries under UN arms embargoes or to states that promote genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.
The United States, which cosponsored the treaty, said several US agencies will conduct a review before the accord is presented to President Obama for signature. The treaty would require ratification by the Senate.
What did the NRA say about it? The OLD thing they say about EVERYTHING to protect the profits of gun manufacturers.
The National Rifle Association contended during negotiations that the treaty would weaken Second Amendment gun rights in the United States. The powerful gun lobby has pledged to fight the treaty’s ratification in the Senate....
How does that happen in the USA? All of a sudden a United Nations treaty weakens the Second Amendment, that is a lie. It is a complete and solidly untruthful statement. That statement by the NRA only clarifies the way the NRA views the Second Amendment.
The NRA covets the Second Amendment for the benefit of gun profits and not citizen lives and rights. The NRA covets the Second Amendment so gun manufacturers can sell guns illegally in numbers that make no sense at all. The Second Amendment in the NRA rhetoric has no basis in fact. The fact of the matter is the people of the USA have the right to regulate guns and ban those causing deaths in the USA. That is a fact through the Supreme Court of the USA by the most extremist conservative judge on the bench.
So, let's get this right. Every time ANYTHING in the world effects gun sales to manufacturers LaPierre at the NRA screams "Second Amendment, USA." He is a liar and he could not care less about the lives of citizens ANYWHERE.

Does it matter that we are completely clear on Background Checks for Gun Purchase?

The media states people are complaining that the statistics on background checks is too old to be reliable. The complaint is that 40% of guns purchased are done without background checks was a statistic at the time the Brady Bill was passed and doesn't apply. There is the other complaint that 40% of background checks are not required by law.

So what?

Does anyone actually presume to argue that all guns sold should not receive background checks?

Does anyone believe there are no guns sold illegally?

Does anyone believe there are guns EXCHANGED without the exchange of cash? Are those EXCHANGES requiring background checks?

The arguments are irrelevant. I don't care if the statistics are old. I don't care if there are 40% of sales not requiring background checks. I don't care if EXCHANGES of guns occur or there are guns sold illegally. This is ONLY MORE PROOF there is lack of cohesion in applying the laws and statistics regarding guns and the only real solution is to ban them. That is the only answer, it will be the only answer and I don't see anything changing about that.

Assign every statement about guns five Pinocchio or Pants on Fire, I don't care. There are too many guns on the street in the hands of people that should not have them while killing innocent people and gun crimes are committed. Criminals are obtaining guns and carrying on to cause anarchy in the USA.

The ONLY WAY.

The ONLY WAY.

The ONLY WAY to stop the mayhem occurring in the USA is to ban guns. There isn't any other argument that adds up that will have the effectiveness Americans are looking for.

The talk is over and Americans want gun control. There isn't anything else to understand. Parsing words will stop. Political dogma will end.

End of discussion.