Lady Bird's legacy

She carved out an impressive legacy of environmentalism at a time when the term was not in the national lexicon. Her elevation of the cause of highway beautification helped lead to congressional legislation. Her efforts to upgrade the nation's capital led to the creation of a suburban Virginia park in her name. She founded a National Wildflower Research Center in Austin, Texas.

Michael Moore forgot something in his film.

The State of the Art USA Healthcare. What next, outsourcing?

He wasn't the first person to propose a "Single Payer, Universal Health Care Provider System" for the USA.

Nope.

In 2003, the Physicians Working Group of the American Medical Association was the first to propose it for the USA. Kindly click title above.

Physicians for a National Health Program (click here)

Single-Payer National Health Insurance
Single-payer national health insurance is a system in which a single public or quasi-public agency organizes health financing, but delivery of care remains largely private.
Currently, the U.S. health care system is outrageously expensive, yet inadequate. Despite spending more than twice as much as the rest of the industrialized nations ($7,129 per capita), the United States performs poorly in comparison on major health indicators such as life expectancy, infant mortality and immunization rates. Moreover, the other advanced nations provide comprehensive coverage to their entire populations, while the U.S. leaves 46 million completely uninsured and millions more inadequately covered....

News Release

Expanding coverage for the uninsured and increasing access to care (click here)

...HCCU participating organizations include AARP, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Catholic Health Association, Families USA, Federation of American Hospitals, Healthcare Leadership Council, Johnson & Johnson, Kaiser Permanente, Pfizer Inc., United Health Foundation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce....

The Final Draft (click here)

Expanding Health Care Coverage in the United States:
A Historic Agreement

A diverse group of 16 major national organizations
with an abiding interest in accessibility to
quality health care have reached a consensus on
policy approaches to expand health coverage to
as many people as possible as soon as possible. In
formulating the proposal, the participating organizations
agreed upon key principles: (1) emphasizing
making coverage available to those least
able to afford it, (2) relying upon incentives and
voluntary approaches, (3) building upon the
employer-based system and not weakening incentives
for employers to offer coverage, (4) using a
combination of public and private approaches to
expand coverage, (5) recognizing the budget challenges
facing most states, and (6) recognizing the
importance of consumer outreach and education
on health coverage options.

I got all my tickets for the Traverse City Film Festival...ha, ha, ha...

...and I was able to secure a ticket to every movie I wanted to see...ha, ha, ha...if you think that is not an accomplishment, I dare you to try it.

Okay, so Bush and Gates are getting serious about doing the country's business. Look, Iraq can do what it wants. The 'Benchmarks' are American definitions to maintain a military presence in that country while they transition only a 'path' recognized by the USA Executive Branch as necessary to establish a country called Iraq post illegal invasion based on 'You broke it, you bought it.'

Iraq does not have to achieve any of the Benchmarks. Those Benchmarks are not Iraqi Law. If the Parliament in Iraq wants to go on break for a month as does the pampered USA federal government that is their right. If they take time off than it should give the people of the USA a very clear understanding of where they prioritize the importance of the USA initiative and the Benchmarks.

The USA cannot legislate Iraqi law. It has no power within that sovereign country except what it is granted by the people of that country and considering the violence that isn't much of an invitation.

So. Although the American government recognizes through legislation Benchmarks, it is to 'measure' the 'purpose' of the USA military within Iraq. The USA cannot and will not forever occupy and support Iraq. Just that simple.

In actuality, the Benchmarks are more important to the American people than they ever will be to those in Iraq. It's time to leave Iraq. There is a resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan because they are taking advantage of the quagmire of our military in Iraq and don't think for one minute that isn't a strategy by the Taliban and al Qaeda. You betcha it is.

Walker Bush is "W"rong AGAIN

Pfc. Peter Mikolajewski scans his sector(click here for link to photo) for during a combined cordon and search operation with 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi National Police Division, in the Kamaliya area of eastern Baghdad. Mikolajewski is assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment. The 2-16th Infantry is operating in Baghdad under the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bronco Suzuki, 2nd IBCT, 2nd Inf. Div. Public Affairs)

The photo above is not an image. It is not a mirage. It is real. An American soldier risking his life for the country he pledges allegiance, loyalty and within those two words is 'love for all his country and the citizens within it.' The 'flip side' of this is the 'image' Bush attempts to put forward which lacks credibility, loyalty and love of the USA. This soldier is on a mission he believes is important...

U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq at 3,609 (click here)
Wednesday July 11, 2007 1:31 AM
By The Associated Press
As of Tuesday, July 10, 2007, at least 3,609 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,966 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
The AP count is the same as the Defense Department's tally, last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT.
The British military has reported 159 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 20; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia, three; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Romania, South Korea, one death each.
Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 26,695 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department's weekly tally....

...but, he is undermined by the politics of the president/commander and chief of the USA whom depends on this soldier's loyalty to his mission to define legitimacy for the image of Bush.

Mr. Bush is "W"rong. Let's understand that his speech today has absolutely no basis in fact/credibility based in the role of his office as stated in the USA Constitution. Bush literally spoke 'past' the USA Constitution to his 'base' in the Senate and House to continue to override the Constitution's legitimacy through opposing the will of the USA people to facilitate the agenda of cronies. That is 'politics' not government. They are all impeachable to that reality. Why shouldn't they stand together? If the country ever forced hearings on the 'wrong-doing' of current legislators in their responsibility to the Constitution, it would be found many Republicans in both branches of the Legislature qualify for impeachment based on their opposition to the will of the people of this country.

Bush is in the Executive Branch of the USA. The Executive Branch carries out the business of the country as represented by the Legislature. It's just that simple. Bush is obstructing the will of the people by standing in defiance to the legislation he now has to answer to as Commander and Chief of the USA military. He is attempting to further his coup by forcing the 'image' of the Legislature into subserviency as a 'funder' to his illegal and illegitmate war. The Legislature answers to no one but the people of this country. They don't have to answer to Bush, he has to answer to them, a place he feels uncomfortable with because Frist and DeLay no longer can run a corrupt legislature to facilitate the Bush coup.

continued below...

Bush: Mixed progress but victory still possible in 'ugly war'

by Mark Silva
President Bush, delivering a mixed report today about the progress of what he conceded is “an ugly war’’ in Iraq, called on Congress to allow the U.S. military time to show that his escalation of military forces can bring stability to the violence-wracked nation.
The president’s report, the first of two progress reports on several “benchmarks’’ that Congress demanded when it reluctantly approved $100 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan earlier this year, ranks the Iraqi government on 18 measures. Bush reported “satisfactory’’ progress on eight, unsatisfactory progress on eight and mixed reviews on two.
The president insisted that he, as commander-in-chief, and not the Congress, as financiers of the military, will run the war in Iraq. Yet he also acknowledged growing congressional and public opposition to the war in an hour-long press conference in the West Wing of the White House today.
“I understand why the American people’’ are concerned about the war, the president said. “They’re tired of the war. There is war fatigue in America. It is affecting our psychology…. It’s an ugly war.
“It doesn’t surprise me that there is deep concern amongst our people,’’ Bush said. “Part of that concern is whether or not we can win… I know we’ve got to achieve our objective.’’
And Bush, asked how he can continue to prosecute a war which has lost the support of a majority of the American people said he will retire – at the end of next year – comfortable that he has hewed to “principle.’’
“The question now is, do we pull back and allow the polls, allow the Gallup Poll or whatever, to determine the fate of our country?’’ Bush said. “Sometimes, you just have to make the decisions based upon what you think is right…. My most important job is to help secure this country.’’
“Everybody wants to be loved,’’ said Bush, leaning into the new podium of a renovated West Wing press briefing room getting its debut press conference. “Sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don’t allow you to be loved… (When he retires) I will be able to look in the mirror and say I made decisions based on principle, not politics.’’...

This is NOT 'war fatigue' by the American people, but, Bush is attempting through suggestion that it 'should be.' This is a redirection by the people of the USA to return legitimacy to their Constitution while returning control of it's military to the people rather than a runaway coup in DC. The American people have redefined the objective of their military. I don't know whom the 'we' is Bush refers to when he states there is an objective to be reached. The reality in Iraq and no one contests it, is that the circumstances of that country need a solution of cooperation/political if you will, by the people of Iraq to stop the violence. Everyone knows there is no military solution for Iraq, yet the 'eight' Benchmarks that have been achieved are all based in military definition. There has been NO political/social/economic progress made in Iraq. Bush is not capable of such goals because of his overfunded war which he threw more money to today. What justification did he give to put more money into a failed war? None. He provided no reason for added funding for Iraq. NONE !

Bush is right in that his more important job as president to the USA people is to secure this nation from any attack especially in the face of the attacks of September 11th and the current and past Intelligence ESTIMATES. Absolutely, that is his more important job. But, he continues to fail to achieve that goal as well. Our current 'Intelligence Estimate' is worse than last year, which is worse than the year before. Hello? Bush defines his job but fails to provide proof is he carrying it out in the face of evidence to the contrary. He is incompetent based in his own definition of his job when linked to the evidence. Incompetence is impeachable by the way. The Executive Branch has to be able to carry out their duties. This administration has never proven that they are competent and the current 'surge' is a last ditch effort to define a 'mission' to our military to salvage Bush's claim to Commander and Chief after the release of the Iraq Study Group.

The statement regarding 'longing to be loved' but aggrieved from that goal due to consequences of his job is a 'mechanism' to a well coached attempt to soften Bush's image and promote compassion for his predicament. Bush could not care less about 'being loved' by anyone except the cronies to the Republican Party. A softer image to Bush plays to women,but, this desperate act by him alone, rather than 'playing the hand' of the Bully Pulpit clearly indicates Bush under seige from every direction except his staff which shares in Bush's illegitimacy to their position in the Executive Branch.

A word about Cindy Sheehan. I believe she has the right path. She has to build her base to be elected.

Cindy at Camp Casey

Cindy with Jessie Jackson

Cindy with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Sheehan brings new campaign through Houston (Click on title above, thank you)
By ANNE MARIE KILDAYCopyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan spent her 50th birthday in Houston today, attending events aimed at ending the war in Iraq.
Sheehan joined other activists who gathered on the Montrose bridge during the afternoon rush hour to hold signs calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Sheehan urged about 100 Houston peace activists to join join her 13-day caravan to Washington, D.C., where she plans to formally announce her candidacy against U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Sheehan, a Californian, announced she will challenge Pelosi if the lawmaker has not moved to impeach Bush and Cheney by July 23.

There is a fact no one can contest regarding Cindy Sheehan and that is she knew how to harness power and gain recognition. As a result The Peace Movement had a dedicated woman to foster the cause. She never abandoned them so much as recently has changed her focus. I wish her the best.

Cindy has to establish her legitimate claim to run for office. I think she has a challenge. The district she has chosen to run for federal office is already represented by another very competent women in the current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The current Speaker has in a very short time been able to contextualize the electorate that brought the Democrats to the majority of both houses and move their agenda forward. I remind all that the House and Senate during their first 100 hours was able to pass meaningful legislation and have it signed by the very difficult Executive Branch.

As a side note, if you will, I do believe Bush said what he meant today, when he stated he wants to be liked as a President. I believe that is true. The unfortunate aspect of all that is he has his 'image' painted into a corner that is illegitimate along with policies that don't uphold the integrity of a nation he longs to befriend.

A good deal of his current image difficulty is due to his 'loyalty' to people such as Rove and Cheney along with his 'inflexibility' to achieve real and measurable goals in reducing Carbon Dioxide Emission by the USA, National Security, a clearly defined path to peace and prosperity for the USA and an administration that is credible to that end. Bush has a lot of self reflection to achieve the 'idea' of being a friend to the people of the USA. A lot. He's up to it if he chooses. There is plenty of legislation the USA people approve of which he has stood unilaterally in definance of and he needs to reconsider his position on all that has been brought to his desk. The USA has a lot of serious work to do in today's world including saving Afghanistan from the ravages of failed policy. The question is, does George Walker Bush's desire to befriend the USA exceed his 'die hard' loyalty to images and strategies of the Republican Party? I sincerely doubt he cares to work that hard at 'likeability.'

But to return to Cindy and her determination to turn the corner on the USA involvement in Iraq.

Cindy has to make a committment to her run for office, build a constituency and a funding base. She can have all the best intentions in the world and exhibit competency in achieving those intentions, but, without the confidence of a constituency she will never succeed.

Basically, Ms. Sheehan has to ask herself the questions, "Can I be elected?" and "Do I want to risk a marginal victory in replacing a House Speaker with a Republican?" Cindy will not be House Speaker if she is elected. That leadership role does not happen overnight.

Cindy and her campaign headquarters has to have a large margin of confidence before they move into such a rhelm. She can start by recognizing she is correct in her estimation that the USA Constitution has been effectively dismantled by the current Republican Legislators in DC. Getting an electorate, not just in her district, but across a constituency that will support her legislation should she be elected to turn the country's course in a different direction and away from further demise of it's Constitution, is a huge agenda. Cindy can motivate, but, can she 'build' on that motivation to change the course of a country headed for self destruction? It's a tall order for a little lady. I wish her the best. Sincerely.

Impeach George Walker Bush - Iraq fails to meet benchmarks, Bush refuses to remove troops. Just that simple.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood (click here).


The Iraq government does not want the interference of the USA inside their country. Iraq has failed ot meet ten of the eighteen goals set by Congress. It's time to bring the troops out of Iraq. The killing is continuing against the will of the people of the USA.

Iraq Kurds renounce support of key oil law (click here)
Dispute threatens goal set by U.S.
By Yahya Barzanji
Associated Press
Published July 12, 2007
SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq -- Kurdish leaders spoke out Wednesday against a key oil law, raising further doubts over efforts to pass one of the political benchmarks sought by the U.S. at a time when the Bush administration is trying to fend off critics of its Iraq policy.The oil bill and other benchmarks are aimed at encouraging the Sunni Arab minority to support the government and turn away from the insurgency, easing violence over the long-term. The oil law at the center of debate now is part of a package to regulate the industry and distribute its profits, aiming to address Sunni fears of being squeezed out of the wealth by Iraq's dominant Shiites and the Kurds.

Bush and Cheney stand in defiance of the laws set by Legislation to govern the USA presence in Iraq. Bush has released more funds to a war the USA Legislature has stated the Executive Branch needs to disembark. The Oval Office is in definance of Congress, it's time to impeach. At least one more service man and two more civilians have died today unnecessarily in Iraq. The illegal invasion into Iraq continues to be an illegal war.

Shelling in Green Zone kills 3 (click here)
A U.S. service member is among the dead in Baghdad's fortified region. Iraqi Cabinet pledges aid to a bomb-ravaged town.
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Times Staff WriterJuly 11, 2007
BAGHDAD — At least 20 mortar rounds and Katyusha rockets struck the fortified Green Zone on Tuesday afternoon, killing an American service member and two other people in an attack on the heart of U.S. and Iraqi government facilities in the capital.Those killed included an Iraqi and a person whose nationality was unknown, according to a statement released by the U.S. Embassy. About 18 people were injured, including two U.S. military personnel and three American contract employees, the statement said.

MORE THAN EVER:

We don't belong in Iraq.

We never did.

Oppose the draft.

Bring the troops home now.

Impeach Bush and Cheney.

The humidity available in the north-west quarter of Earth is centered over Oklahoma. Yep. Right there on Latitude 36 North. Drought. No hurricanes.

July 12, 2007
1130z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite



Tropical Storm BERYL showed up about this time last year. About a week from now. Not much action yet this year or last for that matter compared to 2005 when we were on our fifth severe storm, two tropical storms and three hurricanes of which two were Cat 4s. Interesting how an absence of humidity reduces the number of storms this time of year. Drought has replaced hurricanes. It amazing to me to realize the available humidity has gathered in one small storm in the 'fixed' weather pattern of the North American continent.




Darn shame people don't listen.





Kan: Flooding, Blizzards, Tornadoes Cause Millions of Dollars in Damage (click here)

The first half of 2007 has been one to forget for many Kansans as blizzards, deadly tornadoes and now flooding have caused millions of dollars in damage, disrupted lives and put a dent in the state's economy.
Of the state's 105 counties, only three _ Marion, Atchison and Jefferson _ have escaped being designated a disaster area by local, state or federal officials this year.
"We are beginning to wonder what has brought Kansas to the focal point'' of severe storms, said Sharon Watson, director of public affairs for Kansas Emergency Management. "We have certainly gotten every type of storm you can have, with the exception of hurricane, and we hope we don't have one of those.''
State officials are still tallying the damage from last week's floods, which affected 20 counties in southeast Kansas. So far, emergency management personnel have identified about 3,100 homes destroyed or heavily damaged in five counties, with a dollar figure to be determined later.
Winter storms that crippled western Kansas earlier this year and a rash of spring tornadoes, including one that largely destroyed Greensburg, have caused more than $1 billion in damage already, with the state spending at least half that for recovery efforts.
Much of the damage has occurred in rural areas, which have struggled in recent years because of drought and other economic obstacles.
Insurance companies are fielding claims for hundreds of millions of dollars, money that temporarily boosts local economies with the rebuilding of homes and the replacement of lost furniture and other property.
But that doesn't make up for the original damage.
"Any time wealth is destroyed, we're all poorer,'' said Art Hall, director of the University of Kansas' Center for Applied Economics.
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said on Friday she may call lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session to pass a relief package for those affected by the floods. They crafted a similar bill for Greensburg residents.
The question is whether Kansas has any money left to cover the region's needs.
The ice storms and blinding snow of December and January caused an estimated $360 million in damage to roads, power lines and telephone poles, the costliest natural disaster in state history. President Bush later designated 44 counties as part of a major disaster area.
Five months later, on May 4, a swarm of tornadoes struck the state's midsection, including a 1.7-mile-wide monster than killed 10 people in Kiowa County and destroyed or damaged almost 1,000 homes in Greensburg. Three other people died in twisters the same day or the next day.
Insurance companies said the tornado in Greensburg caused more than $150 million in insured losses. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration have set aside $42.5 million to help those affected by the storms.
"Those two storms (the winter storms and tornadoes) alone have left an unprecedented mark on the state in terms of damage and destruction,'' Watson said.
The state then got a heavy dose of rain, bringing floods to central Kansas in May and southeast Kansas in late June and early July. The high water in Coffeyville was made even worse by the release of thousands of gallons of crude oil from a refinery on the Verdigris River.
"All I can tell you is that I have my staff very busy researching the length of a cubit,'' said Randy Duncan, emergency management director for Sedgwick County, referring to the unit of measurement used in the Bible to build Noah's Ark.
Duncan said the disasters should remind Kansans that the state is vulnerable to bad weather year-round and they should be prepared _ especially if they're in local or state government.
"You will see more local governments pay more attention to financing emergency management activities,'' he said.
Economists said disasters do provide the opportunity for struggling towns to get improved facilities, such as new city buildings and more technologically advanced homes. But any underlying economic weaknesses will likely remain a problem.
"If these were aging communities, shrinking towns, then the disaster is probably not going to change that,'' said Robert Olshansky, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Illinois. "In principle, there's a great opportunity to make a dramatic improvement, but usually after disasters, most of those things don't happen.''
Meteorologists said there's no one cause of this year's weather mayhem, noting that the blizzards were caused by a strong jet stream while the tornadoes and flooding were driven by a weak jet stream. For the rest of the summer, forecasters predict weather to remain between the extremes.
Of course, it could be worse. The Legislature hasn't had to deal with locust swarms since 1874.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

America doesn't have a health care system. It's a corporate nightmare. A few points regarding news events yesterday. Starting with Micheal.

The USA will move into state of the art medicine from sea to shining sea to decrease inefficiency and provide the best healthcare this nation has ever witnessed.

MOORE: No. I am sorry we've taken so much time trying to correct his facts here tonight instead of talking about the real issue. People can go to my Web site and you can see point by point where he was wrong on everything.

But I think the real discussion we should have, Larry -- and maybe we can do this again -- is to talk about what Sanjay just brought up in terms of the 47 million who don't have insurance. Eighteen thousand people die every year for no other reason other than the fact that they don't have insurance. Medical bills are now the number one cause of bankruptcy in this country.

And if I -- if I could, I would just like to say one thing about these wait times in Canada. They always talk about how you've got to wait longer in Canada, which is true for some things that are not emergencies.

But the reason why you have a little bit longer wait in Canada is because everybody is in line, because they cover everybody.

In our country, we've removed 47 million people from the line. And any time you remove 47 million people from a line, you're going to have less wait in line. Those of us who have insurance have a less wait time because 47 million of our citizens aren't there in front of us in line. That's the --

That is an excellant point. The populous of the USA under a single payer system is actually going to have to increase the size of it's health care system including employment. Keep in mind employees pay taxes and pay the bills for the nation.

People that have been long ignored and damaged by the lack of health care when coming under 'the umbrella' will have greater needs than if they were cared for properly from their birth. One of the secrets of having a health care system that is not exorbitantly costly is to have a society that focuses on health as a life style. We have done that as a country, but, not necessary enforced it through an advocacy program that makes it worth the while for people to be healthy and doctors to increase their interest in providing an impetus to that end.

Some people will never be very healthy, but, to deny them the opportunity to be 'optimally' healthy is a gross social injustice. People can't work if they are not well. If they don't work, they can't pay taxes. If they don't pay taxes the country's ability to be benevolent to it's citizens is diminished. Privatization has never supplied adequate care to the people, all the people of the USA. It's time to turn that around. I'll comment more in a minute, first, Dr. Gupta made a statement toward the end of the 'debate' if you will with Michael Moore.

It bothered me.

GUPTA: I think it's worth bringing up the numbers. I think Michael is right. I think, you know, for a cardiac catheterization, for example, Michael, which is something you and I both might need one day in our lives, you wait six days if it's sort of an emergency in Canada, and up to 60 days for it to be elective.

I don't know what you think about those numbers. In the United States, on average -- and I understand the un-insurance problem. I get it. I hear what you're saying.

But it can take about a day for someone whose non-emergent and a few hours for someone who is emergent.

These are the facts. These are the numbers, Michael. I mean if you have a heart problem, where would you rather be? If you were having chest pain right now and you needed a heart catheterization, would you want to be waiting six days, up to 60 days? Or do you want to be taken care of within hours or a day?

To begin, Dr. Gupta just doesn't 'get it.' He might 'recognize' the uninsured, but, there is no empathy with them. No demanding essential health care for all. Not only that, but the USA can give people more 'immediate' care because there are less people receiving it. That's a selling point to the system in the USA? Not where I come from.

If all the people of this nation were adequately insured privately and the coverage was enforced by the government the waiting time within the current system of health care delivery would immediately match Canada's or worse because so many Americans are in poor condition due to negligence of their health.

So, although Dr. Gupta's 'numbers' might be 'correct' and I don't know that for a fact; they are grossly reflective of a disaffected society. Those numbers of Dr. Gupta's does not reflect the care of all Americans, but, only fortunate Americans. They are invalid regardless of any accuracy.

Additionally, the 'pandering' to doctors within the American healthcare system and especially through the south is incredibly abusive of patients. I can point to a specific healthcare system that holds Greensboro, North Carolina as hostage because it is a corporation and a conglomerate of that 'region' owning the care and income to the citizen's there. That hospital system does as it pleases when it comes to administering care. Should a cardiac patient require care on a Friday, they'll have to wait until Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week while the doctors are off for the weekend.

Literally, the doctors demand time off and the 'line' to the Catherization Lab grows longer and longer while the rooms of the hospital fill up over the weekend and patients sit in beds on Heparin and Nitroglycerin drips.

No lie.

So, don't try to tell me there are devoted doctors waiting at any moment to sweep a patient having a heart attack into the Cath Lab. It isn't true. That phenomena is true in every hospital across the south. The large well funded southern teaching hospitals are the most safe for any patient that lives in their vacinity because there is always 'ready staff' to answer the call. Due to that fact The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill may very well become one of the preeminently safe hospitals of the south. That is their goal. They are working hard to achieve it.

MOORE: No. I actually love our government. I think the government is great. It does a great job of administrating Social Security. Our parents and grandparents get their checks every single month on time and for the correct amount.Our government used to do a lot of things really well. We put a man on the moon in eight years, after the president said we're going to put a man on the moon. We had FDR, who defeated the Nazis and then the Japanese and Mussolini in less time than it's taken us to secure the road from the airport to downtown Baghdad.

GUPTA: I hear you.

MOORE: I mean the government actually used to do things right. The problem is who we've put in power who holds office. They're the ones who sort of messed this up and we just need to have the right people there administrating it.

KING: Well --

GUPTA: Michael, one of the best examples of health care, at least some sort of universal health care, would be Medicare. I think you would agree with that.

MOORE: Yes --

GUPTA: It's going to go bankrupt by 2019. It's going to be $28 trillion in debt by 2075.

To start about Medicare is a poor choice of topics if Dr. Gupta is trying to derail the debate toward a singler payer system. You see with a single payer system whereby the people of this nation receive the best care that can be obtained there won't be any more Medicare OR Medicaid OR Veteran's benefits. They will all be under one umbrella.

Veterans will no longer receive inferior care in the Veteran's system.

The nation's children will not be able to discriminate their differences due to the healthcare they receive because they will all receive the same healthcare or at least the same opportunity to it with their parents as active partners.

There won't be people 'maneuvering' around a 'donut hole' or corporations stating they will only pay a small percentage for the medications they receive while subscribing to an insurance policy.

All that will be eliminated as a single payer system streamlines the 'cash flow' to it's caregivers.

Seniors will have the medications they need and the nation can purchase them at far lower prices than any current corporation can and does. The Veteran's medication system is testiment to that.

So, while Dr. Gupta is worried about increasing the federal deficit regarding Medicare, a single payer system is way ahead of all the pitfalls. This country, in the long run, will pay less for healthcare than they do now because people will be immediately healthier and healing far quicker because they won't debate about whether or not they can afford their wellness, it will handed to them.

A healthy nation is a happy nation. A happy nation is a productive nation and the cost of healthcare to all will be returned within one generation of time to the USA Treasury to balance the books. Americans aren't lazy, they aren't stupid and they love efficiency. It will be no time before the USA is leaving workforces around the world behind because they are well enough to do it. It's unconscionable to do anything else.

Thank you, Michael, for the opportunity to address this much needed change in our society.

BUSH HAS problems bigger than anyone can solve. He has a grudge match going with McCann. I don't believe Senator John McCain has any grudge with Bush but Bush does of him.

Yesterday McCain took the floor of the Senate to discuss his recent return from the war torn nation of Iraq. This is not an endoresement, but, more a pathetic observation of the Bush Behavior when it's John McCain that has center stage.

It was horrible.

The news agencies didn't know where to point the cameras. While John McCain was giving his assessment of the circumstances in Iraq, Georgie was 'on the trail' selling his so called 'strategy.' Is that jealousy or what? Georgie is afraid McCain is going to steal his steam. Believe that mess? Our troops are dying and our nation is sinking into insoluable debt and Bush is attempting to 'one up' John McCain. The egos are amazing. But, let me address 'the mess' in the Middle East to resolve the doomsayers observations.

There is a lot going on with the Middle East. Hamas is trying to impress the world with compassionate acts while taking control of Gaza. Who knows exactly what is occurring because there are no UN Observers or INSPECTORS to 'gauge' what the world is witnessing as compassionate acts.

Israel is still receiving rockets over it's borders. The UN Peacekeepers are occassionally challenged by Hizbollah/Hezbollah depending on whom is spelling it. Lebanon was able to suppress the al Qaeda issue in a refugee camp. Egypt and Jordan are still overwhelmed with Iraqi refugees, but, much to their credit they don't turn them away. Saudi Arabia is grasping at it's new reality in that the Sunnis of Iraq need an ally and they are desiring nuclear technology. India is using it's nuclear clout to leverage markets globally. See, if India sells it's nuclear technology to the Middle East that would be bad, so the Brits and the Americans (...and include in there Putin...) at the risk of their political reputations are solisitious to that reality and attempting to be the majority of India's market power to leverage power against India arming the Middle East with nukes. Nice, huh?

There are the 'silent partners' of Iran and Syria. They keep their profiles low while they can't control their borders, and I do believe they can't. That is kinda necessary as the Shi'ites are sending food, medicine and water to the Iraqis within their country's border. See, the way I see it, all Iraqi citizens are refugees. It's just that some are safer outside their country while there are those that are unable to leave and risk being allies to the Americans, ie: the dead Sunni Sheiks. So, to solve the 'internal Iraqi refugee issue' there are compassionate organizations that literally attempt to rescue lives with shipments, by camel sometimes, within Iraq. That is necessary. I don't see that stopping. At all. Part of securing a country away from the ravages of al Qaeda is providing benevolence to the people. The Shi'ites are attempting to do that through their supplies and leaders. And I know that the Shi'ite clerics are buddy-buddy. I read all about that. They're allowed. It's up to the region to stop the hatred across ethnic/secretarian lines. They have to respect their differences. They don't have to love each other or care about their religions other than recognizing they are each allowed to exist without danger of genocide.

There is the issue of Pakistan and it's internal struggles. Human Induced Global Warming complicates the outcomes of all these nations and earthquakes always are a problem for Iran and Pakistan and Afghanistan. I'll get to Afghanistan in a minute. First the Kurds and Turkey, okay?

Basically, the way I see this is that Turkey is confronting the reality that the Kurds are 'coveting' a nation called Kurdistan that includes all Kurds including those within the sovereign borders of Turkey. We have witnessed elections in Turkey that ended with a degree of discrimination minimally.

Turkish government, opposition bicker over presidential candidate (click here)
ANKARA, Turkey: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday rejected a call by an opposition leader to nominate a nonpartisan figure for presidential elections that are likely to take place soon after the general election on July 22.
Erdogan's refusal shattered hopes for a compromise between his Islamic-rooted party and the secular opposition over electing the next president. It was a standoff over the presidential elections in May that forced the government to call for early elections and attempt to change the presidential election system.

If the Kurds, whom are Sunni, decide to fight Turkey they will have years of war. No doubt in my mind. They are not interested in 'taking' a small piece of real estate. They are coveting a huge land mass to comprise Kurdistan. They may decide Allah was good enough to leave them what they have in Iraq and it's provisional status at this point and leave it at that. If autonomy is a 'decided' goal there isn't anything the world can do to stop them. Personally, PKK should be dismantled by the Kurds in Iraq and they need to provide for their people within their borders. PKK is a maverick from it's ethnic brothers and sisters and if they can amass an army with weaponry to confront Turkey, Turkey will take advantage of it and invade the Kurdish region of Iraq. Lots of oil there, okay. But...

Iraqi Foreign Minister: 140,000 Turkish troops deployed along Turkish-Iraqi border (click here)
10 July 2007 11:30

Ankara. The Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshiar Zebari said during a press conference in Baghdad that the relations of Iraq with Turkey were good, but there was a significant concentration of Turkish soldiers along the border between Iraq and Turkey, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reports. Zebari said that according to information of the intelligence, Turkey has deployed since a long time 140,000 troops along the border.

...currently and to it's discredit, Turkey is the aggressor. It should not be and to that end the United Nation's Security Council cannot take a back seat to these tensions. I propose...

Turkey: Threats Of Incursion Into Iraq Increase (click here)
July 10, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- On April 12, the chief of Turkey's General Staff, General Yasar Buyukanit, announced that the military was ready to stage a cross-border operation into Iraq to put down Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants. The only thing holding it back was authorization from the government and parliament.
Since then, there has been a constant stream of rhetoric from military officers and opposition politicians seeming to agitate for action.Recently, the government has also weighed in. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul confirmed that Turkey had drawn up a plan for a possible incursion into Iraq.So has the balance tipped and can we expect Ankara to launch an assault in coming days? Not necessarily, say observers, but Gul's statement is a clear sign the government is under pressure.

...that Iraq is neutral territory. I realize the UN Security Council has little say with diplomacy when it comes to al Qaeda, but, it does with all Iraq's neighbors. There has to be a new resolution regarding the Iraqi people and their 'land.' The country, former or otherwise, of Iraq is war torn and has been for what will be half a decade come March of 2008. If the USA continues down this path of War Mongering and sending troops into war regardless of their fitness and preparedness the 'goal' of the Neocons will come closer and closer to a generation of Americans that have lived all their lives with war as part of their culture. That is a very bad idea.

That said, the neighbors of Iraq want peace. I believe that. I realize Iran is 'off the scale' with it's determination to escalate it's nuclear program, but, recently President Putin and Walker Bush agreed on a strategy to prevent that reality from happening. I believe also, they mean it. There cannot be an invasion into Iran, but, hopefully new and tighter sanctions will bring about resolve to the issue. If not, Israel is watching.

But, I see Iran as a separate issue from 'the region.' The culture and peace initiative of the Middle East has to be conducted by the nations of the Middle East and now, not five years from now or next year, but, now. They have witnessed the invasion into Iraq. They knew what was going on and it is up to them to change the course of the outcomes to their nations.

With Iraq as a neutral nation whereby no other country can send arms or invade there will be a complete dismantling of tensions between the nations and ethnicity. There is a real reason why this measure must occur. If the Arab brothers of the region are devoted to peace, as I believe they are, including Syria and Lebanon, making Iraq a neutral country will return some degree of stability so a government can form out of the anarchy that exists now. It may be the current government or a different form of provincial governments, but, the Iraqi people have to have a chance to establish peace within their borders with intense diplomacy and 'support' from all it's neighbors. Iraq needs the charity of it's Arab neighbors while they establish a 'lack of anarchy' no matter what form it takes.

The USA HAS TO remove it's troops. The American troops are the reason for the civilian deaths and the growth of al Qaeda in Iraq. If Iraq is to move into a peacful nature the Americans can't do that for them. I remind the incident recently regarding the An Albar Sheiks. Those men wanted to settle the dispute between al Qaeda in Iraq and the American troops. In doing so they took up alliance with the Americans. The Americans could not provide long term security for those men. As a result they are dead. The Americans are not the solution, they are the problem. For all the 'good intentions' of American GIs acting as ambassadors to the Iraqi people to influence them out of Civil War or alliances with al Qaeda, the initiative is failing and failing royally only to cause greater and greater hardship to the people there and causing their leadership into extremism and radical 'stands' to attempt resolve to Bush's disaster within their borders. There is every indication the American presence endangers the Iraqis and does not secure the peace.

The Iraqi people have to decide whom their leaders are, where their borders between their ethnicities lie and act to protect themselves. Recently, that reality was made very clear to Iraqis by their Prime Minister in reaction to Americans arming Sunnis. Sooner or later, America and the region has to come to terms with the blundering, not mistakes, complete blundering of the American Commander and Chief.

Armed Sunnis: Gains Now, Risks Later (click here)
The U.S. tactic of using armed Sunni tribesmen in the fight against al-Qaida in Iraq offers short-term gains to weaken the insurgency, but could set the stage for a full-scale sectarian civil war when the Americans begin to draw down their forces.
The danger that these alliances of convenience could backfire becomes all the greater if Iraq's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders fail to achieve genuine political reconciliation - the key to ending the conflict.
Instead, signs point to further polarization, despite some progress hammering out deals on sharing the oil wealth and returning many former Saddam Hussein loyalists to government jobs. Parliament could take up the oil bill as early as Wednesday.

When the region has declared Iraq a neutral country and stops the arms into that 'land' then there will be an honest assessment of the established government over the chaos. The region can then act in their own sanctions, closed borders by limiting everything except humanitarian supplies. With regional cooperation the enemies of the Iraqi people can be stopped. Provisional governments can assist with aid while organizing a 'peace' with the help of their holy men. There is no other way. Too many people have died and there will be vast many more if this continues. There is no success in Iraq to date. The nation needs to be neutralized of it's 'attraction' to violence and war. It's the only way.

As far as Afghanistan. It has a leader, a competent leader that is constantly faced with civilian deaths at the hands of the Western military there. Hamid Karzi is not interested in having the Taliban and al Qaeda back in power in Afghanistan, but, he has to be 'in charge' of his own country in dismantling a 'resurgence' of the Taliban.

He is in a precarious position, being held responsible by his people while there is no coordination with the NATO, British and Australian forces at work in Afghanistan. Hamid Karzi knows the terrain, the people and the strategies of his enemies.

He needs the cooperation of Pakistan as well as an input to the military within his country's borders. One aspect in Afghanistan that insured the people's loyality to their 'new nation' and 'new leader' is being destroyed and that is their culture.

The Afghan people are wonderful people, but they have to work with their government to dismantle warlords, including the Poppy culture which has to come to an end. They will accept that with reassurances of a return to their stability and a return of hope for their future. Afghanistan needs to move out of poverty and insure it's citizens shelter, food and water. It has to happen and now, not five years from now, but, now. Otherwise, the people will abandon all their accomplishments to date.

Regards.

The facts are not 'fudged' in SICKO

I take issue with 'the suit' that stated "...Canadians, up to 20%, buy supplemental insurance...".

That was in SICKO. Michael clearly covered that fact when he spoke with his relatives regarding what they have to go through to come to visit him in the USA. They, like many Canadians, purchase supplemental insurance when they come to the USA because in one act of ill health or an accident their lives could be ruined for the cost they would have to pay outside of Canada.

That is outrageous from an ethical point of view that Mr. Gupta would recontextualize that fact by 'a suit' to make it appear as though this is new information not disclosed in SICKO. That is the issue I have with the Gupta reporting of American health care. It takes a stab at discrediting a very well organized and thoughtful documentary that advocates better and free care for all Americans. We don't want what we have now in the USA. We never did. But, we sure are forced to live with it !

Mike has an option to set Gupta straight on Larry King Live tonight. I congratulate all involved for 'growing up.'

CNN didn't get a chance to run an end game around the truth. Congratulations to all, including CNN, it has to be a better place for them to be.


I don't know what can be said to Michael Moore except, "I am sorry for any misunderstanding." When I looked at his sources (Click here), they are all legitimate and credible sources. Michael takes his filmmaking seriously. The subjects alone are daughtingly serious. Columbine. The Illegal War into Iraq. American Insufficient Healthcare INDUSTRY. They are life and death issues. Every one of them. He isn't afraid of the subject and he sure as heck isn't afraid of power brokers that would use all ruthless means possible to destroy his vital message.

I appreciate the fact CNN is 'sticking to their guns' in that they are upholding the integrity of the internet bloggers and providing a forum for some real justice to take place. It's admirable. I think Michael has a real opportunity to turn the corner for Gupta and bring him on board actually.

There is nothing THAT debatable in SICKO. There are numerous testimonies and people severely disaffected. That only begins to address the hardship Americans have suffered considering the change in status in favor of consumers of many complaints against the Healthcare Industry since the film came out. Minimally, a couple had their home saved. There isn't 'that much wrong' with Michael's film. There just isn't. People have died BECAUSE of the industry, the privatization of American healthcare. That can't be overcome in objection by nit-picking numbers. Those facts stand as proof to unconscionable and ruthless profit taking by privatized American healthcare.

The issue with Cuba is mute. It falls just below the USA in it's ability to deliver healthcare to their people. Cuba is a third world country. That is an incredible achievement by Cuba. To expect Cuba to surpass the USA is unrealistic, but, to consider they have nearly accomplished that with their oppressed economy due to draconian American policy is a lot of credit to the people of Cuba and very little credit to the American Healthcare Industry.

Americans DESERVE the best healthcare system available. I don't see it any other way, BECAUSE, the 'privatization' has already had it's chance and they have failed. They have failed nearly every person in this country. Look a person in the eye that has been treated unjustly by the healthcare industry and tell them it's going all be okay if we can simply 'tweek' the system. Go ahead. Look the man in the eye that lost his finger due to the American healthcare system and tell him we only have to 'tweek' the system. Tell the man that died, the young woman, THAT WAS YOUNG WOMAN, that her spreading cancer only needs a tweek here or a tweek there. Go ahead. Tell them. Tell them because some medical journalist that favors taking down Michael Moore's SICKO that Michael is "W"rong. Go ahead. You tell them that, because I am not going to.

I look forward to Michael's second appearance on Larry King Live since SICKO took flight.

Go, Michael, Go !!!!

Bear on the loose - link goes to the photo gallery of The Chicago Tribune

A black bear climbs a tree alongside a path between Fleming College and a seniors' residence in Peterborough, Ontario, Saturday, July 7, 2007. City police contained the bear and closed access to the path. The black bear eventually left the area and returned to a wooded are north of the city limits. Residents from the nearby home were told to stay inside until the bear disappeared.
(AP photo by Clifford Skarstedt)
Jul 7, 2007

Morning Papers - continued...

Zoos

Family Of Child Injured At Zoo Releases Statement
3-Year-Old Remains In Critical Condition
POSTED: 5:33 pm EDT July 9, 2007
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The family of a 3-year-old injured in a freak accident at the Greenville Zoo released a statement on Monday.
McKenzie Jo Van Dorn was struck in the head by a tree limb that fell onto her last Wednesday.
McKenzie has been in critical condition at the Greenville Hospital System Children's Hospital since the accident.

http://www.wyff4.com/news/13648941/detail.html



Slippery slope for pesky barnacles
5:00AM Saturday June 30, 2007
Scientists have developed a novel way to combat one of the world's stickiest and most expensive maritime problems: the encrusting of ships' hulls by algae and barnacles.
They have created a special coating, using nanotechnology, that is engineered to a scale of a millionth of a millimetre. Organisms that try to hitch a ride will simply slip off.
The development, announced at the EuroNanoForum in Dusseldorf last week, is important because "bio-fouling" costs billions of dollars a year, not just to the shipping industry but to private yachtsmen and owners of power and desalination plants whose pipes get blocked by bacteria and barnacles.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10448748



Trapping Tiri's hawks a first priority but gun threat stays
5:00AM Wednesday June 27, 2007
By Stuart Dye
Harrier hawks have already killed kokako on Tiritiri, says Fish & Game. Photo / Northern Advocate
The Department of Conservation has given two hawks a stay of execution, after an outcry over plans to shoot them so it can introduce three endangered kokako to the Hauraki Gulf island where the birds live.
Rolien Elliot, DoC's Warkworth area manager, said conservationists would try to catch the harrier hawks and move them from Tiritiri Matangi.
The birds need to be removed to boost the chances of a breeding programme for the kokako - the last remaining offspring of the male Taranaki kokako gene.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10448079



Overnight stay offers chance to see zoo in new light
Friday, July 06, 2007
Gazette staff reports
In the early-evening hours at Binder Park Zoo, things wind down for most guests. However, for those taking part in a Binder Park Zoo Overnight program, evening brings a whole new adventure.
``Most people think their time at the Zoo has to end when the zoo closes,'' says Tom Funke, director of conservation education at Binder Park Zoo. ``But that's not necessarily true. Overnight participants get to extend their adventure after the Zoo is closed.''
The night includes lots of activities led by Binder Park Zoo staff, including animal presentations, a night hike through the Swamp Adventure or activities in Wild Africa. Dinner is provided, along with a late-night snack and breakfast the next morning. Overnight participants also receive admission to Binder Park Zoo the days of their overnights as well as the next.

http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-24/118373526184040.xml&coll=7



The Binder Park Zoo
The Binder Park Zoo is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo located in Battle Creek, Michigan. Among the zoo's most popular exhibits are the Miller Children's Zoo and Wild Africa. Miller Children's Zoo offers visitors the opportunity to feed and interact with a variety of animals including sheep, goats and pigs. Wild Africa is a one-mile loop beginning and ending in a re-creation of an African village. Along the way, visitors will see native African species including ostrich, antelope, zebra and giraffe. There is also an opportunity to feed the giraffes at the Twigga Overlook.

http://www.waymarking.com/wm/details.aspx?f=1&guid=399d5cfb-1797-452d-84f1-81fe1066a806



Berlin Zoo closes down daily Knut show
July 09 2007 at 01:56AM
Berlin - The Berlin Zoo called a halt on Sunday to the daily antics of polar bear cub Knut with his favourite keeper, Thomas Doerflein, saying the bear was now too dangerous to play with.
Bottle-fed after his mother rejected him as a newborn on December 5, Knut has now grown to 50kg.
Since March 23, Doerflein has horsed around with the cub twice daily. They have been seen by one million paying visitors. Sunday's gambolling was the last.
Chief bear keeper Heiner Kloes said that Knut, now 7 months old, would still be on show solo in a pen, but Doerflein, who has become a national celebrity, would only tend to the bear out of public sight. - Sapa-dpa

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=143&art_id=nw20070708215140246C540441



Zoo hopeful for another panda pregnancy after miscarriage
The Associated Press - MEMPHIS, Tenn.
Although the first panda pregnancy at the Memphis Zoo ended in a miscarriage, zoo officials say they're still hopeful that Ya Ya will be a mother one day.
Since the miscarriage, the 6-year-old female panda has returned to her normal activities and demeanor, said Matt Thompson, curator of mammals.
She sits propped on a log, legs splayed, chewing on a piece of bamboo like celery, leaving strips of bark and leaves on her belly like crumbs.
"We were concerned that she might be upset about not having her cub, but she went back to being just a regular panda," he said.

http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=94685



Nisha Gutierrez
Pocatello Zoo Looking to Expand
Dozens of people were at the Pocatello Zoo Saturday as a familiar face turned one year older.
The zoo is not only celebrating Charlie the Bear's Birthday - but also raising money to build a new bear exhibit.
It's a race against time because Charlie is nearing the end of his life and zoo keepers would like him to experience the new exhibit before he dies.
The current bear exhibit is small and mainly concrete. Far from a comfortable habitat for the large grizzly bears like Charlie who is use to open areas. The Pocatello Zoo - which is the largest in Idaho wants to change that.

http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=6760143



Leopards to gain a new exhibit spot at Naples Zoo later this week
By Laura Layden
Sunday, July 8, 2007
The leopards will rock at a new exhibit opening at the Naples Zoo come Saturday.
Photo by Lexey Swall / Daily News
Jeff Carter, animal collections handler for the Naples Zoo, looks over the fence at the new leopard exhibit that will open on July 14. The new exhibit will feature full paned glass into the ground so observers can be about five or six feet away from the animals and is about seven times the size of the old exhibit.
The big cats will roam around a life-like African kopje rock formation, looking as though they’re walking in the wild.
Zoo-goers will get the chance to stand within finger’s reach of the leopards, with only glass separating them.
“It will be our most expensive exhibit yet,” zoo director David Tetzlaff said.
The exhibit, called Leopard Rock, cost $130,000. A donation from The Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit land conservation group, paid for it.
After the zoo became a nonprofit last year, the trust wrote it a $200,000 check, officially kicking off the second phase of a ReNew the Zoo fundraising campaign to help the landmark attraction make improvements and recover from a blow by Hurricane Wilma nearly two years ago.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/jul/08/leopards_gain_new_exhibit_spot_naples_zoo_later_we/



Berlin zoo ends star polar bear's appearances with keeper
The Associated Press
Published: July 9, 2007
BERLIN: The show is over: the Berlin zoo's fast-growing polar bear cub, Knut, won't be appearing anymore with the keeper who raised him.
The zoo said Monday that it has ended seven-month-old Knut's twice-daily public appearances with keeper Thomas Doerflein. The playful pair have delighted audiences since Knut — then an irresistibly cute 9-kilogram (nearly 20-pound) cub — made his first public appearance in late March.
Now nearing 50 kilograms, or about 110 pounds, the boisterous bear, who will remain on public view, will have his enclosure all to himself.
"Mr. Doerflein's safety counts first of all, of course," zoo spokeswoman Regine Damm said. The zoo also has Knut's independence in mind, she added, as it prepares the bear to "associate with other bears and not with other people."

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/09/europe/EU-GEN-Germany-Polar-Bear.php



Hamas force returns stolen lion, minus claws and teeth, to Gaza zoo
The Associated Press
Published: July 9, 2007
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip: Even animals with large teeth and claws do not fare well in the volatile Gaza Strip.
On Monday, Hamas militiamen raiding the hideout of a notorious drug ring stumbled upon a lion stolen at riflepoint two years ago from the Gaza Zoo, said a force commander, Abu Hamam al-Deeb. But she was malnourished, missing four teeth, claws and part of her tail, a veterinarian said.
Militiamen found the 2-year-old lion — as well as drugs and a weapons cache that were the target of the raid — after exchanging fire with the gunmen, al-Deeb said.
Sabrina was brought back to the Gaza Zoo and reunited with her brother, Sakher, who had avoided capture by resisting the gunmen. The two playfully swatted each other in the face and chased each other. When a zoo guard tried to pet Sabrina, Sakher crouched as if ready to pounce on him.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/09/africa/ME-GEN-Palestinians-Stolen-Lion.php



One more black buck dies
Staff Reporter
City zoo authorities mull giving away wild boar
Death toll rises to eight
Two bucks continue to remain quarantined
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: One more black buck, a female, succumbed to the foot-and-mouth disease at the city zoo on Sunday raising the number of bucks that died over the past few days there to eight.
Based on the recommendations of the technical committee set up to help zoo authorities manage the crisis, the zoo remained closed to the public on Sunday and would remain so till the disease was brought under control.
Two bucks continued to remain quarantined in separate cages. Zoo vet C. S. Jayakumar said here that no fresh cases of the disease were noticed.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/09/stories/2007070958710300.htm




Disease outbreak in Kerala zoo
Monday, July 9, 2007 (Thiruvananthapuram)
An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at the zoo in Thrivananthapuram in Kerala claims 13 animals and forced authorities to close the facility.
Four mithuns and nine black bucks died and three other animals with symptoms have been culled.
A disinfection drive is underway at the zoo and authorities are trying to find out the source of the outbreak.
The zoo is one of the oldest in the country and receives hundreds of visitors everyday.
''Four of the seven mithuns that we had died. The remaining three exhibited severe symptoms. Hence on the technical committee's recommendations and with government's permission, we euthanised the remaining three,'' the zoo's director Elcy George said.

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070018289&ch=7/9/2007%207:44:00%20PM



Take short trip to zoo to meet these tall creatures
Jennifer Stoddard
Special To The Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona Published: 07.09.2007
The Reid Park Zoo cares for three giraffes. Two are females, Denver and Texas, and one is a male named Watoto. The two females are similar in size, so the best way to tell them apart is to compare their spot patterns. Texas has more white between her spots than Denver. The male is the smallest giraffe — at only 11 feet tall! His markings are much lighter than those on the females. Watoto, who will turn 2 years old in August, will grow to be much taller and darker as he gets older.

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/190702



Officials: Zoo will close if money isn't raised
Florida Freedom Newspapers
Monday July 9th, 2007
The Gulf Breeze zoo may be at risk of closing if it doesn’t raise $1 million by the end of 2007, according to zoo officials. It would need to raise another $2 million by the end of 2008.
The Gulf Coast Zoological Society has begun a campaign to raise funds to save The Zoo – Northwest Florida, the 50-acre zoological park located in south Santa Rosa County.
The funds raised will be used to eliminate the debt assumed from the original owners, develop both private- and government-partnership support programs, and grow attendance through planned program developments, Master Plan construction, and Capital Campaign sponsorships.

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/7032



'Dora' Explores the Jackson Zoo
Children at the Jackson Zoo Saturday got quite a treat from one of their favorite TV friends.
Dora the Explorer paid a visit to the zoo. She played some of her favorite songs as she shook hands with the crowd and had her picture taken. Dora is a "Nick Jr." character. Many words and phrases on her show are spoken in both English and Spanish.
Despite the threat of rain throughout the morning, plenty of folks came out to see Dora on stage. If you missed her Saturday, you can catch her on Sunday from 1-4 p.m. at the Jackson Zoo.

http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=6757937&nav=2CSf



Zoo recognizes National Zoo Keeper Week

http://www.nczoo.org/press/view.cfm?ID=255



Summer at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
Events to Enhance Your 2007 Zoo Experience
The zoo's website, www.cincyzoo.org, maintains a calendar of special events and activities that helps visitors enhance their zoo and garden experiences this summer.
The first question guests might ask when entering the zoo is where is the award winning botanical garden? The Cincinnati Zoo is the actual Botanical Garden which demonstrates the diversity and interaction of plants and their relationship to animals. 3,000 varieties of plants grace the zoo's 75 acres and surround 500 animal species.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/305180/summer_at_the_cincinnati_zoo_and_botanical.html



Woman Confronts Video Voyeur At Zoo
ST. LOUIS -- A day at the zoo turned into a lesson in video voyeurism for one woman.
Karen Simoncelli was at the reptile house at the St. Louis Zoo with several family members when sensed a man was staring at her.
"I ended up looking toward him and saw him looking down and saw he was carrying a camera case in his hands and his camera was dropped all the way to the ground with his camera in it pointed up my skirt," explained Simoncelli.
At first she thought it was a coincidence, but then realized the man was filming her.
In a split second 48 year old Roy Gallion took off with his victim running behind.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/news-article.aspx?storyid=86180



Posh pachyderm plan at zoo
Denver Zoo plans 10-acre park to give elephants healthy habitat
By Katy Human
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 07/09/2007 11:03:55 AM MDT
The Denver Zoo is planning a $52 million pachyderm park - with a hot tub, scratching trees and 10 acres for the animals - at a time when at least five other zoos are looking to give their elephants a ride out of town.
Mandatory elephant-care standards were issued by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums last year because of concerns about the aging, poorly breeding elephant population in North American zoos. No other animal has obligatory rules.
"We decided on elephants because there's a tremendous resource commitment to properly maintain and breed elephants," said AZA spokesman Steve Feldman.
"We were going to really ask our members to make that commitment - or not," he said.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_6329498



Rare Pygmy Hippo Born in Paris Zoo
A rare pygmy hippopotamus,Choeropsis liberiensis, was born in a Paris zoo on 5 June 2007 after a 199-day gestation period. Named Aldo, this pygmy hippo is approximately the size of a human baby at 53 centimeters (21 inches) long and weighing 22 pounds.
"Aldo, when he was born, weighed between four and five kilos," said Juliane Villenain, a biologist at the zoo in the Bois de Vincennes, which is part of the Museum of Natural History. "A week ago we were able to weigh him and he had doubled his weight because he was at ten kilos. So he's growing very well."
The pygmy hippo is, as its name implies, much smaller than their larger relatives, the hippopotamus. Pygmy hippos weigh between 352 and 606 pounds, whereas hippos tip the scales at an astonishing 3.3 tons. Also unlike their much larger and more gregarious relatives, pygmy hippos lead solitary lives except during breeding season. The female takes care of her newborn calf alone.

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2007/07/pygmy_hippo_born_in_zoo_near_p.php



Zoo falls silent after FMD outbreak
G. Mahadevan
Thiruvananthapuram zoo authorities say the virus is under control
— Photo: S. Mahinsha
UNPRECEDENTED: The Thiruvananthapuram zoo has been closed to bring foot-and-mouth disease there under control.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The sprawling campus of the Thiruvananthapuram zoo has fallen silent since Sunday. The strong smell of disinfectants that wafts across the zoo’s boundary walls is an indication that all is not well at the 56-acre facility set up by the rulers of erstwhile Travancore in 1857.
After losing its entire stock of Mithun and eight blackbuck to the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) over the week, the zoo — for the first time in its history — has shut its doors to visitors.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/10/stories/2007071056180100.htm



Comcast First Day Festival Is July 28 At Chattanooga Zoo
by Annual Event Celebrates The New School Year
posted July 9, 2007
Chattanooga Zoo will host Comcast's 5th annual First Day Festival, a free event, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 28. In addition to its wild setting, the event will provide age-appropriate activities, including information and giveaways from a variety of social service agencies. Corporate sponsors will be on hand to provide health screenings, child safety tips and educational information for kids in grades K-5.
Approximately 2,500 kids will receive free items to take back to school with them. Their parents will receive information about ways to keep kids healthy and ready to learn.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_109865.asp



Nilgai calf falls prey to flood in zoo
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Jamshedpur, July 9: A four-month-old female nilgai calf died at the Tata Steel Zoological Park late last night.
The zoo authorities confirmed the death of the calf and said that it was suffering from pneumonia. The incessant downpour, which resulted in flooding of the zoo a couple of days ago, caused its death.
Nilgai (Boselaphus Tragocamelus Pallas) is the largest Asiatic antelope.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070710/asp/frontpage/story_8037412.asp



Zoo backers discuss needs, projects
Alamogordo Daily News
By Karl Anderson, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 07/10/2007 12:00:00 AM MDT
The Alameda Friends of the Zoo, a nonprofit group that works to raise funds for the Alameda Park Zoo, held its monthly board of directors meeting Monday to discuss future fund-raising projects, plans and other ideas to benefit the facility.
Headed by Steve Diehl, the board discussed its plan to implement recognition of sponsors by posting the names of the largest sponsorships each week on the large zoo marquee that faces 10th Street.
"Everyone will then see who our largest weekly benefactors are," Diehl said.
The board also discussed the need for sponsors to fund the printing costs of the new brochures, which will serve as a map and guide to visitors of the zoo.

http://www.alamogordonews.com/news/ci_6336704



Red Ruffed Lemurs
Chris Gallegos
7/5/2007
They`re one of the more popular animals at the zoo, attracting both young and old to peer into their mysterious, grey eyes. The Red Ruffed Lemur is an animal that is slowly fading away, but with the help of zoos around the country, they are beginning to thrive once more.
"They have a really erie look about them," said Rod Fried, Assistant Director at the Dakota Zoo in Bismarck. "Their eyes look almost as if you are looking into them."
These agile creatures can be seen cautiously waiting for the perfect time to make their move. Tucked away next to the Llamas and the wolves, lie the three wise men lemurs that call the Dakota Zoo their home.
"Lemur means `ghost.` In the eastern parts of Madagascar, they live in forested areas and they are ghost-like in their attributes," said Fried.

http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=8434



Seattle's Crosscut: Zoos Need to Put Animals First
Former Woodland Park Zoo director (today the zoo has a President and CEO, a telling commentary in itself) David Hancocks gives probing insights into the current folly of commercialized, Disneyland-like zoos. Given the recent death of the Woodland zoo's young elephant, Hansa, Hancocks' message is especially pertinent: "As greater knowledge emerges about wild elephants and their extraordinary social, psychological, behavioral, and emotional complexity, more wildlife scientists are declaring that urban zoos cannot provide satisfactory conditions for these extraordinary beings..."

http://saveourzoo.blogspot.com/2007/07/seattles-crosscut-zoos-need-to-put.html



Zoo with a view
Taronga Zoo- so much fun; accessible by ferry and got amazing views of the city. Plenty of animals- saw a platapus, but loved the Lions- we watched them for ages. The tigers were seriously terrifying- very menacing- one paced alongside the glass the entire time we were there- liability goes to the wee kid who was tapping the glass (I almost molled him myself) Great day but do not visit zoos on school holidays- too many screaming kids!!!!!!!!! Seemed to have caught a lot of animals sleeping or yawning. Bet they'd had there fill too.

http://www.travelblog.org/Australasia/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-177550.html



Proposal Could Force Zoos to Shut Down
July 5, 2007 04:35 PM EDT
WILMINGTON -- Owners of exotic animals and privately owned zoos in North Carolina are hoping their animals won't be taken away from them because of a proposal in the state legislature. The proposal would ban anyone in the state from owning exotic animals if they do not have a license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and $2-million worth of liability insurance.
Robert Tregembo of the Tregembo Zoo in Wilmington says his facility is just one of many that could no longer stay open if the proposal were to pass.
"What they want to do is ban everyone in the state, except for the state zoo, from owning bears, lions, tigers, leopards and all monkeys, which effectively will put small zoos like ours out of business without those type of animals."

http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=6747270&nav=2gQc



New Brookfield Zoo tiger cubs are purr-fect
By Marni Pyke
Posted Thursday, July 05, 2007
Move over, Hudson.
Brookfield Zoo’s celebrity polar bear cub is getting a little competition these days from two tiny tigers.
The newbies were born May 25 and are being watched over in a secluded den by mom Tiara, a 12-year-old Amur tiger, zoo officials revealed today.
“They’re sleeping a lot, they’re playing and they’re grooming each other,” zoo mammal division lead keeper Mike Brown said.
Tiger cubs are born blind and need constant attention from their mothers in the early stages. Brookfield’s pair now are up and walking and gaining weight. The female cub weighs 12 pounds and the male about 10 pounds.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=329034



Captivity versus extinction: Is wildlife served by zoos?
July 6th, 2007
Posted by Kim
“The euthanization last month of Carol, a beloved 39-year-old Asian elephant at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, has reignited the debate over whether zoos provide the care they should for wild animals whose captivity zoo officials say ultimately may protect the species from extinction.” - North County Times

http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/elephant/2007/07/06/captivity-versus-extinction-is-wildlife-served-by-zoos/



Input sought for Wildlife Act
By TOM FLETCHER
Black Press
Jul 06 2007
The B.C. government has extended the deadline for submissions to its Wildlife Act review until July 15, as it considers new issues such as handling exotic species and declining interest in hunting and fishing.
The issue of exotic animals was highlighted in May when a caged Bengal tiger killed a woman on a rural game farm near 100 Mile House.
The federal government regulates importation of animals, but once they are in Canada there is little control over breeding, movement and sale of exotic species. The B.C. Wildlife Act prohibits keeping and selling domestic wildlife, but doesn't cover imported animals.

http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=35&cat=23&id=1020867&more=0



Wisconsin Rapids Zoo
Long Description:
Admission is free! A small zoo with not a lot of exotic species, but still a very nice zoo. Some beautifully landscaped areas including a butterfly garden. A petting zoo where you can feed the goats, pigs, cows, and rabbits. Emus, donkeys, llamas, lemurs, tortoise, cavy.
The zoo is open during the summer months (Memorial Day to Labor Day) 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM every day except Monday.

http://www.waymarking.com/wm/details.aspx?f=1&guid=3b91e878-2bca-4b2e-99c4-71feb728facf



Revised proposal cuts small zoos a break
Jim Nesbitt, Staff Writer
RALEIGH - Supporters of a proposed statewide ban on inherently dangerous animals unveiled a major concession Tuesday to critics who say the bill would put small, privately owned zoos out of business.
The new legislative language, revealed during a Senate committee hearing, would exempt any exhibitor holding the most stringent license offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Aimed at quelling some of the bill's fiercest critics, the new exemption would allow zoos and other exhibitors that hold the top USDA license to keep animals banned from private ownership. Those animals include lions, tigers, bears, wolves, elephants, monkeys and apes. It would also allow zoos to replace aging or ailing animals.
But this latest provision requires a $2 million liability insurance policy that small zoo owners say would be tough to meet and would only apply to exhibits at a fixed location open to the public at regular hours. And it wouldn't cover traveling animal education programs for schools and churches.

http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/626209.html



Kenya The Land Where Safari Was Born
by: Lindsay Carswell
As a child, Africa fascinated me - a land where the wild and exotic animals of storybooks and zoos roamed free on the plains. And where Kenya was always the quintessential home of the safari.
Many visits later I'm no less enthralled by this region of dramatic contrasts, and remarkable wildlife amid stunningly beautiful and varied landscapes that are still unencumbered by the trappings of man. And little compares to nights filled with the primal sounds of the bush - the hoots and laughs of hyenas, the grumble of distant lions and the snorts of a hippo.

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/travel_and_leisure/article_3001.shtml



Rain Forest
This is the Tropical Zone at the Central Park Zoo, my second posting on this zoo (click here for the first posting, featuring the penguin habitat) It is located in the heart of Manhattan and sees 4 million visitors annually. As I wrote in the previous posting, the trend in zoos (and botanic gardens such as the Brooklyn Botanic Garden) is towards habitats and such is also the case with the Central Park Zoo which underwent a complete rehab in 1988. The zoo is divided into three climactic zones: a Polar Zone, a Temperate Territory and a Tropical Zone (interestingly, the Tropical Zone is referred to as the Rain Forest on their official map). The tropical habitat houses a variety of animals in a jungle environment - there are numerous birds, monkeys, snakes, frogs, lizards and toads. In the photo collage, starting upper right going clockwise, we have a Toucanet, Emerald Tree Boa, Colobus Monkey, Tamarin, Scarlet Ibis and a Fairy Bluebird. One of the outstanding aspects of the tropics is the fantastic, bright colors of the native birds. The spectacular plumage is a draw for observers, photographers and I imagine for those who purchase these birds as pets ...

http://newyorkdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2007/07/blog-post.html



Stop student brain drain over summer recess
Sandy Garrett
State superintendent of public instruction
As the rain or heat drives many boys and girls inside this summer, it is tempting for them to sit in front of the TV or stand in front of the refrigerator. We know, of course, there are better uses of their time.
During summer break, children often lose academic skills they have learned. Research studies from John Hopkins University have examined the shortage of learning while students are away from school and report the loss can be even greater for children from low-income families.
Students can fall as much as 2.6 months behind in math skills during the summer. This means, in the fall, teachers spend the first month or so reviewing material children were taught the previous year.

http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/opinion/local_story_189200727.html



Zoo hopeful for another panda pregnancy after miscarriage
Associated Press - July 8, 2007 5:25 PM ET
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Although the first panda pregnancy at the Memphis Zoo ended in a miscarriage, zoo officials say they're still hopeful that Ya Ya will be a mother one day.
Matt Thompson is the zoo's curator of mammals.
He said since the miscarriage, the 6-year-old female panda has returned to her normal activities and demeanor.
Ya Ya was artificially inseminated in January and the zoo announced in May that she was pregnant after an ultrasound showed a tiny bubble in her belly. But her hormone levels dropped and she had a miscarriage.
But Thompson said Ya Ya is just entering her prime breeding years and that information the zoo learned during the first pregnancy, along with information from other zoos, will help them be better prepared next year.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=6759932



BUDGET TRAVEL ONLINE BLOG
This Just In ...
9:27 AM, 07/ 9/2007
Happy Birthday, Baby Panda!
Today's the birthday of Tai Shan, the panda cub at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
See a video of Tai Shan playing. [Courtesy of our partner site, WashingtonPost.com]
Learn how to hug a panda in China for only about $125.
Catch our slide show of baby animals in zoos nationwide.
Find out "What's New In Washington D.C. This Summer".
Posted by Sean O'Neill Permalink

http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2007/07/happy_birthday_baby_panda.html



Zoo sets attendance record
The Louisville Zoo attracted more visitors during the past year than in any previous year.
During its last fiscal year, July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, the zoo had 810,546 visitors, breaking the previous record of 798,282 that was set in 2002-2003, the opening year of the Gorilla Forest exhibit.
The Louisville Zoo, a nonprofit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is accredited by the American Association of Museums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
For more information, visit www.louisvillezoo.org.
Copyright 2007 bizjournals.com

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?Feed=ACBJ&Date=20070709&ID=7136636



New Zoo Addition
Lindsey Henley
WSLS NewsChannel 10
Jul 9, 2007
The Mill Mountain Zoo has a brand new edition, and it's not an animal.
It's a new curator. Dave Orndorff has come to Roanoke all the way from the San Diego Zoo.
After 11 years, he says he realized bigger isn't necessarily better.
"I wanted to get back to a smaller facility where I could have a greater impact on all aspects of the collection and all aspects of the zoo," Orndorff said. "There are less exhibits, there are less animals. One thing it has that San Diego doesn't have is there's a very close knit feel to it."

http://www.wsls.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSLS%2FMGArticle%2FSLS_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173351939911&path=!news!localnews



Denver Zoo To Build New Park For Elephants
(AP) DENVER While other zoos have gotten rid of costly elephant exhibits in the face of new regulations, the Denver Zoo is planning to build a $52 million park with lots of room for its pachyderms to roam and soak.
"We want to do much more," Denver Zoo vice president Craig Piper said. "Elephants are not doing well .... We want to help develop self-sustaining populations in zoos as an insurance policy for the wild."
Using private donations, the zoo plans to build a 10-acre "Asian Tropic" exhibit, which will include five habitat areas and contain a hot tub, running rivers and scratching trees and room for six to eight adult elephants at a time. Elephants, rhinos and tapirs will be rotated in and out throughout the day.

http://cbs4denver.com/pets/local_story_190141617.html



Oakland Zoo closer to putting in pandas
CONSTRUCTION, PERMIT PROCESS NEXT ON LIST
By Chris Metinko
MediaNews
Article Launched: 07/05/2007 01:31:55 AM PDT
While the journey has been slow, the Oakland Zoo may be closing in on its goal of receiving two giant pandas from China.
Director Joel Parrott said the zoo is expecting to receive building permits soon from the City of Oakland to start construction on its $1 million panda night house and habitat.
The construction must happen for the zoo to clear some of its final hurdles in securing the rare bamboo-munching creatures.
"I'm cautiously optimistic," Parrott said. "We've received a lot of support, and we're moving forward."
The zoo's progress in securing the black-and-white animals has been slow but steady.
In 2004, the zoo took part in the announcement of an agreement for the loan of two giant pandas from the Chengdu Research Base in China's Sichuan province to the Oakland/East Bay Zoological Society.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_6302444?nclick_check=1



San Diego's Great Zoo
The kid sent me some pictures recently of the San Diego Zoo, which reminded me why it's one of the top zoos in the world.
Clockwise from top right: polar bear, meercat, rhinocerous, koala. (You can see larger versions of the photos if you click on them.)
The San Diego Zoo has four giant pandas, more than any other zoo in the country. But the kid found such a horrendous line for panda viewing that she decided to return another time. (She has a season's pass, thanks to a very generous person.)

http://blogs.courant.com/travel_columnists_leblanc/2007/07/the-kid-sent-me.html



Finding Honolulu Zoo may get easier
Photo gallery: Planned changes to Kapiolani Park
By Robbie Dingeman
HAVE YOUR SAY
To view a copy of the Kapi'olani Regional Park master plan update draft report, you can go to the Waikiki-Kapahulu Library.
Copies also were sent to the Waikiki and Diamond Head/Kapahulu/St. Louis Heights neighborhood boards, the Waikiki Improvement Association, the Waikiki Business Association, the Kapi'olani Park Preservation Society, the Kapi'olani Park Advisory Council and The Outdoor Circle.
Written comments may be sent to: Department of Design and Construction, 650 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96813, attn: Terry Hildebrand.
Also to: Gerald Park, Urban Planner, 1221 Kapi'olani Blvd., Suite 211, Honolulu, HI 96814.
The deadline to comment is Monday.
The Honolulu Zoo — which many visitors pass without even noticing — will get a new entrance as part of a proposed multimillion-dollar renovation of Kapi'olani Park.
The planned changes, now open to public comment, call for $13.5 million in improvements to the park that include placing utility lines underground, widening walkways, upgrading Paki Avenue and adding off-street bicycle/moped parking.
The new zoo entrance will be more visible and should help tourists find the attraction. One of the most common questions visitors ask at a kiosk within several hundred feet of the zoo entrance is: "Where is the zoo?"

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070705/NEWS04/707050342/1001/NEWS04



Beluga plans scrapped at Calgary Zoo
Last Updated: Thursday, July 5, 2007 2:09 PM MT
CBC News
The Calgary Zoo says a lack of money, not a public outcry, is the reason for the cancellation of a beluga whale exhibit.
The initial $120-million plan for a new Arctic Shores exhibit included a beluga tank, but zoo officials told city council Wednesday that the belugas, restaurant and banquet centre are now on hold because construction costs have escalated to $200 million.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2007/07/05/belugas.html



Akron Zoo Komodo dragon dies.
Posted by Donna J. Miller July 05, 2007 12:02PM
A female Komodo dragon died Tuesday at the Akron Zoo.
Contessa died of a ruptured blood vessel in her abdomen, a zoo spokesman said.
Contessa came to the Akron Zoo from the Miami Metro Zoo in October 2001. She had been on exhibit in Komodo Kingdom at the Akron Zoo. She was born Oct. 7, 1998.
TNT, the Akron Zoo's male Komodo dragon, remains in Komodo Kingdom.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/07/akron_zoo_komodo_dragon_dies.html



Security and Saving Elephants
Posted at 10:07 am July 5, 2007
by Fred Bercovitch and Jeff Andrews
What factors determine how far elephants walk? Our recent trip to Kenya (see blog, Zoo Director becomes a Samburu) brought us to a region about twice the size of Yosemite National Park, an area overseen by the Northern Rangelands Trust. It encompasses elevated mountain ranges with thick forests, grassy plains, dry and sandy riverbeds, scrub brush, and a host of other types of environments. Somehow, elephants manage to make these areas their homes, despite the differences in habitat type. When in the dry riverbeds, the elephants will actually dig for water, which is sometimes hard to find. More surprising, the elephants are quite adept at trekking up a steep mountainside in order to go to a preferred food resource. Although elephants are protected in national parks, their status is much less clear in nongovernmental areas.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/security-and-saving-elephants/



Oregon Zoo's 1.5 million visitors a new record
Posted by Richard Hill July 05, 2007 14:27PM
Categories: Breaking News
The Oregon Zoo set an attendance record in the past year, with more than 1.5 million visitors going through its turnstiles.
Zoo officials said today that attendance for the fiscal year ending June 30 was 1,507,515, the highest figure in the facility's 120-year history. The previous record was 1.37 million visitors, in 2000-2001.
Tony Vecchio, the zoo's director, credited mild weather and the completion of the Great Northwest exhibit as primary reasons behind the record attendance. The exhibit added cougars, black bears and bobcats in the past year.
The public debut last summer of Ralph and Alice, the zoo's new ocelots, also drew large crowds, especially after the surprise birth of their kitten, Rio, in September.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/07/oregon_zoos_15_million_visitor.html



Computers gone wild at the zoo
It's more than a game: The future of apes may depend on lessons learned at Zoo Atlanta.
By BILL HENDRICK
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/06/07
There's one essential when designing a computer game for great apes: an unbreakable screen.
That's why the screen remains intact as Sulango, a burly 175-pound orangutan at Zoo Atlanta, slams his hairy fists into the front of a touch-activated computer game embedded in a towering "concrete tree."
Satu, 3, doesn't get it yet when it comes to computer games, part of a research project at Zoo Atlanta. But he does enjoy climbing and licking the heavy-duty screen. His father, Sulango, is equally clueless so far, preferring to slug the screen as hard as he can. Another game lets the great apes 'paint.'
Sulango, 14, plays at the Orangutan Learning Tree that's part of his habitat at the zoo. The computer screen is embedded in the concrete. Doing the right thing results in a food reward from the device.

"Come on, Sulango," yells scientist Tara Stoinski, a smile crinkling her cheek.. "Touch the face! Touch the face!"
As things turn out, Sulango has as little talent for computer games as most adult humans. But he and his orangutan family — his mate, Miri, and their 3-year-old baby, Satu — are having fun anyway. They climb over and atop each other, stare at the screen, lick it, touch it with nose, hands and feet.
Here's what they're supposed to do. A single orangutan's face stares out from the middle of the screen. When it's touched, even accidentally, the image is instantly replaced by the faces of three other orangutans — plus the mug just seen. If they learn to recognize and touch the first face they saw, a tasty treat pours out from the bottom of the device.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2007/07/05/0706meshsmartapes.html



Three Mithun culled at city zoo
Staff Reporter
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three Mithun were culled at the city zoo on Thursday afternoon to prevent the spread of what is suspected to be Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) that led to the death of four of these animals during the last three days.
The culling, approved by the government, was done on the recommendation of a technical committee consisting of veterinarians and the director of the Department of Animal Husbandry. The three Mithun, including a seven-months-old calf, were an intravenous dosage of magnesium sulphate solution till their hearts stopped.
With this there are no more of Mithun left at the zoo. These ox-like animals are endemic to the north eastern parts of the country.
The carcasses of the culled animals were buried along with large quantities of disinfectants within the zoo premises. The tissue and fluid samples taken from the Mithun that died on July 3 and on July 4 and the two that died on Thursday have been sent for analysis to the office of the Chief Disease Investigation Officer at Palode. The ‘typing’ of the virus present in the samples is expected to be over in the next two days.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/06/stories/2007070662050300.htm



Break-out zoo is being reopened
By Jonathan Morris
BBC News South West
Devon DIY expert Ben Mee faced his biggest makeover challenge yet when he took over a zoo.
Father-of-two Mr Mee had written books about DIY and even had a column in The Guardian newspaper.
But fixing a cage which a jaguar had just leapt over, or making an enclosure wolf-proof?
That was a whole new adventure for Mr Mee and his family who are reopening the Dartmoor Wildlife Park which they bought last year.
There was plenty of room for improvement when Mr Mee, his brother Duncan and mother Amelia took over the park, now renamed the Dartmoor Zoological Park, last year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/6246342.stm



Berlin welcomes polar bear Knut's millionth visitor
Thu Jul 5, 2007 11:30AM EDT
By Adam Williams
BERLIN (Reuters Life!) - Knut, Berlin Zoo's celebrity polar bear cub, entertained his millionth visitor on Thursday, in what is likely to be one of his last daily shows alongside the keeper who raised him.
The zoo put on a special ceremony to welcome the millionth fan, a 32-year-old Dutch tourist who was presented with a bouquet of yellow flowers and bag of Knut memorabilia.
"Last night we saw on television that they were expecting the one millionth visitor at the zoo," Ilja Arends, who was at the zoo with her husband Vincent, told reporters.
"We were planning to go to the zoo and joked we could be the ones. When I stood in line to buy the tickets I saw all those camera people and thought to myself: And now? And then they gave us the flowers! It was all very unexpected."

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSL0585860220070705



Watch zoo animals have enrichment fun
Reception tonight for photography show
This Saturday, the animals at the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park will have a play day. Animals in the zoo's collection will have various forms of enrichment offered on a daily basis, often before or after hours. However, on this day, all of the enrichment will be done during zoo hours, and the public will be able to observe the animals getting their toys, treats and scents.
Keeper-led activities will take place from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., and will feature a fruit teepee for the bearcat, piñatas for the Amur tigers and leopards, peanut butter-covered bobbins for the spectacled bears, honey-drenched boxes for the timber wolves and much more. The special day is sponsored and coordinated by the zoo keepers.
The Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park, located on Morgan Road in Binghamton, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The ticket booth closes at 4 p.m. when the last tickets are sold. Admission is $6 (seniors, $5; children, $4; members, free).
An opening reception for "Interplay," an exhibit of photography by Michael Leonard, will run from 6 to 9 p.m. today at Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts, 186 State St., Binghamton. Fresh, homemade Italian gelato from Antonio's Galleria & Cafe in Endicott will be served.

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070706/LIFESTYLE/707060319/1004/LIFESTYLE



Grizzly Gulch brings record numbers to S.F. Zoo
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - Not since 1984, when giant pandas Yun Yun and Ying Xin were introduced to adoring Bay Area locals, has the San Francisco Zoo raked in the attendance numbers it has during the past 12 months.
From June of last year to the beginning of this month, attendance numbers were tallied at 1,090,300, which Lora LaMarca, director of marketing at the zoo, called “a total record-breaking year.”
The numbers are encouraging for the zoo, which has undergone numerous management changes in the past three years, including new directors and staff, LaMarca said. The city of San Francisco had managed the facility before the S.F. Zoological Society took over in 1993.
LaMarca credits zoo Director Manuel Mollinedo with helping the surge in attendance. She said Mollinedo has collaborated well with staff and reached out to Bay Area families and tourists.

http://www.examiner.com/a-815696~Grizzlies_credited_for_higher_traffic_at_S_F__Zoo.html?cid=rss-San_Francisco



Toddling around the zoo for charity
By Craig Manning
TODDLE: Children and staff from Little Rainbows
YOUNGSTERS from a day nursery in Wallasey have taken part in a sponsored toddle around Chester Zoo and raised £700 for Barnardo's.
The group of 20 children and 16 adults from Little Rainbows Nursery walked for half a mile around the venue on Wednesday.
They were among 670 children from 43 nurseries and primary schools from Merseyside and Cheshire taking part in the sponsored event.
Proceeds will help Barnardo's early years' work and each participating pre-school or playgroup gets to keep 25 per cent of funds.

http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/wirralnews/display.var.1525187.0.toddling_around_the_zoo_for_charity.php



Grizzly Gulch brings record numbers to S.F. Zoo
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - Not since 1984, when giant pandas Yun Yun and Ying Xin were introduced to adoring Bay Area locals, has the San Francisco Zoo raked in the attendance numbers it has during the past 12 months.
From June of last year to the beginning of this month, attendance numbers were tallied at 1,090,300, which Lora LaMarca, director of marketing at the zoo, called “a total record-breaking year.”
The numbers are encouraging for the zoo, which has undergone numerous management changes in the past three years, including new directors and staff, LaMarca said. The city of San Francisco had managed the facility before the S.F. Zoological Society took over in 1993.
LaMarca credits zoo Director Manuel Mollinedo with helping the surge in attendance. She said Mollinedo has collaborated well with staff and reached out to Bay Area families and tourists.

http://www.examiner.com/a-815696~Grizzlies_credited_for_higher_traffic_at_S_F__Zoo.html



All 4 tiger cubs born at traveling zoo in Duluth have died
© 2007 The Associated Press
DULUTH, Minn. — All four white tiger cubs born this week at a traveling zoo exhibit have died, zoo officials said. A cause of death was not immediately determined.
Marcus Cook, senior animal care specialist with Zoo Dynamics, said the cubs died between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Thursday. They were born Tuesday to Gita and Splash, two royal white Bengal tigers on display at the Mighty Thomas Carnival.
Cook said the cubs did not die as a result of care or zoo conditions, and added that they had been nursing well. A veterinarian from the Lake Superior Zoo examined the cubs Thursday morning before they died, but could not pinpoint a cause of death.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4948151.html



Party for Animals at the Zoo
The Topeka Zoo is hosting a party Friday night from 5:30 -8:30 p.m.. They say it is for the animals, but everyone will have a good time with a picnic dinner, games, and music.
KMAJ will be broadcasting live from the Zoo along with the music by Sky Dogs and the Native American drum group Standing Bear Gourd Society.
There will be all kinds of attractions for kids including animal face-painting, a climbing wall, ceramic tile painting, and behind the scenes tours.
Admission prices for the Topeka Zoo are $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for those 65 and older, $3.50 for children age 3-12, and children 2 and under and Friends of the Zoo get in free.

http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/8355892.html



Zoo Bond Would Mean Tax Hike of $10 to $20
A bond plan for multi-million dollar renovations at Hogle Zoo would cost Salt Lake County residents about $10 to $20 more a year in property taxes.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1442423&comments=true



Two New Gorillas Arrive At Philadelphia Zoo (Video)
Web Editor: Matt Bush, Online Content Producer
Created: 7/6/2007 12:58:24 PM
Updated: 7/6/2007 1:52:29 PM
PHILADELPHIA, PA. (NBC) -- The Philadelphia Zoo has two new residents. 12-year-old Honey and her 5-year-old son Coo-Chem-Bah recently joined the zoo's primate exhibit.
The two gorillas came to Philadelphia from the Bronx Zoo in March, but didn't make their public debut until Thursday.
Mom and son spent the day exploring their new surroundings and doing what gorillas do, playing and eating.
Right now the gorillas are living inside, but they'll soon join four other western lowland gorillas that have been at the zoo for years.
NBC

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/watercooler/article.aspx?storyid=65426



Zoo offers Behind the Scenes animal encounters
Friday, July 06, 2007
PORTLAND - Is a limited budget cramping your vacation dreams? Why not head to the Oregon Zoo and take in a Behind the Scenes Encounter. Animal lovers can take advantage of these programs, which provide up-close and personal experiences and an insider's view into the lives of the zoo's most interesting inhabitants.
Guests explore areas not normally accessible to the public and learn about the animals directly from zoo staff. Some encounters even offer hands-on activities with the animals, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Many of the encounters involve helping with the zoo's innovative and internationally renowned animal enrichment program. Enrichment is designed to keep the animals mentally and physically active, just as they are in the wild.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/argus/index.ssf?/base/news/1183758641168500.xml&coll=6




Columbus boy finalist in Aussie Zoo contest
July 6, 2007
05:12 PM EDT
Columbus - A Columbus boy has made it into the finals of a worldwide competition held by the Australia Zoo.
In May, Jonah Fields, 10, entered a video contest sponsored by the Australian Zoo and the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin's family.
Jonah did not win the grand prize and trip to Australia, but he was in the top 50. His family says they still hope that Jonah will be able to visit the Australia Zoo some day.

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=6755836&nav=9Tai



Debt Review Committee Needs More Info From Hogle Zoo
Jul 06, 2007 by Eric Ray
Ownership of Zoo Upgrades Could Be A Roadblock
(KCPW News) Hogle Zoo wants $65 million from Salt Lake County to continue construction of its zoo upgrades. Zoo officials say they will build as much as the money will allow. However, that's not good enough for Salt Lake County Treasurer Larry Richardson, who is also chair of the county Debt Review Committee. Richardson says he wants to know specifically which upgrades the bond will fund.
The big question, according to Richardson, is figuring out ownership of the zoo upgrades. State law requires the county to own any facility constructed with bond money, but the zoo is owned by Salt Lake City. Richardson says the next move is for zoo representatives and Salt Lake City to discuss how to solve ownership issues. Until then, Richardson says the county can't move ahead with the bond.
The DRC is also asking the zoo to provide more detailed attendance information. The zoo provided the DRC with a lump attendance sum for the last five years, but the committee wants that separated into paid attendance versus free attendance. The committee also wants to know how large groups of school children attending the zoo at no-cost effects the zoo's bottom line.

http://www.kcpw.org/article/3890



Working for the Summertime Zoo
I've been a ZeumMaster for two years now, and I have truly enjoyed every day I have worked. The part of my job that I love the most is working with kids, helping them and teaching them how to make clay animation and how to perform.
There is one part of being a ZeumMaster that I don't like - I don't get to see the same kids everyday. A lot of the time, after helping a visitor with the clay animation process, I often feel like I'm a part of their experience, and I begin to miss some of the kids after they leave Zeum.

http://zeummasters.blogspot.com/2007/07/working-for-summertime-zoo.html



The Zoo could be closing
Michael Stewart
mstewart@pnj.com
Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis dealt The Zoo Northwest Florida what could be a fatal blow.
Unless $1 million in donations is raised by year's end, there is a good chance The Zoo, an area attraction the past 23 years, could close.
"We're robbing Peter to pay Paul every month," said Jack Nobles, Gulf Coast Zoological Society Board member. "We are scrambling just to make the payroll."
The facility, located between Gulf Breeze and Navarre on
U.S. 98, lost significant revenue when it was forced to close for several months after the 2004 and 2005 storms. Most of the damage The Zoo sustained was not covered by insurance, putting it further in the red.

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070707/NEWS01/707070310/1006



Zoo camp a natural for kids
Scooter, the banana-eating bearcat, provided a recent close encounter of the zoo kind for young campers seeking a wild adventure during summer vacation.
The Palm Beach Zoo offers the weekly day camp from June through mid-August for kids ages 5 to 14.
Scooter, an 11-year-old, 40-pound native of Southeast Asia, is one of many zoo inhabitants used by staff to teach children about animals.
The campers learn about the zoo's residents through tours, animal visits to the children's tent and trying out zoo-keeping duties.

http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/content/news/ZOOCAMP0708.html


Regional
Foot-and-mouth disease: Zoo to be closed for disinfecting
Thiruvananthapuram, July 7 (PTI): As a precautionary step to check outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease afflicting animals, the zoo here will be closed for a few days from tomorrow to disinfect the park.
However, the statement from the zoo director did not make clear when the zoo would be reopened. The museum attached to the zoo, in the heart of the city, would function as usual.
Three 'Mithun' bulls were culled recently following the outbreak of the disease which had claimed four animals including two black bucks.
The post-mortem of the carcasses had found the affliction as virus-caused foot-and-mouth disease, to which even-clawed animals like buffaloes, hippopotamus, rhinoceros and deer are vulnerable.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200707072121.htm



"Twiga Overlook, Binder Park Zoo, Battle Creek, MI" Waymark
Featured Waymark
in Coin-Op Binoculars
Twiga Overlook, Binder Park Zoo, Battle Creek, MI
N 42° 14.548 W 085° 09.898
16T E 651397 N 4678327
Quick Description: This coin-operated binocular is located at the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, Michigan
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 7/7/2007 12:30:42 PM
Waymark Code: WM1TEC
Reviewed By:
Views: 4
Long Description:
This coin-operated binocular is located on the elevated boardwalk at the Twiga Overlook in the Binder Park Zoo. Here at the Twiga Overlook the binoculars can be used to zoom in on ostriches, giraffes, zebras, antelope and other animals in the zoo's Wild Africa exhibit.
Cost to Operate: 0.25
Primary Vista: Wild Africa exhibit
Number of devices at the site: 2
Other Vistas at the location: Not

http://www.waymarking.com/wm/details.aspx?f=1&guid=e2be4aea-b13d-44b0-9182-87bc8632805b



PM attends zoo party with political donor hours after UK terror attacks
By CHRISTOPHER LEAKE
Last updated at 23:57pm on 7th July 2007
Gordon Brown attended a party thrown by an Indian-born businessman who gave £45,000 to his leadership campaign - just 24 hours after would-be suicide bombers attacked Glasgow airport.
As Britain reeled under the latest terror threat, the Prime Minister left Downing Street to join 700 guests at the party held at London Zoo by Lord Paul of Marylebone.
The decision to break off from meetings with security officials to socialise with the 75-year-old pharmaceutical entrepreneur was not publicised by Downing Street.
Party people: The Prime Minister, along with wife Sarah and son John, attend the party of businessman and political donor Lord Paul of Marylebone
But reports and pictures did appear in Indian newspapers, which said the host was 'celebrating' his friend's arrival at No 10.
Mr Brown returned the compliment, paying wholesome tribute to the Indian-born industrialist, who helped finance his campaign for the Labour leadership, for doing so much for 'our country'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=466954&in_page_id=1770



Minnesota Zoo Opens New Minnesota Trail
Slideshow: Minnesota Zoo Opens New Minnesota Trail
(WCCO) Following a year-long renovation, the Minnesota Zoo opened its new Minnesota Trail Saturday.
The quarter-mile trail takes guests through more than 15 wildlife exhibits for everything from raccoons to pumas.
Guests can see a variety of Minnesota landscapes, ranging from a underwater look into a beaver pond, a walk alongside a northern forest glade and a bird-watching perch in the treetops.
A welcoming log lodge with a grand stone fireplace offers smaller exhibits for turtles, salamanders and frogs.

http://wcco.com/pets/local_story_188165242.html



Lou's L.A. Zoo's own Dr. Doolittle
Article Last Updated: 07/07/2007 10:02:03 PM PDT
Funny how things work out, Lou Parker says. If he hadn't listened to his wife Ada's advice and called Bernie, who knows what he'd be doing today?
Probably still loafing around the house driving Ada crazy.
But he did call his pal Bernie, and look at him now more than 20 years later - the Dr. Doolittle of docents at the Los Angeles Zoo.
Spinning his magic stories about the biomes - major ecological communities - of the world to schoolchildren from all over the city who are eating it up and writing him letters like this:
"I don't think I would have such a fun time learning about the four biomes and their animals without your biofacts," wrote Julien Piltzer from Balboa Magnet School.

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_6324462



Internet 'fame' for zoo animals
The baby marmosets will be named in August
A Cornish zoo has welcomed the public's response to footage of some of its animals being shown on the internet.
Newquay Zoo began posting short video clips on YouTube and its own website in February, including newborn animals being hand reared.
"We've had a fantastic response with over 32,000 viewings in four months," spokeswoman Michelle Turton said.
It is currently showing two Pygmy Marmosets, born at the end of June, and asking the public to help name them.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6281544.stm



Joburg Zoo earns world-class status
The Pan African Association of Zoos and Aquaria has recognised the improvements at the Johannesburg Zoo, awarding it world-class status.
July 10, 2007
By Millicent Kgowedi
THE Johannesburg Zoo has earned world-class zoo status, after its upgrades met standards set by the Pan African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (Paazab).
Paazab members attended a celebration at the zoo on Friday, 6 July to hand over a plaque that signified partnership between the organisation and the Joburg sanctuary.
"We are gathered here today to reap the fruits of our seeds; everybody here deserves to celebrate for their job well done," said Sophia Mtshali, Johannesburg Zoo's programmes director.

http://www.joburg.org.za/2007/jul/jul10_zoo.stm



California sea lions return to Bronx Zoo
BY ANDREW J. HAWKINS
Tuesday, July 10th 2007, 4:00 AM
That's definitely not a yawn - it's a sea lion getting ready to catch a fish at Astor Court Sea Lion Pool.
The Bronx Zoo must be feeling twice blessed this month - its California sea lions are back and the historic Astor Court is renovated and reopened.
To celebrate, they're "turning back the clock" for the next two weekends to give visitors a taste of what the zoo looked and felt like at the turn of the last century.
The Astor Court Renaissance Weekends will be celebrated July 14-15 and 21-22, during which time the zoo will be overrun with actors, stilt walkers, and bicyclists in period costumes.
Kids can participate in animal-themed crafts, watch a puppet show, or join a "bark-off," to see who can best imitate the sea lions.

http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/bronx/2007/07/10/2007-07-10_california_sea_lions_return_to_bronx_zoo.html



Sunset safaris tonight at zoo
Posted by Pedro Ramirez III July 10, 2007 10:45AM
Categories: Breaking News, City News, Entertainment News
Sunset Safaris begin tonight at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, allowing visitors to see animal nightlife, as well as, enjoy live entertainment and music.
The zoo will be open 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays for the rest of the month. Advance tickets are $5 for members, $6.50 for non-members, $8 at the door. For more info, check out the zoo's Web site or call 315-435-8511, ext. 113.

http://blog.syracuse.com/news/2007/07/sunset_safaris_tonight_at_zoo.html



Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to Give Away a Family Membership a Day Until 125th Anniversary Party
It could be your lucky day starting Friday the 13th of July as Cleveland Metroparks Zoo gives away a family membership every day through Saturday, September 15.
The memberships, which entitle holders to free Zoo admission for a year, will be given away randomly during one of each day's three Dr. ZooLittle shows, which start at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the Zoo Amphitheater. The special giveaway is courtesy of the Cleveland Zoological Society and in conjunction with the Zoo's 125th anniversary celebration.
Because the Dr. ZooLittle show runs on weekends only after Labor Day, the free memberships for weekdays after September 3 will be given away randomly at the Zoo's front gate.
The big 125th anniversary party, called ZOObilee!, is scheduled for Saturday, September 15. Further details will be forthcoming, but event organizers promise a fun day featuring live music, roaming entertainers, Get Close Animal Encounters, special guests and animal enrichment demonstrations.

http://www.clemetzoo.com/pressroom/index.asp?action=details&pressrelease_id=1251



Tiger Training At The Bronx Zoo #1
See how handlers train and examine two female tigers at the Bronx Zoo, where you can get up close and personal!!

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/706502/tiger_training_at_the_bronx_zoo_1/


Dated:

Recycle Your Cell Phone And Save Gorilla Habitat
by Wendy Priesnitz
Two major Canadian zoos – the Toronto Zoo and the Greater Vancouver Zoo – have joined over 50 other zoos across North America to help raise awareness for the link between cell phones and the habitat of gorillas. The zoos are all part of a cell-phone recycling initiative that will raise funds for conservation programs, help the environment and create awareness of the damaging effects of improperly discarded cell phones.
ECO-CELL, a Louisville-based cell phone recycling and fundraising company, through a joint partnership with CollectiveGood Canada, Inc., is recycling cell phones collected at the Canadian zoos and in turn raises funds and increased awareness for the damaging effects of cell phones on the environment and specifically on the habitat of African gorillas.
The habitat of the gorillas has been adversely affected by the production of cell phones since it requires a dull metallic ore known as “Coltan”, which is largely found in eastern areas of the Congo. The mining of this ore occurs in the middle of endangered gorilla and elephant habitat. The U.N. has reported that in the past five years, the eastern lowland gorilla population in the Congo has declined 90 percent. It is hoped that reducing the demand for Coltan will help save gorillas and their habitat.

http://www.life.ca/nl/111/gorillacell.html



A zoo vet is a breed apart
By Erik Siemers (Contact)
Sunday, September 3, 2006
Elvis is an ornery little Wolf's guenon, or African tree monkey. There's a reason he's agitated.
Michael Richard, head veterinarian at the Rio Grande Zoo, supervises zookeeper Valerie Chavez as she smears topical antifungal cream on a gray seal. Lady, 35, has wartlike growths from the tip of her nose to the back of her head. With oral and topical treatments, mixed with sunscreen, the growths are diminishing. "It's an interesting job," Richard says. "There's always something different going on. It's not boring." (Erin Fredrichs/Tribune)
"I immobilized his girlfriend," Michael Richard, head veterinarian at the Rio Grande Zoo, explained as the orange-tufted-eared primate reached at him through a cage door. "He's always trying to get me."
Every day presents new challenges for zoo veterinarians: From sedating Elvis' girlfriend, Junebug, last winter for a frozen tail; to nurturing a 6-day-old siamang whose mother hasn't taken to the infant primate; to treating a jacana with a low white blood cell count. That's a long-legged bird, by the way.

http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/bu_local/article/0,2565,ALBQ_19838_4967807,00.html



The Medici Giraffe
The New York Times
Published: September 4, 2006
BOOKS
Nonfiction
The Medici Giraffe
And Other Tales of Exotic Animals and Power
By Marina Belozerskaya
414 pages. $24.99. Little, Brown & Co.
Reviewed by William Grimes
In the 1920s a Hearst journalist made the ritual pilgrimage to San Simeon, William Randolph Hearst's lavish California fantasy ranch. He was unprepared. "The place is full of worried editors dodging kangaroos," he wrote in a report back to the home office.
San Simeon teemed with wildlife. The buffalo roamed, the gnu grazed and the lion roared. Of course. Hearst, the great press lord, was expressing his power in a form that would have been quite familiar to the Romans and the Egyptians, exhibiting exotic animals collected from the far ends of the earth to suggest his global reach. Fortunately, he bothered to feed his animals. Rudolf II, the Holy Roman Emperor, allowed hungry tigers to roam Prague Castle, where they pounced on servants and kept the courtiers on their toes.
Marina Belozerskaya proclaims a lofty theme in "The Medici Giraffe": the relationship between political power and exotic animals. What she actually delivers is an unconnected series of historical essays devoted to strange and wonderful animals, and the great men who lusted after them. The whole is less than the sum of its parts.
Perhaps most compelling, because least familiar, is the story of Ptolemy Philadelphos, ruler of Egypt in the late third century B.C.
Ptolemy transformed Alexandria into the richest, most cosmopolitan city in the ancient world, building its lighthouse and turning its museum and library into renowned centers of learning. All was made possible by his relentless acquisition of elephants.
Alexander the Great had recognized the potential of elephants when he first encountered them in battle against Darius of Persia. Like living tanks, they confounded the enemy and rolled over massed troops. Suddenly, the ruler with the most elephants enjoyed a tremendous tactical advantage.
As it happened, elephants came from India, and Antiochos of Syria, Ptolemy's archenemy, controlled the supply. To achieve parity, Ptolemy sent trading parties all over Africa in search of alternative sources.
In their quest, they forged commercial ties that enriched Egypt for years to come. They also secured the elephants and a menagerie of exotic animals that, Belozerskaya writes, "formed a living library of the natural world," and the archetype for modern zoos.
Later rulers acquired exotic animals for prestige. Pompey gathered hundreds for a mass slaughter in the Circus Maximus to restore his fading popularity with the Roman public. For four days, before crowds of 150,000 or more, man and beast fought to the death. The crowd roared with delight. And then something strange happened.
Late in the games, a group of elephants, realizing that they were cornered by hunters with spears, began to wail and moan. The sentiment of the crowd moved in favor of the elephants, regarded by the Romans as intelligent and virtuous. Miscalculating, Pompey ordered the elephants slain, bringing the curses of the crowd down on his head. The games failed.
Animals expressed power in a manner appropriate to their era. By the time Rudolf began assembling his menagerie, the spirit of scientific inquiry held sway. His animals were intended to be objects of study, from the cassowary, rumored to eat embers and fire, to the dodo and the purple-naped lory.
In spinning her yarns, Belozerskaya proceeds at a leisurely pace.
She turns down no opportunity to digress. Many pages can go by with nary a sparrow in sight, as she delves into political and diplomatic complexities or works up the detailed biography of a secondary character.
Zoos now have replaced the private menageries once assembled by potentates and big shots like Hearst. But animal diplomacy lives on.
In an afterword, Belozerskaya recalls the wheeling and dealing over the pandas at the National Zoo in Washington, a Cold War drama acted out in terms perfectly understandable to Ptolemy. China had the bears, and the United States wanted them. Power and pandas. It's the oldest story in the book.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/04/features/bookmar.php



Fisher-Price Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month at Zoos Around the U.S
Kids Can ‘Test Drive’ Power Wheels(R) Vehicles and Play with the Hottest Toys for Fall
East Aurora, NY--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--September 6, 2006--Fisher-Price(R), one of the world’s leading brands of infant and preschool toys, is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by sponsoring events at Los Angeles Zoo, San Francisco Zoo, Brookfield Zoo and Bronx Zoo during the month of September. As the title sponsor for these events, Fisher-Price will bring its fun play space and Power Wheels(R) Driving Track for children 6 months to 5 years old to enjoy. The play space and Driving Track experiences are free with the cost of zoo admission.
The Fisher-Price festivities kick off with the Los Angeles Zoo’s Latino Heritage Celebration on Sept. 9 and 10. They continue at the San Francisco Zoo’s event, Latino Heritage Celebración, on Sept. 10 and finish up with Brookfield Zoo (“Fiesta para Todos”) and Bronx Zoo (“Hispanic Heritage Weekend”) events, both on Sept. 16 and 17. (See complete schedule below.)

http://www.hispanicprwire.com/news.php?l=in&id=6936&cha=1



Politics of the Zoo
The Death of Steve Irwin
By BINOY KAMPMARK
The only creatures [Irwin] couldn't dominate were parrots. A parrot once did its best to rip his nose off his face. Parrots are a lot smarter than crocodiles.
German Greer, Guardian, September 5, 2006
The camera is trained on Bob Irwin, bespectacled with sunshades. A live shot, streaming across the web and national television, broadcasts from Beerwah, Queensland. American tourists will know this town: home of Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. 'He died doing what he liked doing', stammered Bob. 'Far better than being hit by a bus.' His son, Steve Irwin, was the 'crocodile hunter', a modern media phenomenon. And he was dead, killed by the lethal jab of a docile stingray off the resort down of Gladstone on Monday while filming a documentary.
His death triggered an immediate loss of perspective. News web sites collapsed under the strain of queries for confirmation. Australian commercial networks had no room for any other item. Irwin's death made breaking news on American channels with blistering speed.

http://www.counterpunch.org/kampmark09062006.html



Giant pandas at zoos in U.S., China give birth
Updated Thu. Sep. 7 2006 9:21 AM ET
Associated Press
BEIJING -- A giant panda in southwest China has given birth to a pair of twins, state media said, the latest additions in a baby boom for the endangered animals.
Ya Ya, who lives in the Chongqing Zoo, delivered the babies about an hour apart early Tuesday, China News Service said.
They were her first cubs, it said, and both mother and babies are healthy. The zoo has been closed for a week to give Ya Ya some peace, it said.
One has been taken to the Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre, also in Sichuan province, because Ya Ya cannot produce enough milk for both cubs, it said.
Ya Ya was mated with 11-year-old Ling Ling from Wolong in April. The pandas watched a mating video before breeding, China News Service said.
On Wednesday, zoo officials in Atlanta also announced a rare giant panda birth, one of only a few in the United States.
Lun Lun delivered her first cub just before 5 p.m., zoo spokeswoman Jennifer Waller said.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on its website

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060907/panda_births_060907/20060907?hub=SciTech

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