tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49417273882151608602024-02-19T07:29:10.128-08:00Picture Windowa glimpse into my worldChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-72490325838884438912010-04-07T13:39:00.000-07:002010-04-07T13:40:53.375-07:00Dear Diary<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3s2_KP8_IGwXqZHRqoB6VAeH3EauSKiuA3wabKwX5ALGTLmsz5gZgSk-R7ieJBR8zyZeKmZH6tTvLHdMOw8vT-YCQ3kMjzzuENeFOpCRplfKrPyxPjEGn7p_ECsD9nyq4Q0str66/s1600/Still+No+Lotto_desktop.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3s2_KP8_IGwXqZHRqoB6VAeH3EauSKiuA3wabKwX5ALGTLmsz5gZgSk-R7ieJBR8zyZeKmZH6tTvLHdMOw8vT-YCQ3kMjzzuENeFOpCRplfKrPyxPjEGn7p_ECsD9nyq4Q0str66/s400/Still+No+Lotto_desktop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457498273696358962" border="0" /></a>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-34224892199829204372009-06-22T15:05:00.001-07:002009-06-22T15:06:59.198-07:00The Messenger<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nT3u5_brlhzIYwfJ-qGD324Z2j_DdXyZ1p7CP7q3rORoEBl-vo2VjB4Va-2ybjJp8rESr9lCsfVGCTrJ8X2Nw5opSpi81zM8NFth8ZcOg7O2uM6IrUujbYbgIMNNCOTSfXsqrtJE/s1600-h/The+Messenger.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nT3u5_brlhzIYwfJ-qGD324Z2j_DdXyZ1p7CP7q3rORoEBl-vo2VjB4Va-2ybjJp8rESr9lCsfVGCTrJ8X2Nw5opSpi81zM8NFth8ZcOg7O2uM6IrUujbYbgIMNNCOTSfXsqrtJE/s400/The+Messenger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350276789952244002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Crows have a lot to say, if you listen carefully...</span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-83903330274031750132009-06-22T15:01:00.001-07:002009-06-22T15:04:52.665-07:00In the End<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMLyt5XG6_AbUEDEKObbEWtkt1QqCybdHysDvUWGvFpm330KVQMmGh5Mh5Y31PLwW24ri5zpEKoIPm6GfMlUzwRQEI-VZC0nHLb7buP0qz7t4tkcAiuE7uuDpZqJg5UVHA3VU8B3F/s1600-h/In+the+End.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMLyt5XG6_AbUEDEKObbEWtkt1QqCybdHysDvUWGvFpm330KVQMmGh5Mh5Y31PLwW24ri5zpEKoIPm6GfMlUzwRQEI-VZC0nHLb7buP0qz7t4tkcAiuE7uuDpZqJg5UVHA3VU8B3F/s400/In+the+End.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350276220391725090" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Sunset, a few minutes from my house.</span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-43807596689303534012009-06-22T14:58:00.000-07:002009-06-22T15:01:04.092-07:00Old & Tattered<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33k01U3ckQLxNLtXjvQK0YEGnAgTDH20PBmxqOUQFsFVg2rxLVVH8XfzTVokiMJ-ELti6oFQU7iVHIvC9EizfsuYIa0W8cad4ssGOE4C2VQV9FQKvRgRv2XooQd-kwpCLPAqbDnix/s1600-h/Old+and+Tattered.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33k01U3ckQLxNLtXjvQK0YEGnAgTDH20PBmxqOUQFsFVg2rxLVVH8XfzTVokiMJ-ELti6oFQU7iVHIvC9EizfsuYIa0W8cad4ssGOE4C2VQV9FQKvRgRv2XooQd-kwpCLPAqbDnix/s400/Old+and+Tattered.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350274947011648482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Got this shot of a pretty ragged looking crow about to land on an equally ragged looking tree. A friend of mine said it looked like an album cover, and I have to agree.</span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-74727993458989181352009-06-19T15:37:00.000-07:002009-06-19T15:49:33.174-07:00A Duck's Tale<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8c3iiAbKXd4UpcHNCQyE62aj8P1TuLhuBY60BQv09oXXmoHnV0JwRInr4j5u9-ppekzGj3j2UICGh6e9lOd1PIrGJ7yL4NBhY4-HhlkCQPFceNryDNGas_dWrvmaJzXqAd9DcDfDS/s1600-h/Not+Daisy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8c3iiAbKXd4UpcHNCQyE62aj8P1TuLhuBY60BQv09oXXmoHnV0JwRInr4j5u9-ppekzGj3j2UICGh6e9lOd1PIrGJ7yL4NBhY4-HhlkCQPFceNryDNGas_dWrvmaJzXqAd9DcDfDS/s400/Not+Daisy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349171628913076418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">So, I haven't been as active here lately. As I've gotten more and more into photography, I've been spending most of my online time at a site called Deviant Art, where I have a gallery of my photos. If you're interested, you can see it by clicking <a href="http://heyburton.deviantart.com/gallery/">here</a>, or for an easy-to-remember url, you can simply go to www.getintrouble.com (a url I was going to use for something else but never did, so I pointed it to my deviant art page).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Anyway, I'm only bringing that up because I had posted a story on that site of an encounter I had the other day with a female mallard, and I was going to post it here as well, but I've since had an update to the story, so I'm posting both here, simply because I learned something out of it, and maybe you'll learn something too, or at least maybe find it interesting. The original post was on the 16 of this month, and the update came on the 18th. Here it is:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-weight: bold;">6/16/09</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Yesterday after work, I went to a lagoon near my house to take pictures. It's a spot I've always loved, and I've been going there a lot lately because of all of the ducks, geese, herons, seagulls and crows that are there - all things I love.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">So I'm standing there taking pictures, and I see a group of male mallards on the concrete walking path all crowded around one female. I've seen this happen once before, but I've never been sure of what it was that I saw. Maybe it's part of the mating ritual - like, how the males decide who will get to mate with the female - or maybe it was something else, but I didn't at first assume it was violent.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Yesterday, however, was different. From a distance, I saw the female lamely try to get away, and the males - and one male in particular - jump right back on top of her. It didn't look like the female was a willing participant, so I started walking over there. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">As I got closer, I could see that the female was in bad shape. The entire top of her head, and her entire back, were completely bare of feathers, and there was only red, raw looking skin exposed. I quickened my pace and stamped my feet as I approached to disperse the males.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">As they abandoned her out of fear of me, the poor female slowly dragged herself off of the path, and into the soft shredded wood that lined the side of the concrete path. The male ducks were intent though, and I had to stay next to the female and continually hiss and scatter loose dirt at the males to keep them at bay.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">As I got a closer look at the female, I saw that she was in really horrible condition. I believe the males were going to continue until she was dead. Her back looked absolutely dreadful and so painful and inflamed, and the top of her head was much the same. I could see small bits of dried blood on her back, probably from where feathers had been savagely torn out.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">She pretty quickly realized that I was not going to harm her, and that I was clearly keeping the males away, and she lamely inched her way closer to me. At this point, I knelt down and was talking softly to her, and she inched up even closer until her little head was under my leg. The poor girl was shivering uncontrollably, probably in part from the trauma, shock and fear, and in part from all of her exposed skin. The feathers that remained on her body were tattered and wet, and her wings, which at one point she sort of half spread open, looked incapable of lifting her in the air.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I immediately called the local humane society, but there was only one officer on duty, and she was currently on another call. So then I called another local place called Wild Care, which specializes in caring for sick and injured birds until the birds can be released back into the wild. Or, if they can't be released, they get to live at Wild Care. The woman at Wild Care said that the humane society would bring the duck there anyway, and that if I could bring the duck there myself, that would be best, as time could be of the essence. I explained that I was hesitant to handle the duck due to the extent of her injuries, and I didn't want to add more harm to the situation, but said I would try, and if nothing else, would sit and wait with the duck for the humane society officer to get there.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">By this time, I was sitting flat on the ground with my legs stretched out in front of me. The duck was now quite sure that I only wanted to help her, and she had snuggled up firmly against my leg, leaning her head against me as well. I had started to put my jacket over her, but she didn't seem to want that. I suspect it might have been due to how painful her back was. So instead I had made a sort of barricade around her exposed side with it, so that she could no longer see the male ducks. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">At this point, I didn't want to wait anymore - though I'd only been there for about 10-15 minutes. I pulled out a soft canvas bag and set it in front of her, with the opening facing her. Without hesitating, she limped inside it. She couldn't (or wouldn't) extend her legs when she walked, so it really almost looked like she was dragging herself. I carefully lifted the bag, allowing her to adjust as the position of the bag changed, and made my way to the car.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I called the officer and told her I was on the way to Wild Care, then called Wild Care to let them know as well. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">The duck handled the car ride beautifully, and I spoke softly to her the whole time. As I was walking up to the door of Wild Care, she pulled herself out of the bag just enough to rest her head on my arm. My heart melted.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Once inside, the woman there set up a little box with a towel at the bottom for the duck to rest in, and explained what they would do in the next 48 hours to treat her. They had creams to help soothe and heal her exposed skin. She gave me a patient ID number, so I can call and check on her condition. I asked about visitation, but they don't allow that because they don't want the animals to get attached to people, which is actually really good (even though I so badly want to go see her!). But, she did say that they will call me when it's time to release her back into the wild so that I can come be a part of that. She said they never release at that lagoon because of how dangerous it can be there, especially for the female ducks - something I didn't know. But, something I will now be aware of and will look for anytime I'm there.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">So, that's how I rescued a duck! It's not the first time I've found an injured bird and brought it there, but the first two were too far gone to survive. I'm really really hoping that this little lady makes it. She was just so sweet and so scared and so appreciative for the help I gave her. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I always help any animals in need whenever I come across them, and each experience is always rewarding in some way, but this one really was special to me due to the fact that she was so quick to trust me and snuggle up to me. I realize she didn't have much of a choice, but it really made my heart swell anyway.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Hopefully, she will forget about me in time, but I'll never forget her... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">P.S. - I'll post updates on her condition as I get them. The woman did say it could be months of recovery before she can be released, if she can be released at all. But, I'll be calling them this week to check on her immediate condition. Fingers crossed!</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE 6/18/09: </span><br />I just got off the phone with Wild Care. She didn't make it through the first night. My heart is breaking as I write this. I know I did the right thing (Wild Care is a great place with a wonderful reputation, and I'm not trained in caring for injured animals), but I wish now that I could have stayed with her 'till the end. I'll take some comfort in knowing that she felt safe with me - that she knew I cared about her and would protect her - and that while at Wild Care, she was at least safe and warm and having her pain managed. In her final hours, she knew tenderness and compassion. I'm glad that she didn't have to die on a concrete path with no one to help her. And at the very least, all of her pain ended that night. I'll try and focus on these positive things, but really, this just makes me so incredibly sad. I just want to cry now. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I'm so sorry, sweet girl. Our encounter was brief, but I'll never forget it, and you will always be in my heart...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I've decided to give her a name, posthumously: Daisy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">(note: the picture of the duck on this post is not of Daisy, but is a shot I took of another female mallard at the same lagoon, and it's what Daisy would have looked like before she was so savagely attacked. Sadly, it's not at all what she looked like by the time I found her.)</span></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-52963160468203643082009-06-02T09:10:00.001-07:002009-06-02T09:13:15.436-07:00Days of old<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElPv-h1zcBmBty9gIXkkO-2S79Be0ZUYKLP-lr_18phIzvSs_lne5bTT1PU32pay-tw0cqgl_FUxnnBV-Aie3fI9U24i4SBcZctlkrAMekMpFRD5ASV0nyebu-p2p9zy2MHDyeHzH/s1600-h/Flammable.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElPv-h1zcBmBty9gIXkkO-2S79Be0ZUYKLP-lr_18phIzvSs_lne5bTT1PU32pay-tw0cqgl_FUxnnBV-Aie3fI9U24i4SBcZctlkrAMekMpFRD5ASV0nyebu-p2p9zy2MHDyeHzH/s400/Flammable.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342763501326219362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">From a recent car show. I normally like the more beat-up look of the rat rods, but this car wasn't bad at all.</span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-29683048011458819952009-05-26T16:26:00.001-07:002009-05-26T16:32:21.547-07:00Forest of Fire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_XtIphZTrI7mUUdGfBowc1tgpfJgt2MPhf6FLCA-4i4A2aZCvh11-1WNnipAEs7irb6-hF-7vBfpkKsXuvi6mAqYmZgGdYwM02TbvcVpTj-gd0zgiMWjYxHwbXocZP7GlEYb6fwD/s1600-h/Forest+of+Fire+darker.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_XtIphZTrI7mUUdGfBowc1tgpfJgt2MPhf6FLCA-4i4A2aZCvh11-1WNnipAEs7irb6-hF-7vBfpkKsXuvi6mAqYmZgGdYwM02TbvcVpTj-gd0zgiMWjYxHwbXocZP7GlEYb6fwD/s400/Forest+of+Fire+darker.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340278272787288946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Have I mentioned yet how much I love the area I live in? I have? Well, I'm saying it again. I LOVE this place. There are so many little spots you can go to still that feel very isolated, even though they are in fact well-traveled. As the population increases, I'm ever more grateful that they've restrained themselves from building up every square inch of land here. <br /><br />There's really not much better than driving 20 minutes from the city and feeling like you're hours away from the rat race. </span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-85507747515115174052009-05-17T09:36:00.000-07:002009-05-17T09:43:38.826-07:00On the water<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheXHNfmgf29JH2jnhowWLhEPCZEZdZpwLqCwc-YST1EVhrJao94K2_UVOYu54g2gitRI5tGiXWijWVnWaiJYrWTJkJttOGO2chMIo4zd0NQ0gfxqiAVesaGx3E5ICUGW3NbDlYcXs/s1600-h/1537+DA.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheXHNfmgf29JH2jnhowWLhEPCZEZdZpwLqCwc-YST1EVhrJao94K2_UVOYu54g2gitRI5tGiXWijWVnWaiJYrWTJkJttOGO2chMIo4zd0NQ0gfxqiAVesaGx3E5ICUGW3NbDlYcXs/s400/1537+DA.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336832894382664322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Yesterday was a great day. The weather was gorgeous and hot, and I went with a couple of friends to a car show that the streets get closed off for. On the walk back home, we were talking about the beautiful scenery that often gets overlooked by people who only want new shopping malls and modern, yet bland housing. I took this shot just on a whim as we were crossing over the bridge. I'm planning on getting back to that area to take some more shots, but with a little more thought behind them.</span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-37671932048767050472009-05-14T13:09:00.000-07:002009-05-14T13:19:28.451-07:00Freedom<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN3PRjtmwtVAdupJr8J2u_QL_q8G-8maQM1vQM5lN99s-qk1tH84aNTMPD5Js32TZ1Q36Mg0T0l1hlHC1H0uk-TYMIZ1nEtpnLNRlf-omnFNv9dh5z0hOmpogv9z-GDP_QK8m8tHr/s1600-h/IMG_0301+Nik+blog.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN3PRjtmwtVAdupJr8J2u_QL_q8G-8maQM1vQM5lN99s-qk1tH84aNTMPD5Js32TZ1Q36Mg0T0l1hlHC1H0uk-TYMIZ1nEtpnLNRlf-omnFNv9dh5z0hOmpogv9z-GDP_QK8m8tHr/s400/IMG_0301+Nik+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335776467225506498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >My fascination with crows seems never-ending. The new camera has allowed me to get much cleaner photos of them.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >There's a great video here (<a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/joshua_klein_on_the_intelligence_of_crows.html">crow video</a>) that talks about the general intelligence of crows, and how it might benefit us without the need for captivity or causing any distress to them. Some of it I already knew, and some of it I did not, but all of it was interesting, and was presented in an entertaining manner. It only runs 10 minutes in length, and I highly recommend it to everyone. If nothing else, it will add some interesting facts to your own knowledge, and it will only take 10 minutes to do it.</span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-84001475357218274122009-05-03T13:49:00.001-07:002009-05-03T19:20:16.668-07:00Wings of a Dream<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6ksKaEYz1YDy098xdrEaHi1Zc-8zPY1cGKxAI1cR4MaxXmbuVKWp4JVm3mSzYiPaGpbw3GP5_yVhaSCQVatSMcsi91rMXmkOGYq8UPGieNQcoVydE_sZY6Ji_UtaMHIXu3R6zWvf/s1600-h/_MG_0930+DA+v2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6ksKaEYz1YDy098xdrEaHi1Zc-8zPY1cGKxAI1cR4MaxXmbuVKWp4JVm3mSzYiPaGpbw3GP5_yVhaSCQVatSMcsi91rMXmkOGYq8UPGieNQcoVydE_sZY6Ji_UtaMHIXu3R6zWvf/s400/_MG_0930+DA+v2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331787769554494882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Yesterday I took the new camera out for a couple of hours. The weather was calm, but wet and overcast, with off-and-on rain - not really ideal for walking outside. I took a lot of pictures of this particular bird, but this was the one that sent me home with a smile and made it all worthwhile. </span></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-76247231937269205192009-04-27T17:57:00.000-07:002009-04-27T18:20:06.470-07:00Never give up on them<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFhrYFLZ3_F_V6CWLBZlQDoHiaM2JZhEXSWHvQVifyvmH5GeRK_fjVSXtqt0AoXXwB2MboRImFeFGGojReznU-GYygl23POIQoD-ZPZVBIvCedPthsJB_GKJmlXYYhTlwvjybJq-A/s1600-h/_MG_0631+NikCE+DA.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFhrYFLZ3_F_V6CWLBZlQDoHiaM2JZhEXSWHvQVifyvmH5GeRK_fjVSXtqt0AoXXwB2MboRImFeFGGojReznU-GYygl23POIQoD-ZPZVBIvCedPthsJB_GKJmlXYYhTlwvjybJq-A/s400/_MG_0631+NikCE+DA.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329540533512019778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">So, it seems I spoke a bit too soon when I said that Kinser was healthy and problem-free. Over the past few years, she's had a few seizures, and the last one being just a few weeks ago, I guess I have to face the fact that she has epilepsy, and that it wasn't just random cases with the first two she had. Luckily, they only happen about once a year or so. They seem to terrify her though, and it's so difficult to not be able to explain to her what's happening.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">In addition to that, it was just discovered that she has hyper-thyroid. Now I give her medicine twice a day for that. It seems to be helping.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I still wouldn't trade her for anything in the world.</span></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-29105446458011300642009-04-27T12:41:00.000-07:002009-04-29T10:24:11.720-07:00The Conversation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeKxRQkFeJ7Dm1739G9jHV3U2qNtzk67jXgpRHSeXgMDpPVCFwJSkDWPEjVtBw4S0g1btSKNBLJZvxJx6jWBs0HHfMwq6hjQieZk62xecCr1tPTry6K74PVsGxBb2AM5NjNlo35hJ/s1600-h/_MG_0682+Nik+DA+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeKxRQkFeJ7Dm1739G9jHV3U2qNtzk67jXgpRHSeXgMDpPVCFwJSkDWPEjVtBw4S0g1btSKNBLJZvxJx6jWBs0HHfMwq6hjQieZk62xecCr1tPTry6K74PVsGxBb2AM5NjNlo35hJ/s400/_MG_0682+Nik+DA+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329876981734243234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Crows are known to have a complex language, and are more intelligent than some primates.</span></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-44940108577478441832009-04-27T11:43:00.001-07:002009-04-28T11:11:32.797-07:00The quiet moments<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kWArV4lc8BIJyzt36HB_862p6m7CyL0RnT-qeGOSu3TyhIPplzCwJAt6nG7O-TUCSxnG8QB6bbEZuMHQfyOtAaD6IA3y2agJFEvLuI5wX1rkInQyxxVpFqc347aWBUjaeLM9HID0/s1600-h/Solitude.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kWArV4lc8BIJyzt36HB_862p6m7CyL0RnT-qeGOSu3TyhIPplzCwJAt6nG7O-TUCSxnG8QB6bbEZuMHQfyOtAaD6IA3y2agJFEvLuI5wX1rkInQyxxVpFqc347aWBUjaeLM9HID0/s400/Solitude.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329806519924267394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Whatever was on her mind at this moment, it consumed all of her focus.</span></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-75776019065602874492009-04-05T17:07:00.000-07:002009-04-08T10:00:25.715-07:00Chicks are smart<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepblueorchid/882145614/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321364230345533538" style="width: 400px; height: 281px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1daKf9A4sNZXa1ghYnPj0ttuvbLSonxVLYkyf85zlGFe4S_gDccE3ojhSuhgia7ezOIHQWreffMzGHKJCz9roKHNiMMwvXFF9hEFBhaoTFCrJ5aniqBxw4GE9FrK7B19YuYNT9Q2d/s400/Baby+Chick.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >A friend of mine sent me this <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7975260.stm">article</a>, and me being me, of course I had to share.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><blockquote><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><strong>Baby chicks do basic arithmetic<br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC News<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Baby birds can do arithmetic, say researchers in Italy.<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Scientists from the universities of Padova and Trento demonstrated chicks' ability to add and subtract objects as they were moved behind two screens.<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Lucia Regolin, an author of the study said the animals "performed basic arithmetic" to work out which screen concealed the larger group of objects.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >The findings are reported in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Chicks always try to stay close to objects they are reared with - just as they stay close to and follow their mother as soon as they hatch. This instant recognition is known as "imprinting".</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"We had already found that the chicks have a tendency to approach a group containing more of these familiar objects," explained Professor Regolin, who studies animal behaviour at the University of Padova.<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >She and her team were able to test the birds' numerical skills as they followed the objects - which, in this instance, were small plastic balls.<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"We used the little plastic containers you get inside Kinder eggs and suspended them from fishing line," Professor Regolin told BBC News. </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"We made these balls 'disappear' by moving them behind the screens one at a time."<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><strong>Counting chickens</strong> </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >In each of the mini maths tests, a chick watched from a clear-fronted holding box while one of the researchers slowly moved the balls behind the screens - three behind one screen and two behind the other.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >The front door of the box was then opened, releasing the chick into the tiny arena, so it could walk around and select a screen to look behind.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"The chicks still approached the larger of the two groups first, even though they had to rely on memory to work out which screen to choose," said Professor Regolin.<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Swapping the objects from one screen to another didn't fool the maths-performing chicks.<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"In a further experiment, once we had hidden the balls behind each screen, we transferred some of them from one to the other," Professor Regolin explained.<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >The birds, she said, were able to "count" the balls that were moved to work out which screen hid the larger set at the end of the transfer.<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"They still chose correctly - adding up the numbers based on groups of objects they couldn't see at that moment."<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >It is already known that many non-human primates and monkeys can count, and even domestic dogs have been found to be capable of simple additions.<br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >But this is the first time the ability has been seen in such young animals, and with no prior training.</span><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">No long sermons this time. What I hope you take away from this article is the fact that all animals, no matter their size or shape, have intelligence that, generally speaking, is greater than we tend to give them credit for. While animals like chickens are thought of as 'stupid' by us, we mainly come to that conclusion by comparing their intelligence to our own, which only makes us seem foolish, not to mention arrogant. My hope is that you will consider these things when you encounter animals, whether they're in the wild, or on the dinner table.</span></p></span><p></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-33422859947364933162009-04-03T16:14:00.000-07:002009-04-03T16:58:41.915-07:00Ridiculous<span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I wouldn't normally comment here about articles like the one I just saw, but this just seems so insensitive, and so insane that I have to share <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090403/ap_on_bi_ge/mortgage_giants_bonuses">this</a>:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ></span><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192); font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >Fannie, Freddie worker bonuses total $210M</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >WASHINGTON – Mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac plan to pay more than $210 million in bonuses through next year to give workers the incentive to stay in their jobs at the government-controlled companies.</span></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >The article goes on with more of the same, but here's the kicker: as my eyes drifted to the right side of the screen, there in a small box titled "Top Stories" was this little gem:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ></span><blockquote style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/economy"><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Unemployment soars to 8.5 percent; 13M now jobless</span></a></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I don't even need to go on and on about this, because I have to think we're all on the same page on this one, right? And I realize that not every employee at Freddie and Fannie are responsible for this meltdown we're having, but seriously, if some of them want to leave their jobs, why not let them? Why shouldn't they have to suck it up a little bit like the rest of us?<br /><br />There are plenty of intelligent, good, hard-working people who are desperate for a job. You want some incentive to stay at your job? How about "not being unemployed"? Isn't that incentive enough? Well, if it's not, then take a hike. Because guess what? Those of us who pay our taxes are paying those particular bonuses. And I'll tell you what, I don't really feel like I should have to pay someone just to stay at their job - the same job that's already paying them!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >This is all just a bunch of crap. Greed and selfishness have caused this meltdown, and it continues on even as the powers that be pretend they're trying to correct it. And this crosses all party lines, so Democrats and Republicans, stop pointing your fucking fingers at everyone else, because you're all to blame. Corruption runs rampant all through our government, and the ones paying for it all are the honest hard-working folks of this country. And as one of those folks, I'm sick of it. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >I'll be honest, I don't know what the answer is, but it's extremely clear that the folks making the decisions don't know the answers either, and in the meantime, we're getting stuck with the bill.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >This has to stop.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNCN8jzSDKiaYFYYjbpWb9_NmTtPAcp4eM6hNRvWPnmqfAnLD5i1_QZ9Ylwvjw1TLGuVNojZuvtn_TlEyQ2fXYxUSUsFOXxgL4UtNMBq_ifrAMlUpD-z06MR1H8r-YsG1OwKrMBk6/s1600-h/greed1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 329px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNCN8jzSDKiaYFYYjbpWb9_NmTtPAcp4eM6hNRvWPnmqfAnLD5i1_QZ9Ylwvjw1TLGuVNojZuvtn_TlEyQ2fXYxUSUsFOXxgL4UtNMBq_ifrAMlUpD-z06MR1H8r-YsG1OwKrMBk6/s400/greed1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320616666898858546" border="0" /></a>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-45500297576783665772009-04-02T18:37:00.000-07:002009-04-02T18:48:15.389-07:00So long, humans. It's been fun.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oSxehbOZoArNPzL3fif3vSs_SfJAoYgfM_qWDqRcT9OIqsvPlCQP1CVj5P5kVaEcALCjCfvTIRmDydNVWpBqTR9XR_075sVKmGqw8fI8-N9he_NJO7NVjMZeLh9hKH67POFl7EST/s1600-h/irobot_1024.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oSxehbOZoArNPzL3fif3vSs_SfJAoYgfM_qWDqRcT9OIqsvPlCQP1CVj5P5kVaEcALCjCfvTIRmDydNVWpBqTR9XR_075sVKmGqw8fI8-N9he_NJO7NVjMZeLh9hKH67POFl7EST/s400/irobot_1024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320274730711994562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090402/sc_nm/us_science_robots;_ylt=AsfLqyUXZQa_90dFXN_DmtUDW7oF"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Robot scientists can think for themselves</span></a> <blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >By Ben Hirschler – Thu Apr 2, 2:30 pm ET</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />LONDON (Reuters) – Watch out scientists – you may be replaced by a robot.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />Two teams of researchers said on Thursday they had created machines that could reason, formulate theories and discover scientific knowledge on their own, marking a major advance in the field of artificial intelligence.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />Such robo-scientists could be put to work unraveling complex biological systems, designing new drugs, modeling the world's climate or understanding the cosmos.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >For the moment, though, they are performing more humble tasks.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />At Aberystwyth University in Wales, Ross King and colleagues have created a robot called Adam that can not only carry out experiments on yeast metabolism but also reason about the results and plan the next experiment.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />It is the world's first example of a machine that has made an independent scientific discovery – in this case, new facts about the genetic make-up of baker's yeast.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"On its own it can think of hypotheses and then do the experiments, and we've checked that it's got the results correct," King said in an interview.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"People have been working on this since the 1960s. When we first sent robots to Mars, they really dreamt of the robots doing their own experiments on Mars. After 40 or 50 years, we've now got the capability to do that."</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />Their next robot, Eve, will have much more brain power and will be put to work searching for new medicines.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />King hopes the application of intelligent robotic thinking to the process of sifting tens of thousands of compounds for potential new drugs will be particularly valuable in the hunt for treatments for neglected tropical diseases like malaria.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >King published his findings in the journal Science, alongside a second paper from Hod Lipson and Michael Schmidt of Cornell University in New York, who have developed a computer program capable of working out the fundamental physical laws behind a swinging double pendulum.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />Just by crunching the numbers – and without any prior instruction in physics – the Cornell machine was able to decipher Isaac Newton's laws of motion and other properties.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />Lipson does not think robots will make scientists obsolete any day soon, but believes they could take over much of the routine work in research laboratories.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />"One of the biggest problems in science today is finding the underlying principles in areas where there are lots and lots of data," he told reporters in a conference call. "This can help in accelerating the rate at which we can discover scientific principles behind the data."</span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />(Additional reporting by Stuart McDill; editing by Maggie Fox and Tim Pearce)</span></span></blockquote> <span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Once they task these robots with saving the planet, the first thing they'll do is get rid of us, and for good reason. This is going to be one interesting war...</span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-22388742685404800832009-03-27T09:09:00.000-07:002009-03-27T10:12:42.445-07:00Boiling Mad: Crabs Feel Pain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/batailley/3312800898/"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwTtGfoZkZc6l4-UUBzSgRtlQu7ENrkUj3iK9ZVGP0FJcyb7-Q51vrVeoqynina1K9ocSzDbJBg3LyeNFHFsD7oOHLi8aYYRSfdLrQ7QdfEtu654igLP5TkEHvsm13PlkUU_PNpME/s400/Crab+Escape.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317914784525163874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><br />I just saw this <a href="http://www.livescience.com/animals/090327-crabs-feel-pain.html">article</a> this morning:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ></span><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >A favored method of preparing fresh crabs is to simply boil them alive. A longstanding related question: Do they feel pain?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Yes, researchers now say. Not only do crabs suffer pain, a new study found, but they retain a memory of it (assuming they aren't already dead on your dinner plate). The scientists say its time for new laws to consider the suffering of all crustaceans.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >The study involved using wires to deliver shocks to the bellies of hermit crabs, which, being hermits, often take up residence in left-behind mollusc shells. The crabs that were shocked scampered out of their shells, "indicating that the experience is unpleasant for them," the scientists concluded; unshocked crabs stayed put.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Another test was run to see what would happen if a mild shock was delivered, one just below the threshold that would cause the crabs to leave home. These mildly shocked crabs, along with crabs that had not been shocked, were then offered a new home. The typical reaction: They'd go inspect the new shell. Significantly, those that had been shocked were more likely to pack up and move to the new residence compared to those that hadn't been shocked.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"There has been a long debate about whether crustaceans including crabs, prawns and lobsters feel pain," said study researcher Bob Elwood of Queen's University Belfast in the UK.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"We know from previous research that they can detect harmful stimuli and withdraw from the source of the stimuli but that could be a simple reflex without the inner 'feeling' of unpleasantness that we associate with pain," Elwood explained. "This research demonstrates that it is not a simple reflex but that crabs trade-off their need for a quality shell with the need to avoid the harmful stimulus."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >The findings are detailed in the journal Animal Behaviour.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Interestingly, scientist don't fully understand pain in humans. It is felt when electrical signals are sent from nerve endings to your brain, which in turn can release painkillers called endorphins and generate physical and emotional reactions. The details remain unclear, which his why so many people suffer chronic pain with no relief.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >At any rate, Elwood compared the results of the crab study to how you might react to a painful experience.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"Humans, for example, may hold on to a hot plate that contains food whereas they may drop an empty plate, showing that we take into account differing motivational requirements when responding to pain," he said. "Trade-offs of this type have not been previously demonstrated in crustaceans. The results are consistent with the idea of pain being experienced by these animals."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >A Norwegian study in 2005 concluded lobsters react to boiling water or other pain stimuli, but that they don't have the emotional capacity to experience it as pain in the way higher animals do.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >But a study by Elwood and colleagues in 2007 found prawns were irritated when their antennae were treated with acetic acid, and after a local anesthetic, they'd stop rubbing the antennae. He said this was evidence that they suffer pain, and that lobsters likely feel pain, too.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Elwood thinks its time for some crustacean empathy.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >"Millions of crustacean are caught or reared in aquaculture for the food industry," he said. "There is no protection for these animals (with the possible exception of certain states in Australia) as the presumption is that they cannot experience pain. With vertebrates we are asked to err on the side of caution and I believe this is the approach to take with these crustaceans."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Robert Roy Britt is the Editorial Director of Imaginova. In this column, The Water Cooler, he looks at what people are talking about in the world of science and beyond.</span></span></blockquote><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Okay, I'm going to try and keep this one short. I've said it all before, and if you're paying attention then this is not new stuff, and if you're not paying attention, I won't expect you to start now. But here's the deal: we as humans have a tendency to think that animals are not intelligent, that they don't care as much as we do about living, they don't think, or feel, etc., and all because we simply don't understand them. Think about the hermit crabs in this article. I mean, what they're describing takes some kind of thought, right? Scientists think so at least. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >So here's the bottom line: All living creatures should be treated with respect and compassion. All living creatures want the ability to live out their lives, just like you do. Just because you can't make heads or tails of an animal's behavior doesn't mean it's not well thought out by the animal. Just because we can't figure out the noises they make doesn't mean they don't have a language (case in point: crows are now known to have a complex language, even though all most of us hear is "caw caw caw"). The arrogance of humans has caused devastation to billions of animals, not to mention the planet itself. We need to be more respectful of our surroundings, and the creatures that share them with us. It's time, don't you think? </span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-3858858124542533362009-03-25T11:01:00.001-07:002009-04-09T18:01:13.080-07:00The Stare<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Sml_Kt82T-u9dgkNGqZL8zIRi-GjJeECnA-Rzy0jREwySELwva_PPTqRmJmwxWESFpuH8TyiBpU_InhbHYREFqIK7_QXqO8phl9wIOJUnWkBB5RSWFUDKrAdre3TY0EM5eWNo3MK/s1600-h/IMG_6241+PS+blog.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Sml_Kt82T-u9dgkNGqZL8zIRi-GjJeECnA-Rzy0jREwySELwva_PPTqRmJmwxWESFpuH8TyiBpU_InhbHYREFqIK7_QXqO8phl9wIOJUnWkBB5RSWFUDKrAdre3TY0EM5eWNo3MK/s400/IMG_6241+PS+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317187202698762722" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;">The interesting thing about this photo (to me, anyway) is that I didn't colorize her eyes. I simply upped the saturation (a lot) and this was the result. It's happened in several pics of her, but when you look at her in person, both of her eyes are the same color. A friend of mine suggested that this is due to the angle of light and how it reflects off each of the eyes. This may be the case.</span></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-70402210020922998162009-03-22T14:31:00.001-07:002009-03-22T14:32:15.916-07:00Stairs & Stripes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeWuaLds3PsMlLjWgUeqtY3CMwcyb7Ma2AqDcedHi3ceaHNq6UA4v5zTzVMSNYLCNEZPKYymY-SEwYTDhF930gPtP264HJCROiLaTQIiK9BdndBOtaMwUoDXEJSmcCI7UEWVZ728i/s1600-h/IMG_8103+Stairs+%26+Stripes.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeWuaLds3PsMlLjWgUeqtY3CMwcyb7Ma2AqDcedHi3ceaHNq6UA4v5zTzVMSNYLCNEZPKYymY-SEwYTDhF930gPtP264HJCROiLaTQIiK9BdndBOtaMwUoDXEJSmcCI7UEWVZ728i/s400/IMG_8103+Stairs+%26+Stripes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316128087453180066" border="0" /></a>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-34203676577372381032009-03-21T12:28:00.001-07:002009-03-21T16:07:10.965-07:00Eye-to-eye<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNFrgaXH-6xZs1P7-T9NYzh2Mf6FSV6aKbmanaolt-XfCQvtyU9l3J4zjZybYeXpvVanhegoEwHfHXfSM3UECKavtZjAnUJAKuE4sJCJLPoORd8JgAhY8gegM86umFX6C2lOE9E8X/s1600-h/IMG_7881+Nik+Clr+Efx+desktop.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315780476454216402" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 352px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNFrgaXH-6xZs1P7-T9NYzh2Mf6FSV6aKbmanaolt-XfCQvtyU9l3J4zjZybYeXpvVanhegoEwHfHXfSM3UECKavtZjAnUJAKuE4sJCJLPoORd8JgAhY8gegM86umFX6C2lOE9E8X/s400/IMG_7881+Nik+Clr+Efx+desktop.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG6_Yg33xxrTwasGAk8Euy0TrW9lnPLbKpPYEAXD0P7szgKigLxN8TIZWvdukzeSs2zCBqHtkT-s60AMBZoncDwjowY6lK_dsob_zhpZJddczuw0NcOPElbse_QSODS2XWezIuSEL/s1600-h/IMG_7881+Nik+Clr+Efx.jpg"></a></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-45061415248673935542009-03-21T12:08:00.001-07:002009-03-21T12:17:04.037-07:00Clouds & Flowers<span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some random pictures I've taken recently around the office...</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">1</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTZFkapiNA9MTUUH4BY1wNszR2xeJt93S_bk5W5wf0XGzRt0Uz2soF8lROx1nZGQmjZS3fJUiLi5jJQ6jiDoU1oHfV_823Zoi8mrKlCrYgxGSAeYJJtvyoC3szilbbgVcpJ6lw_y-/s1600-h/IMG_7305+SlvrEfx+web.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTZFkapiNA9MTUUH4BY1wNszR2xeJt93S_bk5W5wf0XGzRt0Uz2soF8lROx1nZGQmjZS3fJUiLi5jJQ6jiDoU1oHfV_823Zoi8mrKlCrYgxGSAeYJJtvyoC3szilbbgVcpJ6lw_y-/s400/IMG_7305+SlvrEfx+web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315720451342483058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">2</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5TSUwAkQYRPRULp4KFRrYfq4KNXjo662NpVGKgFylhP4dELr2gqjDqaYibmRG_gHRnFOhipX50BM3FRw9bEG3fHZrhJ69CcbwsV7vsWsLfK2LvItsF5i3vfDH0KRux5AAL0DiHtj/s1600-h/IMG_6918+Nik+web.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5TSUwAkQYRPRULp4KFRrYfq4KNXjo662NpVGKgFylhP4dELr2gqjDqaYibmRG_gHRnFOhipX50BM3FRw9bEG3fHZrhJ69CcbwsV7vsWsLfK2LvItsF5i3vfDH0KRux5AAL0DiHtj/s400/IMG_6918+Nik+web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315720357888287010" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">3</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4a6nYs-xjSDs8iSG9fXbWs_bugjIccfJSo9BoMHY9yC3UZqJTwaAfAqz3MAwJMyanRnxJxk0o7jqbGViLnHMOJ6P52fwxSd_r1Rys5hvrx5bHs-oGePufetoOXYJq0IK7H_21uun/s1600-h/IMG_7436+PS+web.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4a6nYs-xjSDs8iSG9fXbWs_bugjIccfJSo9BoMHY9yC3UZqJTwaAfAqz3MAwJMyanRnxJxk0o7jqbGViLnHMOJ6P52fwxSd_r1Rys5hvrx5bHs-oGePufetoOXYJq0IK7H_21uun/s400/IMG_7436+PS+web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315720697288877890" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">4</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuS5sZ5aHvkdnqmLwxjT8G9lUx2bLh-Dkj2-wLDqc-rzRcP7IKXasbFYGWWDwez4_3qOWpey-pfcXXL3eDnYZOVRU_QtO7nv6ufnMi1SllvyGqrK5jIqHBBZ2S0cJ7jyv6b_XKk818/s1600-h/IMG_7995+Nik+Clr+Efx+web.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuS5sZ5aHvkdnqmLwxjT8G9lUx2bLh-Dkj2-wLDqc-rzRcP7IKXasbFYGWWDwez4_3qOWpey-pfcXXL3eDnYZOVRU_QtO7nv6ufnMi1SllvyGqrK5jIqHBBZ2S0cJ7jyv6b_XKk818/s400/IMG_7995+Nik+Clr+Efx+web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315720790577965650" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">5</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzQo5JIhEIgbDHKrhichOKsVBuJm3rBrjEHIpZlCTyVd8R8YB1Eljz1ILGWeEVdCbFcCm9ip76jMXFM7TexdgSAKAR-U3wSH9RByrKzMtpDQL5PhNXVaR9aF4ijZmQx2oLKMYp-zb/s1600-h/IMG_7998+PS+Nik+web.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzQo5JIhEIgbDHKrhichOKsVBuJm3rBrjEHIpZlCTyVd8R8YB1Eljz1ILGWeEVdCbFcCm9ip76jMXFM7TexdgSAKAR-U3wSH9RByrKzMtpDQL5PhNXVaR9aF4ijZmQx2oLKMYp-zb/s400/IMG_7998+PS+Nik+web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315721009327593826" border="0" /></a>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-32563403788165114222009-03-15T10:22:00.000-07:002009-03-15T10:24:04.085-07:00What's your poison?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kunaQ1qzRB8PEdCM9Aw8JkaP1LREYY2hb7qs2Pz40FGxYDfdBGyIBZVv6z3gYMpxvMnI69Q0tvoQ6uokKjgZsTOVoPSL-q0wXVI_nGLGmw66MqvBrkTn1sGDreA9gDEqsO37HHwx/s1600-h/IMG_6531+Nik+web.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 302px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kunaQ1qzRB8PEdCM9Aw8JkaP1LREYY2hb7qs2Pz40FGxYDfdBGyIBZVv6z3gYMpxvMnI69Q0tvoQ6uokKjgZsTOVoPSL-q0wXVI_nGLGmw66MqvBrkTn1sGDreA9gDEqsO37HHwx/s400/IMG_6531+Nik+web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313466537663261874" border="0" /></a>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-86243910352326037092009-03-14T10:55:00.001-07:002009-03-14T11:05:43.274-07:00Growly<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXIIYhsvVJfFBHLHI670NOm6E04EcZGXXOwNDFoD-Rkg3WzVMPdBCny9m-sagN_DHkt2kdXOibhtXscQY745U_vnbdHtUwJ0nNhm9IxbLSnkhrP_cvkYePvDHAdrhhHB5HhUG9WdQ/s1600-h/IMG_7121+Growly+Tire.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXIIYhsvVJfFBHLHI670NOm6E04EcZGXXOwNDFoD-Rkg3WzVMPdBCny9m-sagN_DHkt2kdXOibhtXscQY745U_vnbdHtUwJ0nNhm9IxbLSnkhrP_cvkYePvDHAdrhhHB5HhUG9WdQ/s400/IMG_7121+Growly+Tire.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313103829283387538" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I bought Growly about 19 years ago from the car dealership I worked at. Someone traded him in, and I tried to sell him, but each time I'd take someone out for a test drive, I'd like Growly a little bit more. Finally, I told all of the other salesmen not to sell him because I wanted to buy him but needed time to get the money together. Obviously, I did get him, and he's been an awesome car. Not everyone likes the Monte Carlo SS of the 80's, but I really do, and it's not at all uncommon for me to be asked if I want to sell it, as the crowd that does like these </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: verdana;">really</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> likes these. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">He's got about 300,000 miles on him, and I've replaced the motor and the transmission, as well as a ton of other little things. He still has a lot wrong with him, and he has a body full of battle scars, but I love him now as much as the day I bought him, maybe more.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Growly's been a good car. It'll be a sad day if I ever have to part ways with him.</span></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-39936539928131668892009-03-13T09:08:00.000-07:002009-03-13T17:41:55.336-07:00Hard at rest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIwpV8jecyCy3UioQexcInfWESSfZ1HlHyfye26LDz04kayVF_D71LJ6CKQOYduQm1vuxTtzr4n8Iv_6BL3hu-w0laTDWmxunaeuXNr-itt7WfeHdqbh4FU0FzyaSonJu95c2hRRU/s1600-h/Kinser+Nik.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIwpV8jecyCy3UioQexcInfWESSfZ1HlHyfye26LDz04kayVF_D71LJ6CKQOYduQm1vuxTtzr4n8Iv_6BL3hu-w0laTDWmxunaeuXNr-itt7WfeHdqbh4FU0FzyaSonJu95c2hRRU/s400/Kinser+Nik.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312705250488149378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Kinser is the Matriarch of our cat family, and is roughly 12 years older than Trixie and Dusty. She's had a lot of obstacles in her life, and she and I have been through a lot together. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">She had consistent medical problems until she was two, when it was discovered that she had a liver shunt (which means that due to some extra plumbing in her little body, her liver was being bypassed and wasn't able to do what it's supposed to do). To correct this she had to have a major operation at UC Davis, where they placed a ring around the extra "tube" to shut it off. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Personality-wise, Kinser has never been the same since this operation. I've always wondered what happened to her while she was there overnight, but she went there being a very social, loving little kitty who would approach anyone in our house and came back afraid of everyone, including me, and this was a cat who followed me around like a puppy up until then. It also seemed to affect her eyesight, and she would spend periods of time staring at walls. A few months after the operation, she got back to normal with me, but she's never warmed up to new people since, other than Tiff, who Kinser seemed to take to immediately, though I had warned Tiff that it might take weeks or months, or never. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Other than that, she's had two bladder stones (one was removed by surgery, the other she passed on her own, and she was in rough shape for it at the time). She had to have her spleen removed due to an unknown mass on it which couldn't be properly biopsied. Turned out to be nothing, but luckily humans and animals alike do just fine without our spleens, and the fear was that it was cancer. On top of these more serious things, she's had countless vet visits for mysterious ailments that never really showed up as anything in tests. Her vet file is very thick, and I call her my $12,000 cat, as I figure that's roughly what she's cost me in her lifetime beyond the normal pet expenses.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">She's an awesome cat though, even when she's misbehaving. If I had to do it all over again, from choosing her at the Humane Society to paying for her surgeries, I wouldn't even hesitate.</span></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" > She's brought immense happiness to my life over the years.<br /><br />P.S. - I should add in the fact that Kinser has been one healthy little girl for quite some time now, and her days of frequent vet visits seem to be a thing of the past, much to the relief of both of us.<br /></span></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941727388215160860.post-49775836244330522662009-03-12T10:35:00.000-07:002009-03-12T12:10:48.769-07:00Problem: U.S. Army has too many soldiers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3942817&page=1"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihAd1Jn743gITNeSvC4nZ5FXD304OSL-bsonwcU00p0o5bQXL-uIF-yKOEqF6RRJw01j456tdcaf5_5XPyik8YvJ2tFE74un0uZhwOmonjO6bbRlxnpcJ3lcUeKeswSpVs_PZl_ER/s200/ap_dont_tell_ask_071201_mn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312379148625942802" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:verdana;" >Now, the headline of this blog post may seem confusing because we've all heard about how the U.S. military has drastically loosened their standards as far as who they'll let in, softening up on IQ, physical condition and past criminal record. Their insistence that they need more troops seems in direct conflict with this article which I just saw, however:</span> <blockquote><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192); font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >Army fired 11 soldiers in Jan. as openly gay</span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >WASHINGTON – The Army fired 11 soldiers in January for violating the military's policy that gay service members must keep their sexuality hidden, according to a Virginia congressman.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />Democratic Rep. Jim Moran said he has requested monthly updates from the Pentagon on the impact of the policy until it is repealed. In a statement released on Thursday, Moran said the discharged soldiers included an intelligence collector, a military police officer, four infantry personnel, a health care specialist, a motor-transport operator and a water-treatment specialist.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />"How many more good soldiers are we willing to lose due to a bad policy that makes us less safe and secure?" asked Moran, a member of the House panel that oversees military spending.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >The Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was instituted after President Bill Clinton tried to lift the ban on gay service members in 1993. It refers to the military practice of not asking recruits their sexual orientation. In turn, service members are banned from saying they are gay or bisexual, engaging in homosexual activity or trying to marry a member of the same sex.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />The military discharged nearly 10,000 service members under the policy in a 10-year period, from 1997 to 2007. The number fired each year dropped sharply after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, when forces were stretched thin. Whereas more than 1,200 were dismissed in 2000 and 2001 for violating the policy, about half as many — 627 — were fired in 2007.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />The Pentagon has not released its 2008 figures.</span> <span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />The White House has said President Barack Obama has begun consulting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen on how to lift the ban. But the administration won't say how soon that might happen or whether a group of experts will be commissioned to study the issue in-depth, as some Democrats have suggested.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:verdana;" >Likewise, Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill support repealing the ban but have not promised to press the issue immediately.</span></blockquote> <span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Our country is at war, and our military is begging for more troops. So how much sense does it make to tell someone who is so supportive of you that they're willing to give their life for your cause that you don't want their help because they're gay?<br /><br />This is nothing more than government-sanctioned bigotry and hatred at the expense of straight soldiers who are losing their lives overseas. Do you get that, military? Your refusal to accept gay soldiers into the military is killing your straight soldiers. In fact, in a way, the military is helping to ensure the survival of gay people by not allowing them to die in war. But that little bright spot is over-shadowed by the embarrassment of a society who still seeks to ostracize and demonize groups of people just for being "different" than them, even though those differences cause no actual harm to others. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />When will we as a people finally learn to respect others who only seek to live out their lives peacefully? Sadly, not in my lifetime probably. Until we strive for compassion and tolerance, our future will continue to be filled with wars and hatred and violence.</span></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539801642741888066noreply@blogger.com0