Goodbye to Pilar and Blanco

Two hammies checked out on me in the past week, both due to old age.

Sweet dreams to Pilar and Blanco the white dwarf.

Sarah Palin's Sellout of a Speechwriter

Seems that the guy that wrote Sarah Palin's convention speech was none other then noted conservative and alleged animal rights supporter Matthew Scully.

The Palin-Scully pairing is anything but a guaranteed fit, though. Palin is known as an avid hunter; Scully is best known for his vigorous defense of animal rights. A vegetarian who is regularly critical of the NRA and much of the hunting community, he is a passionate advocate for doing away with the more brutal versions of blood-sport, including aerial hunting, which Palin supports.

What a complete and utter whore (and no, I'm not talking about the bible thumping wingnut from Alaska). No amount of advocacy for environmental or animal welfare issues advocacy can make up for his support of Palin/McCain. I guess he likes putting lipstick on pitbulls.

More on Palin and Wolves

Glad to see other bloggers picking up on Palin's barbaric wolf policies.

Another Mass Extinction on the Way?

I can't believe we are still debating this.

In an article published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, UC Berkeley researchers argue that substantial die-offs of amphibians and other plant and animal species add up to a new mass extinction facing the planet.

Of course, as Ron my coworker and John Ashcroft groupie says, clearly if they can't compete with humans, then they should go extinct!

Six Thousand Leave Virunga, One Ranger Killed

Six thousand people (over 1,000 Congolese soldiers with their families) have left Virunga National Forest where so many of the remaining mountain gorillas live. This development is the result of an agreement between the army and the Congolese Wildlife Authority.

It's great news because it takes stress off the habitat and the species.

Sadly, though, another ranger in the Congolese Wildlife Authority was killed by rebel guns. You can donate to his family here.

Sarah Palin Scares Me

I'll be honest. I was never planning on voting for John McCain in the first place. But I wasn't freaked out about this election the way I am now. I thought that if we could survive 8 years of w, we could survive 4 years of McCain. He couldn't be worse.

Then he picked this woman. And the more I learn, the worse it gets.

NOW, I'm freaked out.

I can't tell if she's a true fanatic or an opportunist that acts like a fanatic. But fanatical behavior is fanatical behavior no matter what. And all I see in this woman is cruelty and callousness that puts Dick Cheney to shame.

Don't get me wrong, Cheney is a dark, cruel man. But, for the purposes of this blog, 1) his attention never completely turned to wildlife and the environment and 2) he is a smart man that knew how to play his cards.

I believe Palin will happily support Cheney's inhumane policies on torture and attacking other countries. When it comes to wildlife and the environment (to which I'll limit myself in this post) I think she will also have a strong motivation to continue and EXPAND her Alaska policies. I believe she will be an even MORE anti-environmental voice in the White House. If fact, I believe she'll be a passionate advocate because it will be an opportunity to punish the "liberals" who challenged her and called her a "redneck." I also believe that there will be absolutely no thought behind any of her behavior. Anyone who challenged w's environmental policies as too liberal is a true hater of anything she can't eat or kill for fur. Sorry, but it's how I feel.

Palin truly shows that you shouldn't support a woman because she's a woman. The traditional (some say stereotypical) qualities of compassion, cooperation, empathy, and intuition are missing. She represents a part of the American society that fears everything and wants to turn back the clock. Keep women in their place and remember to hunt and kill the wolves and any other animal that gets in their way. The woods are a scary place and must be cut down and tamed.

She is the worst America has to offer and she scares the hell out of me.

Palin's Rotten Environmental Record

The Independent has a good roundup of her environmental record.

Stats Are Up!

Nothing like glomming on to a popular topic to get those stats up. In this case, it's been Sarah Palin's rotten attitude towards animals. And no, that's not because she is a hunter. It's because she's a global warming denying wingnut who also has rotten policies regarding predator control (in this case wolves).

And yes, we have posted about her before she became VP nominee.

Terri Irwin in Fight with Mining Co.

A mining company is fighting the widow of Steve Irwin over the use of some leased land. She claims that mining it will damage plants and animals. The mining company says she only wants the land to expand her cattle operations. Looks like a long and nasty fight ahead.

Shut Down Domestic Ivory Markets?

This guy provides an interesting analysis of the ivory trade.

The real cause of increased elephant poaching, which does seem to be a reality, is being obscured by the debate over international ivory sales authorised by Cites. The real cause is legal domestic ivory markets existing while legal raw ivory sales to supply those markets are prohibited.....

THERE IS ENOUGH IVORY originating from natural deaths and the elimination of rogue elephants to supply current global demand. However, there is too much corruption built into the supply system by the 18-year Cites ban for legal trading to recommence on a regular basis.

The only way I see of rooting out the corruption is to shut down the entire system for a specified period. Shut down all domestic use and selling of ivory. In the interim, governments and conservationists should launch a dedicated campaign to reduce consumers' desire to buy ivory, aimed primarily at Asia.

Quote of the Week

As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields.

--Leo Tolstoy

Pets Do Better This Time During Hurricane

Better planning has led to happier endings with many pets in the path of Gustav.

Pets fared far better in Hurricane Gustav than in Katrina, experts say. Early reconnaissance by rescuers who have been allowed into storm-damaged areas indicates the vast majority of pets were evacuated with their owners and thousands of evacuees took advantage of the pet-friendly centers and transportation made available.

I Got Nothing Today

Here is a dog who is reported to be awesome. Really.

Best Friends Gears Up For Hurricane

While the Republicans gear up for operation "Operation Photo-Op", Best Friends is getting ready for hurricane Gustav.

As Hurricane Gustav roared toward the Gulf Coast Sunday, Best Friends Animal Society was already on the ground helping to make sure the animals of New Orleans get safely evacuated before the storm hits.

By Sunday, the Best Friends Rapid Response Team had helped get 200 animals at the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter ready for transport to Georgia, far outside the hurricane’s expected path. When Best Friends heard about people not being allowed to board evacuation buses with pets who weren’t in crates, Best Friends made sure 3,000 carriers were available to anyone who needed them.

WWII Pigeons Spread Disinformation

Interesting story out of the BBC.

British spy chiefs drew up secret plans to use pigeons to spread false rumours about the impending D-Day landings.

The plot in 1943 to drop the birds into German-occupied France is revealed in newly declassified MI5 files released by the National Archives.

Germany had been intercepting pigeons carrying Allied notes, the files say, so MI5 moved to drop false information.