Offshore Oil Drilling

Coming to a California Coast near you!

The federal government is taking steps that may open California's fabled coast to oil drilling in as few as three years, an action that could place dozens of platforms off the Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt coasts, and raises the specter of spills, air pollution and increased ship traffic into San Francisco Bay.

The federal government is taking steps that may open California's fabled coast to oil drilling in as few as three years, an action that could place dozens of platforms off the Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt coasts, and raises the specter of spills, air pollution and increased ship traffic into San Francisco Bay.

You really have to hand it to Democrats bowing to the mighty power of the oil industry during last summer's gas price sky-rocket. Offshore oil drilling was never a short-term solution to gas prices and their decision not to press the Bush administration on renewing the ban looks even sillier today. Hopefully Boxer and Pelosi can block this or President Obama can reinstate the executive order before any rights are sold.

Photo by Flickr user tsuda used under a creative Commons License.

Friday Photo Blogging

Cherry Head Redfoot Tortoise
Geochelone carbinaria
Needs a little moisturizer though :)

Moments in Hackery

An article in a pet trade magazine Pet Age about the worries of the pet industry in regards to an Obama administration is pretty awesome in its ability to be such a worthless piece of hack-job journalism. Congratulations to Cathy Foster. As Atrios would say. Wanker of the Day!

For starters this is piece has a lot of quotes from various pet shop owners. Most of their quotes are full of right-wing talking points and not a single quote was published from a source who felt an Obama administration may stregthen their business, despite Pet Age's own (unscientific) poll showing that 25% percent of respondents thought that an Obama administration would be better for their business compared to 33% who thought they would be worse off. I have given interviews with Pet Age magazine over the last year and we were never asked our view on this issue when it was out there for everyone to see. Ms. Foster could have hardly looked far for an opinion contrary to the article she wanted to write.

Now, granted there were more people fearful than hopeful, so what does this mean. I think this goes to the heart of our industry where so many people fear us coastal liberals trying to take away their money and what-not. Even when an Obama administration are probably more aligned with thier views.

Is this Obama fear because most pet store owners are making more than $250,000 a year and are worried their taxes will be raised. Maybe but I doubt it. I think it is a lot of misinformed people worrying about their taxes being raised such as a person quoted in the story.

Larry Greenberg, owner of Animal Magnetism (Naples, Fla.), also is worried his taxes might increase under the Obama administration, despite campaign promises that only those who make more than $250,000 would see a tax hike. “A week before the election, he changed that $250,000 to $100,000. Who knows what it’s going to be? It will definitely affect individuals and Sub S corporations. What about [other] corporate returns?”

Now I am sure some Pet retailers are worried about the Obama Administration and their bottom line, but I think the economy and health care are going to be much bigger factors in our collective economic outcomes than a potential tax increase.

A National Health Care plan of some sort would take the health insurance burden off of the small business, I thought a good thing for struggling small business. Better protection of our natural resources will allow more people to experiance herps in the wild and bring about a better appreciation of them and lead to more people wanting to care for them in thier homes as pets, again I think a good thing for the pet reatiler. If people are worried about more regulations in regards to pet quality of life, then maybe they need to examine the treatment of pets in puppy mills etc.

In addition to worrying about the new administration’s effect on the general business climate, some pet retailers who sell puppies and other pets also are concerned it could pave the way to extreme laws regarding animal sales. “That’s certainly possible,” said Greenberg. “If more rampant liberalism takes hold, then certainly the more radical as well as the more moderate pet organizations could certainly get some legislation through that would harm the business.”

Because rampant Conservatism has been so good for business. In case people have forgotten, he has been President during this economic disaster.

But back to the point of wankery, this was a very one-sided article and I am not arguing balance for the sake of balance, but even Pet Age's own poll shows that there are a far more people who think that the Obama administration will have a positive or no effect on their business that think there will be a negative affect, but you would never know it from this article.

Scientists involved in Science Policy

Gasp!

Hopefully this is true. Having a Nobel Prize winning scientist as Sec. of Energy would be a major change from the usual industry insiders in charge of our energy policy.

The Washington Post’s Al Kamen reports that there’s “buzz” that the Obama transition is “looking hard at some scientific types” to lead the Energy Department. Dr. Steven Chu, the Nobel laureate director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is reportedly a dark horse candidate.

In a presentation at this summer’s National Clean Energy Summit convened by the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), and the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Dr. Chu described why he has moved from his background in experimental quantum physics to tackling global warming.

Best of Berkeley 2008

You love us! You really love us!

Bush to Eliminate Neurotoxin Regulation

Now you can get your water with as much neurotoxin in it as you (or polluters) wish.

Among the Bush administration's final environmental legacies will be a decision to exempt perchlorate, a known neurotoxin found at unsafe levels in the drinking water of millions of Americans, from federal regulation.

The ruling, proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency in October, was supposed to be formalized on Monday. That deadline passed, but the agency expects to announce its decision by the year's end, before president-elect Barack Obama takes office. It could take years to reverse.

Critics accuse the EPA of ignoring expert advice and basing their decision on an abstract model of perchlorate exposure, rather than existing human data.

"We know that breast milk is widely contaminated with perchlorate, and we know that young children are especially vulnerable. We have really good human data. So why are they putting a model front-and-center?" said Anila Jacobs at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group. "And they used a model that hasn't yet gone through the peer-review process."

London Zoo Hatches a rhino rat

The London Zoo hatches some Rhino Rats with cool pics

Friday Photo Blogging

Norops biporcatus
Green tree anole
Taken on Isle Bastimentos
Bocas Del Toro, Panama by myself.

Identifying 400 year old Bodies

The body of Copernicus has been identified.

Researchers said Thursday they have identified the remains of Nicolaus Copernicus by comparing DNA from a skeleton and hair retrieved from one of the 16th-century astronomer's books.

The findings could put an end to centuries of speculation about the exact resting spot of Copernicus, a priest and astronomer whose theories identified the Sun, not the Earth, as the center of the universe.

Polish archaeologist Jerzy Gassowski told a news conference that forensic facial reconstruction of the skull that his team found in 2005 buried in a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Frombork, Poland, bears striking resemblance to existing portraits of Copernicus.

Photo of DNA gel by Flickr user Spanish Flea used under a CCL

Science and Medicine Quick Links

A study published in PLOS Medicine shows that Republicans are preventing research in critical areas such as HIV.

The first organ transplant of an organ grown entirely from stem cells was done in Spain. Five months later the patient is thriving.

The Woolly Mammoth genome has been compiled.

Asian poaching rings are getting more complex, suggests a recent bust.

Photo by Flickr user Hey Paul used under a Creative Commons License.

Friday Photo Blogging

Unknown species of spider found on Pipeline Road above Boquete, Panama 1600 ft elevation about 10PM at eye-level in the understory.

Losing the Axolotl

Sad news of axolotls nearing extinction in the wild.

The number of axolotls (pronounced ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl) in the wild is not known. But the population has dropped from roughly 1,500 per square mile in 1998 to a mere 25 per square mile this year, according to a survey by Zambrano's scientists using casting nets.

It has been a steep fall from grace for the salamander with a feathery mane of gills and a visage reminiscent of a 1970s Smiley Face that inspired American poet Ogden Nash to pen the witticism: "I've never met an axolotl, But Harvard has one in a bottle."

Millions once lived in the giant lakes of Xochimilco and Chalco on which Mexico City was built. Using four stubby legs to drag themselves along lake bottoms or their thick tails to swim like mini-alligators, they hunted plentiful aquatic insects, small fish and crustaceans.

Legend has it that Xolotl — the dog-headed Aztec god of death, lightning and monstrosities — feared he was about to be banished or killed by other gods and changed into an axolotl to flee into Lake Xochimilco.

The axolotl's decline began when Spanish conquerors started draining the lakes, which were further emptied over time to slake the thirst of one of the world's largest and fastest-growing cities. In the 1970s, Lake Chalco was completely drained to prevent flooding. In the 1980s, Mexico City began pumping its wastewater into the few canals and lagoons that remained of Xochimilco.

Hopefully the captive animals in the United States and elsewhere could be used in the future to replenish wild supplies, but first the non-native predators would have to be exterminated, so it does not look good for the little axolotl.

h/t and photo by ecov ottos (Xian)

Lincecum!

Wins the Cy Young! A rare bright spot in Bay Area Sports this year. Congrats. Not really even close in the vote totals either.

Lincecum received 23 of 32 first-place votes and 137 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks got four first-place votes and finished second with 73 points.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, tiny by today's standards for a big league pitcher, Lincecum defied detractors -- and the laws of physics -- by firing 97 mph fastballs past one hulking slugger after another.

Missing Tortoise Found

A bay area tortoise missing for 6 weeks mysteriously reappears in his yard. Good to see he is home.

Butch the tortoise, who gets around, is back home in Cupertino.

The 150-year-old reptile turned up Monday morning in the front yard of his home, following a mysterious six-week disappearance that left his owners, Penny and Chuck Carle, shell shocked.

...

The Carles suspect that someone snatched Butch from the yard and then returned him when the reptile began growing lethargic, as tortoises do as winter approaches. But they don't know for sure, and Butch isn't talking.

Olbermann on Prop 8

Transcript

Guessing Game

Which of the following quotes is from the Onion and which is from Conservative Blog Powerline:

(1) Obama thinks he is a good talker, but he is often undisciplined when he speaks. He needs to understand that as President, his words will be scrutinized and will have impact whether he intends it or not. In this regard, President Bush is an excellent model; Obama should take a lesson from his example. Bush never gets sloppy when he is speaking publicly. He chooses his words with care and precision, which is why his style sometimes seems halting. In the eight years he has been President, it is remarkable how few gaffes or verbal blunders he has committed. If Obama doesn't raise his standards, he will exceed Bush's total before he is inaugurated.

(2) According to a CNN exit poll, 42 percent of voters said that the nation's financial woes had finally become frightening enough to eclipse such concerns as gay marriage, while 30 percent said that the relentless body count in Iraq was at last harrowing enough to outweigh long ideological debates over abortion. In addition, 28 percent of voters were reportedly too busy paying off medical bills, desperately trying not to lose their homes, or watching their futures disappear to dismiss Obama any longer.

You cannot say both are from the Onion.

The Onion or Hindrocket?

Via TPM

Doing what you get elected to do

From Rahm Emanuel, President-elect Obama's Chief of Staff.

It has bipartisan agreement in the House and Senate. It's something President-elect Obama expects to see. Second would be [ending current restrictions on federally funded] stem-cell research. And third would be an economic recovery package focused on the two principles of job creation and tax relief for middle-class families."

Emphasis mine but glad to see the rest of the country will be joining California and the World in being able to perform good stem cell science. This was a backwards thinking ban and I could not be happier to see it be one of President Obama's first priorities.

Photo of stem cells differentiating into neurons by me.

Friday Photo Blogging

Oophaga (Dendrobates) pumilio
Isle Bastimentos, Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Taken by me.

First Dog

Discussion at President-elect Obama's first press conference turned towards the all important issue of the first dog.

“There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic, but on the other hand our preference is to get a shelter dog, but obviously, a lot of the shelter dogs are mutts like me,” Obama said. “So, whether we are going to be able to balance those two things I think is a pressing issue on the Obama household.”

It would be great if they went with a shelter dog, but I understand the need for more hypoallergenic breeds.

My Favorite Line

"Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House."

Can I recommend a Boston Terrier?

Photo by the gf

Hell Yeah America!!!

We did it! An historic night.

I am not ashamed to say I am crying right now.

The environment thanks you, the country thanks you, the world thanks you!!!

Photo by Flickr user and friend of the store baltus15

Go Vote

Exercise your right to vote! Come by the shop and show us what an awesome citizen you are. California State law requires that your employer give you up to 2 hours paid time off to vote if you are not able to vote before or after work. Lines are long even here in California so get out there.

Adding ... I vote by mail, but usually drop my ballot off that my precinct location. Zara and I went this morning where they actually let her come into the church hall with me to sign the drop-off sheet. Her first election is a historic one.

Photo by Flickr user √oхέƒx™ used under a Creative Commons License.

Cheetahs on a Plane

Two Cheetahs escaped their cages in the cargo hold of a Delta flight this week.

Photo by Flickr user Picture Taker 2 used under a Creative Commons Lisence.

Vacation

I will be away in Panama for the next two weeks. Posting will resume October 20th.

More Nobel Predictions

All of which are different than mine from Thomson Rueters.

Let the nerd wagering continue.

Math Nerdiness

A new 13-million digit prime number was discovered by a UCLA team of researchers.

Link Dump

The Best Science Images are announced. Some really awesome photos in here.

Hundreds of new reef creatures discovered off the coast of Australia.

Conservatives have stronger startle reflexes.

A new smallest dinosaur smallest non-neornthine dinosaur in North America is discovered. Looks like a lemur mated with a goose.

Booze drinking mammals (non human)

Nobel Prizes

I will be out of the country while the Nobel Prizes are awarded so you are on your own for Nobel Prize blogging.

I'll offer my predictions on the Nobel Prize in Medicine. I will go with three west coast scientists as one of the possible winners:

1) Elizabeth Blackburn, UCSF, for her work with Telomerase
2) Harry Noller, UCSC, for his work on the ribosome
3) Randy Schekman, UCB, for his work on the secretory pathway

Anyone else have any predictions? If Harry wins I will be disappointed to miss that massive party that will surely break out, but I will still keep my fingers crossed for him.

Photo by Flickr user ereneta used under a Creative Commons License.

Age of the Earth

Well at least she believes in Dinosaurs. Too bad she thinks that they walked the earth the same time as modern humans, since the earth is only 7000 years old and all.

We need a leader who at a minimum understands the VERY BASICS of scientific reasoning.

Photo of T-Rex fossil from UC Berkeley by Flickr user lobotomy42 used under a Creative Commons License

Via Michael Tomansky

Grizzly Bear

Some good news out of a study of Montana's Grizzly Bear population.

The majestic grizzly bear, once king of the Western wilderness but threatened with extinction for a third of a century, has roared back in Montana.

The finding, from a $4.8 million, five-year study of grizzly bear DNA criticized by Republican presidential candidate John McCain as pork barrel spending, could help ease restrictions on oil and gas drilling, logging and other development.

Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey announced Tuesday that there are approximately 765 bears in northwestern Montana. That's the largest population of grizzly bears documented there in more than 30 years, and a sign that the species could be at long last rebounding.

The first-ever scientific census shattered earlier estimates that said there were at least 250-350 bears roaming the area. More recent data placed the minimum population at around 563 bears.

"There has never been any baseline information on population size," said Katherine Kendall, the lead researcher, who said the results speak for themselves. "There has been huge investments of time and money to recover (the grizzly bear) but they don't know whether their actions have been successful."

McCain, in stump speeches and in an advertisement earlier this year, erroneously said the study cost $3 million, adding "I don't know if it was a paternity issue or criminal, but it was a waste of money."

The study was backed by Montana ranchers, farmers and Republican leaders as a step toward taking the species off the endangered species list. Since 1975, the bear has been threatened in the lower 48 states, a status that bars hunting and restricts any kind of development that could diminish the bear's population.

Maybe McCain should be happy that this study was performed, as it may allow for the easing of some protections for the Montana grizzly. As long as numbers continue to improve or stay stable and protections not eased too much then this sounds like a win for all parties involved.

Photo by Flickr user grizzbass used under a Creative Commons License
This artist has some awesome wildlife shots so go check out his photostream

Alec Baldwin Loves his Country

Look at all those flag lapel pins. Most patriotic dude EVAH!

ht Mike D.

Remembering

Just wanted to take a moment to remember those lost on Sept. 11, 2001. We lost a member of our EBV extended family, a NYFD fireman, that day in the World Trade Center. To those who lost a loved one, our thoughts are with you a little stronger today.

Photo by Flickr user bitchcakesny used under a Creative Commons License

Know Your Rights Part III

Apparently the Michigan GOP thinks that home ownership is necessary to vote. I was pretty sure we got rid of that rule sometime in the late 19th Century, but these guys think not.

Why are they scared of you voting?

The chairman of the Republican Party in Macomb County Michigan, a key swing county in a key swing state, is planning to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting in the upcoming election as part of the state GOP’s effort to challenge some voters on Election Day.

“We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses,” party chairman James Carabelli told Michigan Messenger in a telephone interview earlier this week. He said the local party wanted to make sure that proper electoral procedures were followed.

Photo by Flickr user nshepard used under a Creative Commons License

ActBlue

We are going to try and do a little fund raising for the Obama campaign because we feel very strongly that his pro-environment, pro-science stance is much more in line with the Herping Community than John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Help us reach our first goal of 25 herping donors. $10, $20 whatever you can spare, it all helps. Remember that a majority of Obama's money has come from small-money donors like you and I.

From the East Bay Vivarium ActBlue page:

Do you believe in science, protecting the environment for us to go herping in, leaving a better world for our children, cleaner energy, and honor? We want a President who shares our values and is more like us, do you? If so, join us in supporting Barack Obama for President of the United States.

We believe candidates with strong, sound stances deserve our support, and this is a race where your dollars can make the difference. Please make a contribution to this critical cause.

If you are unfamiliar with ActBlue, here are answers to some FAQ

Neither the East Bay Vivarium nor ActBlue take a portion of your political donation, aside from ActBlue's standard credit card processing fee.

Women's Rights You Can Believe In?!?

We are trying to focus on the science and environmental issues during this Presidential Election but this is too vile and disgusting to not be talked about.

While some of their complaints have already been aired, Knowles broke new ground while answering a reporter's question on whether Wasilla forced rape victims to pay for their own forensic tests when Palin was mayor.

True, Knowles said.

Eight years ago, complaints about charging rape victims for medical exams in Wasilla prompted the Alaska Legislature to pass a bill -- signed into law by Knowles -- that banned the practice statewide.

"There was one town in Alaska that was charging victims for this, and that was Wasilla," Knowles said

A May 23, 2000, article in Wasilla's newspaper, The Frontiersman, noted that Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies regularly pay for such exams, which cost between $300 and $1,200 apiece.

"(But) the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests," the newspaper reported.

It also quoted Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon objecting to the law. Fannon was appointed to his position by Palin after her dismissal of the previous police chief. He said it would cost Wasilla $5,000 to $14,000 a year if the city had to foot the bill for rape exams.

"In the past we've charged the cost of exams to the victims' insurance company when possible," Fannon told the newspaper. "I just don't want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer."

Not only was this tactic disturbing but it may have been illegal under the Violence Against Women Act, which was written by Joe Biden, who is the real women's rights activist in this campaign.

Original reporting on this subject back in 2000 by the Alaska Frontiersman here.

Credit where credit is due file (kinda)

As a Federally funded research scientist I obviously value funding for research. News of some of Sarah Palin's earmark requests last year, had me slightly confused.

Palin's office requested $2 million in federal monies to study crab mating habits; $494,900 for the recreational halibut harvest and $3.2 million for seal genetics research.

Those requests for the study of wildlife genetics and mating habits seems pretty antithetical to the long-standig views of Palin's running mate, John McCain.

"We're not going to spend $3 million of your tax dollars to study the DNA of bears in Montana," McCain said earlier this year, referring to a request from Montana for federal money to study the endangered grizzly bear. "I don't know if it was a paternity issue or criminal, but it was a waste of money."

Now, there is certainly a hypocrisy problem here between McCain and Palin's views on wildlife research, but that was not what struck me as odd. Palin does not believe in evolution or really even in science for that matter, so what is the deal with these earmarks. Do we give her credit for funding scientific study (regardless of the appropriatness of the dollar amount)? Of is there something fishy going on?

Turns out there may be something fishy going on. As in the fishing industry in Alaska which Gov. Palin has close ties to (although to be fair I would guess that everyone in Alaska has ties to the fishing industry).

As a related matter, most of Palin's 'science' earmarks requested for last year are actually sops to the fishing industry in her state to which she is closely tied.

More information in this regard would be nice. Citation Josh?

Also the discussion going on at TPM over the appropriateness of funding science research through earmarks rather than peer-review is a very interesting one. I think there are very few cases where earmarks are an appropriate way to fund science research, but research through Dept. of Fish and Wildlife that funds their research through a larger budget rather than something like the NSF or the NIH may be one.

Too soon to tell what is going on here, but just wanted to point out that $3M for seal DNA testing is not necessiarly a "pork-barrell" project. This is no Bridge to Nowhere.

UPDATE: Oh my. I thought the bear DNA comment was from years ago. This video shows it being just a few days ago with Sarah Palin at McCain's side when he said it.

Matt Damon Smack Down

What John Cole says

"At what point did our crazy Hollywood types develop more sense than the entire Republican party? Damon is right- this is like a bad Hollywood movie, and that is how they are marketing her."

My favorite part below because it does pertain to the attack on science and education:

"I really want to know if she thinks dinosaurs were here 4000 years ago. That's an important ... I want to know that ... I really do. Because she is going to have the nuclear codes. You know. I wanna know if she thinks dinosaurs were here 4000 years ago or if she banned books or tried to ban books I mean ... you know ... We can't we can't have that."

Finally

After 20 long months the tree-sitters have finally come down.

Four tree-sitters climbed down from an 80-foot-tall redwood tree near Memorial Stadium this afternoon, bringing a peaceful ending to a nearly 2-year-long standoff that attracted national attention.

The conclusion of their aerial protest, a defiant stand on a campus known for radicalism, came after UC Berkeley officials agreed to create a committee that will oversee future campus development, a protest spokesman said.

UC officials declined to comment on the reported deal, saying they will talk later this afternoon about how the protest was resolved.

Before climbing down from a wooden crow's nest attached to the top of the tree, one of the protesters, nicknamed Huck, pumped his fist and shouted, "We love you," to cheering supporters below.

Police arrested each of the protesters when they climbed out of the tree top. The tree-sitters' deal with the university did not include amnesty from criminal charges, said their spokesman, Erik Eisenberg.

Photo by Flickr user meganpru used under a Creative Commons License

Western Pond Turtles

A brief video no Sonoma State students working with Western Pond Turtles.

Ice Shelf Breaking

Via wired.com another Artic ice-shelf has broken off.

Another huge chunk of Canadian ice has broken from the its island anchor and is now adrift in the Arctic ocean.

This time it was the Markham Ice Shelf, previously located along the northern coast of Ellesmere Island, which was an important habitat for ice-loving microbial life.

"There are so many major changes, it almost boggles the mind when you look at how fast this region is changing," said Derek Mueller, who studies the ice shelves at Trent University in Ontario, Canada. "We're entering into a new reality if this keeps continuing."

At 19-square miles, about the size of Manhattan, the Markham ice chunk sounds big, but it's a relative piker in the scheme of ice shelf calvings. In 2005, a 25-square mile ice shelf took off into the Arctic. And just earlier this year, the Antarctic Wilkins Ice Shelf lost a 160 square-mile chunk of ice.

Catch and Release

The fourth White Shark at the Monterey Bay Aquarium has been released after only 11 days on exhibit. I was going to go see her next week ... oh well saw the other three.

From an e-mail from the MBA ...

After 11 days on exhibit, the young white shark brought to the Aquarium last month was tagged and released to the wild on September 7 in offshore waters in the Santa Barbara Channel.

While she was swimming well in the million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit, the shark fed only once during her stay and the Aquarium’s animal care staff decided it was best to return her to the ocean.

"These decisions are always governed by our concern for the health and well-being of these animals under our care," said Jon Hoech, director of husbandry for the Aquarium. "On Saturday, it became clear that it was time to release her."

Interesting that she was released in the Santa Barbara Channel rather than the Monterey Bay like the previous sharks. Maybe has to do with the time of year she was released? Anyone know?

Photo by Flickr user and friend of the store baltus15 used under a Creative Commons License

Mortgage Crisis ... more important than flag lapel pins

The mortgage crisis is an important issue. A basic understanding of what got us into this mess and the potential solution would be nice.

Gov. Sarah Palin made her first potentially major gaffe during her time on the national scene while discussing the developments of the perilous housing market this past weekend.

Speaking before voters in Colorado Springs, the Republican vice presidential nominee claimed that lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had "gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers." The companies, as McClatchy reported, "aren't taxpayer funded but operate as private companies. The takeover may result in a taxpayer bailout during reorganization."

Economists and analysts pounced on the misstatement, saying it demonstrated a lack of understanding about one of the key economic issues likely to face the next administration.

"You would like to think that someone who is going to be vice president and conceivable president would know what Fannie and Freddie do," said Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. "These are huge institutions and they are absolutely central to our country's mortgage debt. To not have a clue what they do doesn't speak well for her, I'd say."

Photo by Flickr user respres used under a Creative Commons License

Know Your Rights Part II

A story out of another swing state, this time Ohio, of possible voter caging, of 600,000 registered voters. (For a definition of caging see this wikipedia article)

Unbeknownst to the would-be recipients, the same mailer - just 60 days before the election - has the potential to determine their eligibility to vote, challenged not by election officials but by partisan opposition.

A similar mailer in March netted nondeliverable mail from almost 600,000 registered voters in just five Ohio counties who could now have their ballots thrown out for voting under the wrong address.

The National Voter Registration Act prohibits any state from purging names from the voting rolls within 90 days of an election.

The law doesn't, however, preclude mass partisan challenges on or shortly before Election Day - known as voter caging - based on the same returned envelopes from state-sponsored mailers like the ones in Ohio and others going out across the country.

Ask yourself, "Why don't they want me to vote?" and then go fight back.

Photo by Flickr user nshepard used under a Creative Commons License

Know Your Rights

I am sure that it is obvious by reading this blog where our political leanings are (we believe in global warming, protecting habitats, science! and the Constitution), but no matter your political views we see everyone's right to vote as the most tenable of rights. Please vote.

Know your rights and if you aren't sure go research them and don't be bullied into staying home on election night. Now to very disturbing voter suppression.

A story out of Virginia, a potential swing state, or false warnings going out to college students warning them that they will lose their financial aid, and that their parents will no longer be able to claim them for tax purposes if they register to vote in their college town.

Last week, Virginia’s Montgomery County, home to Virginia Tech, issued a press release regarding proper protocol for college students registering to vote. In interviews with Inside Higher Ed Tuesday, it was described by turns as “unsubstantiated,” “chilling,” and (more generously) as not “incredibly encouraging or friendly.”

Photo by Flickr user nshepard used under a Creative Commons License

We have more important issues than flag lapel pins

Global Warming denier, Sen Inhofe thinks that Sen. Obama is unfit for president because he does not love his country enough. He said the following when trying to explain why he was certain the GOP was going to win the Presidential election.

Do you really want to have a guy as commander in chief of this country when you can question whether or not he really loves

his country?" he asked. "That's the big question.''
...
After he was asked for an explanation on why voters should question Obama's love for his country, Inhofe issued a written statement on Friday to clarify his earlier comments.

"Let me be clear,'' he said.

"I am not questioning Sen. Obama's patriotism, but you have to question why at times he seems so obviously opposed to public displays of patriotism and national pride, like wearing an American flag lapel pin.''

Inhofe said Americans can show pride in their country in different ways but suggested all should be straightforward.

Just want to point out that Sen. Inofe must not love his country enough because that is a US Senate lapel pin he is wearing in both of these official photgraphs, not the American Flag. Shame on you Sen. Inhofe.

Bigfoot print fossil?

More bigfoot for you. This time a fossilized footprint found in Tennessee.

Harold Jackson is an amateur archaeologist who enjoys collecting arrowheads and other Native American artifacts. But the most extraordinary find of his life came on his property near the Caney Fork River.For months he stepped on a rock near his house that caught his eye. Finally, he brought the unusual rock home and cleaned it up. After all of the mud was removed, a remarkable discovery was revealed.
I don't know anything about archaeology or anything, but if you look at it, it's a footprint. No animal footprint looks like that. Now, if it's a Native American, an Indian, then he was a big Indian," said Jackson. "(The print) is about 11 inches wide and about 15 inches long."Jackson said the fossilized print clearly shows the heel and all five toes.

Have to say that this seems very possible. Why not a recently extinct North American Ape? It could explain a lot of the folklore.

Photo by Flickr user Rakka used under a Creative Commons License.

Anaheim Show

Little write-up of the NARBC show in Anaheim in the LA Times today.

Bobcats in LA

Seems that Bobcats in LA have found new homes in foreclosed houses.

With real estate values plummeting and foreclosed homes sitting empty, a family of bobcats apparently decided the time was right to pounce.

So last week, they slipped out of the parched foothills of Lake Elsinore and into a spacious, vacant home in well-groomed Tuscany Hills.

Residents of the development got their first look Aug. 27 when the feline squatters -- at least two adults and three kittens -- lolled atop a wall outside the Spanish-style house.

Someone called 911, reporting mountain lions. Four police cruisers showed up and officers ordered everyone inside. But soon they were out snapping photos along with the neighbors.

Photo Contest

Over at the Geckophile forums there is a photo contest for the 2009 calendar. I threw a photo in there last minute when I put off taking some new photos. Not my best but maybe it will make the calendar anyways. If you are so inclined to vote for me #30 (photo above) or any of the other great photos head on over. There are some really awesome shots (my favorite is #32) Registration as a forum member is required. You can only vote once and can vote for up to 13 photos (the number that will grace the calendar).

Bored?

Play with this for a while. Submit your own suggestion or just keep hitting refresh and hilarity will ensue.

Screen capture above for one of my favorites.

WTF ... Our Government is Broken

How in the world could this be legal? Our government does not have our best interests in mind only that of the large corporations. It is illegal for a company to make sure it's product is safe for its customers. Mindboggling.

A federal appeals court says the government can prohibit meat packers from testing their animals for mad cow disease.

Because the Agriculture Department tests only a small percentage of cows for the deadly disease, Kansas meatpacker Creekstone Farms Premium Beef wants to test all of its cows. The government says it can't.

Larger meat companies worry that if Creekstone is allowed to perform the test and advertise its meat as safe, they could be forced to do the expensive test, too.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday overturned a lower court ruling that would have cleared the way for the testing. The appeals court said restricting the test is within the scope of the government's authority.

Via dailykos

Photo by Flickr user Maggie Osterberg used under a Creative Commons License

White shark 2008

Thought I had posted this and then realized that I had not, but the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a new white shark on exhibit.

For only the fourth time since 2004, Monterey Bay Aquarium has a young white shark in the Outer Bay exhibit. The shark--a 4 ½ foot-long female, weighing 55 ½ pounds—arrived on August 27, and will remain with us as long as her health is good and she’s small enough for us to handle safely when it’s time to return her to the wild.

1 month until Openeing

The Steinhart Aquarium in Golden Gate Park reopens one month from today. Getting really excited.

Photo by Flickr user drquimbo used under a Creative Commons License.

Shark Sighting

Stinson Beach is closed until Friday due to a shark sighting.

A surfer who previously worked as a National Park Service lifeguard spotted a shark, 8 to 10 feet long, about 125 yards offshore at 7 p.m. Sunday, said park spokesman Rich Weideman. The shark, possibly a great white, was north of the beach's main lifeguard tower.

Photo by Flickr user Scott the Hobo used under a Creative Commons license.

Huh?

Very little in this story makes sense (10ft?, sure it wasn't bigger) but a reminder to handle larger snakes with someone else around.

A college student working the night shift at a Venezuelan zoo is dead after letting a 10-foot python out of its enclosure.

Javier Hernandez manages the small zoo at Caracas' General Francisco de Miranda Park. He said Monday that 29-year-old Erick Arrieta violated park rules by letting the Asian python out early Saturday.

The biology major was found strangled to death, with a snake bite on his left wrist.

The python turned up down the hall.

Photo by Flickr user Tambako the Jaguar used under a Creative Commons lisence.

Bigfoot Fraud

It was a rubber costume.

On August 16th, 2008 the freezer containing the alleged corpse arrived with the Searching For Bigfoot Team. I arrived on location at 6PM to provide initial verification examination, biohazard control and consult for security measures at the location. At that time the ice was being thawed slowly without aid, to prevent any decomposition of the alleged corpse. We estimated that the freezer and its contents weighed over 1500 pounds and it would take several days or longer to thaw completely.

On August 17th, 2008 Searching for Bigfoot Team Director of Field Operations, TJ Biscardi and myself, were up early to discover that some hair was now exposed. I extracted some from the alleged corpse and examined it and had some concerns. Bob Schmalzbach arrived and concurred. We burned said sample and said hair sample melted into a ball uncharacteristic of hair.

At that time we contacted Mr. Biscardi who gave us permission to begin an expedited melting process. We set up a salamander heater to heat the freezer. Within one hour we were able to see the partially exposed head, as I was now able to touch it, I was able to feel that it seemed mostly firm, but unusually hollow in one small section. This was yet another ominous sign. Within the next hour of thaw, a break appeared up near the feet area. As the team and I began examining this area near the feet, I observed the foot which looked unnatural, reached in and confirmed it was a rubber foot.

At that point we immediately contacted, Tom Biscardi and advised him of the situation and he began to take action on his end. Later that day, Tom Biscardi informed us that both Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer admitted it was a costume. They reportedly agreed to sign a promissory note and admission of what they had done, and set a meeting in their hotel room in California for 8AM on August 17th, 2008.

At that time I drew up the documents for Mr. Biscardi. On August 17th, 2008 Tom Biscardi went to the hotel where Dyer and Whitton were staying and found that they had left. At this time action is being instigated against the perpetrators of this fraud. Tom Biscardi asked us to contact you, the press, and share all that we have discovered.

The motives behind this fraud are still unknown at this time. It is still unclear why Whitton who, being a police officer for the Clayton County Police Department in Georgia got up before the world and lied and was complicit in a scheme to defraud in a felonious manner.

Photo by Flickr user sinosplice used under a Creative Commons License

Gerrardanthus macrorhiza

AKA Bigfoot in honor of our dead bigfoot in the Georgian freezer (or maybe costume with pig guts thrown on it). Photos taken by me, but this awesome species can be yours at Cactus Jungle here in Berkeley, Ca.

Fluid Physics

Damn cool video.

Via C00lstuff
h/t Ryan G.

Bats in Peril

Some bad news for bats. Seems global climate change may be mucking with their breeding schedules and leading to a lack of food.

The other hot topic is bats colliding with wind turbines. As we try to move towards more reliable energy sources things like bats and birds are going to need to come into account when designing and placing wind farms. Bats are an important predator of insects such as disease carrying mosquitoes and important pollinators.

However, the bat officer expected one of the issues to be discussed at next week's symposium in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, in Romania would be wind turbines.

On the agenda is a presentation on wind farms in mountain areas of Portugal.

Ms Youngman said: "Wind farms were a hot topic at the last symposium.

"In Germany, there are turbines above forests and the mortality rate of bats has been found to be high.

"In Scotland, it was thought to be less of a problem because turbines tend to be in wide open spaces where bats are less likely to be."

ht Xian

Photo by Flickr user shewhopaints used under a Creative Commons license

More Bigfoot.

cnn.com is linking to the story now with a picture. (the photo is copyrighted and not for use under any circumstances without paying; BOO to that!) I don't know. It is looking a little fake. The hair just looks like a stuffed animal and it is not decomposed at all. They still claim to have DNA evidence and to have seen other live Bigfoot where they found this body. This should easily be proven a hoax if it is.

The carcass of the furry half-man, half-ape is 7 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs more than 500 pounds, they say. However, the two are not disclosing the exact location of their discovery in order to protect the remaining creatures.

Tom Nelson, chairman of the biology department at North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, said he's "pretty skeptical" the world will feast its eyes on a new species Friday.

"That would certainly rock mammalogy," joked Nelson, who specializes in the study of mammals. "I see a research grant in my future."

Whitton and Dyer plan to unveil what they say is DNA and photo evidence of the discovery in Palo Alto, California, in conjunction with a group called Searching for Bigfoot Inc.

The Stupid it burns

I am not sure there is anything to say except Rep. Sali is a Grade-A moron.

Congressman Sali informed us that a solution to the high price of gasoline was to make petroleum from “all those trees in our forests.” … He continued by saying there “could be up to 40 barrels of oil” in a single tree.

40 barrels of oil in every tree .... maybe if you wait a few million years. I am going to go ahead and give this one the "comedy" label too.

Photo by me. Henry Cowell Redwood Forest.

How many arms does an Octopus have?

Did you guess 8?

Well you are wrong. According to a new study they have six arms .... and two legs.

One can assume that the front six tentacles have the function of arms, and that the back two take over the function of legs," said Sea Life biologist Oliver Walenciak.

Unlike humans and some other animals, most octopuses did not appear to be left-handed or right-handed. Those that were suffered from eye problems on their less-favoured side.

"People have always assumed that octopuses coordinate their ... gripping behaviour through visual data. That seems to be true. When one eye is weak, another side of arms is favoured," said Walenciak.

Photo by Flickr user Erica Simone used under a Creative Commons license

Chupacobra

Injured dog or Chupacobra captured on Police Video Cam? Watch and you decide.

h/t Xian

Finally some good news!

A week or so late on this one, but an extra 150,000 Western Lowland Gorillas were found to exist. This more than doubles the known population of this subspecies of gorilla in the wild. Rare that we get good wildlife news.

"We knew there were apes there, we just had no idea how many," said WCS's Emma Stokes, one of the lead researchers in the two-year project.

The gorillas have thrived thanks to their remoteness from human settlements, food-rich habitats, and two decades of conservation efforts in one of the world's poorest countries, Stokes said.

Photo by Flickr user ecov ottos used with permission.