Open Thread – Flex the Whale
No, that’s not a euphemism.
Flex is the name of a rare endangered Western Grey Whale who received a cigar-sized tracking device on October 4, courtesy of the Marine Mammal Institute. The device has tracked the mysterious whale, about whose migration little is known, from Russia’s remote Sakhalin Island, across the Pacific to Alaska, past Canada and now down to the waters off California. Our gentle giant swims 24/7, moving at about 4mph.
OSU professor Bruce Mate says “Flex” has traveled nearly 5,300 miles since [October].
“This is first time that we’ve learned about the winter habits of any of the western gray whales. That’s one of the reasons we went out to tag them. We really wanted to know not only what their migration route was, but what their winter destination was because that breeding and calving area would be an important area to extend protection to.”
Researchers believe only about 130 western gray whales survive.
You can track Flex’s progress at the Marine Mammal Institute’s website HERE, and on Facebook HERE.
Mike—-Yes—the right is trying to destroy public education.
On one of the sites I posted—-one can write a comment. Just saying!
Since Brandstad was elected with the other “nut jobs” , all they have done so far is put only “social”
issues on the tables. I am still waiting for those “thousands” of jobs Brandstad promised.
Guv Braindead’s tax policies favor large corporations at the expense of smaller business. What a surprise. Ask your US rep. how many jobs taking a women’s constitutional rights away, will create.
Oops!! The Nut case is a Iowa Senator!!!!!!
Lacy Lady- as a fellow Iowan(NW Iowa) its really easy to see that these nut jobs would prefer religious schools to indoctrinate Iowa’s children to their christian faith. My part of the state has about one liberal for every ten thousand RWNJ.
Here is another link on the pre-school issue—–Nazi indoctrination
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/02/14/iowa-senator-compares-preschool-to-nazi-indoctrination/
Heard on our news last night our new State Rep is comparing our Pre-schools to Nazi indoctrination!
Now he is trying to “explain”!!!! Wonder who all the people are that voted this nut case in office?
http://www.heartlandconnection.com:80/news/story.aspx?id=581403
Just for fun:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/15/scream-angrily-at-sarah-palin_n_823756.html
Wonderful night with two American mudpuppies. Memphis NY – your daughter is a credit to you.
Awww! 🙂
Thank You so much for having them Irish
If St. Valentine’s Day was a success for you, here’s some fair-trade gold and Canadian diamonds possibilities:
http://ftjco.com/engagement-rings
And Say No to Pebble!!!!
Sorry Flex,but,this is important. Faux Noise/Iowa GOP have announced a televised debate for Rethuglican Presidential hopefuls for Sioux City, Iowa, February 6th,2012. This will pre-date the Iowa Caucus and give hopefuls a chance to make jack-asses of themselves in front of rilly true,honest-bt-god red state Conservatives. No mention whether Quitty is invited as of yet. I just remembered I was gonna be sick that day and will be for sure if I have to hear more about this. Meanwhile carry-on.
Some good news:
Chevron is guilty. Tell CEO John Watson: Clean up Ecuador NOW!
Dear [Zyxomma],
Yesterday marked a historic day for corporate accountability. A judge in Ecuador found Chevron guilty of massive oil contamination in the Amazon rainforest and ordered the company to pay over $8 billion to clean it up.
The verdict is the culmination of an 18-year struggle by the Indigenous and rural Ecuadoreans — the real heroes of this epic fight — who first sued Chevron to force the company to clean up its oily mess back in 1993. The battle is won, but the war for corporate accountability is far from over.
Chevron has vowed to appeal the decision, and it’s all too clear that the company intends to never pay for its oil pollution in the Amazon. Tell Chevron CEO John Watson that enough is enough – Chevron needs to clean up Ecuador NOW.
For 18 years the Ecuadorean plaintiffs have withstood the impacts of Chevron’s pollution in the Amazon, as well as an unprecedented PR and legal campaign aimed at discrediting them and minimizing the extent of the damage that’s been done to their health and livelihoods. The evidence of the company’s guilt is overwhelming. It’s time for Chevron to take responsibility for its mess.
John Watson needs to do the right thing and pledge to clean up the Ecuadorean Amazon by complying with the judgment in Ecuador. Some 1,400 people have already died as a result of Chevron refusing to take responsibility, and 30,000 more are at risk. The people living with Chevron’s pollution can’t wait while the company launches another PR campaign and attempts even more dirty tricks and shady legal maneuvers to try and evade its responsibility.
Stand up for the people of Ecuador, for human rights, and for corporate accountability: Tell Chevron CEO John Watson to stop stalling and clean up Ecuador NOW.
For a cleaner future,
Ginger, Maria, Linda, and Mike
Change Chevron
I hope that the Japanese whalers don’t use this information to hunt this whale if he returns to the western pacific.
Bill Moyers: America Can’t Deal With Reality — We Must Be Exposed to the Truth, Even If It Hurts
http://www.alternet.org/world/149925/bill_moyers:_america_can%27t_deal_with_reality_–_we_must_be_exposed_to_the_truth,_even_if_it_hurts?page=entire
sorry, I don’t know how to make a smaller url. I <3 Bill Moyers.
And, congratulations, Merrycricket!
♥
[If you hold down the alt key + 3 (with number lock pad, locked) it makes a very nice heart {ASCII}]
♥ u
I ♥ The Mudflats/pups!
Can I try? ♥ oh! ♥♥ ♥!
Gryphan has a very interesting tidbit concerning APD’s (with held) information in the Shaily Tripp/
Todd “interlude”…..
http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/
Who can we trust in Anchorage or Alaska, for that matter?
Hey!
well THAT’s interesting. And then there’s this…another one under the bus??
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/02/a_few_days_ago_when.html
Flex is incredible–and honest.
But here are some people who are neither, IMO.
The House is their home: Freshman reps are sleeping on the job to make a point
The new Republicans who shook up Washington last week – forcing their party to take a staggering whack at the budget – are also trying to shape a new idea of what a congressman is. In some cases, that means approaching their terms as one-man shows.
Some have rejected their health insurance to dramatize their objections to government-run care. One will print his own letterhead to demonstrate his frugality. Another is giving back 15 percent of his pay.
And several are living in their own offices, in a gesture of contempt for the city outside.
“I live in McHenry, Illinois. I do not live in Washington, D.C.,” said Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.). Three nights a week, Walsh relies on a bedtime ritual involving milk and spicy peanuts (and, occasionally, Scotch), so he can relax enough to sleep in the Cannon House Office Building.
The logic behind these gestures can get muddled. Doesn’t living in your office cost taxpayers more? And what’s wrong with getting health insurance through your employer?
But these freshmen are betting that the larger point resonates: In a country angry at government, they want voters to be sure their congressman is uncomfortable.
“This city is seductive,” said Walsh, a former investor and tea party favorite who upset the Democratic incumbent by 292 votes. “Many of the freshmen will probably turn. But I won’t. I came here to be a model of this kind of representation.”
There are at least 13 House freshmen – out of 96 – who have tried one of these tactics.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Interesting comments too. It’s from The Washington Post. I say tax them on this perk. In addition, I bet it’s illegal. I know that they wouldn’t tolerate the CLEANING STAFF doing it! (washingtonpost.com > Arts & Living > Style )
As someone commented about the noble folks ‘giving up’ their work-perk Congressional health insurance so they can show they’re setting a good example: “Sure, I’d be willing to give it up, be willing to pay for premiums out of my own pocket, if I cleared ‘other income’ of $80K a year, too.”
What most folks fail to realize is: the people elected to these offices are not your every day schlubs… they aren’t making do with salaries that barely cover the necessities, let alone, ‘luxuries’ like stand-alone health care premiums. If you’ve got income from other sources which augments your gov’t salary, then, yes!, you CAN afford to be ‘magnamous’ and ‘lead/show by example’. ‘course you’re nothing more than a “just like you, Hockey Mom,”, but you can put on a reeeeeeeeeeeally good show and give up the gov’t health perks. And you can have your poor-schlub constituents fall for it. beth.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/14/AR2011021406723_pf.html
(I hope that works)
If you’re unfortunate enough to have one of these people as your representative (or you have friends and/or family so encumbered), send him this link:
http://www.dchousing.net
I mean, if they don’t know how to budget living expenses with a salary of $174,000/yr–maybe this will start them down the path towards LEGAL fiscal responsibility.
Harrumph.
Interesting. . . representatives of both parties have been living in their offices for a few years now, mostly for financial reasons, I’m sure. One of the tenants of The Family’s “C” Street luxury “boarding house” even tried to draw a comparison to his $700/month bedroom with maid service, cook, and common roomwith the big-screen plasma TV and his colleague who slept in his office. But when the Tea Partiers do it, it’s a fiscal symbolic gesture, and it’s news.
I found this:
“There is nothing in the House rules that prohibits Members from sleeping in their offices,” says Bill Weidemeyer, the Superintendent of House office buildings.
He says the only challenge is trying to keep construction noise low, as such work typically occurs after hours even when Congress is not in recess. There have been the occasional noise complaints from House sleepers, for example, when the year-long roof rebuild of the Rayburn House Office Building was ongoing.
The sleepers do add a little burden to the housekeeping staff, Weidemeyer says, but no Washington D.C. laws or health code governs the practice. Like the Vatican, Congress rules its own real estate.
==============================================
Great! Then maybe we will see the night cleaning crews bringing in cots and saving themselves money in broom closets. I mean, it’s not illegal for them to do so. They earn a LOT less money too. How about their staff members? None of them are paid $174,000.
In addition, it’s illegal to have or consume alcohol on Federal property.
But you know what? Everyone, regardless of party, who does this is stealing from taxpayers. If they want their rooms provided to them as a benefit, they need to be active members of the military. This is no different than a bonus, to my way of thinking. I pay capital gains tax.
Congress is Section 8 housing, evidently.
One of the (many) things the “old timers” lament is, the reps no longer live in the DC area. There was a time when they ALL moved their familys to the new job: the kids went to school w/ each other, they all took their family pets to local vets and groomers, they had picnics with each other, they coached and cheered on little league teams together, they suffered the DC weather together, they met for cocktails after work, they had dinner w/ each other, celebrated kid’s, spouse’s and their birthdays together; in short, they community-ed with each other.
They got to KNOW each other. They knew that even though Fred had an agenda that was 180-degrees opposite theirs, Fred was still, basically, a good guy and they could disagree on the issue(s) as colleagues, not as mortal enemies. They could *listen* and could compromise.
Nowadays, the minute they can, reps high-tail it out of DC (and its enviorns) to get back to their families. And to fund-raise. They’re only in DC when the absolutely *have* to be — the American people are getting short-changed because the reps haven’t even bothered to get to know their opposition, gotten to know the people on the other side of the aisle – haven’t even taken the time to fully understand that they are ALL working *for* the American People. Sadly, nowadays, they ‘govern’ when they have time to…between their trips home. beth.
–I blame (other than their being idiots about the whole “dedicated to the American People” bs they lie to us) jet travel… its just so darned easy to zip on home, now. b.
I’m also angry because DC residents still do not have a vote in Congress.
Taxation without representation stinks.
They pay, they bleed, they die. But they don’t get a vote. If there have been amendments passed addressing other inequities, why not that one?
Beth –
The lack of community that you talked about is what makes it so easy for them (mostly the ones on the right side of the aisle) to demonize the other side. It’s much more difficult to claim that someone is the communist, socialist, unpatriotic Anti-Christ, hellbent on destroying America, when you sit with them at Little League practice every Thursday night and you all belong to the PTA fundraising committee. When you get together for pizza on Friday night after work, you tend to start believing that just maybe you can figure out how to compromise. After all, you managed to order pizza toppings without coming to blows so maybe you can get that legislation sorted out to everyone’s satisfaction too!
Ah, the power of the intertubes! I love this political cartoon.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary
The shocking state of the GOP: 51% are birthers:
http://www.politico.com/2012-election/perm/0211/birther_poll.html
“• Among those who don’t think he was born in U.S., Sarah Palin has 83 percent favorability ratings”
But aren’t registered R’s down to something like 20 to 25 percent of all voters? So that means only about 10% are birthers about the same percentage of Faux Noise viewers.
So why do we hear so much about this little minority? We’ve always had fringe including these Bricher types. They are still upset about fluoride in the water.
I’m cleaning out stuff and getting ready to move. I have a trash bag full of yarn and wanted to send it to our native creative mudpups in Alaska. I know a year or so ago (I lose track of time easily these days) they were looking for yarn for their crafts. Anyone having an address where I can send the yarn to please leave me a message on the forum under my nick. Thanks.
Off to find you there and let you know! I’ve been shipping them many, many pounds of yarn over the past couple of years. They’re always happy for more!
This is a good editorial about the President’s budget:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/opinion/15tue1.html?_r=1&hp
“On paper, President Obama’s new $3.7 trillion budget is encouraging. It makes a number of tough choices to cut the deficit by a projected $1.1 trillion over 10 years, which is enough to prevent an uncontrolled explosion of debt in the next decade and, as a result, reduce the risk of a fiscal crisis.”
Aren’t Alaskans worried that a whale with known ties to Commies has infiltrated your home waters and might convert the locals and cause a violent revolution? Or does that only happen in cheap spy novels? I read that Shirley Sherrod has sued Andrew Breitbart for being a creep and I hope she wins big. Maybe there is some justice in this world,until the case gets to the RW Supreme Court and then all bets are off. Merrycricket,congratulations on becoming a G-Ma and try to name the little guy or gal after AKM or Shannyn or LKB, maybe all three.
It’s all good — SP can see him from her house and is monitoring his activities while in AK’s water space.
Nah. She thought Russia would invade Alaska’s air space. She had no idea they’d be coming by sea!
One if by land, two if by sea. But if they publish it in a news paper or news mag, she won’t know anyway. She only reads what’s put in front of her–Like Sarah Palin’s Going Down or Sarah Palin’s America–Faith in Home Scooling, Family as Props, and Flag as Mistreated Symbol of an Unchanging Constitution
I See on Facebook that our friends at ArXotica are audience members on the Wendy Show – Wendy Williams, live this morning on the East Coast. They are wearing a modernized version of traditional Yup’ik tops called Kuspaqs.
Fun fact for any mudpups that watches the show.
That is great. We don’t get the show here in Alaska, at least my part, but I wish the ladies well!!
Hope things continue to go well for them!
Gotta scoot, but sending lots of love and Happy Birthday wishes to my DH Happy…
and yes, I’ll still love you when we’re 64! 🙂
Happy Birthday, thatcrowman!
Not mine, Zyxomma, but my DH Happy Hussein’s birthday #56 today.
I just got back from the school board meeting, so we’ll celebrate out to supper tomorrow…and I’ll bake his favorite chocolate cheesecake next weekend. 🙂
Thanx AKM:
I’ve been following ‘Flex” since he was first reported on the horizons. The last I read was OSU researchers were not sure if the tracking mechanism was defunct or if weather and/or sea conditions were making the tracking problematic. I read the other day that sightings had him far off shore, as opposed to cousins the Great Grey, easterm pacific, who apparently stay much closer to shore.
Monterey is nice. Just hope that the network there has a heads up for this guy. I would really like to know the travels of a Western Great Grey Whale, circa 2011. Almost like an Aesop fable.
Fair winds and following seas, Flex!!
Wow! Old boy really gets around. I find it interesting that OSU is a part of the study given that there is no ocean nearby.
Sorry I’ve been so quiet lately. That flu bug kicked my behind.
And now for some good news: I’m going to be a grandma! My oldest son and his wife called last Wednesday night to give me the news.
Sorry to hear you’ve had the flu. Glad you are feeling well enough to pop up here. We missed you.
Congratulations upon your news! You will be a fantastic grandmother judging by your comments here – fun, insightful and sensitive. That is going to be one lucky grandchild! Best wishes for a safe and healthy pregnancy for your son and daughter-in-law. (Here’s where I wish I had a emoticon that set off virtual fireworks or confetti. Please use your imagination; it will be better anyway.)
What she said!
Congratulations!!
Wicked flu! Take good care of yourself, merrycricket, and don’t push it. Patience, eh?
Mazel tov, bubbeleh! Grandbabies in the garden…what a lovely thought.
{{{{{merrycricket}}}}}
That’s Oregon State University, OSU, which has active marine study programs in a number of areas and is only about 50 mi inland from the Pacific.
Opps!
And they have a marine research center in Newport, OR, I think. Somewhere along there.
They are affiliated with the aquarium there–it’s a great one.
Boo on being ill. Hooray for feeling better, and hooray for getting ready to join the Nana Club. It rocks!
mazeltov! grandchildren are GREAT
Congratulations, Cricket!!
I have found that my grandchildren are much more fun than my children ever were. Enjoy!!
congratulations Merrycricket. i am pleased and happy for you. great news.
Congratulations, almost-grandma Merry Cricket!!
I bet you’ll have that grandbaby out digging in the garden before he/she can even walk! Congrats on the good news and best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery.
Glad your feeling better and congratulations on the grandchild.
Flex no longer can be tracked by his tag, because probably it came off. But, the researchers are hoping he can still be seen by sighters. Happy journey, Flex! Thanks, AKM!