Turkey clears bird of spying for Israel - The Telegraph

By Justin Vela, Istanbul: Authorities in eastern Turkey have cleared a small bird detained on suspicions of spying for Israel.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Intensive medical examinations of the kestrel - including X-rays - determined that the bird was, indeed, just a bird Photo: Alamy

The kestrel was discovered by residents of Altinavya, a village in Elazig province, wearing a metallic ring stamped with the words “24311 Tel Avivunia Israel”. Suspicious that the bird may have been on a spying mission for the Jewish state, villagers turned the bird over to local authorities, according to Turkish media.

So great was the level of concern medical personnel at Elazig’s Firat University initially identified the kestrel as “Israeli Spy” in their registration documents. Intensive medical examinations - including X-rays - determined that the bird was, indeed, just a bird. There were no sign of microchips that might transmit information back to Israel, local media reported. The kestrel was allowed to fly off after authorities determined there was no need to press charges...Continue reading...

Jack Scott - Cool Water

Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean. Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. - From "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (Part II) By S. T. Coleridge. Read here...[photo]

Massachusetts girl, 9, becomes youngest US chess master

Carissa Yip, 9, considers her next move on the chessboard.
SUN/Julia Malakie [photo]
                                                                              By GRANT WELKER / The Sun

CHELMSFORD, Mass. (AP) — Only three years or so since first picking up the game of chess, 9-year-old Carissa Yip can already look down at 93 percent of the more than 51,000 players registered with the U.S. Chess Federation.

She has risen so far up the rankings that she has reached the expert level at a younger age than anyone since the chess federation began electronic record-keeping in 1991, a new level she reached in recent weeks.

Her father, Percy, who taught her until she began beating him within a year, said she could reach master level in as soon as a year.

‘‘Some never reach master level,’’ he said. ‘‘From expert to master, it’s a huge jump.’’...Continue reading...

Play Chess Online - Free chess games

Big Papi Smashes Dugout Phone After Strikeout vs. Orioles

The Huffington Post  |  By Chris Greenberg                                                                                                               
Big Papi threw a big tantrum after striking out against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday. Boston Red Sox masher David Ortiz was not pleased with the strike zone of home plate umpire Tim Timmons during the seventh inning of his team's 7-3 win at Camden Yards. He was not shy about sharing his opinion. Angry about a pair of called strikes from earlier in the at-bat, Ortiz hollered at Timmons after waving at the sixth offering from Orioles pitcher Jairo Asencio.
"I got 17 years in the league and I don't think I deserve to be disrespected like that," Ortiz said after the game, via The Associated Press. "You want to get respect from the players, you respect the players. That was horrible. Both of the pitches, not one... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/28/david-ortiz-ejected-tantrum-du_n_3665482.html

Washed Out - 'Don't Give Up'

Ernest Greene
last.fm. Washed Out

Panthera - Photo of the Day

     

Panthera's mission is to ensure the future of wild cats through scientific leadership and global conservation action. Watch this video to learn Panthera’s story.

http://www.panthera.org/

Top 25 Wild Bird Photographs of the Week

Posted by Steve Boyes of National Geographic Expeditions in Explorers Journal on July 27, 2013
                         Semiplumbeous hawks are found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras and Panama, preferring subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. (Adam Riley / www.rockjumperbirding.com)   Top 25 Wild Bird Photographs here

Race Baiting and Lies in America - Michael Yon

Milton Olive III, 18 years-old. Medal of Honor recipient. Died while saving his buddies by smothering a grenade with his body.
Michael Yon: Trayvon Martin was 17 when he was shot.  Many people say he was just a “child.”
Let's look at the evidence.  17 year-olds can, and do, join the US military.
At 17, I joined the military and reported for duty when 18.  Before graduating from high school, I could bench press 300 pounds and hoist 225 pounds from the floor to over my head with arms locked, weighing less than 148 pounds.
At 17, my high school friend Scott Helvenston became a Navy SEAL.  The youngest ever.  Some people say this is not possible.  To save embarrassment, naysayers might take a minute to Google “Youngest Navy SEAL.”
At 17, Wilfred Benitez was the world champion boxer.
Retired 4-star General Barry McCaffrey mentioned to me the other day that he joined the Army at 17.
At 18, George Bush senior became a Naval aviator and headed off to war.  There were many others...Continue reading...

The Royal Scots Draggon Guards

[link]last.fm

Top IDF Official Warns: Global Jihad is at Our Doorstep - Arutz Sheva

[image]  By Elad Benari: The threats against Israel are changing and the global jihad is literally at its doorstep, the head of Military Intelligence warned on Tuesday.
"It is possible that in the long run the winds of change will bring with them an opportunity, but in the short term the risks are increasing," said Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi during a graduation ceremony for hundreds of new intelligence officers.
"Syria, which is the most disturbing jihad activists and Muslim extremists from the region and around the world, who base themselves in the country, not only to bring down Assad, but to promote the vision of a state based on Islamic law," he added.
"Before our very eyes, at our doorstep, a large-scale center of the global jihad is developing, which may affect not only Syria and not just the borders of Israel, but Lebanon, Jordan, Sinai, and can radiate onto the entire region," warned Kochavi.
The leader of the jihadist Syrian rebel group Jabhat Al-Nusra (Al-Nusra Front) recently declared that his group is in favor of establishing an Islamic caliphate in civil war torn Syria.
In an audio recorded that has been disseminated over the past several days, Abu Mohammad al-Julani said, "Being Muslims, we do not believe in political parties or parliamentary elections, but rather in an Islamic regime based on the Shura (advisory council) and which implements justice ... Our heading towards the establishment of Islamic law (Sharia) is jihad in Allah's way.”
Al-Nusra Front several months ago pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri and has blacklisted by the United States and the United Nations as a terrorist again.
It is part of the 13-member Islamic Front for the Liberation of Syria, which split off from the Syrian National Council opposition force. The front declared the northern commercial hub city of Aleppo to be an independent Islamist state already months ago. Read here.

Donny Parenteau - My Girl

[photo][link]

Will Canada Be the First Country to Disband Islam?

[image]by Jake Neuman:
The Canadian Government is proclaiming a new law that would ban:
"Promoting Terrorism, Violence, or Criminal Activity: A foreign national who makes public statements or uses any means to broadcast, write, produce, publish or distribute material, including a website and public speaking, to express views which:

• (a) promote or glorify terrorist violence;
• (b) promote or glorify a listed entity under Regulations Establishing a List of Entities pursuant to the Criminal Code of Canada, Regulations Implementing the United Nations Resolutions on the Suppression of Terrorism or the United Nations Al-Qaida and Taliban Regulations;
• (c) counsel, encourage or incite others to commit terrorist activity or terrorist violence;
• (d) incite hatred that is likely to lead to violence against a specific group;
• (e) promote, counsel, encourage or incite serious criminal activity."

Islam is a political ideology which promotes—through the Quran and Prophetic tradition—the glorification of terrorist violence and counsels, encourages or incites others to commit terrorist activity or terrorist violence: ...Read here...

Concrete Blonde performing Joey

[photo]last.fm

The Song My Paddle Sings by E. Pauline Johnson

"I am an Indian, and my aim, my joy and my pride is to sing the glories of my own people. Ours was the race that gave the world its measure of heroism, its standard of physical prowess. Ours was the race that taught the world that avarice veiled by any other name is crime, and ours was the faith that taught men to live without greed and to die without fear."  (Quotation attributed to Pauline Johnson by Ernest Thompson Seton) http://www.manataka.org/page1998.html.

The Song My Paddle Sings

West wind, blow from your prairie nest,
Blow from the mountains, blow from the west.
The sail is idle, the sailor too;
O! wind of the west, we wait for you.
Blow, blow!
I have wooed you so,
But never a favour you bestow.
You rock your cradle the hills between,
But scorn to notice my white lateen.
I stow the sail, unship the mast:
I wooed you long but my wooing's past;
My paddle will lull you into rest.
O! drowsy wind of the drowsy west,
Sleep, sleep,
By your mountain steep,
Or down where the prairie grasses sweep!
Now fold in slumber your laggard wings,
For soft is the song my paddle sings.
August is laughing across the sky,
Laughing while paddle, canoe and I,
Drift, drift,
Where the hills uplift
On either side of the current swift.
The river rolls in its rocky bed;
My paddle is plying its way ahead;
Dip, dip,
While the waters flip
In foam as over their breast we slip.
And oh, the river runs swifter now;
The eddies circle about my bow.
Swirl, swirl!
How the ripples curl
In many a dangerous pool awhirl!
And forward far the rapids roar,
Fretting their margin for evermore.
Dash, dash,
With a mighty crash,
They seethe, and boil, and bound, and splash.
Be strong, O paddle! be brave, canoe!
The reckless waves you must plunge into.
Reel, reel.
On your trembling keel,
But never a fear my craft will feel.
We've raced the rapid, we're far ahead!
The river slips through its silent bed.
Sway, sway,
As the bubbles spray
And fall in tinkling tunes away.
And up on the hills against the sky,
A fir tree rocking its lullaby,
Swings, swings,
Its emerald wings,
Swelling the song that my paddle sings. Canadian poetry.

There are more than 50,000 homeless and stray dogs running loose on the streets of Detroit.

Detroit Dog Rescue: Mission: To create a state-of-the-art, no kill animal center in Detroit.
Detroit Dog Rescue is focused on raising awareness for the plight of the forgotten, homeless and stray dogs of Detroit.
There are more than 50,000 homeless and stray dogs running loose on the streets of Detroit. With only twenty-three City of Detroit Animal Control Officers to perform rescue operations, nearly 90% of dogs picked up by the city are euthanized. With limited resources and funding allocations to humane animal rescue operations, Detroit Dog Rescue is a small group of highly committed individuals dedicated to help make a difference in the city, one dog at a time...Detroit Dog Rescue

Dirty Hairy......Gets ADOPTED!

Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer

The Brown Bomber vs Billy Connwww.last.fm

Puppy-training duty aims to rehabilitate prisoners

A program has inmates in a Nova Scotia jail tasked with training puppies. Co-ordinators say it's a win-win: puppies get the training needed to be adopted into good homes, while prisoners learn new skills and gain responsibility. thestarphoenix.com

Britain announced Wednesday that Queen Elizabeth II signed into law a bill legalizing same-sex marriages in England and Wales.

[link]                                                                                                                                By Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, July 17, 11:46 AM

LONDON — The French like to make fun of the British, joking about their repressed ways in matters of the heart. But when it came time to debate same-sex marriage, it was France that betrayed a deep conservative streak in sometimes violent protests — while the British showed themselves to be modern and tolerant.

With little fanfare or controversy, Britain announced Wednesday that Queen Elizabeth II — hardly a social radical — had signed into law a bill legalizing same-sex marriages in England and Wales. France has also legalized gay marriages, but only after a series of gigantic protests attracting families from the traditional heartland that revealed a deeply split society.                                                                                                
Official word that the queen had approved the bill drew cheers in the usually sedate House of Commons.
“This is a historic moment that will resonate in many people’s lives,” Equalities Minister Maria Miller said in a statement. “I am proud that we have made it happen and I look forward to the first same sex wedding by next summer.”...Continue reading...

Unlike Sylvester and Tweety, Cats Usually Get Their Birds--Up to 3.7 Billion of Them

SUFFERIN' SUCCOTASH: Although habitat loss as a result of human encroachment is a primary threat to birds and wildlife of all kinds, outdoor cats, counting both pets and feral animals, no doubt exacerbate the problem. Image: iStockPhoto                             Outdoor cats, counting both pets and feral animals, also nab up to 20 billion other small mammals yearly.   EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine.  Dear EarthTalk:   I understand that pet cats prey on lots of birds and other "neighborhood" wildlife, but isn't it cruel to force felines to live indoors only? And isn’t human encroachment the real issue for bird populations, not a few opportunistic cats?—Jason Braunstein, Taos, N.M.
While it is true that habitat loss as a result of human encroachment is a primary threat to birds and wildlife of all kinds, outdoor cats are no doubt exacerbating the loss of biodiversity as their numbers swell and they carry on their instinctual business of hunting.
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Peter Marra estimates that outdoor cats in the United States, counting both pets and feral animals, kill up to 3.7 billion birds each year—along with up to 20 billion other small mammals. Researchers estimate that roughly 114 million cats live in the contiguous U.S., 84 million of them pets and the rest feral—and that as many as 70 percent of pet cats spend some time roaming outside and hunting...Continue reading...

Angry Birds? No, But Obama's Wind Energy Subsidies Have Them Very Frightened. Forbes

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Brian Seasholes, ...Wind turbines have a significant impact on this nation’s birds, especially birds of prey and other large species.  The American Bird Conservancy even thinks it’s possible the golden eagle will end up on the endangered species list because so many are being killed by wind turbines. In fact, the Obama administration is so fixated on wind power that it recently gave a California-based wind company an exemption from prosecution if a turbine kills a California condor, one of the rarest birds in the world, with only around 400 alive today.  And the administration is hoping to grant a similar exemption to all wind farms along the 1,500-mile Texas to North Dakota migratory corridor for the whooping crane, another of the world’s rarest birds.                                                                                                                                                               Wind turbines kill around 600,000 birds annually according to a recently published scholarly article in the Wildlife Society Bulletin...Read complete article here...

"It Makes No Difference" The Band

http://imgur.com/CXEOVauhttp://theband.hiof.no/

A Brave Park Ranger! Video

[link]http://www.mooseheaven.com/pet-moose.htm

Mental Health Blogs

HealthyPlace.com is the largest consumer mental health site, providing comprehensive, trusted information on psychological disorders and psychiatric medications from both a consumer and expert point of view. We have an active mental health social network for support, online psychological tests, breaking mental health news, mental health videos, a live mental health tv and radio show, unique tools like our "mood journal" and more...healthyplace.com

Arizona firefighters showed calm and courage to the end

[photo]                                                                                                                                                                                 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots found huddled together in Yarnell Hill blaze.

July 13, 2013 |By Cindy Carcamo, John M. Glionna, Christopher Goffard and Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Of the Los Angeles Times

PRESCOTT, Ariz. — — Hours before the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshots climbed into the parched, craggy hills where they would die, one of them woke his father with a phone call.
"We have a fire in Yarnell," said Kevin Woyjeck. "It's big and getting bigger."
The lightning-sparked wildfire outside the tiny former gold-mining town had spread to 200 acres, sweeping over deep canyons and big boulders, taking fuel from chaparral rich with oils that burn hot and fast...Continue reading...

TRIBUTE VIDEO: We will never forget the Granite Mountain Hotshots

TRIBUTE VIDEO

Al Sharpton: Zimmerman Not Guilty Verdict 'an Atrocity'

By Sara Morrison | The Wrap :

MSNBC host Al Sharpton called the George Zimmerman not guilty verdict "an atrocity," echoing the opinions of many who said Saturday's verdict devalued the lives of young black men.

"This is an atrocity," Sharpton said. "This is probably one of the worst situations I have ever seen."

Sharpton went on to call the verdict a "a slap in the face to those that believe in justice in this country," and called it "a sad day in the country."...Read here...

Chicago: Where is the outrage for this kid who was beaten to death for NOT joining a gang?

Evelyn Holmes
More: Bio, Facebook, News Team

July 11, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- A distraught Juanita Bonner and her relatives come to the place where her nephew Darryl Green died. The 16- year old body was discovered a few hours ago in the Englewood neighborhood.

"He never goes anywhere. It's just so shocking for this to happen to anyone," said Juanita Green Bonner, victim's aunt.
His body was found behind a boarded up home in the 6500-block of South Damen in the West Englewood neighborhood.
"It's somebody's child. . .you know, just laying down on that ground, dead. You know, just another life gone," said Eola States, Englewood resident.
Green was found by officers face-down on a set of basement stairs of an abandoned building.
Although witnesses say there were no visible signs of trauma to the body, family members say police told them Darryl had been beaten to death. Investigators at the scene did not confirm any details.
Relatives say the Harper High School student stopped attending class and think he may have been targeted because of his refusal to join a gang. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=9169739

Hunter Hunted - "End of the World"

Warner Bros.

Scene from the fictional sci-fi movie “Pacific Rim.” No, it's not the end of the world...

[image]

Meet Award-Winning Wilderness Photographer Jon Cornforth

http://cornforthimages.com/

An Epidemic of Fear: How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endangers Us All

  A bloggers opinion of Jim Carrey.By Amy Wallace:  To hear his enemies talk, you might think Paul Offit is the most hated man in America. A pediatrician in Philadelphia, he is the coinventor of a rotavirus vaccine that could save tens of thousands of lives every year. Yet environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slams Offit as a “biostitute” who whores for the pharmaceutical industry. Actor Jim Carrey calls him a profiteer and distills the doctor’s attitude toward childhood vaccination down to this chilling mantra: “Grab ‘em and stab ‘em.” Recently, Carrey and his girlfriend, Jenny McCarthy, went on CNN’s Larry King Live and singled out Offit’s vaccine, RotaTeq, as one of many unnecessary vaccines, all administered, they said, for just one reason: “Greed.”...http://www.readability.com/read?url=http%3A//www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/ff_waronscience/all/1. See:  Medical myth: childhood vaccinations are dangerous

News you wish you didn't know.

Daniel Defraia: News you wished you did not know Related:Woman flashed young boy on bicycle causing him to fall to the ground.

Kenny Rogers - The Gambler

[photo]kennyrogers.musiccitynetworks.com

Lala the Penguin

[link]
  Lala, walks to the fish store with his  backpack to shop for fresh fish every day.  

 
Do penquins make good pets? Related,  Penguins can fly.

Lou Gehrig's Speech

[photo]Quotes by Lou Gehrig

"We were mighty short on infielders in those days."

"Lets face it. I'm not a headline guy. I always knew that as long as I was following Babe to the plate I could have gone up there and stood on my head. No one would have noticed the difference. When the Babe was through swinging, whether he hit one or fanned, nobody paid any attention to the next hitter. They all were talking about what the Babe had done."

"I might have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

"I am a slave to baseball and only because I really love the game, hate to think of taking even one day away when we are playing."

"Irrespective of any other players on our club, I am the man to whom the team looks as a pacesetter. Every year I am told I am the hitter who must lead the Yankees to the pennant. That suits me fine."Lou Gehrig

Lee Marvin - Wandering Star

Wandering Star

leemarvin.com

Supersonic precision weapons to appear in Russia next decade

Source: Itar-Tass

Andrei Mikhailov

Pravda.Ru

Over the next few years the Russian army will significantly increase the number of high-precision weapons, including cruise missiles. Over the three years the number of controlled cruise missiles will be increased five-fold, and by 2020 - by thirty times. This was previously reported by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

His deputy Yuri Borisov said that supersonic precision weapons may appear in Russia in the next decade....Read here...

Taylor Swift performing Everything Has Changed. (feat. Ed Sheeran)

 Taylor Swift's Adorable Cat, Meredith

[photo]

                         youtube.com. Taylor Swift 

Flooding in Toronto. 35 photos

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on  Monday, July 8. Photos here.

A woman gets back into her flooded car on the Toronto Indy course on Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto on Monday, July 8 2013. The Canadian Press

Cat embraces his inner dog

by YouTube

khou.com

Posted on July 9, 2013 at 10:13 AM

A British mobile phone company's latest ad campaign, starring perhaps the coolest cat the internet has ever seen, encourages us all to embrace our inner dog.

The ad shows the cat doing typical dog activities like carrying a stick, jumping into the water, even catching a Frisbee. khou.com/video

Garlic Soup Made With 52 Cloves of Garlic Can Defeat Colds, Flu and Even Norovirus

by JOHN SUMMERLY

Forget the flu shot. A soup based on more than 50 cloves of garlic, onions, thyme and lemon will destroy almost any virus that enters its path including colds, flu and even norovirus.

As we sneeze and cough our way through these dark months of contagious nasties, garlic is being hailed for its powers to halt viruses in their tracks.

It has gained its reputation as a virus buster thanks to one of its chemical constituents, allicin...Read here...

Great Wall of China Photography (brilliant photos)

PauloGabriel Tue, 07/09/2013 - 14:54

When it comes to man-built wonders from past eras, few are still standing and looking as good as the Great Wall of China. It is definitely one of those iconic spots everyone should get to know, if they ever get the chance.

So I thought it would be nice to share with you a few photographs taken at the Wall by some really talented people. If you enjoy these images, don't forget to visit each photographer's portfolio simply by clicking each pic. They'll definitely appreciate it... also, if you got your own pictures at the Great Wall, share with us! We'd love to see it. Cheers! ;)   http://abduzeedo.com/great-wall-china-photography

photo: Kamal Zharif Kamaludin

Donovan - Season of the Witch

[link]The Wicked Witch of the West (portrayed by Miss Piggy) in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz.

Donovan

Making state-of-the art drones in Israel. CNN

CNN Foreign Affairs Reporter Elise Labott take a look at how drones are manufactured in Israel, the world's top exporter of unarmed vehicles.                                                             http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/08/making-state-of-the-art-drones-in-israel/

Photo of the Day: Look what Miguel Cabrera did to this baseball

By Dayn Perry | Baseball Writer. Given that Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera is the reigning AL MVP, reigning triple-crown winner and current leader in batted-ball distance, it's not exactly bold opinion-shaping to say that he often hits the ball rather hard. As the following image shows, however, there's hitting the ball hard, and then there's feloniously assaulting the poor thing ...Continue reading...(Image: FoxSports Ohio)

Randy Travis hospitalized in critical condition

FoxNews.com: Country singer Randy Travis is in critical condition at a Dallas hospital where he is being treated for acquired viral cardiomyopathy, his publicist said Monday.
The Grammy winner was admitted to the unidentified medical facility Sunday. No other details were released.
The Mayo Clinic website describes cardiomyopathy as a disease that weakens and enlarges the heart muscle, making it harder for the heart to pump blood and carry it to the rest of the body. It can lead to heart failure. Treatments range from medications and surgically implanted devices to heart transplants.
Travis, 54, is best known for "Three Wooden Crosses," "Forever and Ever, Amen," "Diggin' Up Bones," and "Deeper Than the Holler."... http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/07/09/randy-travis-hospitalized-in-critical-condition/#ixzz2YWYUVX7Q

Saskatchewan woman dies after contracting hantavirus

The StarPhoenix July 8, 2013 6:06 PM

 Hantavirus is a rare but potentially fatal illness, usually contracted by exposure to infected rodents like deer mice. One-third of hantavirus cases are fatal, with the majority of cases occurring in otherwise healthy adults. Photograph by: John Good , AP Photo/National Park Service

A second person in Saskatchewan has died as a result of complications from hantavirus.
A woman living in the Heartland Health Region, in western Saskatchewan, died in late-June, the provincial government confirmed on Monday. It was the second hantavirus-related death in the Heartland Health Region in June; a man also died as a result of complications from the illness.
Though the two cases were both in the same health region, they are not believed to be connected, provincial officials said.
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially fatal illness, usually contracted by exposure to infected rodents like deer mice. One-third of hantavirus cases are fatal, with the majority of cases occurring in otherwise healthy adults.
The woman’s death last month was the 25th hantavirus case, and eighth death, in Saskatchewan since 1994, according to the provincial government.

© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix http://www.thestarphoenix.com/health/Saskatchewan+woman+dies+after+contracting+hantavirus/8631792/story.html