Archive for July, 2010
Waiting Patiently For Tomorrow
Tomorrow is going to be a big day.
We’re taking a short trip down to Glennville, Georgia to observe a flock of Swallow-Tailed Kites that will be foraging on June bugs. Each year the Swallow-Tailed Kites forage as a flock as they fatten up before their migration to South America.
We’ll be driving several hours (each way) to see this rare occurrence, and we’re all so excited we can hardly stand it.
Of course, this one of my latest photos of a Great Egret, not a Swallow-Tailed Kite, but I should have some decent photos of the Kites to post by Monday.
Let’s Fly!
It’s been a couple months since we’ve gone anywhere, other than the E.L. Huie ponds on a birdwatching trip. Tonight, I am planning a trip up to Rome, Georgia. I love the fact we can drive to places less than an hour away to see some of the most magnificent birds around.
I was lucky to capture the shot of the Eastern Kingbird shown above. It’s those spontaneous shots that keep me coming back for more.
Massachusetts Will Soon Be Seeing Red
Did you hear what happened in Massachusetts today?
The Massachusetts Legislature has approved a new law intended to bypass the Electoral College system and ensure that the winner of the presidential election is determined by the national popular vote.
Yes, you read that correctly. The Massachusetts Legislature essentially took the election of the President of the United States out of the hands of the citizens of Massachusetts. You see, no matter who they vote for in the 2012 election, all electoral votes for Massachusetts will be awarded to the candidate which receives the most popular votes, nationwide!
The bill, which passed on a 28-to-9 vote, now heads to Democratic Governor Deval Patrick’s desk. The governor has said in the past that he supports the bill, said his spokeswoman Kim Haberlin.
Under the law, which was enacted by the House last week, all 12 of the state’s electoral votes would be awarded to the candidate who receives the most votes nationally.
This is idea is actually stupid. Plain and simple. If you want to pass a law that awards your electoral votes based on the popular vote within your state, that’s one thing, but this has nothing to do with the people of Massachusetts, or their vote. If the people of Ohio, Florida, or any other swing state end up taking a candidate over the top with the popular vote, the state of Massachusetts is going to award their electoral votes to that candidate, whether or not that candidate did well in the popular vote.
Massachusetts isn’t alone either. Illinois, Hawaii, Maryland, and Washington have also adopted the same law.
I can hardly wait to see the newscasts on election night 2012. When Illinois, Maryland, Hawaii, and Washington are all painted red because the citizens of those states allowed their legislature to elect “the other guy”.
The current Electoral College system is confusing and causes presidential candidates to focus unduly on a handful of battleground states, supporters say. They also say that the popular vote winner has lost in four of the nation’s 56 elections.
Wow. Four times in 56 elections. I can understand some people wanting to abolish the electoral college, but this bill is way over the top. The first time Massachusetts goes red on the map because of this law, the people will stand up and demand it be repealed. Just watch.
Shirley Sherrod Is Married To Racism
If you pay attention to the news, you’ve heard of Shirley Sherrod by now. There has been a lot of commotion about her and the clip of the speech she gave. Of course, once the entire video was released it didn’t make her look as bad as the clip did (although there is no excuse for the audience’s reaction to her speech).
Well, some people may not think Shirley Sherrod is a racist, but the same cannot be said for her husband, Charles.
What a shame. I actually believed Shirley Sherrod had redeemed herself and didn’t tolerate racism, yet she’s married to it. Believe what you want, but I don’t think Charles Sherrod has any redeeming qualities in this video.
A Sunday Morning In The Sun
Early this morning we ventured down to the Newman Wetland Center in Clayton County to participate in a “dragonfly walk” with noted author, Giff Beaton, and senior conservationist at the center, Carol Lambert.
We had a great time on the wetland center trail, learning about the different species of dragonflies and damselflies. We also learned abotu robber bugs, which I had never heard of before.
We saw everything from the tiniest damselflies to the newly arriving dragonflies.
We’ve been to the wetland center before, but we never noticed so many dragonflies on previous trips.
I couldn’t help but notice that dragonflies have faces.
It was hot in the sun, but we had a great time on this walk.
After we finished the walk, we drove over to the E.L. Huie Land Application Facility to see if any new birds had shown up. We saw a great assortment of Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons, and Great Blue Herons. We also saw a Solitary Sandpiper, a Semi-Palmated Sandpiper, a Sanderling, and a Spotted Sandpiper.
We’re hoping we get a chance to see some Swallow-Tailed Kites this weekend. Of course, I will post photos if we do.
Three Months Later: Oil Spill Links
It’s been about a week since I posted anything about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, so I am going to post all of the links I have been saving for the past few days.
Oil Spill Dispersant Literature
BP Affixes New Cap On Gulf Oil Well
Will the Gulf Oil Spill Affect Birds That Nest in Our Backyards?
Corexit Cuts Survival Rates By 50%
Toxic Dispersants Near Gulf Harm Humans and Wildlife
82 people treated for suspected oil-related illnesses
Independent Gulf Coast Water Testing
Collecting My Thoughts
I am taking one more day to collect my thoughts and try to comprehend the outcome of our local primary election this week. After spending months totally immersed in local and state politics, I am still completely stunned at the results.
Here’s one more photo to get you through the absence of my thoughtful insights. One of these days I will learn to “Let Go, and Let God”. ;)
Still Disgusted
I am still disgusted at the results of our primary election, so I am posting this photo so I can meditate for a while.
