Half the World's Wildlife Has Disappeared in Just 40 Years

Global wildlife populations have declined by a stunning 52 percent over the past four decades, and humans are largely to blame.

That's according to a newly released study conducted by the World Wildlife Fund and the Zoological Society of London, which analyzed an index of 10,000 different animal populations (referred to in the study as the Global Living Planet Index) comprised of more than 3,000 species of vertebrates, a group of animals that includes mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and birds.

The report attributes this insane drop almost entirely to human activity, including overfishing, unsustainable agriculture, a dramatic loss in natural habitats, and—of course—climate change.

The most severe decline was experienced by freshwater species, whose populations fell a shocking 76 percent—nearly twice the rate experienced by marine and terrestrial species (both of which dropped by 39 percent). The most significant reductions in wildlife occurred largely in the tropics, especially in South America.

"This damage is not inevitable but a consequence of the way we choose to live,"said the Zoological Society's Ken Norris, according to the AP. "There is still hope. Protecting nature needs focused conservation action, political will and support from industry."

While Norris' message leaves room for a bit of encouragement, it remains to be seen if the WWF's latest data will spur significant political action, particularly in light of the upcoming United Nations climate change and sustainability meeting in 2015.

Cover Michelle Obama’s Speech and What She Says an Aide Told Her Had Her ‘Creeped Out’

Meg Kissinger is a seasoned reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin’s well-known newspaper. She’s seen a lot in her days. But what she said happened at a speech by Michelle Obama in the state on Monday left her utterly “creeped out.”

Kissinger took to her Facebook and Twitter page to describe what happened. In short, she said, aides for both the first lady and Wisconsin Democratic candidate for governor, Mary Burke, told her she was banned from talking to members of the crowd.

Kissinger was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, covering the first lady’s speech in which she was stumping for Burke.

“[A]ssigned to cover Michelle Obama’s speech today and was told by a Mary Burke aide and one for the White House that I could not speak to the people in the crowd,” she said on her Facebook page. 

“To say that I was creeped out is an understatement. This is what reporters do in America: we speak to people. At least that’s how I’ve been doing things — at all kinds of political events — since 1979.”

She recounted the same events on Twitter:

The odd encounter did make it into her story for the Journal Sentinel.

At the Burke event, a number of people in the crowd were upset about a lack of seating. Several people, including a woman using two canes, complained that she had nowhere to sit.

Reporters and photographers were cordoned off in a central area with chairs and tables. Several people in the crowd asked if they could have extra chairs reserved for the media — but reporters were initially forbidden from handing them over. Eventually, some of the Burke staff gave the extra chairs to attendees.

Burke and White House staff also told reporters not to talk to people in the crowd before the event.

Kissinger’s encounter bolsters charges by the media that the administration is one of the most guarded ever.

Pilot Steers Hot Air Balloon Through Giant Underground Cave

Hot-air balloons are known for floating gracefully into the wild blue yonder and giving passengers a spectacular view of the horizon unfolding beneath them. This picturesque tradition is what makes Austrian Ivan Trifonov's balloon exploit such a head scratcher. 

Rather than vault into the air, Trifonov took his balloon, complete with custom-made seat, into the depths of a cave. In a feat of aerial precision, Trifonov slowly descended into the Mamet Cave in Croatia, which is 675 feet deep. Video of the event, filmed on Sept. 18, was taken from all angles and looks stunning if claustrophobia-inducing.

The trip is being reviewed by Guinness World Records to verify that it is a new record (Trifonov figures it is). Of course, the boundaries of this cave are very difficult to maneuver for just about any pilot, so if verified, this world record will probably stand for quite a while.

But even if it isn't confirmed, Trifonov already has four world records to his name, including having been the first to balloon over both of the Earth's poles, the Mediterranean Sea, Jerusalem, the Great Wall of China, and the Kremlin. What's more, Trifonov accomplished his balloon-spelunking mission at the age of 70.

It's just proof that age doesn't have to slow you down, even if you are traveling slowly down.

Navy sailors mistrust leaders, 90 percent see admirals as ‘risk averse’e

“Sailors feel strongly about their distrust of senior leadership, and believe the Navy has a significant risk-averse culture and zero-defect mentality,” the report says. 

“Officers in particular hold an incredibly negative view of the current state of affairs, 

with vast majorities decrying the 

overwhelming perception of a risk averse and zero-defect mentality culture.”

Navy sailors harbor “widespread mistrust” in the admirals who command them, complaining of poor leadership and a disciplinary environment that tolerates absolutely no mistakes, says a survey of the fleet. The disgruntlement runs deepest in the officer corps, where scores of commanders have been relieved of duty in recent years.

I have read this a few times ... still not sure what it states. My only comment, that carrier seems like it should be "listing to starboard." What is on the port side to compensate and balance all the weight on the other side, the bridge, etc. If anyone can offer me a simpler interpretation of the above, feel free to do so.

"At the end ... of a perfect day ..................."

"Greatly blessed, highly favored .................."

It has taken me 82 years to get here, but the wait was well worth while.

Via the internet, my birthday has been acknowledged by hundreds of people, both here in Newark, some out of state and a plethora (I use that word a lot) of people from the Gem City, Dayton, Ohio with well wishes.

I have heard from ALL, family and friends. A "ground swell" of relatives and friends ended up here at our apartment this afternoon and evening, including dear and old friend, Craig Young. My "pond" is tranquil, no ripples at this time.

I did not hear from the Governor or the President, but, I really did not expect to. My cousin, Merrill Dooley sent well wishes, he is one of the few "cousins" left. I heard from Jim Madison in Oklahoma, and Jane Dooley, my niece, and all my family, it has been a good day, and even neater, nothing planned, it just all worked out well.

Thanks to all

I will sleep well tonight, before that, I will drop to my knees, by my bed, and thank Him for standing with me, and allowing me all of these years, and to continue to look out for my family, and those around me ..... I am ...

"Greatly blessed, highly favored ....................."

Oh, what a surprise, it's my birthday!

I get birthday well wishes from Google, my Facebook friends, primarily the group from Dayton, Ohio, and organizations I have never heard of. When I opened Google this morning .... there were pictures of cakes .... and a happy birthday.

I remember in 1950, I was a Cadet, at The Citadel, in Charleston, South Carolina. The President of the school was one, Charles Pelot Summerall, a General. I remember seeing him, driving on campus, and we all joked and commented on his being .............. 82 ............. and still able to drive. That was 64 years ago, and now ..... well.

The hardest part of being 82, is realizing that I am 82. I'm still a kid, not an old man. I have known people who were 82, they were old .... an emotional roller coaster of realization .... wow.

I am going to use this means to thank all those who graciously extended their best wishes to me. I used to have to promote my birthday with web sites, emails and phone calls. Now, thanks to Facebook, it is all done for me.

I did take a "When will you die" quiz the other day on Facebook, many odd questions, none about my age though, and the result ..... I live to 88 .... no arguments from me.

Again, thank you all .......................

Happy Birthday to ME...................9/30

EXCESSIVE ..... You bet!

I have a hunch  this will come back to haunt OSU football. A student running on to the field is not new. Choking him and throwing him to the ground ...... is new.

In the stadium were 100,000 spectators, MANY of who had spent the afternoon and evening, "tailgating" .... eating and drinking, a Saturday tradition, in many ways, encouraged by the university.

I do not think this treatment was warranted, especially as an exhibition put on by the Strength Coach at the University. That body slam could cause some permanent damage to the young man. Coach Meyer joked and made lite of the occurrence and brushed it aside.

STOPPING the boy is one thing BODY SLAMMING him, full force, to the ground, to me, is very much EXCESSIVE and reflects negatively on the coach, and the entire university and staff.

I imagine we will hear more about this ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAUqzppPgA4

Derek Jeter Cancels Retirement, Signs 3-Year Contract With Boston Red Sox

The franchise player Derek Jeter is sure to disappoint every New York Yankee fan in the world after deciding not to retire after this baseball season. One of their star players for years, Jeter has signed a multi-year deal with Yankees rival the Boston Red Sox.

According to sources, Boston has been eyeing the possibility of picking up Jeter since he announced he would retire after this year, his 20th season in the MLB. Reportedly, the deal will make him an additional $25 million a year for the 3 years of his contract.

Reports have confirmed that Jeter and his agents have agreed to the terms of the contract, and Jeter is signing on the dotted line Wednesday evening.

Rumors swirled across the league that the Red Sox sent Jeter an offer during the all-star break, but insiders say they didn’t believe that Jeter would be interested. After 20 years in baseball, the game has taken its toll on Jeter, and he reportedly was looking forward to giving up the game. Once Jeter’s lawyers got their hands on the contract, they persuaded him to take the deal.

“It was great to have Derek on the team and he has done a lot for this organization and will always be remembered for what he has down for this team,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. “I don’t know his exact future after this season, but he will not be playing in a Yankee uniform and never will again.”

Players across the league have taken to social media to comment on the deal, with tweets being been made by several Yankees players, saying things like “Jeter made an A-Rod Move” and “Years of history will be ruined with one signature.”

So far, Jeter has not commented publicly on his deal. A request for comments from Jeter’s management team was not immediately returned.

1932

A well deserved tribute .......... tonight

I like baseball, not a dedicated fan, loved the old Reds, but I will watch tonight, and I will cry, probably sob .... out of respect for a dedicated man, A TRUE PROFESSIONAL, on my list, and there are not many. He is there with Arnold Palmer, John Havlicek,  bobby Orr, and a few others. Exemplary lives in their personal life and there chosen professional career. In this day and age, loyalty, in itself, is hard to find, a dedicated work ethic, a leader, and example, hard to find. I will be going back and forth between football and baseball .... 

NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter will receive his ultimate lifetime achievement award at some point Thursday night, whenever Joe Girardi decides to remove him from the game and turn him over to the full house. The fans will cheer, cry and do whatever moves them to celebrate the 40-year-old New York Yankees captain, and then Jeter will leave the Bronx as an active player for the final time.

He will leave with all kinds of trophies and milestones zipped inside his travel bag, and one that shouldn't be lost under the pile. His only perfect record. Barring the sudden emergence of a hotheaded umpire fixing to break Twitter for good, Jeter will exit Yankee Stadium having played 2,903 major league games, postseason included, without earning a single ejection.

Yes, the adults in the stands have dressed their kids in jersey No. 2 because of the five championships, the 3,461 hits and the commitment to approaching every game the way Joe DiMaggio did -- as if someone out there was watching him play for the very first time. But the respect Jeter forever showed the game's authority figures at a time when that respect on ballfields across America, from Little League to the pros, was an oft-ignored suggestion, not a mandate, represented a core piece of his mass appeal.

In more than 20 years Jeter never once lost it with an umpire, a remarkable feat considering how verbal abuse of umps has long been accepted as part of the game, just like Cracker Jack, ballpark franks and the seventh-inning stretch. Not just accepted, but encouraged. Glorified, even.

"Music soothes the savage beast"

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Harpist Terri Tacheny long enjoyed taking her young daughters to Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota, except for the Primate House, where she thought the gorillas, orangutans and monkeys seemed a little lethargic.

Her solution: A little music.

Now Tacheny, 57, a zoo volunteer, plays once a month for an appreciative audience that ambles down to the barrier as soon as Tacheny begins setting up her beautifully carved wooden harp. She's been doing it for nearly a decade.

"I don't speak gorilla, but there's a gorilla purr that occurs when I begin to play. And that's their happy sound," Tacheny said.

As the shimmering sounds of Tacheny's harp drift through the leafy zoo, a male gorilla stares through the fence at the musician, then chews contentedly on vegetation. Families stop to snap pictures.

A therapeutic harpist, Tacheny plays for hospital patients to help them deal with pain and anxiety. She thought if the soothing sounds helped calm humans, it would work for the primates too.

"I would love to see every zoo have a harpist. I think it benefits the animals," said Tacheny, a quick-to-smile woman.

Ripley 9/25

Wheels are still turning .... so to speak

One last thought for the day .... crime and television, they seem to go hand in hand. Many, or most popular TV shows revolve around police work and crime. I wonder why that is? What is there about crime and police work that is so interesting to the viewing public?

I still question that judges decision about the race car driver  who killed that other driver. It is the fault of the guy who got killed because, reportedly, he was under the influence of marijuana. It's OK to "smoke" and drive, a race car, on a race course, with a high power engine, on a racetrack, but, no walking. I would be very surprised if they did not have some type of drug testing. I wonder what the amount of marijuana smoked, renders one ..... to have poor judgement .... to the point where one would walk right into a high powered ...... race car?

OJ Simpson, the guy in England with the springy legs that shot his gorgeous girlfriend while she was taking a shower, And here, in my opinion, a hothead, in an instant, makes a wrong decision, takes a young boys life ..... nothing happens, and he goes on with his life.

A Civil Suit, I think not, too many deep pocket sponsors, millions in advertising on TV, it will be quietly settled ...... out of court. End of the story, not the race ...........

I do predict though, that Stewart will end his driving career soon. I imagine it is tough enough for a driver to just see a comrade driver get killed on the track in an accident .... and continue driving, but to be directly responsible for the death of a driver ..... never get over it. And, there may be some who believe in ..... an eye for an eye .....  perhaps a "target" on the back of Mr. Stewart????????

Them what's Got .... Gets!

BREAKING UPDATE: 

Kevin Ward Jr. Was Under Influence of Marijuana, "Enough to Impair Judgment," Night of Death, Prosecutor Says

What about the JUDGEMENT of the man who killed him?

Can we all go around, now asking, "Is your Judgement impaired by Marijuana?" And, then, if the answer is YES .................. WE CAN RUN THEM DOWN AND KILL THEM .........

I would like to know more about this .... little said .. can you say ... WHITEWASH

A grand jury has decided against charging NASCAR star Tony Stewart in the August death of another driver at a sprint car race in upstate New York.

The decision was announced Wednesday, nearly seven weeks after Stewart's car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. at a dirt-track race on Aug. 9 in Canandaigua.

District Attorney Michael Tantillo also said Ward was under the influence of marijuana that night "enough to impair judgment."

'Jersey Shore' star 'The Situation' Sorrentino indicted on tax charges

By Aruna Viswanatha

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino, star of reality TV show "Jersey Shore," and his brother have been charged with not properly paying taxes on $8.9 million in income, according to an indictment handed down on Wednesday.

Sorrentino, who popularized the phrase "gym, tan, laundry" to refer to the pre-party routine of the show's cast members, allegedly failed to report income and claimed clothes and cars as business expenses.

The brothers, who are charged with conspiring to defraud the United States and filing false tax returns, are expected to appear in federal court later on Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney in New Jersey said.

The MTV show "Jersey Shore," which stopped production in 2012, featured a cast of 20-something Italian Americans partying, tanning and complaining about their jobs at a beach-front T-shirt stand.

"OJ' Tony Stewart Won't Face Charges in Deadly Crash

He has to live with it, I still think he had a momentary "snap" when he saw he was coming after him. Notorious quick temper .... for a split second moment .... I think, he meant to do it. We will never know, St. Peter does, and the time will come ............

A grand jury has decided against charging NASCAR star Tony Stewart in the August death of another driver at a sprint car race in upstate New York.

The decision was announced Wednesday, nearly seven weeks after Stewart's car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. at a dirt-track race on Aug. 9 in Canandaigua.

Ward had climbed from his car after it had spun while racing alongside Stewart. The 20-year-old walked down the track, waving his arms in an apparent attempt to confront the three-time NASCAR champion.

The front of Stewart's car appeared to clear Ward, but Ward was struck by the right rear tire and hurtled through the air. He died of blunt force trauma. Stewart skipped three races following what he called a tragic accident.

obama addresses the UN

The president, and his good friend, the teleprompter, address the UN this morning.

Ironic, do you have to show any credentials to get in to the UN building? Here is a person, who has never proven, to all, his credentials to be the president of the country, and here he is, addressing the world.

I hope, that in years to come, stories are told, movies are made, about the person who bluffed his way in to this position.

This is the same person who saluted some Marines this morning, with a coffee cup in his hand.

Even if he is legitimate, he is who he claims to be, I do not think he has any of the necessary qualifications to address such a world group. He has little to no experience or training. Regardless of "everything" .... he is a lite weight in the diplomacy field.

We do have some, in this country, much more qualified to address the UN at such a critical time in our nations history.

Way too many unanswered questions ..... and look where he is .... he is great at what he does???????