Saturday Open Thread 03-21-15

Submitted by Cordelia Lear on Sat, 03/21/2015 - 7:45am

Good morning 99percenters!

Simple fact: male birds are more colorful than female birds. Ever wonder why?

Well, you can get up close and personal with some of the fanciest birds in North America at the All About Birds blog.

With colorful quizzes and rare footage you’ll get to know males that use feathers, songs, dance moves, and even design skills to woo mates. Discover the upper limits of extravagance with peacocks, parrots, lyrebirds, hummingbirds, sage-grouse and more.

Then satisfy your curiosity about the origins of fanciness by watching as the birds-of-paradise bring evolution to life.

Here’s hoping you have a great weekend.

This is an open thread. What’s on your mind today?

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Submitted by Big Al on Sat, 03/21/2015 - 9:29am
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being the number one threat in the MIddle East, not ISIS. More proof that ISIS is a fake war
and the real targets are Syria and Iran.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/03/20/petraeus-th...

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Submitted by JtC on Sat, 03/21/2015 - 9:36am

Syria is the excuse, the ultimate goal is to tie up and weaken Iran in a major war. On the Russian/China front it looks like Kyrgyzstan may be in line for the next color revolution. And the beat goes on.

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Submitted by gulfgal98 on Sat, 03/21/2015 - 9:51am
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I am so grateful to Cornell University for this wonderful site. I am trying more and more to learn about birds and identifying those that I see. I have read that veteran birders often identify birds first by their calls and songs. I know a few, but the number and range of songs and calls is amazing.

Thank you for posting this open thread today, Cordelia. Good

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—

Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Submitted by Unabashed Liberal on Sat, 03/21/2015 - 2:26pm
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the calls of two common backyard birds.

The Cardinal call is especially lovely, IMO.

And here's one of the calls of the feisty Blue Jay.

I'll also frequently check out the Cornell U website/blog.

Thanks!

Mollie

[Credit: Northern Cardinal Call -- Wikipedia, Title: Cardinalis cardinalis cardinalis - Northern Cardinal - XC75501.ogg, Author: Jonathon Jongsma]

and,

[Credit: Blue Jay Call -- Wikipedia, Title: Cyanocitta cristata - Blue Jay - XC86756.ogg, Author: Jonathon Jongsma]

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Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.

Submitted by Big Al on Sat, 03/21/2015 - 9:52am
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Here's a previous article of his about how the United States is not a democracy, it's an oligarchy.

http://mycatbirdseat.com/2015/03/90716the-iron-law-of-oligarchy-returns/

"Adding critical firepower to this perspective, Eric Zuesse, cites the study to appear in the Fall 2014 issue of the academic journal Perspectives on Politics, that finds that

“the U.S. is no democracy, but instead an oligarchy, meaning profoundly corrupt, so that the answer to the study’s opening question, ‘Who governs? Who really rules?’ in this country, is:

“‘Despite the seemingly strong empirical support in previous studies for theories of majoritarian democracy, our analyses suggest that majorities of the American public actually have little influence over the policies our government adopts. … When the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.’

“To put it short: The United States is no democracy, but actually an oligarchy.”

Rest in Peace Danny.

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Submitted by mimi on Sat, 03/21/2015 - 10:07am
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watched three minutes news on France24. They had a clip of Michelle Obama being in Cambodia promoting girls rights to a school education there. Though I don't mind at all her engagement in that regard, I realized it made me sad and that I am almost unable to listen to such campaigns anymore.

I would take that with more of an accepting mind and heart, if she would engage in a campaign to support boys' rights in the US to get a good education first.

Sorry, I have a sad this morning. Too close to home

Have a good digital diet and fasting session over the weekend.

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