Open Thread – Monday Morning Bathing Beauty
A beautiful and endangered Steller Sea Lion catches the late summer sun in the Chiswell Islands.
Their numbers have decreased 70-80% in these waters since 1970. Their precipitous decline is being closely studied and a current theory blames overfishing of herring, pollock, and other species in the Gulf of Alaska.
Absolutely beautiful. Very majestic. I envy you your photographic opportunities.
Just gorgeous!!!!
heyo
anyone know what she means by
“would have to say things differently?” .. does that mean “not lie” ? or “not talk bad about the President?”
anyone’s thoughts? (RE: Palin’s Hong Kong speechorama)
But CLSA, an arm of French bank Credit Agricole, decided to close Palin’s session to the media after the former Alaska governor indicated that she would have to adjust her speech if reporters were present, Slone said.
“We are very pleased with her attitude towards us. Sarah could have come here and made a media circus,” he said.
“But we said to her, ‘Look, we want you to give the most information to our clients. Do you feel comfortable doing that with the press around?’
“She said, ‘If I do that with the press in the room, I will have to say different things.’”
I thought that once Sarah was no longer governor, politically incorrect twitters were going to come from her flying fingers. I think that someone has muzzled the Mama Bear’s public speaking habits. But, knowing that she is going to let it rip in private is the best invitation for someone to gain access. There is always a guy with a broom, a waiter refilling water glasses and coffee cups, it could even be the pretty hostess who arranges the flowers with the microphone inside. Watch out Sarah, you are never truly alone.
Don’t you wish that just for once someone would say to Sarah, after one of her totally illogical statements, “That doesn’t make any sense. What do you mean?”
I guess that is too much to hope for.
As for the photo, please AKM, publish a book of your masterpieces. Use the proceeds for the blog or the rural villages, or something worthwhile. They are too wonderful not to be available. What a great Christmas present and also for tourists. Please????
What a beautiful picture, AKM! Thanks for sharing. It is very sad to hear they are endangered.
I read Lake Lucille is polluted. What caused that?
Thanks, again! Awesome!
what a beautiful animal. thanks for the picture, now lets work to protect him!
Yikes!! I read in the ADN yesterday that Lisa Murkowski’s wants to introduce an amendment that would make the EPA only allowed to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from mobile sources, and PROHIBIT the agency from regulating heat-trapping emissions from stationary sources like power plants and industrial facilities.
This amendment needs to be stopped.
“Lake Lucille is basically a dead lake — it can’t support a fish population.” State environmental officials say that leaching sewer lines and fertilizer runoff caused an explosion of plant growth in the lake, which sucked the oxygen out of the water and led to periodic fish kills.
Wasilla has highway pollution. “Anything that comes off an automobile — oil, antifreeze, de-icing agents, heavy metals — all of that can run off into the lakes when it rains,”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Lucille
I was watching the History Channel on Commercial Fishing.. no clue “where” it was but one drop of their huge nets and it looked like millions of fish were swooped up
I can see how 30 years (decline since 1970) could have such and impact
We all eat fish.. they say we need more fish in are diet.. we got alot of people and alot of grocery stores with shelves to fill..
I like people want to eat fish.. but eh?
I know nothing about this stuff, but are there practices currently taking place could be adjusted ?
In my house, we eat fish maybe twice a month at most? My cats get 1 can of wild salmon each week (rinse the salt off and mix a bit in with their friskees to make it healthier) …
but all in all I don’t think Americans eat alot of fish.. we are big chicken and beef eaters..
If we all started doing the “healthy” thing and had it more like 3 times a week.. yikes what will be the outcome to the enviornment..
I love seals
.. just not the leopard ones
AKM~ How beautiful..You are truly blessed to be able to see this all around you.
Thank you..:)
Hey AKM, how did you get that picture? I thought I was bathing in private…!
wayney, we could ALL cut down on meat-poultry-fish in this country. We eat way too much in general , but way too much protein. americans think every meal needs a hunk of some kind of protein.
and raising beef cattle is terrible for the environment
we could eat all the fish we wanted if we had to fish for it ourselves
it is commericial net fishing that kills many fish we never eat, just caught in nets
again beautiful picture.I found an interesting story about people posting and being jailed because they did not turn over their hard drives.These cases are in Texas and will be very interesting to watch the outcome of.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6628615.html
#3 Wayney, do you have a link? If she does trash the president we will find out.
I would strongly advise her against it. As far as lying, it’s second nature to her, it’s like breathing for most people. You know what they say “How do you know when simple sarah is lying? When her lips are moving.” Watched A Face in the Crowd on TCM this weekend. Now I know why Keith O calls glenda beck lonesome rhodes. It was made in 1957 but applies to the current climate, worth watching.
Ha!. CMaples on interview now, MCNBC, she said she thought SP never lies to get votes. And not for any interest group. like Acorn………
She is going to speak to a communist group. What she has to say is secret? If there is media present, she will have to change what she says? Huh? Treason, I say!
Beautiful. I can only hope to visit Alaska someday to see some of the things you’ve photographed and shared here for myself. Thank you!
Oh, WOW! So awesomely beautiful!
Thanks!
I’ve seen these Steller Sea Lions at the Sea Lion Caves on the Oregon coast, magnificent animals, a must see if your ever on the coast.
Hey, I came across this little tidbit about defacto Republican visionary Glenn Beck…
http://www.newshounds.us/2009/05/04/glenn_becks_incest_fantasy.php
I don’t know whether to point and laugh or….ewww.
AKM captured a mermaid! Just beautiful.
RE: FISH!!!
Jeremy Piven (some young guy… actor… don’t know him, really) was just on Letterman and even got 2 segments to discuss his MAJOR issues with mercury poisoning. It was all they talked about, except a fleeting mention of his work on Broadway.
He was getting ALL of his protein from FISH. Later, he revealed that 100% of the fish caught in America have a level of mercury in them. His level of mercury was off the charts DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING.
While moderation is the name of the game in everything, Piven got deathly ill… He’s on the road to recovery, but even after a year, is still not down to normal levels of mercury in his blood.
DO NOT THINK that you can live on FISH ALONE!!!! He almost died, but was horribly sick in the meantime (and for a substantial amount of time before they figured out what it was).
The more you know…
I believe tuna is one of the worst. Alaska halibut is one of the least “mercurial” fish. I’ll see if I can find a list to post. AKM
OK, this looks like a good site – Environmental Defense Fund Seafood Selector
Researchers have branded over 17,000 Steller Sea Lion pups in a effort to keep track of their movement.
Too bad that they never bothered to keep track, after all branding, of any Steller Sea Lion, till they were sued.
The coast guard used to target practice on the sea lion rookery at the height of pupping season.
And because it can’t be proved, the trawl fishery has had nothing to do with the decline of sea lion populations.
I find it totally weird that the National Marine FISHERIES Service (NMFS) is responsible for seal species management… so does this mean they manage the seal so they won’t eat the fish?
While the President has to go on TV
( to be politically correct- and not give talking points to the Repugs )
and say these people are not being ‘ racist ‘ with their speech, the Hatriots just can’t help themselves. Each time ‘ somebody’ gets away with it… it encourages another to step up to the plate as well.
( Speaking From the ‘ Values Voters Summit’ )
Roy Blunt ( R-MO ) now steps up to the plate…. to great applause from the crowd.
“Congressman Blunt then went on to tell an anecdote which suggested that life in Washington, for GOP members today, is comparable to the lot of imperial British agents in India who had to contend with monkeys running amok on a golf course….” ( there is video and the whole story on Huffpo)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-wilson/roy-blunt-r-mo-tells-raci_b_292260.html
to jc in co
I posted this link and comments in previous open thread
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/59575-palin-to-address-us-china-relations-in-hong-kong-speech
and, boodog, rest assured that this is not a “communist group” listening earnestly via translator earphones on folding chairs wearing Mao jackets– this is a bunch of highly sophisticated & jaded international investment bankers and their snarky assistants lounging about in custom suits (thank you HK tailors). SP is one of many speakers (all referred to as “keynote” speakers in the materials) at the conference — she is merely a diversion and an amusement for these mostly ex-pat guys.
thanks norwegian blue,
I was commenting tongue-in-cheek, sort of…:)
But wouldn’t it be funny if $P walked in and they WERE wearing Mao jackets, I would pay to see her face…
Thanks, the norwegian blue, I read the comments also. Got some, imho, real woman haters defending princess winky over there. Has she departed on her
big trip? Wonder if rupert and mrs. murdoch are already there. Ate todd and the kids going?
boodog, that would be a hoot! jc, seems like the family arrangements are a little murky these days — who knows!
If you really can’t get enough of this topic
here’s Karl Rove and Greta pondering the disturbing question “can our little girl actually DO this?” Rove hedges pretty strongly while managing to put himself on a pedestal with Reagan and Nixon(!)
http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=4775
jc~Greta & Sean have the kids covered. he he
Here’s Heal the Bay seafood guide page.
http://www.healthebay.org/stayhealthy/seafoodguide/default.asp
It has lots of resources to understand how fish pick up bad stuff. It also has a comprehensive list of links for many of the groups who are watching this stuff with their seafood guides.
I used to work with them years ago when I lived in LA and remember being told by a marine scientist that he like to eat the big deep water fish like Halibut because they were least likely to be picking up bad stuff.
the link
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.9773a6028cbfd3f93a04aa1f37c2801f.551&show_article=1
What a beautiful picture!
For those wondering whether or not SP has ‘ left the country ‘ yet..
I was curious and did a Google search. I used ” Sarah Palin travels to China ”
The Yahoo News was one link. The Yahoo page had 8-9 linked stories from various papers…. all about her ‘ Charity dinner’.. and 1 about the China Trip.
I guess that tells you what people think of Quittypants and how important this trip is. I guess Meg didn’t do a good enough job of advertising the event.
No one knows she is leaving…. AND they don’t care.
Speaking of actual important people… remember, the President will be on Letterman tonight for the whole Show.
@7 Saphire – Here you go
http://thinkprogress.org/
Sen. Lisa Murkowski proposes amendment to cripple EPA power to curb global warming.
on my comment #26 I meant “Are” not “Ate” todd….lol, I thought greta was going to hong kong to be with her girl, guess rupert is still worried about how that would look. Greta’s always being accused of having a “girl crush” on silly sarah. yuck…
Right after I posted I see Huffpo has a thread up about the Letterman Show.
They cover some of the topics he talked about. The Hatriot trolls are all over that thread. They hate to see someone speak intelligently because they have people like Mitch McConnell, Cantor, Boehner and $P as their role models.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/21/obama-on-letterman-video-_n_293936.html
That water make you want to jump in. So blue and refreshing.
#19 winkwink says:
I’ve seen these Steller Sea Lions at the Sea Lion Caves on the Oregon coast, magnificent animals, a must see if your ever on the coast.
————————————————————————
I saw them there in 2006. You take an elevator down some 200′ into the earth and walk a bit to the caves where there is a noise and smell I can’t describe. It is AMAZING to see (and hear) the vast numbers of these precious creatures. They time the waves to give them “lift” when they are leaving the water to leap onto rocks. Fantastic. I’ll never forget that experience.
26 jc in co Says:
September 21st, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Ate todd and the kids going?
I hope she didn’t serve Todd and the children on platter. But they may feel like she have eatten them alive with her new life and the hell with them attitude.
#35 honestyingov
Right after I posted I see Huffpo has a thread up about the Letterman Show.
They cover some of the topics he talked about. The Hatriot trolls are all over that thread. They hate to see someone speak intelligently because they have people like Mitch McConnell, Cantor, Boehner and $P as their role models.
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It finally occurred to me why Obama is hated with such a passion. Because he is articulate, well-educated,, moral, a da*ned good father and husband, the dyed-in-the-wool KKK-ers and Southern “Jim Crows” and right wingnuts MUST tear him down. It just won’t do that a black man (even a half-black) man can succeed in so many areas when they’ve spent their lives espousing the belief that blacks (men in particular) are lazy and shiftless and ignorant and lolling around waiting for a hand-out. They’re having the rug pulled out from under them and it’s terrifying. “What if – as we see – they were wrong???” And, it’s being proved publicly loud and clear how wrong they were. I am reminded of the Wicked Witch of the West when Dorothy threw the water on her – “I”m mellllllllllllting!” Can’t be quick enough for me.
OK, talk me down, tell me I’m not hallucinating.
Glenn Beck tells Katie Couric he’d have rather had Hillary or Obama than McCain for president!!!!
Can’t embed vids here I don’t think so go to th story
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/21/784961/-Glenn-Beck-picks-Obama-and-Hillary-over-McCain.
His pal Palin will be so delighted to hear this. He wouldn’t have voted for her ticket.
Norwegian Blue #27 link-
Only a short news item- but they managed to write it without saying “Governor” once. About time.
#40 UK Lady, yep the sun is going to rise in the west tomorrow, up is down, right is left, black is white! Glenda also said that the country is better off with Obama than it would have been with McCain. Of course he might change his tune tomorrow, women intimidate him. Remember when he was on the View? He was all sucky up to babawawa until the next day when he gave her a piece of his small mind from the safety of his studio. And Billo is for the public option. Are the rats jumping ship or what? I can understand why people would want to distance themselves from the wack-a-doodles but I’m a relatively normal human being, they’re not…
Open Call for American Citizens to Take Action Against Fox News Network, Mark Williams, Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh, O’Reilly, Hannity, Beck
http://hiteminthewallet.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/open-call-for-american-citizens-to-take-action-against-fox-news-network-mark-
williams-and-rush-limbaugh
Apparently, alot of people are filling out the complaint forms. They are tired of the inciting of the crowds that can lead to civil riots. They are tired of the hate speeches with Murdick’s blessing. They are hitting Murdick’s pocket.
Claw Washout~ That i will gladly dooo…Thanks for the linc…
Claw Washout Palin, count me in, also, too. Do you think the ‘new and improved’ O’Reilly can be counted on as well? Heck, with up being down and black being white, maybe even old Beckers will sign!
In regards to Hong Kong speech, I keep hoping the “jokesters” have a silly speech lampooning her that they read to the audience instead of translating hers as she speaks.
Earlier in the summer I was visiting my kid in San Diego, and he took us down to La Jolla Cove, where, on this rather large rock down by the water, there was what I would describe as a sea lion (just California, not Steller’s) daycare center — thirty or forty pups zonked out on top of each other, and a half dozen adults keeping an eye on things.
Of course, not being AKM, I have no pictures except those in my memory.
It always seems to me that sea lions should be closely related to cats — they always look so darn comfortable.
Ooohhh, that Sea Lion Cave on the Oregon Coast is something else. Wow are they loud and smelly (it’s not so concentrated when you see them hauled out on islands up here).
Watched the Glenn Beck Show today and it was vile. Just filed my complaint. He had a flow chart with Soros at the top which he erased to Obama. He had arrows leading to and from Obama, health care, SEIU and Acorn stating they were interconnected Then he said Obama’s first mentor was a communist. That was about all I could stomach.
Please, continue to file your fcc complaints. This is not news, broadcasting or journalism. Not sure what the purpose or type of programing this is called, except deplorable.
We are asking you, if you believe, Fox News and the rest are major components in inciting our citizens, utilizing, their media outlet as a weapon, to derail peace. Please, contact the Federal Communications Commission and lodge your complaints today. Our goal is not to infringe on anybody’s freedom of speech rights.
However, the question is, whether the words used by them, are used in such circumstances, and are of such a nature, as to put, us, all, in clear or present danger. That their words, will incite, substantive, evils against our citizens or president.
Military families have already taken a stand (please read). And, we urge other citizens, to do so too–by lodging 10 million (minimum of) complaints.
http://hiteminthewallet.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/open-call-for-american-citizens-to-take-action-against-fox-news-network-mark-williams-and-rush-limbaugh/
Unimpeachable reliable source on health-related seafood issues, including current research-based info on mercury.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx
Ratings of particular seafoods, environmental impact, health issues.
Our Seafood Ratings
Best Choices: Seafood in this category is abundant, well-managed and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways.
Good Alternatives: These items are an option, but there are concerns with how they’re caught or farmed-or with the health of their habitat due to other human impacts.
Avoid: Take a pass on these items for now. They are caught or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment.
Patagonia’s environmental issues campaign.
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?slc=en_US&sct=US&assetid=21082
Lots of really good information, accurate, somewhat neutral, well-presented.
Excerpt:
“As the world’s fishing industry has become increasingly industrialized, many small-scale sustainable fishermen have been forced out, and whole fisheries have been pushed to the edge of collapse. In general, we follow the guidelines set out by programs such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, a consumer’s guide to sustainable seafood choices (mbayaq.org). But fisheries issues are extremely complex and ever-changing, and before buying a new fish, with the help of Monterey Fish, we learn as much as we can about both the state of the particular fishery and the practices of its fishermen. This transparency is vital. As we’ve learned with salmon, what seems at first to be a limitation can open up entirely new possibilities. Fish is one of the last wild foods we regularly see on the dinner table. If we want this to continue to be the case, we must carefully consider the ramifications of our buying decisions. For as Lulu taught me, nothing else brings us quite the same sense of the sustaining beauty of nature as a perfect fish, straight from the sea.”