Leahgates

fat-birds:

Old Dutch Capuchine by Melonblossomlee on Flickr.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted some fancy pigeons…so here is a fancy pigeon.

it’s important to have some good fancy pigeons in your life

matthulksmash:

brainiac13:

Besties!

I. Can’t. Handle. THE CUTENESS!!!

alioutfit:

This was taken on Saturday afternoon as Ali was on his way to a local bar to watch the football. I can’t decide if I like the suit or the white leather shoes more!

the bar has been raised for what we wear to get drunk/eat eggs/watch football at Lucky Bar on Saturday mornings

schneebsmagoo:

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I’m a woman’s man: no time to talk.

snoopy409:

Bath time. Not my favorite of times.

Ed. note: This is a guest post from Mychal Denzel Smith. He is a writer, social commentator, and mental health advocate whose work on politics, social justice, mental health, and black male identity has appeared in outlets such as The Nation, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Gawker, Salon, The Root, and more.

It seems simple enough: If you participate in the cover up of a rape, especially one that involves minors, you should lose your job. If your job requires you to be responsible for teenagers, then two of those teenagers rape an intoxicated 16-year-old and share photos of the act through social media, and your response is to joke about it with them, it’s not that hard to decide you should no longer have that job. There’s no controversy there. It’s just plain damn common sense.

But that seemed to escape the Steubenville school board when the decided to extend Steubenville High football coach Reno Saccoccia’s administrative contract by two years. To be clear, this is different from his coaching contract–it’s described as “supplemental” by the school superintendent, but it means Saccoccia will still be employed even after two boys he coached were found guilty of rape, with one of them under the impression that Saccoccia “took care of it.” This is how rape culture works.

In the town’s attempt to “move on,” they neglected to make a simple decision to signal that they take rape seriously and have a genuine interest in changing the culture that enabled these young men to believe they could get away with what they did. They’ve sent the message that they don’t find anything wrong with the way the coach handled this situation, and likely has been handling similar situations for the duration of his 30-year career. They’ve thrown their support behind “Coach Sac” and bought into the idea that “football is king” even if it means also throwing their support behind a culture that condemns rape in the abstract but is incredibly lax when it comes to actual prevention and punishment. This is how rape culture works. 

Saccoccia is charged with teaching teenage boys on the cusp of adulthood the fundamentals of the game of football, but he’s also instructing them in masculinity. What they’re learning from his inaction (aside from the suspension the players received eight games into a ten game season), and now his reward, muddies the potential lesson of the guilty verdict. Yes, it’s possible if they were to ever find themselves being accused of rape they could face legal consequences, but they can always run to Coach Sac, right? He’ll help them out. He’ll help see them through their ordeal. He may even help them laugh it off. That’s just what guys do. This is how rape culture works.

And if we’re going to do anything to change that, people have to start being held accountable. Perhaps Saccoccia didn’t actively attempt to cover up the rape, and the text message suggesting he had was the exaggeration of an overeager teenager, who was relieved at the time to believe that he wouldn’t be in any real trouble. It’s possible. But did Saccoccia alert anyone when he found out what happened? Did he call the police? Did he immediately suspend the boys who committed the rape, who took the pictures, who attended the party and watched this all take place without saying a word? Did he take practice time to explain to the team what consent is and how they should always have it before engaging in any sexual act? Did he at least tell the principal?

He didn’t do anything. That’s how rape culture works. A bunch of people turn a blind eye when their interests run up against those of justice, and then they pass those values down to the next generation. And it’s how rape culture is going to keep working if you can’t fire someone who perpetuates it.

Image via.

U. MICHIGAN (US) — Students who attend large high schools are less likely to form interracial friendships, new research finds.

For a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers used both simulated and real data to examine how the size of a community affects the way young people form friendships.

U. WASHINGTON (US) — Astronomers have discovered perhaps the most Earth-like planet yet found outside our solar system.

Researchers say Kepler 62f is a small, probably rocky planet orbiting a sunlike star in the Lyra constellation. The planet is about 1.4 times the size of Earth, receives about half as much solar flux, or heat and radiation, as Earth and circles its star in 267.3 (Earth) days.

UNC-CHAPEL HILL (US) — New protocols and policies are needed to help physicians assess a patient’s physical or mental competency to carry a concealed weapon, say experts.

In the wake of recent mass shootings, such as the one in Newtown, Conn., physicians are increasingly being called on to pass judgment in the permitting process on whether their patient is physically and mentally competent to safely have and use a concealed weapon.

JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — Scientists have found that the brain can bring together unconnected memories about places, allowing us to mentally map out new routes to get us where we want to go.

Researchers monitoring the activity of special cells in the hippocampus of rat brains were able to see the rats’ “thoughts” as they navigated through familiar territory in search of a chocolate reward.

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — College coaches who emphasize players’ academic abilities may be the best defense against negative typecasting of student athletes.

Researchers found that student-athletes were significantly more likely to be confident in the classroom if they believed their coaches expected high academic performance, not just good enough grades to be eligible for sports.

“Coaches spend a lot of time with their players, and they can play such an important role to build academic confidence in student-athletes,” says lead author Deborah Feltz, professor at Michigan State University.

MCGILL (CAN) — The popular puzzle video game Tetris appears to be a winner when it comes to treating adults with amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye.”

By distributing information between the two eyes in a complementary fashion, the video game trains both eyes to work together, which is counter to previous treatments for the disorder, which included patching.

JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — Physicians build much less of an emotional rapport with overweight and obese patients than with patients of normal weight, a study suggests.

The study was small—involving 39 primary care doctors and 208 patients—but has potentially significant implications, because bonding with doctors is important for good health outcomes. Earlier studies showed that patients of more empathetic physicians are more likely to adhere to recommendations and respond to behavior-change counseling.

BROWN (US) — Double cropping—planting two crops in a field in the same year— improves schools, helps advance public sanitation, raises median income, and creates jobs in rural Brazil.

New research focuses on the state of Mato Grosso, the epicenter of an agricultural revolution that has made Brazil one of the world’s top producers of soybeans, corn, cotton, and other staple crops.

Submitted by: Unknown

Lol by: Unknown (via Tastefully Offensive)

On March 13 this Eurasian Eagle Owl hatched at Pittsburgh's National Aviary, the only one of its species hatched at any AZA facility in the past five years. The newly-hatched chick weighed 49.5 grams to start and has developed beautifully, doubling in size in just five days. By one month of age she was standing, walking and stretching her wings, as well as beginning public appearances to serve as an ambassador for her species. DNA testing of the egg verified what the measurements predicted: the owl is a female.

The bird’s parents, named X and Dumbledore, serve as education birds, trained to free fly in shows and perch on a glove for group programs. On September 25, during X's break from performing, she was placed in an exhibit adjacent to Dumbledore for a two-month howdy period. They were introduced, and breeding behaviors were seen within six weeks of pairing. A total of three eggs were laid every other day, the first on February 7. Shortly before hatching, the fertile egg was removed from the nest to complete incubation for hand-rearing. Click HERE to read all the details of the fascinating hatching and rearing process. 

Photo Credit: National Aviary

Eurasian Eagle-owls are the largest species of owl in the world and are found in North Africa, Europe, Asia and Middle East. Females, on average, are one third larger than the male. Males weigh 4- 5 ½ pounds, while a larger female can weigh close to 7 pounds. Their height ranges from 2 to 2 ½ feet tall, with a wingspan of approximately 5 ½ feet. 

See the owl on it's first TV show. Story and pictures continue after the jump:

The first television outing for the owlette was an appearance on Pittsburgh Today Live, where it perched for the first time. The baby did a great job educating people about the species, but all the activity brought on a little nap. 

Submitted by: Unknown

Submitted by: Unknown

Staff at Nordens Ark in Sweden finally got a glimpse of their newest residents, three Wolverine pups. The pups, born on February 21st, recently emerged from their mother's den; where they spent the first six weeks of their lives completely dependent on their mother.

Wolverines have a fairly small captive population of around one hundred individuals internationally. Since Wolverines are considered to be difficult to breed in captivity, and are associated with high infant mortality, this is a very important birth for the captive population. This is the second litter for the mother. She proved to be an excellent mother to her first litter of pups, so keepers are optimistic about the outlook for her newest batch.

Photo credits: Tom Svensson / Nordens Ark

Wolverines are medium sized predators. They are classified in the same family as Weasels, and are the largest species in this grouping. They are ferocious predators that are known to take down prey several times their own size. Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe and Asia, Wolverines have adapted to a wide range of habitats. They are currently listed as species of "least concern" by the IUCN due to relatively large population numbers. Despite this, in February of 2013, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed give the species protection under the Endangered Species Act due to habitat loss as a result of global climate change.

Submitted by: Unknown

Feminist Majority Foundation intern Colleen Osborne at the Virginia Board of Health protesting TRAP laws. Pic via.

Earlier this month, the Virginia Board of Health voted 11 to 2 for new, irrational regulations on abortion clinics in the state, which many reproductive health and justice advocates correctly noted were intended not to make clinics safer for patients but to effectively erode access to abortion care in the state.

This weekend, the effects of such laws were felt loud and clear, as Hillcrest Clinic, the first South Hampton Roads medical facility ever to provide legal abortions, decided to close its doors for good after 40 years in business, noting that it would cost nearly $500,000 to meet the requirements set by the new law, including changing ventilation and temperature controls.

Since it opened in 1973 on 1600 E. Little Creek Rd, Hillcrest Clinic has been serving the people of Tidewater, Virginia with safe and legal healthcare including abortion services. The clinic employed 15 people. As all American abortion clinics are, it had been host to a number of violent attacks (pipe bombs, arson) as well as persistent, intrusive picketing and protests from anti-choice radicals.

The clinic website confirmed the news, posting a message that reads, in part, “After 40 years of providing quality reproductive health care, Hillcrest Clinic is closing effective April 20, 2013. We have been honored to serve the women of Tidewater with safe, legal healthcare for four decades.”

This is not the first time that such deceitful laws, known as TRAP laws, have been used to target abortion clinics with the intention of shutting them down. While their language is designed as aiming to protect the health of patients, they very blatantly put patient’s health at risk by singling out abortion clinics and holding them to unreachable standards. We’ve most recently covered the same process in Mississippi. Mother Jones explains how it works:

“Anti-abortion legislators pass what are often called “TRAP” laws, or “targeted regulation of abortion providers.” That is, regulations that only apply to abortion clinics, setting compulsory standards that are often difficult to meet, like mandated sizes for waiting and recovery rooms, reconfiguring of exits and entrances to facilities, and additional bathrooms.”

Anti-choice supporters of such laws often co-opt language of safety and health to argue that the regulations are to protect patients. But clinic staff and women’s rights advocates know that the regulations are designed to force abortion clinics to close as part of their radical right-wing agenda. This is how it worked in Mississippi, where even as legislators stated publicly that the bill was meant to merely “protect” the health of women, the Governor said he wanted Mississippi to be ‘‘abortion-free” as he signed the bill into law, and a State Rep. acknowledged while bragging about the law that women may turn to coathanger abortions as a result.

Of course, Life News, a manipulative and rabidly anti-choice website with close ties to anti-choice legislators and protesters, touted the closing as a win.

“Prayers are always answered,” said a longtime Hillcrest protester. “And the prayers are answered in God’s time, not ours.”

These are the kinds of “pro-life” people who rejoice at the CLOSING of healthcare facilities. These are the kinds of “pro-life” policies that force desperate people and especially those at the margins to endure lower standards of care, and prop up shoddy, illegal, dangerous operations like those of Dr. Kermitt Gosnell.

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is at the center of much of this policy and is rumored to be running for Governor in the state. We’ll be following that election closely. If you’re a Virginia state resident, you know what to do with your ballot.

As frustrating and infuriating as this is, there’s another silver lining to the story. The clinic staff deserve huge kudos for having kept the clinic up and running and serving the community for so long. While the TRAP laws are undoubtedly a big part of this story and the main reason for the clinic’s closing, it’s also promising that in recent years, the demand for abortion services was declining, showing that abortion providers, counselors and medical staff at the clinic were doing great work and providing people with the kind of healthcare that allowed them to avoid unwanted pregnancy and exercise reproductive choice.

The other piece of good news? So far, Hillcrest is the only clinic to indicate that it won’t be seeking renewal. The other three clinics in South Hampton Roads said they anticipate meeting the new requirements. Take that, TRAP.

Submitted by: Iron-man01

A female Baird’s Tapir was born on April 2nd at Brevard Zoo. With her mother Josie and father Pewee, she brings the zoo's tapir count up to three. Mom and baby are doing well, bonding behind the scenes.  Both will be on exhibit in the near future. Before this new addition, Josie had given birth to four male offspring and one female.

Baird’s Tapir, an endangered species, tend to live near water sources in dense tropical forest throughout Central America. They are agile runners and swimmers, and will often take shelter in water when disturbed. These ancient herbivores have changed very little in the past thirty-five million years. Their trunk-like snout, called a proboscus, probably evolved more recently within the past few million years. These shy creatures are born with a pattern of spots and stripes that help young to camouflage on the dappled forest floor. The coloration fades as they mature. In the wild, young may stay with their mother for up to two years.

Often called mountain cows, the Baird’s Tapir the largest indigenous mammal in Central America, and is the national animal of Belize. With the wild population estimated at less than 5,500 individuals, they are listed as endangered by the IUCN. They are threatened by extensive deforestation and habitat fragmentation, as well a local hunting. Brevard Zoo was particularly happy to welcome a female because she is very promising for the captive population. 

Submitted by: Unknown (via Costumecraze)

When Ydra, a female South American Tapir at the Netherlands’ Artis Zoo, was restless and refused her food last week, zoo keepers knew it wouldn’t be long before she delivered her calf.  Sure enough, on April 10, a male calf was born and Ydra licked him clean as he lay beside her on the straw.

Named Alexandro, the calf is the first offspring for Ydra and her mate Carlo.  Though Alexandro was delivered breech (feet first), he was healthy and strong. At just one week old, he moved into the zoo’s mixed-species exhibit with Llamas, Maras, Capybaras, and Giant Anteaters.

Photo Credit:  Artis Zoo

South American Tapirs, also known as Brazilian Tapirs, are native to Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and Paraguay, where they feed on leaves and fruits in the Amazon rain forest.  The brown-and-white speckled coat of Tapir calves provides camouflage in the dense forest.  These Tapirs are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).  Alexandro’s birth is a significant contribution to the European breeding program for this species.

See more photos of Alexandro below the fold.

Class, earlier in the week..we discussed this classic Interspecies Snorgling case. Most fascinating. Now, we wrap up the week by heading over The Great Pond to the UK, where, according to Huffington Post UK, “Captain Owen Beynon Brown of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery introduced his dog ‘Lord Percy’ to horse ‘Tango’.”

Sent in by Cuteporter Bogi V. Images by Getty Images/Oli Scarff.