A.M. SCRAMBLE: Molson Stiffed by Rheem, Poker Player Buys NBA Team & a Story About Be
 

Another day, another cheating scandal. On the heels of the Girah Scandal comes anotherplayer calling out another player for less-than-honest behavior.It’s not all about dishonesty though, there are a couple of poker players who are tryingto make a living the old fashioned way. We’ve got it all covered in Thursday’s AM SCRAMBLE. Read on.Will Molson [...]

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Cameron: Fightback against rioters has begun
 

Authorities considering social media restrictions and curfews, UK prime minister says, after days of rioting.

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Bushbuck - The Fighting Antelope
 

http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/we...s/bushbuck.jpgThe Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) is a very unusual specimen of the antelope family. It has several distinguishing characteristics that make it stand out from the herd, so to speak. An unusual coat, feisty temper and odd gait are amongst the traits that make the Bushbuck such a fascinating creature.

Instead of living on open grasslands and savannas, as many of its cousins do, the Bushbuck is a forest-dwelling antelope. It makes its home in a wide array of forest types. Rainforests, savanna-forest mosaics, light woodlands, and savanna bush forests are amongst its favorite habitats. It is also widely dispersed, and can be found across many parts of Africa, including Senegal, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Angola and Sahel and down to the Cape of South Africa.

Because the Bushbuck is a forest-dwelling antelope, it is a browser, not a grazer. While grass certainly isn't off the menu, the Bushbuck's main diet consists of buds, shrubs and herbs, with the occassional snack of fruits, tubers and flowers thrown into the mix as well. It tends to be active more at night than during the day, especially if its forest home has humans living nearby, in which case the entire Bushbuck population of that region may be entirely nocturnal.

In appearance, the Bushbuck displays a unique and beautiful coat. The color of the coat can vary from red-brown, dark olive to almost black, depending on the habitat of that particular Bushbuck. Most Bushbucks also sport unusual white striping and splotching on their sides, as well as white patches on legs, ears, throat and tail. These white splotches and stripes help individual members identify one another and also act as a warning signal when danger is near. The white markings on some populations is more pronounced than on others, depending on genetics and habitat.

The Bushbuck is a medium sized antelope, growing to be between 80-90 centimeters at the shoulder and weighing anywhere from between 45 and 80 kilograms, with males being generally larger. The males grow spiraled horns that can be up to 55 centimeters long. Overall, the Bushbuck ranges from 110-150 centimeters in length, and is sometimes considered one of the more dangerous mid-sized antelope. Wounded Bushbucks have been known to charge and attack hunters or other predators. Natural predators include the leopard, hyena, wild dogs, crocodiles and the occasional lion.

The Bushbuck is a fascinating creature that merits more study and interest, despite being so widespread and relatively common. Their beautiful appearance, feisty nature and adaptability make it one of the most unique antelopes found in Africa.

Picture of the bushbuck by Hans Hillewaert, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/anim...9A:gIN9vFwOqvQ
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Jillian Ludwig
 

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About Jillian:

Jillian Ludwig received a BFA from Bradley University in Illinois in 2005 and an MFA from Clemson University in 2007.

During her postgraduate studies she taught figure drawing and spent summers juggling artist residencies and art camp tutorship. Ludwig also spent a year in Lyon, France, developing her own creative practice.

The Fam Farm series reflects in a gentle manner the downturn of natural farming in the Western world. In Ludwig’s view genetic modification, factory farming, and misleading labels have resulted in a disconnection between customers and their food sources.

Her work has been exhibited nationwide and internationally.

http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/...xmNrOBVmE/0/di
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The Snows of Paranal
 

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_110811.jpg Recorded last week,




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The-Adoptable-Miniature-Pinschers
 

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Boots and Disco are totally adorable and lovable! I just want to hold them and kiss them and play with them all day long and do nothing else! These are tiny Miniature Pinschers here at Shady Creek Rescue. They are waiting to find loving, happy forever homes. These two are just too cute for words and the pictures don't do them justice or show how tiny they are. We do have registration papers and require an adoption fee. You can find the puppy adoption application at: www.shadycreekdogs.com/application.com



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Sumo
 

Location: Paisley, Oregon, USA

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Sumo was one of three Siamese mix kittens rescued when they were just three weeks old. Somebody had gotten all of their barn cats spayed and didn’t realize that one of them had a litter of kittens. The mother cat was unable to feed her kittens any longer, so we took them in.

It was a hard raising three tiny kittens that couldn’t care for themselves. They had to be bottle fed on a schedule.

Once they turned eight weeks old, Sumo’s siblings went to new homes where they are loved like family members. Sumo, however, stayed with us. He is the most friendly and social cat I have ever known. He absolutely loves people and loves to play with our two dogs.

He is very talkative (like most Siamese are) and wants to be around me all of the time. Every morning he wakes me up by taping my face with his paw and meowing. He doesn’t use his claws when he taps me; he just gently taps my face. That’s when I know that it’s time to get up and feed him breakfast.

If you’re walking somewhere and he wants to get your attention, he will walk right in front of you while looking at you and meowing. And if you’re sitting down and he wants attention, he will stand on his hind legs, put his paws on your back, look at your face and meow. He’s quite the character and easily the most funny kitten I know.



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Mama-San's Kittens Part 5: Miss Petunia [redux] - August 11, 2011
 

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Mama-San's Kittens Part 5: Miss Petunia [redux]
Betsy says: Miss Petunia was the diva of the bunch, always posing for the camera and proudly displaying her dainty femininity every chance she could. She also liked to play peek-a-boo behind the scratching post. That may be why this photo was the second-place winner in Cat Fancy magazine's annual cutest kitten photo contest and published in the April 2009 issue. :-) Petunia was adopted along with her brother Marco Polo by a friend of mine who is a fellow photographer. We receive regular updates on them both.Mama-San's Kittens Part 1: Ivory
Mama-San's Kittens Part 2: Ebony
Mama-San's Kittens Part 3: Christopher Columbus
Mama-San's Kittens Part 4: Marco Polo
Mama-San's Kittens Part 6: Rocky Raccoon



Courtesy of: Betsy Foster
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In the Wake of Elephant Poachers
 

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Caption: Elephant’s trunk, hacked off by poachers, lying on the ground near the body of a dead elephant, Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia.

In mid-July, during a brief visit to Mwambashi River Lodge in the Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia, I went for a morning drive with safari guide Roddy Smith. This was not a game drive as such, but rather a recce to check roads in the park.

We hadn’t gone far when Roddy spotted vulture activity, which drew us to a sickening sight — two dead elephants, shot by poachers. The massive bodies lay close together, the tusks hacked out and the hides already streaked with vulture droppings.

Near one of the elephants lay its trunk, presumably chopped off during removal of the tusks. I’ve written an account of this incident and included photographs of the bodies. This is not pleasant viewing, but I’ve published the images to make people more aware of how most of the world’s ivory is sourced and to discourage people, who might not know better, NOT to buy ivory products. See Elephant Poaching – the Shocking Aftermath.

Below are more cheerful pictures, illustrating elephant trunks in action, together with an extract from the article, African Elephant ~ Loxodonta Africana.

“The trunk of an elephant is the most extraordinary and dexterous nose in creation. At once both gentle and strong, a trunk is capable of killing a lion — or caressing a frightened elephant calf. It can pick leaves, pull bark off trees, and pick up objects as small as a coin. It can suck up a gallon of water to squirt into a mouth or on a hot back (Elephants do not drink through their trunk, but use it to draw the liquid).

With their trunks elephants throw dust in the air, rub their eyes, greet one another, sound calls, test uncertain ground, smell danger — or a potential mate — and snorkel.”

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(Please Note: If you're not reading this post on Wildlife Photography Blog from Wildlife Pictures Online, then you're not seeing the original version. Please go to In the Wake of Elephant Poachers to read the original.)

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Tavis Smiley: Obama Is The First President Who Hasn't Invited Me To White House
 

When Cornel West recently spoke to The Huffington Post about media coverage of African American issues , the Princeton professor argued that President Obama is avoiding journalists who’ve offered tough critiques of his administration, such as PBS host...(read more)http://blackamericans.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=298283

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