Eye of the Dolphin

Health Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:31:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Apollo)

Was unable to access my blog for a couple of weeks and it took a lot of figuring out as to why. Hence, no updates and unable to publish comments I was informed were waiting for me here.

Two issues I want to bring up in today's post:

HR 875 and the Health Revolution Petition.

This was sent to me so I thought I would share it here. This is one person's interpretation of this bill, and from what I read of it, it is certainly easy to understand why there would be much apprehension over this bill passing and becoming law.

You May Be Arrested Soon For Growing A Tomato

As our government hands over billions to Wall Street bankers, jobless Americans live in tent cities and collect food stamps in record numbers. Now when we need it the most, growing our own food may be against the law and punishable by a fine of up to $1,000,000. Think I’m joking? Meet Bill HR 875, The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, introduced by Rosa DeLauro whose husband Stanley Greenburg works for Monsanto. The insanity doesn’t stop there—fishing boats, hotdog stands, neighborhood vegetable booths and farmers’ markets will be federally regulated under the same draconian law. As always, the spin is designed to make you (the public) believe these new provisions are for your own good. Under the deceitful guise of protection, the goal of this bill is crystal clear: to prevent us from locally growing our own food so multinational agribusiness can completely control the production and distribution of our food supply. I refer you to the usual suspects—Monsanto, ADM, Sodexo, Tyson, and Smithfield.

This bill is designed to allow corporations, with the help of their hired government guns, to force small competitors (you and me) out of business. This is as evil as it gets, folks. Since the dawn of man we have hunted and farmed our own food——it’s second nature. To be stripped of the most fundamental act of survival is equivalent to the kind of mass enslavement you only read about in history books, like the kind under Pharaohs in ancient Egypt.

Lurking within the maze of technical lawyer-like jargon, the bill places wildly restrictive regulatory incumbrances on the average vegetable growing Joe-The-Plumber, small organic farmer, or anyone for that matter who may one day decide to grow a small garden. The bill would require anyone associated with growing, storing, transporting or processing food to be subject to inspections by federal agents of their property and all records related to food production; you would be required to conduct specials tests, maintain samples and records, and allow government officials to mandate the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, specific types of nutrients, packaging, and temperature controls. Violation of any of these provisions would subject the offender to property seizure, imprisonment and fines up to $1,000,000. The implementation of these bogus regulations are designed to be so cost and time prohibitive, no one would bother to grow their own food or risk being jailed and fined for participating in a black market.

Linn Cohen-Cole with Oped News writes:

“The bill is monstrous on level after level - the power it would give to Monsanto, the criminalization of seed banking, the prison terms and confiscatory fines for farmers, the 24 hours GPS tracking of their animals, the easements on their property to allow for warrantless government entry, the stripping away of their property rights, the imposition by the filthy, greedy industrial side of anti-farming international ‘industrial’ standards to independent farms - the only part of our food system that still works, the planned elimination of farmers through all these means.

“The corporations want the land, they want more intensive industrialization, they want the end of normal animals so they can substitute patented genetically engineered ones they own, they want the end of normal seeds and thus of seed banking by farmers or individuals. They want control over all seeds, animals, water, and land.”

I urge you to read the bill here (http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h875/text), then call your representative and congressman.

Here is a video on it:

http://blog.friendseat.com/rosa-dela...s-small-farms/

I think something else on this may have been posted, but it needs to be TOP PRIORITY. If you are in the states, PLEASE email this to everyone in your address books and call congress. NO FREAKING WAY will these bastards control our food.

Regardless of how you look at it, it does NOT favor USA farmers, big or small. I'm one of millions out there who like to support their local farmers and I shop at local farmer's markets to purchase organic fruit and vegetables. I certainly would not appreciate this choice being taken away from me and being forced to only choose either genetically modified foods, or foods that have been chemicalized to death. I also have ZERO interest in supporting corporations such as Monsanto, who are becoming like Big Pharma with their desire to monopolize a certain area.

I urge you to contact your state representatives in every way, shape, and form you can and encourage them to NOT support this bill into becoming law.

Is health the new oil? Given the upcoming implementation Codex alimentarius, and the powerful special interests of Big Pharma, it would seem so.

If you like your government telling you how to treat your ills, how to care for your body, what vitamins, herbs, etal you may put into your body, and to have little to no choices available in alternative health care, then ignore this.

If you DO care and you're sick of our government just adding to their increasing power wattage and control over us, then please sign the following petition:

Health Revolution Petition

Please help spread the word on this.

It is so important that each of us remains vigilante against our government. If you believe they have your best interests at heart, then I've got some ocean front property in Nebraska to sell you.

We are supposed to be the bosses of the government, not the other way around. I'm not an anti-government crusader nor a conspiracy nut. I'm simply a concerned citizen who is appalled at the increasing controls our government continues to expand over everyone, all in the interest of "protecting us" or under the phony pretense of "national security."

"Those who would sacrifice liberty for security, deserve neither." - Benjamin Franklin

Mahalo,

Dolphin

A Denver Buffett

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:06:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Dan Mackin)

I've been having dreams lately of soft white sand beaches, turquoise waters as far as the eye can see, and gently swaying palm trees. In these dreams, I'm in a kayak on the water that looks, if you're standing on the shore looking my way, like I'm flying just above the water. You know how that looks in some pictures? The water is so clear and from a distance, a kayak or a boat can look like it's flying?

I also dream of whales, dolphins, manta rays, and manatees in this perfect little world I envision while sleeping. One of of these days, I hope it will not be a dream but actual real life moments I can experience and treasure.

Perhaps these dreams are being inspired by the fact that I've taken another round at reading Jimmy Buffett's books. Tales from Margaritaville, Where is Joe Merchant, A Pirate Looks at Fifty, and A Salty Piece of Land. That last book is my favorite.

I also have had John Denver on my mind. Grew up with his music and it always hit right into my soul. The thing that John Denver and Jimmy Buffett have in common is their love for nature, wildlife, the environment, conservation and a love for marine mammals .. among other things.

If you're a Jimmy Buffett fan, there's only one place to be .. and that's at Margaritaville.

Today's post is a short one, yet a tribute to these two men who have had a tremendous impact on my life and who continue to make me smile and to inspire me.

If you enjoy John Denver's music, I leave you with one of my favorites: Calypso.

And remember "If life gives you limes, make margaritas." (classic J. Buffett quote)

Dolphin

Save the Whales (Again)

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:47:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Brian Marshall White)

It's a pretty sad world we live in when someone can bash a seal over the head repeatedly and only be fined $2,000 and be suspended from the seal hunt for one day, and yet someone who photographs or videotapes that very event, is fined $100,000 and can be sent to jail for a year.

Where are the freakin' priorities here people?

Canadian Justice is a Wonderful Thing - NOT

Sea Shepherds season this year in intervening with the whale culling is now over and they have returned to Australia. Captain Watson is calling this season a success and you can read his outline of reasons why here: Ten Reasons that Operation Musashi Has Been a Success

When the SS returned to Hobart a couple days ago, the Australian authorities were waiting with a warrant to seize all videos, photographs, global positioning records, etc from the SS. Captain Watson states that while he and his crew were treated civilly and professionally, he points out that the Australian authorities also need to do the same to the Japanese whalers. Otherwise, this is a biased and one-sided affair.

You can read about that here: Australian Federal Police Seize Whale War Videos

Captain Watson states he will be spending the next few months making repairs to the Steve Irwin and is hoping to secure enough funding as well for a 2nd ship before the start of the next whaling season at the end of this year.

Let's hope his wish comes true. With two ships out there, they could double their success rate against whalers.

This is a good start though: Sea Shepherd Granted 2009 Funding from the Dutch Lottery

Three cheers for Russia's Putin, who is proposing a ban on driftnets being used for fishing. As it is well known by now, many marine mammals get caught in those nets and end up drowning. Will we one day see ALL countries outlawing the use of driftnets? Let's hope so.

Are there secret meetings going on between governments to lift the ban on whale hunts? According to The Independent paper (UK) it would seem so. Please read up about that here: Save the Whale (again)

Human greed appears to be a factor in the possibility of the Orca whales in the Pacific Northwest dwindling in numbers. While it is already illegal for boats and tourists to pursue Orcas and attempt to get close to them, that still doesn't stop people from doing it or trying to make a few bucks off these mammals. Why are people so stupid?

Til next time,

Dolphin

The Cove movie

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Whalers Getting More Violent?

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:54:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Daniel B. Holeman)

So Phil the Groundhog says we have six more weeks of winter. Blech. Phooey. :: blowing raspberry :: What does that silly little fur faced varmint know anyway :-P LOL I'm so over snow. Bring on spring ASAP please.

I was invited to be a guest blogger over at Paw Talk and they just put up my post today. They are a cool site focusing on animals and also include a forum. Please do check them out. You can find my post specifically here: Eye on the Dolphin

I have also been invited to possibly write a guest post on Reef Tank. This site focuses marine species and salt water aquariums. They are definitely worth your time. Very cool!

Guess the Japan Whalers are getting frustrated with Sea Shepherd's interference. They have now lowered themselves to launching concussion grenades, brass bolts, and chunks of lead at the Sea Shepherds. They've also threatened to use Long Range Acoustic Devices, which are military class weapons and can cause disorientation, vomiting, confusion, and sometimes temporary deafness.

The Sea Shepherds do not use anything that will physically harm anyone. They just throw acidic butter, etc that results in stinking up the ship and making it difficult for the whalers to do their work.

So it's really telling how far the Japanese whalers will go to protect their greediness and their desire to continue slaughtering innocent creatures.

You can read about this here: Battle for the Whales in the Ross Sea

At least, at the moment, no whales are being killed thanks to the Sea Shepherd's continuing presence out there. That also means the Japan ships are burning about 25 tons of fuel daily and losing even more money. Obviously it's the Sea Shepherd's goal to force Japan to whimper home with little to no profits again this year, as it happened last year and the year before.

Captain Paul Watson has another wordy yet passionate update here: Whalers Doing Crazy Joes

Did you know that Iceland has decided to resume whaling? They are going after the endangered Fin Whales and threatened Minke Whales. Iceland had not slaughtered any whales since 1986, when Sea Shepherd activists had sunk about half of the Iceland whaling fleet.

Apparently Iceland feels it has a license to resume killing whales given the turmoil their country is currently undergoing and the state of their economy. I guess it's okay to approve murder of people now too? What a lame excuse to resume whaling.

You can read about this here: Icelandic Criminal Whaling Resumes

Do boycotts make a difference? Personally, I don't know .. but I would imagine if enough people did stop buying certain things from certain countries, it would have an impact on that country's economy. Read about Sea Shepherd's boycott of Iceland here: Boycott Iceland

This brief article lists some of the Icelandic companies and their products: Buy Only Whale Safe Products

The United States, Australia and other anti-whaling nations had approached Japan with a compromise on whaling. In a nutshell, Japan rejected it. These countries fear Japan may withdrawn from the International Whaling Commission and then go brashly outside their rules to continue with more whaling, unabated.

Obviously Sea Shepherd won't have any of that and will continue to make life difficult for the whalers. I agree with Captain Watson's opinion that these anti-whaling nations really need to take a much stronger and more aggressive stand on this issue. Maybe I'm being silly, but offering compromises to murderers just seems .. ya know ... not right.

You can read about this here: Japan Rejects Appeasement Offer

Remember I mentioned in my previous post, about the movie The Cove? It won awards at this year's Sundance Festival as well. The direct website for this movie can be found here: The Cove Movie
I have also shared the trailer of this movie in another updated and separate post for today and will keep that up on top for awhile to continue attracting attention to the movie. So please be aware that new posts will show up under that movie trailer until I remove it.

I strongly encourage everyone to see this film when it is available in your area. As I also shared, this documentary focuses on the dolphin culling in Taiji, Japan. Please help spread the word on this very important film.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Who Killed Flipper?

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:08:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

What's been happening with Sea Shepherd since my last update? I can summarize it in just a few sentences.

(1) Japan's Yushin Maru #2 got chased into some thick ice floes while running from the SS ship. Seems they were more afraid of SS than the ice. Which leads to #2 ...

(2) Yushin Maru #2 sustained propeller damage caused by the icebergs and had to limp to Indonesia, seeking repairs. It took them a little over two weeks to get there.

(3) While docked in Indonesia, they were refused service and repairs. The officials in Indonesia, after confirming with Australia and others that the Yushin Maru was, indeed, a whaling ship, told them to leave. Turns out Japan lied to Indonesia about who and what they were about.

== Go Indonesia! :: wild applause :: ==

(4) So the Yushin Maru limps away from Indonesian waters after being ordered to leave and Sea Shepherd had no idea for awhile where they were and what was going on .. until a few days ago. They find out that the Yushin Maru was repaired in another place unbeknowest to them and according to Greenpeace, is heading back to Japan.

(5) What's good about the YM having been down for the count for so long is that it's hindered further, the whale culling. What's also good is the fact that Indonesia took a stand against the whaling and Captain Watson is calling that a major political victory.

You can read about that here: Where in the World is the Yushin Maru?

Sea Shepherd was recently docked in Hobart to refuel and is now back out there pursuing the Japanese fleet.

It does appear, by Captain Watson's reports, that approximately a third of the quota Japan had hoped to achieve in their whale kills, will not be met. So that's very good news. Hopefully that number will only improve and we can see similiar, if not better, numbers as last year. Obviously the Sea Shepherds are doing a bang up job of distrupting this so-called "research" Japan continues to do.

Interesting article in yesterday's Washington Post discusses the criteria for rescuing animals. One of the stories has to do with a pod of dolphins that were stranded for awhile in New Jersey. If you recall, I wrote a little bit about this in a previous post.

In another related post, it seems that the dolphins that were stranded there, have died and some people are quite furious that nothing was done to herd them to warmer and safer waters.

In Mossel Bay, South Africa, there's a fight between environmentalists/marina mammal lovers and PetroSA. PetroSA has plans for a liquid gas mooring facility in this particular bay, which has, thus far, been one of the "last pristine marine areas."

Excerpt:

Noise and light pollution would affect the whales and dolphins that frequent the bay and also subject them to the risk of entanglement in underwater cables. A fire or explosion would have "catastrophic long-term consequences"

You can read the full article here: Cape Whales Face New Threat

So I hear it can and does get cold in Florida lol. How have the dolphins in the gulf coast off of Florida been faring? You can find out here: Bigger is Better

Maybe this kid will one day be President?

Excerpt of message she wrote in a letter to President Obama:

First of all, try to sometimes focus on other things rather than politics. For instance, marine mammals (whales, dolphins, penguins, etc.). They need more help than ever trying to survive in the ocean. You could get a team of people who really care and send them out to watch the whales, dolphins and penguins so hunters won't kill them. That would be extremely helpful to all the animals who need it. As for me, I would be happy as a little kid on their birthday (I love dolphins!).

She's got my vote :-)

Highly recommended reading: Who Killed Flipper?

Information on this documentary can be found here: The Cove

This is one film I'm definitely putting on my "must see" list.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Whale Wars - Some Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:27:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Jeff Wilkie)

It sucks to be sick. I had another much more grueling round of bronchitis to suffer through and it took over three weeks to get over that. :: sigh :: It's hard to get anything done when you have to cough like a crazy woman every few minutes. Plus it exhausts you.

In addition, my partner went in for a heart catheter procedure a little less than two weeks ago. So that was surreal and provided some tense moments for awhile. Fortunately, all is okay on that front.

At least I was able to get out for a nice dinner for my birthday on the 15th, so that was nice!

With the Whale Wars season now concluded on the Animal Planet, I wanted to share some thoughts / observations I had.

It is unfortunate, in my opinion, that so much was focused on the group politics/drama ...

Some observations I've made about the Sea Shepherd ..

(1) While it is known that the volunteers who come on board do not necessarily have experience with being out to sea and what to do, etc ... seems to me that there should be some training provided or to have it be a prerequisite to being on the team, to have either the training or some experience beforehand. So many incidents that happened could have had very different, disastrous, and potentially fatal results.

(2) While I admire Paul Watson's passion for what he does and given he's spent pretty much his entire life dedicated to this issue., I have to wonder sometimes if he's not grandstanding for the media or creating situations that are manipulating the media to give the Sea Shepherd more attention.

(3) The top of the crew seem to have a hard core attitude that runs along the lines of "You're either with us, or against us." That may be a little too extreme of me to say, but it does kinda push towards that general direction and I find that turns me off a little bit. Without having provided any training or having screened people before boarding (to my knowledge anyway) it seems the management on the crew expect people to know right off the bat what to do, how to act, etc ...there's little to no room for mistakes out there and yet they continue to bring newbies and rookies out there and expect the world from them.

(4) An example of possible media manipulation on the part of Captain Watson (and this is just my opinion and observation and I am the first to admit I could be way off base) is when he was allegedly shot and a bullet was found in his vest. What did he do immediately after announcing that this happened? He went back inside the ship and starting talking to various media outlets about what happened and wrote about it online. I dunno. I smell a rat here ...

Maybe I'm being too hard on them ... I support the Sea Shepherd organization and have a great deal of respect for what they do because so far, they are the ONLY organization that continues to be out there consistently, year in and year out, dedicating themselves to saving the whales and bringing to the public light, how very serious this issue is and how apathetic and inhumane the Japanese whale hunters are on this matter.

So those are my thoughts at this time, based on having watched the entire Whale Wars season.

I welcome other observations and opinions on this. Please feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Now that I'm not coughing anymore and finally have my energy back, I'll be here with regular updates. Please accept my apologies for the long absence. Every day I would tell myself I need to go to my computer and write something, but I just didn't have the energy to focus on it. I appreciate those of you who have sent me messages inquiring about how I'm doing and when I would be back, etc ... your kind thoughts and get well wishes are very much appreciated!

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Whalers = Arrogant Wankers

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:26:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

I think I may be having a relapse in my bronchitis :-( Was feeling all gung ho last evening but my roommate started getting sick about two or three days ago and now I feel like maybe whatever she had has been passed on to me too. :: sigh :: I don't feel downright awful, but it's been hitting more more in the last few hours. I decided that before I'm down again for the count, to put fingers to keyboard and get at least a New Year's message out :-)

The Sea Shepherd crew has been quite busy in the Southern Ocean. In their first week out, they caught up with the whalers and put them immediately on the run. That's pretty impressive - to catch up with them so quickly.

I do recall last year, Captain Watson had mentioned something about the possibility of bugging the Japanese whale ships in order to keep track of them. I wonder if he was able to accomplish that this year somehow? After all, that's one helluva big-assed ocean down there and it's akin to trying to find a needle in a haystack, right? Curious, huh.

To start out with, the Steve Irwin ran into some pretty serious storms and some pretty scary ice conditions. You can read about that here: Ice Conditions for the Sea Shepherd

Then on or about the day after Christmas, they ran into the whalers and proceeded to stink up the Japanese ship with rotten butter, methyl cellulose and indelible dye mixture. You can read about that clash here: Sea Shepherds have Whalers on the Run

The very next day, SS ran the whalers out of the Australian waters.

They've only been out there what now? A couple of weeks? They have certainly accomplished a lot in a short period of time.

Go Shepherds!

Captain Watson calls the whalers "A bunch of arrogant wankers." As usual, his outspoken and hold-no-bars commentary is an interesting read.

Did you know that Brazil has declared their entire 5,000 mile long coastline a "safe sanctuary for whales and dolphins?" :: wild applause ::

In other news, the United States Navy settles the sonar lawsuit that I've mentioned a few times here in the past. Both sides claim victory. I'm not so sure that if I were a whale or a dolphin, I'd be saying this is a victory. After all, the mid range sonar activity will still be continuing. Humans are a funny breed, don't you think? ;-)

For those who either live in Hawaii or visit it frequently and enjoy the marine mammals out there, you may be interested in these two books that were just published by Hawaiian authors: Preserving Paradise and The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes, Sea Turtles Dolphins, Whales, and Seals.

Elsewhere, out in the Philippines, a fisherman claims he was saved by a pod of dolphins and whales. Is it true? Some people are finding it unbelievable. I'll choose to believe it simply because there have been stories for years, all over the globe, about our marine friends actually helping people at sea.

Another, more extensive report on this incident can be found here: Dolphins Save Palawan Fisherman

In sports, the Los Angeles Lakers kicked Celtic butt on Christmas day, and that was a great gift for me LOL. Both teams are doing really well so far this season and it wouldn't surprise me if they meet in the Finals again. If they do, the Lakers will win. (They'd better!)

In football, my favorite pro team, the Miami Dolphins, went from losing their first few games this season to doing a complete turnaround and becoming only the 2nd team in NFL history to accomplish such a feat. Last year, if memory serves me, the Dolphins were 1-15. This year, they're 11-5 (or thereabouts.) They played the NY Jets this past weekend and after a see-saw game, won and will now face the Baltimore Ravens this weekend for the Wild Card playoffs.

I'm just happy the Dolphins are the champs of their AFC East division. Haven't had much to cheer about with this team in the last few years - so I'll take it. I still miss Dan Marino though :-)

Happy New Year everyone! Enjoy! Be safe and warm!

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 09:51:00 +0000

(Credit: Art Game)

Apologies for the absence. The flu became a battle with bronchitis, and it took a lot out of me for awhile.

Given today is Christmas, I will simply wish everyone a joyous holiday and return soon with updates.

Thanks for your continued readership and I hope Santa is good to all of you :-)

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Sea Shepherd Making a "Splash"

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:34:00 +0000

(Artist/Image credit: Howie Cooke)

I've been battling either the flu or a very bad chest cold :-( I am recovering though and doing much better than the past couple of days. I don't get sick often and usually when I do, I've been likely to get over it within a day or two ... but this time around it's really kicked my butt.

Seems yesterday (or was it the day before yesterday, Australia time?) the Sea Shepherd departed Brisbane for the Antarctica. Many of the crew from last season are back along with a number of new members as well.

Among the new members is actress Daryl Hannah. She's long been involved in environmentalism and is well known for roles in movies such as Splash and Roxanne.

You can read more in the latest update at Sea Shepherd.

In my opinion, Japan is hypocrisy personified. They have stated they will arrest anti-whaling activists if they interfere with their hunts this year.

For all their talk about killing whales for "research," Japan has resumed importing whale meat. Uh huh.

Interesting commentary here: Bad Deals for Whales

This part disturbs me a great deal:

The Japanese are working out an unsavoury deal with the outgoing George W Bush administration of the United States that might not only give them what they want, but also shed them of any need for Caribbean support.

If I was a whale or a dolphin, or any other marine mammal species, I would feel like there's a war being waged against my very survival. Between noise pollution and increased acidification, I'd wonder if my days on this planet were severely numbered. I'd also wonder if the majority of humanity really cared. Because if they did, there'd be a helluva lot more people standing up and fighting for my right to survive and my right to continue to live in this planets' oceans and to be a part of its' future.

Will this help?

The UN conference is considering a resolution that would require countries to mitigate noise pollution by mandating quieter engines and banning seismic surveys in areas where marine mammals are known to gather.

One can only hope. Because I, for one, would rather see a future of whales, dolphins, seals, sharks, turtles, manatees, etc. frolicking in our oceans than to see military ships, harpoons, and missiles, etc. waging battles against one another with our planet and humanity ultimately being the losers.

If you recall, earlier this year in mid February, I wrote a bit about Dolphins & Whales in 3D. It appears that this film has grossed over 10 million. Over 1.6 million tickets have been sold thus far and the film is continuing to make the rounds at theatres around the world. Read more here.

Be sure to check out their site at: Dolphins & Whales in 3D

Have a good weekend everyone!

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Japan Heads to Whale Sanctuary

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:10:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday :-) Mine was pretty quiet for the most part, other than some insanity involving horses my partner was taking care of over the weekend. They are racing thoroughbreds and decided to have some fun with us.

One came barreling up behind me while I was walking one horse to the barn and if I had been just one inch to the left, I would have gotten run over. Sheesh. Insane beasts lol

We celebrated our Thanksgiving on Saturday since my partner had her own family plans on Thursday, and Friday she had to work for a bit so it would have been too late to really start dinner. It was fun to cook it together although she did the cooking part. I have a tendency towards either burning things or blowing them up.

The only thing I'm good at in the kitchen is making coffee and bagels, and using a barbeque grill (unless that explodes too.)

Onto some news about our beloved marine mammals out there ....

This breaks my heart. 150 whales died off the Tasmanian coast. One of the theories is that it was due to echolocation.

We can prepare our military and continue to kill each other, but never mind that we're killing off our various and diversified species around the world. Priorities on this planet sure can suck.

You can read more about these pilot whales here: Whales Die Off Tasmanian Coast

I've been watching the Whale Wars on Animal Planet and find it utterly fascinating. It's almost like you're a fly on the wall on that ship and can witness up close, just how things are happening out there in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

I'm up to the episode where two of the crew boarded the Yushin Maru last season and were finally brought back to SS. I've got another episode on my DVR to catch up on.

I think there are only seven episodes airing so not many left. I do know the Animal Planet is filming the Sea Shepherd again this season.

So far, my opinion of Sea Shepherd has not changed, based on what I've been watching on the Whale Wars. I do have to say though, that I am sometimes ... :: searching for the right word :: ... amazed by how unswayingly passionate Paul Watson is in his pursuit of the Whalers, the things he says, and the actions he takes.

It's also interesting to witness tension at times amongst the crew and differing viewpoints, opinions, and judgments on what should or should not be done.

Still, they have my respect for what they do. They are the only organization taking this strong and consistent of a stand against the whaling .. and for that, they have my admiration and respect.

The Sea Shepherd site has several new updates.

As of November 17th, the Japanese whalers had embarked for the Whale Sanctuary to begin another season of unapologetic slaughter.

Has Australia finally taken a firm stand against whaling? You decide. Read it here: Australian Senate Wants Immediate Action on Whaling

The Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin ship will depart tomorrow, Dec. 3rd, from Brisbane for Antarctica. Since they'll be the only ship out there attempting to pursue, intercept, and hopefully intervene in the whaling, let's hope they meet with success. Should be a very interesting season to say the least.

There is worry off the New Jersey coast, that a pod of dolphins may stay too long and end up drowning if the waters freeze over and they can't come up for air. There is controversy over whether the government should let them be and let nature take it's course, or if humans should intervene and try to help herd the dolphins down to warmer waters.

You can read more about it here: Should they stay or go?

I recommend this article for your reading consideration: Butchered Dolphins, Oceanic Collapse

Finally, on a serious political note. I just finished reading Brigitte Gabriel's "They Must Be Stopped." I highly recommend it.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Whales, Sonar, and Wolves, Oh My

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:42:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

Is the whale ban in danger of being lifted? The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society is concerned that yes, this is very possible. They note that there are other countries outside of Japan and Norway, that appear to condone or support whaling.

While they have expressed support of the Whale Wars series being currently shown on the Animal Planet and the fact that it will bring further heightened awareness globally on this unnecessary killing, they also would like people to be aware that this is a GLOBAL problem.

You can find out more about WDCS's Global Marine Protected Areas Campaign and make your voices heard by signing the Global MPA Petition by visiting our website at Whales.org. If you’d like to do more to protect whales, you can adopt one at Whale Adoption.

Some good news regarding the Navy Sonar testing and it's impact on marine life. Please check it out at the Huffington Post.

I still don't think they're doing enough, but gotta start somewhere.

No offense to the people who fell in love with Sarah Palin and were supporting her bid to become our next Vice President, but I am personally glad we dodged a bullet with her.

Her track record as Alaska's governor, especially on the conservation front is, to put it mildly, atrocious.

Beluga Whales are now on the Endangered Species list and under protection. However, Palin was opposed to it. (Oh, that's just shocking.)

It really isn't shocking considering it's been alleged that she's shot at wolves from helicopters and supports this practice.

Speaking of wolves, what goes up must come down. Isn't it interesting that the Bush Administration supports adding beluga whales to the Endangered Species list, but is opposed to adding wolves?

Please consider signing the petition to help prevent these "11th hour attacks" on the wolf population in the Northern Rockies states. Take Action here.

Back to the Whale Wars. Here's another shocker. Japanese whalers are apparently not happy with this series and how it portrays them, so the public relations has kicked into high gear. Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research claims the Whale Wars is "deceiving" the people who watch it.

Excuse me while I take a moment to laugh hysterically.

You can read Captain Paul Watson's take on this here. Watson's Response.

I'll have more later!

Thanks for stopping by and for your continued interest and support :-)

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Health = Freedom

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:55:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

Is your health at risk? Is the ability for you to have control over your health decisions at risk? Do you take vitamins? Herbs? Use garlic in your food?

Welcome to Codex Alimentarius.

Thanks to Big Pharma, United Nations, and the World Health Organization, they want to control what you put into your body. Mainly, they just want to profit from you. Your body is their vessel to billions more in profits and lots more control.

After December 2009, you won't be able to buy vitamins, herbs, or other alternative choices without the approval or a prescription from your doctor.

What will Codex bring? Why should you care?

Well, this is just the tip of the iceberg...

Dietary supplements could not be sold for preventive (prophylactic) or therapeutic use.
Potencies would be limited to extremely low dosages. Only the drug companies and the big phytopharmaceutical companies would have the right to produce and sell the higher potency products (at inflated prices).
Prescriptions would be required for anything above the extremely low doses allowed (such as 35 mg. on niacin).
Common foods such as garlic and peppermint would be classified as drugs or a third category (neither food nor drugs) that only big pharmaceutical companies could regulate and sell. Any food with any therapeutic effect can be considered a drug, even benign everyday substances like water.
Codex regulations for dietary supplements would become binding (escape clauses would be eliminated).
All new dietary supplements would be banned unless they go through Codex testing and approval.
Genetically altered food would be sold worldwide without labeling.

"If Codex Alimentarius has its way, then herbs, vitamins, minerals, homeopathic remedies, amino acids and other natural remedies you have taken for granted most of your life will be gone. The name of the game for Codex Alimentarius is to shift all remedies into the prescription category so they can be controlled exclusively by the medical monopoly and its bosses, the major pharmaceutical firms. Predictably, this scenario has been denied by both the Canadian Health Food Association and the Health Protection Branch of Canada (HPB).

Read more here: Codex Alimentarius - the REAL Threat to World Health

Congressional Oversight Letter regarding Codex

Other related links:

Campaign for Truth

Health Freedom USA

Please take a few moments to contact your representatives:

Contact information for representatives: http://www.house.gov
Contact information for senators: http://www.senate.gov

I do not think enough people are fully aware of how serious this issue is. If we do nothing, the government will continue to gain more control over our own health freedoms and choices. Please help spread the word on this dangerous chess move from our government.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Whale Hunts About to Begin Again

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:37:00 +0000

In briefly continuing the spirit of my last post about Proposition 8 .... We've certainly come a long way in the past 48 years, haven't we?

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

Did you know that Greenpeace, just two weeks before the Japan whale hunt is slated to begin, has surrendered their fight out in the Southern Ocean?

Sea Shepherd's Captain Paul Watson said:

"As a Greenpeace co-founder, I am deeply offended that Greenpeace has been raising millions of dollars in the name of defending whales all year and now two weeks before the Japanese whaling fleet is scheduled to depart, they announce they will not be going," said Captain Paul Watson. "In my opinion they collected funds under false pretenses and now they have abandoned the whales. Shame on them."

You can read Sea Shepherd's version of this here: Greenpeace Surrenders

However, Greenpeace claims they are taking the fight directly to Japan this time.

Greenpeace also claims credit for one of Japan's ships, the Oriental Bluebird, being shut down by the Panamanian authorities. If you recall, the Oriental Bluebird was not only used to help the Japan fleets to refuel, they were also transporting whale meat - illegally. This particular ship was not authorized or licensed for this purpose.

Regardless, these two organizations, in my opinion, need to stop fighting each other and just keep on fighting the battle to save the whales. They may take different routes to achieve their results, but both have collectively accomplished a great deal in bringing the whale slaughter issue to greater awareness globally.

In other news, I'm saddened to report that the Supreme Court has little to no sympathy for the plight of our marine mammals and the effect that Navy sonar has on them.

"I thought the whole point of the armed forces was to hurt the environment," Associate Justice Stephen Breyer said, half-jokingly. "Of course they're going to do harm."

Kidding or not, I find this statement just appalling. It's comments like this that encourage the continuing raping and pillaging of our planet and it's sentient beings, without any regard to the consequences.

Till next time,

Dolphin

Proposition 8

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:39:00 +0000

It's been a long year of politics and the debating of various issues that run the spectrum. No one is more sick of it than I am and relieved that the election is now over.

Obama wasn't my choice. Neither was McCain. But it is what it is and hopefully we'll actually see positive changes instead of more broken promises. I'm cynical though when it comes to our government and the so-called politicians who claim to be listening and looking out for their constituents.

One issue I do want to touch on briefly that has long been a heated battlefield, is Proposition 8 that was just passed out in California.

In a nutshell, Prop. 8 bans same-sex marriage. It's passage overturned the California Supreme Court's decision from last spring to make it legal for gay people to marry, to now no longer allow it. The vote was pretty much almost split down the middle. From what I heard, less than 20,000 votes separated the Yes camp from the No camp.

70% of the African American population that voted on this issue, voted Yes. The Latino community was more evenly split on the issue with the most popular reasoning for voting Yes having to do with "culture."

The Gay Community sees it as a civil rights issue as well as an equality issue.

Many others see it as a religious issue and they say the bible is the word of God, and therefore, it is not looked upon favorably by God.

One article I came upon has a couple of quotes by people I'd like to share.

"God doesn't approve it, so I don't approve it. And I approve of Him."

Pablo Correa said his mind was made up by a TV spot in which a young girl comes home from school and tells her mother she learned how a prince could marry a prince. "I don't discriminate against people," he said, with a wave at the rows of lipstick and makeup. "I have a lot of customers who are homosexuals, transsexuals and bisexuals. I'm not against these people."

Excuse me for saying this, and I mean no offense to anyone, but how the hell does anyone know if God approves or does not approve of people based on their sexuality? Please come up with something better than it being written in the Bible. The Bible is a book, written and created by MAN. And unless someone can prove actual recorded conversations with God personally, to me it's just a creative book that doesn't teach anything new that one can't find in the Self Help section of their favorite bookstore.

As for the second quote stating he does not discriminate against people, this is a hypocritical statement in my opinion. You can't say "No, I will not allow you to be married because I disagree with the kind of love you have for another person." and turn around and say something to the effect that you do not discriminate nor do you judge how others live their life. That's just a bunch of stinky poo.

I'm saddened that this Proposition passed. I know there are a lot of people out there who feel that sexuality is a choice, but it's not. I'm not gay because I choose to be. I'm gay because I just am. I did not choose to feel this way any more than I could choose the color of my skin or the color of my eyes.

And I do not believe for one mili-second that God would reject me for being gay. Christians spout off at the mouth about how God is about Love. Jesus went on his travels reaching a wide cross section of people and talked about nothing but love and peace towards everyone.

Whoever we are and however we live our lives, is our business and our relationship with our Higher Power is between us and our Higher Power.

One last thing and I'll step off my soapbox on this .... I'm sick and tired of reading about the usual ignorant blather out there that lumps the gay community in the same category as people who are polygamists, people who engage in bestiality, or people who are pedophiles. One has nothing to do with the other. In addition, it's a proven fact that most pedophiles are heterosexual. Children do not grow up and learn to be gay, they either are or they are not. They are either gay, bisexual, or straight. Research is also out there that children who grow up with gay parents, do not just become gay. I mean hell, my parents were straight but they have two gay children out of six. Does that mean I should have been raised by gay parents so I'd be straight?

The argument that people use to "protect their children" is just ridiculous. You can not protect your children from who they naturally are. You can brainwash them into believing that if they are anything other than what YOU expect or accept them to be, but then you're only molding a psychologically troubled person who will grow up to have further problems - all thanks to your inability to address and deal with your own prejudices, fears, and ignorance's.

It's BS.

"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." - Nietzsche

"Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or the persecution of others." - JFK

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." - Martin Luther King Jr.

'Nuf said.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

I'm back - I think

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:11:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Kim & Kay Vaudin)

I apologize for being incognito here for a much longer length of time than I had originally planned. I had the best of intentions to resume this blog by Mid September. Alas, life got in the way and other things needed to be taken care of.

I'm ready and raring to go though. Are you?

We are coming up soon on this next season of Japan whale hunting. The Sea Shepherd Society will, once again, be out there in full force.

Meanwhile, I strongly encourage any of you that gets the Animal Planet network on your television, to set your DVR's to record the Whale Wars beginning this Friday, November 7th.

You can find the information on this serial documentary by going here -> Animal Planet's Whale Wars

Dolphin hunting in Taiji, Japan has continued, despite alarming reports of mercury and other toxins in these mammals being sold for consumption to an unaware public.

You can read various reports and updates on this issue at Blue Voice.

Meanwhile, if you need some inspiration and a powerful incentive to renew your passion in helping to protect our marine mammals, then for your consideration I lead you to the Whale Dreamers.

This movie is now available on DVD. It can also be rented from Netflix (search for it as one word - whaledreamers) or bought from Amazon. (direct link to movie at Amazon here -> Whale Dreamers)

Check it out!

This will do for now. Thanks for everyone's notes, comments, and emails during my absence, wondering when I would be returning. It's very much appreciated! And thank you for continuing to be part of my journey here in helping to continue to raise awareness on our dolphin and whale friends.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Thu, 15 May 2008 01:52:00 +0000

This blog is on hiatus for the time being.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Happy Earth Day

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:36:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Jim Warren)

In the past year, there's been a mix of good news and bad news when it comes to the environment and our wildlife, both on the land and in the sea.

The good news is, more and more people are waking up to the fact that our resources are not infinite and that the footprints we leave on our planet, can have lasting and damaging effects.

More people are becoming aware of the unnecessary slaughter of certain animals such as the harp seals in Canada and the hunting of Whales by the countries of Japan and Norway, etc. People are more aware of the plight of the polar bear up in Alaska and the ongoing fight with the federal government to preserve what little is left of the pristine wilderness up there and the long term, irreversible effects of oil drilling would have on the Beaufort Sea.

People in California continue to battle the U.S. Navy against the use of sonar as it is well documented that the use of sonar causes all sorts of physical and neurological damage on the marine life, such as the dolphins and whales.

More people are recycling and reusing. More are aware of that "green" is not just a color, but is a way of life that is becoming absolutely necessary if we are to preserve our Earth for generations to come.

If you do nothing else today, at least take a moment to go to the following link and send a note to your Representative in Congress to support legislation that protects wilderness areas in places like California, Utah, Oregon, Virginia, etal. Currently bills are going through a final stage in Congress on this issue. The more people that speak up on preserving what's left of our wilderness in this country, the better chance we have of actually succeeding.

Take action here.

Sea Shepherd has had a few updates on their site. They've been in the news (NY Times,) have seen success in a long fought battle with Brazil on the practice of drag-net fishing, have also had great success in the war with Japan over the annual whale cull in the Antarctic, and their activism and pressure on the issue of the harp seal slaughter in Canada has resulted in some very interesting things being exposed about this industry.

In news related to the harp seal cull, Newfoundland wants to put a kinder, gentler face on this slaughter, if that's possible. They figure if they take away the image of the "hak-a-pik" that is used to kill the seals, that it won't be so horrifying to the public.

Uh huh. Guess we're that stupid and gullible.

They say it's a "real image problem for us." Go figure.

Please keep updated at Sea Shepherd on their continuing global activism to preserve our marine wildlife. They are, in my opinion, the most visible and consistent organization out there that continues to fight these battles day in and day out, regardless of where and regardless of politics.

As controversial as they may be to some people, they get results. They get the word out. They put pressure on where it counts and they make a difference. They definitely have my support.

Happy Earth day, week, and weekend to everyone. Take a hike, play in a stream, put your paddles in the water, or go kick some sand and romp in the waves. Appreciate what you have and what your Earth so generously offers up to you every single day.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Seal Hunt Drama & Whale Tally from Japan

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:31:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Linda Thompson)

There has been a lot in the news lately about the Canadian Seal hunt. Rather than detail everything here, I kindly direct you to the Sea Shepherd site to read the updates.

Also check out the latest good news at the Humane Society U.S. here.

Enough international public pressure brought to bear on Canada has resulted in some positive things lately. Here's an excerpt from an email update I received yesterday from the Humane Society:

Here's the most exciting piece of news: the European Environment Commissioner has announced a plan to ban the trade in all seal products originating from inhumane hunts. This builds upon the historic declaration by the European parliament in 2006. If an EU-wide ban is enacted, the fashion houses serving the main markets for seal skins today -- China and Russia -- would be forced to stop, and millions of baby seals would be saved from cruel slaughter. In the meantime, many nations have either banned seal product trade or announced their intentions to do so. They include: Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, Panama, Mexico, and the United States. Just the potential for an EU ban on seal products has saved thousands of seals already. Prices paid for seal skins this year have declined so much that most sealers have chosen to stay home.

Tensions have been running high between Sea Shepherd and the Canadian Fisheries Minister,Loyola Hearn. You can read about that here and here.

I find it hysterical that Mr. Hearn will call Captain Paul Watson a "terrorist," and yet not find the tragic irony in such a label when he endorses and supports such atrocious slaughtering of innocent harp seals.

Good news on the whaling front. It's official. Japan only reached slightly over 50% of its killing quota this season at just 53%. Zero fin whales were captured and killed. Zero humpbacks were captured and killed, although Japan had agreed to that just prior to the start of the whaling season.

Japan blames "environmental terrorists" and calls it "regrettable" that they were unsuccessful in achieving their quota this year. I say kudos to both Greenpeace and especially to Sea Shepherd for their vigilante efforts in saving the lives of even more whales.

Sea Shepherd is currently hoping to raise enough funds this year for a 2nd ship in time for next year's whaling season. The goal is to have two ships running concurrently in the Southern Ocean with the plan that having a presence out there full time, will keep the Japan whalers constantly on the run. Paul Watson's goal is to save 100% of the whales next year and if he gets his 2nd ship, chances are very good he will achieve it.

Check out this cool Irish Dolphin site: Irish Dolphins

Great information there and they have a conference coming up next month that focuses a great deal on the human-dolphin interaction.

I wanted to touch briefly on the Women's NCAA Basketball tournament that concluded last weekend. I was pretty much glued to the television whenever there were games scheduled. It was quite the exciting tournament with some lower ranked teams upsetting some higher ranked ones, and the expected teams that made it to the Final Four.

I was rooting for Stanford Cardinal to take it all the way. They did make it to the title game, but got beaten by the defending champs, Tennessee Lady Vols. Tenn. is another favorite team of mine, but since they had already won the title last year, I wanted Candace Wiggins, Stanford's star Senior, to get the victory.

All in all, I had great fun watching the games and I settled in the next day to watch the WNBA draft. As expected, lots of big talents in the first round went to various teams. I'm not a big fan of the L.A. Sparks, but with Candice Parker of Tenn. being their first draft choice, I expect that L.A. will become a contender for the WNBA title either this season or next.

Sylvia Fowles of LSU and Candace Wiggins of Stanford were the 2nd and 3rd draft picks respectively.

New generation of talent coming into the WNBA and I'm really excited about the new season starting up next month. I actually don't have a team in the league that I consider a heavy favorite of mine. I'm sentimental towards the Seattle Storm, Sacramento Monarchs, and the Indiana Fever, but I'm more of a fan of the players. And since there are so many that I love to watch, any team that's playing I'll be rooting for lol

Check out the WNBA league at their site. If you are a true basketball fan, you won't be disappointed. I often enjoy the women's basketball games more than the men's because they seem to play with far more heart and passion, and focus more on the fundamentals rather than show boating and slam dunking back and forth.

Of course, before the WNBA begins it's season, I'll be focusing on the Women's NCAA Softball season. What can I say ... I'm a real sports nut :-)

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Be Free or Be Sheep

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:05:00 +0000

Time has a talent for getting away from me. My sincere apologies for the long absence and no updates to speak of.

I wouldn't even know where to begin right now so I'll just wing it ;-)

If you have not read Naomi Wolf's "End of America. Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot," then I strongly suggest you do so - and soon.

I finally got it last week from my local library after being on the waiting list for quite some time. It's good news that it was popular enough to have such a long wait and it wasn't the only copy the city library had. According to the online database, they have 25 copies of it. Anyway, I devoured it in two days.

Very disturbing reading about our country and the direction it appears to be heading towards.

Everyone wants to bury their heads in the sand and think "No big deal, the government will take care of us. Besides, there is a thing called the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. No way will the government even think of violating them."

It's already happening and it's only bound to get worse unless people truly wake up and start questioning their government and the leaders they have supposedly elected into office. The time was yesterday for us to become aware and to speak out. It's not too late. The more people that ARE aware and that ARE speaking up, the less power the government has on us. They have only as much power as we allow them to have and believe me, we've done just that. Blindly and faithfully just given up rights after rights and power after power and we are dangerously on the brink of losing it all.

It's not about being paranoid and it's certainly not about believing in conspiracies. The signs are all there and it's all very clear and plain as day. People simply have chosen for far too long to ignore it and to place blind faith and trust in their President and his Administration.

Run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore, library or simply click your mouse and lead it to your favorite online bookstore and get Naomi Wolf's book, "End of America." This is one book that should be required reading of every single American.

And if it doesn't shock you or disturb you, then you only prove you are not truly an American who believes in our Constitution.

Already, it's written into law, thanks to Bush and Cheney (among many others) that our country's President can have unchecked power. We have checks and balances in our government for a reason.

Already, micro chipping is becoming the norm. They started with animals, and have moved on to the military, people in positions of authority, the government, police, etc. and are chipping senior citizens in nursing homes on the pretense that it helps to keep them safe. Children are next. First it'll be voluntary and the way they are easing the chipping slowly into the mainstream consciousness, most people won't think anything about it when it one day becomes law. They'll still tell you that you have a choice, be chipped or be restricted. (Restrictions will include, but not be limited to, inability to get a job, a bank account, to travel, etc.) Paranoia run amok? I don't think so. It's already happening in other countries like China and the UK. Keep thinking it won't happen here until you one day wake up and ask yourself "WTF happened?"

Everything there is to know about you can be scanned on your hand and everywhere you go will be recorded in a database. 24/7 surveillance. Your bank account will be on the chip so your debit and credit cards will become obsolete. Just scan the hand and be on your merry way. Some people call it the Mark of the Beast. I'm not religious, but it's interesting to note such a thing.

Your Real ID, which, despite much opposition, is trying to become law across the land, and will be your only source of identification and it, too, can track you anywhere, anytime. What's wrong with our driver's licenses as they are now? Simple. They can't track you with them so they need to "enhance our country's security" by requiring these new cards. Don't believe it's more secure. It's just another way for Big Brother to keep you in your place.

If the Real ID act doesn't scare you, then let's look at another way our beloved government leaders are trying to fool us.

Social Security Surveillance Act or H.R. 5405

Contact your Congress person and urge them to vote against the H.R. 5405.

The states can fight the Real ID law, but this H.R. 5405 can only be fought at the federal level. And this is how our government is trying to get people to fall into line with their "Real ID" plans.

Some good sites to bookmark and to help us become more aware:

American Freedom Campaign

Center for Constitutional Rights

Move On

This is your wake up call people. Be free or be sheep.

I'll have another update in a day or two.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Harp Seal Cull

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:24:00 +0000

(Photo credit: Hicker Photo)

The planet is full of murderers. Japan kills hundreds of whales with excuses ranging from scientific research to it being a part of their culture. Canada kills thousands of harp seals because their rural communities need the money and because they, too, call it tradition and part of their culture. What a bunch of blathering horse poop.

Color me stupid, but in today's technological age, there are literally thousands of ways one can make money from anywhere on the planet without having to club a seal pup to death.

Sea Shepherd is currently on it's way to Canada to attempt intervention on this years harp seal cull. Canada has set their quota this year to be around the 275,000 mark, with most of the seal pups being under 3 months of age.

Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Loyola Hearn says:

"Canada's seal hunt is humane, sustainable and responsible," the minister said. "A number of independent reports have supported this over the years, including the recent European Food Safety Authority report on the animal welfare aspects of global seal hunts."

How would Mr. Hearn feel if someone stood over him with a club and bashed his head in, all the while saying to him over and over "Killing you is humane, sustainable, and responsible."

People like this make me sick.

(Photo credit: Humane Society)

Canada has ordered Sea Shepherd to stay away from the seal hunt or face prosecution under Canadian Law.

Paul Watson states that he complies within the law and has the right of passage.

Just like there has been no scientific evidence that proves the Japan whalers are indeed killing whales for this purpose, the same applies to the killing of harp seals.

Excerpt:

In its examination of Canada's commercial seal hunt, the European Food Safety Authority scientists found that:

there is strong evidence that, in practice, effective killing does not always occur
there is evidence that, during Canada's commercial seal hunt, animals suffer pain and distress
sealers often do not comply with the Canadian regulations in relation to manually checking the skull or administering a blinking reflex test
in contrast to current practice, attempts to kill seals should not be made where the seal does not pose a stable target or the sealer may be unbalanced, such as on shifting ice floes
seal hunts should be opened up to independent inspections without undue interference

The European Food Safety Authority, EFSA, concludes that seals should be recognized as sentient marine mammals that can experience pain, distress, fear, and other forms of suffering - not fish, as they are classified in Canada. It also recommends that seals should be protected from killing and skinning practices that cause them pain, distress, and avoidable suffering.

At least there are a growing number of countries who are protesting this culling and have created national bans on seal products. These currently include Belgium and the Netherlands and countries strongly considering this include Germany, Italy, and Austria.

While the hunt begins this Friday, there are delegates from Canada heading to Europe to lobby for their seal hunting industry. Canada could soon face sanctions on this from 27 nations.

I say sanction them up the butt and do it fast.

Meanwhile, let your voices be heard by sending a message to Canada's Minister of International Trade, David Emerson, below:

Take Action against the Canadian Harp Seal Cull

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Blame the Whales

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:12:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Jeff Wilkie)

Seems to be the mantra of the Japan whalers and their government: "Blame the Whales."

For what? They, among other countries like Canada for example, blame marine wildlife for the "diminishing of fish stocks" all over the planet.

Uh, what? That's the most ridiculous BS I've ever heard.

In The Whale Warriors, this book by Peter Heller that I am reading, there is a lot documented in there about the damage Japan has done to the marine ecosystem. And Japan is not alone in the harm they have done that in many parts of the planet, may well be irreversible. The USA is no exception either. But I digress.

Here's an excerpt in the book. Captain Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd was having one of his several conversations with Peter Heller and said:

"You know what the Japanese delegate Tadahiko Nakamura said to me at the 1997 IWC meeting in Monaco? He said he didn't care if all the whales died. He said his duty was to his family, his company, his country, and that it was his duty to harvest all the whales they could before they were all gone. 'Realize maximum profit from them before they go extinct' are the words he used."

Japan is the world's largest consumer of seafood. 40% of the protein from their diet comes from marine species. And with shrinking fish stocks and collapsing fisheries all over the planet, Japan is, of course, sensitive to criticism and anxious to place blame on the whales for the decline of fisheries.

Now imagine how this planet was millions of years ago. Imagine there was a time when there were 1.5 million humpback whales cruising the world's seas. Imagine when there were no engine sounds from boats and the water was so clear and krill and plankton were always abundant for these mammals.

For millions of years, whales have existed in these vast oceans, singing to one another songs that would span hundreds of miles through the water reaching other whales who would return their songs. It is well documented in scientific research that whales and dolphins call each other by name, have social structures akin to humans and their brains are also wired similarly to humans in that they can process thoughts and experience emotions running the spectrum of joy to grief.

"And they had done it all for millions of years and had swum the oceans in peace. They had left the sea unpolluted, mostly quiet, the reefs teeming; the shores, the mangroves rich, protective; the fish in their schooling numbers as prolific as the stars that wheeled above. They had loved the ocean, if love is a deep attention in which one does no harm. They had perceived it, attended the greens of the reefs and the blues of the deep and all its creatures and passed on, generation to generation. They had not turned on each other with wholesale vengeance and blood lust, or massacred another species off the face of the waters because they could.

They ocean they swam in now had changed. Old drift nets called ghost nets, thousands of miles of them, abandoned, drifted in every sea; the whales, all the species, could not detect them until it was too late, and then became tangled and thrashed and died by the thousands. Other fishing gear did the same - lines of lobster traps, long lines, abandoned seines. Ships, the sound of engines and props, turned the great currents into a cacophony through which the old distant whale songs were mangled and lost. Low-frequency active sonar now being used by the U.S. Navy, one of the loudest sound systems devised by man, emitted sonic booms that ruptured delicate hearing mechanisms, caused internal hemorrhage, and destroyed cetacean navigation systems so that whole pods washed up disoriented on beaches in the Caribbean and in the Pacific, bleeding from their ears. Overfishing dramatically depleted fish stocks and dug deeper and deeper down the food chain as top predators were wiped out, so that for cetaceans, food was harder and harder to find. Pollution concentrated toxins in their flesh to such a degree that many environmental organizations claim that the eating of whale or dolphin meat is patently unsafe."

So this planet, which was once pristine and teeming with healthy marine mammals all over, is now a cesspool of human greed and man made pollution. And countries like Japan want to blame the whales and dolphins for the lack of seafood they can hunt? Give me a freakin' break.

Japan blames the whales. Canada blames the harp seals. United States doesn't care as long as the Navy can improve upon and maximize the potential for their sonar capabilities. Because, ya know, we gotta protect ourselves from those terrorists in other countries.

Has anyone in these countries ever been honest enough to assess themselves as the terrorists?

If only humanity would learn that if we take care of our planet and every single living being in and out of the sea, then the planet will take care of us. Treat it like crap, and it'll give crap right back.

We don't have the right to complain about how dirty our planet is and how much trash we find in the ocean when we are the very culprits ourselves. We don't have the right to complain about how our natural resources are dwindling when our greed over the years has resulted in pollution, ravaged forests, and poisoned oceans.

People need to wake the hell up. Life is not about serving ourselves. We do so at our own peril. We must take care of this planet and understand that our very ecosystem the world over is in peril. And unless we at least begin to try to make up for all the crap we've pulled on Planet Earth, we too shall perish and have no one to blame but ourselves.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Happy Easter

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 06:56:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

I've been really distracted lately by basketball games, and have not been online much. With the college women's basketball tournament kicking off this weekend and games on TV almost every day for the next week or two, I figured I'd better get in now while the getting is good :-)

Before I proceed further though, do I have any tech proficient experts in my audience? My other blog at The Dolphin's Wink is undergoing a renovation. The friend I am hosting with on his server, had previously been my go-to guy for updates, changes, etc to that blog. His career has taken off though and he no longer has the time to dedicate to a novice like myself like he used to. Which is great news for him and I wish him all the success in the world ;-) But I now need to learn how to maneuver around my FTP control panel where my blog info is and learn how to add banners and where, add the RSS feed and where, etc etc. I don't know my FTP from my elbow and am a complete and total noob to this stuff.

If anyone knows this sort of information and where the easiest and clearest place to educate myself on this, I'd be much Obliged in being pointed in the right direction.

In the meantime, I'm wavering between two themes over there and not sure which one I want to stick with. Perhaps my readers could provide some feedback and leave a comment with your vote on which one you like the best.

Beach Day

This one is simple but does have it's limitations. I like the colors and the beachy theme.

Surfer

(Already set up on my blog at the moment)

This one has more flexibility for advertising, etc. But I'm not sure how important that is to me right now and it's a more complicated theme to work with for a newbie like myself. However, I also like this one too.

Appreciate your feedback!

I am currently reading two books that I HIGHLY recommend if you truly and deeply care about our marine mammals.

Messages From the Dolphins

I mentioned this one in my previous post and the author is Scott over at Dolphin Smile. This book is a summation of various messages from the dolphins on the subjects of Nature/Environment, Children, Communication, and War.

Mostly, it's a message about love and peace. Loving ourselves, each other, all living things, and our Earth. I believe we could learn a lot from our marine friends if we open our hearts and our minds to it. There is enough suffering on this planet and it's unfortunate, but true, that humanity is the cause of most of it. It begins with us and can end with us.

The Whale Warriors (check your favorite bookstore, either on or offline, or your local library)

This book is written by Peter Heller. He joined the Sea Shepherd crew last year and wrote a very detailed book on his experience. I'm only about 1/3 through it but Mr. Heller's talent for writing makes you feel like you are in the thick of the experience with him and the crew.

I'd like to share a passage here near the beginning of the book that stands out to me. It was part of a speech Captain Paul Watson gave at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival about two years ago.

"In June 1975, sixty-five miles off the coast of Siberia, Bob Hunter and I ran our Zodiac between a Russian whaler and a small pod of panicked, fleeing gray whales. We were the first to use a Zodiac in this way. The whalers fired a harpoon over our heads and hit a female whale in the head. She screamed. There was a fountain of blood. She made a sound like a women's scream. Just then one of the largest males I've ever seen slapped his tail hard against the water and hurled himself right at the Soviet vessel. Just before he could strike, the whalers harpooned him too. He fell back and swam right at us. He reared out of the water. I thought, this is it, it's all over, he's going to slam down on the boat. But instead, he pulled back. I saw his muscles pull back. It was as if he knew we were trying to save them. As he slid back into the water, drowning in his own blood, I looked into his eye and I saw recognition. Empathy. What I saw in his eye as he looked at me would change my life forever. He saved my life and I would return the favor."

Here's another passage, and if this doesn't bring home to anyone just how cruel and inhumane killing these mammals is, then you have ice running through your veins and your heart.

"The killing of a whale by the most modern methods is cruel beyond description. An exploding harpoon meant to kill quickly rarely does more than rupture the whale's organs. It thrashes, and gushes blood and begins to drown in its own hemorrhage. It is winched to the side of the kill ship and a probe is jabbed into it and thousands of volts of electricity are run through in an attempt to kill it faster. The whale screams and cries and thrashes. Often, if it is a mother, her calf swims wildly around her, doomed to is own slow death later on. Again, the electricity fails to kill the whale, and it normally takes fifteen to twenty minutes of this torture for the whale to drown and die. Whatever one thinks of whales' high intelligence, the advanced social structures, the obvious emotions and the still mysterious ability to communicate over long distances, this method of slaughter would not be allowed as standard practice in any slaughter house in the world."

It's not just about saving the whales, it's about saving the planet. Everything is linked and interlinked and as we destroy more and more of the resources we have left on Earth, we are, in effect, killing ourselves.

I hope to one day experience what it is like to be *thisclose* to a whale or dolphin and to make eye contact. I have no doubt that it would move me to the very core of my spirit in ways I can only currently imagine or dream.

For now, the closest I can get is here: Life Size Whale (Definitely check this out)

Ambrose Bierce says this about the ocean: "Ocean. A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills."

I wish everyone a Happy Easter and a wonderful weekend.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Focus on Sea Shepherd

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 08:37:00 +0000

(Artist credit: Jim Warren)

Whew! A lot happened in this past week in our beloved marine world. I'll get right to it.

Last week, Captain Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd fame, was allegedly shot at by the Japan Coast Guard while Watson and his crew were attempting to interfere with the whale culling. Crew members threw rancid butter on the Japan fleet and in retaliation, the Japan Coast Guard threw flash grenades at the Steve Irwin.

A bullet struck Captain Watson, who had the foresight to wear a Kevlar bullet proof vest. In pictures shown on the Sea Shepherd site, Watson holds up the bullet and the mangled badge where the bullet also struck.

Two other crew members were also injured when attempting to get away from the flash grenades. One suffered a hip injury and the other suffered from back bruises when falling on the deck. Both are okay and their injuries were not life threatening.

In the aftermath of this incident, Japan made attempts to spin this story and to deny the shooting ever took place.

Excerpt:

First, they admitted that warning shots were fired, then they corrected themselves and said that only flash grenades were fired at the crew of the Steve Irwin. Then they changed the story again and described the flash grenades as “warning balls.” By tomorrow morning, they may have it spun it again and may be describing them as “marshmallows.”

The Japanese Coast Guard and the Japanese Fisheries Agency have stated to the media that the devices were flash grenades and that warning shots were fired. Only the Institute for Cetacean Research is denying that warning shots were fired and describing the flash grenades as “warning balls.”

The Animal Planet has been on the Steve Irwin and claim to have this incident on videotape and Watson states "it tells the story." The Animal Planet was aboard because they are filming a documentary titled "Whale Wars."

You can read more here: Japanese Scramble to Spin Shooting Story

There is only about a week or so left in the whaling season and the Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin has returned to Australia due to low fuel. They are now heading home and are calling this whale season a "success" for them and the whales and an utter failure for the Japan whalers.

The International Whaling Commission has criticized the Sea Shepherd organization for their "tactics" and interference with the whale culling. But Watson pays them no mind, as would I. He and his crew were down there for months busting ass to prevent as many whales from being killed as is possible while the IWC was recently in London, sitting indoors, and spouting off about conservation and whaling.

My personal kudos, respect, admiration, and congratulations to the Sea Shepherd organization for having basically caused the Japanese whalers to only meet maybe half of their culling quota for this season.

Is there a solution to ending the whale slaughter in the Southern Oceans?

Excerpt:

Discussions are taking place within the IWC on a deal put forward by the United States that would end Japanese “research” whaling in the Southern Ocean.

The plans were drawn up at a meeting in February by the governments of Argentina and the Netherlands, but given support in-principle only last week in London at a closed door three-day meeting of the International Whaling Commission.

The plans call for the IWC to give Japan a legal commercial hunt in the North Pacific in waters close to Japan.

This would mean a legal kill of 150 Minke or what we call Piked whales.

In exchange the Japanese would abandon their so called “research” in the waters of the Southern Ocean.

More here: Keeping the Focus

No rest for the weary. Sea Shepherd will now head to Bermuda to board the Farley Mowat ship and head north to the Gulf of St. Lawrence to attempt to prevent as much killing of the harp seal pups as they can.

Canada has set this year's kill quota of harp seals at a whopping 325,000.

:: sigh ::

These seals are another species that are NOT killed in a humane manner. Usually, they are clubbed to death. What dark evil lies in the hearts of certain men who get such perverse pleasure from standing over a helpless and innocent seal and clubbing it to death? I truly do not understand people like this.

They claim there is a new rule now called "bash and slash" instead of just "bash." Gee, that sounds so much better.

"To say that this makes the seal slaughter more humane is to say that a psychopath is a better person if he slashes the throat of his victim after bashing in his or her skull." (Paul Watson)

Ironically, the sealers are protected by law:

The sealers are protected by the Seal Protection Regulations that make it a Federal offense to witness or document a seal pup being killed. In Canada if you see a sealer club a seal pup and you don’t have a permit to witness the slaughter you can be arrested, jailed and fined up to $100,000 or sent to jail for a year.

Read more here: Sea Shepherd to Tackle Baby Killers of Canada

There's much more to write about, including the aerial shooting of wolves in Alaska and the continued saga of the Polar Bears being ignored by the government for protection. But this will do for today.

Before I sign off, I'd like to once again spotlight the Dolphin Smile. Scott Olson wrote a book called "Messages From the Dolphins." I received this book from him yesterday and have not yet started to read it other than skimming through it quickly. It looks like a wonderful book and I'm quite excited to hear what the dolphins have to say to us, via Scott's voice.

Please consider supporting Scott's important work and order the book for yourself. I have created a banner for this purpose in the right side bar and am including it here in this post as well.

You can either click on this link -> Messages From the Dolphins

Or, click the banner below.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Politics

noreply@blogger.com (dolphin) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:46:00 +0000

I've been preoccupied lately and obviously, unfocused on updates here. My apologies to all.

I know Ron Paul has a snowball's chance on an overheated tropical beach of being elected as our next President, but I voted for him anyway in the Ohio primary this week. Guess Hillary Clinton finally beat Obama in a few states, including Ohio and squeaked by him in Texas.

McCain is officially the Republican nominee and I can't tell you how much it warms the cockles of my heart to hear that dumbass Bush has endorsed him. It inspires me to no end ya know. :-P

Frankly, I'm unimpressed with the candidates. It's disheartening that someone like Ron Paul, whom I may not agree with on every issue he stands for, but do support his belief that we need less government, to get the hell out of Iraq, and to return to abiding by and respecting the Constitution, has at most, gotten maybe 9-10% of the votes. Each state he has averaged, from what I can see, around 5-7%.

So it certainly doesn't matter now who our next President will be. It'll be the same old same old. Now if Clinton or Obama get elected, I can only hope and pray that they will have the courage to reverse much of what Bush had signed into law during his tyrannical regime. Such as wiretapping on unsuspecting Americans, giving him powers to bypass Congress on anything and to basically do whatever because "Dammit, I said so!"

I've been reading David Icke's book "Alice in Wonderland" and it's been quite enlightening. He's someone else I don't agree with on every issue, but he's a good writer and echoes much of what I have believed about the 9/11 events (among other issues) from the moment the planes hit the towers. But I don't want to get into that today. I'd probably end up sounding like a conspiracy nut anyway.

I will say this. Question authority. Read and/or listen to alternative presses. And if the day comes when the national ID card and/or microchipping becomes mandatory, well run like hell. I will certainly personally refuse to submit myself to such control tactics and would rather be put in front of a firing squad and put to my death.

Some people think that distrusting or disbelieving their government and leaders is unpatriotic. I say it's unpatriotic to not protect yourselves and to fight to preserve your freedoms. Our freedoms are quickly eroding to the point of no return unless more people start waking up and speaking out. Thanks to Bush and Cheney, it's an uphill battle at this point to reverse the damage they have inflicted upon us in the past 7+ years. But it's never too late to fight back on anything.

The happy pills are flowing today!

It's been a very busy week and half for the Sea Shepherd crew. They've been enormously successful in pretty much shutting down the whaling operations and the Japan whalers have not even reached half their whale culling quota for this year. The whaling season will end in the next couple of weeks or so because winter is about to start down there in the Antarctic and the weather is becoming too dangerous for the fleets to continue for much longer.

I encourage you to check out Sea Shepherd's site for their updates.

Also, Scott @ Dolphin Smile puts up some brief posts and is a good place for a quick read on these issues.

That's all for today and I'll be back soon with more. :-)

Mahalo,

Dolphin