This 13 February 2020 video from the USA says about itself:
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has purchased the Warner Estate in Beverly Hills for a staggering $165 million, according to a report Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal.
While Bezos, the richest man in the world, treats his workers at Amazon and at the Washington Post like shit …
Apparently, Bezos thinks his luxurious New York penthouse is not enough yet.
This 11 February 2020 video says about itself:
Namaqua Dwarf adder (Bitis schneideri) – the smallest viper in the world
Namaqua Dwarf adder (Bitis schneideri) is a tiny viper living on the Western coast of South Africa. It is threatened by the destruction of coastal dune habitats and collection for the pet trade. This venomous snake has been filmed in the wild very rarely and Living Zoology film studio wants to spread a message about the Namaqua Dwarf adder! Wait for the end of the video, where this dwarf gets compared to a huge Gaboon viper.
By Steve Sweeney in Britain:
Friday, February 14, 2020
‘Love is the best medicine for Iraq’
Teenage artist tells the Star how she hopes her paintings will communicate the voice of Iraqi women to the world
DISABLED teenage Iraqi artist Samaa al-Ameer insisted that “love is the best medicine” for her country today as she hoped to use her paintings to communicate the voice of Iraqi women to the world.
Ms Ameer, 16, spoke to the Morning Star hoping to spread a Valentine’s Day message of “peace, tolerance and love” as the country spirals into violence and chaos, with armed militias and Iraqi security services attacking those demanding change.
She explained how the anti-government protests started in October with Iraqi youth raising the slogan “scared people cannot create freedom.”
But Ameer said that she was saddened to be prevented from accompanying her father to the demonstrations in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square “because of my disability.”
“I knew the amazing role of the Iraqi women there, especially the young ones, having seen their images on television screens and in photographs”, she said.
Her mother suggested that she made some paintings of the demonstrations and presented them as gifts to the protesters.
“I made two paintings; one of them is titled ‘The Rain of Iraq Hearts’ and I published them. But I said that any cultural activity is meaningless without going to Tahrir Square,” she said.
She explained that her mother had to work hard to convince her father to take her to the square, which has been central to the uprising and the scene of a violent backlash with security services firing teargas and live bullets at those gathered there.
Ameer’s mother heard her speaking of her sadness at being unable to attend the protests and meet the young people demanding revolutionary change.
She persuaded her father to allow her to attend “because she knows very well that I am a girl of principles and she teaches me the importance of making my words correspond with my actions.
“My father and mother took me to Tahrir Square on the last day of 2019. I found there a beautiful picture of Iraq and l looked attentively at the Freedom Monument,” one of the city’s most well-known and best-loved statutes and a symbol of revolution.
“Because my country has suffered from difficult and critical circumstances, I raised two banners announcing my campaign for spreading a culture of love, peace, tolerance, and co-existence, banishing hatred,” Ameer explained.
The banners read “Love is the best medicine for Iraq” and “by love we can build Iraq.”
Samaa told the Star that she hoped to use her artwork to raise the voice of Iraqi women who are playing a leading role in the uprising.
Scores have been killed and arrested in protests across the country, but refuse to be intimidated.
…
At least 600 people are believed to have been killed since the uprising began.
Ameer called for an end to the violence and urged Iraqi’s to “fill your heart with love to build your country.”
This 14 November 2020 video from New York state in the USA says about itself:
Everyone scatters as a Pileated Woodpecker makes its way to the suet feeders for a long meal during a morning snow squall.
By Peter Lazenby in Britain:
Friday, February 14, 2020
Thousands of kids across Britain take to the streets demanding government fights climate change
THOUSANDS of students at more than 80 schools across Britain walked out on strike today, demanding government action to fight climate change.
Marches, rallies and other events were staged in major towns and cities.
The strikes were organised by the UK Schools Climate Network (UKSCN), set up by volunteers who had been inspired by young people mobilising against climate change.
In some places, student strikers were joined by supporters of Extinction Rebellion (XR).
In Birmingham, students, XR activists and the Red Rebels group joined forces, marching through the city handing out handmade red roses and “love poems to the planet”.
UKSCN is demanding that the government draw up a green new deal to transform the economy and for the climate crisis to be placed on the school curriculum.
The group also wants “publicisation” of the crisis, young people to get the vote from the age of 16 and proportional representation in general elections.
“With 200 species going extinct every day and water scarcity affecting up to 360 million people, our objectives have never been more relevant,” said UKSCN.
Strikes and rallies also took place in Leeds and Bradford, where councils are considering plans to expand Leeds Bradford airport.
A UKSCN spokesperson said: “We feel that, facing a lethal ecological crisis, we as a generation must take direct action where the older generation has failed.
“As Greta Thunberg said: ‘You don’t have to school-strike, it’s your own choice. But why should we be studying for a future that soon may be no more?’
“Protesting and striking is our best way to force the government to take action.”
This 27 April 2016 video says about itself:
Germany: Neo-Nazis on trial for planning terror attacks on refugee homes
Four members of the neo-Nazi group known as the ‘Oldschool Society’ accused of plotting bomb and arson attacks on refugee homes went on trial in Munich on Wednesday.
Dutch NOS radio reports today that German police have arrested twelve right-wingers, suspects of planning terrorism.
There were police raids in various German states, including Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg.
Police say the suspects planned to murder politicians, refugees and Muslims.
This 13 February 2020 video shows marine fish in Oceanium aquarium in Blijdorp zoo in Rotterdam in the Netherlands eating their recently introduced vegan food.
The zoo writes about it on 13 February 2020 (translated):
UNIQUE VEGAN FOOD FOR FISH IN BLIJDORP
Herbivorous fish in aquariums are fed worldwide with fish feed with animal ingredients. There must be another way, thought Blijdorp. The zoo took action and is now developing its own, more natural diet for the herbivorous marine fish in the Oceanium. Everything is aimed at improving the welfare of the animals.
Ingredients fish food
The existing fish food of marine fish differs greatly from the diet of their species in the wild. All over the world they receive food of mainly animal origin, such as fishmeal. The plant-based ingredients in these foods are grown on land and not in the sea, such as corn, grain, soybeans and other beans. That’s pretty strange. There is a suspicion that this “unnatural” food is the cause of various fish diseases. An adequate diet could at least suppress various fish diseases such as marine head and lateral line erosion. That is why a new feed is being developed in the Oceanium.
100% vegan from the sea
Animal and farmed products are omitted from this new, natural feed. It only consists of vegetable products from the sea. With this, not one but more steps are taken in the right direction. After all, avoiding the use of soy also protects the Amazon region.
Grazing fish
Most herbivorous fish are “grazers”. For example, surgeonfish (known as Dory from the Disney movie) eat algae that grow on the hard surface of reefs. This natural grazing behaviour is also stimulated in the Oceanium. The new fish feed is not bound with the usual gelatin of animal origin but with agar made from red and brown algae. This is spread over our artificial corals in liquid form. This gives the fish the chance to show their natural grazing behavior. For the other fish in these aquariums it is more difficult to eat with this because their mouths are unsuitable for scraping or pulling away the food. In this way only the herbivorous fish can eat it. Now they can graze longer, just like they do in nature.
Various herbivorous fish such as surgeonfish, scats, butterflyfish and batfish swim in the coral tunnel of the Oceanium.
Late in 2014, I made this new award: the Real Neat Blog Award. There are so many bloggers whose blogs deserve more attention. So, I will try to do something about that 🙂
It is the first award that I ever made. I did some computer graphics years ago, before I started blogging; but my computer drawing had become rusty 🙂
The ‘rules’ of the Real Neat Blog Award are: (feel free not to act upon them if you don’t have time; or don’t accept awards; etc.):
1. Put the award logo on your blog.
2. Answer 7 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
3. Thank the people who nominated you, linking to their blogs.
4. Nominate any number of bloggers you like, linking to their blogs; and asking them seven questions.
5. Let them know you nominated them (by commenting on their blog etc.)
My seven questions are:
1. Where do most visits to your blog come from?
2. What is your favourite sport?
3. What has been a special moment for you so far in 2020?
4. What is your favourite quote?
5. What was your favourite class when still at school?
6. Anything you had wished to have learned earlier?
7. What musical instrument have you tried to play?
My nominees are:
1. Soul of a Gypsy……Welcome to my Journey
2. TJWhiteWolf’s Poetry and Series
11. The Musings of Jaime David
12. The M Word
13. Communication for Development
14. cbcgdf
15. builderssphere
This June 2019 Dutch video with English subtitles is about the Marker Wadden, five sandy islands recently built in the Markermeer lake.
According to Dutch mews agency ANP today, conservationists say these islands have a good effect on the ecosystem.
Rare fish species like houting and ide have been found in what a few years ago was a degraded environment.
Birds like little tern, common tern and avocet nest on the islands.
Dear Kitty. Some blog 