The Daily Bird #20

Ossi

Click for full size image. Adult bearded vulture. Some lammergeier have been released in the Alps as part of reintroduction programmes. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo.

In mid-May, a bearded vulture was spotted in the UK. Seriously exciting! This is one of the coolest and most magnificent birds I have ever seen. I would love to see this bird in person.

A spectacular bearded vulture, believed to be the first recorded in the UK, has been spotted soaring over the Severn estuary and moorland in Devon.

If it is confirmed that the vulture, also known as the lammergeier or ossifrage, is a wild bird, it will be the first of its species to be found in Britain and the sightings have already caused ornithologists to rush to the west country hoping for a glimpse.

The lammergeier was filmed on the Welsh side of the Second Severn Crossing at the end of last week, perched on rocks then flying off toward the bridge.

It is believed the same bird was seen last weekend over Dartmoor in Devon about 100 miles away. Though already a sizeable bird, the specimen is thought to be a juvenile. Adults can boast a wingspan of almost three metres (9.8ft).

Josh Jones, news manager at BirdGuides, said the sighting was very exciting. “I think we’re going to have a lot of people wanting to take a look,” he said. “This is special bird and we could get monster crowds.”

I believe that, I’d be part of those monster crowds.

The same bird is believed to have been spotted in Belgium earlier this month. Some lammergeier have been released in the Alps as part of reintroduction programmes but those birds have dyed feathers so can be easily recognised.

There were no obviously dyed feathers – or rings – on the Severn vulture which suggests it could be a genuinely wild bird. Young lammergeier do travel large distances.

Very exciting. I’m jealous of anyone who has a chance to see this most magnificent being in person.

Via The Guardian.

Campaign for USA.

CREDIT: YouTube/Screenshot

CREDIT: YouTube/Screenshot

It just never stops. There are always more willfully ignorant, evil-minded bigots out there, just salivating at the opportunity to cause harm.

The Conservative Republicans of Texas, which has already been named a hate group for its rhetoric, has launched what it’s calling “Campaign for USA” — modeled after their “Campaign for Houston.” It uses the same ad from the Houston campaign, which shows a little girl being stalked by a man in a bathroom, but the spot now targets Target for the retail giant’s inclusive bathroom policy.

[…]

The Campaign for USA website claims that by allowing guests to use restrooms and changing facilities that match their gender identity, “This means that any man can say he feels like a woman and use the women’s bathroom or dressing room at Target. Just because a man feels like and thinks he is a women [sic], does not make him a woman, any more than thinking he is a dog, would make him a dog, even if he walked on all fours and barked.” The site then links to an article about pup play, a kink found in the gay community that has nothing to do with gender identity.

“The whole concept of ‘transgender’ of course is absurd and irrational,” the site insists. “Those who practice this behavior or enable it have adopted perverted thinking.”

In case the Campaign’s perspective is not clear, the site continues to drive home the point:

The term transgender is a euphemism, a weaker alternative, for the term pervert, in order to make the behavior seem more acceptable. Men who dress up like women and want to use women’s bathrooms, showers and locker rooms are sexual deviants and perverts. The LGBT homosexual political movement wants to force society, under the penalty of law, to accept, affirm as normal, and celebrate the perverted homosexual lifestyle and the deviant behavior of men who claim to be women. The goal of the LGBT is to destroy all Biblical moral absolutes and create sexual anarchy in society. The LGBT political movement wants it mandated that this wicked lifestyle be taught to children in school, starting in Kindergarten, and that children be encouraged to experiment with homosexual and transvestite behavior. The goal is to break down the children’s consciences, so that they can more easily be recruited into the homosexual lifestyle.

It proceeds to start citing Bible verses, promising that rather than “affirm and celebrate homosexual behavior and other forms of sexual perversion,” they will “proclaim the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” to the LGBT community “so that they may be saved from the penalty of their sin and walk in the light of God’s word.”

[…]

The anti-Target ad will nevertheless run across Texas for three months, costing the Campaign $2 million. Jared Woodfill, president of the campaign, promised, “We’re not going to let this go. We’re going to continue to fight this battle until Target changes their policy or goes out of business.” That could be a very long time.

Full story at ThinkProgress.

NC’s Latest Play.

Louis Round Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Photo: Ildar Sagdejev, via Wikimedia).

Louis Round Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Photo: Ildar Sagdejev, via Wikimedia).

RALEIGH, N.C. – In court documents filed yesterday, North Carolina and the University of North Carolina system argued that the state’s law banning transgender people from public restrooms matching their gender identity should remain in effect while a legal challenge proceeds in federal court. The law, House Bill 2, also removes legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and others.

[…]

The individuals and ACLU members are represented by the ACLU of North Carolina, the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and the law firm of Jenner and Block.

The groups released the following statement today in response to yesterday’s motions:

“After rushing to enact HB2 in a span of hours, the government is now asking the court for six months to study its own law, so it can figure out what to say in its defense, all while transgender people suffer. By arguing that HB2 should remain in effect, Gov. McCrory, legislative leadership, and UNC are continuing to defend a law that specifically targets transgender people who just want to be able to use public facilities safely and securely like everyone else. Every defendant opposes efforts to block HB2’s discriminatory provisions from remaining in effect while this case moves forward. In so doing, all of the defendants are continuing to inflict daily harm on the transgender North Carolinians we represent and to defy federal court rulings that conclude that federal law forbids discrimination against transgender people.”

Via Common Dreams and Metro Weekly.

The Real Victims of Persecution: American Christians, Part II.

donald-trump-claims-accommodating-transgender-people-is-too-expensivex750_0Continuing the Art of Pandering with Donald Trump: America Is A Judeo-Christian Nation Because ‘That’s The Way It Is’. Well, that’s certainly a concise, well thought out, well researched conclusion. *Cough* On with the show…

In an interview following his speech at the Road to Majority summit today, Donald Trump told Christian Broadcasting Network pundit David Brody that he agrees America is a “Judeo-Christian nation” because “that’s the way it is.”

Trump also vowed to reach out to Religious Right movement figures, mentioning his upcoming meeting with a variety of extreme activists and preachers hosted by Ben Carson.

And here I was thinking that the nightmare just had to stop at some point, the rhetoric and reaching out to all the evil people had to at least slow down, but no. It actually gets worse.

When asked if he would “turn down” some of the controversial rhetoric that has come to define him,Trump gave a mixed response.

“Well, you have to be who you are. I’ve gotten the largest number of votes in the history of Republican politics, by far, and so I want to keep doing what we’re doing. But if you ask me to tone it down I’ll tone it down,” Trump laughed.

He also used the speech to reiterate his support of the pro-life community. It’s no secret Trump has had a shaky relationship with the pro-lifers in the past but conservative women groups seem to be warming up to the idea of a President Trump.

“From what I hear he has been very consistent in meeting with the conservative community and the life community and being there in support,” Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told CBN News.

That is seriously bad news.

He will also hold a closed-door meeting with many evangelical leaders later this month.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, will be in that meeting. CBN News asked Perkins how Trump can narrow the gap between himself and evangelicals.

“His vice-presidential pick is going to be extremely important. I think it needs to be somebody that has a relationship with the evangelical community, which he really has not had,” Perkins said.

[…]

“I don’t think he can necessary transcend the theological differences from a stand point of evangelicals and the centrality of their faith. He can’t rewrite the narrative of his business career. But I think he can say,’ I’m going to protect your right to believe. I understand how important you are to American and America’s moral fabric and I’m going to fight for you,’ Perkins continued.

Oh good, a closed door meeting with evangelicals. Who knows what he’s going to promise them?

Via Right Wing Watch (video)  and CBN.

The Real Victims of Persecution: American Christians.

donald-trump-claims-accommodating-transgender-people-is-too-expensivex750_0So sayeth Donald Trump. Bet you’re all surprised, aren’t you? The Master of Pander is at it again:

Donald Trump told Religious Right activists today that, as president, he will stop refugees from coming to America and will instead focus on the real victims of persecution: American Christians.

Trump, who read the majority of his speech to the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority conference off a teleprompter, kicked things off by bragging about how well he has “done with the evangelicals and with the religion, generally speaking.”

He went on to talk about the need “to restore faith to its proper mantel in our society” and “respect and defend Christian-Americans” along with the need to reject refugees fleeing war and violence.

[…]

Trump also repeated his vow to appoint conservative judges to the bench, boasting that the judges on his list of potential Supreme Court nominees “are all pro-life.”

People keep saying that it’s all a game, he’s really an atheist, the stuff about Jesus proves he’s atheist, and so on, but I’m not seeing it. Regardless of what he actually believes, he’s courting the true believers, hard, and if he ends up as president, he’ll keep doing that, if it allows him to do what he wants. So, I don’t see where it really matters what he believes. It’s what he’ll do that matters.

Right Wing Watch has the story.

A Win for Transgender Prisoners.

Shiloh Quine. CREDIT: Kristin Schreier Lyseggen

Shiloh Quine. CREDIT: Kristin Schreier Lyseggen.

A federal judge in California ruled on Thursday that state prisons must allow transgender inmates greater access to commissary items that are consistent with their gender identity. The ruling stems from a settlement reached in August 2015 that mandates the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations (CDCR) to pay for a transgender inmate’s sex reassignment surgery.

[…]

The case was first brought forward by 56-year-old Shiloh Quine, a transgender woman currently being held at Mule Creek State Prison, a men’s prison southeast of Sacramento. Represented by the Transgender Law Center in Oakland, CA, her case was first brought forward after she was denied sex reassignment surgery in addition to clothing and other items that were only available to inmates in women’s prisons due to California state prison policy.

[…]

Ilona Turner, legal director at the Transgender Law Center, said in a statement that transgender women should not be denied items that other women in CDCR facilities can access. “We are pleased that the court recognizes the importance of having access to clothing and personal items that reflect a person’s gender, and that denying items because someone is transgender is discrimination,” she said.

Kent Scheidegger said the ruling was ridiculous. He serves as the legal director at the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, a nonprofit law organization that advocates for the “swift and certain punishment” of criminals on behalf of their victims rights of crime victims, in addition to promoting use of the death penalty.

Well, nice to know uStates will never be short of people happy to swing a bloodthirsty cudgel whenever the opportunity arises. Jesus Fucking Wept.

ThinkProgress has the full story.

The Cowardly KKK on Trans Rights.

KKK

In the town of Lithia Springs, Georgia, the KKK decided to take a stance on Trans rights. They executed this oh so brave act by littering random houses in a quiet suburb with these fliers. Fliers which state “These freaks are jeopardizing the safety of bathrooms all across the nation“. Sweet of them to be so terribly concerned about the safety of public lavs all over the nation. I had no idea they were under threat. Perhaps there’s a secret mildew attack brewing or something. Oh, wait, there’s something tacked on about women and children. Ah, this is only concerned with the safety of womens’ and childrens’ lavs. (Again, kids have their own?) As for that “Our women and children“, I offer every single one of you moronic, bigoted assholes a profound Fuck You. Women do not belong to you, or anyone else. Children certainly do not belong to you, or anyone else. They are people, not possessions.

Apparently, this is their idea of a recruiting poster, hoping they’ll get all kinds of new moronic, bigoted assholes to sign up, after all, the safety of America’s bathrooms are at stake! In a display of utterly brilliant planning, they simply littered their little recruitment ads at random, with absolutely no thought as to where they might land, and only about a dozen (that are known about) were littered. Not the greatest effort.

“I wanted it on record, in case something happens to my children,” said Tenisha Bell. Bell immediately called the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office as soon as she read the flyer left on her front lawn. “I couldn’t believe this hatred, this racism left in my front yard,” she said.

The flier is from the KKK. News reports show the same flier was left in neighborhoods in Alabama and Mississippi in recent weeks.

[…]

“My ancestors were hung from trees,” she said. “This is not acceptable. This hurts. Just like they have problems with transgender, I have problems with the KKK.”

Full story here.

Efficiency, how I love thee.

effic1

effic2

About a month ago, our washing machine quietly died, with a tub full of clothes and water. Not entirely unexpected, it certainly hadn’t been running well for years, but it did run, so the time never seemed right to replace it. The dryer was still working, but again, not all that well. They were over 20 years old, and not terribly expensive when we bought them. In hindsight, we really should have considered replacing them years ago, rather than just doing the standard ‘run them to death’.

Wednesday, we brought home a Samsung set, mid-priced at around $1,200. (I know, still a lot of money!) That pain in the pocket is one reason for the ‘run them to death’ business. Having finally gotten them installed on Thursday, and starting to catch up with the insane amount of piled up laundry, oh, I wish we had done this years ago. You just don’t know how very badly your old machine works until you get a brand new, updated one. I am hoping these will be the last we have to buy, but if they start working as badly as our old ones at some point, I won’t hesitate to get new. I’m not used to having touchpads, or a separate power / start-pause system, so I keep setting them, then turning them off, but I’ll get used to it eventually. They are wonderfully efficient, quiet, and have the best machine feature ever – the capability to mute all sounds. For every load of wash, the readout lets you know how long it will take (same as the dryer), which is a nice feature. I have not bothered with the “OMG, you absolutely must use this special detergent” stuff, I just cut way down on the amount of the regular stuff, as I have a whole lot of it, and I’m not tossing it out. Now it will last even longer.

Very nice machines. Now to get on with all that laundry…

Suited.

Credit: Benedict Evans.

Credit: Benedict Evans.

Tailors Rae Tutera and Daniel Friedman show off their suits for transgender clients in a new documentary, Suited.

The Girls creator and star produced an HBO documentary chronicling the rise of the duo’s store, Bindle & Keep. Directed by Jason Benjamin, the film premieres June 20.

The film follows the stories of clients, many of whom are transgender, as they come into the shop to find a perfect outfit.

“They all have fascinating lives and do really interesting things. Their gender and their gender presentation is just really the tip of the iceberg of who they are,” said Dunham in an interview with W magazine.

For their Sundance premiere, the entire crew, including Dunham, wore suits made by the Brooklyn company.

“I just felt strong and beautiful and powerful, which was really cool and unexpected,” said Dunham.

Via Out. Bindle & Keep.