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POPSRoss Perot Jr Haggling to Finish Off the Rhino He Shot That Got Away "White rhino (Ceratotherum simum) are considered a conservation-dependent species and are classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Intense efforts have increased the population from fewer than 100 in 1895 to approximately 17,500 today. Supporters of trophy hunting claim it is a viable method for “managing” the white rhino population. The practice also brings in tourism dollars and helps fund conservation efforts. Many others oppose the notion of trophy hunting, pointing out that killing an animal to get a thrill - and acquire a stuffed head for one’s wall - is not an acceptable “sport”." Apparently his son Hill Perot got his trophy, "white rhino head".
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POPSFall colors fade in U.S. west as Aspen Trees die
Dale Bartos, aspen ecologist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station, is cautious about using climate-based forecasts to predict an end to aspen. "I see aspen moving up and down the hillsides with climate change," he said. "As it dries out, we may see aspen on the lower end move up the hill. I don't think the answer is cut and dried." Others foresee a grim outlook for a tree long associated with the appeal of the West. "What we think will happen is that aspen will disappear in some areas and there will not be anything we can do about it," said SAD expert Wayne Shepperd. A study by the federal Rocky Mountain Research Station presented just such a scenario. It predicted the near total disappearance of aspen in the Rocky Mountain region by 2090. The research, to be published in Forest Ecology and Management, concludes that up to 41 percent of Western forests would be unable to support aspen by 2030. That figure would rise to 75 percent by 2060 and as much as 94 percent
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POPSHarvey Johnson: American Pedophile in Cambodia Harvey Johnson, American retiree was the subject of a sting operation by Nightline. Johnson moved to Cambodia, set himself up as a volunteer English teacher which gave him access to lots of very young students. He procured children for his own personal use as well as to sell to other pedophiles. The article is disturbing, the videos even more so. Part 1 was more than enough for me. Also featured is a 66 year old American who "fell in love" with a 14 year old that he purchased from her mother. Both "peds" are being prosecuted by various agencies. This website features several activists and their efforts to end this kind of exploitation.
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POPSChicago's loss: Is passport control to blame? Sounds far more plausible to me than claims that Michelle Obama was being "like Marie Antoinette". More: The exchange underscores what tourism officials here have been saying for years about the sometimes rigorous entry process for foreigners, which they see as a deterrent to tourism. Once the news came out that Chicago lost its Olympic bid, the U.S. Travel Association didn’t miss an opportunity to point that out, sending out a critical press release within hours.… International travel to the U.S. declined by 10 percent in the first quarter of 2009 according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. To lure visitors back, U.S. Travel has been pushing the Travel Promotion Act, which recently was passed in the Senate and is awaiting action in the House, to create a campaign to strengthen the image of the United States abroad.
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POPSCirque du Soleil Founder To Raise Global Awareness About Water Conservation Aboard Russian Rocket The former fire-eater and stilt-walker will orchestrate the show, called Moving Stars and Earth for Water, from the space station and blend artistic performances or "poetic readings" by celebrities in 14 cities around the world. Former U.S. vice-president Al Gore, Canadian astronaut Julie Payette, U2, Shakira, Quebec singer Garou, composer A.R. Rahman, Quebec biologist Jean Lemire, singer Peter Gabriel and Cirque performers are set to take part. Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/story.html?id=2046224#ixzz0SXhQFZSs
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POPSRAF: 'That (UFOs) exist is indisputable.' more (at source): "If the reports are taken at face value then devices exist that do not use conventional reaction propulsion systems, they have a very wide range of speeds and are stealthy. I suggest we could use the technology, if it exists." The internal debate in the MoD came to a head in 1995, when documents were made public revealing that UFO reports were routinely copied to specialist "Defence Intelligence" branches. An exasperated intelligence office wrote to the UFO Desk: "I see no reason for continuing to deny that (Defence Intelligence) has an interest in UFOs.
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POPSDutch cannabis coffee shops ban tourists In another unintended consequence, several border towns complain of the burdens associated with a weekly influx of tens of thousands of tourists, mainly Belgian, French and German. Among recent steps taken to deal with these problems, Amsterdam has said it would halve its number of coffee shops, citing criminality, while other cities are to close those within a certain radius of schools.
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POPSYou Are Not Here You Are Not Here (.org) is a platform for urban tourism mash-ups. It invites participants to become meta-tourists on simultaneous excursions through multiple cities.
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POPSUniversal reveals details of new Harry Potter park Every shop and eatery is Potter-themed. Honeydukes sells chocolate frogs and "Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans," Ollivander's peddles magic wands, Zonko's joke shop has Sneakoscopes, and the British restaurant Three Broomsticks pours Butterbeer. At The Owl Post, guests can send letters with a certified Hogsmeade postmark. Magical instruments and equipment are available at Dervish and Banges, including everything needed to play Quidditch — a game like soccer played on flying broomsticks.
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POPSU.S. to charge an admissions fee You got to hand it to the capitalists. Forever inventing creative ways to separate people from their money. Despite the fact that ESTA pre-registration system stated the system would always be free, clever wording allows government to keep their word and collect fees too.
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POPSWe have a 'right to starlight,' astronomers say One Brazilian astronomer, Augusto Daminelli, told the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper that in Rio, "it should be possible to see up to 5,000 stars with the naked eye -- but because of light pollution we can only see 150." He noted that nearly a third of electric lighting is directed to the heavens, and thus wasted. Possible solutions include putting aluminum covers on street lighting to direct the illumination downwards, and using weaker, more energy-efficient lamps, he said. "More than two billion people in the world are unable to see the Milky Way. For us, the sky is a heritage site for mankind," he said. <<
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POPSProposed Power Corridor Raises Eminent Domain Concerns in Six States
In addition to concerns expressed by farmers, local businesses relying on eco-tourism are opposed to the lines, which they fear would permanently blight places of significance like Harriet Tubman's birthplace and the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Landowners, environmentalists and businesses that oppose the power line are urging representatives to consider alternatives, such as wind power or burying the lines. If the project is rejected at the State level, PHI could invoke federal eminent domain powers, under the Energy Policy Act of 2005: In the event that the Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway is not approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission, PHI would be able use the power of eminent domain under Federal authority. Section 1221 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides authority for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to review and override state siting decisions as well as other federal and state laws and policy and . . . .
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POPSHas Japan's Dolphin Slaughter Been Prevented?
Today, the dolphin slaughter was set to begin in Taiji, but the tides there may have changed. Here's a dispatch from O'Barry who has just returned to Japan for the start of the killing season: When I got off the bus at the Cove this afternoon, I was accompanied by my son Lincoln O'Barry's film crew, a crew from Associated Press, Der Spiegel (the largest magazine in Germany), and the London Independent. No dolphins and no dolphin killers. We would not have had a story at all, except for the police who were there, waiting all day for us to appear. Nine policemen came to talk to us... And as I was talking with the police, as the international journalists stood around listening, suddenly a camera crew arrived from Japan! And then another! And then still another! You have to understand that this is SO IMPORTANT. These TV stations have REFUSED to cover the story in Taiji for years and years. NOW, for the first time, they have shown up, with cameras rolling. T
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POPSMalaysia bars Muslims from Black Eyed Peas concert Here's how I'm reading it: The government wants to promote tourism in the country but they don't want the majority citizens to participate; however, the minority can certainly help boost not only the image of the country but the tourism industry itself. Looks like the government is confused.
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POPSFurther refutation of the Obamoid "settlement freeze" formula Michael Oren is Israel's ambassador to the US. He is also an IDF veteran and a historian of some note. His book, Power, Faith, and Fantasy covers the two-hundred-years US history of relations with Arab/Muslim nations. His article here of course is in support of Netanyahu's policy towards the West Bank. That's to be expected since Oren is Netanyayhu's ambassador. But the point is that Oren/Netanyahu have some facts on their side while the Obamoids only have Power, Faith, and Fantasy
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