Did Jesus Reaffirm All 10 Commandments? Lipstick Contaminated with Lead?

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Did Jesus Reaffirm All 10 Commandments?

 

“Does a Christian have to keep all of the 10 Commandments? Some believe the answer is no—that if Jesus didn’t reinforce a commandment, it’s no longer binding. Is this true?

In last month’s column, we asked, “Did Jesus’ Commandments Replace the 10 Commandments?” We looked at the idea that the 10 Commandments were replaced by the simpler new commandment of Jesus to love others. We showed that the new commandment didn’t abolish the 10 Commandments, but was Jesus’ example of how to show love to others. Love has always been the intent of the 10 Commandments.

But there is another common misunderstanding we need to examine: the idea that only the specific commandments Jesus reaffirmed are required for us today.

Let’s take a deeper look at this premise and see if it aligns with what Jesus taught.

Did Jesus need to reaffirm each commandment?

First, consider this: Did Jesus say that only the commandments He specifically mentioned are binding on Christians? That is easy to answer: No. If you read the Gospel accounts, you will find no such statement.

Did Jesus say that all of the Commandments would remain intact and relevant? In fact, He did. Shortly after giving the Beatitudes, Jesus addressed “the Law” and “the Prophets” and whether or not He came to abolish all or parts of them.

Let’s dissect what He said in Matthew 5:17-19:

• “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (verse 17).

Jesus plainly said He did not come to “destroy” the law. The Greek word translated destroy (Greek, katalyo) can also be translated “dissolve,” “demolish,” “abrogate” or “deprive of force.” Instead of abolishing the law, He came to fulfill (pleroo) it—which means to “make full,” “fill up” or “accomplish.” Not only did He come to fulfill Old Testament prophecies, He also came to perfectly obey the 10 Commandments and, by doing so, fill them with greater meaning and relevance—just as the Messiah was prophesied to do (Isaiah 42:21).

• “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18).

Jesus used this graphic figure of speech to reinforce His previous statement. As long as heaven and earth exist, not the smallest detail (a jot was the smallest letter in the alphabet and a tittle was a small stroke used in writing) would pass away from God’s law. This reinforces every detail of the 10 Commandments. (See also our online article “Did Jesus Fulfill the Law?”)

• “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (verse 19).

Jesus made it personal by saying that anyone who knows better yet teaches against any of God’s commandments will not be in God’s Kingdom (compare Matthew 5:20 and 19:17). The Greek word translated “break” means to loose, destroy or dissolve. Sadly, this strongly worded warning applies to many professing Christian leaders who teach their followers that all or parts of the 10 Commandments were abolished.

In these three simple yet powerful verses, Jesus affirmed that the 10 Commandments—every single one of them—were carrying forward into New Covenant times. In these three simple yet powerful verses, Jesus affirmed that the 10 Commandments—every single one of them—were carrying forward into New Covenant times. They would continue to be binding as long as the heaven and earth still existed.

Later in the Sermon on the Mount He singled out two specific commandments (the prohibitions against murder and adultery) to teach about the spiritual intent behind those laws (Matthew 5:21-30). Of course the other eight have deep spiritual meanings as well, but He covered only those two at that time.

Jesus reciting the Commandments

But despite Jesus’ clear words, some still argue that if He didn’t specifically mention a commandment, its relevance to Christians is questionable. But consider Jesus’ discussion with a man identified as “a certain ruler.”

This man asked Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). Jesus answered that the basic starting point was keeping the Commandments, and then He listed five of them: “‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother’” (Luke 18:20).

Jesus only listed five commandments, so does that mean the other five are irrelevant and nonbinding? That reasoning would mean:

• We are free to place any other god before the true God (Exodus 20:3).
• We are free to make and worship idols of anything we wish (verses 4-5).
• We are free to revile and misuse God’s name as much as we want (verse 7).
• We are free to do work on the seventh-day Sabbath (verses 8-11).
• We are free to covet (verse 17).

Sadly, this is taught by some—but in reality, it’s usually only used to zero in on one of the above commandments (the seventh-day Sabbath).

Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5 proves this isn’t true. But still, by listing only five, did Jesus ignore some of the 10 Commandments? Not at all!

Next time we will take a closer look and discover that the New Testament actually does specifically reinforce every single one of God’s 10 Commandments.

Sidebar: Why Did Jesus List Only Those Five Commandments?

When speaking to the rich ruler, Jesus said that obedience to the Commandments was necessary and then listed five of the 10 Commandments (Luke 18:18-20). Why would He do this? Here are some possibilities.

We don’t know exactly what this man was a “ruler” of, but he could possibly have been a member of the Pharisees (who ruled the synagogues). The Pharisees had developed their own commandments, which were very burdensome and in some cases actually led people to disobey God. Jesus had little regard for their law, which He called “the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6-7).

By listing a few of the 10 Commandments, He was clarifying exactly which commandments were necessary for eternal life: God’s 10 Commandments, not the cumbersome laws of the Pharisees.

But why would He have chosen the five examples He did—adultery, murder, stealing, lying and honoring parents (Luke 18:20)?

One of the major problems with the Pharisees’ laws was that they often led to the abuse and mistreatment of other people. For example, in Matthew 23 Jesus Christ strongly rebuked them for putting unnecessary burdens on people (verse 4), abusing widows (verse 14), neglecting justice and mercy (verse 23) and even being complicit in the murder of righteous men (verse 34-35). In another place, He scolded them for inventing a loophole that allowed them to avoid caring for their elderly parents (Mark 7:11-13).

The main flaw was neglecting to show love to their fellow man.

If the rich ruler was a Pharisee, it would make sense that when Jesus mentioned a few commandments as examples, He chose ones about loving other people (Matthew 22:39). These were five commandments the Pharisees needed to hear. But, of course, that didn’t mean the other commandments dealing with loving God and not coveting were any less important.

In fact, after the man answered that he had obeyed these commandments from childhood, Jesus challenged him to sell his possessions and follow Him—which, it appears, the man was unwilling to do. This demonstrated his unwillingness to fully obey the other commandments to love God and to not covet.”  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/10-commandments/the-ten-commandments/did-jesus-reaffirm-all-10-commandments/?

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Which Is the Great Commandment?

Matthew 22:35-38

Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”

Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture.

The lawyer seemingly intended this as a trick question with many possible answers that would be considered wrong by those experts who had ranked the laws differently.

But Jesus Christ cut to the core of all the laws to identify what is truly most important. Loving God with all our being means we will seek to please Him and do everything else He asks us to do.

This first, great commandment summarizes the first four of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1-11) where God explains how to love Him the way He wants to be loved. Human ideas of how to worship God may be well-intentioned, but to be assured we are pleasing God, we must worship and obey Him the way He wants us to.

The first four Commandments, and the entire Bible, show us that way.

Study more about how God wants us to love Him in our article “The Great Commandment.””  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/which-is-the-great-commandment/

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Lipstick Contaminated with Lead?

“Dozens of lipsticks and lip glosses are put to the test.

“Over the past years, using cosmetic products has increased worldwide at an alarming rate due to unending pursuit for individual beautification…” There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that unless cosmetic products contain ingredients that may be linked to disease—ingredients such as toxic heavy metals like lead.

As you can see at 0:28 in my video Flashback Friday: Is Lipstick Safe Given the Lead Contamination?, lead has been found in a wide range of cosmetic products, from eye shadow to skin cream, and foundation to blush. You may recall that I talked about lead in henna in my video Is Henna Safe?, but in looking at the data, “important warnings can be recognized”: the presence of lead in lipsticks. This is concerning because lipstick wearers may actually swallow a little bit of it. In fact, it has “been estimated that a woman inadvertently ingests 1.8 kg [about 4 lbs] of lipstick during her lifetime.” “Moreover, lipsticks can be used by pregnant women or women of child bearing age.” (I mean, obviously.) Yes, lead is highly toxic, but how much lead can there be in lipstick? Surely, it is “a very minor source….Nonetheless, one should not exclude the fact that lead accumulates in the body due to over time and repetitive lead-containing lipstick or hair dye application, which lead to significant exposure levels.” You don’t really know, though, until you put it to the test.”                      Continued at: https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/lipstick-contaminated-with-lead/?

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Why Has God Killed People? God's Plan for Mankind. How Much Lead Is in Organic Chicken Soup (Bone Broth)?

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Why Has God Killed People?

 Elke Karin Lugert/Unsplash

“If God loves human kind, why did He order the death of some people in the Old Testament?

God has revealed that His plan includes resurrecting humans. He will bring them back to life later to teach them the right way to live.

God is the one who created human life as part of His great plan to show love to us. As Creator, He retains control over His creation, including the right to decide when to end someone's life. In Deuteronomy 32:39 God says He is the only true God and has the right to kill or to make alive.

God has also revealed that His plan includes resurrecting humans—bringing them back to life (something we humans cannot do). So even when God decides to kill a whole nation because of their gross sins and the misery they were bringing on themselves (as He did to allow Israel to inherit the land He had promised to Abraham), that is not the end of those people. He will bring them back to life later to teach them the right way to live.

The Ten Commandments booklet addresses this issue in the chapter about the Sixth Commandment.

"Taking another person's life is not our right to decide. That judgment is reserved for God alone. That is the thrust of this commandment. God does not allow us to choose to willfully, deliberately take another person's life. The Sixth Commandment reminds us that God is the giver of life, and He alone has the authority to take it or grant humans permission to take it."

All of these points support God's right to take human life, including using the Lake of Fire to destroy those who refuse His offer of eternal life. Though it might seem strange at first, even when God kills someone, it can be a demonstration of His love.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/why-has-god-killed-people

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The Eighth Day, God's Plan for Mankind

Transcript of video at: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/the-eighth-day-gods-plan-for-mankind          (Eighth Day was yesterday.)

“God has a merciful and loving plan for ALL of mankind; the Eighth Day is a beautiful representation of this plan.  

[Steve Myers] “The final commanded festival of God is the Eighth Day. Leviticus 23 talks about this special festival with a unique name. Sometimes it's called the Last Great Day. And it shows some amazing things about how merciful our loving God is. There's a section in the Book of Revelation, in Revelation 20 that talks about God's love. And as you look at Revelation 20, this section beginning in verse 11, points to that very fact that it talks about a great white throne, and how all those who ever lived and died and never knew God will be resurrected. It says there, "The small and the great were standing before God," and it points to that time. And it says, "The books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life." And what this is pointing to is this deep spiritual understanding that God has a plan and a purpose for everyone.

Just because you never knew God, or never understood God, doesn't mean you will be condemned forever. God has a plan. God is love. And just because you may grown to know God, and those in some foreign remote area in the world didn't, it doesn't mean that they're lost forever. What this points to is the fact God is love, and everyone will have an opportunity. When it says, "The books were opened," the books are the Biblia is the word there. The Bible will be opened to all those who ever lived. They'll have an opportunity to understand the love of God. They'll be able to understand that there is a sacrifice for sin. They'll be able to understand that God is merciful, and then they can choose to follow God and live His way.

And so, that's the amazing thing about God and His plan and His purpose. It is there throughout Scripture, and this is a New Testament Christian observance, keeping the Last Great Day, the Eighth Day, recognizing the fact that God doesn't want any to perish, but He wants all to come to repentance. That's exactly what 2 Peter 3:9 says. And that is what God is all about. God has a plan, and it's shown throughout His Holy Day plan and His purpose. So read Leviticus 23, and recognize the great spiritual significance of God's Holy Days. You'll find it to be absolutely amazing.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/the-eighth-day-gods-plan-for-mankind

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How Much Lead Is in Organic Chicken Soup (Bone Broth)?

Let’s review lead from occupational exposures, shooting ranges, eggs, and bone broth.

Transcript of video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/friday-favorites-how-much-lead-is-in-organic-chicken-soup-bone-broth/?

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

“Lead poisoning still occurs the United States despite extensive prevention efforts and strict regulations.” Ayurvedic supplements, for example, specifically marketed to pregnant women, exceeded safety levels by up to 4 million percent, making “Ayurvedic medicine use and lead poisoning…a continued concern in the United States.” “[H]eavy metals are intentionally added” to the supplements. But, don’t worry, Ayurvedic practitioners claim, the lead has been detoxified with cow pee!

“Calcium supplements [can be] an additional source of lead contamination”—something we’ve known about for half a century now. Calcium supplements made from bone may have the highest lead levels. But just regular calcium supplements were found contaminated too, including a number of big national brands.

Diet-wise, the greatest contribution to the lead intake of children and their parents may be dairy, but the most concentrated source may be wild game shot with lead-containing ammunition. Concerns have been raised by hunters, though, that lead-free bullets wouldn’t have the same “wounding capacity.” But, CT scans of kills show just as much damage is inflicted—demonstrating that lead-free bullets have equivalent “killing effectiveness” even against “ballistic soap,” which evidently has a similar density to vital organs.

Workers in battery plants can be exposed to a lot of lead, but the #1 “non occupational lead exposure” is shooting firearms. Not eating lead-laden meat, just taking target practice in indoor firing ranges; 75% of target shooters have elevated lead levels in their blood. Even outside, airborne lead released by the friction of the bullet against the barrel, or lead-containing primers, can lead to substantial lead exposure both in people and in local wildlife—as well as the soil, with lead levels higher than those found next to an industrial lead factory. Most lead in urban soil, though, is from the decades of leaded paint and gasoline, raising concerns about urban gardens. Most of the lead doesn’t get taken up by the plants, though, but can stick to the leaves and roots. This is bad news in that even crops from raised beds using clean soil may get contaminated in an urban environment, but the good news is that the lead can presumably just be washed off. The health benefits of gardening and fresh produce would “likely…more than…compensate for the risk at most sites.”

Eggs from backyard chickens, however, should be tested for lead, since the lead gets inside the eggs; and so, it can’t be washed off. Most of the lead ends up in the birds’ skeletons, which raises the question: What happens when you try to make chicken soup? There may be an upswing in people boiling bones due to encouragement from paleo diet advocates. The problem is that lead is a neurotoxin, and, not just a neurotoxin. It also adversely affects the bone marrow, and digestive tract, and kidneys, and circulatory system, and hormones, and reproduction. Symptoms of too much lead exposure include impaired cognition, anemia, abdominal pain, kidney problems, high blood pressure, miscarriages, memory problems, constipation, impotence, depression,  poor concentration, etcetera.

And, we know from human studies that lead is sequestered in the bones. When there’s a lot of “bone turnover,” like at menopause or during pregnancy, lead levels in the blood can go up. This bump can be minimized during pregnancy by getting enough calcium and lowering sodium intake. When astronauts lose bone in space, the lead is released into their bloodstream. But, ironically, since they’re no longer exposed to all the lead on Earth, their overall lead levels may go down. Bones are so good at sucking up lead, they can be sprinkled on firing ranges to prevent lead from leeching further into the environment.

These researchers were concerned that the boiling of farm animals’ bones might release lead into the broth. So, they made three types of organic chicken broth—one with the bones, one with just the meat, and one with the skin and cartilage. All the soups exceeded the maximum allowable dose level for lead, even the boneless. Surprisingly, the skin and cartilage was the worst, exceeding the safety level per one cup serving by like 475%.”    From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/friday-favorites-how-much-lead-is-in-organic-chicken-soup-bone-broth/

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Black Vulture. Songbirds On The Menu. Condors Ate Lead. Thwarting Squirrels. Project Puffin. Eurasian Pygmy-Owlet. BirdNote: Puffins and Pygmy-Owls! "Teddy" Roosevelt in Panama. Apple Cider Vinegar.

 

For "Winged Wednesday";

Black Vulture:

"Meet the common, frequently unappreciated, and at times abhorred, Black Vulture.

In Egyptian mythology, the nurturing ways of vultures, in general, led the birds to be respected as sources for maternal inspiration. Priestesses, called mothers, wore robes made of vulture feathers. Early Egyptians believed that vultures would reveal the site of a future battle by appearing there seven days prior to bloodshed, while in other cultures the bird was believed to play a role in releasing the spirit of the deceased to the heavens.

In the early 20th century, ill-founded concerns arose about vultures spreading disease. The birds were killed by the thousands until the 1970s, when their role in the environment became better understood and accepted. Today, Black Vultures are mostly regarded as the beneficial scavengers that they are. (Read about another scavenger that is not faring so well: the California Condor.)

Black Vultures have limited vocal abilities; since they have no syrinx, the vocal organ of birds, they communicate through raspy hisses and grunts. They also lack a keen sense of smell, instead relying on birds that do—such as Turkey Vultures—to lead them to carrion, their main source of food.

Black Vultures are monogamous, staying with their mates for many years, all year round. They maintain strong social bonds with their families throughout their lives and will aggressively prevent non-relatives from joining them at roosts or following them to food sources." Help ABC conserve birds and their habitats!   Range Map by NatureServe.    American Bird Conservancy is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that conserves native birds and their habitats across the Americas.

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Emptying the Skies: Important Film about Songbirds in the Mediterranean

"At American Bird Conservancy, our mission is to conserve native birds and their habitats across the Americas. But every now and then, in an area outside of our geographic focus, an issue arises of such importance that we feel a need to shine a light on it. The ongoing slaughter of songbirds in the Mediterranean is one such issue."

"To learn more, see “Emptying the Skies,” a film inspired by a New Yorker article penned by award-winning novelist and ABC Board member Jonathan Franzen. The film follows an intrepid group of bird-lovers who risk life and limb to disrupt the poaching of millions of songbirds trapped to be served as illegal delicacies at restaurants. The bird-lovers free as many birds as possible.

The film premieres in New York City on Nov. 21 as part of the DOC NYC film festival. Jonathan Franzen and producer Roger Kass will participate in the Q&A after the screening."  Get tickets to the New York City premiere

 

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Q&A: DOUGLAS AND ROGER KASS ON ‘EMPTYING THE SKIES’

http://hamptonsfilmfest.org/features/qa-roger-kass-emptying-skies/

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Los Angeles Zoo treats 21 California condors for lead poisoning

LOS ANGELES (KABC) --"A record 21 condors have been taken to the L.A. Zoo for rehabilitation in a two-week period, caught by Fish and Wildlife and testing positive for lead poisoning. Field crews trap condors in the wild twice a year to check their health and to put transmitters on them.

In the wild they are tough, living up to 80 years and surviving primarily on animal carcass. But these California condors now need help.

"Some of them are upwards of 15, 16, 17 years old, and we raised them way back then. To see that it's kind of heartbreaking. Their food is poisoned, so nothing can survive that," Los Angeles Zoo animal keeper Michael Clark said. Clark says he expects more to come in.

"When hunting season starts, there's a lot of waste out there, and that's good news for condors unless of course the hunters are using lead ammunition, then it's bad news. That's probably what happened," Clark said."  More at: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news%2Flocal%2Flos_angeles&id=9308716

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Thwarting Backyard Squirrels

Tips for outwitting these clever thieves at your bird feeders

"Now, I have nothing against squirrels and wouldn’t mind providing them with food for winter if they just knew when to quit. But they don’t, and they frequently devour all the seed I put out in a matter of hours, if not minutes. To deter them, I’ve placed my bird feeders in an open area, with a metal baffle on the pole. Sometimes, however, a squirrel still gets on those feeders. I confess I’ve sat by a window for a long time watching to see how the animal could possibly get past the “squirrel-proof” baffle.

“The best you can hope for is a squirrel-resistant feeder,” says David Horn, an associate professor of ecology at Millikin University in Illinois. His research includes the study of the feeding of wild birds, and over the years he has learned a thing or two about thwarting squirrels:   More at: http://www.nwf.org/news-and-magazines/national-wildlife/birds/archives/2013/thwarting%20backyard%20squirrels.aspx

"Things Not To Do: Don’t put grease or petroleum jelly on the feeder pole. “Imagine if that substance was on you,” says Horn. It can coat the fur of a squirrel or get in the feathers of a bird. Also, don’t hang mothballs. They are a registered pesticide and should be used only as directed."

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Do you know about Project Puffin?

"This team pioneered a technique called "social attraction" to bring puffins back to Maine, which is now being used to benefit 47 different species of seabirds in 14 countries. Learn the history of the program, how you can get involved, and watch a video featuring Steve Kress. Steve is also the director of the Hog Island Audubon Camp."

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Watch this adorable video of an Eurasian Pygmy-Owlet peering out of its nest cavity >>

What about the parent? See another video of this cavity from the side >>

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BirdNote: Puffins and Pygmy-Owls!

 

Upcoming Shows:

 

Northern Pygmy-Owl SUNDAY Pygmy-Owls' False Eyes by Bob Sundstrom  LISTEN NOW ►

Dr. Stephen Kress  MONDAY Bringing Puffins Back To Maine Featuring Dr. Stephen Kress, Director, Project Puffin   LISTEN NOW ►

Black-capped Chickadee  TUESDAY Old and New Memories of Black-capped Chickadees - The Work of Fernando Nottebohm by Todd Peterson  LISTEN NOW ►

Green Jay WEDNESDAY The Birding Priest Featuring Fr.Tom Pincelli   LISTEN NOW ►

Atlantic Puffins THURSDAY Restoring Bird Colonies With Social Attraction Featuring Dr. Stephen Kress, Director, Project Puffin  LISTEN NOW ►

Rock Pigeons  FRIDAY Asleep on a Perch by Bob Sundstrom  LISTEN NOW ►

Bufflehead  SATURDAY Bufflehead Return by Frances Wood  LISTEN

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On This Day:

Teddy Roosevelt travels to Panama, Nov 6, 1906:

"On this day in 1906, President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt embarks on a 17-day trip to Panama and Puerto Rico, becoming the first president to make an official diplomatic tour outside of the continental United States.

President Roosevelt visited Panama to check on the progress of the Panama Canal, the construction of which had suffered many setbacks, including worker accidents and disease outbreaks. Roosevelt's tenacious demands for improvements in health care and better working conditions pushed the canal project forward just when it appeared doomed to failure. His trip to the construction site in 1906 –which included the taking of a November 15 photo of the president himself working the controls of a large steam shovel—helped to boost flagging morale.

Roosevelt's next stop was Puerto Rico, which had become a U.S. protectorate after the Spanish-American War of 1898. In 1900, President William McKinley promised to help establish a civilian government there without becoming an occupying power. McKinley was assassinated in 1901, and Roosevelt, who was then serving as McKinley's vice president became president, inheriting the stewardship of Puerto Rico. In 1906, he traveled to the country to recommend that Puerto Ricans become U.S. citizens. He stopped short of suggesting Puerto Rico become another U.S. state, however, and vowed to allow the island a certain amount of autonomy. (It was not until 1916, under President Woodrow Wilson, that the Jones Act was passed, extending the option of U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans while preserving Puerto Rico's autonomy.)

Although presidents before Roosevelt had traveled outside the U.S. in other diplomatic capacities prior to or after serving as president, Roosevelt was the first to make a "state" visit while in office. His trip to Panama and Puerto Rico signaled a new era in how presidents conducted diplomatic relations with other countries."

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Yesterday:

Nala, my foster cat, has a bad habit.  When I take a glass of water or juice to have by my bed at night, she wants to drink it.  If it is too low in the glass, she will knock it over to drink it off the nightstand.  Well, I fixed her…  Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar is supposed to keep you healthy, and even lower LDL, the bad cholesterol.  When I remember, I try to have 1-2 teaspoonfuls a day in a drink.  Now, I really remember, as Nala won't drink it.  Two problems solved.

Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar

Readers' Digest: http://www.rd.com/slideshows/8-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

NaturalNews: http://www.naturalnews.com/041489_apple_cider_vinegar_health_benefits_natural_medicine.html

 

As neither Ray nor Jay would be here, it gave me the morning to do a couple of errands.  One was to get a new tire to replace the one that is out-of-round, and also to get a couple of cabinets.

Habitat For Humanity has a Restore here, and I was looking for a cabinet for my screen porch, and one for the guest house. The sink cabinet on my porch is really too wide, and the back can be seen through the patio door in the living room.  Anyway, I want to use that sink and cabinet in the greenhouse. It is an old-fashioned porcelain covered metal sink with draining boards on each side of the sink. Then the guest house needs a cabinet that an oven can be built into.

The Restore store used to have masses of cabinets, so I was surprised to see hardly any there.  I was just about to leave when one of the store's helpers said that I could buy a certain set of three white lower cabinets for $25, IF I took them all right away.  The staff would have to move them before the next rain fall, or they would get wet and have to be thrown away.  I measured,  pondered, figured, and saw that I could use them in both places.  As the Formica top was in a big 'L', they cut it, so that it would fit in my van.  The rest of the cabinets stacked in there quite nicely, too.

By the time that was done, I just wanted to get my load home, and worry about the tire another day.

White-throated Sparrow. "NO MORE BALLOON RELEASES!" Birds Of Prey On Patrol. Bullet-riddled Raptors. BirdNote: What Species Is Woody Woodpecker? Unknown Soldier. Beirut Barracks Blown Up.

 

For "Winged Wednesday":

White-throated Sparrow

 
"White-throated Sparrows are a familiar sight in backyards and around bird feeders across the eastern United States each winter. Their sweet whistled song, described variously as “Poor Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody” or “Oh, Sweet Canada Canada Canada” can be heard throughout the day.

These sparrows have two adult plumage variations: tan-striped and white-striped. On the white-striped birds, the supercilium (eyebrow) and central crown stripe are white; these areas are tan in tan-striped birds. The two color morphs occur in approximately equal numbers, and interestingly, almost always pair with the opposite color morph when breeding.

Although the white-throated is one of our more common sparrow species, it is also one of the most frequent victims of window collisions, according to urban bird monitoring programs around the country. ABC's Collisions Program is working to increase awareness of this problem and offer solutions that will keep even our most common birds safer."  Range Map by ABC

Help ABC conserve this and other birds and their habitats!

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The problem of mass balloon releases is GROWING!

Photos: 10,000 pink balloons released during Dubai's annual Breast Cancer Walkathon (Dubai).
Seabird dead after being strangled by a mass of balloons and their ribbons. (Photo courtesy Ocean Conservancy.)
Bloated and dead bird after swallowing fragments of helium balloons.

"Releases are popping up everywhere - fundraisers, memorials, sports and even health events! Marketers have convinced the public that balloons are harmless but admit they take as long as an "oak leaf" - 6 months - to biodegrade! That's plenty of time for wildlife to consume or be killed by the millions of fragments that fall to the ground each year. Plus, Mylar balloons and tethering strings and ribbons are not biodegradable.

The turtle that swallowed 4 kinds of balloons, the seabirds strangled by wads of balloons, ribbons and strings, the dead whale with a mylar balloon lodged in its intestines - this is the reality of balloon releases. Balloons are a large component of the vast field of marine debris assaulting our oceans.

It's time to tell advertisers and event planners around the world "NO MORE BALLOON RELEASES!"    Please sign this petition and forward!http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/Help-Stop-Mass-Balloon-Releases/  Thank you!

STOP MASS BALLOON RELEASES!

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Calif. city turns to birds of prey to solve problems

Avalon, an island harbor town, had polluted beaches and a waterfront with aggressive gulls that harassed visitors. All that has changed, thanks to a hawk, an owl and a falcon.

VALON, Calif. — "For years, this island harbor town has had serious tourism problems: Its beaches were consistently rated among the most polluted on the West Coast, and its waterfront was crowded with aggressive gulls that harassed visitors and stole food off their plates.

All that has changed, and leaders are giving much of the credit to a group of environmental enforcers they hired — Larry the hawk, Chin the falcon and Big Al the owl.

They are raptors, or birds of prey, trained to bloodlessly drive off pests fouling the harbor with waste droppings.

"We brought in a natural solution,'' city manager Ben Harvey says.

Led by licensed master falconer Rocky Post and joined by a few feathered colleagues, the winged residents quickly established rule of the skies over Avalon, clearing the air and water in this resort center of Santa Catalina Island off the coast from Los Angeles.

Larry the hawk stands vigil near the water, looking for pest birds to drive away.(Photo: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY)

Post discovered the pigeons were nesting beneath the town's pier — a thousand or more. At night, when the tide was right, he rowed a boat underneath the pier with Big Al, a large brown Eurasian eagle owl, aboard.

Seeing Al, with large orange eyes, unwavering gaze and scary talons, the pigeons froze with fright, Post says. He picked them up, one by one, and placed them in a bag, still alive. He removed all of them over a period of weeks and gave more than 300 healthy ones to pigeon enthusiasts far enough up the state's Central Coast to discourage their return. Diseased pigeons were euthanized."  More at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/17/city-finds-solution-in-raptors/2963509/

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Reports of bullet-riddled raptors increase as bird season opens

An X-ray image shows the birdshot injuries in a red-tailed hawk found near the Missoula landfill last week. Raptors are illegal to shoot at any time. Courtesy of BROOKE TANNER

"One had bullet holes through its wing feathers, narrowly missing the humerus bone. Another had a body peppered with lead shot. They were the lucky ones.

Red-tailed hawks and other raptors fall as unintended or illegal targets each October as upland game bird season resumes in Montana. Those that survive the blast occasionally wind up in the care of raptor rehabilitators like Rob Domenech of Wild Skies Raptor Center.

“Most of it goes untold because the birds just drop and that’s it – end of story,” Domenech said. “But last week, I got a call from the manager at the Missoula landfill who had a raptor there. He found it right near the scale house. We think it was shot in that area, because it couldn’t have gone too far with those pellets all over its body. It was lead shot, probably for upland game birds.”

Courtesy of BROOKE TANNER

The female red-tailed hawk now under the care of Brooke Tanner, a licensed raptor rehabilitator at Missoula’s Wild Skies Raptor Center, is expected to recover from its birdshot wounds.

“This one was the worst I’ve seen in all my years doing rehab,” Tanner said. “Usually it’s one piece of metal, this bird had nine."  More at: http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/recreation/reports-of-bullet-riddled-raptors-increase-as-bird-season-opens/article_6112fe84-36d9-11e3-9db9-001a4bcf887a.html

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Man Smuggled 25 Bird Eggs Across the Globe--In His Underwear

"A bird specialist has been arrested by Swiss customs authorities for smuggling across international borders more than 25 rare bird eggs in his underpants while flying around the world, according to reports.

In total, the man smuggled 150 eggs over the course of his travels. Many of the eggs came from endangered species and rare parrots, sold to buyers in Thailand, Mexico and Indonesia, though it was unclear where they had originated. The collected contraband was valued at approximately 65,000 Swiss francs, or about $71,800, reports stated."  More at: http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/man-smuggled-25-bird-eggs-globe-underwear/story?id=20600210

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BirdNote: What Species Is Woody Woodpecker?

 

Upcoming Shows

Belted Kingfisher  SUNDAY Bird-friendly Planting in Fall Featuring Joanna Buehler, wildlife gardener  LISTEN NOW ►

Purple Martin  MONDAY Purple Martins Head South To the Amazon by Bob Sundstrom   LISTEN NOW ►

"Woody" and an Acorn Woodpecker  TUESDAY Acorn Woodpecker, Inspiration for Woody by Ellen Blackstone  LISTEN NOW ►

Black-capped Chickadees  WEDNESDAY Clean Nestboxes in October by Bob Sundstrom  LISTEN NOW ►

Cliff Swallow  THURSDAY Swallows and Mud - A Myth? by Frances Wood  LISTEN NOW ►

Snow Geese  FRIDAY Paying Attention To Climate Change Featuring Kurt Hoelting—author, commercial fisherman and wilderness guide  LISTEN NOW ►

American Robin  SATURDAY Is It the Same Robin? by Frances Wood LISTEN NOW ►

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On This Day:

Unknown Soldier is selected, Oct 23, 1921:

"On October 23, 1921, in the French town of Chalons-sur-Marne, an American officer selects the body of the first "Unknown Soldier" to be honored among the approximately 77,000 United States servicemen killed on the Western Front during World War I.

According to the official records of the Army Graves Registration Service deposited in the U.S. National Archives in Washington, four bodies were transported to Chalons from the cemeteries of Aisne-Marne, Somme, Meuse-Argonne and Saint-Mihiel. All were great battlegrounds, and the latter two regions were the sites of two offensive operations in which American troops took a leading role in the decisive summer and fall of 1918. As the service records stated, the identity of the bodies was completely unknown: "The original records showing the internment of these bodies were searched and the four bodies selected represented the remains of soldiers of which there was absolutely no indication as to name, rank, organization or date of death."

The four bodies arrived at the Hotel de Ville in Chalons-sur-Marne on October 23, 1921. At 10 o’clock the next morning, French and American officials entered a hall where the four caskets were displayed, each draped with an American flag. Sergeant Edward Younger, the man given the task of making the selection, carried a spray of white roses with which to mark the chosen casket. According to the official account, Younger "entered the chamber in which the bodies of the four Unknown Soldiers lay, circled the caskets three times, then silently placed the flowers on the third casket from the left. He faced the body, stood at attention and saluted."

Bearing the inscription "An Unknown American who gave his life in the World War," the chosen casket traveled to Paris and then to Le Havre, France, where it would board the cruiser Olympia for the voyage across the Atlantic. Once back in the United States, the Unknown Soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C."

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Beirut barracks blown up, Oct 23, 1983:

"On this day, a suicide bomber drives a truck filled with 2,000 pounds of explosives into a U.S. Marine Corps barracks at the Beirut International Airport. The explosion killed 220 Marines, 18 sailors and three soldiers. A few minutes after that bomb went off, a second bomber drove into the basement of the nearby French paratroopers' barracks, killing 58 more people. Four months after the bombing, American forces left Lebanon without retaliating.

The U.S. Marines were part of a multinational force sent to Lebanon in August 1982 to oversee the Palestinian withdrawal from Lebanon. From its inception, the mission was plagued with problems--and a mounting body count.

Serious questions also arose over the quality of security in the American sector of war-torn Beirut.  On February 26, 1984, the main force of marines left Lebanon, leaving just a small contingent to guard the U.S. embassy in Beirut.

The first real car bomb—or, in this case, horse-drawn-wagon bomb—exploded on September 16, 1920 outside the J.P. Morgan Company's offices in New York City's financial district.  Italian anarchist Mario Buda had planted it there, hoping to kill Morgan himself; as it happened, the robber baron was out of town, but 40 other people died (and about 200 were wounded) in the blast." 

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went to get Jay, and we had a pretty good walk down there while we were waiting for him.

The weather was just right for working outside. Back here, I had to send off a couple of urgent emails about foster animals, so I asked Jay to start picking up the pine needles in the back yard.  I keep the pine needles raked off to one side, for Misty's sake, but it was time to get them to the burn pile.  When I got out there we got carried away and raked up pine needles from all over the place!  A lot of them were in our work area on the side of the workshop.

One of our little dog's grave markers (my late Johnnie's "Lil-Bit") needed repairing, so I anchored the flowers back on it, and screwed it back on the wall of the shed.  The shed was built over my lovely white cat "Honky's" grave, and is really a memorial to them all, and there are grave markers all around it.

To get all the pine needles it meant moving some work tables, so we got carried away again.  We uncovered a lumber rack that hasn't been used for years and moved some lumber onto it which had been stacked on a work table. All this used lumber is for making the greenhouse later on.  Any that we won't need was put on the burn pile.

Then we moved the screen molding that is waiting to be re-installed on the screen porch, once all the screen is up.  It was on another work table, so we moved it to a different rack.  All in all, we cleared off three outside work tables, and a mountain of pine needles.

If it hadn't been such a breezy day, we would have had the burn pile going yesterday.

Rufous-headed Chachalaca. Sesame Street Explores Nat. Parks. Get The Lead Out. “City Birds”. BirdNote: Migrating Birds On Radar? Do You Know What This Is? Two Famous Marches.

For "Winged Wednesday:

Rufous-headed Chachalaca

"A flock of Rufous-headed Chachalacas—chicken-like, tree-dwelling birds—begin to call together, their loud, raucous voices echoing through the dry forest. It’s this characteristic “chachalac” sound that gives the birds their name. As one flock begins to call, it triggers a nearby flock, and then that group’s neighbors sound off too in a chain reaction. Soon an entire valley or hillside can be heard “chachalaca-ing” as groups of these birds advertise their whereabouts to one another.

This species, like other chachalacas, lives in flocks of four to 10 individuals. It has a small and contracting range, affected by rapid habitat loss and severe fragmentation. The greatest threat Rufous-headed Chachalacas face is hunting pressure; they are considered a good food source by many rural people and are highly sought-after. The birds are also threatened by loss of forests to agriculture.

One of the healthiest populations of Rufous-headed Chachalaca occurs at Fundación Jocotoco’s Buenaventura Reserve in southern Ecuador, which was created with support from ABC. The reserve not only protects this beautiful and vulnerable bird, but also the highly threatened El Oro Parakeet and El Oro Tapaculo."

Help ABC conserve this and other birds and their habitats!  Range Map by ABC

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Do You Know What This Is?

*  Answer below

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National Park Foundation 

"How are you sharing the national parks with young kids? We're excited to tell you that we've been working together with our friends at Sesame Street and the National Park Service on awesome multimedia park experiences called "Sesame Street Explores National Parks" and the videos and activities are available online starting TODAY! Check them out at http://www.sesamestreet.org/parks!"

http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/topicsandactivities/topics/nature

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California is first state to ban lead in hunting ammo

"Less-toxic bullets and shot will be required by July 2019 in bid to protect wildlife, the environment and hunters' health.

In a move to protect wildlife and the environment, California on Friday became the first state to ban lead in hunting ammunition.

The measure, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, phases out lead bullets and shot by July 2019, with regulations due by July 2015.

"Lead poses a danger to wildlife. This danger has been known for a long time," Brown wrote in a signing message, noting that a leading conservation wrote about lead poisoning in 1984. The federal government banned lead ammunition from waterfowl hunting in 1991."  More at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/11/california-bans-lead-from-hunting-ammunition/2969497/

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Photo Gallery: Seven “City Birds”

"Hear the words “city birds” and you’re likely to picture a handful of common nonnative species such as the European starling, house sparrow and pigeon. But a long-term survey of breeding birds in Baltimore, Maryland, has revealed that a surprising number and diversity of native birds call that city home—from backyard feeder visitors such as blue jays, chickadees and cardinals to elusive warblers and wood thrushes to shore-loving herons, gulls and cormorants."  More at: http://blog.nwf.org/2013/05/photo-gallery-seven-city-birds-2/

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BirdNote: Migrating Birds On Radar?

 

Upcoming Shows

Pinyon Jay  SUNDAY Pinyon Jay by Dennis Paulson  LISTEN NOW ►

Cayenne Tern  MONDAY Columbus's Birds by Ellen Blackstone  LISTEN NOW ►

Mountain Chickadee TUESDAY Yosemite in Fall Featuring the Words Of John Muir  LISTEN NOW ►

Doppler radar image of migrating birds  WEDNESDAY Radar Ornithology Featuring Dr. Cliff Mass, atmospheric sciences professor, University of Washington   LISTEN NOW ►

Redheads THURSDAY Counting North America's Waterfowl by Todd Peterson  LISTEN NOW ►

Red-tailed Hawk  FRIDAY Bird's Eye View I by Bob Sundstrom  LISTEN NOW ►

White-browed Coucal SATURDAY White-browed Coucal by Dennis Paulson LISTEN NOW ►

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* Do You Know What This Is?

 

 

It is a Blue Morpho Butterfly Egg

 

 

 

Blue Morpho Butterfly:

"Under the thick canopy of the rain forests, the morpho butterflies are about the size of a saucer. Its wings are about five to six inches in wingspan. The wings of these butterflies sparkle almost like large blue gems. The wings look this way because there is a microstructure on the upper surface of the wing tat refracts light. This causes them to shimmer as the butterfly flies under the sun."

Interesting notes about the Morpho Butterfly

"The Morpho butterfly has intrigued man for generations with its optical engineering. Today, its dazzling iridescent wings are giving rise to a market to try to mimic its wonder and create a counterfeit proof currency and charge cards. This butterfly may become world famous as its power with light changes the face of money."

More about these beautiful butterflies: http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/7th/7block/jungle_research/new_cards/28/report28ms.html

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On This Day:

The Long March, Oct 16, 1934:

"The embattled Chinese Communists break through Nationalist enemy lines and begin an epic flight from their encircled headquarters in southwest China. Known as Ch'ang Cheng—the "Long March"—the retreat lasted 368 days and covered 6,000 miles, nearly twice the distance from New York to San Francisco.

With defeat imminent, the Communists decided to break out of the encirclement at its weakest points. The Long March began at 5:00 p.m. on October 16, 1934. Secrecy and rear-guard actions confused the Nationalists, and it was several weeks before they realized that the main body of the Red Army had fled. The retreating force initially consisted of 86,000 troops, 15,000 personnel, and 35 women. Weapons and supplies were borne on men's backs or in horse-drawn carts, and the line of marchers stretched for 50 miles. The Communists generally marched at night, and when the enemy was not near, a long column of torches could be seen snaking over valleys and hills into the distance.

The Communist marchers crossed 24 rivers and 18 mountain ranges, mostly snow-capped. Only 4,000 troops completed the journey. The majority of those who did not, perished. It was the longest continuous march in the history of warfare and marked the emergence of Mao Zedong as the undisputed leader of the Chinese Communists."

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Million Man March, Oct.16, 1995

The Historic Million Man March, 1995

"On October 16, 1995, an estimated 850,000 African American men from across the United States gathered together at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to rally in one of largest demonstrations in Washington history.  This march surpassed the 250,000 who gathered in 1963 for the March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.  Estimates of the number of participants in the Million Man March ranged from 400,000 to more than 1 million, and its success spurred the organization of a Million Woman March, which took place in 1997 in Philadelphia."

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Yesterday

Ray and I had been putting this off for a long time hoping to do it while Shay wasn't there, as she hates to be around construction. And when Shay ain't happy…..  We had to replace part of the floor in their bathroom, as it had developed a soft spot.  The cause had been fixed a while back. 

Knowing that it doesn't matter how many tools you think you will use, you always need more, so we took what we thought we would need in the little red black wagon.  I made many a trip back to the workshop to get something else, but at least everything could be wheeled back to the workshop in the wagon.  We cut out the bad part to the closest floor joists, and screwed in blocking before we cut the new plywood to fit.  Amazingly it did!

It still needs some floor float to fill in the cracks, then sanded, new linoleum laid, and it will be like new.

It wasn't easy working down on that floor, and Ray and I were both tired and sore by the time we had screwed down the plywood yesterday.