Call in Stephen Colbert

Thanks to www.towncalleddobson.com

And for those who don't watch the Cobert report (Pronounced "Coal-Bear"), he
always has a thing about bears as a threat to the nation

Vanity Bear

April is Panda Month at the National Zoo

Not that every month is not panda month here in Washington, but the Zoo has dedicated the month of April to celebrating our cuddly town mascots.

In other Washington news, Washington Dulles International Airport now has direct air service to China. China uses the panda as a national symbol.....coincidence? I think its a bear-spiracy.

Smithsonian National Zoo

Republicans Use Bears as a Prop in War Against Clinton

In an effort to characterize Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as a panderer to special interests, the Republican National Committee has enlisted a junior aide (poor bastard) to stand outside Clinton fundraising events in a panda costume.

I roundly disapprove of using bears as a political prop, especially in D.C. and especially pandas. The panda has become a symbol of Washington that we all can love: black, white, Democratic, and Republican. In these highly divisive times in this city it is important for us to have a symbol to love. It's use in this manner is confusing and inappropriate.

Not only that, but it is highly uncreative and unoriginal. The RNC tried the same tactic when Bill Clinton ran for office. Maybe they needed to reuse the costume to justify the expense. I don't know.

WaPo

boobies and Bears

http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=51&cat=47&id=860622&more=


Nanaimo author Lyn Hancock will be talking boobies and bears during a presentation to the Nanaimo Paddlers monthly meeting.

Panda Poop Paper

The Washington Post reports that Chinese panda reserchers are looking for a firm to help them produce paper from the "wastes" produced by the bamboo munching bears. The reserchers got the idea from a Thai zoo which is producing paper from elephant wastes.

I'd buy Panda paper, would you?

WaPo
Elephant Poo Paper

Colbert Mini-threat Down

more bears

Polar Bear Cub takes Berlin by Storm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/24/wknut24.xml

Knut, the polar bear cub at the centre of an animal rights row, was greeted by hoards of school children yesterday as he made his public debut at the Berlin Zoo yesterday.

polar bears in trouble

Polar bear may be listed as 'endangered'
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- The Bush administration is calling for polar bears to be listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
A U.S. Interior Department source, who did not want to be identified, told The Washington Post that the government would soon make the request public in the Federal Register, opening the door to hearings.
The filing will just meet a 2-year deadline in response to lawsuits from three environmental groups that claimed the government was dragging its feet on the animals' status, the Post said.
The filing acknowledges global warming is responsible for rapid loss of Arctic sea ice, which the bears use as a living and feeding platform. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials have warned polar bears could be endangered within 45 years as the Arctic ice recedes.
Scientists say there are 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in 19 separate populations worldwide, about 4,700 of which live in Alaska. Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have the balance.

Bush Adminstration to Endanger Grizzly Bears

Recent news reports say the Bush Administration is going to lift protection
on the grizzly bears of yellowstone. Scientists, environmentalists and Bear-lovers
are protesting


http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070323-14365600-bc-us-grizzlies-crn.xml

Grizzly bears taken off Yellowstone list
DENVER, March 23 (UPI) -- U.S. wildlife officials say there are so many grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park, they are no longer considered a threatened species.
There are now more than 500 grizzlies in a 14,000-square-mile region in and around the park, USA Today reported.
They will be taken off the endangered-species list by late April and gray wolves will be removed from the list by the end of year, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services said.
The Greater Yellowstone Coalition and the Natural Resources Defense Council say climate change and human encroachment are still a threat to the grizzlies. The NRDC told USA Today it may sue for continued federal protection.
The National Wildlife Federation hailed the announcement as "a testament to the resilience of grizzly bears," the newspaper said.
An estimated 50,000 grizzlies once roamed the western half of North America but only 136 remained in the Yellowstone area in 1975 when they were listed as threatened. About 1,200 grizzlies now roam the contiguous United States.