Invasion of the Thistle Snatchers

From Oak Harbor, Ohio, Kenn writes: The title from this post came from an e-mail we got yesterday, passed along from a naturalist at a nature center farther east in Ohio. Thistle snatchers -- yeah, they're talking about Pine Siskins. These sturdy little nomads have been showing up all over the place, little flocks bouncing around the fields and woodland edges all over the Midwest. I wrote about these birds back on October 14th -- see that post for more info.

It doesn't look like it at first glance, but the Pine Siskin is closely related to the American Goldfinch. In my Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America, I described it as looking "like a goldfinch in camouflage." And like the goldfinch, it's a major seed-eater. It likes the seeds of wild thistles, but it will come to bird feeders (often in the company of goldfinches) to eat Nyjer seed, which is often marketed as "thistle seed." One thing you'll notice, if you get siskins at your feeder, is that they're fearless. Goldfinches may get nervous and fly away if you approach within 20 feet, but the Pine Siskins will just glance at you with a bored expression -- "hunhh, who are you ..." -- and then go back to eating. Often you can walk right up and admire them up close. The streaky look, thin spiky bill, and flashes of yellow in the wings and tail will tell you for sure that you've got Pine Siskins. And this is the year to see them; they're still moving south in massive numbers. I expect we'll probably see some when we go to Cape May, New Jersey, later this week.

I’ll See You in Court

In today’s world celebrities equal big money - that’s why film producers hire them, why companies want them to endorse products, and why more people are deciding to sue them. But it wasn’t always like this.

Once upon a time, tripping on the pavement meant visiting the hospital, not suing the government. While losing your job simply meant finding another, not taking your boss to the cleaners. Mentalities toward suing have changed drastically over the years however, and while some lawsuits may be well-deserved and stand up in court, others just seem like a pathetic excuse to make a quick buck.

This week actor Keanu Reeves is due in court to face a lawsuit filed by a paparazzi news photographer, who alleges Reeves negligently struck him with his car, causing him injuries. Reeves claims that the snapper tripped and fell, but who really knows? The court will now decide, leaving the wealthy actor vulnerable to forking out millions of dollars. I take a look at a some of the wackiest reasons people have resorted to for suing, and also give you the low-down on celebrities who’ve found themselves being sued for mega bucks, and the shocking reasons why…

Wacky reasons to sue
1. One man is said to have swallowed a razor and then sued Gillette, because the company said the razor was stainless steel, but it wasn't and it didn’t show up on the X-ray when the man got injured. (Loses case)
2. A man starts banging in a nail with a loaded revolver because the hammer was too far away. He then attempts to sue the gun company because he shot himself. (Loses case)
3. A grown woman locks herself - on purpose - in the boot of her car in a suicide attempt. She changes her mind - isn’t able to get out and sues the car manufacturer. (Loses the case)
4. An adult man climbs onto the roof of his neighbours’ house to dive into a shallow above ground pool and gets injured. Sues the pool company. (Wins case)
5. One not-so-bright spark decides to drink spark plug cleaner to get high. He then proceeds to try and sue the company for producing an unsafe product. (Loses the case)

Gordon Ramsay Vs Restaurant manager
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay probably thought everyone knew what to expect when signing up to take part in his TV programme, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. But in April this year the foul-mouthed television personality was sued, along with the show’s programme makers, for $800,000. Martin Hyde, ex-restaurant manager at Dillions, who appeared on the show, claims Ramsay left his reputation in tatters after millions of viewers saw him being labelled a “lazy *****r” on Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA.

MY VERDICT
Having summoned up all that energy to sue Ramsey for $500,000, it seems Hyde’s not so lazy after all

Britney Vs Louis Vuitton
Britney Spears had her wrists slapped after she used images of a car upholstered in Vuitton fabric in the video for her single ‘Do Something’. A judge ruled that the image was an “attack” on the fashion house Louis Vuitton brand and its luxury image. Spears’ record company and MTV Online were guilty of violating counterfeiting laws. The companies were ordered to stop broadcasting or marketing the video and fined $86,000.

MY VERDICT
Granted, Britney may not be the definition of ‘class’, but don’t they say any publicity is good publicity

J-Lo Vs Flight Attendant
Accustomed to taking her dogs on airplanes with her, actress, singer and mum of two J-Lo probably got the shock of her life when her German Shepherd, Floyd, grabbed hold of flight attendant Lisa Wilson’s trouser leg and caused her to fall to the floor, injuring her back. Wilson claimed that she could no longer go to work, and that she suffered “great economic loss”. The result? A lawsuit for $4million.

MY VERDICT
The flight attendant injuries were no doubt enhanced by the thought of dollar bills, but surely even pampered pooches should fly in luggage

Lindsay Lohan Vs Fur coat owner
Lindsay Lohan found herself slammed with court papers in May of this year after she allegedly stole a mink coat from a party. Student Masha Markova had been sitting near Lindsay at a Manhattan hotspot when the fur went missing - only for Masha to spot it on Lindsay a few days later in images of the party girl leaving a club. Masha began legal proceedings, but then the club returned the coat to her, reeking of alcohol and cigarettes and with a torn lining. The art student is now apparently suing Lindsay for over $8,000 for “unauthorised three-week rental” of the garment.

MY VERDICT
Stealing somebody else’s property is just wrong…especially when you’re as loaded as Lindsay

Tom Cruise Vs extras
Superstar Tom Cruise was reportedly sued for $11m by 12 extras on his movie ‘Valkyrie’, after they were injured during filming. The extras claim they suffered broken bones, cuts and bruises while filming in Berlin last year when the side panel of a period German army truck flew open. The unlucky star was not even present when the accident took place.

MY VERDICT
Unlucky. Accidents happen.

The Magic and Mystery of Merlin

From Bellville, Ohio, Kim writes: Kenn and I led a field trip for the 2008 Audubon Ohio State Assembly this morning. This was actually a "Kim is so selfish" field trip. What exactly do I mean by that? Here’s the scoop…

The organization that I work for -- Black Swamp Bird Observatory -- was one of the Assembly partners. During one of our early planning meetings, Jerry Tinianow, Director of Audubon Ohio, suggested that someone really should do a trip to Ohio Bird Sanctuary (OBS) because, for one - it was close to the Assembly location in Bellville, Ohio; two - OBS is a really wonderful place that’s doing great work; and three - he felt that participants would really enjoy it. Well, I immediately volunteered to lead that trip. I mean, yeah, I had the best interests of our participants in mind, of course! But, mostly I had KIM in mind, because I had never been there myself, and I've always wanted to go. Whew...true confessions are so liberating. Now that I've got that off my chest...On with the birds!

Acting on a tip from Cheryl Harner, President of Greater Mohican Audubon Society, we stopped en route to the Sanctuary in this sweet little piece of habitat to do some birding. Lots of great birds here, including Yellow-rumped Warblers, Rusty Blackbirds, and Red-shouldered Hawk. But the scene stealer was Merlin himself. Arriving in, for me, a very magical way.


I felt like I was in a scene from some birding movie. Just picture this.....
There we were on this icy fall morning; a group of birding compatriots, standing in tight formation to combine body heat. The marsh we were searching was washed in misty fog, and absolutely everything looked stunning bathed in the golden light of early morning. We explored the scene before us in unison, longing for something to appear. From my left I heard Kenn utter one word so softly that I wondered if I had imagined it. "Merlin," was all he said. Several seconds of intense searching brought the bird to me, but it would be several more seconds before its approach would break the barrier of my identification skills and place it firmly on my birding radar. It was indeed, a Merlin. Handsome. Glorious. FAST. He was a total scene stealer. And he wasn't done with us yet. As he began to pass overhead, he seemed to pause, reconsider, and then drop down to investigate this odd group of mammals looking up at him. Even sitting still, somehow, magically, he never really seemed to be at rest at all. Baptized in golden light, he gathered up our collective breath and held it for several seconds before winging off into the morning.

God, I love birding!

Thank you, Jerry Tinianow and Audubon Ohio for putting us out there to experience that moment!

Siskin Attack!

From Oak Harbor, Ohio, Kenn writes: I heard it this morning, high overhead, a sound that I'd been waiting for. Distant but unmistakable, a mix of querulous rising notes and dry rattles. Scanning the sky, I picked up a flock of half a dozen small, short-tailed birds, in high, bounding flight. Yes, they were Pine Siskins, all right.

Every fall, birders over much of the U.S. and Canada keep an ear toward the sky, listening for the calls of "winter finches" flying overhead. The "winter finches" are a group of about nine species that nest in the far north or in high mountains and that are mostly vegetarian in their diet: they eat seeds, buds, berries, but relatively few insects, unlike most other songbirds. These "winter finches" are extremely variable in their winter distribution. If there's a good supply of food in their nesting range -- a good cone crop on the spruces, for example, or lots of seeds on the birches -- the finches may stay in the Arctic all winter. But if wild food crops fail in the far north, the finches may invade far to the south. Depending on the season, other northerners may move as well: Bohemian Waxwings, Red-breasted Nuthatches, various northern owls. No two winters bring exactly the same mix of birds, and birders living south of the boreal forest always wait with anticipation to see which of these winter invaders will make an appearance.

Pine Siskin is a member in good standing in the "winter finch" group. A few siskins come south every fall, but some years there are huge numbers of them. It looks like this might turn out to be such a year. Just within the last few days, we've had reports of Pine Siskins suddenly showing up all over southern Ontario, southern Michigan, northern Ohio. These birds over Oak Harbor this morning may be part of a major flight. We should know for sure within the next few weeks.

100 steps still under restoration

I havent got any exercise for the past 3weeks and my tummy is getting bigger each day. so yesterday evening, i went to jog at 100steps but find it still under restoration process. Not easy to repair something so old and rebuild it to its previous form.

CityScape Dubai

Hi guys! I know it has been very long but it was a very busy three weeks for me; I hardly have time to sleep. I was preparing for the Dubai Cityscape Exhibition. A very grand event with lots of pretty girls and VIPs! There are no projects below a billion in this exhibition. I took special interest in our new Datuk, Datuk Shah Rukh Khan!


Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday launched his Dh8 billion beachfront residential development, "Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard" to be located on Dana Island in Ras Al Khaimah, along with the TSA Group.

Scheduled for completion in 2012, Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard will have modern residences including specially designed studios, and one- and two-bedroom apartments and townhouses.

Due the overwhelming numbers of Indian in UAE, Shah Rukh Khan was the most famous guy in CityScape but there were lot of others Stars as well! Does this guy interested in coming for the Datukship? I don’t think so!

Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher has again lent his name to a UAE development, the Dh2 billion Michael Schumacher World Champion Tower in Abu Dhabi.

Tennis legend Boris Becker (third from left) unveiled one of the region's most ambitious integrated luxury mega-resorts - the Boris Becker Beach Resort & Tennis Academy - partly owned by the former world champ himself.

British boxer Amir Khan has lent his name to a new Dh200 million tower in Ajman. Khan will be the brand ambassador for Profile Group's latest venture: Tejarah Executive, a commercial tower located in the emirate's Marmooka City.

The Dutchess of York Sarah Ferguson, aka Fergie, was in Dubai as a replacement for Oscar-winner Hilary Swank, who was booked to launch Aquitania, Select's property on The World. Fergie is a brand ambassador for the property company.

Swank, which pulled out following surgery for a benign growth, filmed a speech, in which she praised the company and its signature cocktails. Here she is with Nakheel CEO, Chris O'Donnell earlier in the year.

One of Hollywood's most famous celebrity power couples, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, were in town to support Free the Children, a global charity receiving Dh7million from the Nakheel Foundation.

Of cause our Jeff Ooi and Lim Guan Eng were here as well. I Need a well deserve rest, till then I am going to leave my BLOG unoccupied.

My daughter’s scissor

There are times when kids draw something and you just have to say... 'Wow, tell me about your picture,' because you have no clue what it is...This one you know right away...Enjoy!

Of course they're scissors

This is my youngest daughter’s artistic rendering of a pair of scissors.
I wonder what her teacher thought.
I allowed myself just a small smirk when I saw it.
I waited until she was out of the room until I started crying from laughing so hard.
Well, of course they're scissors.


As u all know I will be required to proudly display this on my refrigerator for a long of time.