Marty Essen's Blog, page 275

Animals A to Z. The Letter W

Marty’s photo of the day #2634: It’s “Animals A thru Z Month.” Each day in August, I will post an animal I’ve photographed—somewhere in the world—in alphabetical order.

W is for Wallaby. Wallabies are small-to-medium sized kangaroos—members of the Macropodidae family. The wallaby in this photo is Herbie, an adolescent agile wallaby who had lost his mother. One of the signs that Herbie was almost ready to be released into the wild was his desire to spar with people as he would have sparred with wallabies in the wild. Sometimes he’d let me hold or pet him; other times he’d slap my hands or grab them with his sharp nails. Though he scratched me several times, the temporary discomfort was a small price to pay for the unique experience of sparring with a wallaby.

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“I have the best people.”

With Michael Cohen’s guilty plea and Paul Manafort’s guilty verdicts today, let’s reminisce about three of Donald Trump’s most memorable campaign promises:

“I have the best people.”

“I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”

“Look at those hands. Are they small hands? And he referred to my hands, if they are small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there is no problem. I guarantee.”

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Animals A to Z. The Letter V

Marty’s photo of the day #2633: It’s “Animals A thru Z Month.” Each day in August, I will post an animal I’ve photographed—somewhere in the world—in alphabetical order.

V is for Vampire Bat. Vampire bats are often exterminated when humans move into their territory. The bats are holding their own, for now, but they’re a good example of what can be lost if humans indiscriminately kill off “undesirable” species. Once a plant or animal is eradicated, so are all the potential medical benefits it could have provided. People surviving heart attacks or strokes after being given the blood-thinning drug Draculin owe their lives to bats. Draculin is derived from the anticoagulant found in vampire bat saliva—the most effective anticoagulant known to man. (Photographed in Belize)

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Animals A to Z. The Letter U

Marty’s photo of the day #2632: It’s “Animals A thru Z Month.” Each day in August, I will post an animal I’ve photographed—somewhere in the world—in alphabetical order.

U is for Union Jack. I photographed this beautiful union jack butterfly while walking along the coast of northern Queensland.

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Animals A to Z. The letter U

Marty’s photo of the day #2632: It’s “Animals A thru Z Month.” Each day in August, I will post an animal I’ve photographed—somewhere in the world—in alphabetical order.

U is for Union Jack. I photographed this beautiful union jack butterfly while walking along the coast of northern Queensland.

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Animals A to Z: The Letter T

Marty’s photo of the day #2631: It’s “Animals A thru Z Month.” Each day in August, I will post an animal I’ve photographed—somewhere in the world—in alphabetical order.

T is for Tortoise. Desert tortoises are listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. I photographed this tortoise in the Mojave National Preserve, which is on the California-Arizona border. Now whenever I think about desert tortoises, I’m reminded of right-wing hero, Cliven Bundy, who runs his cattle illegally in desert tortoise habitat. Desert tortoises were there first, and Cliven Bundy and his ilk need to get the hell off their property.

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Animals A to Z. The Letter S

Marty’s photo of the day #2630: It’s “Animals A thru Z Month.” Each day in August, I will post an animal I’ve photographed—somewhere in the world—in alphabetical order.

S is for Seal. Female Antarctic fur seals weigh up to 150 pounds and males up to 460 pounds. Antarctic fur seals were hunted to near extinction, as sealers slaughtered them for their luxurious coats. After witnessing how unconcerned fur seals were with humans, I could only imagine what it was like when they were brutally massacred: one day a pristine beach would be covered with seals and the next it would be covered with blood. Fortunately, international protection arrived before total extinction, and Antarctic fur seals have made a remarkable comeback. (Photographed off the coast of Antarctica)

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Animals A to Z. The Letter R

Marty’s photo of the day #2629: It’s “Animals A thru Z Month.” Each day in August, I will post an animal I’ve photographed—somewhere in the world—in alphabetical order.

R is for Rhinoceros Beetle. At only three inches long, the rhinoceros beetle is considered by some to be the world’s strongest animal. Tests have shown it can carry an enormous load in proportion to its weight. How much the beetle can actually carry is subject to debate. Although the prevailing opinion is 850 times its weight, a study published in Discover Magazine contends that 100 times its weight is a more realistic figure. Either way, we should all be thankful the beetles don’t grow to the size of elephants. Imagine the damage they’d do. (Photographed in Borneo)

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Animals A to Z. The Letter Q

Marty’s photo of the day #2628: It’s “Animals A thru Z Month.” Each day in August, I will post an animal I’ve photographed—somewhere in the world—in alphabetical order.

Q is for Quail. This California quail lives near my house. Of all the birds that live near me, these are the most exotic-looking. I’d expect to see a bird like this in New Guinea, not Montana. Although quail fly quite well, they are reluctant flyers and will often run away when panicked.

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Pat Robertson had a dream. So did I.

“God came to me in a dream last night and showed me the future. He took me to heaven, and I saw Donald Trump seated at the right hand of our Lord.”—Pat Robertson

“What a coincidence! Satan came to me in a dream last night and showed me the future. He took me to hottest place in hell, and I saw Pat Robertson seated at the right hand of Donald Trump.”—Marty Essen

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