Via Flickr:
Renard roux – Fox (vulpes vulpes)

Via Flickr:
The craziest thing today. While running around downtown taking photos after work I went through the park that is next to Embarcadero Three and found a rooster running around loose. The guy seemed friendly enough so I assumed he was somebody’s pet but no one around wanted to claim him. Instead of running from me when I’d get down low and try to get in his face to shoot him he’d come charging at me. I’d have to back off to get my shots. My shooting a loose rooster in a downtown park was a sight. As I left the park someone asked me could I believe that a rooster was running around wild downtown. I told him he should have seen the goat that was there earlier. Weird.

If you’re missing a pet rooster he may be running around Embarcadero Three somewhere.

Via Flickr:
On July 11, 1990, the Chicago White Sox played the Milwaukee Brewers in a “Turn Back the Clock Game” in old Comiskey Park. The White Sox wore replica uniforms from 1917, the last year the Sox won the World Series. My girlfriend (now wife) and I attended the game.

View of the front of old Comiskey Park (1910-1990).

Via Flickr:
The marquee in front of historic Wrigley Field. I used a filter in Paint Shop Pro to reverse the reds and blues in the photo (leaving everything else black and white).

The temperature nearly made it to 60 degrees today. It was warm and sunny and the feeling of spring was definitely in the air.It brought out something else too as the Killdeer have returned and their mating ritual was in high gear.

Unlike most birds, Killdeer build their nests on the ground instead of up in the trees. We have several vacant lots south of us and every spring we have a number of nests in place. That apparently will be the case again this year judging from all the noise and activity in the lots. A lot of flapping of wings and singing indicates that something is happening. A couple of male Killdeer were trying to impress the ladies and seemed to be battling it out.

I’m sure we’ll have several hungry mouths again soon!

I have to say that I’m  very disappointed with Fox News regarding their coverage of the Japan earthquake and the resulting nuclear crisis.

First of all, let me say that I’m a fan of Fox News as they seem to be the one news channel that “gets it.” As a conservative Republican, they best match my political ideology but, more importantly, they seem to be the one channel that is “fair and balanced” just like their motto says. They seem to bend over backwards to bring in people with different political viewpoints and have a balanced debate on whichever issue is top of mind. They clearly have an agenda, but so does MSNBC who could care less about bringing in different viewpoints. CNN seems to be in the middle and not taking sides with anyone. I watch them second if I’m not watching Fox News.

My complaint about Fox News centers around their evening prime-time lineup. Of their three major night-time shows, only Greta Van Susteren is actually in Japan and reporting on what is happening there. Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity are staying in-studio, but refer to Japan in passing. They are concentrating more on their usual political reporting, specifically NPR, the Wisconsin union debates and the budget impasse. These are all important topics — and would be important to discuss in “normal” times — but the Japan earthquake and tsunami are major international events with repercussions for all of us. The news crawl at the bottom of the screen is about the only earthquake news they show. To be fair, the Fox News daytime lineup is covering the earthquake and they have many reporters in Japan reporting on it. However, people who work during the day don’t see this coverage and want to know the latest when they are home. Instead, they see John Stossel in front of the Capitol Building pulling a stunt that seems petty in light of the nuclear meltdown that may be happening overseas.

CNN has many reporters in Japan as well as two of their main anchors and seems to be providing the most informative coverage … at least for these eyes.

I’ll be curious to see the ratings over the next few days.

While the theft was occurring, the president was meeting with the Japanese prime minister!

You can’t make this up!

NBC is bring criticized for airing the show as events in Japan were developing.

From the San Fransisco Chronicle:

At Friday’s news conference, President Obama tried to connect with the common man coping with rising gasoline prices. Instead, the president left little doubt that he is clueless about cars.

“You may want to buy a fuel-efficient car,” quoth Obama, “but you may not be able to afford it. And so you’re stuck with the old clunker that’s getting 8 or 10 miles a gallon.”

Eight to 10 mpg? Which clunker would that be? I wondered. An old Hummer? Your father’s father’s Oldsmobile? A late-model Lamborghini? It takes a luxury brand, a boat-sized machine and/or a few decades to approach those dismal mileage numbers.

Perhaps the president is laying the groundwork for “Cash for Clunkers Part Deux.”