11.29.2006

Silent Reef Destroyers

The deceivingly beautiful creature that you see in this photograph is destroying one of our earth's most valuable natural habitats.

The Crown of Thorns Starfish feeds on the hard coral that is vital to the foundation of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. In the past number of years, the population of these animals has grown so largely, that they are destroying coral at a much faster rate than it can recover.

The Crown of Thorns Starfish is a natural part of the ecological system in the area. However, with the chemicals introduced into the water by farming and the removal of the animal's natural predators by over-fishing, the population has skyrocketed.

The rate at which these animals are destroying the reef is quite alarming.

There is not an easy solution to this problem without further affecting the ecosystem. Currently, there is a program which employs divers that patrol the reef. The divers use the Starfish's own venom, injected in each of its legs, to destroy the animal. This process is extremely unefficient because of the rate at which the population of the animal grows.

Discovery HD Theater aired an excellent documentary on the subject, entitled "Predators of the Great Barrier Reef", that provides lots of information and high quality footage of the reef. You can also find more information on the subject by going to the control program's website - here.

11.15.2006

Person to Watch: Barack Obama

The US Senator of Illinois, Barack Obama, first made headlines around the nation with his captivating speech at the Democratic Convention during the last election.

Since that time, Obama's name has been popping up all over the place. He has been touring the nation (and the world) with a message of hope for the growing population of government cynics.

Right now our govenment needs to be less focused on party lines (goodbye red & blue, hello purple!) and more focused on fixing problems. Could this be the guy to make that happen?

11.07.2006

New Music: Josh Groban


One of my favorite singers, Josh Groban has a new album out this month entitled "Awake". This album features more original material than the previous albums, but it maintains Josh's signature strong tenor sound.

Also noteworthy of this album is that Josh has teamed up with the beautifully pure acapella sound of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. (If you have never heard LBM before, you definitely should look them up. You can find more out more about them here.)

Tracks:
1. Mai
2. You are Loved (Don't Give Up)
3. Un Dia Llegara
4. February Song*
5. L'Ultima Notte
6. So She Dances*
7. In Her Eyes
8. Solo Por Ti
9. Now or Never
10. Un Giorno Per Noi
11. Lullaby (with Ladysmith Black Mambazo)*
12. Weeping (with Ladysmith Black Mambazo & Vusi Mahlasela)*
13. Machine (with Herbie Hancock)
14. Verita [Bonus]
15. Awake [Bonus]
16. Smile [Bonus]

"February Song":