Beautiful Macaws Thank You For Visiting

Near Springfield Illinois - A Couple For Life, These Two Macaws Need To Fly South

I can't really tell you exactly where I took the photograph I share with you here on my blog tonight for that's a secret, but I can say that I have appreciated greatly the opportunity to come so close to two such magnificent creatures. With freezing cold temperatures solidly upon us here in Central Illinois it is quite rare for large tropical birds to be fluttering about.

With temperatures in the 30s I want so badly to be able to "capture" these two Macaws, and turn them over to an organization that can locate them in a warm and hospitable place.

And while my heart soars to have come within feet of these beautiful tropical birds, birds which live up to 75 years, and are as intelligent as four year old children, I can also say that my heart breaks for them too.

I tried feeding them, but they're not so interested - in our hamster's food. They just seem to like the darkness, and the quiet of their undisclosed location.

I talked to them. I told them that they need to fly south to the son of their now deceased owner.

They are such a close couple, and they made some trilling sounds as I spoke.

And so beautiful too.

To my regular readers, please no guesses where these birds are. There are many bad people in this world, and we need to protect these incredible creatures - and hope, and pray that some organization raises the money to have them captured, and sent far far south of this frozen Midwestern town.

Welcome Home Police Back From Iraq

In Iraq it was perfectly acceptable for U.S. soldiers and mercenaries to bust down doors, enter Iraqi homes without warrants, detain, and arrest people without probable cause, not recognize the ways, language, and customs of the people they encountered. It was even acceptable to disrespect, disregard, mistreat, torture, and even kill those under occupation.

Now those same soldiers return home to their civilian jobs as police officers patrolling our streets, enforcing warrants, detaining and arresting our citizenry.

Those same soldiers are being trusted with guns, batons, billy clubs, black jacks, mace, pepper spray, tasers, punches, kicks, choke holds, take downs, pile ons, hand cuffs, and the general enforcement of our laws - with the general presumption that they are entirely sane, and fit for duty. We are expected to assume that as professional law enforcement officers that they are concerned with the careful and prudent exercise of police power.

We sleep at night under these assumptions.

We are asked to assume that there won't be an increase in the desire for the adrenaline rush of a good car chase, an exciting firefight, the physical take down of a subject, or even just a verbal put down of an unarmed civilian. We are asked to believe that the experience of war will have none of these effects.

The assumption is that the carnage, and hell we brought to Iraq won't in any way come back to haunt our own civilization - that we have contained the violence we have put upon others.

We assume these things despite the skyrocketing suicide rate of our men and women in uniform, and despite the obvious increase in post traumatic stress disorder.

Funnel Clouds Over My House

Jerome, Illinois

Sometimes I suspect that "You Know Who" has it out for me, and my family - but it's probably just that I live on the South and West side of town.

Ran to the window, and watched as two funnel clouds swirled overhead, and headed right in our direction. The winds picked up fiercely, and a large limb came crashing down from a tree in our front yard.

Just as the fierce downdrafts hit two teenage girls came visiting, and I immediately opened the door, and let them in - friends of my daughter.

We continued to watch from inside as the wind and rain pelted the house.

Anyway, that's my report from Jerome, Illinois.


NOW IT IS BLUE SKY!

Tornado Warning

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1153 AM CDT SUN MAR 8 2009

ILC107-167-081715-
/O.CON.KILX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090308T1715Z/
LOGAN-SANGAMON-
1151 AM CDT SUN MAR 8 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN
LOGAN AND NORTHEASTERN SANGAMON COUNTIES...

AT 1147 AM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO NEAR CURRAN
AT 1144 AM.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 2 MILES NORTH OF LELAND
GROVE...OR ABOUT 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF SPRINGFIELD...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 60 MPH.

PEOPLE NEAR THESE LOCATIONS ARE STILL THREATENED...
  SHERMAN...
  WILLIAMSVILLE...
  DAWSON...
  SPAULDING...
  RIVERTON...
  BUFFALO...
  CORNLAND...
  ELKHART...
  BROADWELL...
  MOUNT PULASKI...

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 55 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 92 AND 121.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 72 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 97 AND 113.

A TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND AND IS LIKELY CAUSING DAMAGE. EVEN IF THIS
TORNADO DISSIPATES...THIS STORM MAY PRODUCE ADDITIONAL TORNADOES AT
ANY TIME. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADIC STORM...TAKE COVER
IMMEDIATELY!

LAT...LON 3997 8918 3981 8949 3973 8966 3984 8977
      3996 8960 4011 8943
TIME...MOT...LOC 1651Z 232DEG 54KT 3984 8962

$$

SHIMON