The White House -- We Hear You

Posted:  21 Dec 12


On Fri, Dec 21, 2012 at 9:36 AM, The White House <info@messages.whitehouse.gov> wrote:

Your Daily Snapshot forFriday, December 21, 2012   We Hear You This morning, the White House responded to petitions on the We the People platform asking the Administration to take action to reduce gun violence in our country. President Obama recorded this video response to petition signers, and we want to make sure you had a chance to see it, too. Watch President Obama's video message on reducing gun violence. West Wing Week: 12/21/12 or "We Are There For Them" This week, the President addressed the national tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, and promised meaningful action to address gun violence. The White House also hosted some of its newest Pinterest followers, and the President spread some holiday cheer. Watch this episode of West Wing Week. In Case You Missed It Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog: First Lady Michelle Obama: "Talking to Our Kids about Newtown" In an open letter to parents, First Lady Michelle Obama offers some ideas for discussing the tragedy in Newtown with children and young people. Read the First Lady’s letter. A Principled Stance on the Internet's Future Last Friday, the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) ended without broad agreement regarding proposed revisions to a major international telecommunications treaty. Resources for Parents and Schools After Connecticut Tragedy Following last Friday's shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, CT, the Department of Education has provided a number of resources to help parents in the wake of traumatic events, as well as a host of resources to help schools prepare for and recover from crisis. Today's Schedule All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST). 9:30 AM: The President observes a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the Newtown shooting 9:35 AM: The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing 10:30 AM: The President and the Vice President deliver remarks at the funeral service for the late Senator Daniel Inouye  1:30 PM: The President makes a personnel announcement   Indicates that the event will be live-streamed on WhiteHouse.gov/Live Get Updates Sign up for the Daily Snapshot Stay Connected     Facebook Twitter YouTube Flickr Google+     T Sign Up for Updates from the White House Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy Please do not reply to this email. Contact the White House The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

Lindsay Wildlife Museum - December 2012

Posted:  21 Dec 12

Lindsay Wildlife Museum

It's a Wild Life :: December, 2012

Connecting people with wildlife to inspire responsibility and respect for the world we share. Gary Bogue was the museum's Curator in the late 1960s and 1970s, and long-time wildlife columnist for the Contra Costa Times, recently retired. Spread the Word If you'd like to get monthly copies of Gary's "It's a Wild Life" delivered to your friends or family members for them to enjoy, get them a Lindsay Wildlife Museum membership! Quick Links » Donate today » Join Lindsay Wildlife Museum » Museum homepage Stay Connected » Subscribe » View in browser You are receiving this email from Lindsay Wildlife Museum because you are one of our supporters. To ensure that you continue to receive emails from us, add socialmedia@wildlife-museum.org to your address book. If you no longer wish to receive these emails at santacruz01pca@gmail.com, simply click on the unsubscribe link below.

Have a very beastly Christmas Which wild animals mean Christmas to you? The arrival of migrating birds always puts me in the holiday spirit. The sound of a screaming red-shafted flicker announcing its presence from my backyard (see photo at left), along with the arrival of winter ... the faint honking of high-flying geese tickling my fancy ... white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows hopping around my backyard garden boxes, the bobbing of their heads against a background of dark, wet earth as they peck for seeds makes it look like their head-markings are winking on and off like little gold and white Christmas tree lights ... goldfinches clinging to the sides of my bird feeders all merry and bright ... Ho-ho-ho, have a very beastly Christmas everyone! Creatures of the Urban Wilderness (your backyard) :: Robins & red berries Do robins get "drunk" from eating pyracantha berries? They sometimes look that way. Stumbling around on the ground and bumping into things. Taking off in an explosion of orange breasts and wild wings and crashing into nearby windows and each other. But just because they look inebriated doesn't make it so. Fresh ripe red berries are a good food source for wild birds and other creatures, but they are full of sugar and other nutrients ... and NOT alcohol. When a flock of hungry robins lands in a pyracantha bush, they attack the berries in a feeding frenzy, competing with each other to see who can eat the most berries. They gorge and stuff their crops, getting a sudden sugar "high," and become completely top-heavy in the process. If something frightens them, forcing a sudden takeoff, they stagger into the air, off balance from their overloaded crops, smashing into things and wobbling around when they land. They may look drunk, but they're actually just suffering from the effects of eating too much, too fast. Hummingbird feeders in winter? Winter weather in the San Francisco Bay Area is relatively moderate, so if you have hummingbird feeders hanging in your backyard during spring, summer and fall, it's OK to leave them up during winter, too. Most of our local hummers stick around and don't migrate and I'm sure they'd like to keep getting those free eats. If a hummingbird in your backyard DOES decide to take off and migrate for some reason, a little free sugar water isn't going to stop it. Got unwanted visitors at night? It's always a bit of a shock, I suspect, to hear a noise in the middle of the night and jump out of bed to discover a raccoon prowling around your kitchen or living room. This is entirely possible if you have a cat door that lets your kitty can come and go as it pleases. Raccoons can learn how to use one of those cat doors faster than any cat, which means the raccoon can also come and go as IT pleases, especially if it is cold or raining. The solution is simple. Lock the cat door and keep your cat in at night. That means no raccoons in the house at night and your cat will also be a LOT safer. A FINAL NOTE ... Because we're enjoying the holidays, this seems like an appropriate spot to stop and wish everyone a VERY Happy New Year! It's been fun and the future promises to be even better. I'll see you next year! /Gary gbogue@wildlife-museum.org

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Lindsay Wildlife Museum 1931 First Avenue Walnut Creek, California 94597 US Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

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Senator Boxer on the NRA, Gun Violence, and School Safety

Posted:  21 Dec 12

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On Fri, Dec 21, 2012 at 4:49 PM, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer <barbara.boxer@boxer.enews.senate.gov> wrote:

If you are having trouble viewing this message or would like to share it on a social network, you can view the message online.

ABOUT THE SENATOR CONSTITUENT SERVICES ISSUES & LEGISLATION PRESS CONTACT - - - - - NEWS FROM BARBARA BOXER, UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA - - - - - December 21, 2012 Dear Friend: Today the head of the National Rifle Association blamed everyone except his own organization for gun violence in America and showed himself to be completely out of touch by ignoring the proliferation of weapons of war on our streets. The NRA is now calling for stronger security at our schools. They should endorse my bills to fund security upgrades for schools and trained law enforcement personnel to protect our kids.  To read more about my legislation, please click here. In the days ahead, I will work for a comprehensive strategy that includes sensible gun laws, a focus on mental health, and school safety. Sincerely, Barbara Boxer United States Senator To respond to this message, please click here.  This link will take you  to a webpage where you can reply to messages that you receive from  Senator Boxer’s office. Share on Facebook Tell a Friend E-mail: E-mail: E-mail: E-MAIL UPDATES Yes, please periodically send me e-mail updates.* Click Here *By subscribing to my e-mail updates, you are authorizing me to send regular e-mail updates from my office to your e-mail account.

USA.gov -- End-of-year Charity Giving; Pet Safety; Gifts of Service

Posted:  21 Dec 12

Image description: NASA’s Cassini spacecraft delivered...

12/21/2012 03:00 PM EST

Image description: NASA’s Cassini spacecraft delivered this view of Saturn while the spacecraft was in the planet’s shadow. Learn more about this view of Saturn.
Image from NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

End-of-Year Charity Giving Tips from the IRS

12/21/2012 02:00 PM EST

As 2012 comes to a close, individuals and businesses need to remember some key tax provisions for making contributions to charity. The IRS offers these reminders for year-end giving:

• To deduct monetary donations you must have a bank record or written document from the charity stating the name of the charity, the contribution amount and the date.
• Contributions are deductible in the year made, even if the credit card bill isn’t paid or the check isn’t cashed until 2013.
• Only donations made to qualified organizations are tax deductible. Make sure the organization you want to donate to is qualified before making any contribution.
• Individuals must itemize their deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A or use a short form (Form 1040A and 1040EZ) to claim the standard deduction.

Find more year-end giving tips from the IRS.

Have a Pet-Safe Holiday Season

12/21/2012 01:00 PM EST

Make sure that everyone gets to enjoy the holiday season by keeping the four-legged members of your family safe this December. It’s easy to get distracted at this time of year, so if you have pets, try to keep these ideas in mind:

• Avoid tinsel and clean up strings and ribbon right away. Swallowed decorations can seriously damage internal organs, leading to a painful and dangerous situation.
• Display and dispose of holiday plants safely. Poinsettias, mistletoe, and holly are toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, leading to bad gastrointestinal upset if eaten.
• Be careful with pet treats. Your lucky dog probably loves his biscuits, rawhides, or jerky sticks, but if he eats them whole - or too many at once - he may not be able to digest them. Unchewed treats can get stuck in the windpipe or gastrointestinal tract.
• Human food. Don’t feed your cat or dog people food. Food with bones (choking), chocolate, or xylitol (both toxic) can hurt your pet right away. Fatty holiday people foods can cause the painful and life-threatening disease pancreatitis in the long term.

Learn more about keeping your pet holiday-safe with this publication from the Food and Drug Administration.

Give the Gift of Service This Year

12/21/2012 10:39 AM EST

Give the Gift of Service This Year:Sometimes the greatest gift you can give is service. Find volunteer opportunities in your area from Serve.gov.

Image description: A maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, at the...

12/20/2012 03:00 PM EST

Image description: A maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, at the Smithsonian National Zoo. The maned wolf stands about three feet tall at the shoulder and weighs about 50 pounds. They’re omnivorous, eating small mammals, insects, reptiles, birds, bird eggs, fruits, and vegetation. In January of 2012, four maned wold pups were born at the Zoo.
Photo from the National Zoo.

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MEET THE NEW PITTSBURG CITY COUNCIL!

Posted:  21 Dec 12


1.  The November 2012 elections resulted in the reelection of City Council members Ben Johnson and Will Casey.  Councilmember Nancy Parent has assumed the position of Mayor and Councilmember Sal Evola, of Vice Mayor.  Continuing in office as fifth Council member is Pete Longmire.

• Here is a link to the City Council page of the City's main website

2.  Regarding Mayor Parent, here are: (a)  the Contra Costa Times article announcing her accession to office; (b) a quickly downloadable bio on her fascinating life of dedicated public service; and (c) her Facebook page.

• Friendly suggestion:  Grab a cup of coffee or tea and get ready to enjoy a too brief, but powerful two-page story about Mayor Parent.  (It'll download quickly -- and you'll probably want to keep it, anyway)  
• You might consider reading it out loud to the young folks, for her story speaks to everyone, wonderfully; the lessons and inspiration to be gleaned are invaluable; and you will come away feeling very good about people, in general, and about Pittsburg's continuing good fortune.

3.  Here are Google search results for the remaining City Council members:

• Vice Mayor Sal Evola
• Former Mayor Ben Johnson
• Former Mayor Will Casey
• Council member Pete Longmire

Congratulations to our senior public officials 

for their high achievement!

Best wishes for another fruitful term of service 

to our home town, County, State, and Nation.

All Original Content © 2012 , The MENTOR Enterprises / ELMS, All Rights Reserved -- BUT, I hereby suspend those rights, to this extent: You may freely copy and pass this along, if you think it will do some good -- as long as it's free of charge, unchanged, and you include this statement.

TOOL: To help create or support any cause~~ A Timely Example

Posted:  21 Dec 12

Please note:  In addition to the following relevant effort, the fine website, "Causes.Com," enables anyone to "create a cause for any issue or organization that matters to you -- another worthwhile way to take advantage of the great human achievement -- The Internet.  To learn more and to start a cause or to join an existing one, please start here.  And, here is their Facebook page

A message from Causes Moment of Silence for Sandy Hook Victims

A cause you are a member of has reposted this: “Please take the pledge for a moment of silence for the Sandy Hook Victims.” Moment of Silence for Sandy Hook Victims on Dec. 21 It starts with you SIGN THE PLEDGE Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has asked the nation to come together this Friday, December 21 at 9:30am ET to observe a moment of silence in tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, CT. The victims will be honored with 26 bells, one for each of the lives lost at the hands of a gunman. Churches across America will be ringing their bells, too. We are grieving for the precious lives that were lost in Newtown, CT last week. The heartbreaking events at Sandy Hook Elementary School remind us that together our resolve for a better nation, for a better world, is strong. We pledge to stand by the victims, the victims' families, and the community of Newtown, CT during this moment of silence. As President Obama noted earlier last week: "I am very mindful that mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts. I can only hope it helps for you to know that you're not alone in your grief; that our world too has been torn apart; that all across this land of ours, we have wept with you, we've pulled our children tight... Newtown - you are not alone." This moment of silence only marks the beginning of our healing. As we look to the future, we must also look to each other: we can't be silent on the difficult conversations for how we make our nation safer for our loved ones. For those who wish to take further action now, we suggest getting engaged in one of the following efforts: Demand A Plan. A grassroots effort led by mayors to advocate for legislation to end gun violence, including mandating a criminal background check for every gun buyer, banning assault weapons, and making gun trafficking a felony. Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The organization works to pass and enforce sensible federal and state gun laws, regulations, and public policies National Association for Mental Illness (NAMI). Advocates for access to services, treatment, support and research for the 60 million Americans who experience a mental health issue every year. These are difficult conversations, ones we wish we didn't need to have. But the victims of Sandy Hook, the Newtown community, and the world deserve a plan for how we move forward. Please share the moment of silence pledge far and wide (causes.com/sandyhooktribute) and stay posted for future action alerts. Thank you. Want to get involved? See this pledge on Causes

Address: Causes, 88 Kearny St, Suite 2100, San Francisco, CA 94108 United States | Privacy Policy To stop receiving emails, unsubscribe.