Over 60 Wildlife Species At Risk In Canada's Changing North

Atlantic Walrus © J. Higdon (CNW Group/Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada)

Atlantic Walrus and Eastern Migratory Caribou are at risk of extinction. So concluded the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), which met in Whitehorse, April 23-28. The number of Canadian northern wildlife species considered to be at risk now stands at 62.

Canada has already lost one of its three populations of Atlantic Walrus. Once abundant in ocean waters of Atlantic Canada, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the animals were hunted to extinction by 1850. The two surviving populations rely on Canadian Arctic marine habitat and have coexisted with Indigenous peoples for millennia. 

Over the past few decades, the areas inhabited by the few thousand High Arctic walruses and the more numerous Central and Low Arctic population have shrunk and continue to do so. As the climate warms and sea ice recedes, interaction with industry and tourism is increasing. These threats, layered upon ongoing harvesting, led the committee to recommend a status of Special Concern for both populations. 

According to marine mammal expert and COSEWIC member Hal Whitehead, "The walrus is a most unusual and distinctive mammal of the northern seas. Walruses have been very important to the Inuit, both as food and in their culture, and they remain so today. Walruses are particularly sensitive to disturbance, and certainly deserve special attention."

Many caribou populations have previously been assessed by COSEWIC, but the committee considered the Eastern Migratory Caribou for the first time. The famous George River herd in Québec and Labrador numbered over 800,000 in 1993, but the numbers have now fallen to an unprecedented low of a few thousand animals. A second major herd is also in serious decline. The committee therefore recommended Endangered status. 

Graham Forbes, co-chair of COSEWIC's Terrestrial Mammals Subcommittee, stressed the sensitivity of caribou to human activity, a condition complicated by rapid northern climate change: "Shrubs increasingly cover landscapes that were once dominated by lichen, caribou's major winter food source, and overharvest continues. We are worried that these factors may make it very hard for herds to recover."

Parts of Canada's North are warming faster than anywhere else in the world, and the number of northern species at risk is rising. Over half of these at-risk species are currently assessed as being of Special Concern, meaning measures to address climate change and good management of hunting, disturbance, and development are needed to prevent their status from deteriorating to Threatened. 

Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board Chair, Frank Thomas, highlighted the need to coordinate efforts toward this goal: "Local communities, through the work of management boards, play an important role in the conservation of Canada's northern biodiversity. We all need to work together."

Eric Taylor, Chair of COSEWIC, echoed Mr. Thomas' call to action: "Canada's biodiversity is at risk from coast to coast to coast, and timely action on many fronts is required, from dealing with habitat disturbance and overharvesting to concerted efforts to combat the effects of climate change."

At the meeting, a number of other wildlife species were found to be at risk. Examples include:

Endangered

• Ord's Kangaroo Rat (neither a kangaroo nor a rat), a rare Prairie dune specialist
• Some populations of Lake Sturgeon, a large, very long-lived species affected by historical overfishing
• Butternut, a tree in eastern provinces devastated by a fungal disease.

Special Concern

• Harris's Sparrow, a northern songbird breeding only in Canada and showing ongoing declines largely due to pressures on their wintering grounds in the US
• Shortfin Mako, an open-ocean shark found seasonally in Atlantic Canadian waters and showing signs of recovery from overfishing.

>> Further details on all wildlife species assessed at this meeting can be found on the COSEWIC website <<

Harris’s Sparrow © G. Romanchuk (CNW Group/Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada)

Next meeting

COSEWIC's next scheduled wildlife species assessment meeting will be held in November 2017.

About COSEWIC

COSEWIC assesses the status of wild species, subspecies, varieties, or other important units of biological diversity, considered to be at risk in Canada. To do so, COSEWIC uses scientific, Aboriginal traditional and community knowledge provided by experts from governments, academia and other organizations. Summaries of assessments are currently available to the public on the COSEWIC website (www.cosewic.gc.ca) and will be submitted to the Federal Minister of the Environment and Climate Change in fall 2017 for listing consideration under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). At this time, the status reports and status appraisal summaries will be publicly available on the Species at Risk Public Registry (www.sararegistry.gc.ca).

At its most recent meeting, COSEWIC assessed 33 wildlife species in various COSEWIC risk categories, including 9 Endangered, 3 Threatened, and 13 Special Concern. In addition to these wildlife species that are in COSEWIC risk categories, COSEWIC assessed 1 wildlife species as Extinct and 5 as Not at Risk. An additional 2 were found to be Data Deficient.

COSEWIC comprises members from each provincial and territorial government wildlife agency, four federal entities (Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Canadian Museum of Nature), three Non-government Science Members, and the Co-chairs of the Species Specialist and the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Subcommittees.

Definition of COSEWIC terms and status categories:

• Wildlife Species: A species, subspecies, variety, or geographically or genetically distinct population of animal, plant or other organism, other than a bacterium or virus, that is wild by nature and is either native to Canada or has extended its range into Canada without human intervention and has been present in Canada for at least 50 years.
• Extinct (X): A wildlife species that no longer exists.
• Extirpated (XT): A wildlife species that no longer exists in the wild in Canada, but exists elsewhere.
• Endangered (E): A wildlife species facing imminent extirpation or extinction.
• Threatened (T): A wildlife species that is likely to become Endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to its extirpation or extinction. 
• Special Concern (SC): A wildlife species that may become Threatened or Endangered because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.
• Not at Risk (NAR): A wildlife species that has been evaluated and found to be not at risk of extinction given the current circumstances. 
• Data Deficient (DD): A category that applies when the available information is insufficient (a) to resolve a wildlife species' eligibility for assessment or (b) to permit an assessment of the wildlife species' risk of extinction.
• Species at Risk: A wildlife species that has been assessed as Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened or Special Concern.

SOURCE: Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada

International Jazz Day 2017 Worldwide Celebration Concludes With All-Star Global Concert, In Havana, Cuba

TMIJ/UNESCO, International Jazz Day 2017, Sun. April 30.

Following thousands of events taking place in over 190 countries, International Jazz Day 2017 culminated in a phenomenal concert streamed worldwide from Havana's historic Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso. As the International Jazz Day 2017 Global Host City, the musically vibrant city of Havana also presented a wide range of concerts and education programs in partnership with Cuba's Ministry of Culture, the Cuban Institute of Music, and the Cuban National Commission for UNESCO.

Established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in coordination with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, International Jazz Day is recognized on the official calendars of UNESCO and the United Nations. 

TMIJ/UNESCO, International Jazz Day 2017, Sun. April 30.

Each year on April 30, International Jazz Day highlights the role of jazz in promoting freedom, creativity and intercultural dialogue, and uniting people from all corners of the globe. Toyota served as Lead Partner of International Jazz Day 2017.

The Global Concert began with an all-star group of musicians from Cuba and around the world performing "Cuba Bop" and "Manteca" in tribute to the groundbreaking 1940s collaboration between Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo that blended Afro-Cuban music and jazz. 

Acclaimed vocalist Cassandra Wilson performed her sultry composition "You Move Me" and Cuban trumpet virtuoso Julio Padrón played Freddie Hubbard's inventive "Byrdlike." Beloved Cuban vocalist Bobby Carcassés joined forces with master bassist and vocalist Richard Bona of Cameroon for a fiery rendition of the Latin jazz tune "Bilongo."

"Bésame Mucho" showcased the global influence of jazz, with pianists Youn Sun Nah (Republic of Korea) and Tarek Yamani (Lebanon); bassist Esperanza Spalding and violinist Regina Carter (United States); and drummer Antonio Sánchez (Mexico). To mark the centennial of jazz icon Thelonious Monk, legendary Cuban pianists Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Chucho Valdés gave a stunning performance of the classic "Blue Monk." 

The concert came to a exhilarating end with artists including pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Marcus Miller, vocalists Kurt Elling and Ivan Lins, French guitarist Marc Antoine, and Cuban percussionists Yaroldi Abreu, Adel González, Ramsés Rodriguez and Oscar Valdés performing the John Lennon anthem "Imagine."

For more information, visit www.unesco.org/days/jazzday     

The Video:

SOURCE: Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz

Trump Administration Executive Order Threatens Millions Of American Jobs And Billions In GDP

Today, the Trump administration announced plans to expand offshore oil drilling in U.S. waters, threatening recreation, tourism, fishing and other coastal industries, which provide more than 1.4 million jobs and $95 billion GDP along the Atlantic coast alone. 

• The executive order directs the Interior Department to develop a new five-year oil and gas leasing program to consider new areas for offshore drilling. 
• The order also blocks the creation of new national marine sanctuaries and orders a review of all existing sanctuaries and marine monuments designated or expanded in the past ten years.

"Our ocean, waves and beaches are vital recreational, economic and ecological treasures that would be polluted by an increase in offshore oil drilling, regardless of whether or not there is a spill," said Dr. Chad Nelsen, CEO of the Surfrider Foundation. "With today's action, the Trump administration is putting the interests of the oil and gas lobby over the hundreds of communities, thousands of businesses, and millions of citizens who rely on the ocean and coasts for their jobs and livelihoods." 

New offshore drilling would threaten thousands of miles of coastline and billions in GDP, for a relatively small amount of oil. Ocean tourism and recreation, worth an estimated $100 billion annually nationwide, provides 12 times the amount of jobs to the U.S. economy, compared to offshore oil production. Even under the best-case scenario, America's offshore oil reserves would provide only about 920 days, or 18 months supply of oil at our current rate of consumption, according to federal agency estimates.

"Tourism drives our local economy, and the approval of offshore drilling poses a huge threat to the livelihood and quality of life in our beach community," said Nicole D.C. Kienlen, Tourism Director of Bradley Beach, New Jersey. "The effects would be devastating on multiple levels."

Even when there are no accidents, offshore oil drilling seriously pollutes our water and food supply at every stage. The ground penetration, the drilling, the rigs, and the transportation tankers all release toxic chemicals and leaked oil. The standard process of drilling releases thousands of gallons of polluted water into the ocean. High concentrations of metals have been found around drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and have been shown to accumulate in fish, mussels and other seafood.

"The Trump administration wants to pour money in to a sinking ship with relatively small return, instead of supporting growth industries like coastal tourism and renewable energy that are adding jobs to our economy," said Pete Stauffer, Environmental Director for the Surfrider Foundation. "We will stand up for what's best for the nation, and our oceans, by fighting new offshore drilling off our coasts."

Find out more and get involved at Surfrider.org

About Surfrider Foundation
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world's oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 500,000 supporters, activists and members, with more than 80 volunteer-led chapters and 60 clubs in the U.S., and more than 400 victories protecting our coasts.

 

SOURCE: Surfrider Foundation

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"Flying Pigs" Video Marks Arrival Of The All-New 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid [Video Included]

“Flying Pigs” video marks arrival of the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

The Chrysler brand is celebrating the arrival of the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid with a new 60-second video "Flying Pigs," which will begin running across digital media channels beginning Friday, April 28. "Flying Pigs" can be viewed on the Chrysler brand's official YouTube page, in addition to the brand's social channels Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is arriving in dealerships now. 

"If I had told you even two years ago that the Chrysler brand would transform the minivan segment with the industry's first hybrid minivan, and that it would achieve 84 MPGe, with class-leading features and innovations, including hybrid-exclusive technology features, including a smartphone app, deliver relevant vehicle information, such as charge status and scheduling, charging station locations and an 'efficiency coach' for more efficient driving, many consumers would have said they'll believe it 'when pigs fly'," said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America. "With the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid arriving into dealerships, consumers will no longer have to say they'll believe it when they see it, and can now experience it firsthand for themselves."

"To celebrate this next critical chapter in our Minivan Firsts – our story requires a very specific message – one that speaks to two very distinct audiences (parents and children)," said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer – FCA Global. "Through the spot's unique story-telling device, flying pigs and blue moons are seen as the device to highlight segment-first features that are almost unbelievable and will appeal to adults and kids alike."

The 60-second "Flying Pigs" video opens in an animated picture-book view, from the perspective of a young boy and his sister sitting in the passenger seats of the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid as their parents take the minivan for a test drive. As mom and dad learn about the class-leading safety and technology features, the children see the unexpected as they gaze into the sky through the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid's tri-pane panoramic sunroof. With sweeping CGI aerial shots that include flying pigs, "down under" freezing over and a blue moon, the moral of the story is that the all-new Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid defies all conventional thinking.

As the original creator of the minivan more than 30 years ago, FCA US LLC has transformed the segment with firsts, notching 78 innovations through the first five minivan generations.

"Flying Pigs" was created in partnership with Goodby Silverstein & Partners.

The Video:  
SOURCE: FCA US LLC

From Bananarama To Boyzone, Here's Why So Many Bands Are Making A Comeback

Bananarama // PA/PA Archive/PA Images

By David Beer, University of York

The announcement that 1980s pop trio Bananarama are to reform is the just the latest in a long line of recent comebacks. From Boyzone to Wet Wet Wet, Take That to Jamiroquai, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Stone Roses, The Verve, Sleeper, These Animal Men, Northern Uproar, S Club 7, 5ive and Cast, musicians of old are intent on trying on their faded stardom for size. Even Menswe@r tried it, albeit with only one original member. The news that Elastica were reuniting, however, disappointingly turned out to be premature.

Comebacks seem to be everywhere. They are not limited to a particular genre, but they do often seem to be bound to a particular era. The success levels might vary somewhat, but we seem to be living in a cultural moment that is defined by the comeback. Of course, there have been plenty of comebacks before, but right now they’re close to being ubiquitous.

It’s tricky to know exactly what is happening here. Music cultures have always had one foot in the past. Classic songs, signature sounds, attachments to older formats like vinyl, intertextual reference points, remastered and reissued albums and the like, have long been a central part of how music is made and consumed. But the comeback is a more material and pronounced version of these tendencies. The comeback represents a more obvious and direct impulse to revisit.

Why come back?
Nostalgia undoubtedly plays a part. Inevitably bands who return for a second innings are driven by a desire to revisit particular moments or to experience again music from more youthful times. The myths and memories are likely to mix together a little here.

Some suggest that the prominence of the comeback is further evidence of culture stalling; that we have reached something of a creative dead end and therefore can only look backwards. The point here, mistakenly, would be to think that an absence of creativity has left a void that the comeback fills. A slightly more positive take on this is that we have seen the emergence, over the last ten years or so, of a new kind of retro culture which looks to the past for its resources and which uses pastiche to enliven culture today. Simon Reynolds has called this mythical revisiting of music’s archives “retromania”.

This may play a part, but I’d suggest that we need look beyond explanations bedded in the music industry if we are to understand the rise of the comeback. We can gain a richer understanding of these comebacks by thinking about how music scenes are deeply rooted in our identities – and about the important role that music takes in shaping how we connect with the social world.

A sociological view
Research has shown that music fans continue to have an attachment to the music of their youth as they move into later life. They might listen to other things and change their style of dress, but the music remains embedded in their identities. We have a strong connection with the music that forms a central part of our own biographies.

Elsewhere it has been found that music plays an important role in how we handle our emotional lives. A classic study by the sociologist Tia DeNora found that we use music in our everyday lives to influence and stimulate our emotions and feelings, to negotiate our moods or to help us to recall or revisit memories and times.

This shows that people are likely to seek out opportunities to engage with that musical past both in terms of reaffirming their identities but also because of the emotions and memories that the music embodies for them. So we need not see these comebacks as a sign of cultural failure. This comeback music will have been central to how generations of people have negotiated their lives, so having a chance to experience it in the live arena is likely to be appealing. Music scenes, are, after all, moments when our personal biographies mix with broader social changes and cultural movements.

The Rolling Stones headline Glastonbury Festival 2013. Anthony Devlin/PA Archive/PA Images

The comeback is hard to explain because those explanations are likely to be based upon a kind of inbuilt nostalgia. When we compare music’s past with its present we are also comparing different moments in our own lives . It is hard to understand changing music cultures when we are basing this understanding on our own changing biographies.

Bananas about Bananarama
Yet Bananarama’s comeback is undoubtedly part of a cultural movement, a comeback culture that is far greater than before. Like vintage and retro clothing, the resurgence of vinyl, retro arcade video gaming, the trend for revisiting and remaking classic films and TV shows (CHIPS being the most recent), and “Keep calm and carry on” style memorabilia, the comeback trend illustrates how complex relations are between yesterday and today.

The comeback is, above all else, fuelled by a desire to access and experience the cultural moments that defined our lives and identities, not the collapse of cultural creativity. It is rooted in the attachments that people form as they live with music and as they recall those times and experiences.

And so the political and social uncertainty that has defined recent years might well provide the backdrop for the comeback to thrive. It is much more likely that people are seeking assurance and security by turning back to the songs that provide an anchor for their identities or which enable them to negotiate the emotional impact of a seemingly uncertain social world, than that they feel alienated or disappointed by the music of today.

About Today's Contributor:

David Beer, Reader in Sociology, University of York

This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

Donald Trump's 100 Days Of U-Turns, Bombs And Cake

EPA/Molly Riley/Polaris Pool

By Todd Landman, University of Nottingham

The hundredth day of an American president’s term traditionally marks the end of the honeymoon period – a time to take stock of early achievements, launch new legislation, and set a new direction. But the score card for Donald Trump’s first 100 days doesn’t read well, and the direction for the next four years is looking so new as to radically contradict the premise of his campaign.

Trump hasn’t commenced the wall along the US-Mexican border, his signature campaign pledge. He has failed (and spectacularly) to repeal and replace the healthcare reforms collectively known as Obamacare, and the courts have thwarted his orders to ban foreign nationals from several mainly Muslim countries from the US. And on a moral front, his compassion for Syrian children killed in a horrific chemical attack was offset by his decision to turn away 10,000 Syrian refugees.

The administration is under intense pressure from investigations into the Trump team’s Russian connections and purported Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The resignation of General Mike Flynn and the hapless antics of the investigating committees in Congress have only made the saga more damaging.

All the while, American opinion remains divided as ever: Trump currently enjoys the approval of roughly 40% of his people.

Trump’s image problem extends well beyond the US’s borders. In the past month, I spent a week in China while President Xi Jinping was visiting Trump’s Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago. I then visited the US, travelling from North Carolina through Virginia and on to Washington, DC. The Chinese are mostly bemused by the new president, who comes in for plenty of criticism in the Chinese media.

In the US, meanwhile, the president is at the centre of a perpetual media frenzy, lurching from one decision to the next while providing byplay via his own tweets. And undoubtedly his most dramatic lurch has been away from isolationism and towards outright military adventurism.

Volte-face
Throughout the 2016 campaign, Trump criticised “crooked Hillary” and Barack Obama for allowing the situation in Syria to deteriorate, but he also declared that he would not get involved. The “America First” philosophy he articulated in his inaugural address combined economic nationalism with international isolationism, and more recently, he reminded an audience of union members that he is “not the president of the world”.

But as the makeup of his National Security Council changed, Trump broke out of his isolationist box. He now appears to favour regime change in Syria, and possibly even a direct confrontation with North Korea.

Between my visits to China and the US, Trump retaliated to the deadly April 4 chemical attack on the Syrian rebel-held city of Khan Sheikhoun by authorising a direct missile strike on Syrian government airfields – this apparently while enjoying a “beautiful chocolate cake” with President Xi.

The attack sharpened the main lines of contention in global politics between Russia and China, who continue to back Bashar al-Assad, and the G7 nations, who oppose him, but who have yet to come up with a coherent suggestion for removing him from power.

Trump also said he’d ordered a US Navy carrier strike group on routine exercises to head from Australia to the waters off North Korea, while Pyongyang held a national day of celebration at which it showed off significant military hardware, some of it not seen before.

In the days between the announced rerouting of the aircraft carrier group (the truth of which is now unclear) and North Korea’s celebrations, the US dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used on a network of tunnels in Afghanistan used by the so-called Islamic State (IS). The blast itself is estimated to have killed more than 90 IS militants, while at the same time sending a clear signal to IS, North Korea and others that Trump is ready to use devastating force.

China’s Xi has since tried to calm tensions between the US and North Korea, but to little effect; the sabre-rattling continues, and a sixth North Korean nuclear test may not be far away.

Empty at the core
Throughout these last 100 days, I have been searching for some sort of signal in all the noise – some core commitment to a programme of change, with a clear set of organising principles and an underlying philosophy. I have struggled to argue that there must be something at the heart of all of this that makes coherent sense and that will genuinely benefit even Trump’s core supporters.

Some of those supporters presumably see their president as a decisive leader using the full power of the presidency to tackle enormous domestic and foreign issues. To them, he’s doing precisely what he promised, and given time and space to act, he will deliver real change to America. Business leaders are waiting for his tax cuts to invigorate markets, while the core voters wait for their promised new jobs and cheaper healthcare.

But if Trump is right that running America really is like running a business, he should be able to produce an income-expenditure model that indicates more is being achieved with less, with a surplus to show as a result. No such model is forthcoming. Yes, the proposed investments in infrastructure and the border wall are meant to be balanced by cuts to public programmes in science, health, welfare, and even the coast guard. But combined with promised tax cuts and increased defence spending, the books simply will not be balanced – especially with expensive new overseas military adventures now on the cards.

In search of a metaphor with which to capture these first 100 days of the Trump presidency, I’ve landed on the Tasmanian devil. The real animal is described as having a “cantankerous disposition”; it will “fly into a maniacal rage when threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or defending a meal”. As rendered in cartoon form for Looney Tunes, it’s a swirling vortex of frenzied activity with an empty core.

The thrust and parry of politics is inevitable, as interests and power intersect in complex and contested ways – but actual change is achieved through consensus and compromise. Obamacare was only passed in 2010 after a year of face-to-face encounters, discussions, and compromises forged in committee rooms and caucus meetings. The bill that emerged wasn’t what everyone wanted, but it contained enough of what most of them wanted.

If Trump’s first 100 days prove anything, it’s that politics is not business. CEOs and presidents need very different skills, and commanders-in-chief need to think about more than the bottom line. The self-proclaimed master of the Art of the Deal has much to learn if he is to thrive in his first term.

About Today's Contributor:
Todd Landman, Professor of Political Science, Pro Vice Chancellor of the Social Sciences, University of Nottingham

This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

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Women's Most Desired Super Powers Revealed in thinkThin National Survey

(PRNewsfoto/thinkThin)

Today thinkThin announced it is celebrating its partnership with the feature film "Wonder Woman," by revealing unexpected comic book hero statistics and surprising a fan with her super power wish. This is the first of four surprises that will be granted to consumers who enter the thinkThin Super Powers contest by May 5th.

Inspired by the heroic feats of Wonder Woman and in anticipation of the upcoming June 2nd film release, thinkThin commissioned a national survey to uncover women's "must haves" when it comes to super powers.

The survey, which captured insight from women across all ages, revealed some startling results, specifically: 

• Two is better than one. While women desire invisibility, flight and telepathy, more than two thirds would use their super powers to be in two places at once. 
• Not a caped crusader. The majority of women, 56 percent, would prefer wielding a shield to a wearing a cape while saving the world. 
• Millennial mask mindset. Overall, 80 percent of millennial women openly wish for a super power, with 54 percent of them saying they wouldn't wear a mask when fighting crime. 
• Party of one. When asked to pick Wonder Woman's soul mate, there was universal agreement across all age groups that Wonder Woman does not need anyone to complete her…though maybe they haven't met Steve Trevor! 
• Truth be told. The majority of women polled wanted Wonder Woman's Golden Lasso of Hestia, over other items, including her bracelets and tiara. 
• Wonder Woman is wondrous. Wonder Woman is the top hero pick for women, beating out other well-known female heroes old and new. 

To celebrate the highly anticipated release of the Wonder Woman film, thinkThin surprised its social media fan AnnaRose Etra of Santa Cruz, California, who posted on the thinkThin Facebook page that breathing underwater would be the ultimate ability. To bring this super power to life, thinkThin will provide scuba diving certification lessons, enabling her to explore the ocean as if she had that ability.

"We wanted to celebrate a hero film featuring a woman in the leading role," said Michele Kessler, the president of thinkThin. "We love that Wonder Woman has super strength and we're proud to offer delicious products that give women the everyday strength they need to power through their day."

thinkThin will award three additional fans across the country a surprise prize leading up to the movie's release, and four fans have a chance to win a swag bag of thinkThin products and movie gift certificates. To enter between now and May 5, 2017, comment on the thinkThin Super Powers Contest posts on Facebook or Instagram and tell us which super power you wish you had.

Fans also have a chance to win by participating in the thinkThin "Wonder Woman" sweepstakes! Post a comment or photo on Twitter, Instagram or the official thinkThin Facebook page about thinkThin or "Wonder Woman" using the hashtags #thinkWonderWoman and #Sweepstakes.

Enter by May 11th for a chance to win a "Wonder Woman" VIP Experience, including a trip for two to the movie's U.S. premier, and enter by June 8th to win other great prizes, including a replica of Wonder Woman's golden lasso and tiara, gift baskets of "Wonder Woman" memorabilia and thinkThin Products, or movie tickets.

Fans of both "Wonder Woman" and thinkThin can follow all the updates and contest opportunities on thinkThin's Facebook and Instagram pages. 

For more information visit www.thinkproducts.com.

About "Wonder Woman"
Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.

Patty Jenkins directs "Wonder Woman" from a screenplay by Allan Heinberg, story by Zack Snyder & Allan Heinberg and Jason Fuchs, based on characters from DC. Wonder Woman was created by William Moulton Marston.

The film stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen and Elena Anaya. It is produced by Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder and Richard Suckle, with Stephen Jones, Geoff Johns, Jon Berg, Wesley Coller and Rebecca Steel Roven serving as executive producers.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, an Atlas Entertainment/Cruel and Unusual production, "Wonder Woman." The film is scheduled for release on June 2, 2017, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. www.wonderwomanfilm.com.

Wonder Woman and all related characters and elements © & ™ DC Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About the thinkThin Super Powers Contest
No Purchase Necessary to Enter. Must be U.S. resident 21 or over. Promotion begins 4/4/17 at 12:00:00 a.m. PT and ends 5/5/17 at 11:59:59 p.m. PT. Void where prohibited and outside U.S. Total ARV of all prizes is $2400. Winners selected based on feasibility, thoughtfulness and creativity. Subject to Official Rules (including full entry and prize restrictions) at thinkproducts.com/superpowers.

Sponsor: Glanbia Performance Nutrition, Inc. Not sponsored by Facebook or Twitter.

About the thinkThin-Wonder Woman Sweepstakes
No Purchase Necessary to Enter. Must be U.S. resident 21 or over. Promotion begins 4/21/17 at 12:00:00 a.m. PT and ends 6/8/17 at 11:59:59 p.m. PT. Deadline for Grand Prize drawing is 5/11/17 at 11:59:59 p.m. PT. If entering via mobile device, message & data rates may apply. Winners selected by random drawing. Total ARV of all prizes: $4,000. Grand Prize trip must be taken to attend Wonder Woman premiere screening on 5/25/17. Void where prohibited and outside U.S. Subject to Official Rules (including full entry and prize restrictions as well as odds) at thinkWonderWomanMovieSweeps.com.

Sponsor: National CineMedia, LLC, Centennial, CO 80112. Not sponsored by Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.


SOURCE: thinkThin

Documentary Exposes Threat to Humans' "Innocently Violent" Ways

Innocently Violent Movie Poster

Korey Rowe, Producer of "Loose Change 9/11" and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan engagements has released a new documentary, "Innocently Violent", concerning the future of our food supply as affected by climate change. Korey Rowe, an upstate New York native, travels from the glaciers of Iceland, to the labs of UCLA and the kitchens of Vancouver to understand what will happen in the years to come if the drastic changes we are witnessing can't be reversed. "A problem properly stated is half-solved," says Jordan Perry, farmer and conservationist in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada who is featured in the film. Jordan and his family are taking active measures in their own lives to educate themselves and others in sustainable living practices.

Individuals can make a difference, and this documentary focuses on the trajectory of that change. Filmed over the course of three years by one man with one camera, this story of humans is one that will make you think while forcing you to ask the question: "Is this the best society we can create?"

Currently, the movie is free to Amazon Prime members and will be on other platforms such as Hulu, iTunes, YouTube and more soon. "Innocently Violent" is produced by Prism Pictures, a Los Angeles, California, production company and distributed by Indie Rights Movies, who is handling global distribution for the film.

For more information about the movie and the director, Korey Rowe, go to www.innocentlyviolent.com.

The Trailer:

SOURCE: Prism Pictures

Superhero Musical 'Tara Tremendous' Gets Docuseries Leading to Launch of Cast Album

Image via wonkybot.com

Wonkybot Studios has released the trailer, key art and confirmed a May 3rd launch date for its new original documentary web series Tara Tremendous: Making Of A Musical.

(The trailer can be viewed here)   

The series, which will air in short segments exclusively on Wonkybot.com, follows company founders Stewart St John, Todd Fisher and Michael Plahuta — who are also the creative forces behind the Tara Tremendous brand — as they take their #1 iTunes kids and family podcast to New York and prepare to launch it as a musical concert premiering at world-famous Feinstein's/54 Below.

Says St John, "Getting this show up and in front of a real audience is the first step toward our goal of bringing Tara to Broadway. We were blessed with some amazing talent along the way, from Micky Dolenz, MiMi Ryder and Kecia Lewis to Annie Golden, Brian Charles Rooney, Ramsey Whitney, Mary Stout… so many wonderful, talented souls came on board to make this happen and we are eternally grateful."

Tara Tremendous is the story of an 11-year-old girl who goes from ordinary to extraordinary overnight after she accidentally inherits all the powers of every superhero in the world. St John created the concept in 2015 and the company launched it as a musical podcast series in 2016, where it quickly became a #1 kids and family series.

Tara Tremendous: Making Of A Musical chronicles the funny and frantic weeks leading up to the New York City stage debut, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the blood, sweat and tunes that goes into launching something like a new musical.

"We were newbies at the whole musical thing," says Fisher, "And it was challenging because we were primarily working out of our LA office. There was a lot of frustration trying to wrangle this project from across the country."

They were aided along the way by key folks in New York, among them Van Dean, CEO of Broadway Records and a producer of Anastasia The Musical, and Mia Moravis, also part of the Anastasia team and a cast member of Tara Tremendous. "They were incredibly generous in helping us navigate the New York theater scene and offered a solid net whenever we started to become a little anxious," adds St John.

St John, who created, wrote and directed the podcast series, adapted the project for the stage. He wrote the book, lyrics and co-composed twenty songs with musical partner Michael Plahuta.

"We literally finished the last song two hours before our plane left from LA to New York," says Plahuta. "It 's been an exhilarating ride to say the least, maybe the best time of my life. And it's far from over. Actually, it feels like the journey has just begun."

Tara Tremendous: Making Of A Musical will air on Wednesdays beginning in May, building toward the release of the Official Tara Tremendous Cast Album, which was also recorded in New York and will be released in July.

"We see this docuseries as an excellent way to showcase our new musical," adds Fisher. "The series will be filled with exclusive sneak peeks at all the wonderful new songs and music from the show. At this point, we're just trying to get as much exposure as we can because it's all about raising awareness and getting investors on board who believe in the project enough to help get it funded and on stage."

SOURCE: Wonkybot Studios

Macron And Le Pen To Face Off For French Presidency – But She Won't Be Pleased With First Round Result

EPA

By Paul Smith, University of Nottingham

In the end, the polls were right. Emmanuel Macron will go into the second round of the French presidential election against Marine Le Pen. For a while it seemed as though a dead heat were on the cards but, in the end, Macron took first place, with nearly 24%, ahead of Le Pen at just under 22%.

Republican candidate François Fillon and far-left contender Jean-Luc Mélenchon followed close behind, with Socialist Benoît Hamon trailing badly.

Despite coming second, for Le Pen and her supporters, the score is a disappointment. For so long, she was touted for first place and predicted a score as high as 27%. Even on the eve of the vote, some pundits were predicting the possibility of a score of 30%. Her score is well behind the 28% the Front National scored in the regional elections in December 2015. Above all, it reflects Le Pen’s failure to make the key aspects of her programme count in the campaign. She was strangely muted in the TV debates and now it shows.

Putting on a brave face. EPA/Ian Langsdon

The disappointment was clear on Le Pen’s face when she made her first TV appearance at a little after nine on the night of the vote. At her campaign HQ, by 10 o’clock they’d turned off the TV screens and half her supporters had gone home while others were enjoying the disco.

All the polls that have run a Le Pen/Macron scenario for the second round have suggested a 60/40 split in favour of Macron. Le Pen will hope for better, of course, but while she has to believe she can win on May 7, it’s a very long shot.

The final result will have an impact on Le Pen and the future direction of the Front National. She is not in danger of being replaced if she loses; there is no alternative leader for the time being. But the strategy and the programme, largely devised by her acolyte Florian Philippot, will be put under the spotlight.

Her voters are loyal, and Le Pen will hope to secure a proportion of Fillon’s voters as well as those Mélenchon followers who cannot countenance supporting Macron. But with so many other candidates urging their followers to now back Macron, she has a lot of ground to cover in a very short space of time.

Fillon gracious in defeat
Despite Mélenchon’s late rally, it seems that Fillon is the third man in this race. At 8.45pm, he appeared at his campaign headquarters to deliver a remarkably dignified speech in which he accepted his defeat and called, without hesitation, for his supporters to vote for Macron in the second round.

Not all of them will. Le Pen will hope that the right wing Catholic vote will swing to her rather than Macron, for example. Nevertheless, with Fillon’s defeat, most of the Republican heavyweights came out in favour of Macron. It may even be that, in due course, once the allegations against him are out of the way and show him to be innocent, Fillon might even foresee a situation where he and other figures from the right might have a role to play between now and 2022.

Macron celebrates his victory. EPA

While Fillon demonstrated both restraint and dignity, throughout the evening Mélenchon and his camp showed the opposite. They refused to accept the projections based on exit polls, even as they appeared to confirm the gap between Macron and Le Pen, and again Fillon and Mélenchon. This is the downside of Mélenchonite. After the fever reaches its high point, it inevitably leads to disappointment, not to say depression. In 2012, having thought he might come third, Mélenchon slipped to fourth, and by a distance. In the last fortnight of this campaign, Mélenchon and his supporters convinced themselves that they would be in the second round. Fly high, fall far.

But Mélenchon succeeded in one of his missions: to reduce Socialist candidate Benoît Hamon to fifth place and a crushing 6.5%. Hamon was out of the blocks first, by 8.15pm, to call for his supporters to vote Macron. By nine, his HQ was empty, with only a handful of journalists hanging around.

Now, with the second round approaching on May 7, Le Pen will be hoping that Macron blunders. But until this point, he has avoided the obstacles thrown across his path, while Le Pen has failed to make her key points count. Perhaps, just perhaps, now that Fillon and Mélenchon are out of the way, Le Pen will find a second wind, and more easily be able to define her programme. She may take back the initiative that has eluded her so far in this campaign. If she is going to win, she is going to have to do that in spades.

About Today's Contributor:
Paul Smith, Associate Professor in French and Francophone Studies, University of Nottingham

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

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Rescued Eaglet Returned To National Arboretum Nest In Washington, DC

In Washington DC, the leg of 23-day-old Bald Eaglet "DC4" became lodged in the stick-rails of its nest, resulting in a human-coordinated rescue.

During the evening of April 20th, the right leg of 23-day-old Bald Eaglet "DC4" became precariously lodged inside a hole within the outer rails of its large stick-nest. The eaglet was unable to free itself after many attempts to do so over a considerable period of time.

DC4 resides in a wild nest located at the top of a Tulip Poplar tree at the Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) U.S. National Arboretum (USNA) in Washington DC along with its sibling DC5 and Bald Eagle parents Mr. President & The First Lady.

Via the live-streaming cameras on dceaglecam.org, it became apparent to worldwide viewers that DC4 was in trouble and distressed, and that a human-coordinated rescue could significantly decrease the chance of serious injury to the eaglet's leg. The non-profit American Eagle Foundation (AEF) and the U.S. National Arboretum immediately cooperated with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Ex-Cel Tree Experts to plan the removal of the eaglet from the nest.

"Typically when something goes awry in a wild eagle nest, we don't even know about it and nature simply takes its course," says AEF President Al Cecere. "In this case, however, we could all clearly see how much the eaglet was struggling and how human intervention might make the difference between life and death. We had the power in our hands to help, so that's what we did."

After being retrieved and lowered from the tree by professional arborists Matt Morrison & Marty Levine, the eaglet was initially assessed on the ground by US Fish & Wildlife Service biologist Craig Koppie (also an experienced tree climber). It then received further examination by veterinarian Samantha Sander at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, who truly gave the eaglet the "presidential treatment!" A physical check-up and radiograph revealed no permanent damage to DC4's leg, with the only visible signs being a slight abrasion and swelling. Overall, the eaglet received an acceptable health report and was approved by the veterinarian to be placed back into its nest.

DC4 was successfully returned to its nest at the Arboretum on April 21st at around 5pm EDT. Mr. President, The First Lady, and DC5 welcomed DC4 back home, safe and sound!

The entire process of freeing the eaglet's lodged/stuck leg, getting it checked out/radiographed, and then returning it to the nest took less than 24 hours.

Sue Greeley with USNA helped facilitate the entire process at the Arboretum, while AEF President Al Cecere guided and monitored the effort virtually by phone and internet from Tennessee.

"We are extremely grateful for all USFWS, AEF, USNA, Ex-Cel, & Maryland Zoo staff and volunteers who readily responded to this emergency situation and helped make this a quick, safe and successful rescue effort," says Cecere.

The Video

SOURCE: American Eagle Foundation