The effects of global warming.

Courtesy of National Geographic: 

When photographer Paul Nicklen and filmmakers from conservation group Sea Legacy arrived in the Baffin Islands in late summer, they came across a heartbreaking sight: a starving polar bear on its deathbed. 

Nicklen is no stranger to bears. From the time he was a child growing up in Canada's far north the biologist turned wildlife photographer has seen over 3,000 bears in the wild. But the emaciated polar bear, featured in videos Nicklen published to social media on December 5, was one of the most gut-wrenching sights he's ever seen. 

"We stood there crying—filming with tears rolling down our cheeks," he said.

Not so very long ago we had an administration that understood what has happening and was willing to do the hard work to make a change for the better.

Now this poor animal will undoubtedly be joined by scores of other animals who will die needlessly because humans are either too arrogant or too selfish to do anything to save them. 

Sarah Palin just crapped all over Ronald Reagan's legacy.

Courtesy of Gawker:  

Last night, the National Geographic Channel kicked off its six-episode series Generation X, an uncommonly sharp talking-head recap show that explores various cultural events and phenomena that helped shape the generation after the Baby Boomers. The War on Drugs, specifically how it targeted crack in the ‘80s and was made tangible in the “Just Say No” campaign, was among the topics on last night’s premiere. The segment featured commentary from Senator Cory Booker, journalist Alison Stewart, and none other than Sarah Palin, who pointed out the impracticality of the campaign spearheaded by Nancy Reagan: 

My, how easy it would be to sit your child down and say, “Just say no.” It’s not that easy. Great intentions, though!

Now a couple of things here. 

First off Palin just disagreed with a policy of the Reagan Administration, and in GOP circles that is tantamount to egging the Vatican.

Actually I take that back, it's worse.

Secondly isn't sitting her children down and teaching them to just say "no" EXACTLY how Palin taught her kids about sex education?

And by the way that "Just Say No" program worked out about as well as Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" program.

So at this point we have to start asking ourselves, "Is Sarah Palin really a Republican anymore?"

After all she is backing the guy who is not only attacking the RNC, but also attacking George W. Bush, and threatening to run as a third party candidate.

And now she has the temerity to actually second guess the legacy of the great god of the GOP, Ronald Reagan.

Yep, things are about to get even uglier.

Popcorn anyone?

In other news guess which show drew the largest global audience EVER for National Geographic.

Courtesy of Variety: 

“Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” which premiered this spring on Fox and National Geographic Channel and received an unprecedented rollout in 180 countries, has become the most-watched series ever for National Geographic Channel International. 

A whopping 135 million people — including 45 million in the U.S. — watched at least some of the 13-part science series, National Geographic Channel announced today. Overall, it aired on all 90 National Geographic Channels as well as 120 Fox-branded channels in 125 countries, making this the largest global launch ever for a television series. 

Its March 3 premiere Stateside attracted roughly 8.5 million viewers across 10 channels. In addition to the Fox broadcast network and National Geographic Channel, “Cosmos” aired on cablers FX, FXX, FXM, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo and FOX Life.

All I can say is that I hope this inspires other networks to create science programs of their own and put them on prime time, because I really think this country could really benefit from well done educational programs like "Cosmos."

Hey, and maybe Fox could stop focusing on making the country dumber through their Fox News channel, and instead focus on making more programs which make us all smarter.

Yes I know what you're thinking, "Then where would the Republicans find voters ignorant enough to vote for them?"

Neil DeGrasse Tyson is at the end of his patience: "Don't tell me 'Oh let's fix the kids and everything will be fine.' Fix the adults then the kids will be fine."

This is from an interview with the National Geographic Daily News.

This may be the most frustrated that I have ever seen Professor Tyson,

And really who can blame him?

He is watching the thing he loves, science, under constant attack by politicians and religious leaders, while also seeing that one of the attacks comes in the form of the dumbing down of education in this country.

If I were him I would be yelling about this everyday.

Hell I'm not him, and I still do my fair share of yelling about it.

Reality show snake handler dies from, get this, snake bite. National Geographic plans to air tribute. Seriously?

Courtesy of CNN:  

A Kentucky pastor who starred in a reality show about snake-handling in church has died -- of a snakebite. Jamie Coots died Saturday evening after refusing to be treated, Middleborough police said. 

On "Snake Salvation," the ardent Pentecostal believer said that he believed that a passage in the Bible suggests poisonous snakebites will not harm believers as long as they are anointed by God. The practice is illegal in most states, but still goes on, primarily in the rural South. 

Coots was a third-generation "serpent handler" and aspired to one day pass the practice and his church, Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name, on to his adult son, Little Cody.

It is rare that a belief system is so quickly and clearly demonstrated to be false. However in spite of that National Geographic believes it is in the best interests of the gullible public to pay homage to this superstitious moron: 

National Geographic had no plans for a second season of Snake Salvation, says a network rep, but is now planning a special tribute episode “so people can understand Pastor Jamie and his method of worship and see that he died doing what he believed was his calling.” NatGeo also sent in the following statement on Coots’ passing: 

National Geographic joins his family, friends and community in mourning the loss of Pastor Jamie Coots. In following Pastor Coots for our series Snake Salvation, we were constantly struck by his devout religious convictions despite the health and legal peril he often faced. Those risks were always worth it to him and his congregants as a means to demonstrate their unwavering faith. We were honored to be allowed such unique access to Pastor Jamie and his congregation during the course of our show, and give context to his method of worship. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.

Yes let's celebrate the life of an individual whose belief system cost him his life, the life of several of his parishioners, and continues to put members of his family in danger on a daily basis.

This is dangerous religious zealotry and should NOT be celebrated but rather confronted in the hopes of ending it forever, or ignored in the hopes that it will spread no further. 

National Geographic has every right to report on the primitive cultures around the world, and strange religious practices both here and in other locales, but it should not glamorize one so inherently dangerous by giving these people their own television show and demonstrating to others that the way to fame and fortune is to put yourself, and your family, in danger for the entertainment of the masses.

"Doomsday Prepper," and convicted pedophile, gets arrested after appearance on National Geographic channel, because you are really not supposed to have weapons if you are an ex-con.

Courtesy of Raw Story: 

Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Washington state man who was shown firing two rifles on the “Doomsday Prepper” reality show. 

In the November episode of the National Geographic Channel program, Tyler Smith – a convicted felon who’s barred from owning guns — describes his plans to commit armed robbery and shots firearms on his property in Buckley. 

“His stated plan was not to defend himself but to use weapons he illegally possessed, to rob his neighbors at gunpoint,” said Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor in a statement. “Did he really think that this wouldn’t attract our attention?” 

The 26-year-old Smith was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. 

He was previously convicted of theft and a gross misdemeanor for communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.

Ever hear of a background check National Geographic? 

And you know it has always been my suspicion that these Doomsday Prepper assholes are less concerned with keeping themselves safe, and more concerned with having the firepower to take from others whatever they want once the government and law enforcement structure crumbles around them.

Essentially they are itching to bully and harass their neighbors once there is no way that they can be  held accountable. They are not afraid of the end of civilization, they are looking forward to it.

Fortunately for us that is as unlikely to happen as for this guy to receive an invitation in the mail to join Mensa.

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Ego and our cosmic perspective.

I think that Professor Tyson really nails it here.

Ego is really the biggest obstacle to recognizing scientific truth about our origin and the reality of our place in the cosmos.

After all if you believe that everything around you was created simply for your benefit, and that you yourself were created in God's image, why would you want to believe otherwise?

I'm sure you have seen Fundamentalists who get EXTREMELY agitated at the idea that man evolved from a monkey. And correcting them by telling them that man did not evolve directly from the modern chimpanzee but rather that they both share a common ancestor, and in fact also share a common ancestor that once dwelled in the oceans, only agitates them further.

In truth it is a matter of perspective. I once had a friend tell me, back when I used to feel obligated to challenge people's faith on daily basis, that the problem was I was trying to offer them truth in exchange for eternal life. Which in fact was like trying to feed a starving man a breadcrumb when they just knew there was an all you can eat buffet awaiting them over the horizon.

To me the idea of being part of this universe and having the ability to bask in its magnificence while exulting in our increased understanding of it, makes me feel blessed. Not by a God, but simply due to my existence, and the intellect to appreciate it.

I think that if we are going to make progress with our understanding we have to stop being so damn selfish, and recognize that the beauty of our existence is in its connection to everything else, NOT in our toddler like expectation that everything we experience was given to us for being special and unique.

Thoughts?

P.S. By the speaking of Professor Tyson you have to see this awesome new trailer for his upcoming Cosmos series.  Prepare for awesomeness.

Guaranteed to be the coolest thing you see all day.

Live Augmented Reality for National Geographic Channel / UPC from Appshaker Ltd on Vimeo.

Courtesy of The Creator's Project:  

So you’re at the local shopping centre/mall, when you look up and your friend is patting a dinosaur. It’s not a toy or a child’s ride, so what, exactly, is going on here? Did you have hallucinogens for breakfast again? Hmm… No need to panic, it’s just some real-time augmented reality from National Geographic TV. 

The gauntlet has been thrown, if you find something that is cooler than this I invite you to post the link in the comments section and rub my face in it.

Yeah, like THAT'S going to happen!