At the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island‚ birds are able to spread their wings and fly — most of the time‚ they do so without much fuss. Unfortunately‚ a particularly windy day made training difficult. Three parrots‚ specifically macaws‚ were enjoying their free fly time when‚ suddenly‚ they got a bit carried away by high winds. Although they know the area well‚ a sudden burst of wind pushed them out of the area they’re familiar with‚ making it so they could not get back home without help. Luckily‚ local resident Julia Bedard noticed the zoo’s lost parrot outside of her home‚ putting her in the position to help the little guy be “recaptured” and taken back to the zoo. TikTok “This is a very normal part of their training — it is not an escape‚” Vicki Scharfberg explains for anyone concerned. “They are athletes; they’ll likely be out flying again either today or tomorrow and learned from their experience.” Adorable Parrot Recaptured and Returned to Zoo Still‚ in a video capturing the rescue‚ it’s clear how much of a relief it is for the zoo crew to reunite with even just one of their lost birds. By the time they arrive‚ this sweet guy is out of the trees‚ making it easier to spot him. Or should I say Rainier‚ which is his official name. Rainier wants to be back home just about as much as his humans do‚ it seems‚ because it doesn’t take much to coax him off the powerline. In fact‚ all the crew needs to do is place his usual perch out on display and‚ just like that‚ Rainier makes his way down to them! “We are lucky enough that he picked right outside our house as a landing spot‚” Julia shares in her caption on social media. “His grand adventure is over and he’s back safe at the zoo now.” Plus‚ he’s not the only one — now‚ all three adventurous parrots are safe and back home! Watch the adorable parrot get “recaptured” and taken back to the zoo in the video below. @juliabedard Rainier‚ one of the 3 military macaws of the @Roger Williams Park Zoo lost his way a bit in the wind today. We are lucky enough that he picked right outside our house as a landing spot. His grand adventure is over and he’s back safe at the zoo now #macaw #rogerwilliamsparkzoo #providenceri ♬ original sound – Julia Bedard You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post See Wayward Parrot’s “Recapture” After He Gets Lost From His Home At The Zoo. appeared first on InspireMore.

Waving a white flag

10 Perfect Albums To Take On A Road Trip presents a list of albums we would want to have in a car while talking a long ride. With summer fast approaching‚ families and individual motorists hit the highways for various reasons‚ and we discussed 10 great single tunes to jam to on your vacation or even business trip on your CD or streaming device. It would be a bit redundant to list the same albums as the songs that are part of them‚ so a great tune for the road probably is part of an album that does the same. The post 10 Perfect Albums To Take On A Road Trip appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

The Latest J6 Conviction is About as Bad as the Others

  It was nine years ago (December 17‚ 2014) that President Barack Obama chose to establish formal relations with the Communist dictatorship in Cuba‚ claiming the step was aimed at improving the lives of the subjugated Cuban people. “The United States wants to be a partner in making the lives of ordinary Cubans a little bit easier‚ more free‚ more prosperous‚” Obama promised.        Instead of worrying that Obama was handing a much-needed and undeserved lifeline to the decades-long Castro dictatorship‚ the liberal media applauded the “historic” decision. “A momentous day‚” NBC’s Brian Williams proclaimed in a noontime special report. “Something tumbled down that has been in place for half a century.” “Tonight‚ a seismic shift in U.S. foreign policy‚” fill-in host Norah O’Donnell echoed on the CBS Evening News that night‚ while over on ABC‚ anchor David Muir gushed that it was an “historic day.” Pundits acted as if communism was being dismantled in Cuba‚ rather than being propped up by a now-friendly U.S. administration. “More than 25 years after the Berlin Wall fell‚ this feels like the last brick to disappear from the relic of the Cold War wall‚” NBC’s Chuck Todd tweeted that afternoon. On his MSNBC show that evening‚ a clueless Ed Schultz compared Obama to the staunchly anti-communist Ronald Reagan: “Isn’t this Barack Obama’s ‘tear down this wall‚ Mr. Castro’ — that kind of a moment? I mean‚ if change can take place with the Soviet Union‚ why can’t it take place with the Cuban people here?” On Hardball that same night‚ the Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson tried to argue that Cuban government were the ultimate losers in the deal. “I’m very optimistic today because I think this is a win for the Cuban people. I don’t think it’s a win for the Cuban government‚” Robinson told host Chris Matthews. Confronting Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart on MSNBC’s Morning Joe the next day‚ substitute host Donny Deutsch weirdly suggested that Cubans were being “liberated” just because Obama was willing to make a deal with their communist masters. “Congressman‚ to sit and just look at the last 50 years and continue as is has been nothing but a failure‚ vs. taking a step to open the door to the future‚ to liberating 11 million Cubans‚ to bringing them into the 21st century....Aren’t you just giving us the typical Republican ‘I have to say this.’” Journalists pitched the public on the idea that they’d soon be able to visit Cuba as easily as Canada. “Just how big of a deal is this?” ABC’s Jim Avila asked on the December 18 Good Morning America. “Well‚ soon many more Americans will be able to hop a plane to Havana‚ take a tour‚ even legally buy one of those famous cigars.” The media were concerned that rich Americans would somehow “ruin” the “charm” of an island held back by decades of communist mismanagement. “You know the fear among anybody who’s ever been there‚ or who cares at all about the Cuban people‚ as so many of us do — the last thing they need is a Taco Bell and a Lowe’s‚” then-Fox News anchor Shepherd Smith fretted on December 17. “You wonder‚ are we about to get up in there and ruin that place?” “The rest of us are all going to be rushing to get to Cuba before it turns into Miami Beach‚ while it’s still that unspoiled‚ seemingly‚ place‚ with the classic cars‚” the Daily Beast’s Eleanor Clift exclaimed on that weekend’s McLaughlin Group. “People want to see Cuba as it is‚ before it becomes more developed.” On the December 17 Nightly News‚ NBC correspondent Mark Potter admitted Cuba was an economic wreck‚ but blamed the U.S. embargo‚ not communism. “Havana‚ known for its charm and vintage cars‚ is on life support‚ its economy crippled by the long-standing U.S. embargo. People here now hope that will change.” It wasn’t all pro-Obama happy talk. The December 18 Washington Post editorialized that Obama’s decision to normalize relations was “naive” and “an undeserved bailout” and “new lease on life” to “a 50-year-old failed regime.” But the prevailing media narrative was praise for Obama‚ anchored by the untested belief that formal relations would lead to improvements in everyday life on the island. When the President stepped foot on Cuba in March 2016‚ the media once again went gaga. “Few Americans thought they would live to see this day. An American President meeting with a Communist president named Castro in Havana‚” CBS’s Scott Pelley hyped on the March 21 Evening News. “In American history‚” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow cheered that night‚ “[we] know that President Barack Obama will be forever the American leader who got done what every other Democrat since Jack Kennedy tried and failed to do. He got it done.” But what‚ exactly‚ did Obama “get done”? Nine years later‚ Fidel Castro is dead and his brother Raul is retired‚ but communist rule has merely been passed to another generation of tyrants. There’s no suggestion free elections are on the horizon‚ and Cuba’s government continues to abuse its citizens. According to Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2023‚ “The government continued to employ arbitrary detention to harass and intimidate critics‚ independent activists‚ political opponents‚ and others....Cubans who criticize the government risk prosecution. They are not guaranteed due process or a fair trial by a competent‚ independent‚ and impartial tribunal.” So for all of Obama’s media-cheered “history‚” things haven’t really changed in the island prison called Cuba. For more examples from our flashback series‚ which we call the NewsBusters Time Machine‚ go here.             

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The movement of civilizations has characterized the Levant. Most places are stagnant with similar people. The Levant always has cultures moving‚ from the Egyptian conquests‚ the Christianity’s dawn‚ the Crusades to the Modern Era. People who would not move caused the Yom Kippur War of 1973. After the 1967’s Six-Day War‚ the Israeli parliament voted to return relinquished territories to Egypt‚ however‚ they took no action. Also‚ Egypt and the Arab alliance remained firm in their convictions: no negotiation with Israel.Ayrton Avery explains. Israeli soldiers during the Battle of Ismailia‚ part of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. War’s CourseIsrael could have made concessions to Egypt after the bloody Six-Day War. This angered the U.S.‚ though‚ and Israel refused the peace treaty that Egypt offered. Egypt’s president‚ Anwar El-Sadat‚ began purchasing weapons from the U.S.S.R and also organizing military exercises. By Yom Kippur (which coincided with Ramadan)‚ war had begun. Though such conflicts were common‚ this war was unusual because Israel started the previous wars to maintain military superiority in the Levant. Now‚ Egypt fired the first shots‚ taking direct revenge. At the war’s beginning‚ Egypt and Syria entered the disputed territories‚ sparking an Israeli counteroffensive. Soon Israel pushed into Syria and Egypt‚ encircling Cairo in a few days after a bloody march. Then Jordan entered the war‚ and the Soviet Union considered involvement. After three weeks of fighting‚ there was a standoff between the Soviet and U.S. navies‚ escalating fears of a nuclear war and worsening global geopolitical tensions between two major powers. It was perhaps this that led the U.S. and the Soviet Union to broker a ceasefire. The EffectAt the beginning of the war‚ the Israeli forces faced a series of surprising defeats‚ shocking their forces from their lethargy. After several failed counterattacks‚ affairs became in favor of the Israeli army. But the trauma of their defeats remained‚ and also the sheer luck that allowed the forces to defeat Egypt. Israel only invaded Egypt because of last minute American support (operation Nickel Grass)‚ which was itself pulled up only because it could use a Portuguese airbase. The Arab coalition had become so powerful it could start an energy crisis in the West‚ and the Soviet Union probably gave Egypt nuclear weapons. Never had the Middle East been a major economic and social rival in modern times. The Middle East snapped free from both the influence of the Ottoman empire and also from dependence on Europe for its political ideals. This newfound independence‚ unknown since ancient times‚ pressured the Israelis to accept the terms of peace.It is not clear why Sadat took part in the peace talks. He immediately got snubbed by the rest of the Arab countries for it. Of course‚ the war had been bloody on Egypt’s side‚ however; it seems more likely Sadat was perhaps a radical‚ and he also had Western sympathies‚ as he also seemed to dislike his country’s relation with the Soviet Union. Perhaps because of these same reasons‚ he ignored Palestine. He was trying to lead the Middle East on a path towards peace with Israel. But his former allies defected‚ preferring to support the Palestinian alliance‚ even though Palestinians had hardly fought in this war‚ unlike the previous confrontations with Israeli. However‚ the rest of the Levant was‚ like always‚ shifting. No longer allied to Palestine for ideological and military reasons‚ now they supported them for political attachments to Syria and Jordan‚ as well as possibly an anti-American sentiment. Indeed‚ the oppression of Palestinians in the Middle East and the entire world increased after the war‚ and this was because a new foreign policy‚ tailored to powerful and wealthy nations‚ had arrived in the region. LegacyThe Yom Kippur War also successfully divided up the Middle East‚ largely into Western and Soviet camps. It was this disjunction that was a major cause for the Iranian Revolution‚ among other future conflicts. By trying to set peace‚ Sadat in fact‚ by siding with the West‚ setting the stage for more wars. It also divided the Middle East based on minor ideological differences‚ rather than united against Israel. If Sadat assumed this would end the conflict‚ he was wrong. Instead‚ it began an endless cycle of civil war and foreign intervention‚ and besides‚ the Palestine issue remained.However‚ the actual result of the Yom Kippur War was that it forced the West to exert greater‚ forceful influence on the Middle East‚ whose peoples consequently retaliated. It is curious to note perhaps it was Egypt falling from Soviet control that started the Soviet-Afghan war‚ as it forced the U.S.S.R to find some new way to control the region. And it was this which eventually led to the creation of the Taliban. It is interesting how scholars have considered Palestine’s role in the Yom Kippur War as psychological. In fact‚ this war shifted Palestine from the hero of the Middle East to a stage for other conflicts. They forced Palestinians‚ subsequently‚ to go to more lengths to attract attention from their own former allies‚ in particular with the Second Intifada (2000-2005) and the subsequent uprisings.Change is both a blessing and a curse for the geopolitics of this region. The only thing that is stagnant is the peace process‚ chaperoned by the West. Also‚ that division in the Arab world that the Yom Kippur War ushered in still exists today. Now the Middle East comprises ideological partners‚ some real allies‚ and some enemies for Palestine. This arrangement‚ meant to quell tensions‚ in fact has excited all the countries’ thirst for revenge and power. It is a drama of nations willing to die for their allies and emboldened by flimsy promises. There is a faint hypocrisy as well. It allows countries to provide support for Palestine and yet refuses to accept its refugees. Clearly‚ the region is still too tense to handle this much movement. However‚ movement (of refugees‚ armies‚ and cultures) is its nature‚ and it will continue‚ war‚ or no war. Did you find the piece interesting? If so‚ join us for free by clicking here.  ReferencesBartal‚ Shaul. "Yom Kippur War Influence at the PLO Recognition and the Palestinian Problem." History 5.4 (2015): 255-267.Begum‚ Imrana. "The Arab Uprising: Russian Disquiet on Western Involvement." journal of European studies (2013).Farr‚ Warner D. The third temple's holy of holies: Israel's nuclear weapons. No. 2. USAF Counterproliferation Center‚ Air University‚ 1999. (p. 9)Hamzawy‚ Amr‚ and Dina Bishara. "Islamist movements in the Arab World and the 2006 Lebanon War." (2006).Kumaraswamy‚ P. R. "Revisiting the Yom Kippur War: Introduction." Israel Affairs 6.1 (1999): 1-10.Robbins‚ Elizabeth. “Egypt‚ Jordan‚ and Other Arab Governments Reject Gazan Refugees.” FDD‚ Foundation for Defense of Democracies‚ 17 Oct. 2023‚ https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/10/17/egypt-jordan-and-other-arab-governments-reject-gazan-refugees/.Singh‚ K. R. "Anwar El Sadat: Man with a Mission." (1977): 281-283.