Everything Dinosaurs

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: N/A

WEB ADDRESS: http://blog.everythingdinosaur.co.uk

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Everything about dinosaurs!

MY REVIEW: I love this blog, and any fan of dinosaurs - from the toys to the movies to the real thing, will love it too. The main emphasis is on models of dinosaurs.

Sample post

Dolichorhynchops – Monster from the Western Interior Seaway
With the mysterious decline in Ichthyosaur numbers towards the end of the Cretaceous, a new type of marine reptile evolved to take their place as a predator of fish, squid and octopi in the shallow sea that covered much of North America. This sea is known as the Western Interior Seaway and at its greatest extent is effectively split the United States into two. Fossils of Dolichorhynchops have been found at a number of locations, but the most famous fossils and the holotype material come from Kansas.

This short-necked Plesiosaur is represented by a new model (CollectA) which will be available next year. A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commmented that although there had been one or two delays at the factory, the “Dollies” as they are affectionately called are going to be shipped into the Everything Dinosaur warehouse probably in February.

It is an interesting pose, scientists remain unsure as to whether this stiff-limbed, Plesiosaur could haul itself onto land like modern turtles. Or did this animal, which could grow to over five metres long spend its entire life in the water?

The jaws seemed to be lined with a lot of sharp, pointed teeth, just what is needed when you live on a diet of slippery marine creatures. We are not sure wherther Dolichorhynchops genera had this many teeth (perhaps as many as forty in the jaws) – we will have to “bone up” on this Late Cretaceous vertebrate.

RECENT POSTS:
--Mapusaurus Enters the Fray
--Neanderthal Figures from CollectA
--Kosmoceratops – Amazing Horned Dinosaur
--A Reminder about Christmas Posting Dates [posting as in mailing]
--Dolichorhynchops – Monster from the Western Interior Seaway
--Knocking T. rex of[f] its Perch

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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

Retro Review #26: Full Figure Plus

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Full Figure Plus

WEB ADDRESS: www.fullfigureplus.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Full Figure Plus is dedicated to posting news, links, and relevant information for plus size women and big and tall men.

MY REVIEW: This a full-size blog for the millions of full size women out there. The posts are full of shopping information as well tips on dressing and styles. The posts are updated regularly.

There are some links that cannot be accessed on the Kindle but the entries are not dependent on those links and the valuable content is in the posts. One of the more valuable assets of this blog is its references to and reviews of retailers that offer fashions for this audience. It is refreshing to see a positive fashion blog for the full size woman.

RECENT ARTICLES:

• Full Figured Weekly Question
• Trendy Plus Size Fashion from Elvi
• Charming Shoppes introduces one stop shopping for plus sizes
• 10 steps to reducing your frustration level when shopping
• Plus Size Maxi Dresses Just In Time For Spring
  

Time Keeps On Slipping Into the Future

Sorry for the dearth of posts recently...I've been working on a project, wanted to devote all my time to it, and kept telling myself...it'll be done today so I can get back to blogging here tomorrow.

The next day it was... okay, it's definitely going to get done today....

Well, today it is done... so back to posting here on a daily basis tomorrow. (With the first post appearing tomorrow afternoon while I'm watching football!)

Thanks for your patience.

http://tintinblog.com/ (Tintin)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: N/A

WEB ADDRESS: http://tintinblog.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The Tintin Blog is a fan site dedicated to Tintin and his friends. It is my goal to write original posts, and to present edited versions of news and gossip that exists about Hergé’s most famous creation. I hope to offer the most relevant, though-provoking, and interesting information about the characters and stories that make up The Adventures of Tintin.

MY REVIEW: I have been a fan of Tintin for twenty years. Tintin, if you don't know him, is a boy reporter who travels the world having adventures. It's all good clean fun.

Tintin was first created in the 1930s, by the Belgian Herge (Georges Remi), and continued through until Herge's death in the 1980s.

I think he's always been more popular in Europe than in the US, although that may change once the Spielberg movie debuts here. (For my part I'm not too happy about how they changed Tintin's facial appearance, but..I'm willing to suspend judgement until I see the film.)

If you're a fan of Tintin, or looking for a new character to become a fan of, check out this blog.

RECENT POSTS:
--Tintin on Sale – Save 20-35% All Day
--Autographed by the Dalai Lami, Tintin in Tibet up for Auction
--New Tintin Merchandise!
--Toronto Draws Tintin
--Tintin Movie on Cover of TIME

Sea Turtle Restoration Project (Marine biology)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: N/A

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.seaturtles.org/article.php?list=class&class=20

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The Sea Turtle Restoration Project’s Mission: To protect and restore endangered sea turtles and marine biodiversity worldwide in ways that incorporate the ecological needs of marine species and the economic needs of local communities, both of which share our common marine environment. We accomplish our mission through grassroots and policy-maker education, consumer empowerment, strategic litigation and by promoting sustainable local, national and international marine policies.

MY REVIEW: Animals "have no voices", so it is up to human beings to speak for them. While I have little sympathy with activists putting a whole town out of work to save an insignificant thing like a snail darter, or a type of flower that's about to go extinct, I do have a great deal of sympathy for the bigger, more sentient creatures whom we share this planet with - lions, tigers, bears, wolves, and in the ocean sea turtles (as well as dolphins, whales and yes, even sharks.)

Sea Turtle Restoration Project speaks out for the sea turtle.

Check out their blog.

Sample post:

Taking Action to End Sea Turtle Drownings by Shrimp Trawls in the Gulf of Mexico
Posted by Eileen Nalley, STRP Intern on November 15th, 2011

As the newest intern for the Sea Turtle Restoration project, I am excited to be a part of the campaign to demand that NMFS enforces the proper use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fisheries. A New Orleans native recently transplanted to the Bay Area, this issue hits particularly close to home for me.

Although the Gulf of Mexico region has been devastated repeatedly by man made disasters ranging from broken levees to oil inundation, we cannot use those tragedies as blinders to ignore the ongoing and flagrant violation of a 25 year old federal law mandating the use of TEDs by shrimp trawlers in the region. Having eaten as much fried shrimp growing up in bayou country as any other self-respecting y’at, I am growing increasingly aware of the unconscionable cost of this delicacy.

With no scientific data supporting the argument that TEDs significantly reduce the amount of shrimp caught by fishermen, there is no base to the argument against them. Though TEDs are a requirement on trawl nets, they are not yet required on the skimmer nets so often used in the Gulf of Mexico, creating yet another loophole for turtle bycatch to slip through.

Deeply rooted in a unique culture, desperately attempting to survive against the odds in a habitat where water represents more than recreation, but rather a way of life, Louisiana fishermen and law makers, along with the National Marine Fisheries Service overseeing regulation enforcement, need to realize that the only means of persistence is to adapt. If I achieve one goal with this internship, I hope that I manage to successfully convey the message to my beloved home state that progress necessitates change, and in this instance, everyone involved, including the commercial fishing industry, stands to benefit from proper use of TEDs.

If we allow this travesty to continue, it may reach a point of no return, a point where mutually cooperative policy no longer remains an option. We cannot allow ourselves to reach a point where the policies needed to protect the five species of endangered and threatened sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico necessitate drastic reductions in the fishing industry that sustains so much of the life and culture of my dearly beloved Cajun Country.

STRP has compiled a list of concerned scientists, fisheries managers, and industry representatives who support the call for action by NMFS. So come on Louisiana, work with me and the Sea Turtle Restoration Project to demand that our government agencies enforce the long standing federal law requiring the protection of our ancient, ailing sea turtles with no negative consequences for the shrimp fisheries of the Gulf Coast.

RECENT POSTS:
--Chevron runs roughshod over Australian Aboriginals at Wheatstone project
--Sea turtle guru tells all in Outside
--Taking Action to End Sea Turtle Drownings by Shrimp Trawls in the Gulf of Mexico
--News, Videos, and Fundraising Expeditions Bolster Leatherback Watch Program
--Farallones Expedition Trip Report for Leatherback Watch Program

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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)The Coldest Equations (science fiction)Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure HuntersThe Lady and the Tiger...Moth