Orangutan Foundation International

Cute Hello from Indonesia Postcard by Orangutan_Foundation
Browse Orangutan Postcards

Cutie female named Uttuh in photograph was orphaned, another victim of the palm oil industry. She was rescued by Orangutan Foundation International. Help conservation efforts when you purchase items from the official OFI store at Zazzle. Click on image for more information.

Black Cat Appreciation Week

Sunrise Cats Art Binder by teachergurrl
Design unique logo binders at zazzle.com

This delightful binder design was created by an artist in Houston TX. Click on image for information. Appreciate black cats and all cats today and always!

Shark Week

Save the Shark Shirts by BostonRookie

Browse Shark T-Shirts online at Zazzle.com

Shark Week has been celebrated since 1988. Per Wikipedia, "Shark Week is an annual week long programming block on Discovery Channel which features shark-based programming, real and fictional. Fictitious programming ("docufiction") includes Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives, Shark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine, and Megaladon: The New Evidence. It originally premiered on July 17, 1988. Held annually, normally in July or August, Shark Week was originally developed to raise awareness and respect for sharks. Since then it has evolved into more entertainment-oriented programming. It is the longest-running cable television programming event in history.[1]"

Now broadcast in over 72 countries, Shark Week is promoted heavily via social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Episodes of recent years are also available for purchase on services like Google Play Movies and TV, Amazon Instant Video, and iTunes. A fascinating 8/14/14 article at Huffington Post is: 

5 Facts You Didn't Know About Shark Week That Will Blow You Out Of The Water

August 12th is Elephant Day

ELEPHANT Mug by wildthingsworldwide

Celebrate elephants on August 12th and always. Check out events at:

http://worldelephantday.org/events

One loss is too many. Don't let all the elephants disappear completely. 

The artist at wildthingsworldwide is based in Australia and donates to international wildlife causes.

Hiroshima Day August 6, 2014

Hiroshima Memorial Cenotaph Posters by globetrotters

From Huffington Post 8/5/14:

Is the Apocalypse Us?

"In other words, 70 years later, the apocalypse is us. Yet in the United States, the only nuclear bomb you're likely to read about is Iran's (even though that country possesses no such weapon). For a serious discussion of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, those more than 4,800 increasingly ill-kept weapons that could incinerate several Earth-sized planets, you need to look not to the country's major newspapers or news programs but to comic John Oliver..." 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-engelhardt/is-the-apocalypse-us_b_5650729.html

Also from Huffington Post 8/6/14:

George Takei Visits Hiroshima, Honors 'A City With A Tragic Past, Now Devoted To Peace'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/06/george-takei-hiroshima-anniversary_n_5649001.html

From CBC.CA News:

Van Kirk, who later called for nuclear weapons to be abolished, died in Georgia retirement home

'The whole World War II experience shows that wars don't settle anything. And atomic weapons don't settle anything. I personally think there shouldn't be any atomic bombs in the world — I'd like to see them all abolished'- Theodore Van Kirk, last surviving member of the Enola Gay crew

 http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/1.2722141

B-29 / Enola Gay / Crew / USAF / Poster by AdamsAppleBowTie
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From http://www.11alive.com/:

Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk, the last surviving member of the Enola Gay, passed away in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He was 93. His funeral was August 5, 2014 in Pennsylvania:

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/stone-mountain/2014/07/29/enola-gay-last-crew-member-theodore-dutch-van-kirk-dies/13331283/

Major Theodore Van Kirk Obituary:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/30/theodore-van-kirk

"The Great War"

Benjamin Franklin quote bumper sticker by worldsfair

World War I started 100 years ago. It was supposed to be the war to end all wars. It lasted about four years. Lots of countries declared war on each other. Millions of people died from combat, disease, genocide and ethnic cleansing, and other causes. Undoubtedly non-human animals suffered horribly too.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I.

Digital archives from a Canadian perspective may be found at:
http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/war-conflict/first-world-war/the-first-world-war-canada-remembers/topic---the-first-world-war-canada-remembers.html

Peace.