Elephant Intelligence and Japan

It's late. I'm sitting in bed trying to write a talk for church tomorrow (conceptually it's already mostly finished, finding the facts and quotes, etc, it's only just begun), and trying to get my lesson for elders quorum done (chapter 30 - charity), while my neighbors make so much noise that I'm surprised that no one has called the police yet. I came across (I always want to write "acrossed" but that isn't even a word) this video earlier. A recent elephant IQ test, and thought I would put it up here.

Video: Elephant IQ Test

I am a bit of an animal lover (which some people think is interesting since I have no pets, don't plan on getting any anytime soon, and rarely even play with my friends pets - but it is true, I really do have a part of me that loves stuff like this).

I am also going to post this link up for individuals who wish they could do something concerning the disaster in Japan. It is the link for the Japanese Red Cross. Whether you want to donate money, or just see what some of the relief efforts are which are taking place, this would be one place to start (there are others of course).

Japanese Red Cross English Site

I know too many people who seem apathetic to anything which happens outside of the US. Part of what makes this country great is our ability to effect what goes on outside of our borders - not just inside them. While I don't intend to start a rant, a part of me really wishes that more of my fellow countrymen paid closer attention to world affairs. I can't really complain about that, however, when many people I know don't even pay attention to national affairs... (I have classmates that don't know what the different branches of the government are, and confuse the Declaration of Independence with the Constitution, and who strongly claim certain party affiliations - but don't know anything about that party's platform). So - without ranting on how we should be aware of (and participate in) what is happening - both in this country and outside of it - maintaining an awareness of major disasters is at least a good start. The loss of human life should be considered with enough respect that a few minutes of keeping up to date on what is happening isn't that big of a put-out. So, without further ado, here is a link to the NY Times where you can find out at least the basics of what is happening over there (and if you happen to read about affairs in Libya, or go find a Japanese blog with information about their problems, then good for you).

The New York Times (Notice that I didn't put any links to specific articles - I'm making you do half the work yourself. Don't worry, it shouldn't be too hard).

Sean