Free Republic

"Some of these birds did not live a happy life. They were kept to produce feathers and their feathers were plucked out as soon as they grew in."...In total, at least six species of parrots originally recovered from five of the desert's archaeological sites were studied in the research, with the remains variously dating from between 1100 to 1450..."The feathers of tropical birds were one of the most significant symbols of economic, social, and sacred status in the pre-Columbian Americas," the authors write in their study."In the Andes, finely produced clothing and textiles containing multicolored feathers of tropical parrots materialized...

Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue. Lovely plumage. The Monty Python reunion in London began on July 1, and after a 10-day break, picks up again tonight at the O2 Arena for the final five nights that will see Eric Idle, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin on the same stage together, doing silly things one more time.

How do you know Ken Lay is really dead?

A convicted murderer awaiting execution at San Quentin State Prison has died of an apparent heroin overdose -- making him California's first inmate to OD on Death Row. Nicholas Rodriguez, a 27-year-old Los Angeles gang member, was sentenced to die in 2001 for shooting two teenagers to death while fleeing a robbery and for strangling a fellow gang member and gouging out his eyes before dumping the body in a canyon. While the clock ticked on his date with a lethal injection of potassium chloride, Rodriguez somehow managed to score enough drugs and the paraphernalia to get high. Corrections Department...

Bubba, the 23-pound-lobster that got front-page treatment today after a seafood store spared its life, died at about 3 p.m. today at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. The cause of death is not yet known, but the lobster did not eat since his transfer yesterday from Wholey's in the Strip District to the aquarium in Highland Park, the zoo announced.

The owner of a vast tract of virgin forest land in north-central Norway is in big trouble after chopping down trees on his own property. Newspaper Aftenposten reported Tuesday that the 54-year-old forest owner has been sentenced to six months in jail for chopping down the trees on his land in Flatanger, Nord-Trøndelag. The trees he chopped were in an area that was part of an officially designated nature preserve. An appeals court in Nord-Trøndelag ruled that the forest owner intentionally launched the logging operation, in the hopes that the area would thus lose its nature preserve status. Illegal logging...

The enemy of this nation is on your doorstep and you are about to open the door to the ruin of your own home. The enemy has been growing in our country for the better part of 50 years. It has taken the disguise of very common themes such as: Follow this URL http://www.arnettbuilders.biz/Chris.html About half way down my page you will find The Enemy is Within Our Gates! (Pass this on to your friends and enemys)

Parrot Visits New Jersey Turnpike Offices Wed Aug 25,10:05 AM ET EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. - New Jersey Turnpike officials are trying to find the owner of a parrot that dropped in on them unexpectedly. The colorful Amazon parrot flew into a window Monday and landed stunned on a walkway. The bird ran around as workers scrambled to catch it. Finally, a cinnamon bagel was enough to lure the bird into a box. Anyone who tries to claim the 12-inch green-and-yellow bird must show proof of ownership.