Baby Bald Eagles Named

A pair of the bonded bald eagles returned to the their nest last October at the National Arboretum, a U.S. Department of Agriculture research and education facility and a living museum in Washington D.C. They started to raise a pair of eaglets and the D.C. live Bald  Eagle Cam launched in February, 2016 with a 35-million viewership from 100 countries ever since. The mother eagle laid her first egg on February 10, 2016 and the second on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2016. The first eaglet hatched on March 18, 2016, followed by the second on March 20, 2016.

Screen Capture of the live stream from Cam A on April 2, 2016

Screen Capture of the live stream from Cam B on April 2, 2016

The baby eagles were named Freedom and Liberty during a ceremony at the National Arboretum on April 26, 2016. The names were chosen from 30,000 suggestions posted on social media. The other names proposed include Stars and Stripes.

The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States. Thanks to protections granted by the Endangered Species Act, the magnificent bald eagle has recovered from the perilous situation it was in where the Act was enacted in 1973. Based on this success, the bald eagle was removed from the Endangered Species List in 1999, and de-listed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in 2007. The postcard was produced by Sierra Club. photo credit @ Theo Allofs.

JFK Assassination Anniversary

JFK at Inauguration

I was at the post office today and noticed the U.S. flag was flown at half staff. President Barack Obama has ordered that flags be lowered at government buildings on November 22, 2013 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination.

U.S. Post Office Garside Station on November 22, 2013

However, personally I feel it's more important to remember what JFK attempted to achieve and than how he was assassinated. So, I went to watch his inauguration speech on YouTube.

After more than 50 years and many progresses have been made, many of his statements and challenges still ring true. One of many that stood out was "if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich."

Then, "...... we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge -- and more."

This much I pledge.

As a token of resolution, I went online and bought a copy of the postcard showing JFK was delivering his inauguration speech on January 20, 1961. You can purchase your own copy here.

The 4th of July and Thomas Jefferson Memorial

I received a postcard US-2282865 a few days before the Independence Day, 2013, the 237th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It features the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, directly south to the White House, in Washington DC.

Thomas Jefferson, one of the American Founding Fathers, was the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

According to Wikipedia, Thomas Jefferson believed that each man has "certain inalienable rights". He defines the right of "liberty" by saying, "Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others...". A proper government, for Jefferson, is one that not only prohibits individuals in society from infringing on the liberty of other individuals, but also restrains itself from diminishing individual liberty.

Coincidentally, Thomas Jefferson died the same day as John Adams, second president of the United States, on July 4, 1826

The U.S. Postal Service issued 100 million se-tenant Cherry Blossom Centennial Forever stamps (with one scene across two stamps) on March 24, 2012 showing cherry trees in full-bloom around the Tidal Basin. The Washington Monument on the left and the Jefferson Memorial on the right form the backdrop for the stamps.