Weekend Cat Blogging #50 has some great pics of a cat watching a brushtail possum through the sliding glass door.  Very cool animal.

Carnival of the Cats #113 is wonderfully extensive.

Birds in the News 59 (v2n10) once again has a wonderful variety of bird photos as well as a plethora of avian news.  Check out the pictures of the Pacific loon and the pygmy owl.  Also note the continuing impact of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the worrying news about 1-in-5 bird species now being endangered.

The Philosophers’ Carnival #30 is available.  There’s a lot of really good stuff.

Our fearless leadership is again threatening journalists with prosecution as spies.  Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, the man whose grandparents were apparently illegal immigrants in our country, declared that “[t]he government has the legal authority to prosecute journalists for publishing classified information.”  You see, this administration wants to make sure leaks are prosecuted as illegal activity except when they authorize the leak, even if such authorization jeopardizes and endangers CIA agents.

Wired published the evidence against AT&T in the domestic spying lawsuit, and they’re completely unapologetic about it.  Good for them.  And note this information is extremely disconcerting.  Not only does it indicate spy installations at AT&T facilities throughout the country, but it clearly demonstrates the feds are getting their hands on every bit of internet activity that touches the network — and I mean EVERYTHING that happens, including IM chats, e-mails, web site visits, search information, data submitted, and files transferred.  Basically, nothing happens on the internet that they do not track and anything not encrypted is readily available for their perusal.  There is no reasonable need for warrantless access to such information; the Constitution requires “probable cause” and judicial oversight for such activities, and this is spelled out explicitly and undeniably.  I strongly suggest you go look at it ASAP.  The government is apt to take whatever illegal actions they can to hide this information.

Remember the world ends this Thursday.  Be sure to update your schedules accordingly.