Red Panda

When they think Panda, most people think large, furry, black, and white. Adorable as Giant Pandas are, though, there are other pandas that are equally awesome, and unfortunately endangered.

Distantly related to the larger, better-known black-and-white giant panda, the red panda is a solitary creature found in the mountains of Nepal, Myanmar, and central China. Photograph by Mark W. Moffett

Meanwhile, these guys just made their public debut the other day, after a harrowing summer of fighting through infancy. On the cuteness meter, there is no disappointing.

The Assiniboine Park Zoo gave the media a glimpse of two infant Red Pandas that were born in the facility in mid-June. Zookeeper Janice Martin holds one of the cubs on Thursday, September 2, 2010. (Winnipeg Sun)

According to National Geographic’s article, “The red panda has given scientists taxonomic fits. It has been classified as a relative of the giant panda, and also of the raccoon, with which it shares a ringed tail. Currently, red pandas are considered members of their own unique family—the Ailuridae.
Red pandas are endangered, victims of deforestation. Their natural space is shrinking as more and more forests are destroyed by logging and the spread of agriculture.”
The National Zoo in Washington and the Brooklyn Zoo in New York both have Red Pandas–and there are apparently 800 or so of these lovely creatures in zoos worldwide. Hope you can get to see one!

Cheers,
-r-

original vs. remix: Ajanabi Sheher ke, ajnabi raste

Sometimes, it’s a subtle difference that makes the remake better. Or maybe it’s just my childhood memories of driving in the dark in the back of my parent’s car while this song played–somehow I always remember it playing when we were returning from somewhere. It’s a terribly sad sounding song, and I think the slower tempo really works well– really, it’s a sad song in the lyrics too. When I was young, though, I never knew what most of it meant, and it was still sad.
Then again, I never do like it when it’s time to go home from a party!

The original, by Pakistani singer Salman Alvi:

The remake by Indian singer Ashok Khosla:

Also, here’s an English translation I found on this site; please let me know if there are any errors/ if it could be said better:

Strange roads of the strange city

kept smiling on my loneliness

Hope you all have a good day,
-r-

original vs. remix: No One’s Gonna Love you

This was a great song when Band of Horses did the original:

It continues to be good with Cee Lo (one half of the brilliant Gnarles Barkley) singing on the Paul Epworth mix, and unnecessarily sad video:

Hope your day’s going better than these ^ people’s!

-r-