Today is the last day of the Great Backyard Bird Count, which began last week. The event Web site says:
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all levels in counting birds and reporting their results to create a mid-winter snapshot of the numbers, kinds, and distribution of birds across the continent. Participants count birds for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period and tally the highest number of birds of each species that they see at any one time. At the Great Backyard Bird Count Web site, they fill out an online checklist to submit their counts.
As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year's numbers compare with those from the eight previous years. Participants may also send in photographs of the birds they see. A selection of images is posted in the GBBC online photo gallery.
After the count, scientists analyze the results and post summaries highlighting the year's trends and findings.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon, with sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited. In 2005, participants sent in 51,926 checklists with a total tally of 6,546,606 birds of 613 species.
Here is a page that helps journalists find local contacts for the story.
Cops Protest Video GameThe National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) is protesting a new video game called "25 to Life" that allows the player to shoot police and gang members.
Here is the Web site for the game, which includes some screenshots and video samples.
The NLEOMF says it is "a nonprofit organization representing the nation's 15 largest law enforcement organizations. It was established in 1984 to generate increased public support for the law enforcement profession and to provide information that will help promote law enforcement safety."
Here is Gamespot's review of the game. Thanks to Al's Morning meeting reader Valerie Levesque for the tip on this story.
Snowboarding Injuries
As I watch the Olympics it just strikes me that snowboarding seems awfully dangerous. I was surprised to find that the injury rate for snowboarding has been calculated to be just barely higher than alpine skiing. The most common snowboarding injuries are wrist injuries caused by falling. The American Academy of Family Physicians also has some study data but I worry that it might be a little outdated given the growth of this sport.
The Blogging Glass Ceiling
New York magazine looks at why only a few blogs ever hit the big time while everybody else gets stuck with tiny audiences. Slate, meanwhile, predicts the cooling of the blog industry.
The Serious Business of High School Athletics
The Seattle Times has a story that is worth a look about how high school coaches recruited top athletes to play at their schools. The story says the high school coaches offered bogus addresses to allow the girls to play at area schools without moving from their suburban homes.
Drunk Dialing
I am not sure if this is new or if it is growing into a full-blown college trend as some college newspapers say it is, but I pass it along just in case. It seems that more students are getting lit then dialing their phones, especially their autodialers on cell phones.
Here are a few stories from around the country:
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Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends upon the accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and inaccuracies found will be corrected. 
