The NY Times has a provocative article today on the concept of wasted time at work - especially as it applies to knowledge work. We continually try to graft concepts of efficiency developed for manufacturing onto more creative activities. Money quote:
"In other words, what looks like wasting time from where you sit, could be a whirl of creative thought from where I sit."
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Meteor Strike Update
Dr. Valerius Geist has some ideas.
"There may be some thing to this meteor strike. However, the cosmic event did
not get rid of megaherbivores, such as mammoth and mastodons. However, the
short, but severe depletion pf large prey may have eliminated Arctodus
simus, and Miracinonyx. They seem to be gone about 13,000 BP. With Arctodus
gone the continent was open to human colonization. What is so nice: what I
wrote about the peopling of North America in my little book Whitetail Tracks
has now been confirmed. (a) the earliest humans in South America were not
Indian, but primitive Caucasoid-Negroid. (b) the earliest skeletons on the
Pacific coast are indeed Ainu! I also claimed that between 60,000 t0 12,000
BP there would have been thousands upon thousands of attempts to colonize
North America, which all failed. That means that you can expect an odd human
site here and there within that long time span. Well there is now a furor
over a few such sites! This interdisciplinary way of working does work."
"There may be some thing to this meteor strike. However, the cosmic event did
not get rid of megaherbivores, such as mammoth and mastodons. However, the
short, but severe depletion pf large prey may have eliminated Arctodus
simus, and Miracinonyx. They seem to be gone about 13,000 BP. With Arctodus
gone the continent was open to human colonization. What is so nice: what I
wrote about the peopling of North America in my little book Whitetail Tracks
has now been confirmed. (a) the earliest humans in South America were not
Indian, but primitive Caucasoid-Negroid. (b) the earliest skeletons on the
Pacific coast are indeed Ainu! I also claimed that between 60,000 t0 12,000
BP there would have been thousands upon thousands of attempts to colonize
North America, which all failed. That means that you can expect an odd human
site here and there within that long time span. Well there is now a furor
over a few such sites! This interdisciplinary way of working does work."
Big Fisherman
This photo emerged from a packing box over the weekend. That's Reid Farmer, age seven, with some rainbows we caught in the Arkansas Ozarks. That's my grandfather Travis Reid's hand holding the other end of the stringer. I really liked that sheath knife that I bought while on vacation in the Smoky Mountains.Steve and Matt - do you have any junior outdoorsman photos to contribute?
You asked for it. :-) Matt and Dad about 1972. A sunfish would have pulled me in.
S
Steve, the young woodsman: " I am trying to track one I know I have of me at about the same age as Reid with a string of pickerel, but here is one at 27 or 28 with a woodcock in Easton Mass., where I grew up and my mother still lives. That field is a 'community' of condos now."
Overland Journal
The first issue of a splendid new magazine, "The publication for environmentally responsible, worldwide vehicle-dependent expedition and adventure travel", has just become available. Editors include the Alpha Environmentalist and Roseann of Three Martini Lunch . Both content and style are first- rate. This is going to be a good one.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Ice Age Impact?
Scroll down from here to that title to hear a Canadian broadcast on the possible 13,000- year old meteor strike that may have been implicated in the North American Pleistocene extinctions. We will be hearing more about this. (HT Walter Hingley).
Darwin's Letters
Annie D just introduced me to this treasure trove of Darwin's letters.
She quoted a very youthful (twelve- year old) Darwin on-- washing:
"Just as I was going, she said she must ask me not a very decent
question, that was whether I wash all over every morning -- no -- then
she said it was quite disgustin -- then she asked me if I did every
other morning, and I said no -- then she said how often I did, and I
said once a week, then she said of cour you wash your feet every day,
and I said no, then she begun saying how very disgusting and went on
that way a good while. so then I went and told erasmus, and he bust
out in laughing and said I had better tell he to come and wash them
her self, besides that she said she did not like sitting by me or
Erasmus for we smelt of not washing all over, there we sat arguing
away for a good while."
As I have mentioned before, I once held a fan letter to Jean- Henri Fabre from Darwin. It is not yet available in text but is catalogued here.
She quoted a very youthful (twelve- year old) Darwin on-- washing:
"Just as I was going, she said she must ask me not a very decent
question, that was whether I wash all over every morning -- no -- then
she said it was quite disgustin -- then she asked me if I did every
other morning, and I said no -- then she said how often I did, and I
said once a week, then she said of cour you wash your feet every day,
and I said no, then she begun saying how very disgusting and went on
that way a good while. so then I went and told erasmus, and he bust
out in laughing and said I had better tell he to come and wash them
her self, besides that she said she did not like sitting by me or
Erasmus for we smelt of not washing all over, there we sat arguing
away for a good while."
As I have mentioned before, I once held a fan letter to Jean- Henri Fabre from Darwin. It is not yet available in text but is catalogued here.
Real Hunting...
... and otherwise. On Henry Chappell's Home Range, he takes us out for a few days of old- fashioned East Texas hunting, fishing, and eating-- bream fishing with bait, squirrel hunting with dogs, night hunting for raccoons. This is hunting- gathering as a life. Good pics too!
On the (very) other hand, Dave Petzal, the Gun Nut, has some stories about modern "hunters" that could make you weep. Quoting a guide:
"You people who make videos and TV shows have screwed up a whole generation of hunters. Every time someone buys something they get a free video, and the problem is, they believe them. They come out here expecting to get a 35-inch mule deer in an hour, because that’s what they see on the video. They don’t like to hunt. What they want is a big head dead on the ground, fast, so they can go to the airport and throw their camo in the dumpster and plug in their I-Pod and get back to their computer."
And then there is what has to be the ultimate "Red State" story: the one about the eleven- year old Alabama kid who killed the thousand- pound feral hog.
I mean: not only is he eleven and from Alabama. He killed his first deer when he was five; he killed the pig with a .50 caliber revolver (I assume the big S & W); he goes to a Christian school; and he is quoted as saying (emphasis mine) "I probably won't ever kill anything else that big."
Hilarious. PETA, read and weep!
Update: the whole "Hogzilla II" thing has gone downhill. Patrick has the whole sordid tale: not just exaggerated or a publicity stunt (though apparently both) but a tame pig. Disgusting.
On the (very) other hand, Dave Petzal, the Gun Nut, has some stories about modern "hunters" that could make you weep. Quoting a guide:
"You people who make videos and TV shows have screwed up a whole generation of hunters. Every time someone buys something they get a free video, and the problem is, they believe them. They come out here expecting to get a 35-inch mule deer in an hour, because that’s what they see on the video. They don’t like to hunt. What they want is a big head dead on the ground, fast, so they can go to the airport and throw their camo in the dumpster and plug in their I-Pod and get back to their computer."
And then there is what has to be the ultimate "Red State" story: the one about the eleven- year old Alabama kid who killed the thousand- pound feral hog.
I mean: not only is he eleven and from Alabama. He killed his first deer when he was five; he killed the pig with a .50 caliber revolver (I assume the big S & W); he goes to a Christian school; and he is quoted as saying (emphasis mine) "I probably won't ever kill anything else that big."
Hilarious. PETA, read and weep!
Update: the whole "Hogzilla II" thing has gone downhill. Patrick has the whole sordid tale: not just exaggerated or a publicity stunt (though apparently both) but a tame pig. Disgusting.
New Wolf Species
Darren has been too busy to post anything but amazing pictures, but he did email me a heads up on--!-- not one but TWO new wolf species!
"I've been following the story here (popular articles and shorter papers reporting the relevant discoveries have been appearing since 2003 at least), but finally we have the full report. The authors find that Indian grey wolves and Himalayan wolves are outside of a clade that includes all undoubted C. lupus populations, and are distinct enough from the latter to warrant specific recognition. The two new species are C. himalayensis and C. indica. I think this is huge news and am desperate to blog on it - but I just don't have time."
Here is a link to the abstract. I hope Darren will soon be able to tell us more.
"I've been following the story here (popular articles and shorter papers reporting the relevant discoveries have been appearing since 2003 at least), but finally we have the full report. The authors find that Indian grey wolves and Himalayan wolves are outside of a clade that includes all undoubted C. lupus populations, and are distinct enough from the latter to warrant specific recognition. The two new species are C. himalayensis and C. indica. I think this is huge news and am desperate to blog on it - but I just don't have time."
Here is a link to the abstract. I hope Darren will soon be able to tell us more.
The Roller Scandal
Eight (so far) California roller pigeon fanciers have been targeted in a Federal sting operation and accused of killing as many as 2000 raptors, apparently mostly urban Cooper's hawks. Some of the info is pretty ugly:
"Navarro allegedly told an undercover Fish and Wildlife Service agent that he likes to "pummel" the hawks that he catches with a stick.
" "You'll see, it gets the frustration out," Navarro said, according to a Fish and Wildlife agent's affidavit."
But some of it is dubious:
""When you take out a predatory bird, you're taking out the upper end of the food chain," said Special Agent Lisa Nichols of the Fish and Wildlife Service. "It blows the balance of everything." "
Well, OK. But urban Coops mainly exist because of an oversupply of urban pigeons and doves adapted to the human- modified landscape (and if there were indeed 2000-- a figure I am skeptical about-- they were WAY out of "balance".
Then there is this:
"Roller pigeons are bred for a genetic quirk that strikes in mid-flight, causing a brief seizure that sends the birds spiraling uncontrollably toward the ground. Thousands of hobbyists compete to see who can best make their birds roll in unison."
Well, a moment's thought should tell the reader that something that can be performed "in unison" is not done "uncontrollably". As Pluvialis points out in a recent post, only birds bred too closely go out of control; in fact, rolling and tumbling seem to be actions enjoyed by the birds.
Unfortunately, as Rebecca reminds us, " that may as well be a dinner bell to a hawk".
Matt and I discussed the whole matter. I was blunt (a bit busy and preoccupied); Matt nuanced as usual. I said:
"Whole thing is crazy. The pigeoners shouldn't be killing hawks. The Fed shouldn't be doing elaborate stings. I doubt the 2000 figure. And urban Coops aren't endangered. Why not let falconers trap and move them?-- I do it all the time with adolescents and they don't come back!"
Matt:
"I am often a little bit out of the mainstream on my views. If possible, I am even MORE paranoid than the average falconer, but my fears are for the big threats: The possibility that all private animal ownership be regulated in this country, if it is not eliminated altogether. There is a weird synchronicity between the government on one hand and the animal rights nuts on the other that serves the purpose of each. When these two get together, bad things happen for us and for everyone who likes to own and breed animals.
"In addition to falconry, I also run a sighthound at game. The coursing flap in CA last year was really troubling to me. Those dog guys were out of line and sloppy and short-sighted, no question about it. And the notion of a point system (as in formal coursing) is alien to me and I think is a dangerous component to add to any legitimate hunt.
"Nonetheless, running dogs at game is something I do, and so I took notice. As a falconer, the parallels are obvious also. Far better (in my view) that we should police ourselves and reach out to our own bad apples than to have the media, PETA or the state and federal government do our policing for us....
"Know what I mean?
"So please don't get me wrong regarding the pigeon guys. I agree with you that they are basically tossing hawk food as a hobby and should expect to take some losses! But given the choice between arguing over predator control strategies with a pigeon guy or arguing over animal ownership with a PETA rep., I'd rather talk to a Roller man."
Amen. For more intelligent discussion from both pigeon and hawk folks, see the comments in this post of Rebecca's, and the text in this one.
"Navarro allegedly told an undercover Fish and Wildlife Service agent that he likes to "pummel" the hawks that he catches with a stick.
" "You'll see, it gets the frustration out," Navarro said, according to a Fish and Wildlife agent's affidavit."
But some of it is dubious:
""When you take out a predatory bird, you're taking out the upper end of the food chain," said Special Agent Lisa Nichols of the Fish and Wildlife Service. "It blows the balance of everything." "
Well, OK. But urban Coops mainly exist because of an oversupply of urban pigeons and doves adapted to the human- modified landscape (and if there were indeed 2000-- a figure I am skeptical about-- they were WAY out of "balance".
Then there is this:
"Roller pigeons are bred for a genetic quirk that strikes in mid-flight, causing a brief seizure that sends the birds spiraling uncontrollably toward the ground. Thousands of hobbyists compete to see who can best make their birds roll in unison."
Well, a moment's thought should tell the reader that something that can be performed "in unison" is not done "uncontrollably". As Pluvialis points out in a recent post, only birds bred too closely go out of control; in fact, rolling and tumbling seem to be actions enjoyed by the birds.
Unfortunately, as Rebecca reminds us, " that may as well be a dinner bell to a hawk".
Matt and I discussed the whole matter. I was blunt (a bit busy and preoccupied); Matt nuanced as usual. I said:
"Whole thing is crazy. The pigeoners shouldn't be killing hawks. The Fed shouldn't be doing elaborate stings. I doubt the 2000 figure. And urban Coops aren't endangered. Why not let falconers trap and move them?-- I do it all the time with adolescents and they don't come back!"
Matt:
"I am often a little bit out of the mainstream on my views. If possible, I am even MORE paranoid than the average falconer, but my fears are for the big threats: The possibility that all private animal ownership be regulated in this country, if it is not eliminated altogether. There is a weird synchronicity between the government on one hand and the animal rights nuts on the other that serves the purpose of each. When these two get together, bad things happen for us and for everyone who likes to own and breed animals.
"In addition to falconry, I also run a sighthound at game. The coursing flap in CA last year was really troubling to me. Those dog guys were out of line and sloppy and short-sighted, no question about it. And the notion of a point system (as in formal coursing) is alien to me and I think is a dangerous component to add to any legitimate hunt.
"Nonetheless, running dogs at game is something I do, and so I took notice. As a falconer, the parallels are obvious also. Far better (in my view) that we should police ourselves and reach out to our own bad apples than to have the media, PETA or the state and federal government do our policing for us....
"Know what I mean?
"So please don't get me wrong regarding the pigeon guys. I agree with you that they are basically tossing hawk food as a hobby and should expect to take some losses! But given the choice between arguing over predator control strategies with a pigeon guy or arguing over animal ownership with a PETA rep., I'd rather talk to a Roller man."
Amen. For more intelligent discussion from both pigeon and hawk folks, see the comments in this post of Rebecca's, and the text in this one.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Reggie Apprehended
Reggie, the released pet alligator at large in Machado Lake in Los Angeles, who Matt and I posted about back in 2005, has finally been caught. Reggie had a good long run on his own, and certainly had more than his fifteen minutes of fame as a media sensation in LA. It appears his future home will be in the LA Zoo. The city says they have spent $180,000 to catch him.
But read the LA Times article closely. There are some who believe that this animal is too large to be Reggie and may be another gator entirely. Stay tuned!
But read the LA Times article closely. There are some who believe that this animal is too large to be Reggie and may be another gator entirely. Stay tuned!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
CSI: NIMBY
Time has an interesting piece on the problems that Texas State University is having in trying to get approvals to site a "body farm" where human bodies can be left to decompose in the open for research in forensic anthropology. Even the nearby airport objects that it would attract vultures that might collide with airplanes!
The article goes on to discuss the original body farm established by Dr. William Bass at the University of Tennessee. I got to meet and work with Dr. Bass briefly in my first paid job in archaeology in 1973. I was working as a field technician for the Tennessee Division of Archaeology on the excavation of a prehistoric Mississippian farmstead in suburban Nashville. We had uncovered the remains of a wattle-and-daub house that had burned, ensuring that it was pretty well preserved. I particularly remember we found mud dauber wasp nests that had been in the house that had been fired by the blaze and contained carbonized larvae.
Dr. Bass came over from Knoxville to take a look at some burials we had found. He's a somewhat crusty individual, and I remember being a little offended when he insisted we quit wasting our time on the house and root around the site to find more burials for him.
The article goes on to discuss the original body farm established by Dr. William Bass at the University of Tennessee. I got to meet and work with Dr. Bass briefly in my first paid job in archaeology in 1973. I was working as a field technician for the Tennessee Division of Archaeology on the excavation of a prehistoric Mississippian farmstead in suburban Nashville. We had uncovered the remains of a wattle-and-daub house that had burned, ensuring that it was pretty well preserved. I particularly remember we found mud dauber wasp nests that had been in the house that had been fired by the blaze and contained carbonized larvae.
Dr. Bass came over from Knoxville to take a look at some burials we had found. He's a somewhat crusty individual, and I remember being a little offended when he insisted we quit wasting our time on the house and root around the site to find more burials for him.
More Airport Art
I was passing through the Phoenix airport some days ago, and looked into the store that carries these magnificent metal bat sculptures. I saw that the same artist has expanded his line of winged creatures to cover Gamble's quail (see above)
And roadrunners. The roadrunner's legs are made of rebar.
Nice, but not in the same league with the bats. The roost of metal bats that I pictured in my December post is much depleted. Apparently a lot of other people like them, too.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Some Spring Blooms
One of the things that we are enjoying in our first spring here at Moonshine Gulch is seeing the flowers arrive as the weather warms. Each one is a surprise, and with the cool, wet weather up till now, we seem to have a bumper crop of wildflowers out in the yard. Like the indian paintbrush above.
A number of these are new to me, and I'm having to key them out in guide books, like this sand lily.
Narrow-leaved penstemon.
Ground plum.
Botany isn't my strong suite, and I haven't been able to figure this guy out yet. Can somebody give me a hand?
We're also enjoying figuring out what the previous owners' have left us in the way of trees and plants. Like this flowering crabapple.
And these tulips and grape hyacinths.
Let the Kids Play
Steve posted last summer on The Dangerous Book for Boys and I have been seeing it cited more and more in the news and the blogosphere. There seems to be a gathering movement in favor of more traditional unstructured play for children. The NY Times weighs in on the subject in a recent piece. I was appalled to learn from it that there are actually associations named the National Institute for Play and the American Association for the Child's Right to Play. I'm not sure exactly what that says about us as a society.
Vinkensport
The NY Times today has a piece on vinkensport or finching: finch singing competitions in Belgium. Of course, Pluvialis was all over this a month ago, scooping the Times by a mile.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Utter Coincidence
Reid's recommendation of the new bio of Denys Finch Hatton got me thinking about some very strange similarities between some photos.
Here is the photo of Betsy Huntington that the Russ Chatham painting on the cover of Querencia- the- book is based on:
Here is the photo of Betsy Huntington that the Russ Chatham painting on the cover of Querencia- the- book is based on:
Here is a photo of Karen Blixen that I didn't see until after Betsy's death:
Here is another, by Jim Bones, of Betsy with me and Riley the staghound (sorry for quality-- it is from a 1985 newspaper article):
And another of Blixen, from Longing For Darkness:
Woo- woo enough for you? Here is another cosmic connection: Erroll Trzebinski, author of THIS bio of Finch Hatton, is the daughter of the author of the first review of my first book, Rage For Falcons.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Henry Chappell's Home Range
Just found out my old friend Henry Chappell, who writes good novels and wrote one of the best bird hunting books I know, has started a blog, Home Range , on matters environmental and (I hope soon) sporting. I would bet that he would fit somewhere within the "Crunchy Con" philosophical group. Here he is on Bill McKibben's new book:
"If "wacko" means looking at scientific evidence and concluding that the "non-negotiable American way of life" is unsustainable, then McKibben is guilty as charged. We need more wackos.
"Actually, McKibben is a devout Christian, Sunday school teacher, and family man who eats meat, appears tolerant of responsible hunters, and approves of selective, sustainable logging by local operators. He acknowledges the positive power of free enterprise and the failure of large-scale collectivism. (Right-wing wacko!) Certainly, many of his convictions seem deeply conservative in the traditional (as opposed to neoconservative) sense. Yet, taken as a whole, his sensibilities are unmistakeably progressive. His concerns always seem more practical than ideological."
I expect we'll be hearing a lot more from Henry. On to the blogroll with him!
"If "wacko" means looking at scientific evidence and concluding that the "non-negotiable American way of life" is unsustainable, then McKibben is guilty as charged. We need more wackos.
"Actually, McKibben is a devout Christian, Sunday school teacher, and family man who eats meat, appears tolerant of responsible hunters, and approves of selective, sustainable logging by local operators. He acknowledges the positive power of free enterprise and the failure of large-scale collectivism. (Right-wing wacko!) Certainly, many of his convictions seem deeply conservative in the traditional (as opposed to neoconservative) sense. Yet, taken as a whole, his sensibilities are unmistakeably progressive. His concerns always seem more practical than ideological."
I expect we'll be hearing a lot more from Henry. On to the blogroll with him!
Chinese Tazi Art
Or saluki if that is your preference. Paul Domski sent me this link, which caused me to reply: "Nice image. I have other Chinese saluki- tazi images, some even older, but not this one. Frustrating thing is that the article propagates the Arab origin myth-- I have older images from China than any available from the Middle East!" Maybe if I ever sell that book...
Here is the oldest I have, circa 450 AD:
Prince Xanghui, circa 740 I believe:
AD 1197:
One more-- not sure of the date.
The Brits found various tazis (OK, salukis if you must speak Arabic!) in Iraq because that is where they looked. (They found aboriginal Afghans , also tazis, in Afghanistan, and promptly ruined them in typical Edwardian show- dog fashion).
Salukis are Asian.
Here is the oldest I have, circa 450 AD:
Prince Xanghui, circa 740 I believe:
AD 1197:
One more-- not sure of the date.
The Brits found various tazis (OK, salukis if you must speak Arabic!) in Iraq because that is where they looked. (They found aboriginal Afghans , also tazis, in Afghanistan, and promptly ruined them in typical Edwardian show- dog fashion).
Salukis are Asian.
Around The Web
This has to be the most... original... variation on the fish/ Darwin/ whatever sticker I have seen yet. HT Doc Hypercube for the site.
I'm sorry, but I can't warm to control freaks, especially ones that are known to freak out about people owning animals (ferrets in one case I know). This is Rudy in his own words:
"What we don't see is that freedom is not a concept in which people can do anything they want, be anything they can be. Freedom is about authority. Freedom is about the willingness of every single human being to cede to lawful authority a great deal of discretion about what you do."
The thought of having to choose a president from three nannyish New Yorkers, Rudy, Hilary, and (worst of all) Bloomberg, does not fill me with joy....
Garden and Gun: BEST new name for a magazine. Sign me up!
This paper on sexual dimorphism in anole lizards confirms a lot of what we have been thinking about the differences between male and female raptors.
"The superciliati are sniffing away disgustedly at extracts from a list of 170 books that 11- to 14-year-old boys might actually enjoy", says Ruth Edwards in her essay in the Telegraph. Lots of good comment on the pleasures of reading and writing "genre", too.
I'm sorry, but I can't warm to control freaks, especially ones that are known to freak out about people owning animals (ferrets in one case I know). This is Rudy in his own words:
"What we don't see is that freedom is not a concept in which people can do anything they want, be anything they can be. Freedom is about authority. Freedom is about the willingness of every single human being to cede to lawful authority a great deal of discretion about what you do."
The thought of having to choose a president from three nannyish New Yorkers, Rudy, Hilary, and (worst of all) Bloomberg, does not fill me with joy....
Garden and Gun: BEST new name for a magazine. Sign me up!
This paper on sexual dimorphism in anole lizards confirms a lot of what we have been thinking about the differences between male and female raptors.
"The superciliati are sniffing away disgustedly at extracts from a list of 170 books that 11- to 14-year-old boys might actually enjoy", says Ruth Edwards in her essay in the Telegraph. Lots of good comment on the pleasures of reading and writing "genre", too.
Animal Family
Just got a photo of Ataika's daughter Cleo from the Beregovoys.
She looks remarkably like Atai.
She looks remarkably like Atai.
And for any pigeon fanciers, here is one of my new pairs, gold- necked Catalonian tumblers:
Book Pile
Dr. Hypercube mentioned his book pile in passing, and I told him I had not one but several. I love seeing what others are reading and asume readers of this site like the idea, too. So:
Also a bookcase slice I took a while back. Obvious what part of the library this is taken in. I should add that this is the front row-- there is another vertical stack behind. It is a small house...
Also a bookcase slice I took a while back. Obvious what part of the library this is taken in. I should add that this is the front row-- there is another vertical stack behind. It is a small house...
Little Red Riding Hood Was Right
It seems an article of faith in American environmental circles that wolves are harmless. While (until recently) there was no record of modern North American wolves harming anyone, a bit of research shows this to be an anomalous situation. Wolves of the exact same species preyed on humans in Europe and Russia; wolves even smaller than ours eat humans in India to this day.
The recent death of a young man in Canada raised the possibility of wolf- human predation. Eminent mammalogist Dr. Valerius Geist was charged with investigating the incident. His conclusions, soon to be released, are not comforting.
Do not misunderstand me here, or Val. I believe that wolves are wonderful top- of- the- food chain predators, and ecosystems are healthier for their presence. I can thrill to a howl in the night. But attitudes must be realistic, and wolves should be hunted to keep them wary of humans. Wolves that become habituated, that hang around humans and their livestock in broad daylight, are a disaster waiting to happen.
Dr. Geist has written a long document analysing both the particular incident and pointing out signs of imminent danger. Let me quote a bit from both. First, from the abstract:
"The politically correct view about wolves, currently vehemently and dogmatically defended, is that wolves are “harmless” and of no danger to humans. This view arose from the early research of eminent North American biologists who, confronted by historical material contradictory to their experiences, greatly mistrusted such. Due to language, political and cultural barriers they could access such at best in part, but they were nevertheless convinced that the old view of wolves, as enshrined in Grimm’s fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood was incorrect and based on ill founded myths, fears and superstitions. They were greatly aided in this by premature conclusions about free-living and captive wolves, as well as by a brilliant literary prank by a renowned Canadian author and humorist, which illustrated wolves as harmless mouse eaters. While scientists quickly caught on, they nevertheless welcomed the opposition to the Little Red Riding Hood myth. They pointed to the undeniable fact that wolves killed no human in North America in the 20th Century. This did not, however, reflect on the nature of wolves, but rather on circumstances: wolves were eradicated or severely prosecuted over much of the continent, North Americans were well armed and quickly removed misbehaving wolves where such were still present, while hunted wolves are exceedingly shy and avoid humans. The view of the “harmless” wolf was greatly welcomed by the communist party of Russia, which ever since coming to power suppressed accounts of man-killing wolves. During and after the Second World War such censorship intensified, as was only disclosed after the fall of the communist rule in Russia. The reason for such suppression was to obscure the link between lethal wolf attacks and the disarming of the civilian population during the war. Wolves quickly exploited the defenselessness of villagers, leading to many fatal attacks on humans. When Russian scientists disclosed this, their translations in the west were suppressed and their authority and motives questioned by environmental organizations and some scientists."
(Snip)
"It is even more ironic that, while wolf biologists stoutly denied dangers from wolves and failed to develop any understanding of the conditions under which wolves were harmless or dangerous, their counterparts studying urban coyotes did just that. They described a progression of behaviors, which predicts when coyotes would attack children. Wolves follow much the same progression. It can be divided into seven steps with increasing risk to humans, culminating with attacks on humans. Such a progression can be developed from historical material as well as from current attacks by wolves on humans in North America. The fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood is thus based in very real historical experiences in central Europe. In addition to targeted attacks, wolves can mistakenly charge humans. The politically correct myth of the harmless wolf is being defended with a number of lethal fallacies as well as by wrongly invoking the prestige of science. In practice it is a lethal myth and the tragic death of 22-year-old Kenton Carnegie on November the 8th 2005 in northern Saskatchewan, is a case in point. He had no authoritative warning. He was killed by wolves, which, protected from hunting, were not merely habituated to people through the use of a garbage dump, but had already mounted a first exploratory attack on humans, which was narrowly defeated. Against a pack of wolves, a lone man has no chance."
From the conclusions:
"As I have shown, wolves signal impending attacks on people a long time before it happens. They act very much like their smaller cousin, the coyote. Yet the vehemence with which the myth of the “benign wolf” is defended by environmental groups, but also individuals claiming to be scientists studying wolves, transcends reason. Already a renowned biologist studying wolves laments that extremists have highjacked the wolf agenda. As scholars we must live by Oliver Cromwell’s admonition:” I beseech thee in the bowls of Christ, consider that thee may be mistaken!”. Especially, when political correctness has raised its ugly head!
"As to Kenton Joel Carnegie’s tragic death I harbor no doubts. He was killed and consumed by wolves."
I welcome the return of the wolf to New Mexico, but I deplore its current means. Wolves that stalk humans in broad daylight-- as is admitted-- should be removed immediately. The impending disaster will not only hurt its victims-- it may well put an end to our having any wolves here at all.
For some fascinating wolf material see this PDF of the wolves of the British Columbia rain forest. (HT Walter Hingley). It really shows what a high- end, opportunistic predator they can be."Coastal wolves are proving themselves unique among wolves in the world by eating a high proportion of carnivores. Researchers are consistently finding the remains of black bears and river otters in wolf dietary samples- more than anywhere else where wolves have been studied. Notably, by consuming these two animals (which depend on food from the sea) wolves are indirectly feeding on marine resources. Interestingly, wolves also feed on other items from the sea such as washed-up marine mammal carcasses, crabs, mussels, and even barnacles."
Adds Val: "Also, wolves released on islands in coastal Alaska completely cleaned up on deer, then turned to catching seals that had hauled out - and then starved to death! Every one. As opportunists they will in coastal areas search beaches for edibles. No wonder they are circumpolar and highly resilient to prosecution!"
The recent death of a young man in Canada raised the possibility of wolf- human predation. Eminent mammalogist Dr. Valerius Geist was charged with investigating the incident. His conclusions, soon to be released, are not comforting.
Do not misunderstand me here, or Val. I believe that wolves are wonderful top- of- the- food chain predators, and ecosystems are healthier for their presence. I can thrill to a howl in the night. But attitudes must be realistic, and wolves should be hunted to keep them wary of humans. Wolves that become habituated, that hang around humans and their livestock in broad daylight, are a disaster waiting to happen.
Dr. Geist has written a long document analysing both the particular incident and pointing out signs of imminent danger. Let me quote a bit from both. First, from the abstract:
"The politically correct view about wolves, currently vehemently and dogmatically defended, is that wolves are “harmless” and of no danger to humans. This view arose from the early research of eminent North American biologists who, confronted by historical material contradictory to their experiences, greatly mistrusted such. Due to language, political and cultural barriers they could access such at best in part, but they were nevertheless convinced that the old view of wolves, as enshrined in Grimm’s fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood was incorrect and based on ill founded myths, fears and superstitions. They were greatly aided in this by premature conclusions about free-living and captive wolves, as well as by a brilliant literary prank by a renowned Canadian author and humorist, which illustrated wolves as harmless mouse eaters. While scientists quickly caught on, they nevertheless welcomed the opposition to the Little Red Riding Hood myth. They pointed to the undeniable fact that wolves killed no human in North America in the 20th Century. This did not, however, reflect on the nature of wolves, but rather on circumstances: wolves were eradicated or severely prosecuted over much of the continent, North Americans were well armed and quickly removed misbehaving wolves where such were still present, while hunted wolves are exceedingly shy and avoid humans. The view of the “harmless” wolf was greatly welcomed by the communist party of Russia, which ever since coming to power suppressed accounts of man-killing wolves. During and after the Second World War such censorship intensified, as was only disclosed after the fall of the communist rule in Russia. The reason for such suppression was to obscure the link between lethal wolf attacks and the disarming of the civilian population during the war. Wolves quickly exploited the defenselessness of villagers, leading to many fatal attacks on humans. When Russian scientists disclosed this, their translations in the west were suppressed and their authority and motives questioned by environmental organizations and some scientists."
(Snip)
"It is even more ironic that, while wolf biologists stoutly denied dangers from wolves and failed to develop any understanding of the conditions under which wolves were harmless or dangerous, their counterparts studying urban coyotes did just that. They described a progression of behaviors, which predicts when coyotes would attack children. Wolves follow much the same progression. It can be divided into seven steps with increasing risk to humans, culminating with attacks on humans. Such a progression can be developed from historical material as well as from current attacks by wolves on humans in North America. The fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood is thus based in very real historical experiences in central Europe. In addition to targeted attacks, wolves can mistakenly charge humans. The politically correct myth of the harmless wolf is being defended with a number of lethal fallacies as well as by wrongly invoking the prestige of science. In practice it is a lethal myth and the tragic death of 22-year-old Kenton Carnegie on November the 8th 2005 in northern Saskatchewan, is a case in point. He had no authoritative warning. He was killed by wolves, which, protected from hunting, were not merely habituated to people through the use of a garbage dump, but had already mounted a first exploratory attack on humans, which was narrowly defeated. Against a pack of wolves, a lone man has no chance."
From the conclusions:
"As I have shown, wolves signal impending attacks on people a long time before it happens. They act very much like their smaller cousin, the coyote. Yet the vehemence with which the myth of the “benign wolf” is defended by environmental groups, but also individuals claiming to be scientists studying wolves, transcends reason. Already a renowned biologist studying wolves laments that extremists have highjacked the wolf agenda. As scholars we must live by Oliver Cromwell’s admonition:” I beseech thee in the bowls of Christ, consider that thee may be mistaken!”. Especially, when political correctness has raised its ugly head!
"As to Kenton Joel Carnegie’s tragic death I harbor no doubts. He was killed and consumed by wolves."
I welcome the return of the wolf to New Mexico, but I deplore its current means. Wolves that stalk humans in broad daylight-- as is admitted-- should be removed immediately. The impending disaster will not only hurt its victims-- it may well put an end to our having any wolves here at all.
For some fascinating wolf material see this PDF of the wolves of the British Columbia rain forest. (HT Walter Hingley). It really shows what a high- end, opportunistic predator they can be."Coastal wolves are proving themselves unique among wolves in the world by eating a high proportion of carnivores. Researchers are consistently finding the remains of black bears and river otters in wolf dietary samples- more than anywhere else where wolves have been studied. Notably, by consuming these two animals (which depend on food from the sea) wolves are indirectly feeding on marine resources. Interestingly, wolves also feed on other items from the sea such as washed-up marine mammal carcasses, crabs, mussels, and even barnacles."
Adds Val: "Also, wolves released on islands in coastal Alaska completely cleaned up on deer, then turned to catching seals that had hauled out - and then starved to death! Every one. As opportunists they will in coastal areas search beaches for edibles. No wonder they are circumpolar and highly resilient to prosecution!"
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Working Like a Dog
In an email exchange following my post on Meet Mr. Grizzly, Gregg, Steve and I wondered whether such dogs as Stevens describes could be made today. Your opinions invited and welcome!
Matt: "My question is: Without the lifestyle (ranching, cowboy-ing, big game hunting on horseback, life pre-electric and pre-internal-combustion) setting the challenge and the training environment, could we produce dogs of their equal today?"
Gregg: "I think we can. The dogs we have today are up to the challenge (at least a handful of the hunting strains that I am familiar with are). The real question is, are the people up to the challenge. Like I said, the dogs were born out of necessity, and their abilities were honed by the same. Are the people willing to inconvenience themselves to the extent that it will take to produce such an animal?
It was a harder life, even for the wealthy rancher. The hunting trips that Stevens guided were no piece of cake, especially when you compare it to today's big game hunts---where you 'pack in' on SUVs, or you ride a horse that's already trained (Stevens trained his own) and packed for you (Stevens packed his own).
If you personally have never been driven to the point of exhaustion but were expected to go on, much as we hope are dogs will, how can you train and breed for that kind of endurance?
If a breeder doesn't have integrity, honesty and compassion---not to mention indefatigable drive---how can we breed for the same? Flipside: How would we be able to recognize it when we get it?
A friend and I argued about this for years. He weighs 280lbs on a six-foot frame, and it's been too long since he had pushed himself as hard as he would push the dogs. My friend lost something during those years, and that was the ability to read when a dog is tired. I won't push a dog any harder than I'm willing to push myself. "
Matt: "I've said virtually the same things about falconers and hawks, particularly about Harris' Hawks, many times. These days I am not such a paragon of hard work as I used to be, but I have been and do know what it takes to make a very hard-going hawk that expects to catch game under the worst conditions.
Are you prepared to hunt through heat and hard rain, not stopping unless the hawk does? Are ready to wade through dark water without special prompting--just on speculation something is in there to flush? Are you willing to move forward, hour after hour through high cover, simply because your hawk is still hunting? And can you do this 9 out of 10 days in a row, then again for another 9 days.
If so, you can make almost any hawk into a hard case trooper. Even one of mediocre natural ability will outperform the thoroughbred who sees less air-time and only flies in fair weather.
What you can do with a 'top-ten-percenter' under such a regimen is amazing. I've seen it myself and even done it once (with a Harris named Pico). I could not do it again today and don't think I will be able to do it again until the kids are grown. Until then I will be flying the best hawks I can, but none will be as good as they could be.
When I think of someone starting falconry without the willingness or natural ability to WORK HARD, I wonder (silently, usually) why they are even going to bother."
Steve: "It's the same thing with dogs: If [the hunters] have the desire, that makes the dogs. I have seen it again and again. And a naturally-talented dog like Taik just gets better and better. I don't think she is PHENOMENALLY better than my others, but because she goes out every time I go out, she seems positively telepathic. "
And adds: "Blog please!"
So here we go. How much work is enough to make a good animal? Is hard work enough? Or can a trainer's long experience take its place?
Matt: "My question is: Without the lifestyle (ranching, cowboy-ing, big game hunting on horseback, life pre-electric and pre-internal-combustion) setting the challenge and the training environment, could we produce dogs of their equal today?"
Gregg: "I think we can. The dogs we have today are up to the challenge (at least a handful of the hunting strains that I am familiar with are). The real question is, are the people up to the challenge. Like I said, the dogs were born out of necessity, and their abilities were honed by the same. Are the people willing to inconvenience themselves to the extent that it will take to produce such an animal?
It was a harder life, even for the wealthy rancher. The hunting trips that Stevens guided were no piece of cake, especially when you compare it to today's big game hunts---where you 'pack in' on SUVs, or you ride a horse that's already trained (Stevens trained his own) and packed for you (Stevens packed his own).
If you personally have never been driven to the point of exhaustion but were expected to go on, much as we hope are dogs will, how can you train and breed for that kind of endurance?
If a breeder doesn't have integrity, honesty and compassion---not to mention indefatigable drive---how can we breed for the same? Flipside: How would we be able to recognize it when we get it?
A friend and I argued about this for years. He weighs 280lbs on a six-foot frame, and it's been too long since he had pushed himself as hard as he would push the dogs. My friend lost something during those years, and that was the ability to read when a dog is tired. I won't push a dog any harder than I'm willing to push myself. "
Matt: "I've said virtually the same things about falconers and hawks, particularly about Harris' Hawks, many times. These days I am not such a paragon of hard work as I used to be, but I have been and do know what it takes to make a very hard-going hawk that expects to catch game under the worst conditions.
Are you prepared to hunt through heat and hard rain, not stopping unless the hawk does? Are ready to wade through dark water without special prompting--just on speculation something is in there to flush? Are you willing to move forward, hour after hour through high cover, simply because your hawk is still hunting? And can you do this 9 out of 10 days in a row, then again for another 9 days.
If so, you can make almost any hawk into a hard case trooper. Even one of mediocre natural ability will outperform the thoroughbred who sees less air-time and only flies in fair weather.
What you can do with a 'top-ten-percenter' under such a regimen is amazing. I've seen it myself and even done it once (with a Harris named Pico). I could not do it again today and don't think I will be able to do it again until the kids are grown. Until then I will be flying the best hawks I can, but none will be as good as they could be.
When I think of someone starting falconry without the willingness or natural ability to WORK HARD, I wonder (silently, usually) why they are even going to bother."
Steve: "It's the same thing with dogs: If [the hunters] have the desire, that makes the dogs. I have seen it again and again. And a naturally-talented dog like Taik just gets better and better. I don't think she is PHENOMENALLY better than my others, but because she goes out every time I go out, she seems positively telepathic. "
And adds: "Blog please!"
So here we go. How much work is enough to make a good animal? Is hard work enough? Or can a trainer's long experience take its place?
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Orson Scott Card on American Car Culture
Find linked at 2Blowhards a column by sci-fi writer Orson Scott Card pondering the elephant in the garage: how car culture impacts us, literally, and how a different sort of American landscape might look.
Steve, Reid and I are all sci-fi fans of various pedigree. We spend a lot of time puzzled about how things actually are and wondering how they might otherwise be, which is one way to sketch the appeal of science fiction. Orson Scott Card is a favorite of mine, but until reading this editorial, I didn't know he wrote of such worldly things as traffic accidents and terrorism.
One solution Card advocates in his article is a kind of community development known as New Urbanism. I've read a little bit about this (mostly at 2Blowhards), and while I support the premise that streets should be designed as safe places for people---not merely as pipelines for automobiles---and that our homes should be nearer our places of work and recreation, I fear development trends of any stripe and suspect this one will just lead to my losing more places to hunt.
In fact, one such whole-cloth New Urbanist construction project is going in now on a ten-acre midtown lot that once kept me in a steady supply of rabbit meat.
Steve writes of these New Urban spaces: "Of course they must allow us our animals in such places (in a way, I live in one that does). Libby had a pig and ducks growing up in Berkeley. My father had similar in Boston. And walking to hawking-- that's why I need a hawk and small falcons!"
I'm not sure the new "mixed-use" project in midtown will allow for raising livestock. But Steve's comments suggest that looking back at older neighborhoods could point the way to how the new ones should be constructed. I'm not much for new fads in real estate development, but I'm certainly for throwing away some of the junk ideas we've been pushing about how to live in America.
Steve, Reid and I are all sci-fi fans of various pedigree. We spend a lot of time puzzled about how things actually are and wondering how they might otherwise be, which is one way to sketch the appeal of science fiction. Orson Scott Card is a favorite of mine, but until reading this editorial, I didn't know he wrote of such worldly things as traffic accidents and terrorism.
"...How ironic. We redesigned our living patterns and got rid of public transportation so that we could boost the American automobile industry. Now we are forced to pay huge taxes to Iran, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and other oil-producing countries -- and we're buying half our cars from Japan and Germany and Korea.
Even if you don't want to live in the neighborhood I described, there are compelling reasons for us to cut way back on the number of hours we spend on the road in cars:
1. Stop Funding Our Enemies. As long as we're burning oil to buy groceries that used to be in the corner store and to take the kids to games and lessons that used to take place in neighborhoods and to get to work that we used to get to by bus or train, there's going to be a vast pool of oil money from which the sponsors of terrorism can draw.
2. Get Back That Wasted Time. If you cut your driving hours in half, how much time would you get back every day, to use on things you want to do? Even if all you want to do is veg out in front of the television, that's your choice. It's a lot better than spending that time driving.
For a lot of us, though, that would be an hour to spend with spouse and children. Goofing off. Talking. Visiting with friends. Going out to eat, or cooking a real sit-down meal at home. Having a life.
2. Saving Lives. In 2005, 43,200 people died on American highways. (John Crawley,"U.S. traffic deaths hit 16-year high in 2005," Reuters, 20 April 2006.)
If we were fighting a war in which 40,000 people died every year and it had gone on that way for the past twenty years, wouldn't you join the anti-war movement?
And this is a war in which the victims are children, teenagers, elderly people, adults in their prime. Men and women in equal numbers. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people from 4 through 33 years old."
One solution Card advocates in his article is a kind of community development known as New Urbanism. I've read a little bit about this (mostly at 2Blowhards), and while I support the premise that streets should be designed as safe places for people---not merely as pipelines for automobiles---and that our homes should be nearer our places of work and recreation, I fear development trends of any stripe and suspect this one will just lead to my losing more places to hunt.
In fact, one such whole-cloth New Urbanist construction project is going in now on a ten-acre midtown lot that once kept me in a steady supply of rabbit meat.
Steve writes of these New Urban spaces: "Of course they must allow us our animals in such places (in a way, I live in one that does). Libby had a pig and ducks growing up in Berkeley. My father had similar in Boston. And walking to hawking
I'm not sure the new "mixed-use" project in midtown will allow for raising livestock. But Steve's comments suggest that looking back at older neighborhoods could point the way to how the new ones should be constructed. I'm not much for new fads in real estate development, but I'm certainly for throwing away some of the junk ideas we've been pushing about how to live in America.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Meet Mr. Grizzly
I've been dreaming of deadlines, typing memos and organizing items on my desk in my sleep. This has made of Matt a dull (or duller) boy.
But like the time, three weeks after my twins were born, when I ate six grapefruits in a sleep and vitamin-deprived orgy of gorging, I've just devoured the book Meet Mr. Grizzly---a story set far from any office anywhere.
Montague Stevens, the author, was a one-armed English gentleman; a horseman, houndman, hunter, and one hell of a good writer. He tells of southwestern New Mexico in the late 19th Century, a time when big brown bears still descended from the hills (as Steve B.* once wrote, "like goblin kings") to kill sheep and steer with the swipe of a large paw.
Stevens dedicates himself (mind you, mostly after losing his arm) to hunting these pirate grizzlies on horseback with a pack of various trailing and fighting dogs, intricately trained for the purpose. The building and handling of this unique pack (made of bloodhounds, sighthounds, terriers, pitbulls and a Great Dane!) makes for the meat of the story and amounts to a lifetime accomplishment greater than most of us will ever claim.
In a word, the story is a marvel. Steven's Cambridge education, exotic subject matter and gorgeous setting help make it so. If the book is still in print, and you'd like to spend a few hours hunting grizzlies in the high lonesome desert, please don't hesitate to make the buy.
* More on the Bodio connection: Steve's home village of Magdalena plays a role in Stevens' story, being the nearest thing to a big town at the time (though not much bigger now I bet!). And the copy of Meet Mr. Grizzly from which this latest edition is reprinted came from Steve's own library, complete with the author's signature, circa 1944.
But like the time, three weeks after my twins were born, when I ate six grapefruits in a sleep and vitamin-deprived orgy of gorging, I've just devoured the book Meet Mr. Grizzly---a story set far from any office anywhere.
(Thanks to Gregg B. for this great escape!)
Montague Stevens, the author, was a one-armed English gentleman; a horseman, houndman, hunter, and one hell of a good writer. He tells of southwestern New Mexico in the late 19th Century, a time when big brown bears still descended from the hills (as Steve B.* once wrote, "like goblin kings") to kill sheep and steer with the swipe of a large paw.
Stevens dedicates himself (mind you, mostly after losing his arm) to hunting these pirate grizzlies on horseback with a pack of various trailing and fighting dogs, intricately trained for the purpose. The building and handling of this unique pack (made of bloodhounds, sighthounds, terriers, pitbulls and a Great Dane!) makes for the meat of the story and amounts to a lifetime accomplishment greater than most of us will ever claim.
In a word, the story is a marvel. Steven's Cambridge education, exotic subject matter and gorgeous setting help make it so. If the book is still in print, and you'd like to spend a few hours hunting grizzlies in the high lonesome desert, please don't hesitate to make the buy.
* More on the Bodio connection: Steve's home village of Magdalena plays a role in Stevens' story, being the nearest thing to a big town at the time (though not much bigger now I bet!). And the copy of Meet Mr. Grizzly from which this latest edition is reprinted came from Steve's own library, complete with the author's signature, circa 1944.
Excuses & Around the Web
Bear with me a bit, dear readers! I have just begun my eagle book, mentioned below, and am stll shaking down a schedule. Also doing last reread of my collaboration- in translation of Cherkassov's 1865 Notes of an East Siberian Hunter with Vladimir -- a labor of love that will not be an easy sell! A check came in in pounds sterling that will likely take 5 weeks to cash, and we need it now. Libby is on 50 hours a week at the PO, neccesitating a lot of hours for me with animals (mating up all the pigeons) and garden. So I am not blogging or even surfing as much as usual..
Still, a lot of good stuff out there-- well, good and awful, but Attention Must Be Paid.
Awful: smoking will get you an R rating. See also here. Casablanca unsuitable for the young??
Awful 2: almost anything to do with the California mandatory spay- neuter - at - 16 weeks bill. Eric at Classical Values has posts here and here, among others.
"Considering that this is my ninth post on the subject, it may seem that I have become single-mindedly obsessed with AB 1634, but the fact is, that bill is only one tentacle of a growing, seemingly unstoppable juggernaut. To me, government-mandated pet surgery is both a symbol and a clear line that is being drawn. It's an early warning sign of something far worse -- the growing public acceptance of the idea that government can and should invade the most utterly personal areas of our lives.
"Few things are more personal to me than my relationship with my dog, Coco. The idea that the government can make me a criminal for not cutting out her ovaries (something which is entirely my business and no one else's) fills me with horror.
"What happened to all the people who used to scream "KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR BEDROOMS?"
"What about the idea that a man's home is his castle?"
He is starting to sound like me-- or at least that is what people say I am sounding like these days.
Sad news: Tasmanian devils are succumbing to a grotesque and incurable facial cancer. One of the strangest threats to a species seen yet...
Patrick has been on a roll lately. Read The Whole Blog! He has posts on animal experimentation and breast cancer, and on the pathetic "wolf man" from the National Geographic show (who, though he hasn't yet been eaten, is beginning to approach Timothy Treadwell levels-- according to his new girlfriend, he has dropped from Alpha to Omega pack member and "... is in charge of diffusing tensions between the wolves so he spends a lot of time lying on his back, showing his underside and whimpering.."). Patrick also posts on the terminology of scat, deconstructs the "heroic rescue by Jack Russell" story, and (rightfully) disses Tony Blair. What more could you ask for?
More good stuff: a wonderful essay by Odious on food and the pleasures of the table: "When things are bad, I want to eat, and when other people are having trouble, I want to feed them. I told this to a psychology major who responded that I had confused food and love. This is utter nonsense (I am in no danger of eating my wife or son). Food makes things better. Things are always worse on an empty stomach; only after a seriously good meal, and some good drink, and good company, is life manageable."
More delight: Pluvialis is back at the top of her form, writing one of her trademark perfect essays, this one relating pigeons kept in her youth to an air disater she witnessed, and Icarus (also including one of my favorite poems):
"I’ve always found the sight of a rolling pigeon strangely disturbing: it looks too much, to me, as if they’ve been shot. But perhaps that’s why they are here. As if the whole point of this artificial selection was to show pigeons cheating death, day after day after day. Pigeon-breeders reinscribing a defeat over mortality: little feathered souls falling, righting, and winning. One in the eye for god."
Finally. Chas reports on a new "Code of the West". Something like it should be required reading for Nuevo westerners. An example:
"Agriculture is an important business in Larimer County. If you choose to live among the farms and ranches of our rural countryside, do not expect county government to intervene in the normal day-to-day operations of your agri-business neighbors. In fact, Colorado has "Right to Farm" legislation that protects farmers and ranchers from nuisance and liability lawsuits. It enables them to continue producing food and fiber."
And:
"The topography of the land can tell you where the water will go in the case of heavy precipitation. When property owners fill in ravines, they have found that the water that drained through that ravine now drains through their house."
That is all for now. Soon, I hope. picture posts and a long one on how you shouldn't bet on North American wolves staying "benign".
Still, a lot of good stuff out there-- well, good and awful, but Attention Must Be Paid.
Awful: smoking will get you an R rating. See also here. Casablanca unsuitable for the young??
Awful 2: almost anything to do with the California mandatory spay- neuter - at - 16 weeks bill. Eric at Classical Values has posts here and here, among others.
"Considering that this is my ninth post on the subject, it may seem that I have become single-mindedly obsessed with AB 1634, but the fact is, that bill is only one tentacle of a growing, seemingly unstoppable juggernaut. To me, government-mandated pet surgery is both a symbol and a clear line that is being drawn. It's an early warning sign of something far worse -- the growing public acceptance of the idea that government can and should invade the most utterly personal areas of our lives.
"Few things are more personal to me than my relationship with my dog, Coco. The idea that the government can make me a criminal for not cutting out her ovaries (something which is entirely my business and no one else's) fills me with horror.
"What happened to all the people who used to scream "KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR BEDROOMS?"
"What about the idea that a man's home is his castle?"
He is starting to sound like me-- or at least that is what people say I am sounding like these days.
Sad news: Tasmanian devils are succumbing to a grotesque and incurable facial cancer. One of the strangest threats to a species seen yet...
Patrick has been on a roll lately. Read The Whole Blog! He has posts on animal experimentation and breast cancer, and on the pathetic "wolf man" from the National Geographic show (who, though he hasn't yet been eaten, is beginning to approach Timothy Treadwell levels-- according to his new girlfriend, he has dropped from Alpha to Omega pack member and "... is in charge of diffusing tensions between the wolves so he spends a lot of time lying on his back, showing his underside and whimpering.."). Patrick also posts on the terminology of scat, deconstructs the "heroic rescue by Jack Russell" story, and (rightfully) disses Tony Blair. What more could you ask for?
More good stuff: a wonderful essay by Odious on food and the pleasures of the table: "When things are bad, I want to eat, and when other people are having trouble, I want to feed them. I told this to a psychology major who responded that I had confused food and love. This is utter nonsense (I am in no danger of eating my wife or son). Food makes things better. Things are always worse on an empty stomach; only after a seriously good meal, and some good drink, and good company, is life manageable."
More delight: Pluvialis is back at the top of her form, writing one of her trademark perfect essays, this one relating pigeons kept in her youth to an air disater she witnessed, and Icarus (also including one of my favorite poems):
"I’ve always found the sight of a rolling pigeon strangely disturbing: it looks too much, to me, as if they’ve been shot. But perhaps that’s why they are here. As if the whole point of this artificial selection was to show pigeons cheating death, day after day after day. Pigeon-breeders reinscribing a defeat over mortality: little feathered souls falling, righting, and winning. One in the eye for god."
Finally. Chas reports on a new "Code of the West". Something like it should be required reading for Nuevo westerners. An example:
"Agriculture is an important business in Larimer County. If you choose to live among the farms and ranches of our rural countryside, do not expect county government to intervene in the normal day-to-day operations of your agri-business neighbors. In fact, Colorado has "Right to Farm" legislation that protects farmers and ranchers from nuisance and liability lawsuits. It enables them to continue producing food and fiber."
And:
"The topography of the land can tell you where the water will go in the case of heavy precipitation. When property owners fill in ravines, they have found that the water that drained through that ravine now drains through their house."
That is all for now. Soon, I hope. picture posts and a long one on how you shouldn't bet on North American wolves staying "benign".
Monday, May 07, 2007
The Barnsdall-Rio Grande Service Station
I've always admired the architecture of this old abandoned service station, located on West Hollister Avenue in Goleta, out west of Santa Barbara. It was built in 1929, and must be one of the few, if not the only, remaining example of a service station built in the Mission Revival style so popular in the area during that time period.Of course, this building has another hook in regional history besides its architectural style. It is located just north of the Ellwood Oil Field (the field is between it and the beach) that was active from the mid-1920s up until the 1960s. On the night of February 23, 1942, the Japanese submarine I-17 surfaced off the beach here, unlimbered its deck gun, and shelled the oil field. You can read more about it here. The shelling caused little damage, but the night watchman ran to this station, location of the nearest telephone, to report the attack.
The report of the Ellwood shelling set off a panic among air defense forces in Los Angeles, with anti-aircraft units banging away at "sightings" of non-existent Japanese aircraft. This is sometimes referred to as The Battle of Los Angeles.
As the story goes, the captain of the I-17 had visited Ellwood earlier in the 1930s when he served as the captain of an oil tanker. While on a tour of the oil field, he fell into some prickly pear cactus with an irreparable loss of face. The shelling was his revenge.
Interestingly, the shelling at Ellwood was the first of three Japanese submarine attacks on the continental United States during the war. On the night of June 21 -22, 1942 a submarine surfaced off the mouth of the Columbia River and shelled coastal artillery units at Ft. Stevens, Oregon. Finally, a submarine sea-plane tender surfaced off the Oregon coast in September, 1942, and launched a seaplane that dropped incendiary bombs on Oregon forests in an attempt to start forest fires. This and the Ft. Stevens attack caused negligible damage.
UPDATE
For those of you who may be interested, I found this site dedicated to "Petroliana" or gasoline station history (really!) that has more about the Barnsdall-Rio Grande station, including some period photos taken from a pamphlet written about it in 1985. The station has another claim to fame - it was used as a set in the 1981 remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice, starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange.
As to Matt's question about the station's future prospects, I will have to say that I am not sure who the current owner is. The station is a County Landmark, which gives it some consideration under the California Environmental Quality Act. Though it hasn't been evaluated to my knowledge, I can't imagine it not being eligible for the California Register of Historic Resources and/or the National Register of Historic Places. It doesn't appear to be in the path of development. The Sandpiper Golf Course is immediately to the south of its location. A small housing development (full disclosure: I helped write the EIR) is going in on the old Ellwood Oil Field southeast of it, but it will not affected by that. The area is zoned mixed residential and open space, and knowing how anti-growth the south coast of Santa Barbara County is, I'd say the prospects for its future preservation are pretty good.
More on the Antikythera Mechanism
The latest issue of New Yorker has a longish piece on the Antikythera Mechanism that I posted on last fall.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Feasts in the Wild
You don't have to eat junk food in hunting camp. From my fellow New Mexico hunter MDMNM at Sometimes Far Afield:
"The best bottle of wine I had last year was uncorked on a grouse hunt (it was a Casa Rodena 1998 Cabernet Franc, if you were wondering). On this last trip, dinner the first night centered around grilled redfish and asparagus. For my money, one of the best eating fish is redfish when prepared "on the half shell". That is, you fillet the fish, leaving the skin on, and then grill it with the skin and scale side down. The heavy scales char and protect the meat, which sort of poaches in its own fat and juices. Prior to grilling, sprinkle the meat side with some salt and fresh ground pepper, along with some herbs that go with fish (I like thyme, a little oregano, and parsley along with a bit of dried chive if I have it) and perhaps a little smoked paprika. Some cooks will brush the flesh with melted butter first, but I don't consider that step necessary. Grill the fish over a fairly hot fire to keep from drying it out too much. Bonny Doon Vineyard's Vin Gris de Cigare went along quite nicely. The second night we had to scratch by with elk cutlets grilled very rare and a green salad, along with another favorite, Sandia Shadows' Cabernet Sauvignon (2000), which is a nice cab for those of us who like them a bit tannic and big, but not jammy.
"While nice, these meals aren't even trying very hard. For a few years when we gathered in larger elk-hunting camps we would try to do something a bit more fancy on the night before the season opened. Perhaps the most spectacular example of those meals featured large trout, kept whole and stuffed with a dressing of rice and water chestnuts and then grilled. Bacon wrapped nilgai fillets, black bean and shrimp chili, and grilled prawns in mojo de ajo also deserve recollection. I contend that for every backpack meal of freeze-dried or salami and cheese, a hunter or fisher should fire up his Dutch oven or spend some time grilling up something a bit special."
"The best bottle of wine I had last year was uncorked on a grouse hunt (it was a Casa Rodena 1998 Cabernet Franc, if you were wondering). On this last trip, dinner the first night centered around grilled redfish and asparagus. For my money, one of the best eating fish is redfish when prepared "on the half shell". That is, you fillet the fish, leaving the skin on, and then grill it with the skin and scale side down. The heavy scales char and protect the meat, which sort of poaches in its own fat and juices. Prior to grilling, sprinkle the meat side with some salt and fresh ground pepper, along with some herbs that go with fish (I like thyme, a little oregano, and parsley along with a bit of dried chive if I have it) and perhaps a little smoked paprika. Some cooks will brush the flesh with melted butter first, but I don't consider that step necessary. Grill the fish over a fairly hot fire to keep from drying it out too much. Bonny Doon Vineyard's Vin Gris de Cigare went along quite nicely. The second night we had to scratch by with elk cutlets grilled very rare and a green salad, along with another favorite, Sandia Shadows' Cabernet Sauvignon (2000), which is a nice cab for those of us who like them a bit tannic and big, but not jammy.
"While nice, these meals aren't even trying very hard. For a few years when we gathered in larger elk-hunting camps we would try to do something a bit more fancy on the night before the season opened. Perhaps the most spectacular example of those meals featured large trout, kept whole and stuffed with a dressing of rice and water chestnuts and then grilled. Bacon wrapped nilgai fillets, black bean and shrimp chili, and grilled prawns in mojo de ajo also deserve recollection. I contend that for every backpack meal of freeze-dried or salami and cheese, a hunter or fisher should fire up his Dutch oven or spend some time grilling up something a bit special."
Wondrous Feathers
Reader, falconer, and birder Stacia Novy, in the military in Honduras, sent a photo of herself with the central tail feathers of a motmot that she picked up. She wrote:
They are unusual not just in shape or color but because the bird helps create the structure, stripping the barbs off the middle part of the feather to create the "racquets" at the end.
More on the motmot can be found here (HT John at Prairie Ice.
"I found this pair of molted, central tail (deck) feathers from a Turquoise-browed Motmot the other day while hiking along a stream bed on base. What a find! The male motmot performs a pendulum-like display, swinging the racket-shaped tail feathers from side to side, and calling a low, resonant 'woop-woop-woop' in perfect time to the swings. In spanish, the bird is known as 'pajaro reloj' which literally means 'clock bird' because of this display. "
They are unusual not just in shape or color but because the bird helps create the structure, stripping the barbs off the middle part of the feather to create the "racquets" at the end.
More on the motmot can be found here (HT John at Prairie Ice.
Ancestry and Reversion
Lots of good thinking about the evolution of domestic animals this week. Odious started out with a post on Heck cattle, the Hagenbeck brothers' attempt in pre- WW II Germany to breed a reconstructed aurochs. Comments came in from Chas and Doc Hypercube, who was also interested enough to post on Darren's theories about dog origins on Diary of a Mad Natural Historian:
"My thought on all this is that it seems to show that once genetic material is lost in a population (as a result of domestication) it’s gone - all the king’s horses, etc. Perhaps, then, it’s not shocking that dogs revert to pariah dogs in some number of generations - the genes that would allow reversion to a more wolfy form are just gone from the domesticated dog’s gene pool. To extend the title of the post a bit - border collies are to pariah dogs as Holsteins are to criollos/Texas longhorns? Don’t get me wrong - there are a number of other persuasive points in Darren’s post - I’m just not sure about the ‘won’t revert to wolves’ argument at this point."
I reponded with my own theories, which tend to be close to the ones Darren expressed:
"I think there are still mysteries, many mentioned by Darren, and even Dave Mech's correction in his comments don't lay them all to rest for me.
"If you saw the (unusually excellent) [ Only the first half-- the second among other idiocies said salukis were too refined to actually KILL hares--SB] PBS documentary on dog origins last night you will be familiar with Ray Coppinger's "dogs domesticated themselves" theory, Belyaev's fox domestication by selecting only for tameness, Saivolainen's genetics (my dogs are in it!) etc. These rather assume but don't demand a wolf ancestry.
"Darren says: "introgressive hybridization between the two is so limited that it doesn’t pose a threat to the genetic integrity of the wolf. Wolves and domestic dogs are in fact staying distinct. This applies globally as well as locally: despite continuous, near-global sympatry between domestic dogs and wolves, hybridization has hardly occurred and only one mtDNA type is shared". This seems really important to me. Coyotes are the outlier in a dog- wolf- coyote cladogram-- reasonably enough considering their New World origin. But wolves and coyotes hybridize far more often than wolves and dogs or coyotes and dogs. Red wolves are now considered to carry genes from both, and the same for the big wild canids of eastern Canada and adjacent New England. A barrier-- behavioral?-- exists between dogs and other (wild) canids. And as Darren says, the behavioral differences are real (and probably bigger than those between, say, the aurochs and the Spanish fighting bull or longhorn).
"If the split were really old, pre- modern human, what does that imply? Also, on the show last night, Ray Coppinger explained that scavenging wolves without a flight reflex would form the gene pool for dogs. This struck me as WRONG. I have been carrying on an email discussion with the eminent biologist Valerius Geist, who has been studying what interactions lead to wolves attacking humans, and the first sign is that they lose their fear of humans. It is a bad sign! Maybe "wolves" or whatever that show submission, but not lack of fear.
"Also re breeding back-- did you see my comment following yours on O & P about breeding back the quagga from the (conspecific) Burchell's zebra, which was going well last I heard? No Heck cattle they!
"BTW Val will be doing a lot I think to show that the lack of human attacks in North America by C. lupus is a historical accident and artifact and is likely to end bloodily. ( Bad attacks recently in Canada, one ending with someone eaten."
And if this is all not too bloggish in its recursiveness, Odious decided to track down that Quagga link to update on what may be a genetic phoenix, rising again from temporarily hidden genes.
"My thought on all this is that it seems to show that once genetic material is lost in a population (as a result of domestication) it’s gone - all the king’s horses, etc. Perhaps, then, it’s not shocking that dogs revert to pariah dogs in some number of generations - the genes that would allow reversion to a more wolfy form are just gone from the domesticated dog’s gene pool. To extend the title of the post a bit - border collies are to pariah dogs as Holsteins are to criollos/Texas longhorns? Don’t get me wrong - there are a number of other persuasive points in Darren’s post - I’m just not sure about the ‘won’t revert to wolves’ argument at this point."
I reponded with my own theories, which tend to be close to the ones Darren expressed:
"I think there are still mysteries, many mentioned by Darren, and even Dave Mech's correction in his comments don't lay them all to rest for me.
"If you saw the (unusually excellent) [ Only the first half-- the second among other idiocies said salukis were too refined to actually KILL hares--SB] PBS documentary on dog origins last night you will be familiar with Ray Coppinger's "dogs domesticated themselves" theory, Belyaev's fox domestication by selecting only for tameness, Saivolainen's genetics (my dogs are in it!) etc. These rather assume but don't demand a wolf ancestry.
"Darren says: "introgressive hybridization between the two is so limited that it doesn’t pose a threat to the genetic integrity of the wolf. Wolves and domestic dogs are in fact staying distinct. This applies globally as well as locally: despite continuous, near-global sympatry between domestic dogs and wolves, hybridization has hardly occurred and only one mtDNA type is shared". This seems really important to me. Coyotes are the outlier in a dog- wolf- coyote cladogram-- reasonably enough considering their New World origin. But wolves and coyotes hybridize far more often than wolves and dogs or coyotes and dogs. Red wolves are now considered to carry genes from both, and the same for the big wild canids of eastern Canada and adjacent New England. A barrier-- behavioral?-- exists between dogs and other (wild) canids. And as Darren says, the behavioral differences are real (and probably bigger than those between, say, the aurochs and the Spanish fighting bull or longhorn).
"If the split were really old, pre- modern human, what does that imply? Also, on the show last night, Ray Coppinger explained that scavenging wolves without a flight reflex would form the gene pool for dogs. This struck me as WRONG. I have been carrying on an email discussion with the eminent biologist Valerius Geist, who has been studying what interactions lead to wolves attacking humans, and the first sign is that they lose their fear of humans. It is a bad sign! Maybe "wolves" or whatever that show submission, but not lack of fear.
"Also re breeding back-- did you see my comment following yours on O & P about breeding back the quagga from the (conspecific) Burchell's zebra, which was going well last I heard? No Heck cattle they!
"BTW Val will be doing a lot I think to show that the lack of human attacks in North America by C. lupus is a historical accident and artifact and is likely to end bloodily. ( Bad attacks recently in Canada, one ending with someone eaten."
And if this is all not too bloggish in its recursiveness, Odious decided to track down that Quagga link to update on what may be a genetic phoenix, rising again from temporarily hidden genes.
Duck Sex Evolution
Lots of good bio stuff this week. Annie Pearse and Reid both sent me this NYT piece on the evolution of duck sex organs. A teaser:
"When she first visited in January, the phalluses were the size of rice grains. Now many of them are growing rapidly. The champion phallus from this Meller’s duck is a long, spiraling tentacle. Some ducks grow phalluses as long as their entire body. In the fall, the genitalia will disappear, only to reappear next spring.
"The anatomy of ducks is especially bizarre considering that 97 percent of all bird species have no phallus at all. Most male birds just deliver their sperm through an opening. Dr. Brennan is investigating how this sexual wonder of the world came to be.
"Part of the answer, she has discovered, has gone overlooked for decades. Male ducks may have such extreme genitals because the females do too. The birds are locked in an evolutionary struggle for reproductive success."
Any thoughts, Darren?
Update: Darren shows us that turtles are at least as strange in this regard.
"When she first visited in January, the phalluses were the size of rice grains. Now many of them are growing rapidly. The champion phallus from this Meller’s duck is a long, spiraling tentacle. Some ducks grow phalluses as long as their entire body. In the fall, the genitalia will disappear, only to reappear next spring.
"The anatomy of ducks is especially bizarre considering that 97 percent of all bird species have no phallus at all. Most male birds just deliver their sperm through an opening. Dr. Brennan is investigating how this sexual wonder of the world came to be.
"Part of the answer, she has discovered, has gone overlooked for decades. Male ducks may have such extreme genitals because the females do too. The birds are locked in an evolutionary struggle for reproductive success."
Any thoughts, Darren?
Update: Darren shows us that turtles are at least as strange in this regard.
Good Alcohol and Unconventional Greens
But there is still a lot of spirit, in every sense, out there to combat those who would control our every move. Brit blogger Raedwald muses on anti- drinking activists who would not allow us to teach our children to drink sanely (Peculiar? Odious? Would that not have jailed Libby and I for many joyous evenings in your youth?):
"... The French would snort, the Spanish giggle and the Italians shrug. Even the Germans would blow a little Teutonic toot through pursed lips.
"And now another thought has flicked through my mind. If the meddling witch from Alcohol Concern who spoke on R4's 'Today' earlier was mashed, fermented and distilled, aged in an oak cask with wormwood and scorpion tails, and bottled, what would the taste be? Bitter, no doubt. A hidden spiteful sting, perhaps not unpleasant if well diluted. A few drops then, in a Paris goblet, well swilled round to coat the glass, before half a gill of good Plymouth Gin is added. That would be perfect."
Meanwhile, the inimitable Michael Blowhard has a a long post on contrarian "non- Gore" environmentalism, everything from free- market types to bioregionalists, anarchists, Slow Food, and even Ducks Unlimited. Read The Whole Thing plus links, please, for alternatives to top- down Statist command and control.
A quote:
"I've spent bunches of time exploring the eco-world, and I can testify that eco-people and eco-orgs come in all kinds of flavors. There are people who really like ducks and trees lots better than humans, for instance. (I feel that way myself sometimes.) There are one-issue people -- people who are doing what they can to protect manatees, or coral, or local forests. (God bless 'em.) There are far-out radicals who want the midwest to be declared a grass-and-buffalo preserve, and who argue that we need to create nature-corridors to reconnect the "natural" parts of the country. (They make remarkably convincing arguments for this, IMHO. Plus I often simply like the bioregional eco-anarchy people a whole lot.) And there are people like Bjorn Lomborg, who's eco but realistic. (I think he's great too, if not the final word on anything.)"
"... The French would snort, the Spanish giggle and the Italians shrug. Even the Germans would blow a little Teutonic toot through pursed lips.
"And now another thought has flicked through my mind. If the meddling witch from Alcohol Concern who spoke on R4's 'Today' earlier was mashed, fermented and distilled, aged in an oak cask with wormwood and scorpion tails, and bottled, what would the taste be? Bitter, no doubt. A hidden spiteful sting, perhaps not unpleasant if well diluted. A few drops then, in a Paris goblet, well swilled round to coat the glass, before half a gill of good Plymouth Gin is added. That would be perfect."
Meanwhile, the inimitable Michael Blowhard has a a long post on contrarian "non- Gore" environmentalism, everything from free- market types to bioregionalists, anarchists, Slow Food, and even Ducks Unlimited. Read The Whole Thing plus links, please, for alternatives to top- down Statist command and control.
A quote:
"I've spent bunches of time exploring the eco-world, and I can testify that eco-people and eco-orgs come in all kinds of flavors. There are people who really like ducks and trees lots better than humans, for instance. (I feel that way myself sometimes.) There are one-issue people -- people who are doing what they can to protect manatees, or coral, or local forests. (God bless 'em.) There are far-out radicals who want the midwest to be declared a grass-and-buffalo preserve, and who argue that we need to create nature-corridors to reconnect the "natural" parts of the country. (They make remarkably convincing arguments for this, IMHO. Plus I often simply like the bioregional eco-anarchy people a whole lot.) And there are people like Bjorn Lomborg, who's eco but realistic. (I think he's great too, if not the final word on anything.)"
Penn Gun Proposal
This seems to be a big week for nanny- state regs. From Hunting Life:
"This misguided proposal would require every gun in Pennsylvania to be registered with the state, and each firearm would have to be re-registered annually. The registration would cost law-abiding gun owners $10 per gun each year. Of course, criminals won’t pay anything BECAUSE CRIMINALS DON'T REGISTER GUNS! In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Haynes v. U.S. (309 U.S. 85 (1968)) that since felons are prohibited from owning firearms, compelling them to register them would violate their 5th Amendment rights against self-incrimination. However, if a law-abiding gun owner fails to register it, he or she will be jailed and lose his or her rights FOREVER. The measure would require each gun owner annually submit to fingerprinting, have a background check, and to include passport-style photos for the registration cards. The registration card for each gun would then have to be carried with that gun at all times. To make matters worse, if the state should reject your application for any reason, YOUR GUNS WILL BE CONFISCATED!"
We all know how well such things are working in DC and England...
"This misguided proposal would require every gun in Pennsylvania to be registered with the state, and each firearm would have to be re-registered annually. The registration would cost law-abiding gun owners $10 per gun each year. Of course, criminals won’t pay anything BECAUSE CRIMINALS DON'T REGISTER GUNS! In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Haynes v. U.S. (309 U.S. 85 (1968)) that since felons are prohibited from owning firearms, compelling them to register them would violate their 5th Amendment rights against self-incrimination. However, if a law-abiding gun owner fails to register it, he or she will be jailed and lose his or her rights FOREVER. The measure would require each gun owner annually submit to fingerprinting, have a background check, and to include passport-style photos for the registration cards. The registration card for each gun would then have to be carried with that gun at all times. To make matters worse, if the state should reject your application for any reason, YOUR GUNS WILL BE CONFISCATED!"
We all know how well such things are working in DC and England...
More AR Follies
The California compulsory spay- neuter bill should be on everybody's radar. Blue Dog State puts it pungently, with some not- so- fantastic scenarios:
"Enforcement of the King of the Nanny-Staters Lloyd Levine's modest proposal to castrate every pet dog and cat in the state of California was left up to local enforcement personnel.
"Things might get a little out of hand.
"How is Levine planning to detect those unauthorized gonads, anyway?
"Let's have a visioning session on the enforcement of AB 1634. Shall we?
"Door to door searches. I hear animal control is already going door to door in El Paso, Texas, looking for un-microchipped pets.
"Are dog owners in La-La Land going to be okay with a knock on the door in the middle of the night? Or will that only be necessary in "certain areas" ? Not in Malibu. Not in Beverly Hills.
"But South Central L. A.? Oh, yeah.
"Diming dog owners. Will veterinarians, trainers and groomers eventually be required to drop a dime on their dog owning clients?
"Eyes in the sky. Maybe a little surveillance of known pet owner hangouts? Dog parks, feed stores, PetsMart, whatever?
"Report-a-testicle. How about a toll-free "here's your chance to even the score with your pain in the ass neighbor" telephone number?"
(Snip-- well, maybe not the most apropos word)
"One-size-fits-all "remedies" like mandatory castration at the age of 16 weeks, no exceptions, is as scary as it sounds."
And you want to ignore it because it is in California and "It can't happen here"? Here is what Dr. John B sent me on the Institute for Animal Rights Model Mandatory Spay Neuter Law.
"Lest there be any question about the constitutionality of
spay/neuter legislation in general, and the following statute in
particular, it can quickly be laid to rest. The Tenth Amendment to
the Constitution of the United States gives the states (and thus
political subdivisions like counties, cities, towns and villages) the
power to enact virtually any laws they wish that are reasonably
related to the public health, safety and welfare. On the other hand,
neither at the state nor federal level is there any constitutional
right to foster the breeding of countless numbers of unwanted dogs
and cats.
Thus, a potentially effective weapon in the War on Dog
and Cat overpopulation is the use of mandatory spay/neuter legislation.
Model Statute
WHEREAS, there have been, and there are, within this
jurisdiction a substantial number of unwanted cats and dogs lacking
permanent homes, many of whom are healthy animals; and
WHEREAS, these cats and dogs through no fault of their
own have an adverse impact on the public health, safety, welfare, and
environment; and
WHEREAS the impact of these animals includes, but is not
limited to, the transmission to disease, the injury of humans and
other animals, the creation of hazards to vehicular traffic, and the
drain of public finances; and
WHEREAS, many of these cats and dogs are euthanized by
shelters, humane societies, and other similar organizations; and
WHEREAS, euthanizing cats and dogs, except for bona fide
medical reasons, is inhumane and abhorrent to the residents of this
jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, euthanizing cats and dogs, except for bona fide
medical reasons, is not an effective, economical, humane, or ethical,
solution to the problem of unwanted cats and dogs; and
WHEREAS, the most effective, economical, humane, and
ethical solution to the problem of unwanted cats and dogs is to
substantially reduce, or entirely eliminate, their birth; and
WHEREAS, by such reduction or elimination the [Council,
Board of Selectmen, etc.] of the [Town, City, County, etc.] of the
State of [name the state] seek to promote the health, welfare, safety
and environment, of its residents;
NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained and enacted as follows:
Section 1. Prohibition
Subject to the express exceptions provided in Section 2
below, it shall be unlawful to harbor in this jurisdiction any
unspayed cat or dog over four months of age or any unneutered cat or
dog over four months of age. "Harbor" is defined to include legal
ownership, or the providing of regular care, or shelter, or
protection, or refuge, or nourishment, or medical treatment; provided
however that this section shall not apply to any person who provides
nourishment to a stray or feral cat or dog.
Section 2. Exception [The ONLY one-- SB]
(a) The prohibition set forth in Section 1 above shall
not apply if a veterinarian licensed in this jurisdiction shall
certify in writing, and under oath, that a specific cat or dog is
medically unfit to undergo the required spay or neuter procedure
because of a physical condition which would be substantially
aggravated by such procedure or would likely cause the animal's
death.
1. The age of the animal shall not per se constitute
medical unfitness.
2. As soon as such condition ceases to exist, it shall
be the duty of the person who harbors such animal to promptly comply
with this ordinance.
3. Possession of the certification referred to in
Section 2, a, above, shall constitute a defense to liability under
this ordinance.
(b) The prohibition set forth in Section 1 above shall
not apply to the animals harbored by a pound, shelter, humane
society, or similar organization, whether public or private, whose
principal purpose is securing the adoption of dogs or cats provided
that such organization has a policy and rules requiring the spaying
and neutering of all dogs and cats placed for adoption by such
organization.
(c) The prohibition set forth in Section 1 above shall
not apply to any animal temporarily harbored within this jurisdiction
for less than fourteen days within any one calendar year. The burden
of proving such temporary harboring shall be upon the person
harboring the animal.
Section 3. Extension of time to spay or neuter.
Upon presentation of a written statement from a licensed
veterinarian, under oath, stating that the life or health of an
adopted animal may be jeopardized by spaying or neutering, the
releasing agency shall, in writing, grant a 30-day extension of the
period within which the spay or neuter procedure would otherwise be
required. Further extensions, or permanent exemption, may be granted
upon additional veterinary statements stating the necessity for such
extensions or exemption.
Section 4. Forfeiture.
Kittens and puppies born to cats and dogs not spayed or
neutered in violation of this statute shall be forfeited, and given
to the care of a local shelter for adoption in accordance with the
organization's usual policies and rules.
Section 5. Transition.
Persons harboring a dog or cat subject to this law on the
date it becomes effective shall have 120 days from such date to
comply herewith.
Section 6. Penalty.
Any person who violates the provisions of this act
commits [here, include appropriate punishment under the
jurisdiction's criminal laws].
Section 7. Repeal.
All other laws, or parts thereof, of this jurisdiction
which are inconsistent with the provisions of this law are hereby
repealed with regard to such inconsistency or inconsistencies only.
Section 8. Effective date.
This law shall take effect immediately upon being duly
approved."
Forfeiture and criminal penalties.
As the Spartans said about their weapons, "Molon labe".
"Enforcement of the King of the Nanny-Staters Lloyd Levine's modest proposal to castrate every pet dog and cat in the state of California was left up to local enforcement personnel.
"Things might get a little out of hand.
"How is Levine planning to detect those unauthorized gonads, anyway?
"Let's have a visioning session on the enforcement of AB 1634. Shall we?
"Door to door searches. I hear animal control is already going door to door in El Paso, Texas, looking for un-microchipped pets.
"Are dog owners in La-La Land going to be okay with a knock on the door in the middle of the night? Or will that only be necessary in "certain areas" ? Not in Malibu. Not in Beverly Hills.
"But South Central L. A.? Oh, yeah.
"Diming dog owners. Will veterinarians, trainers and groomers eventually be required to drop a dime on their dog owning clients?
"Eyes in the sky. Maybe a little surveillance of known pet owner hangouts? Dog parks, feed stores, PetsMart, whatever?
"Report-a-testicle. How about a toll-free "here's your chance to even the score with your pain in the ass neighbor" telephone number?"
(Snip-- well, maybe not the most apropos word)
"One-size-fits-all "remedies" like mandatory castration at the age of 16 weeks, no exceptions, is as scary as it sounds."
And you want to ignore it because it is in California and "It can't happen here"? Here is what Dr. John B sent me on the Institute for Animal Rights Model Mandatory Spay Neuter Law.
"Lest there be any question about the constitutionality of
spay/neuter legislation in general, and the following statute in
particular, it can quickly be laid to rest. The Tenth Amendment to
the Constitution of the United States gives the states (and thus
political subdivisions like counties, cities, towns and villages) the
power to enact virtually any laws they wish that are reasonably
related to the public health, safety and welfare. On the other hand,
neither at the state nor federal level is there any constitutional
right to foster the breeding of countless numbers of unwanted dogs
and cats.
Thus, a potentially effective weapon in the War on Dog
and Cat overpopulation is the use of mandatory spay/neuter legislation.
Model Statute
WHEREAS, there have been, and there are, within this
jurisdiction a substantial number of unwanted cats and dogs lacking
permanent homes, many of whom are healthy animals; and
WHEREAS, these cats and dogs through no fault of their
own have an adverse impact on the public health, safety, welfare, and
environment; and
WHEREAS the impact of these animals includes, but is not
limited to, the transmission to disease, the injury of humans and
other animals, the creation of hazards to vehicular traffic, and the
drain of public finances; and
WHEREAS, many of these cats and dogs are euthanized by
shelters, humane societies, and other similar organizations; and
WHEREAS, euthanizing cats and dogs, except for bona fide
medical reasons, is inhumane and abhorrent to the residents of this
jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, euthanizing cats and dogs, except for bona fide
medical reasons, is not an effective, economical, humane, or ethical,
solution to the problem of unwanted cats and dogs; and
WHEREAS, the most effective, economical, humane, and
ethical solution to the problem of unwanted cats and dogs is to
substantially reduce, or entirely eliminate, their birth; and
WHEREAS, by such reduction or elimination the [Council,
Board of Selectmen, etc.] of the [Town, City, County, etc.] of the
State of [name the state] seek to promote the health, welfare, safety
and environment, of its residents;
NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained and enacted as follows:
Section 1. Prohibition
Subject to the express exceptions provided in Section 2
below, it shall be unlawful to harbor in this jurisdiction any
unspayed cat or dog over four months of age or any unneutered cat or
dog over four months of age. "Harbor" is defined to include legal
ownership, or the providing of regular care, or shelter, or
protection, or refuge, or nourishment, or medical treatment; provided
however that this section shall not apply to any person who provides
nourishment to a stray or feral cat or dog.
Section 2. Exception [The ONLY one-- SB]
(a) The prohibition set forth in Section 1 above shall
not apply if a veterinarian licensed in this jurisdiction shall
certify in writing, and under oath, that a specific cat or dog is
medically unfit to undergo the required spay or neuter procedure
because of a physical condition which would be substantially
aggravated by such procedure or would likely cause the animal's
death.
1. The age of the animal shall not per se constitute
medical unfitness.
2. As soon as such condition ceases to exist, it shall
be the duty of the person who harbors such animal to promptly comply
with this ordinance.
3. Possession of the certification referred to in
Section 2, a, above, shall constitute a defense to liability under
this ordinance.
(b) The prohibition set forth in Section 1 above shall
not apply to the animals harbored by a pound, shelter, humane
society, or similar organization, whether public or private, whose
principal purpose is securing the adoption of dogs or cats provided
that such organization has a policy and rules requiring the spaying
and neutering of all dogs and cats placed for adoption by such
organization.
(c) The prohibition set forth in Section 1 above shall
not apply to any animal temporarily harbored within this jurisdiction
for less than fourteen days within any one calendar year. The burden
of proving such temporary harboring shall be upon the person
harboring the animal.
Section 3. Extension of time to spay or neuter.
Upon presentation of a written statement from a licensed
veterinarian, under oath, stating that the life or health of an
adopted animal may be jeopardized by spaying or neutering, the
releasing agency shall, in writing, grant a 30-day extension of the
period within which the spay or neuter procedure would otherwise be
required. Further extensions, or permanent exemption, may be granted
upon additional veterinary statements stating the necessity for such
extensions or exemption.
Section 4. Forfeiture.
Kittens and puppies born to cats and dogs not spayed or
neutered in violation of this statute shall be forfeited, and given
to the care of a local shelter for adoption in accordance with the
organization's usual policies and rules.
Section 5. Transition.
Persons harboring a dog or cat subject to this law on the
date it becomes effective shall have 120 days from such date to
comply herewith.
Section 6. Penalty.
Any person who violates the provisions of this act
commits [here, include appropriate punishment under the
jurisdiction's criminal laws].
Section 7. Repeal.
All other laws, or parts thereof, of this jurisdiction
which are inconsistent with the provisions of this law are hereby
repealed with regard to such inconsistency or inconsistencies only.
Section 8. Effective date.
This law shall take effect immediately upon being duly
approved."
Forfeiture and criminal penalties.
As the Spartans said about their weapons, "Molon labe".
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