Opinion: Florida’s Great Snake Hunt Is a Cheap Stunt

Agreed.
No one wants to find a python in their kitchen one morning while stumbling around trying to get the coffee made.
But mass hunts like this, which are actually blood lust fueled sprees to satisfy the basest traits within humanity, are not the answer.

Opinion: Florida’s Great Snake Hunt Is a Cheap Stunt: I registered as a python hunter but I did not really intend to hunt pythons. I wanted to see my first wildlife rumble, a fight between snake haters and animal rights activists, something along the lines of those protesters who dress up as wolves or polar bears, or who splash fake blood onto Canadian politicians to protest clubbing seal babies.

Instead I discovered something resembling a scene in the film Jaws—not the one where the town hires a seasoned shark expert to go out and kill the great white, but the ridiculous scene where every idiot with a pitchfork and an inner tube is paddling out to get a piece of shark meat.

I met contestants who had never seen a Burmese python before, who had never handled a snake. I overheard one man telling some greenhorns from Maine that his technique is to swing a snake by the tail and slam its head into a tree. "It stuns 'em," he said.

I was surprised by the following:

The Nature Conservancy showed up, but they're a partner in the Python Challenge, a contrast to their own python control program, and provided the training materials.

Non-Bigfoot Blood Lust

Just my personal little war on a Bigfoot blog that shall not be named nor linked to, but once again I see they have posted footage (vintage TV) of someone killing a deer with his bare hands and drinking its blood, or some such. Details don't matter. What does matter is that this has nothing to do with Bigfoot, and everything to do with animal porn, to drive visitors to their site. Not the first time they've posted this type of blood lust crap; won't be the last. Their excuse, as they once posted, was something along the lines of (paraphrasing, naturally) "Bigfoot probably eats like this in the wild so why not it's all good."Disingenuous bullshit.

West Virginia’s mascot shoots and kills a black bear with the musket we all thought was a prop | Dr. Saturday - Yahoo! Sports

Jonathan Kimble, the psycho bear killer and mascot for West Virginia's Mountaineers, (see yesterday's post on this story)  is sorry and in trouble. Sort of sorry, and kind of in trouble; doesn't seem to be any big issue for the parties involved, it's simply a matter of responding to no doubt what they see as over reactions from the rest of the country. Including Graham Watson, write of the piece, who writes:

OK. Your first thought after reading this should be: "Holy crap, that thing really works?"

Your second thought should be: "Holy crap, does Dana Holgorsen know?"

And then somewhere, in the recesses of your mind, you should be just a little impressed that Kimble shot a bear out of a tree with a musket. I mean, look at that thing.

And then you should be outraged -- if you value animal rights or don't like hunting or -- because it was a small (possible baby) bear he shot out of the tree.

Will Oregon Zoo's prized baby elephant end up in a traveling show?

Tragic, and a disgusting example of humanity's gratuitous need to use abuse animals as "entertainment." Bad enough elephants are in zoos, but the potential fate of the Portland Zoos recently born elephant is dismal: Will Oregon Zoo's prized baby elephant end up in a traveling show? "Trunks Will Travel" cute, huh? Owners may or may not take ownership.

Please do what you can to make sure this doesn't happen. Animals, especially creatures such as elephants, do not belong in circuses or to be rented for entertainment. The bond between mother and child in the elephant world is life long and strong. The good news is the zoo insists the elephant will "stay put." But there is a contract dispute:

Kari Johnson, who co-owns Have Trunk Will Travel with her husband, Gary, told the Times that they were looking forward to visiting the newborn elephant and added that details regarding her future had not yet been worked out.

Perris, California, where the Johnsons have their elephant for hire business.  That sounded familiar. So I went back into my files. Ah, here it is; I posted about lion meat hamburgers available at a Tuscon, Arizona restaurant. Source of the lion meat? Perris, California. Tuscon Restaurant Serves Lion Meat Tacos. I have no idea if there is a connection between the lion meat and the Johnsons; I'm not saying there is one, only that the town of Perris, California seems to be the area for gratuitous indulgences with animals. There's more. Seems Have Trunk Will Travel was sued for animal abuse and fraud, according to this article in Animal Defenders International:

Los Angeles, Monday June 27, 2011 -- Today, in the US District Court, Central District of California, Los Angeles, Animal Defenders International (ADI), together with members of the public, Gail Profant and Leslie Hemstreet, filed suit against Have Trunk Will Travel, as well as the owners Gary and Kari Johnson, over their claims about the training of the elephant Tai, who played Rosie in the film ‘Water for Elephants’. The suit is based on erroneous assurances that the defendants gave the public that the elephant Tai was trained with kindness for her role in Water for Elephants. Video footage released by Animal Defenders International (ADI) showed Tai and other elephants being electric shocked with a stun gun and jabbed and hit will bull hooks during her training for the same types of tricks seen in the movie, at the Perris, CA ranch of Have Trunk Will Travel.

'Cat People' Movie Poster Images

1942 Cat People.

 

There was a "mostly unrelated sequel" as it was described by IMDB, in 1944.

I haven't seen the movie, but I love this poster!

Vintage Fortune Telling Emphemera; Animal Images

Enjoy these vintage images of "fortune telling" themes, with animals promoting the wares...

I remember these! And those paper flowers that "grew" from shells once you put them in water :)

Vintage snake images

I found these vintage images of snake charmers, snake farms, etc. while writing the post below about the live eating of animals for your entertainment pleasure.

Gratuitous Gleeful Gross-outs: Live Eating

Two recent items about gluttony, indulgence, and general supreme un-mindfullness concerning that thing within us that enjoys such stupid cruelties passing for entertainment.

 Both stories concern eating animals while they're still alive, and both concern snakes.

The first story brings us news of man who died shortly after eating live roaches and worms. As if that activity wasn't bad enough, that activity was one where many participated. It was a contest. And the prize: a live python.

The winner of a roach-eating contest in South Florida died shortly after downing dozens of the live bugs as well as worms, authorities said Monday.
About 30 contestants ate the insects during Friday night's contest at

Ben Siegel Reptile Store in Deerfield Beach about 40 miles north of Miami. The grand prize was a python.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/09/man-dies-after-live-roach-eating-contest-in-florida/#ixzz28qhXEfcw

The contest was described by a lawyer for the reptile store's owner who sponsored the contest as a " . . . unique and unorthodox contest." The second item concerns a young man who skins a snake, alive, and eats it. All on video for your viewing pleasure. For some reason, Bigfoot Evidence linked to this story. What it has to do with Sasquatch remains a mystery.

BBC News - "No evidence of mermaids, says US government"

This may seem to be a fluff piece but I can't help myself, I sense an undercurrent (no pun intended) of disinfo and distraction. No, I don't mean to suggest mer-people literally exist. But in this article: BBC News - No evidence of mermaids, says US government it is made clear the National Ocean Service took the time to respond to supposed public inquires about the existence of mermaids after Animal Planet aired Mermaids: The Body Found. In the BBC news article, we have this quote from NOAA's Carol Kavanagh that the NOAA article (see below) "was written from publicly available sources..." and that is  due to their lack of a  "mermaid science programme."

Here is the official article from NOAA: No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.  It's a very short piece -- three paragraphs and concludes:

But are mermaids real? No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found. Why, then, do they occupy the collective unconscious of nearly all seafaring peoples? That’s a question best left to historians, philosophers, and anthropologists.

I haven't seen Animal Planet's program. According to the press release at their site, they reference the Aquatic Ape Theory:

The Aquatic Ape Theory makes it possible to believe that while we evolved into terrestrial humans, our aquatic relatives turned into something strangely similar to the fabled mermaid. As evidence that humans once evolved into aquatic creatures, the Aquatic Ape Theory cites some of the striking differences between man and other primates and the many features we share with marine mammals, including the following:

• Webbing between fingers (other primates don’t have this) Subcutaneous fat (insulating from cold water)

• Control over breath (humans can hold breath up to 20 minutes, longer than any other terrestrial animal)

• Loss of body hair (hair creates drag in water) Instinctive ability to swim (human babies are able to do this)

• A highly developed brain, which depends on nutrients provided by seafood  Here's a blog about the program from Cryptozooogy the Science of the Unknown, with link kindly provided to the full program on YouTube.  
•  (Image found at Vintage Clip Art.)

Nick Redfern's World of Whatever...: Mothman Vs. Mothra

Nick Redfern brings a neat little comparative exercise to Mothman, using the pop culture classic film Mothra and specifics of the Mothman phenomena. Nick Redfern's World of Whatever...: Mothman Vs. Mothra

And, just because Mothra is one of my favorite films, here's a clip!

The Grey

I really dislike rants about books or film where the ranter hasn't read the book or seen the film. But I'm breaking my own rule. Furthermore, I love Liam Neeson. Love him, and I've forgiven him for getting that glazed, empty-eyed plastic surgery job that he got a few years ago. In spite of that awful eye job, he's still dreamy. However, it's impossible to forgive him for starring in a movie like The Grey, which is --  I assume, based on the previews -- basically, Moby Dick. Only on land, and with a wolf and not a whale. No, I haven't seen the movie, and I probably won't, unless it's late and it comes on cable and I think "what the hell..."

I am intrigued by Roger Ebert's review of the film. I respect Ebert, and often agree with him (except with his review of Blue Velvet, though  I might feel differently if I were to see the film again after so many years.) Did Ebert mean the The Grey isn't what we who haven't seen the film and assume it's about big evil meanie wolves killing people isn't that at all? Or that, in spite of the former -- it being exactly that -- there are redeeming qualities? I'm sure the acting and direction are excellent; but in film, like literature and art, that's not enough.

Wolves are not the enemy. Exploiting animals -- using them as allegories for human anxieties and fears, unease and dissatisfactions -- is a tradition in human artistic expression. It's more creative, fun, silly, and interesting, to make up fantastical creatures or frightening monsters, to make up weirdness to scare, creep out, amuse, than it is to feed the greed gene and titillate with supposed horrors from the animal kingdom. 

Cryptomundo:"New Species Being Raided For Private Pet Trade"

Not quite food porn, since it's not for gratuitously satisfying our gastronomical needs that's the issue here, but "pet" porn. Shameless exploitation in the pet trade. I'm glad Loren Coleman finds this pretty disgusting; he has a post about the raiding of habitat for the newly discovered horned viper in Tanzania:

Cryptomundo New Species Being Raided For Private Pet Trade: There is breaking news on December 15th of a new species of a uniquely-colored horned viper measuring over two feet long (643 millimeters) being discovered. But where exactly it lives in Tanzania is not being discussed.

But the shocking revelation that has been paired with this announcement is that past news of this kind has resulted in large scale raiding operations in the locations described. New species apparently have been targeted by pet collectors to supply a large-scale underground in exciting new animals for private collections. For example, due to this fact, the new viper’s location is “a closely-guarded secret,” say the discoverers.

I didn't know that the illegal pet trade was so lucrative. According to the Wildlife Conversation Society, which Coleman quotes, it's only "...second in the world" with illegal drug trafficking being number one.

Jenna Marbles: "How to Talk to Animals"

Jenna Marbles is very funny. She has several clips at YouTube; here are her tips on "how to talk to animals."

Food Porn: "Gastronauts feast on lamb eyeball, beaver tail "

Another food porn item, this one from New York, where the self-indulgent and gratuitous can have their fill of animal parts:Gastronauts feast on lamb eyeball, beaver tail | Reuters Exclusive you have to be a member, though it's open to anyone.

Cooked lamb eyeball, boiled fertilized duck egg and beaver tail are just a few of the more unusual dishes sampled by a club of adventurous eaters called the Gastronauts.

Started in March of 2006 by two friends who wanted to try some of the more exotic foods that could be found in New York, the first meeting of the club attracted only six people.

But it has now grown to more than 1,000 members in New York and Los Angeles and there are plans to expand to other U.S. cities.

Here's why it's called food porn:

At the October Gastronauts dinner at a Yemeni restaurant Bab Al Yemen in New York, Nicole Murray, an assistant editor at an education company, extracted a piece of eyeball from a cooked lamb skull and brought it toward her mouth as those seated around her cheered.

The Kraken Rum

Black Spice Rum: The Kraken. Wish I liked rum! And I know it's a huge marketing gimic, but it's a very cool marketing gimic! The Kraken Rum.

Giant crocodile captured alive in Philippines - Yahoo! News

They say it's 21 feet in length. Plans for the animal: the "star attraction" in an ecopark.

Giant crocodile captured alive in Philippines - Yahoo! News:

Elorde said the crocodile killed a water buffalo in an attack witnessed by villagers last month and was also suspected of having attacked a fisherman who went missing in July.
He said he sought the help of experts at a crocodile farm in western Palawan province.
"We were nervous but it's our duty to deal with a threat to the villagers," Elorde told The Associated Press by telephone. "When I finally stood before it, I couldn't believe my eyes."
After initial sightings at a creek, the hunters set four traps, which the crocodile destroyed. They then used sturdier traps using steel cables, one of which finally caught the enormous reptile late Saturday, he said.

Image source: French Factrice (visit this site, it's full of vintage goodness, including a film clip from the 1940s of a children's alligator farm.)

Data Mapping, Cryptids, ET and Us: Nickell Provides the Answers

The ever disingenuous Joe Nickell, self-described "paranormal investigator" debunker, has discovered answers to all myths of a crypto nature in the following article by Ed Grabianowski:  Paranormal Investigator Joe Nickell Reveals the Truth Behind Modern Cryptozoological Myths. (All of them? Impressive.)

Regarding Bigfoot, Nickell combines finding patterns in sightings data, his theories, and the usual skeptic based psychology: us humans love to make stuff up. We create myth and don't want to solve mysteries -- well, you know the routine.

"Bigfoot is our stupid cousin from the past."

That's humans for you, projecting our fears and dreams onto made up entities. As far as ET goes:

"The alien is the future version of ourselves."

Which alien version would that be? Reptilian? Bug eyed gray? Gigantic praying mantises? Good looking long haired blond Nordic Space Brothers and Sisters? Lizard Men? Hairy dwarf? I don't know about you, but that's a future self I want nothing to do with. (Well, maybe the good looking Space Sister but I don't look good as a blond. And I prefer the swarthy types to Nordic guys.)

Nickell looked at "convergent iconography" which led him to the conclusion we've simply created Bigfoot and aliens out of our own heads; the two are modern living myths. We did the same with Santa Claus and Jesus:

"The same convergent iconography can be seen in artists' depictions of Jesus Christ and Santa Clause."

There is some truth in the idea that we shape our gods and heroes and they ultimately morph into a sort of set version dependant on the culture. To suggest to a religious person however that Jesus, the BVM, or angels are just in their head, based on agreed upon cultural imagery is both insulting and missing the point. And while I am not a Christian or believe in any sort of monotheistic god that watches over us like a somewhat authoritarian parent, using Jesus Christ and Santa Clause in the same sentence subliminally suggests they are one and the same in terms of fantasy.


Grabianowski asks Nickell about cryptids that don't look anything like human beings. Using  "data mapping" once again, Nickell finds that reports of water monsters coincided with otter activity.  People mistaking otters for a sea serpent: "It really happens," (I love that) Nickell says. Of course it "really happens" people mistake things all the time. Not every weird light in the sky is a UFO, not all strange creatures in the forest are Sasquatch and so on. 


Nickell distances himself from combative skeptics and says he treats witnesses with respect; they're not liars or insane, just mistaken.

The article ends with a dismissal of paranormal programming which is "like wrestling" Nickell says. I'll agree with much of that sentiment, to a point. All TV is "like wrestling" when you think of it. For his arguments on how he's treated by producers as a skeptic, UFO researchers and other paranormal investigators can cite the same. It's about ratings, and whatever angle the show wants to present. Researchers and skeptics both can be damned; it's not about the individual ghost hunters, UFO investigators or cryptid chasers, it's about the producers, the station owners and their own agendas. Skeptic, paranormal investigator, or witness: they're all just the talent. Fodder for the program.

For some reason, most programs that deal with fringe topics believe that having skeptics on is "balance." To me it's just annoying. But it's not balance they want; it is, indeed, "like wrestling." There's an innate belief that conflict and tension is necessary for entertainment. Like wrestling.

Honobia Bigfoot Festival 2011 Schedule

Among the speakers and music at the Honobia Bigfoot Festival in Oklahoma: Thom Cantrall, author of The Ghosts of Ruby Ridge. (Which, after all this time, I'm just about finished reading. Just too many books out there; hard to catch up.) You can check out the schedule of events at the festival site: Honobia Bigfoot Festival 2011 Schedule

The Loch Ness Monster of Alaska?

Started to watch this, and was sorry right from the beginning, because I didn't like the two guys much -- too gung ho yee haw for my tastes. But when they started loading up on giant hooks and nets and guns, I turned off the TV. What, they're going to kill themselves a "monster?"

No idea what happened, but let me guess. They didn't catch one.
The Loch Ness Monster of Alaska? | The Upshot - Yahoo! News

Here Be Dragons! Itty Baby Ones, on Game of Thrones

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

If you haven't seen the season finale of Game of Thrones and don't want to know the end, don't read on.

But for those of you who did watch last night's episode, or don't mind knowing the end, we found ourselves rewarded with three baby dragons. The eggs hatched, put on the funeral pyre by Khaleesi/Daenerys Targaryen. And that was a scene; her mercy killing of her "stars and her moon."

I love Game of Thrones, and am not complaining, but last night while watching last night's episode I wondered, "Well, that's all good but where are the female rulers and leaders?" True, the women have power, but the King trumps the Queen. Ah, but not so fast, for Khaleesi/Daenerys Targaryen has come into her own. Surrounded by her dragons, she will indeed rule, I suspect. And I bet the red winged dragon will be her special one; the leader of the pack (all three of them), the one who leads the way. Speaking of dragons, I wondered how they breed -- are any of the dragons female? How many eggs do they lay? No doubt there are other dragon eggs dormant throughout the realm.

You can view the last scene here, of Khaleesi/Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons. 

It'll be a long wait for season two, but now I have True Blood to look forward to! Even though I think the show's become a little bit too camp, I still enjoy it. I mean, True Blood has not only vampires but werewolves! among other creatures, which makes for a lot of fun.