Springfield, OR:Alleged Cat Abuser Keeps Cats

"Alleged" cat abuser Betty Gould is being allowed to keep her cats, all 60 of them. Not sure why the term "alleged" is used since there was a witness, or, why she's allowed at this point to keep her cats. Alleged Cat Abuser Keeps Cats | KEZI

We’re doing our part here. We work for the community. We’ll continue to be following this case and doing what we need to do so they can be assured of that. We’ll be working hard on this all the way through,” said Sgt. John Umenhofer, Springfield Police Department.

If the SPD is "working for the community" ... well, you know. Anyway, article says there's a Facebook page set up in protest: Concerned Citizens Against Betty Gould. No link provided. Easy enough to find via Facebook however, and, here's the link.

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.

Setting the catfish amongst the pigeons: The curious case of the fish that hunt birds | Mail Online

Catfish. Hunting pigeons. In France. True Forteana.Setting the catfish amongst the pigeons: The curious case of the fish that hunt birds | Mail Online

"On the Lighter Side" : Bear Killing

Yes, appearing in the "Lighter Side" section of the paper is this item about Jonathan Kimble, a mascot with a musket. So, in keeping with peace and goodwill to others and all that, he kills himself a bear. That was in a tree. Sporting, that. Then he uploads the killing to YouTube.

Sick bastard of course, but editors thinking this is material for all those "lighter side" moments have a twisted sense of things as well.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: Now WVU has ordered Kimble to stop using his university-issued weapon on hunting trips after a video of this week’s kill was posted online. He says hunting with the gun is a Mountaineer mascot tradition.

The 24-year-old Franklin resident accompanied more than a dozen friends and family on the trip in Pendleton County on Monday. In the video, Kimble is shown firing the musket at the bear in a tree.

'I was outraged': Animal mailed to postal office in cardboard carrier | Local & Regional News for Eugene, Springfield Oregon | Eugene News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KVAL CBS 13

'I was outraged': Animal mailed to postal office in cardboard carrier.

Sad but true, some psycho mailed a live dog to someone. Equally unbelievable is the fact no one did anything about it, at least according to the news item. Isn't there some way the sender as well as the recipient can be traced so they can be cited -- if not outright arrested and fined?

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.

Springfield, OR: Two Cats Thrown into Willamette River | KEZI

Woman, in red minivan. Let's hope they catch the bitch. Two Cats Thrown into Willamette River | KEZI

North Korea Finds Secret Unicorn Lair Said To Prove Pyongyang Was Capital Of Ancient Korea

North Korea Finds Secret Unicorn Lair Said To Prove Pyongyang Was Capital Of Ancient Korea: In an announcement Friday that seems better suited for a fairy tale, a North Korean state news agency reported that archaeologists recently reconfirmed the lair of a unicorn once ridden by an ancient Korean king.

D E C E P T O L O G Y: The barbequed roadkill prank

This item from the Deceptology blog:

D E C E P T O L O G Y: The barbequed roadkill prank

Tarotize: A Dolphin Abundance Blessing Reading

Lisa Lloyd shares a lovely reading and spread using a multi-deck approach concerning a dream vision/visitation from Dolphin. Tarotize: A Dolphin Abundance Blessing Reading.

As Lisa writes at her blog; "Is the thought of connecting psychically with dolphins too woo-woo for you? Then stop reading right now!

I would have laughed at the idea myself not long ago if it weren't for a dream I had of dancing with dolphins."




One of the decks used in her spread is Doreen Virtue's Magical Mermaids and Dolphins deck, which I have and absolutely love.

Hunters Shoot Drone Out Of Sky: “Octocopter” Was Owned By Animal Rights Group | _

Hunters Shoot Drone Out Of Sky: “Octocopter” Was Owned By Animal Rights Group:

Police are investigating an incident at a Berks County hunting club in which someone on the hunting grounds allegedly targeted a mechanical flying object rather than a living and breathing one.

SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) are in the midst of a campaign against the Wing Pointe commercial hunting grounds in Hamburg, Berks County and its live pigeon shoots in which the birds are shot down. SHARK began to use an “Octocopter,” a remote controlled flying machine with a high tech video camera, to secretly record the pigeon shoots as they happen.

Driving America’s 85-mph toll road before the fun gets old

On one section of a Texas highway, you can drive 85 miles an hour. I like that idea. I'm not sure I'd actually want that reality, but the idea of going 85 -- legally -- is a pleasant one, even if a daydream. But there are risks (duh), including feral hogs, which cause huge problems for citizens of Texas, not to mention the hogs as well:

Driving America’s 85-mph toll road before the fun gets old | Motoramic - Yahoo! Autos: There've already been quite a few accidents, four on opening night, in fact, including one car completely totaled. That's because Texas built the 130 in prime feral hog territory. This forced them to put up large digital signs, at 10-mile intervals, reading "WILDLIFE CROSSING." That's all fine and good, but the problem is that wildlife can't read. Just outside Lockhart, I had to swerve fast and violently to avoid a freshly eviscerated coyote carcass. This is going to be a disgusting massacre without end.

How deeply ironic, then, that I pulled off TX 130 on my way home to take a five-minute jog into Lockhart, the barbecue capital of America, and bought a two-pound slab of pork ribs at Smitty's to bring home. What was once a half-day family trip has suddenly become an errand far less time-consuming than a visit to IKEA.

Animals Are Moral Creatures, Scientist Argues

As usual, there's the skeptic side of this issue where humans are elevated in all ways; non-humans are incapable of emotions or "morals." That belief allows some to mistreat animals, whether it's outright abuse, or exploitation for "entertainment."

Animals Are Moral Creatures, Scientist Argues - Yahoo! News: In the case of the child-rescuing gorilla Binti Jua, for instance, "what sort of instinct is involved there? Do gorillas have an instinct to help unconscious boys in enclosures?" he said.

And even if instinct is involved, human parents have an instinctive desire to help their children, but that makes the desire no less moral, he said.

Being able to reason about morality isn't required to have a moral compass, he added. A 3-year-old child, for instance, may not consciously articulate a system of right and wrong, but will (hopefully) still feel guilty for stealing his playmate's toy. (Scientists continue to debate whether or not babies have moral compasses.)

If one accepts that animals have moral compasses, Rowlands argues, we have the responsibility to treat them with respect, Rowlands said.

"If the animal is capable of acting morally, I don't think it's problematic to be friends with your pets," he said. "If you have a cat or a dog and you make it do tricks, I am not sure that's respect. If you insist on dressing them up, I'm not sure I'm onboard with that either."

'Giant Caterpillar Outside Manchester, 1850!' Beachcombing's Bizarre History Blog

(Thanks to Anomalist for link) This is the kind of animal story that warms the Fortean's heart: Giant Caterpillar Outside Manchester, 1850!  Beachcombing's Bizarre History Blog

Octopus as Art: Stop Issuing One-Day Hunting Licenses!

I saw this story a few days ago but didn't want to deal with it. Sometimes the greed and arrogance, as well as cruelty of humans just does me in. In this case, Dylan Mayer of Washington state and an over-blown sense of personal entitlement, tortured an octopus.

Mayer got himself a one day license to "hunt" an octopus. He did this in a protected marine area. He tricked the octopus by making noise in order to lure it from its home, then, according to witnesses, punched the still living octopus repeatedly after he hauled it onto his truck. Mayer said he wanted the octopus not just for its meat, but "to draw it for this art project."

Even if the octopus was hunted for food, as in hunting because one needs to survive, the gratuitous nature of the act is unjustified. If you need to hunt, then kill quickly and cleanly, and with gratitude.

A very sad story. So click on the link below and sign the petition. And call out this ass clown Mayer.
Stop Issuing One-Day Hunting Licenses! - The Petition Site

Yahoo Slide Show: "Cute and Different" Pets

I hate to see things like this. Promoted as a cute and fluffy human interest story, Yahoo shows slides of people and their "unusual" pets.

First up is a three year old hugging his pet python. There's a "pet" bear, and baby lions, among other kinds of animals.

These animals are the "pets" of owners all over the world, not just the U.S.

Unusual pets | Photo Gallery - Yahoo! News

Coyote or Wolf? Missouri Hunter Shoots 80-Pound Mystery Animal | Field & Stream

Another sad incident of an all too damn proud of himself hunter grinning gratuitously over his kill. Coyote or Wolf? Missouri Hunter Shoots 80-Pound Mystery Animal | Field & Stream

Lesley Gunter: Encounters with Mystery Animals

Lesley writes about mystery animals in New Mexico for her OctoberGrey Matters column at Binnall of America.
Referring to David Paulides book Missing 411, which had just arrived, Lesley writes:

Had I got the book during a different time of year, I might not have even noticed, but it is September as I write this and, during the first part of September, we had two unusual experiences when we took the dog for her nightly walk. There have also been reports of odd encounters in the mountains nearby. Now, whether any of these things have anything to do with the Missing 411 of the book, I couldn't say.

Our first experience at the very beginning of Sept when we were taking Pooka (the dog) for her walk and decided to take the short way back home. The short way is a road that runs right in front of our next door neighbor and our house. On the other side is nothing but open land running through the middle and then a road and houses on the other side, which is the road we started on that loops back around. On the far side of my next door neighbors' house, there is also some open land. As we passed by that, we could hear something clawing at the ground and grunting and growling. I have a really bright flashlight which I shined all over the area, but saw nothing. The only thing I could think of was that it might be was a bear. Coyotes are always around and I have never known them to act that way and it didn't seem like something a feline would do, nor did it sound like a cat. We walked home very quickly. I walked backwards, shining my flashlight behind us most to the way to make sure nothing was following or coming after us.

Talking Elephants

Amazing, beautiful but not surprising. I've always believed that elephants were the dolphins of land; highly intelligent and emotional beings. Stories like this remind us of how little we really know, and understand, about animals, and our relationship with each other. Say hello to the talking elephant... but if you want a chat, you'll have to learn Korean | Mail Online

Hurricane Sandy probably wiped out New York's rats despite warnings of the rodent apocalypse, say experts | Mail Online

Hurricane Sandy probably wiped out New York's rats despite warnings of the rodent apocalypse, say experts | Mail Online