Ugly hypocrisy. The most frustrating thing about American politics is the public's constant memory loss when it comes to political hypocrisy.
If anyone does a quick Google search of the 2008 election with "depression", Sarah Palin" and "bail out"- what you will find are her eloquent quotes about America heading for a Great Depression if we don't spend billions on a federal bail-out package.
Now fast forward to 2010, what are Mrs. Palin's favorite talking points?? How's that hopey changey thing working for you?? Well guess what Sarah--so we aren't doing super great--but Obama did prevent that other "great depression" you used to believe in, and how did he do it?? With Federal bail out money...just as your sweet lipsticked face suggested. Changey , right?
So now Glenn Beck and Palin are feeding on the public's short term memory loss and utter inability to think for themselves, about how the economy should have been 100% fixed and perfect, in what, like 12 months?? No thanks to Obama for preventing the Depression that she herself predicted.
How it's a good thing that folks like Joe Miller (running for senator of AK) will reduce Medicare (wait, wasn't Sarah all pro-Medicare just 6 months ago?) and other entitlement programs ruining our budget. Right then, that pesky military budget and those two little wars aren't bothering the budget at all. What about my pro-life stance (I am pro-American soldiers coming home alive)? Where are my constitutional rights, if I don't want to fund useless wars that just cause huge loss of life and limb?
Don't get me started on my constitutional right to happiness (and enjoy Alaska wildlife viewing) that Sarah and her cronies enjoy stomping all over on a regular basis with predator control... But that's another story....
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Hungry Grizzly Bear Attack
So maybe I am not a certified wildlife expert, but I live in bear country and follow bear attack stories closely. The media sometimes plays them up as "bears gone wild" to make sure the public stays very scared of the wilderness...but if you read and closely look at all aspects of bear behavior some things just stand out.
In Alaska, many of our quasi-urban bear attacks have a common thread: startling the bear or alerting their "chase" instinct. Case in point-joggers bit in the butt, or bicyclists mauled. Silent persons speeding by bears in the woods--not a good idea.
Second aspect I have noticed, is a possible cause behind remote wilderness bear attacks--seems to be the "hungry bear" phenomena. A few years back some campers were mauled in ANWR, or even the famous killing by Timothy Treadwell appears to be caused by a desperate "malnourished bear". As far as I understand it, human doesn't taste good to bears, but if they are really, really hungry- probably the bear isn't picky.
Back East in the Catskill mountains of NY I know of a children's summer camp frequented by roaming black bears (these are not the more aggressive grizzly bears). But nevertheless, they actually cause no problems for the campers except leaving a mess, breaking screen doors and some interesting amusement for all. Always happy and well-fed on garbage, these bears seem to exhibit "Yogi bear behavior".
Now the recent Yellowstone bear mauling has reportedly involved "malnourished bear cubs". Tragic story, and makes me wonder about all the "bear proof" containers at the park. On the one hand, you don't want to encourage all that begging and garbage picking--but I can't help but wonder--aren't dumpster diving bears safer for us than crazed tent divers? It seems they can make the distinction between humans leaving behind food, versus actually being the food--and I believe most bears would choose KFC and mm's versus homosapiens.
I know my opinion seems backwards and controversial, but I often wonder how many 'hungry" bear attacks could be avoided if we just threw chocolate bars at them instead of pepper spray....
In Alaska, many of our quasi-urban bear attacks have a common thread: startling the bear or alerting their "chase" instinct. Case in point-joggers bit in the butt, or bicyclists mauled. Silent persons speeding by bears in the woods--not a good idea.
Second aspect I have noticed, is a possible cause behind remote wilderness bear attacks--seems to be the "hungry bear" phenomena. A few years back some campers were mauled in ANWR, or even the famous killing by Timothy Treadwell appears to be caused by a desperate "malnourished bear". As far as I understand it, human doesn't taste good to bears, but if they are really, really hungry- probably the bear isn't picky.
Back East in the Catskill mountains of NY I know of a children's summer camp frequented by roaming black bears (these are not the more aggressive grizzly bears). But nevertheless, they actually cause no problems for the campers except leaving a mess, breaking screen doors and some interesting amusement for all. Always happy and well-fed on garbage, these bears seem to exhibit "Yogi bear behavior".
Now the recent Yellowstone bear mauling has reportedly involved "malnourished bear cubs". Tragic story, and makes me wonder about all the "bear proof" containers at the park. On the one hand, you don't want to encourage all that begging and garbage picking--but I can't help but wonder--aren't dumpster diving bears safer for us than crazed tent divers? It seems they can make the distinction between humans leaving behind food, versus actually being the food--and I believe most bears would choose KFC and mm's versus homosapiens.
I know my opinion seems backwards and controversial, but I often wonder how many 'hungry" bear attacks could be avoided if we just threw chocolate bars at them instead of pepper spray....
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