Save the Wolves! From the Media?

"WOLVES AT LARGE: - CASPER AREA" That was the Lead story on April 22, 2009 during the 5pm, 6pm, and 10pm news @ K2TV, Casper, Wyoming-

From KTWO on April 22, 2009 (Earth Day)-

WOLVES AT LARGE: - CASPER AREA

AFTER TWO WOLVES KILLED A YOUNG CALF ON PRIVATE PROPERTY LAST WEEK IN THE LARAMIE REGION, THE DEBATE OF WOLVES IN WYOMING HEATS UP AND HITS CLOSER TO HOME. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WOLVES HAVE EVER BEEN SPOTTED KILLING LIVESTOCK IN CENTRAL WYOMING. US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE RESPONDED TO THE SCENE OF THE DEAD COW TO INVESTIGATE, AND DETERMINED THE CALF WAS INDEED HUNTED AND KILLED BY TWO WOLVES. THE RANCHER, WHO'S NAME HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, DID NOT ACTUALLY SEE THE WOLVES...BUT OTHER RANCHERS HAVE SPOTTED WOLVES IN THIS AREA SOUTHWEST OF CASPER. A SPOKESPERSON WITH THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE SAYS RANCHERS NEED TO USE CAUTION IF THEY SEE A WOLF ON THEIR PROPERTY. IF YOU SPOT A WOLF ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR PROPERTY, CALL THE U-S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AT 261-6365.

First of all, in Wyoming, wolves are a big, no make that a huge and passionate issue, because they live here, and some of us have plans for them to stay for a very long time. The facts are unimportant in this story, just emotions, and hearsay. As the rancher said, "I got friends that live up in the Jackson area, in that area, and they've seen what it's done to the elk, and the population up there, and we don't want to see that." Not mentioned were the non-lethal ways of predator control, or the fact that domestic dogs kill more cattle then wolves. Nor were the specifics this rancher was talking about, just inflaming generalizations. I did e-mail this reporter, Briana Bermensolo with facts related to wolves, both the pro and the con. But no, they have to hop on the fearmongering bandwagon, and produce a bias, and partial story. This is what they call journalism these days. How sad, both for the students who don't learn how to be impartial, but also include there own, or playing to their audience's bias! Facts no longer matter. And Briana says at the end, "If you see wolves on your property, call the Fish and Wildlife Service." WHY? Are they escaped prisoners from Gitmo, or the state prison in Rawlins? Why not get your camera, and take a picture of these beautiful animals?



Wyoming's Wolf Recovery Plan:

Wyoming Plan Summary-

Wyoming’s wolf management plan is a significant departure for wildlife management in the state because it was created by elected officials in the legislature rather than wildlife biologists at the state’s Game and Fish Department. The current plan divides Wyoming into two different zones. In 88 percent of the state, known as the "predator zone," wolves are considered varmints and can be killed by anyone, at any time, by nearly any means. In the remaining 12 percent of the state—the northwestern corner—wolves are considered to be trophy game animals and are subject to management by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

In addition, the state law grants private citizens broad latitude to kill wolves in "defense of private property," which could jeopardize wolf population numbers. What Could Be Improved The Wyoming plan is based on politics, not science, and needs to be reworked by the state’s game officials. We would like to see Wyoming adopt a similar approach to Montana’s—managing wolves like other native game species, rather than varmints to be shot on site.

Federal courts agree. A recent judicial ruling reinstating endangered species status criticized these elements of Wyoming’s plan. The federal government has since retracted its delisting rule and Wyoming is starting over with a new plan.

-From the Western Wolf Coalition- @

http://www.westernwolves.org/index.php/read-the-plans-wyoming

One of the greatest threats to wolves are human's fears and misunderstandings about the species. There are many fairy tales and myths that tend to misrepresent wolves as villainous, dangerous creatures. Wolves are responsible for less than 1% of ALL livestock kills, but that doesn't stop the media, i.e.- K2TV (KTWO) out of Casper, Wyoming from airing a story about wolves, and the great "wolf scare" going on here in support of Wyoming ranchers, conservative politics, hunters, outfitters, uninformed reporters, etc.

Wolves and all wildlife need to be protected, and all this misinformation and myths need to be addressed. And the media needs to be a little more impartial, specifically here in Wyoming, because playing to one audience does not make for sound and good journalism!

Ms. Stone from Defenders of Wildlife said, ""Today for example there are probably hundreds of sheep and cattle that have died from dogs, coyotes and a number of other species, but only the wolves are going to make the news,"

And from "My Yellowstone Wolves Blog"- "As the WY story states that wolves (not seen but assumed) killed on "private" property, perhaps we homeowners should begin reporting when their cattle wander onto our private property and do damage. Is there reciprocity? If they can shoot wolves, can we shoot their cattle? They (their wandering cows) are, after all, damaging our property and causing us a bunch of money." - susangeez

For more info, check out this link: http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/wolf,_gray.php

Also From Defenders of Wildlife-

Wolf Predation Plays Small Role in Livestock Losses in 2005-

1. In the continental U.S., health issues such as respiratory problems, digestive problems, calving complications and disease were overwhelmingly the most significant causes of cattle death in 2005.

2. Only 0.11% of all cattle losses were due to wolf predation in 2005.

3. Coyotes killed more than 22 times more cattle than wolves killed that year.

4. Domestic dogs killed almost 5 times as many cattle, and vultures killed almost twice as many cattle as wolves did in 2005.

5. Theft was responsible for almost 5 times as many cattle losses as were lost by wolf predation.

6. Predation by coyotes was the largest cause of sheep loss in 2005, accounting for 23% of all losses, followed by health problems & weather-related issues.

7. In states with wolf populations, an average of less than 2.5% of sheep loss was due to predation by wolves in 2005.

We all need to work this out, as it is not totally a black and white issue, rather it has tons of gray area, and it all needs to be addressed. And it is not only for the wolves sake, but in the end, for the sake of humanity!

LaGuardia is in my Blog Again!

This time though it is about US Airways Flight 1549, flying out of LaGuardia, (Which is in Queens, NY.) and heading to Charlotte, N.C. today. The scheduled departure time was 2:45pm EST, but the actual departure time was 3:03pm EST. According to US Airways website under status, it says "Departed", which is true, and there is a Status Exception, and an 800 number to call. And it appears that there are over 150 survivors, with no casualties, and a few injuries, including a passenger with 2 broken legs. It was a miracle of coincidences, and for many survivors probably an extremely spiritual, and maybe even religious experience. I am very happy they all came out OK, as there is too much death, destruction and evil in this world.

I just flew out of LaGuardia just 17 days ago, and to be honest, I do have these fleeting thoughts when I fly, which is more often then the average American or Earthling for that matter, that something like this might happen, and what will I do. These folks were lucky because they were still low enough, and close enough to water, and need I say, a top notch aviator (I'm a little partial toward pilots, even though there is a little envy there sometimes, because growing up I had big dreams of becoming a pilot.) who, through his extraordinary skills, brought his passengers home alive. Great job there Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger, and I salute you. I also salute the aircraft crew, passengers and all the rescue personnel, along with all the water taxis, CircleLine, and everyone else that helped out in this rescue. Great Job across the board. I know I have beaten up on one particular airline recently, so here is a positive. Any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing, so by extension, the NWA Pilots did their job. So, great job NWA Pilots!

One thing that I found interesting, and that was thrown around today is the fact that birds (They threw the words Canadian Geese around a lot too.) caused the catastrophic failure of both engines at the same time. Now, that is just a theory, as the NTSB hasn't done their investigation yet, and it will be months before a final report will be out. But this bird theory was thrown around all day, but what do you expect from the likes of Wolf Blitzer of CNN, or Cory Rose, who is from K2TV. Wolfie kept badgering the passengers, or whoever the particular expert was he had on, and forcing the questions to get an answer that he wanted. What a dip-shit. He isn't a journalist, just a pseudo news entertainer. As for Cory, oh sweet Cory, she just came out and said during the 5pm news that the cause of the crash was the result of birds flying into the engine. Talk about quick results, hey! The NTSB would love her on the payroll, because then they wouldn't have to do an investigation, and could save the taxpayers millions of dollars!

Looking back 3 weeks, while I was at my brothers place on Long Island, Shoreham to be exact, I witnessed many flights of those there Canadian Geese quite often. During the early part of the day they seemed to be heading west, and during the late afternoon, into the evening they were heading east. Shoreham is about 40-50 miles east, as the crow, or should I say Canadian Geese flies from LaGuardia. I don't really understand the migratory patterns of those Canadian Geese, but I do know they can be ornery, loud, they crap all over golf courses, and their turds are quite big, but I have never really measured the exact size. So, maybe it wasn't a bird, but a coordinated effort by a flock of geese, seeing this big metal bird approaching at high speed, they let loose with a carpet bombing of geese turd. The turds then got sucked into both engines, fouling up the ignitors, or whatever causes the burn in the turbines, or making the blades unbalanced, causing them to fail. Hey, it's just a theory, just like other theories floating around out there. Honestly though, the flocks that I saw flying over Shoreham were huge, some numbering in the hundreds. They reminded me, as I stood there and watched them, of those old news reels they showed during WWII (And afterwards in all the documentaries about the war.) of the waves of planes flying over, with hundreds and hundreds of them at a time, all flying in "V" formations. It was just amazing to watch, and I was in awe. I know those blades in the turbines are tested to a very high standard, but if aircraft maintenence was not up to snuff, and the blades were weakened do to structural fatigue, or out-lived their useful life, well, we can see what happens. But both engines going out at the same time is an anomolie, and a red flag for me. More on this tomorrow as I am slowly fading out, as the Seroquel is starting to kick in.....Snore....snore....snorrrrrreeee.....

I commit to...

Supporting the holiday of Festiva! Sure I am a little nuts, but what the heck, I have a lot of time on my hand. I am going to stores here very shortly, because we have a big storm coming in here tonight and tomorrow, with temperatures dropping into the -10 to -30 range. Brrrrr! That's cold. see you in a few!

I am back, stocking up before the storm. My little Weatherbug alert system was chirping his little head off when I got home. I checked it out, and ouch, this is January/February weather we are getting, with snow, wind gusting to 40 mph, and windchill in the -30 to -40 range! Ouch, ouch, O-U-C-H!

I finished most of my Christmas shopping, as I will be heading out in a week or so. leaving on the 19th, and already have a room booked, or reserved in Casper at the infamous Shilo Inn. It was the cheapest I could find, but I should have gone to priceline and negotiated. Oops, another learning piece. My flight is out of Natrona International Airport on Sat, Dec. 20th @ 9am. Bet you didn't know that Casper had an International Airport did you? I thought so.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone this Christmas, as it has been awhile for some of them. My folks still don't know I will be there, so it should be a surprise. But, yes there is always a but when it comes to family activities, as we don't have one of those cute little houses with the white picket fences, and everything is fine and perfect. Life don't work that way, at least for a majority of us, and this part scares me. For years I was the black sheep, because of my alcohol and substance abuse issues. I have been clean and sober now for 5 1/2 years, my longest period of sobriety in my adult life. I should write a book like, "A Billion Pieces of Shattered Glass" and I would not have to lie to make it interesting. I am wandering off course again.

What I wanted to say was that back in August 2005, my dad and my brother Rich (He is a year younger then me, and is a Detective Sergeant for Internal affairs for the Nassau County Police Department on long Island.) had an argument about money. Go figure.

Anyhow, back in the early 1980's, my brother Rich and his wife Lynn borrowed $50,000.00 to use as a down payment on a house. the deal was that when they sold the house, my dad would be repaid, plus some amount to act like interest, but it really wasn't interest. So my dad asked Rich when he might get paid back, because both my dad and mom are getting up there in years, and would like to spend some of their money. My dad also figured that if my brother had enough money to buy a condo in Naples, Florida, then they could pay back this debt. My dad had hoped that over the last few years my brother would step forward and maybe make payments, or something of that nature. My dad even asked me a few years back if I had talked about this debt with my brother. I said no, and didn't want to get involved. And besides, I really didn't know about it to begin with, so why should I say anything. So, anyhow, my dad brought this up with my brother while he was visiting him in Naples, and that is when this back and forth e-mail/snail mail exchange began. And it got kind of mean, on both sides. My dad said he was disowning my brother, and my brother saying he'll never speak to my dad again. Communication skills were lacking on both sides, and I was stuck in the middle. My brother eventually paid my dad somewhere in the area of $75,000.00 buy getting a second mortgage on his house in NY. my brother also insisted that it was a gift, not a loan, and they hadn't sold their house yet, which was true. And my dad said he wanted the money before he dies so he and my mom could spend it, or whatever.

They haven't spoken since then, but my dad, about 2 months ago offered a fig leaf, and asked my brother if they can sit down and chat. I know this problem bothers my mom, as she hasn't seen one of her grandchildren in over 3 years, or even spoken to him, and he is now 14 1/2 now. It is really sad, and immature if you ask me. Some really deep seated resentments came out during this argument, stuff my brother has stuffed for many years. I think it is crazy, because it is is a cancer that eats, and eat, and eats at you, destroying any type of spirituality one might have. Sure, I too have had resentments and have disliked folks, even now, because I'm not perfect, but after a careful and personal inventory, I've decide that it isn't worth it, giving power to this other person over me. Sometimes it takes longer then others, but in the end, I can sleep in peace every night. This doesn't mean I love everyone either, all kissy, huggy and all that other happy horseshit. And I know that I can't allowed this negative stuff to occupy my brain and thoughts either. There are even people I dislike, or even dislike a lot, like Bush and Cheney to name a few.
So they are meeting on Dec. 20th, the day I am flying in. My dad seems open to it, but my brother, as per my conversations with him is being stubborn, a least that is what I can surmise. He, my brother said to me, "I am not going to apologize or anything!" And I have told him numerous times that it sucks to be thrust in the middle of this happy horseshit! Come on folks, grow up NOW!

OK, I got that off my chest, and I hope their meeting goes OK, because if it doesn't, I know my parents will be hurt, and that would suck, especially with me coming back to visit them all. We'll see how it goes, and I am going to do a lot of praying.

K2TV News at 5, out of Casper, Wyoming is on right now, and they are talking about snow fences. WOW, that is on hot topic! Doug McGee from the WyDOT told us all about snow fences, but didn't discuss living snow fences. Nope, didn't say a word about them. K2 is one of those beginner stations, where kids just out of college get there feet wet in broadcasting. There is a very high turnover, with most of them leaving for bigger market stations. I think we are right near the bottom of the market ratings, because all the newbies experiences are usually with the college stations, or interning at a local station, but never reporting or anchoring there. Some have been good, some, well not so good. I usually e-mail the newbies, welcoming them to Wyoming. Sometimes I get a reply, sometimes not! I also e-mail them when they make a mistake. Not to be mean, but to be helpful. This one new anchor, who has anchored now for about 4-5 months always uses absolutes in her stories, like everyone in Wyoming feels this way, or thinks this way, or does something this way, and I write her to tell her we are not all robots or clones, and she never replies. I don't understand why! Ha! Ha! The news director, the only one that has been there many years, a guy named Nick Birge hires all these hotties to co-anchor with him at the 5 o'clock news hour. And these young women are constantly complaining about the weather, especially now. I write them and tell them to get over it, they are in Wyoming in the winter and fall. But, there they go, everyday, complaining about the weather.

So much for my critique about Wyoming's News Leader, K2TV. Time to eat dinner, and then edit some photos.