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For your entertainment today, just a fun little piece of short O.Henry-esque fiction, entitled "Eating Ghosts," offered up over at another blog:
http://tinyurl.com/ycjz7hv
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Saturday, February 06, 2010
Friday, February 05, 2010
-- Upcoming... and SNL? +addendum --
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If you happen to be in Minnesota or Tennessee, a couple of upcoming events of potential interest:
==> And in other news (...and I use that term loosely), Joe Hepperle has a somewhat silly Feb 4 update at his site reporting that a planned expedition to the the Sabine River basin by authorities and Rainsong had to be "scrubbed," and then closing by saying, "The season (and Dan's available time) for mounting a confirmation expedition yet this year are rapidly coming to an end." (Oh my WHAT a surprise!) Apparently no $50,000 reward for the Iowa boys, this year. [Joe has now altered the wording of the Feb 4 update as I figured he might, so below is a copy of the original wording; and I also have a copy of the original press release, since that too may disappear from the internet at some point.]
Man, if only there was a "Saturday Night Live" program just for birders!...
Addendum: The original verbatim Feb 4 entry from JH prior to alteration:
"A new expedition (with personnel from several independent Organizations) that was in the advanced planning stages had to be scrubbed because the other participants refused to wear the appropriate camouflage covering, and they insisted on using a motor-boat to get in and out of the area. The season (and Dan's available time) for mounting a confirmation expedition yet this year are rapidly coming to an end. Stay tuned..."
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If you happen to be in Minnesota or Tennessee, a couple of upcoming events of potential interest:
1) Eastman Nature Center holding an open house at 1:00pm Saturday, February 13, to introduce the public to the Whitney H. Eastman Archives. Whitney Eastman (1888-1979) was well-known for his Ivory-bill searches/claims in Florida in the 1950's.
The Archives are catalogued into a searchable computer database and will be available for public access and study at the Eastman Nature Center by appointment. If this interests you plan to attend this free introductory session.
The Eastman Nature Center is located in the northwest suburbs on the west side of 5,000-acre Elm Creek Park Reserve, at 13351 Elm Creek Road, Dayton, MN 55369. To reserve a seat on Feb. 13, please call the nature center at 763-694-7700.
2) Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, is hosting Stephen Lyn Bales at 5:30pm on Feb. 11, at its "Science Cafe," talking on "Ghost Birds: Jim Tanner and the Ivory-bill." Bales discusses his upcoming book "Ghost Birds" about Dr. James T. Tanner's 1935-41 study of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. This is of course the same book I mentioned a brief while back, as tentatively titled "James Tanner and the Ivory-bill" (a title I actually prefer, but then I'm not the mass public!)(If any readers attend either event and care to send in a report feel free.)
Register for the event by calling 865-577-4717, Ext. 10.
==> And in other news (...and I use that term loosely), Joe Hepperle has a somewhat silly Feb 4 update at his site reporting that a planned expedition to the the Sabine River basin by authorities and Rainsong had to be "scrubbed," and then closing by saying, "The season (and Dan's available time) for mounting a confirmation expedition yet this year are rapidly coming to an end." (Oh my WHAT a surprise!) Apparently no $50,000 reward for the Iowa boys, this year. [Joe has now altered the wording of the Feb 4 update as I figured he might, so below is a copy of the original wording; and I also have a copy of the original press release, since that too may disappear from the internet at some point.]
Man, if only there was a "Saturday Night Live" program just for birders!...
Addendum: The original verbatim Feb 4 entry from JH prior to alteration:
"A new expedition (with personnel from several independent Organizations) that was in the advanced planning stages had to be scrubbed because the other participants refused to wear the appropriate camouflage covering, and they insisted on using a motor-boat to get in and out of the area. The season (and Dan's available time) for mounting a confirmation expedition yet this year are rapidly coming to an end. Stay tuned..."
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Thursday, February 04, 2010
-- Sir David, Ya Gotta Moment --
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[For newbies still showing up here for the Sabine River claims, coverage of that story began on Jan.19th and follows intermittently from there on... I'll have a postscript (written over a week ago!) to the story, when it finally ends.]
I've always sort of whimsically wished that David Attenborough and his crew would get involved in the search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. On TV they usually accomplish their tasks in an hour or less ;-)) So for today just a little vintage footage of Sir David at work (Attenborough's almost 84 years-old now, but can probably still show the young whippersnappers how it's done!):
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6nlsOZpuU&feature=related )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
[For newbies still showing up here for the Sabine River claims, coverage of that story began on Jan.19th and follows intermittently from there on... I'll have a postscript (written over a week ago!) to the story, when it finally ends.]
I've always sort of whimsically wished that David Attenborough and his crew would get involved in the search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. On TV they usually accomplish their tasks in an hour or less ;-)) So for today just a little vintage footage of Sir David at work (Attenborough's almost 84 years-old now, but can probably still show the young whippersnappers how it's done!):
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6nlsOZpuU&feature=related )
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Wednesday, February 03, 2010
-- Will There Be A Rainsong Swansong --
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One suspects that Daniel Rainsong may be changing his name yet one more time when this whole episode is over (and without any $10,000 check to cover all his expenses)...
THANK YOU to all who have sent along pieces of information to me about various phases of the case. You never know when some one tidbit will be new to me or a crucial straw in tumbling this quivering house of cards (more like a house of phlegm!). I still don't know why authorities haven't made some official closing statement on the matter unless they are truly seeking to gather enough hard evidence for formal prosecution, rather than let the lad go free with a simple public flogging as so often happens. Or possibly they are trying to determine if this is a one-man show, or if others (J. Hepperle?, R. Goldstein?) are to some degree complicit, rather than mere dupes in the process? (BTW, CheyAnna Donaldson, mentioned in the initial press release, is an innocent bystander in these shenanigans).
Don't know if the photos will ever see the light of day either, which is unfortunate, since some craftsman, whittler, or store salesperson just might recognize his own handiwork or sales goods on display in them pics. I think it more likely that Joe H.'s weblinks to this story will magically disappear at some point, than that the photos will appear.
What a sordid shame it will be if 10 years from now the greatest legacy or memory in a lot of minds from the entire 5+ year search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is this foolhardy tale... told by a Mr. Rainsong, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
[Having said all this, it may be worth noting that there is always the remote possibility that Ivory-bills actually exist in the Sabine River Basin, just someone would need to find and photograph them.]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
One suspects that Daniel Rainsong may be changing his name yet one more time when this whole episode is over (and without any $10,000 check to cover all his expenses)...
THANK YOU to all who have sent along pieces of information to me about various phases of the case. You never know when some one tidbit will be new to me or a crucial straw in tumbling this quivering house of cards (more like a house of phlegm!). I still don't know why authorities haven't made some official closing statement on the matter unless they are truly seeking to gather enough hard evidence for formal prosecution, rather than let the lad go free with a simple public flogging as so often happens. Or possibly they are trying to determine if this is a one-man show, or if others (J. Hepperle?, R. Goldstein?) are to some degree complicit, rather than mere dupes in the process? (BTW, CheyAnna Donaldson, mentioned in the initial press release, is an innocent bystander in these shenanigans).
Don't know if the photos will ever see the light of day either, which is unfortunate, since some craftsman, whittler, or store salesperson just might recognize his own handiwork or sales goods on display in them pics. I think it more likely that Joe H.'s weblinks to this story will magically disappear at some point, than that the photos will appear.
What a sordid shame it will be if 10 years from now the greatest legacy or memory in a lot of minds from the entire 5+ year search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is this foolhardy tale... told by a Mr. Rainsong, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
[Having said all this, it may be worth noting that there is always the remote possibility that Ivory-bills actually exist in the Sabine River Basin, just someone would need to find and photograph them.]
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Tuesday, February 02, 2010
-- Live Hummingbird Nestcam --
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Might be cold where you're at, but it's sunny in southern California, and time to raise a family:
Video clips at Ustream
( http://www.ustream.tv/channel/Hummingbird-Nest-Cam )
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Might be cold where you're at, but it's sunny in southern California, and time to raise a family:
Video clips at Ustream
( http://www.ustream.tv/channel/Hummingbird-Nest-Cam )
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-- The IB Woodpecker Helps Avoid a Depression --
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changing subjects, for a moment....
The role of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in saving America from financial collapse! :-):
This article tells of the pressures on finance guru Henry Paulson (a birdwatcher no less) at the peak of America's credit crunch and financial crisis. But here's the pertinent passage:
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Changing subjects, for a moment....
The role of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in saving America from financial collapse! :-):
This article tells of the pressures on finance guru Henry Paulson (a birdwatcher no less) at the peak of America's credit crunch and financial crisis. But here's the pertinent passage:
"During infrequent interludes of downtime, Paulson tried to relax by going bird-watching -- while travelling on government business, he sometimes found a few hours at foreign summits to go off in seek of a glimpse of the local avian species. But even birds weren't enough to take his mind off work during the week of Bear Stearns' collapse. Paulson writes that he and his wife took an evening off to go and see "The Lord God Bird", a documentary about the ivory-billed woodpecker, at the National Geographic Society. As he struggled to make small talk with environmental movie enthusiasts, Paulson was scolded by his wife for discourtesy."
And this article quotes directly from Paulson's memoir:
"That evening Wendy and I went to the National Geographic Society to see The Lord God Bird, a terrific documentary on the ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird so spectacular it made people say Lord God!! Normally, I would have enjoyed this immensely, but I was preoccupied with Bear Stearns. Every time one of our friends from the environmental community came over, I would look right through them. Wendy got really upset with me.
“I understand that you’re under pressure,” she said, “but that’s no excuse for not being courteous to people.”Never underestimate the reach of the Lord God Bird into the halls of power.
“I am being courteous to everyone,” I protested.
“You aren’t saying anything to them except ‘Hi.’” I apologized, adding, “I’m worried about the world falling apart!”
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Monday, February 01, 2010
-- Throwin' Down The Gauntlet --
------------------------------------------------------------------------
So far as I can tell, the Rainsong/Hepperles have now done everything necessary to legally insure their claim to an Ivory-billed Woodpecker sighting, and the photos that demonstrate it!!! (Hip hip hooray... yawn). There is no reason left for secrecy, confidentiality, or holding back on their part --- their legal standing (about which they were so concerned), is established...
I therefore challenge them, in fact triple dog DARE them, indeed IMMMPLORE them, to now place the two splendid photos in question on the internet (or direct the proper investigators to do so) for the world to see and judge and comment upon (hey, Joe, think how many more hits your wacky website will get if you upload the pics --- I absolutely, positively GARRR-AN-TEEE it!! ...just no fudgin' with 'em beforehand, OK).
Let the games begin...
(someone wake me up if he actually has the gumption to do it...)
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So far as I can tell, the Rainsong/Hepperles have now done everything necessary to legally insure their claim to an Ivory-billed Woodpecker sighting, and the photos that demonstrate it!!! (Hip hip hooray... yawn). There is no reason left for secrecy, confidentiality, or holding back on their part --- their legal standing (about which they were so concerned), is established...
I therefore challenge them, in fact triple dog DARE them, indeed IMMMPLORE them, to now place the two splendid photos in question on the internet (or direct the proper investigators to do so) for the world to see and judge and comment upon (hey, Joe, think how many more hits your wacky website will get if you upload the pics --- I absolutely, positively GARRR-AN-TEEE it!! ...just no fudgin' with 'em beforehand, OK).
Let the games begin...
(someone wake me up if he actually has the gumption to do it...)
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Sunday, January 31, 2010
-- Waiting --
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While we await for authorities to resolve the Rainsong situation, Radd Icenoggle (great name, by the way!) takes a stab at categorizing bird hoaxes of the past in this blog post:
http://tinyurl.com/yb7z3ly
Meanwhile, FWIW, here are a few other tangential webpages that might harbor teensy elements of pertinence to the Sabine River story... or, NOT:
http://www.gamblingphd.com/gambling-psychology.htm
http://tinyurl.com/yblyse5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_minutes_of_fame
http://tinyurl.com/6qa7ar
(Clifford Irving was sentenced to 2 years of jail-time for his money-scheming book hoax --- sometimes the best avenue a claimant can take is to make a full and public apology, in exchange for walking away, before evidence is gathered to prosecute for fraud/jail-time.)
(p.s. -- if this case hasn't been closed by the end of today I'll issue my own challenge-of-sorts to the situation come Monday... stay tuned.)
Some readers, I realize, are fascinated by the whole affair (like craning your neck at a roadside accident) and glad for efforts here to track it (Jan.19 - 28 posts), even if much can't be divulged, but others are already bored stiff and sick of hearing about it. I can only say that hoaxes represent the bottom-of-the-barrel for me and anything smacking of one ought be torpedoed (or vindicated) as soon as possible --- unfortunately, fraudulent storylines can be hard to 100% DISprove --- come to think of it, I saw 3 Ivory-bills fly over my backyard just last week; it vividly sticks in my memory because one of them was carrying a Carolina Parakeet in its beak... uhhh, "prove" that it didn't happen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
While we await for authorities to resolve the Rainsong situation, Radd Icenoggle (great name, by the way!) takes a stab at categorizing bird hoaxes of the past in this blog post:
http://tinyurl.com/yb7z3ly
Meanwhile, FWIW, here are a few other tangential webpages that might harbor teensy elements of pertinence to the Sabine River story... or, NOT:
http://www.gamblingphd.com/gambling-psychology.htm
http://tinyurl.com/yblyse5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_minutes_of_fame
http://tinyurl.com/6qa7ar
(Clifford Irving was sentenced to 2 years of jail-time for his money-scheming book hoax --- sometimes the best avenue a claimant can take is to make a full and public apology, in exchange for walking away, before evidence is gathered to prosecute for fraud/jail-time.)
(p.s. -- if this case hasn't been closed by the end of today I'll issue my own challenge-of-sorts to the situation come Monday... stay tuned.)
Some readers, I realize, are fascinated by the whole affair (like craning your neck at a roadside accident) and glad for efforts here to track it (Jan.19 - 28 posts), even if much can't be divulged, but others are already bored stiff and sick of hearing about it. I can only say that hoaxes represent the bottom-of-the-barrel for me and anything smacking of one ought be torpedoed (or vindicated) as soon as possible --- unfortunately, fraudulent storylines can be hard to 100% DISprove --- come to think of it, I saw 3 Ivory-bills fly over my backyard just last week; it vividly sticks in my memory because one of them was carrying a Carolina Parakeet in its beak... uhhh, "prove" that it didn't happen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, January 30, 2010
-- Sorry... I Just Can't Resist --
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( http://tinyurl.com/djwqmd )
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( http://tinyurl.com/djwqmd )
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Friday, January 29, 2010
-- Into The Weekend --
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Was looking for something upbeat to head into the weekend with, but not much out there, so will just use one of Snowball-the-Dancing-Cockatoo's old videos (always entertaining):
( http://tinyurl.com/djjqu4 )
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Was looking for something upbeat to head into the weekend with, but not much out there, so will just use one of Snowball-the-Dancing-Cockatoo's old videos (always entertaining):
( http://tinyurl.com/djjqu4 )
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
-- And Back to Rainsong (More Questions) --
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Other posts covering the Daniel Rainsong yarn run from Jan. 19 to Jan 26]
Just some questions rhetorically posed to those in charge of the investigation:
What sort of forensic analysis of the photos has been, or is currently being conducted (if any)?
Have any individuals been dispatched to the GPS coordinates for the Sabine sighting site (to look for rope, climbing gear, tools, footprints leading to the tree of interest, whatever, or hey, Ivory-billed Woodpeckers)?
Have you traced Rainsong's travels, whereabouts, timeline, contacts, since he left the Sabine River Basin?
How does Rainsong's storyline match up to that of any claimed traveling partners?
Have all the other frames of Rainsong's photoshoot been studied at this point?
What (if anything) do the timestamps reveal?
Any linkage yet uncovered to still other family members besides Dan and Joe?
Have you interviewed "Joe Hepperle" at length?
How many total prior trips did Rainsong make to the specific Sabine River Basin location before the fateful 2-week holiday excursion?
What are Rainsong's woodworking skills (or maybe plaster-of-Paris)?
(some of these I actually already have partial answers to, but still worth putting in print)
Can't verify it, but according to at least one source (who I'll simply call "DeepBeak" ;-)), Rainsong's storyline has suffered significant inconsistencies under the scrutiny of interrogation. And yet, it appears that investigators are trying to cross all their T's and dot all their i's before making any public pronouncements. Since hardly anyone is taking the case very seriously in cyberspace maybe it doesn't even matter, but I would so like to see this over before the weekend is over, and Mr. Rainsong can go back to dabbling in silly Blackjack theories (or, if this proves to be fraud is it legally prosecutable?).
Over the decades many Ivory-billed sightings have been followed up on within 48 hrs., always to no avail (as far as definitive confirmation), and yet to believe Mr. Rainsong's bravado he is going to lead investigators back to find a lone bird he spotted over 30 days ago in a vast area (actually he DIDN'T spot it, it just showed up when reviewing his film later). If the bird was there it would be an incredible task... with the bird not there, it's more like... an impossible bluff.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Other posts covering the Daniel Rainsong yarn run from Jan. 19 to Jan 26]
Just some questions rhetorically posed to those in charge of the investigation:
What sort of forensic analysis of the photos has been, or is currently being conducted (if any)?
Have any individuals been dispatched to the GPS coordinates for the Sabine sighting site (to look for rope, climbing gear, tools, footprints leading to the tree of interest, whatever, or hey, Ivory-billed Woodpeckers)?
Have you traced Rainsong's travels, whereabouts, timeline, contacts, since he left the Sabine River Basin?
How does Rainsong's storyline match up to that of any claimed traveling partners?
Have all the other frames of Rainsong's photoshoot been studied at this point?
What (if anything) do the timestamps reveal?
Any linkage yet uncovered to still other family members besides Dan and Joe?
Have you interviewed "Joe Hepperle" at length?
How many total prior trips did Rainsong make to the specific Sabine River Basin location before the fateful 2-week holiday excursion?
What are Rainsong's woodworking skills (or maybe plaster-of-Paris)?
(some of these I actually already have partial answers to, but still worth putting in print)
Can't verify it, but according to at least one source (who I'll simply call "DeepBeak" ;-)), Rainsong's storyline has suffered significant inconsistencies under the scrutiny of interrogation. And yet, it appears that investigators are trying to cross all their T's and dot all their i's before making any public pronouncements. Since hardly anyone is taking the case very seriously in cyberspace maybe it doesn't even matter, but I would so like to see this over before the weekend is over, and Mr. Rainsong can go back to dabbling in silly Blackjack theories (or, if this proves to be fraud is it legally prosecutable?).
Over the decades many Ivory-billed sightings have been followed up on within 48 hrs., always to no avail (as far as definitive confirmation), and yet to believe Mr. Rainsong's bravado he is going to lead investigators back to find a lone bird he spotted over 30 days ago in a vast area (actually he DIDN'T spot it, it just showed up when reviewing his film later). If the bird was there it would be an incredible task... with the bird not there, it's more like... an impossible bluff.
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-- Gotta Love the 60's --
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm feeling a little nostalgic today, so no birds, just a li'l blast from the past:
( http://tinyurl.com/ybdk95m )
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I'm feeling a little nostalgic today, so no birds, just a li'l blast from the past:
( http://tinyurl.com/ybdk95m )
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
-- ...In Other News --
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....in other news:
Mark Bailey of "Hog Foot Holler" blog informs me of an upcoming book by wonderful artist Stephen Lyn Bales (in collaboration with Nancy Tanner) that will detail the years of James Tanner's Ivory-bill studies. Sounds GREAT! (tentatively titled "James Tanner and the Ivory-bill," the manuscript was only turned in last December so could be awhile before appearing in bookstores, but I'm sure many readers here will want to watch for it).
Was hoping for the Rainsong story to fully deflate before turning comments back on. There are just certain specifics and details I don't want discussed here (and certain ones I'm sure investigators don't want disclosed either for that matter), and it is easiest to insure that by keeping comments closed. However, I've now turned them back on in 'full moderation mode,' which means they won't appear until approved (and since I'm often away from the computer for 6 - 8+ hrs. a day, understand that can take awhile, and I will be selective).
Bill Pulliam's latest thoughts here:
http://bbill.blogspot.com/2010/01/recent-history.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
....in other news:
Mark Bailey of "Hog Foot Holler" blog informs me of an upcoming book by wonderful artist Stephen Lyn Bales (in collaboration with Nancy Tanner) that will detail the years of James Tanner's Ivory-bill studies. Sounds GREAT! (tentatively titled "James Tanner and the Ivory-bill," the manuscript was only turned in last December so could be awhile before appearing in bookstores, but I'm sure many readers here will want to watch for it).
Was hoping for the Rainsong story to fully deflate before turning comments back on. There are just certain specifics and details I don't want discussed here (and certain ones I'm sure investigators don't want disclosed either for that matter), and it is easiest to insure that by keeping comments closed. However, I've now turned them back on in 'full moderation mode,' which means they won't appear until approved (and since I'm often away from the computer for 6 - 8+ hrs. a day, understand that can take awhile, and I will be selective).
Bill Pulliam's latest thoughts here:
http://bbill.blogspot.com/2010/01/recent-history.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Intermission... --
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Sabine River "claims" are addressed in the previous 14 posts, but for right now just need to chill-out:
( http://tinyurl.com/yetw3t5 )
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Sabine River "claims" are addressed in the previous 14 posts, but for right now just need to chill-out:
( http://tinyurl.com/yetw3t5 )
----------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
-- Winding Down? --
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've seen enough at this point to believe this entire episode may soon unwind to its ignominious conclusion. As I said back at the beginning, no reason to hold one's breath.
(And sorry, probably won't be responding with any specifics to email questions, but will have much to say when/if the end comes, I'd like to think before end of week, but who knows.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've seen enough at this point to believe this entire episode may soon unwind to its ignominious conclusion. As I said back at the beginning, no reason to hold one's breath.
(And sorry, probably won't be responding with any specifics to email questions, but will have much to say when/if the end comes, I'd like to think before end of week, but who knows.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Limbo --
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I mostly receive information that is 2nd, 3rd, or 4th-hand in nature, and it's possible for elements of that material to change (and be less accurate) as it gets passed along the way (the old 'telephone' game). Am therefore feeling constrained from reporting specifics that I can't independently verify right now with multiple sources, even when I know the people emailing are honestly trying to pass along accurate, but fragmented, information (and even when they give permission to report it). Not sure how much I'll say beyond vague generalities for time being.
Would again be best if those University and/or Government ornithologists now most directly familiar with the story/evidence made some simple initial public statement regarding level of plausibility they find in Mr. Rainsong's evidence, and the likelihood of further follow-up (they can always revise it later, as needed). I suspect technical analysis and validation of the photos could take some time, and it may be their intention, unfortunately, to say nothing until that is complete.
By the way, I think it HHHIGHLY important that Rainsong's traveling partner NOW be interviewed at LENGTH (assuming Rainsong will release her contact info) if this has not already been done.
It seems clear at this point though, the only way this story will have a truly favorable resolution is if Mr. Rainsong can indeed lead ornithologists to a living Ivory-billed Woodpecker (the photos are far from conclusive), at which point a handsome monetary reward indeed awaits him. Short of that, or a finding of fraud, we will be left with yet another dead-end in this long excruciating drawn-out Ivory-bill saga... and, a whole lot of questions.
....Lastly, genuine THANKS to all of you who are trying to send good information my way --- if it isn't incorporated on the blog don't assume it means I don't believe you! --- there are many reasons I don't post material --- Sometimes, Person A says 'here's some info for your blog, just don't attach my name to it,' but Person B comes along with the very same info saying this is 'confidential so please don't post on blog' --- in which case the info won't appear, and, there are other complications. But thanks for all your efforts. I'm fairly confident we'll get to the bottom of this in short order, though I still doubt it will be a happy landing, but time will tell.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I mostly receive information that is 2nd, 3rd, or 4th-hand in nature, and it's possible for elements of that material to change (and be less accurate) as it gets passed along the way (the old 'telephone' game). Am therefore feeling constrained from reporting specifics that I can't independently verify right now with multiple sources, even when I know the people emailing are honestly trying to pass along accurate, but fragmented, information (and even when they give permission to report it). Not sure how much I'll say beyond vague generalities for time being.
Would again be best if those University and/or Government ornithologists now most directly familiar with the story/evidence made some simple initial public statement regarding level of plausibility they find in Mr. Rainsong's evidence, and the likelihood of further follow-up (they can always revise it later, as needed). I suspect technical analysis and validation of the photos could take some time, and it may be their intention, unfortunately, to say nothing until that is complete.
By the way, I think it HHHIGHLY important that Rainsong's traveling partner NOW be interviewed at LENGTH (assuming Rainsong will release her contact info) if this has not already been done.
It seems clear at this point though, the only way this story will have a truly favorable resolution is if Mr. Rainsong can indeed lead ornithologists to a living Ivory-billed Woodpecker (the photos are far from conclusive), at which point a handsome monetary reward indeed awaits him. Short of that, or a finding of fraud, we will be left with yet another dead-end in this long excruciating drawn-out Ivory-bill saga... and, a whole lot of questions.
....Lastly, genuine THANKS to all of you who are trying to send good information my way --- if it isn't incorporated on the blog don't assume it means I don't believe you! --- there are many reasons I don't post material --- Sometimes, Person A says 'here's some info for your blog, just don't attach my name to it,' but Person B comes along with the very same info saying this is 'confidential so please don't post on blog' --- in which case the info won't appear, and, there are other complications. But thanks for all your efforts. I'm fairly confident we'll get to the bottom of this in short order, though I still doubt it will be a happy landing, but time will tell.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, January 25, 2010
-- FLASH! + addenda --
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
First off, I've now received significant indication from a single source, but one I consider credible, that the Rainsong story could be a sincere effort, and the pics might even be interesting enough to warrant followup (they are certainly not slam-dunk photos of Ivory-bills). I'm unable to verify any of this yet, but at least it's a glimmer. Of course, even a case of sincere mistaken identification would be far preferable to a hoax, and if there is follow-up by the individuals I've seen named it would be an incredible turn of events, even if... once again nothing is eventually resolved.
Combining that with the fact that none of the named experts in the original press release has yet to openly rebuke the story, I can only say the plot thickens for the moment. It would be nice if someone in authority (a University figure) could step forward and make a public statement on where things stand. (And I'll apologize to Mr. Rainsong here if it is proven that his excursion was even a naive, misbegotten, but genuine endeavor, let alone if Ivory-bills arise from it.) There's still a lot of dust to settle.
To all those who have been sending me background material on the Hepperles, thank you; most of it I already had, but a few new tidbits keep coming in (and yes I'm now convinced that Dan/Joe are two separate individuals, almost certainly brothers, who have simply lived very parallel lives). Obviously though under the circumstances, I'll be holding my fire, no matter what their backgrounds look like, while awaiting for things to further clarify.
This is possibly the most bizarre story yet in 60 years of the Ivory-bill saga, regardless of how it ends.
Had some other things I was planning to discuss today, but the new turn of events puts those matters on a back-burner.
Quick Addendum: info is very much in flux at this point (I'm already getting some mixed signals) and may stay that way for awhile, so just want to stress for clarity that what is "FLASH"-worthy about the above news (from my standpoint) is NOT so much the possibility that IBWOs have been discovered (still unlikely), but the possibility that the storyline being told might at least be honest/sincere.
Addendum II: sorry for the insanity... but because of emails I'm getting, trying to walk a very fine line here and be clear: NOTHING has changed any of the earmarks of a hoax that surround (saturate?) this story; they still exist. What has been added though is that some key figures who have directly talked to Rainsong and seen his pics are showing an interest in his claims. The photos have not been technically analyzed and are not at all conclusive, and frankly for all I know the interested individuals could even be being played for suckers, but at least it is a first indication that the claim may not be immediately dismissible, and that could be encouraging.
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First off, I've now received significant indication from a single source, but one I consider credible, that the Rainsong story could be a sincere effort, and the pics might even be interesting enough to warrant followup (they are certainly not slam-dunk photos of Ivory-bills). I'm unable to verify any of this yet, but at least it's a glimmer. Of course, even a case of sincere mistaken identification would be far preferable to a hoax, and if there is follow-up by the individuals I've seen named it would be an incredible turn of events, even if... once again nothing is eventually resolved.
Combining that with the fact that none of the named experts in the original press release has yet to openly rebuke the story, I can only say the plot thickens for the moment. It would be nice if someone in authority (a University figure) could step forward and make a public statement on where things stand. (And I'll apologize to Mr. Rainsong here if it is proven that his excursion was even a naive, misbegotten, but genuine endeavor, let alone if Ivory-bills arise from it.) There's still a lot of dust to settle.
To all those who have been sending me background material on the Hepperles, thank you; most of it I already had, but a few new tidbits keep coming in (and yes I'm now convinced that Dan/Joe are two separate individuals, almost certainly brothers, who have simply lived very parallel lives). Obviously though under the circumstances, I'll be holding my fire, no matter what their backgrounds look like, while awaiting for things to further clarify.
This is possibly the most bizarre story yet in 60 years of the Ivory-bill saga, regardless of how it ends.
Had some other things I was planning to discuss today, but the new turn of events puts those matters on a back-burner.
Quick Addendum: info is very much in flux at this point (I'm already getting some mixed signals) and may stay that way for awhile, so just want to stress for clarity that what is "FLASH"-worthy about the above news (from my standpoint) is NOT so much the possibility that IBWOs have been discovered (still unlikely), but the possibility that the storyline being told might at least be honest/sincere.
Addendum II: sorry for the insanity... but because of emails I'm getting, trying to walk a very fine line here and be clear: NOTHING has changed any of the earmarks of a hoax that surround (saturate?) this story; they still exist. What has been added though is that some key figures who have directly talked to Rainsong and seen his pics are showing an interest in his claims. The photos have not been technically analyzed and are not at all conclusive, and frankly for all I know the interested individuals could even be being played for suckers, but at least it is a first indication that the claim may not be immediately dismissible, and that could be encouraging.
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Sunday, January 24, 2010
-- Miscellany --
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I'll just note that ornithologist Stephen J. Dinsmore of Iowa State University, who Rainsong claims as a contact, and who was active on the Iowa birding listserv the first 3 weekends of this month, has not posted anything thus far this weekend (the Rainsong story broke last Tue). No doubt his email and phoneline are bulging. Hopefully, any silence from him or Dr. Van Remsen at LSU might be broken later this week...? (supposedly Rainsong was to re-meet with Remsen by now?) [Addendum FWIW: Both Drs. Dinsmore and Remsen did have posts, totally unrelated to the Rainsong matter, on their respective listservs on the following Tue.]
Bill Pulliam has posted at his blog some of the background material which I've been reluctant to make explicit here (while I'm still trying to nail down some other elements), but now it's out there:
http://bbill.blogspot.com/2010/01/facts-on-hepperle-and-rainsong.html [sorry, Bill's post now seems to have been taken down]
I think this is Kenneth Joe Hepperle's last entry on his own site regarding the matter (unless by the time you see this there's a newer entry):
http://www.joehepperle.com/Joe/Opinion/Ibw.htm
[By the way, it is still not even 100% clear to me if "Daniel Dean Rainsong" and "Kenneth Joseph Hepperle" are two different people (brothers?) or just possibly one-and-the-same person; that's what a convoluted mess this whole matter is at this point.]
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I'll just note that ornithologist Stephen J. Dinsmore of Iowa State University, who Rainsong claims as a contact, and who was active on the Iowa birding listserv the first 3 weekends of this month, has not posted anything thus far this weekend (the Rainsong story broke last Tue). No doubt his email and phoneline are bulging. Hopefully, any silence from him or Dr. Van Remsen at LSU might be broken later this week...? (supposedly Rainsong was to re-meet with Remsen by now?) [Addendum FWIW: Both Drs. Dinsmore and Remsen did have posts, totally unrelated to the Rainsong matter, on their respective listservs on the following Tue.]
Bill Pulliam has posted at his blog some of the background material which I've been reluctant to make explicit here (while I'm still trying to nail down some other elements), but now it's out there:
http://bbill.blogspot.com/2010/01/facts-on-hepperle-and-rainsong.html [sorry, Bill's post now seems to have been taken down]
I think this is Kenneth Joe Hepperle's last entry on his own site regarding the matter (unless by the time you see this there's a newer entry):
http://www.joehepperle.com/Joe/Opinion/Ibw.htm
[By the way, it is still not even 100% clear to me if "Daniel Dean Rainsong" and "Kenneth Joseph Hepperle" are two different people (brothers?) or just possibly one-and-the-same person; that's what a convoluted mess this whole matter is at this point.]
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