You should check out some of Tim Barksdale's recent posts on BirdForum.
In no particular order, here are a few:
Post 1
Post 2
Post 3
Post 4
Post 5
The Big Battle — The People versus The Blob
12 minutes ago
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14 comments:
Mr. Barksdale says.......
The reason I can say this unequivocally - and damn Sibley, Kaufman and others... they are wrong- the reason is they do NOT have sufficient experience with understanding focus versus artifacts. Compare that to having 15 years of daily experience in television.... What hurts is that-- of these guys, for example... I have known Kenn for over 30 years and NOT once did Kenn even contact me... to talk about anything related to the whole thing. Mark Robbins how ever has spent quite a bit of time discussing the video with me, as well as long talks about double raps and my experiences. We have different opinions on the video - although we have never looked at it while we were talking about it and we respect each other enough to not allow our differences to hurt that.
__________________________
Ok. Kaufman has no experience understanding focus vs. artifacts. I guess the photo quiz editor of Birding for umpteen years followed by the multiple field guides using and enhancing photos doesn't count for anything when comapred to Tim's vast experience.
And speaking of not contacting anyone - this is the pot calling the kettle noir! CLO, of which Tim was part and parcel, didn't contact anyone, which, Skepticos, we know is why they went so wrong. Now he wants, what, everyone to ask his opinion as part of a team that propogated the biggest conservation boondoggle EVER.
His above comment alone, followed by the typical "I am so hurt" tripe, arghhhh. Is there no end to the ego of this guy? Maybe, just maybe everyone is busy trying to get people to understand that CLO doesn't have any evidence for IBWO - mybe they are too busy to entertain the likes of this land of make-believe in which he is the videographer (but not the one they use for the movie!)
The other posts are equally infuriating. Get a picture Tim, a video, even a skin will do. Stop picking on other people cause they aren't asking your opinion - cause without any real evidence your opinion is lost in a sea of unsubstantiated babble.
Just get some evidence dude. Oh, and maybe watch the darn video with Mark R.
There is an error of omission i my comment about Tim's posts. Kenn Kaufman also was the original collections manager for VIREO - guess that counts for nothing too, aye Tim?
In a lot of ways I think the 2nd tier reputations are even more delusional. Fitzcrow is smart enough to "run to ground" as the Carpinterio says. Or at least not make grandiose statements in such reckless ways.
Fitzcrow knows that if you want to shove a camera in his face and make him (in)famous then OK he'll make outrageous claims. But he doesn't just give them away like these other fellows.
The 2nd tiers seem to be True Believers and Fitz seems a little more machiavellian about this whole thing.
Interesting, well either True Believers are just generally more excitable than others, or conversely, if you saw/heard the bird, you speak more excitedly whether the evidence was good or just suggestive. Perhaps both are in play here! Now hmmm he's going to the Arctic and then to S. America after that. Could he be looking for the Eskimo Curlew?
(His screen name is HCurlew...something)
Paul in New Paltz
side note: I see somewhere in these ramblings that someone wonders where Sibley got the idea that pileated wings in flight display a "rowing action". I don't know, probably personal observation... But I do know he didn't make it up in response to viewing the Luneau video. This is the exact language he put in his own field guide long before the "re-discovery".
Barksdale fits right in with the
crowd at BirdForum. They are the
only ones interested in his
ramblings.
For someone who wants to take the time to look into it there is an interesting story about the alliance between the two very different IBWO believer camps - the BirdForum people at one end and the CLO/TNC at the other. The alliance is similar to the two camps of most religions. One group (the masses, if you will) has a real spiritual but frequently irrational connection to the message since it fills a vacuum in their lives. The other camp realizes that the message has the power to dazzle the naïve so they suspend some of their rationality to be able to increase their own wealth and status. And of course just like the Pope, the Fitzcrow is infallible.
Bird Forum - The home of Spamalot; where IBWOs exist in Mexico, Cuba, and all over the USA.
Tim Barksdale is scarier than even your normal Bird Forumite. However, he does admit that Cuba is hopeless.
You know, this will go forever, because we believe it exsts; therefore it is true. And you guys are a bunch of idiots.
Barkscrow actually seems to diss CLO in post 4. What with Bobby mad that CLO is spooking the birds and Barkscrow calling the CLO a "strange beast", there seems to be discontent in IBWO land.
But the sum of his posts are just nutty. Wonder how much longer he will be on staff?
Ah I see the level of debate here is the same as usual...
The level of debate is excellent and the poetry even better.
I especially enjoyed the religious connection between Bird Forum Fanatics and the CLO/TNC leadership gurus. Like the Pope directing the Masses to go on a Crusade. Maybe Bird Forum fanatics have even infected CLO.
Second point - At least there is debate on this web site as opposed to Bird Forum land (except for the Johnny Rotten picture guy).
Bird Forum is religion taken to a new place. A George Orwell Animal Farm analogy fits in quite appropriately.
No, no, let him talk. We need a good challenge. After debunking the video and after Tom's correct predictions were proven true, we need something to keep us going. At least until we start hearing great things from Texas.
By the way, what are those Texas boys doing?
Barkscrow, Barkscrow..what have you done?
Is it true that Ivory-bills are no longer fun?
Is it no longer important to end what you begun?
Why venture out in the land of the midnight sun?
Finding an Eskimo Curlew would be a real home run!
This would surely show Fitzcrow who was number one!
Hey guys,
The reason there is very little skepticism on the birdforum thread is because those who are skeptical seem to get chucked off the forum. Those of us who are skeptical but don't want to get chucked off like Tom did have to be tactful.
When you slag these people off they go off in a huff, moan to the moderators etc, but when you coax them to explain their position you find that they gradually make themselves look more and more stupid.
One of the people who has supposedly seen IBWO can't even ID Black Vulture ! But you wouldn't know that if you ignore BF.
Later ....
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