Over the past year, I watched Tim Allwood (aka Johnny Rotten) evolve from vocal Ivory-bill believer to strong Ivory-bill skeptic out on Birdforum.
Last summer, Tim argued that "the birds have been observed several times by some of the best ornithologists in the Americas".
About that same time, his advice to me (hgr389) was "keep your ramblings to conspiracy websites".
By July of this year, however, Tim was arguing that his own Ivory-bill skepticism was a position that "can be seen by one and all as plain unavoidable facts."
I think Tim's changing views are notable because they parallel the path that so many of us have taken: blind faith in Cornell at first, then ever-increasing skepticism as the actual evidence is examined.
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7 comments:
Huh?
Are you the Kiss-of-death, Tom?
"Are you the Kiss-of-death, Tom?"
Uh, no?
As far as I know, most people that I've kissed are currently alive.
If you have a serious question about this post, please phrase it in a coherent manner.
Looks like Tim has assessed the evidence and found it lacking. Good for him.
To those who feel that Cornell has provided positive proof, how long before they start with the stories about how that must have been the last Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Cache River? (Maybe they'll blame the irrigation project for wiping them out.)
How do I love thee? Let me blog the ways.
I love thee to your flap rate’s width and height
Your wings can reach, when fleeing out of sight
From the moron beings and idyllic cretins
Which inhabit everyday life.
I love thee to the disheveled ends of everyman’s
Most quiet cubicle, where imagination takes flight.
I love thee really, as you strive against your plight
I love thee securely, despite the stink you did raise.
I love thee with a passionate embrace useless
To old farts, that lack my childlike faith.
I love thee with a love I feared I’d lose
With the death of my sainted mother.
I love thee with the sweat, snakes, beers, of all my life!
And, if Fitz chooses,
I shall love thee even better after the retraction.
Hey Tom
Tim here
seems i'm famous...?
mmmm....
Would never have called myself a 'believer' - it makes me sound like one of those lunatics on Bird Forum! As you can guess, i'm pretty much a sceptical guy by nature but I reasoned that when CLO announced the rediscovery, birds had been observed over a period, and in detail. However, when i read the official paper, details of the observations, and the 'science', I quickly became very sceptical. I still find it hard to believe that such an important subject was treated so shodily. Let's hope it's out there... After all the folks at BF know of a population of about 100... no-one woild show me one though. They don't like me very much there. Boo hoo.
enjoy the poetry too, keep it up people,
love n peace
Tim
Hey, this could be cool. Sort of like "where were you when Kennedy was shot?" Or for you youngins "where were you when "Kurt Cobain blew his own brains out?"
But this is a sort of "where were you when you first suspected that CLO was full of bird dooey.
Ok, I'll go first second, after Tim there. Let's see. I had just heard the news of the rediscovery on, I think, NPR. So excitedly, I did what every redblooded American under the age of 60 does. I raced to the computer to google "Ivory Bill".
Yep, there they were. USF&WS...oops old black and white Tanner(?) photos.....hmmmm
Ok, here's TNC's site. Hmmmmm...more old black and white pics...
Ok, something is fishy......
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
BTW, my little poem is an ode to my lover, Ivory BIll.
Not to Tim!!!!!
(Not that there is anything wrong with that.)
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