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12 comments:
Well the "IBWO found" story apparently still has legs even though it has effectively been cut off at the knees by clearer minds.
But I am surprised that Daily Kos is even dealing with this issue. I thought it was mainly a blog that allowed its readers to exchange hummus recipes and opinions on where to buy the most comfortable sandals.
Thank goodness someone posting comments is trying to let them know that what was the "feel good" story of 2005 is now the "look stupid" story of 2006.
it seems to me... that a lack of a photo is mitigated by the fact that the guy doing the reporting is holding a PhD, and seems quite qualified.
Unfortunately, this is how it plays out with inexperienced birders and non-birders. They simply don't understand the lack of evidence, the lack of understanding of the ID issues, and that having a PhD doesn't make you a qualified field birder.
They just don't understand that virtually none of the best field birders in the U.S. accept the evidence.
Oy, those comments at Kos are painful to read! Gives me a stomach-ache and a flashback. The best of the worst quotes is from "hestal":
"Of course they are on their honor, but birders are generally very trustworthy."
Compared to who? Firemen?
"The video from Cache River is good enough for me to include it on my life list should I ever get a similar glimpse in the flesh."
So much for the trustworthiness of birders. And kos diarists.
Who is "surfbird007" and why is he or she not on this blog? Nice job surfbird!
At least there is one person there who tried to insert reason into the discussion, and look how the other readers attacked!
This was surfbird's money quote in response the post mentioned by anon 12:21: "Good faith." That's all this is. Faith. Psuedo-science belief for the sake of belief.
I think surfbird must visit this site, given that many of the links provided were scooped here (as far as I know). If you're here, say hello. You are brave to take on such a zealous and off-track crowd.
And now a good one by "robbo."
To the author of the first post: I'm actually quite surprised their discussion didn't have more well-informed people involved. Whether or not one agrees with their politics, the discussions are usually rather interesting and informed (with a hole host of snarky brats on the side, as is common in politics and birding alike).
That's why I find the ignorance especially disturbing there.
Although I will say this: in my experience, the weekends do have a notable gardening and recipe element - LOL.
quaoar the believer writes
"When the claim is made by an expert in the field, someone who knows the difference between an IBW and a pileated, and who has evidence other than photographs such as recordings, then I am willing to take him/her at his word until and unless someone demonstrates otherwise."
Demonstrates "what" exactly? That is the obvious question which quaoar helpfully (to him/herself) leaves unanswered.
What quaoar and other dim bulbs are unable to grasp is that it IS NOT POSSIBLE to prove that the IBWO is "likely" to be alive based on sound recordings, roost holes, tree scratches. None of these things qualify as "evidence" that the IBWO is alive, anymore than a half-eaten plate of spaghetti counts as evidnece that Jimmy Hoffa is alive.
Quaoar's faith in this handful of "experts" who feed him not only their "evidence" but also the bogus presumptions on which that evidence is based (i.e., "double knocks are unique descriptors") is simply pathetic but entirely understandable in light of Cornell and Auburn's propaganda campaign.
I wonder if quaoar would be interested in a friendly wager ...
Wow, that sure turned into a huge fight. Reminds me of this site - LOL.
I think I'm in love with Amy Lester. That Hoffa line is priceless.
HI:
At least we know where to look for Jimmy Hoffa, try Giants' Stadium!;)
quaoar, kicking up a little dust but not yet retreating from the claim of "rediscovery,"
I also wonder whether an actual photograph of an IBW or even a DNA sample would settle the issue.
Want to bet that this "actual photograph" will be taken in the next year, quaoar?
The Alabama sturgeon was long thought to be extinct in its river habitat in Alabama. When one was found several years ago a raging dispute broke out over whether it was actually a separate species -- an issue that was never really resolved despite having a physical specimen in hand.
That's nice. I don't really care what you believers call the Giant Noisy Bird That Looks Exactly Like an IBWO. Just show me proof of a living one or shut the heck up with the bogus "rediscovery" claims already.
The picture I posted with this diary, in fact, was given to me by his wife, Nancy, years ago.
That poor little IBWO must have been drugged by Tanner in order to allow it to be photographed in such close proximity to a human being. Everybody knows that the bird would instinctively be trying to hide on the OTHER side of that man to avoid the gaze of its natural enemy, the camera lens.
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