Shadow Void

Brother Was HIT

My brother was hit this morning around 4:15, Friday morning. He was struck by a drunk driver who pinned him between the vechile that they were driving and another car. He actually called our house to let us know that the ambulance was coming for him that he had been in an accident. I guess the drunk asked my brother "Where he came from?". He suffered two broken legs below the knees and he lost all the toes on his left foot. The good news is that he still has his left foot. He had to have blood. He went through a four hour surgery. He is going to stay at the hospital for a week and then he has long period of rehab.

Fiscal Condition of our country

Thank you for contacting me regarding the fiscal condition of our country. I appreciate your thoughts and understand your concern on this important issue. I am a longtime advocate of fiscal discipline. As Governor of Indiana, I balanced the State's budget without raising taxes and left behind a $1 billion surplus. I have continued to push for responsible fiscal management during my time in the U.S. Senate. The troubled state of public finances highlights the importance of restoring fiscal responsibility to the federal budget. Simply put, it is immoral to borrow from our children and grandchildren to finance large and persistent deficits. It disturbs me that the Federal Government borrows billions each year from foreign creditors, such as the Chinese and Japanese central banks. The growing indebtedness of our country to our competitors raises troubling questions about America's independence and the ability of foreign countries to influence our economic and trade policies in ways that might not be in our national interest. For these reasons, it is imperative that we spend every taxpayer dollar wisely. In January, I supported a resolution of disapproval regarding the release of the second half of the funds for the Troubled Asset Relief Program from the Treasury. It concerns me that these funds may have been used improperly, rather than to stabilize our banking system as intended. It is now more important than ever that our government demonstrate the accountability that we taxpayers deserve. I believe that both parties need to come together and identify ways to control spending. Recently, I was one of three Democrats that opposed a bloated $410 billion Fiscal Year 2009 omnibus appropriations bill to fund the federal government because of the inclusion of $7.7 billion worth of earmarks and an unaffordable eight percent increase in discretionary spending at a time of deepening deficits. I was also one of two Democrats to vote against the Fiscal Year 2010 congressional budget resolution due to its lack of fiscal restraint. At a time when so many American families are tightening their belts to make ends meet, Congress should be equally committed to living within its means. The budget I opposed projected an unsustainable level of deficits spending. The national debt today stands at over $11 trillion and is projected to reach $17 trillion by 2014 under this budget. We cannot pass that burden on to our children and grandchildren. One area of particular concern is the runaway practice of congressional earmarks, or "pork-barrel" projects. In 1996, there were 3,023 earmarks; by 2009, the number had increased to 11,914. For this reason, I supported a one-year moratorium on earmarks and have repeatedly voted to strip egregious earmarks from spending bills, including the now-infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" and the so-called "Hippie Museum." As a longtime leader in the Senate for restoring fiscal responsibility, please know that I will continue the fight to bring accountability and sunshine to a budget process in desperate need of repair. Again, thank you for contacting me. I hope the information I have provided has been helpful. My website, http://bayh.senate.gov, can provide additional details about my work in the Senate, including legislation and state projects. You can also sign up for occasional email updates. I value your input and hope you will continue to keep me informed of the issues that matter to you.

Tourist Dollars and Wildlife

I guess there is nothing wrong with using wildlife to get tourist. We do it right? I mean, we have Yellowstone Park. How many of go to Yellowstone hoping to see a bear, a wolf, a bison, or an elk? I knew that my intentions when I went. Did I actually get to see them? I got to see everything on my list expect for the wolf. Our entrance fee goes to support the park. When you go whale watching does that impact the whales you're watching? When you go shark diving does that impact the sharks? When you visit the tropical rainforest or the African national parks does that really aid the ecosystem? What about visiting a zoo? My answer in a roundabout way is "Yes". I'll go into more detail under each area.

Okay, so it's during the whale migration season or you leave in an area where whales naturally occur during certain times of the years, you decide to take you and your loved one(s) to see whales. You pay for the opportunity to view the whales. Does this actually help the whales that you're viewing? Well, I'm going to say yes. I'm saying yes, because the business wouldn't exist if the whales stopped showing up or if the populations suddenly took a nose dive. With that being said, the operators of a whale watching ship have an interest in preserving the whale populations. Finically, it makes sense for them to follow national and international laws when it comes to their business. The business also helps the whales in another way. It actually helps the whales to have you on that ship. Especially, if you have never seen a live whale. I have never made a trip to see any whales in their natural habitat. I would imagine that it has to be pretty amazing if not inspiring. Now, I might be wrong but I'm guessing that you're not paying this business to see empty water. You hopefully leave from that experience with a greater understanding, a greater appreciation, and a love for whales. This new appreciation will hopefully make you want to learn more about whales and their ecosystem. It will also hopefully lead you at some point to help fight for whales. Hopefully, you'll make returned trips to see the whales.

 

Now I know this next area might come with a leap of faith but what about shark dives?? I'm a little nervous about sharks and deep water so this might be a little rough for me to sell you on but I'm going to try. I took the time to look up one company's website that provides shark dives using cages. This company isn't cheap. It will cost you about $3,100. The trip leaves from San Diego and goes to Baja. Here you enter cages that will allow you to see Great White Sharks. So the question is does this help the sharks? Well there are some arguments for and against this. Let me start off by giving you a bite of why it benefits the sharks. First off, these companies exist because the sharks are around. Sharks are already facing major problems as far as populations go. These companies therefore have a stake in standing up for shark populations. In this case, they have a stake in Great Whites. They're going to do what they can to lobby their representatives and senators in favor of the sharks. So do you the consumer fit into this game plan? First off, you are paying this company mega bucks to see the sharks. So know let's assume that you've paid this company your $3,100 dollars and you are ready to enter the water. You get into the cage and before you know it there are sharks. If you're like me at first your heart rate might go up and then you might relax. While you're in that cage, you are experiencing something not everyone will have the chance to do. You are in the water with one of the ocean's top predators. You're seeing him not in an aquarium but in his or her turf. They are the real deal. You're seeing for the perhaps the first time a live great white shark in the ocean. I'm going to assume that you're trip is completely safe. You've come away hopefully with wonderful memories but hopefully you've also come away from that trip with a great appreciation and a greater understanding of these massive creatures. I would be in awe of their size and their power as they moved through the water column, that is if I could myself to actually to enter the cage. More importantly, I'm hoping that you've come away with a love for these animals and other sharks as well. I'm hoping you understand why the oceans need sharks, that even though they are hunters of the oceans, that they aren't the sharks we've seen in Jaws. Now, are there down sides to this, yes. There are chances perhaps small that a shark might cause an accident. I'm guessing though that an accident in these dives is RARE, extremely rare. It's not the accidents that bother me. The sharks are brought in by bait in many cases. You are in the water with sharks who has been brought in by enticement of a free meal. They see you in the water. In my mind, it increases the chances of them equating humans with food. I don't know if they're capable of making that connection or not, but the possibilities are there. Second, the sharks are already in the area at least a mile out from where you are. The question is do these free meals for your benefit affect the shark's normal behavior. Some scientist claim that it does. It may even increase shark populations in areas where these companies do their dives. I don't know if this is entirely true but it does make sense. Another question will this feeding affect the shark's normal diet? Why is that an issue? Sharks are predators, they help control prey species. Look at the seal and sea lion populations in places in California. Third, if the feeding promotes higher numbers of sharks could it lead to a possible attack? Sure, it could. Your chances of being attack by a shark are roughly 1 in 8 million but if we tip the scale by increasing shark populations that risk could change.

As always I want to know what you think.

1. Do you think we should stop feeding wildlife? Why?

2. Is the baiting of sharks bad for humans? I want to know why you feel this way.

Any other thoughts leave them in the comments.

Tarantulas who have molted

I just thought I would give you a run down on the tarantulas who have molted over the last three or so weeks:

My Aponopelma seemanni or Costa Rican Zebra molted on July 3rd, 2009.

My Acanthoscurria brocklehursti molted on June 30, 2009.

One of my Pterinochilus murinis or Orange Baboon Spider molted on June 15, 2009.

My Avicularia avicularia molted on over the July 1st, 2009.

So yeah that is the exciting news from my collection.

Wels Catfish ( Silurus glanis )

There are many large fish in the world. Today we are going to look at one of those big fish. Our journey takes us to Europe home of the Wels catfish. Originally, this fish was native to Eastern Europe but has been introduced into many other areas of Europe. This catfish is large and that is no joke. It can reach a length of 16 feet (5 meters) and weigh in at 188 lbs (300 kg). I don't know how many of these large fish are left in Europe but from the videos on YouTube. I get the feeling this fish is much sought after as a game fish. It is a big fish with a huge appetite. It will feed on fish, water birds, frogs, small mammals, and carrion. The male makes the nest and then when the female is down laying her eggs, he'll guard the nest. By the way, the female catfish will lay some 1/2 million eggs. Any time that an animal produces that many young, it's a pretty good guess that they get eaten a lot.

Now what is my take on game animals, you might ask. First off, we use to hunt and gather for our food. We had to for our own survival. I suppose in some places we still hunt for our meat. Nowadays for most of us, our lives do not depend on hunting or fishing. I have no problems with us hunting or fishing. What I have a problem with is waste and poaching. In many places here in the United States and in Europe as well, pollution is now a major concern. Another concern of mine is what the population of these large fish is like. If we take too many of the large Wels catfish and do not leave enough mature adults to breed than the population will suffer. Another issue that concerns me is the fact that this species has been introduced to areas outside its original ecosystems. Haven't we learned that it's not a good idea to transplant animals from one ecosystem into another? I wonder what its introduction has done to the native animals in their new ranges.

In my experience, being outdoors and enjoying nature is a great way to spend time together as a family. There is nothing wrong with catch and release fishing. I however do not particularly like fishing. I remember being out fishing here in native NW Indiana and feeling something heavy strike at my hook. I quickly set with my eager arms and started wheeling it into shore. When I saw the black dome of a turtle moving through the water towards me, my heart sank. It sank even more when my brother in law had to remove the hook from the poor creature's jaws. Since then I have gone fishing a couple more times, but personally, I would rather not fish and just spend my time enjoying nature. It's much easier to take a picture or do a video when I don't have my hands on a fishing pool. Anyway, I'm out for now hope you enjoy.

I cannot embed this video but it's really good:

Wels catfish

Just writng to say:

I'm just writing to say that I'm good and I hope you are too. I'm just writing to say that I think bigots are lower than the fungi growing between their toes. I'm just writing to say that sometimes kids shoudl just stay home. I'm writing to ask do we really need to LOUD fireworks? Is there really a need for providing half sticks or quarter sticks of tnt? I'm writing to say that sometimes my nephews scare the living crap out of me. I'm writing to say that I so totally appreciate my readers no matter how many I have. I'm writing to say that sometimes, I just want to scream. Mostly, I'm just writing to say that I loved the 4th of July!!

Big and Small; Mia and Puppy

Latter-Day tears

I don't know why I read that book. It always makes me cry. I don't know if any of you have read it or seen the movie, but to me it's powerful. It's sort of how I envision things. I feel very much like Aaron at the towards the end of the movie. The part where his mom and him exchange words in the kitchen. Yeah...that is how I see my family reacting. Yeah...my older brother took things pretty well, but even he has his limits I think. I don't know how other people do it. How other people seemingly just step away and go on with their life. I guess, my situation doesn't help much. Right now, I am holding back tears because I don't want to moisten my keyboard. I'm thinking of throwing the book away. Right now, a small part of me is even asking myself, why I allowed myself to...to admit who I was. Oh....don't get me wrong, I don't plan on digging myself back into the closet. For a person in my situation, maybe the blog was a bad idea. Maybe it puts too much of me out here. What makes me even more afraid is that if and I hate to think about this because it just gets me down, is that I won't allow myself to be with anyone. I want to but a part will fight it. A part of me will tear and that is what I'm afraid. I'm afraid of losing me so far there has always been a safety valve around to hold back the flood. Right now, I don't have a safety valve expect for the you and my writing. I hate to think what life would be like if I didn't have this to right things out. In a way, it makes things better. I can vent and cry out my heart. I'm at a point where I can feel myself tearing away from my past. I can feel stares at church and maybe I'm wrong. I know my testinmony isn't as strong as it use to be and it's affecting how active I am at church. For awhile, I was missing on average 1 Sunday each month. On the Sundays that I did attend, I wasn't attending my meetings expect for the sacrament. There was always a friend who I could talk too or cub scout stuff that I could work on without interrupting anyone or being rude to the teacher. I'm okay, it's just a small case of depression. Yeah, I admit it, that plague has a hold of me. I'll be okay! Michael, Jeremiah, and Gus if you're out there and you read this thanks for helping to make me strong. Anyway, I'm going to go! I'll catch everyone tomorrow after this has passed.

Freedom's Breath

I read all the history books and they just didn't talk to me until the day that I read your story. It was written so that I could read it nothing fancy just your thoughts. You fought for the freedoms of your sons and daughters that they might have a future on this land. I can't say that I felt understood all your sacrifices but reading how you suffered made me appreciate a little bit more the men and women who fight today. Each word written by your hand somehow they reached me. I found my tears creeping down my face as I read about the wife that you left behind. I cried when I heard that your friend had been slain. I'm sorry for the things you endured but I'm so thankful for what you did. I use to take freedom for granted. I didn't use to care but somehow now, I stand proud when I see the flag or hear our anthem. Not a day goes by now that I don't give thanks for all the freedoms that you fought for so that I could be free. I don't know if you are aware but you have a grandson, whose proud to say that I'm an American. Thanks Grandpa! Thank you so much!

Firework

Coming up this weekend is going to be the Independance day as if I remind any of you. With July 4th comes fireworks and with fireworks, there is noise and the threat of fire and injury. I want to take a second to address fireworks and how best to save your pets and wildlife from being hurt by your celebration. First lets talk about pets, it's mostly dogs that I'm worried about though other animals might also be affected by the noise. I watched today as my brother's German shepherd, Mia, literally jumped half a mile at the sound of someone's firework. Dog do not like the noise that fireworks generate. If you have a dog that is usually an outside dog or if you normally let your dog out by itself to use the bathroom. I am asking that on July 4th, that you put your dog inside and keep it inside until the explosions of the night are over. Our shelters are already busting at the seams with strays. Many shelters see an increase of dogs at their locations. Dogs are scared of the noise and can be easily spooked by them. An animal that would normally never run away might be spooked into running away from the sound. I know of people who have allowed their dog to go out on New Years eve or the 4th of July only to have the animal take off on them. The pet was never seen again. In at least one case, it was News Year Eve and the dog was a pure breed.

I mentioned in the above paragraph that wildlife could also be hurt by your celebration. What I'm talking about is fire caused by a firework. If fireworks are illegal in your area. Follow the law and don't set them off. Every year in Utah it seems like there is at least one wildfire set off by fireworks of course this depends on how dry it is in many places. Fires can destroy our homes, other property, and acres of land used by wildlife. Be smart and don't let fires get a hold. Another thing you can try is having a bucket in place where you can put your kid's spent sparklers and make sure to have water in that bucket.

With that stay safe and enjoy your 4th of July!