Full use of the mouse resource

from boingboing

The Fashion of Taxidermied Vermin

By William Gurstelle at 8:55 AM February 26, 2010

Guestblogger William Gurstelle is the author of several books, including Backyard Ballistics and the recently published Absinthe and Flamethrowers. Here's his blog.

Avant-garde artist Reid Peppard has a line of bold fashion accessories for men and women. Actually, bold is putting it mildly. The fashion accessories are pieces of fashioned taxidermy crafted from road kill and pest controlled vermin. The mouse bow tie is a particularly powerful statement, I'd say.

What do you say Tidball?

The Great Python Hunt - The Daily Beast

Thousands of 10-foot pythons roam the Florida Everglades, menacing man and beast alike. Catharine Skipp prepares to join the historic hunting expedition designed to stamp them out.

Posted using ShareThis

I would criticize Jefe for posting so much so quickly ...

... if the quality of his found objects weren't so frickin' amazing!

Don't know if this tops any of his recent stuff but it might ... just might ... BLOW YOUR MIND:

Comic of the day

from http://wondermark.com

Green Has Never Felt So Right

Audi's ironic and satirical libertarian anti-environazi Super Bowl ad for its new green diesel vehicles is raising a lot of eyebrows.

One of the better ads to come along in a while.



You should all go diesel . . . you sinners.

What they're eating in T'burg

Venison Stew, Old-Fashioned. as easy and as good as it gets.

1-2 pounds venison stew meat, browned in pan searing flour
4-5 red potatoes cubed
2-3 carrots sliced
2-4 onions diced
1/2 bag frozen peas (or fresh if you can get them)
1 to 2 cups beef broth (enough to almost cover meat and veggies in pot)
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp Kitchen Bouquet
1/4 tsp tyme
2 bay leaves

Combine all ingredients in crockpot, cook on high 7-8 hours. When done, add a splash of heavy cream, light cream, or half and half to thicken it up. Serve over egg noodles. Yummy.

More Faculty Acting Badly, Part 2

Not sure any of us could get away with this. From Deadspin.com :

NYU Business School Professor Has Mastered The Art Of Email Flaming

A student at NYU's Stern School of Business sent a complaint email to a hard-headed professor about his class's lateness policy. The professor emailed back, eviscerated the student David Mamet-style, and now it's gone viral. Welcome to internet immorality.

Professor Scott Galloway — founder of redenvelope.com — has a reputation for being a self-important "jackass" and appears to have adopted the phrase "get your shit together" as his personal carpe diem. He was also on the New York Times board of directors before resigning last week. He also has a little William Wallace in him.

Regardless, I'm quite impressed with his craftsmanship in taking this budding, entitled entrepreneur down a few notches. I emailed Galloway for comment, but he's a little confused about "what email you're referring to." So I get the sense that he's done this sort of thing before. According to one friend-of-a-friend of an NYU student who received the email, Galloway initiated the forwarding: "To give a little background, Scott Galloway is a professor at NYU Stern School of Business. He was also the founder of RedEnvelope.com. He teaches a Brand Management class at the school. Anyway, the student below sent him an e-mail to which Prof. Galloway responded. Galloway then proceeded to send it to his TA and instructed him to XXXX out the student's name and then forward it to the rest of the class. The e-mail now appears to be making the rounds."

Galloway has yet to confirm if he sent it to his TA who then forwarded it to his class. Either way, enjoy the BOOM BITCH-iness of this thing in its proper context. It has a very "Always Wear Sunscreen"-type appeal to it, if you choose to forget that Professor Galloway might be kind of a dick .

Sent: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 7:15:11 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Brand Strategy Feedback

Prof. Galloway,

I would like to discuss a matter with you that bothered me. Yesterday evening I entered your 6pm Brand Strategy class approximately 1 hour late. As I entered the room, you quickly dismissed me, saying that I would need to leave and come back to the next class. After speaking with several students who are taking your class, they explained that you have a policy stating that students who arrive more than 15 minutes late will not be admitted to class.

As of yesterday evening, I was interested in three different Monday night classes that all occurred simultaneously. In order to decide which class to select, my plan for the evening was to sample all three and see which one I like most. Since I had never taken your class, I was unaware of your class policy. I was disappointed that you dismissed me from class considering (1) there is no way I could have been aware of your policy and (2) considering that it was the first day of evening classes and I arrived 1 hour late (not a few minutes), it was more probable that my tardiness was due to my desire to sample different classes rather than sheer complacency.

I have already registered for another class but I just wanted to be open and provide my opinion on the matter.

Regards,
xxxx

—
xxxx
MBA 2010 Candidate
NYU Stern School of Business
xxxx.nyu.edu
xxx-xxx-xxxx

The Reply:

—— Forwarded Message ——-
From: scott@stern.nyu.edu
To: "xxxx"
Sent: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 9:34:02 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: Brand Strategy Feedback

xxxx:

Thanks for the feedback. I, too, would like to offer some feedback.

Just so I've got this straight...you started in one class, left 15-20 minutes into it (stood up, walked out mid-lecture), went to another class (walked in 20 minutes late), left that class (again, presumably, in the middle of the lecture), and then came to my class. At that point (walking in an hour late) I asked you to come to the next class which "bothered" you.

Correct?

You state that, having not taken my class, it would be impossible to know our policy of not allowing people to walk in an hour late. Most risk analysis offers that in the face of substantial uncertainty, you opt for the more conservative path or hedge your bet (e.g., do not show up an hour late until you know the professor has an explicit policy for tolerating disrespectful behavior, check with the TA before class, etc.). I hope the lottery winner that is your recently crowned Monday evening Professor is teaching Judgement and Decision Making or Critical Thinking.

In addition, your logic effectively means you cannot be held accountable for any code of conduct before taking a class. For the record, we also have no stated policy against bursting into show tunes in the middle of class, urinating on desks or taking that revolutionary hair removal system for a spin. However, xxxx, there is a baseline level of decorum (i.e., manners) that we expect of grown men and women who the admissions department have deemed tomorrow's business leaders.

xxxx, let me be more serious for a moment. I do not know you, will not know you and have no real affinity or animosity for you. You are an anonymous student who is now regretting the send button on his laptop. It's with this context I hope you register pause...REAL pause xxxx and take to heart what I am about to tell you:

xxxx, get your shit together.

Getting a good job, working long hours, keeping your skills relevant, navigating the politics of an organization, finding a live/work balance...these are all really hard, xxxx. In contrast, respecting institutions, having manners, demonstrating a level of humility...these are all (relatively) easy. Get the easy stuff right xxxx. In and of themselves they will not make you successful. However, not possessing them will hold you back and you will not achieve your potential which, by virtue of you being admitted to Stern, you must have in spades. It's not too late xxxx...

Again, thanks for the feedback.

Professor Galloway

There you have it. The take-home lesson: get your shit together.

Grouse Camp Mouse Control

here's a video for all you full-utilization-of-the-resource mouse thumb puppet fans out there. Enjoy.

Faculty Acting Badly

Here's a neat item from the office of our beloved attorney general, Mr. Andrew Cuomo. This is how to get yourself OFF the hook for scientific misconduct and then how NOT to profit by doing so.

Remember, kids: "The charges against Fals-Stewart are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty."

Enjoy.

CUOMO ANNOUNCES CHARGES AGAINST FORMER UB RESEARCHER FOR HIRING ACTORS TO TESTIFY DURING MISCONDUCT HEARING AND ATTEMPTING TO SIPHON $4 MILLION IN TAXPAYER FUNDS

Cuomo’s office uncovers elaborate series of fraudulent actions after researcher sued New York state seeking monetary damages ~ William Fals-Stewart charged with attempted grand larceny, multiple counts of perjury and identity theft

BUFFALO, NY (February 16, 2010) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced criminal charges against a former University at Buffalo researcher who allegedly hired professional actors to portray real people who were familiar with his projects to testify on his behalf during a formal misconduct hearing. The researcher, who was exonerated of the misconduct because of the false testimonies, then attempted to seek $4 million from the state for monetary damages.

“The charges in this case allege a pattern of lies and deceit that a public employee used to attempt to defraud New York’s taxpayers of millions of dollars,” said Attorney General Cuomo. ‘The brazen crimes allegedly committed by this individual outline a series of frauds that could have damaged our outstanding SUNY system. New Yorkers demand and deserve integrity from State employees and with this prosecution we will work to restore that trust in public service.”

In September 2004, William Fals-Stewart, 48, of Eden, was accused of scientific misconduct for allegedly fabricating data in federally funded studies he was undertaking as an employee at the University at Buffalo and Research Institute on Addictions. According to court papers, the allegations were based upon discrepancies between the number of volunteers he reported to the National Institute for Drug Addiction relating to grants for which Fals-Stewart was the Principal Investigator, and the actual number of volunteers who participated in his studies.

According to the felony complaint, during a subsequent formal investigation launched by the University, three witnesses testified by telephone because Fals-Stewart claimed they were out of town. In reality, they were actors who thought they were taking part in a mock-trial. Fals-Stewart paid the actors to testify. He also provided them with scripts to use during the proceedings that were riddled with inaccuracies regarding his research. Fals-Stewart told the three actors, who he had hired before for legitimate training videos, that they would be performing in a mock trial training exercise. They were not aware that they were testifying at a real administrative hearing, nor did they know they were impersonating real people. Because of these false testimonies, Fals-Stewart was exonerated at the administrative hearing.

Claiming that the misconduct allegations tarnished his reputation, Fals-Stewart sued the University, seeking $4 million from the state in damages. The Office of the Attorney General, in its role of defending the University and the state in the court action, conducted a thorough investigation of the claims against the University. It was during this investigation that Cuomo’s office discovered the alleged fraud, forced Fals-Stewart to withdraw his lawsuit and initiated a criminal investigation.

Fals-Stewart was arrested today and charged in Buffalo City Court with Attempted Grand Larceny in the First Degree (class C felony); three counts of Perjury in the First Degree (class D felony); three counts of Identity Theft in the First Degree (class D felony); two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree (class E felony); and three counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree (class E felony). The maximum permissible sentence for a class C felony is 15 years in prison.

Attorney General Cuomo thanked Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher, Chancellor of the State University of New York and her staff for assisting in the investigation.

The criminal case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General-in-Charge of the Buffalo Regional Office Russell T. Ippolito, Jr. under the supervision of Deputy Attorney General for Regional Affairs J. David Sampson and Deputy Bureau Chief of the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau Richard Ernst. The investigation was handled by Investigator Paul R. Scherf under the supervision of Deputy Chief Investigator James Domres.

The charges against Fals-Stewart are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Ice fishing- an alternative to QDM

A few risk averse land lubber grousers [ ;0] opted out of a day on the ice. Ya'll were missed... T'was a nice outing. Yet, as much as I missed the "low banter" of "sense of place," the distinctions between method and methodology, the merits of merrily shooting mercury infested waterfowl, and the inherent dangers to culture and society of being selective about the bucks one shoots, there was a distinct pleasure to be found in the solitary, slow jigging for one's dinner. No booze, no cigars--just a strong North wind and 5 inches of ice under the ironic comforts of 10 pound pac boots. And dinner was pickerel and perch.

Eric brought his daughter Danielle, Gary his daughters as well. see the Kuneytown blog for pics of the kids taking great pride in the catch.

The next step for Quality Deer Management?

cross-posted from the Fair Chase hunting blog:

This op-ed piece just appeared in today's New York Times. Perhaps the uber-breeding of big-racked, pain-free deer is just what the doctor ordered to keep anti-hunters at bay in the never-ending fight to protect hunting's future. What do you all think??

February 19, 2010

Op-Ed Contributor

Not Grass-Fed, but at Least Pain-Free

By ADAM SHRIVER

St. Louis

IN the 35 years since Peter Singer’s book “Animal Liberation” was published, jump-starting the animal rights movement in the United States, the number of animals used in cosmetics testing and scientific research has dropped significantly, and the number of dogs and cats killed in shelters has fallen by more than half. Nevertheless, because the amount of red meat that Americans eat per capita has held steady at more than 100 pounds a year as the population has increased, more animals than ever suffer from injuries and stress on factory farms.

Veal calves and gestating sows are so confined as to suffer painful bone and joint problems. The unnatural high-grain diets provided in feedlots cause severe gastric distress in many animals. And faulty or improperly used stun guns cause the painful deaths of thousands of cows and pigs a year.

We are most likely stuck with factory farms, given that they produce most of the beef and pork Americans consume. But it is still possible to reduce the animals’ discomfort — through neuroscience. Recent advances suggest it may soon be possible to genetically engineer livestock so that they suffer much less.

This prospect stems from a new understanding of how mammals sense pain. The brain, it turns out, has two separate pathways for perceiving pain: a sensory pathway that registers its location, quality (sharp, dull or burning, for example) and intensity, and a so-called affective pathway that senses the pain’s unpleasantness. This second pathway appears to be associated with activation of the brain’s anterior cingulate cortex, because people who have suffered damage to this part of the brain still feel pain but no longer find it unpleasant. (The same is true of people who are given morphine, because there are more receptors for opiates in the affective pain pathway than in the sensory pain pathway.)

Neuroscientists have found that by damaging a laboratory rat’s anterior cingulate cortex, or by injecting the rat with morphine, they can likewise block its affective perception of pain. The rat reacts to a heated cage floor by withdrawing its paws, but it doesn’t bother avoiding the places in its cage where it has learned the floor is likely to be heated up.

Recently, scientists have learned to genetically engineer animals so that they lack certain proteins that are important to the operation of the anterior cingulate cortex. Prof. Min Zhuo and his colleagues at the University of Toronto, for example, have bred mice lacking enzymes that operate in affective pain pathways. When these mice encounter a painful stimulus, they withdraw their paws normally, but they do not become hypersensitive to a subsequent painful stimulus, as ordinary mice do.

Prof. Zhou-Feng Chen and his colleagues here at Washington University have engineered mice so that they lack the gene for a peptide associated with the anterior cingulate gyrus. Like the animals given brain lesions, these mice are normally sensitive to heat and mechanical pain, but they do not avoid situations where they experience such pain.

Given the similarity among all mammals’ neural systems, it is likely that scientists could genetically engineer pigs and cows in the same way. Because the sensory dimension of the animals’ pain would be preserved, they would still be able to recognize and avoid, when possible, situations where they might be bruised or otherwise injured.

The people who consumed meat from such genetically engineered livestock would also be safe. Knockout animals have specific proteins removed, rather than new ones inserted, so there’s no reason to think that their meat would pose more health risks for humans than ordinary meat does.

If we cannot avoid factory farms altogether, the least we can do is eliminate the unpleasantness of pain in the animals that must live and die on them. It would be far better than doing nothing at all.

Adam Shriver is a doctoral student in the philosophy-neuroscience-psychology program at Washington University.

Or maybe we can develop tougher, pain-free deer THIS way

Perhaps this is a better technique to adapt to create tougher, higher quality deer. well, it's a thought, anyway.

warning: graphic material. Kids do not try this at home.

Quality Deer Management: A Risk-Averse View

Will bigger, higher-quality deer lead to more traffic fatalities? From today's CNN postings.

Added On February 19, 2010

Nashville police say a deer crashed through the windshield of a car and killed a young girl. WKRN reports.



A risk-averse argument for smaller, scrawnier 80-pound deer. Makes the eating of toxic-laden ducks seem positively harmless.

More QDM

The comments discussing this video at http://www.snotr.com/video/2772 are terrific.

Who Killed Bambi?

Well, this has been Bambi week in Nature and Culture. Two great showings of this fantastic film, which along with the Cornell swim test is one of the two Cornell activities I firmly believe should be mandatory in order for students to graduate from college.

Then again, I am the same college instructor who got this hate mail last year:

"While reading the online article about the 11 year old boy who shot his stepmother and her unborn baby, I came upon your ridiculous quote. This quote sounds as if it is coming from a serial killer not a college professor...not that teachng 'environment philosophy' qualifies you as a professor. You are a dangerous person to be projecting your warped views onto age 20 something students."

So maybe my judgment can't be trusted. At any rate, in an ideal world the advanced Bambi course would include hermeneutic ekphrasis of this song by Edward Tudor-Pole and the Sex Pistols, circa 1978. Enjoy.

More on Quality Deer Management

The Vicar and I are both working our way through Marc Boglioli's A Matter of Life and Death: Hunting in Contemporary Vermont. (Of course Rico is reading it for work; I am reading it for recreation.)

Be that as it may . . . Boglioli has some interesting things to say about, ahem, "Quality Deer Management." Perhaps we can get a rise out of Cagey with this one. heh heh

Boglioli writes:

"While QDM may be an unqualified success for deer management in Vermont, it could well alter local meanings of hunting because of its emphasis on 'the trophy.' Most hunters, while certainly not opposed to the idea of bagging a 'Rackasaurus' on opening day, are thrilled to bring home any deer at all. If it happens to be unusually large, or has a trophy rack, so much the better. But QDM is a different philosophy. It focuses on the size of the deer and/or its rack as a way of determining the value of a hunting experience. This thought first crossed my mind when I initially learned about QDM in 2002 r 2003, and it was emphasized again in a conversation with a Vermont game warden in 2004, who said, 'The cultural perception of hunting has gone from process to product. . . . They're taking the hunt out of hunting.' A man at a local deer camp shared similar sentiments and pointed out (even though he agreed that it might be good for growing bigger deer) that QDM was a completely different approach from what he referred to as the Vermont 'family' hunting tradition, which is not oriented around a quest for trophy bucks but rather around the love of fresh venison, the enjoyment of family and friends, and the chance to spend some time in the woods rather than at work. Considering how many times I have heard hunters say 'You can't eat the horns,' I think this guy had a point." (p. 29)

Well, what do you think? Does QDM, Earn-a-Buck programs, and the like "take the hunt out of hunting"? Do we risk altering the "family hunting tradition" if we change the focus of hunting from process to product? Is this the end of hunting as we know it?

Discuss.

When hunting is outlawed, only outlaws will hunt

Smell like a man, man

Since I know Keith is fond of posting manly men commercials about that catpiss he calls beer, I think it's only right to post this commercial that will help us all get in touch with our inner Cabin Boy.

"We're not saying this body wash will make your man smell into a romantic millionaire jet fighter pilot, but we are insinuating it."

Grouse Camp 2010

Now that we're making our fall plans and since Cagey was complaining last week that there is as yet no grouse camp plan for 2010 (I quote, "Is there even going to BE a grouse camp?" he asks), I am promulgating the following dates for grouse camp 2010:

The week of the Columbus Day (October 11) holiday, or roughly the period from Friday October 8 through Sunday October 17.

I know the interesting part of the conversation remains, whether to hunt Maine or Wisconsin. I will remain silent on that question for now. Let the planning begin.

lookit the size of those friggin' grouse . . .

Why do you hunt?

Here's an activity for all you thoughtful hunters who think about hunting. Eric Nuse has a "why do I hunt" thread going on over at the Fair Chase blog (I'm also a member there--think 'search for magic treasure'). So far the early responses are very interesting. I thought maybe some of you would like to try your hand at articulating the 'why' of why you hunt. Anyway, fyi.

GROUSERS SECRET LIVES

Nice Tiaras guys or is it girls?

So the question is beauty queens or Drag Queens

let the debate begin.