Russia captures Orcas for displaying during the Sochi olympic games

[drbill]

Why not call servicemen murderers when they come home from war while you are at it?

I also find that a bit offense. During the Vietnam crisis, unlike many I avoided focusing my anger on returning service personnel and directed it at the LBJs and McNamaras that sent them in harm's way.

As for the winter politics... er, games... glad I don't have TV.

 

[Centrals]

It'd been more humane to kill the animals and serve them up as burgers...

Norway is one of the few countries still hunting whales for meat.

 

[Rhone Man]

Have you ever eaten whale? It is frikkin' disgusting. I am convinced the only reason that Norway and Japan keep hunting whales is because everyone tells them to stop, and they are determined to act like petulant teenagers. They practically give whale meat away in Japan to try and encourage people to eat it.

---------- Post added January 18th, 2014 at 09:59 PM ----------

By coincidence I am involved in a pro bono project at the moment to draft legislation for protection of threatened marine species, and the three species we are being told to protect are sharks, rays and turtles. So as I am doing my background reading on protection of endangered species, I notice that the world's efforts are disproportionately focused upon nine animal groups: whales, rhinos, gorillas, pandas, tigers, elephants, turtles, sharks and polar bears. All can be loosely characterised as "charismatic mega fauna". Polar bears aren't even really in any serious danger, although they do look cuddly.

So, much like being born in California: if you are going to be an endangered species, you better hope that you are good looking. Otherwise nobody seems to give a sh** about you.

 

[tomfcrist]

Jim, it's kinda the pot calling the kettle black. In the grand scheme of things, this country is responsible for far more reprehensible things than Russia ever will.

Bill, don't take offense....I am on the tip of our spear....I know what has to be done by our service members and why.


Realize that athletes are not there to play politics, and most of them will get practically nothing out of competing. Don't ask them to play politics for you, and don't say you aren't going to support their efforts because they want to compete regardless of the host country's practices.

If you chose to not watch the Olympics because it isn't interesting to you, or because it is political posturing, then say so. But don't pin your decision on a bunch of guys and gals that just want to kick butt while representing their country.

Can you see the direct link for my previous statement now?

 

[Doc]

... glad I don't have TV.

And now you're officially on "that list".

 

[Storker]

Norway is one of the few countries still hunting whales for meat.

Uh, yes, I know. What's your point?

Have you ever eaten whale?

Yup. Several times.

It is frikkin' disgusting

It is? I never noticed. Good to have you around to tell me how to think about a piece of food.

I'll freely admit it's not my favorite meat, and I don't buy it myself, but in which way is it disgusting? If what you were served was truly disgusting, I'd assume that it was spoiled.

I am convinced the only reason that Norway and Japan keep hunting whales is because everyone tells them to stop, and they are determined to act like petulant teenagers.

Good to know that there's someone out there who knows more about nation's reasons for a policy than the people themselves do.

as I am doing my background reading on protection of endangered species, I notice that the world's efforts are disproportionately focused upon nine animal groups: whales, rhinos, gorillas, pandas, tigers, elephants, turtles, sharks and polar bears. All can be loosely characterised as "charismatic mega fauna". Polar bears aren't even really in any serious danger, although they do look cuddly.

So, much like being born in California: if you are going to be an endangered species, you better hope that you are good looking. Otherwise nobody seems to give a sh** about you.

Bin-go. And "whale" isn't a species, no more than "bear" or "turtle" is. In fact, even less. While "bear" is a family of species, "whale" is an order (like "even-toed ungulates", an order which includes pigs, hippopotamus, camels, giraffe, deer, antelope, cattle, sheep and goats). It's a shame that even the WWF can't seem to understand that: https://worldwildlife.org/species/directory?direction=desc&sort=extinction_status

Short and to the point:
Some species (e.g. whales, bears or turtles) are endangered and should be protected.
Some species (e.g. whales, bears or turtles) aren't, and I personally see no problem whatsoever in harvesting in a sustainable manner, as long as the carcass is used for something sensible. Nor culling, if that should be necessary.
And no wild animals should be captured, incarcerated and put on display for the purpose of amusement. For most fairly intelligent wild animals (e.g. the orca), that'd be close to torture.

 

[Rhone Man]

Good to have you around to tell me how to think about a piece of food.

....

Good to know that there's someone out there who knows more about nation's reasons for a policy than the people themselves do.

....

Bin-go. And "whale" isn't a species, no more than "bear" or "turtle" is.

Somebody certainly took an extra dose of sarcasm pills with his morning meds today...

 

[Foxfish]

In terms of atrocities committed throughout the world and on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd put keeping a couple of killer whales in captivity in negative numbers.

I get more concerned about the people trying to make it a 10. You know the type who claim the value the life of a whale or some other animal is greater than human life.

 

[Tigerman]

...
Some species (e.g. whales, bears or turtles) aren't, and I personally see no problem whatsoever in harvesting in a sustainable manner, as long as the carcass is used for something sensible.
...

And the species of whales hunted in Norway is NOT classed as endangered...

 

[Storker]

In terms of atrocities committed throughout the world and on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd put keeping a couple of killer whales in captivity in negative numbers.

No matter what one chooses to have an opinion on, it's always possible to find something more atrocious, more worthy of outrage. If something isn't as atrocious as, say, Pol Pot's genocide or the mass killings in Rwanda, may it not still be worthy of a little bit of recreational outrage? Does the fact that Nike's use of sweatshops in the far East isn't quite as bad as the Holocaust preclude me from choosing to not buy Nike sneakers? I'm also against the production of fox and mink fur and large-scale commercial farming of chickens, since it - in my opinion - is animal cruelty, should I handwave that opinion away since the practice isn't as atrocious as the war crimes in Darfur?


By incarcerating wild, intelligent animals (and, making it somewhat relevant to this board, marine animals) for no good reason at all, the Russian authorities again show that their ethical standards are firmly rooted in the early 20th century, just as with their policy on LGBT people. Fukcers.

Anyway, I've had my weekly dose of recreational outrage now, so I think I'll return to our regularly scheduled Scubaboard program. Should we use wetsuits or drysuits for diving with orcas, what number of logged dives do you need to be able to use a DS without dying and should we use a BP/W or a poodle jacket?