Crank Calls From Minnesota?

It has been a while since we chatted about Ivory-billed Woodpeckers here in my blog and for the record I could give a rat ass about them!! I heard both sides of the arguements, I read countless blogs saying this and that about the sightings, the search parties, Cornell and ect.. Its the same-o-same-o redundant chatter coming in from both sides of the fence. So I pretty much stop getting involved with these buggar eating nerds and thier view points on what they have to say about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Arkansas or in Florida.

BUT I came across this blog called "Rational Skeptic" on Blogger.com. The guy who owns the blog is Tim Jackson. Tim comes off as a reasonable guy who doesn't like Tom Nelson (owner of "Ivory-billed Skeptic" who resides at North Oaks, Minnesota) Tom has many MANY people from all over the planet who despises him but you gotta give credit to Tommy, that despite that he carries a large target on his back he keeps plowing on with his blog. Well Tim Jackson announced the other day he is folding up his blog because he is getting CRANK phone calls at his residence about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker & his blog.

Here is what Tim had to say:

" I don't like getting prank calls but I can deal with it. But my cousin Tim Jackson who lives in Georgia is also listed in the phonebook and he's getting prank calls from Minnesota too because the pranker doesn't know who is who. So there are probably other Tim Jackson's getting pranked in Georgia, all because of my blog. Maybe every single Tim Jackson listed in the state has had this happen. What's funny is I'm a skeptic, but they are probably fellow skeptics pranking me instead of people who think the Ivroy-billed lives on.I hate to give in to prank calls but I don't want innocent people like my cousin and other Tim Jacksons to have to deal with this"

WHOA from Minnesota? Here is some food for thought..... On Tim's blog he allowed comments criticizing Tom Nelson to pieces. Tom must of gotten pissed off and threaten Tim in some way because Tim posted on his blog a compromise that Tim will remove the comments if Tom apologized for criticism towards researchers, Ivory-billed Woodpecker searh teams and ect.. he allows on his blog. Then Tim posted again a few days alater that he will not allow anymore comments attacking Tom Nelson. Then the crank phone calls came soon after that even though the comments were left on Tim's blog about T. Nelson.

OK lets travel back some .. Tom Nelson and Laura Erickson were tossing punches at each other over the Ivory-billed Woodpecker sighting in Arkanas a few years ago. Laura got off the subject on her blog and began to criticize President George Bush Jr. on how he handle the hurricane relief in New Orleans. Tom got all pissed off at Laura on what she had to say about the relief/Pres. Bush and called her employers to complain that Laura had no right to say what she had to say about the President Bush because the blog is sponsored by Binoculars.com. So Tom called and complained TWICE! He wanted Laura's employers to remove her from her position or wanted her to get discipline for her remarks.

Now Tom has words with Tim Jackson and now Tim is getting prank phone calls from Minnesota -- can you see a pattern here? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm makes ya wonder doesn't it?

Other than birding is rather slow in NE Minnesota because I am not birding. I am birded out from the trip and need to step back for awhile and recharge my batteries. Since I been back my son's Little League baseball team is on the winning track. I missed three games because of the Manitoba trip and my co-coach lost those three games but when I got back in town we won the last three games but took a lost last night to a tough team. (3-6) Good news is that my son made the All-Star Team. 33 kids tried out and they only selected 15 of them. Proud of Ben of course! Becca scored a goal in soccer while I was gone and her team looks real good. They only lost once and I assume they will be a contender in her district.

I am pump as hell that we are finally getting air conditioning this weekend! We are also getting a new furnace and hot water heater. After Saturday the temps can soar to 90 degrees every day! Bring it on 60+ dew points!

I have to post some photos of the gardens in our yard, they look awesome and really healthy! We are going to have a crop of grapes this year! Birds are nesting in our yard and I found a few active nests by Robins, Tree Swallows, House Wrens, Chipping Sparrows, Song Sparrow, I hear Red-eye Vireos in our backyard every day, Veery is calling most nights and our Catbird is nesting in the dogwoods like they do every year.

Well that's about that --

Later