Flannel Shirt

Killer whales are whale killers

The more we learn about killer whales...

There was the recent story about how killer whales attack and kill great white sharks (and eat their livers!), but I could let that slide because, well, sharks are icky dangerous. But it turns out that they like eating baby gray whales too. Is Shamu a psychopath? Or just hungry?

Flowering tree on the block

This was a few weeks ago. They've all fallen off the tree by now.

Chompy

 

Planting a new redwood forest

This is such a cool idea.

Around 1890, loggers chopped down a coast redwood near Eureka, Calif., creating one of the world's largest stumps: 32.5 feet wide at chest height, probably 2,000 years old, a base for a tree that may have topped 400 feet. 

Next Tuesday, Archangel Ancient Tree Archive will plant clones grown from the Fieldbrook stump -- along with other rooted cuttings from 28 of California's largest, oldest coast redwoods and giant sequoias -- on four foggy acres south of Port Orford. 

The planting is Archangel's first attempt to re-create an old-growth forest from its Noah's Ark storehouse of rooted cuttings from "champion" trees, the tallest, oldest and largest samples of each species it can find. The group picked Port Orford, just north of the coast redwood's main range, as a hedge in case global warming weakens the trees down south. 

Archangel hopes to extend its replanting worldwide, battling climate change by tapping the huge trees' unmatched ability to store carbon. The idea hinges on the as-yet scientifically unproven theory that the ancient redwoods and giant sequoias will prove genetically superior to younger, smaller cousins. 

David Milarch, a Michigan shade tree nurseryman and Archangel's co-founder, will be on hand in Port Orford. He's spent two decades collecting cuttings and cloning the biggest trees nationwide, a quest ignited by near-death experience after he quit booze cold turkey. 

Along the way, he's recruited his two sons, a cadre of fearless tree climbers, nurserymen and one of the West Coast's top tree geneticists. Publicity tied to the world's fascination with giant trees of all kinds has helped keep the project going. 

"These trees aren't a hell of a lot like or very close to the parent, they are that tree," Milarch says. "We're literally planting 2 and 3,000-year-old trees, even though they're only 18 inches tall." 

There's more at the link.

Gibson guitars and illegal timber

Gibson has had to settle with the government for importing illegal timber from Madagascar. 

The US government has settled its legal case against the iconic Gibson Guitar company over use of illegal timber from Madagascar in its instruments.

Nashville-based Gibson, whose products are used by artists in every genre of music, will pay a $300,000 (£190,000) fine and a $50,000 community payment.

Gibson admitted violating the Lacey Act, which requires firms to know that timber they use is legally obtained.

Deforestation is a huge issue affecting Madagascan wildlife such as lemurs.

Gibson's premises were raided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in 2010 and 2011, with agents impounding ebony and rosewood imported from Madagascar and India.

The FWS found evidence that an employee had told Gibson two years previously that its Madagascan imports might be illegal, but that the company had nevertheless ordered further stocks.

"As a result of this investigation and criminal enforcement agreement, Gibson has acknowledged that it failed to act on information that the Madagascar ebony it was purchasing may have violated laws intended to limit overharvesting and conserve valuable wood species from Madagascar, a country which has been severely impacted by deforestation," said Assistant Attorney General Moreno following the settlement.

The only Gibson guitar I ever owned was an acoustic Everly Brothers model, which I bought after my basic training at Fort Dix back in 1972. It was a beautiful acoustic, with inlayed stars up and down its rosewood neck. I called her "Beverly". Thirty years later, when I was going through my divorce, I sold it to a guitar shop for a thousand dollars. Needed the money and my hands were in such bad shape from the repetitive stress that I wasn't playing that sweet, sweet thing. I miss that baby. At times I dream of cozying up with a Les Paul and gently stroking its neck. Alas, electrically I've pretty much been a Fender Strat man, although I did once own a Vox electric 12-string and a Peavey six-string, which I wore out. Can't wait to move all my music stuff into Joanie's place so that I can hack out some more music.

And this is bad?

Legalization would drive down the price of marijuana.

Shrooms

A few weeks ago I saw these mushrooms on my walk to the local Fred Meyer's. Bright yellow. They must be poisonous but they are somehow attractive and inviting.