text:
tv Business - News Deutsche Welle November 8, 2017 2:02am-2:16am CET
raising tensions with north korea. it's a year since donald trump was elected president of the united states and the u.s. economy is thriving but is that thanks to trump or despite him we'll ask our correspondent on wall street also coming up as more famous names are uncovered as tax dodgers the e.u. scrambles to come up with new measures but is it even possible to get all the countries on side. and daniel winter here is twelve minutes of business a year ago today donald trump defied critics and shocked the world shocked himself even by winning the united states presidential election it was the fifth time in u.s. history that a president was elected with a minority of votes here's a reminder of that night and the economic legacy trump is building. pictures that
stone the world businessman donald trump wins the u.s. presidential election here expected rick research shock waves through international political circles the new president came with a reputation of being unpredictable and having little respect for decorum or democratic principles as a columnist hope to seal his own doom with the policies he was touting. your two u.s. economy is thriving it grew by an annualized rate of three percent in the last quarter the labor market has become a jobs machine we can treat unemployment rate has fallen to four point one percent but the lowest in seventeen years and stock markets are jubilant the dow jones industrial average is surfing from one record high to the next. and so fishermans he is on a wall street force so very good to see you what is trump done for the economy. well then you know trump has a lot of friends and he doesn't miss out on any opportunity to talk about these
plans that are supposed to help the american business will more than anything but if you look at what actually has been finalized you can see this acute gap between transplants and his achievements take the text through for him yes the twenty percent corporate tax rate sounds great but the texas and has not been reformed in such a long time because it's more than tough to find a way to finance tax cuts without blowing up the deficit and so one the banks are still waiting for less regulations and remember trams both of leaving nafta well actually goes back and forth but we haven't seen any result after all so he hasn't kept all of his promises on cracking down on free trade really big multinationals must be really. well i mean a lot of companies and investors fear the protectionism that trump and secretary of commerce wilbur ross have been advocating for if you ask the american carmakers for
example you will hear something like if you are strict trading vehicle components with other countries this will most definitely result in higher costs for produces this could mean lower returns for investors fewer choices for consumers and in the end a less competitive car industry after all and on top of those a lot of companies feel that american protectionism will eventually result in a trade war and that would hurt exports and make the deficit even bigger even if imports decline while he's got plenty of time to make good on his plans one thousand one hundred sixty nine days left so efficient thank you very much for the . so the u.s. president is a burden to the world economy no those aren't my words but the result of a survey of more the nine hundred economic experts worldwide conducted by germany's institute the overwhelming majority said they believed donald trump policies were
having a negative impact on the global economy at home polls better in the u.s. only a minority of experts believe the economy of financial correspondent daniel cooper has this analysis of how many times i have you know already told you during this year that share prices have been falling because of comments made by donald trump and this is really what investors are calling a dangerous they are considering donald trump as a politician who was very unpredictable just one of his sometimes very careless tweets can result into a massive landslide at stock markets all around the world some investors here even told me that they have an app alerting them whenever he's sending one office very controversial trees so that this together with all the promises that he has not been really fulfilling in the last time is really being considered here is doing bad business. i know cope there the paradise papers have claimed more victims
the leaks exposed formula one champ lewis hamilton who reportedly saved tax charges on a new jet by importing it by they isle of man the u.k.'s prince charles allegedly campaign vulgarization to climate change agreements while investing in a firm which would benefit from the big firms like apple and nike have also been caught out the e.u. had long plans to crack down on tax havens as european finance ministers met today it became clear that there is no solution. fresh outrage for a problem they're already struggling to solve european countries began working to stem tax sheltering well before the latest leaks last year the european commission identified eighty one countries in jurisdictions connected with tax avoidance the e.u. wants to finally create a blacklist of offenders before the end of this year such a list would name and shame the worst tax shelters. we know there's a. reason for cooperation among states to have more information and more
transparency which states have to sticks to their commitments and if states do not stick to their commitments we have to put sanctions on those states how sanctions my look is unclear however at stake in the matter is billions in lost revenue as wealthy individuals and firms move taxable business to low or zero tax lands like the isle of man of the english coast according to news reports germany loses as much as seventeen billion euros a year to tax havens but if tax sheltering isn't illegal can shaming countries have an effect then as. if we can single out those countries that act as tax havens that is those with zero or bare minimum corporate tax rates then it'll have an effect of that i'm quite sure that it's. an effect on see him. yet e.u. members like ireland luxembourg and the netherlands also use low corporate tax rates which track firms defining why. makes a tax haven could be
a sensitive issue for those countries that means finding consensus in the current talks could remain difficult despite the pressure of new leaks. and to take just one companies an example outside of the e.u. the massive mining firm glencore is mentioned thirty four thousand times in the paradise papers from the swiss n.-g. o. public eye and rasmus back joins us now believe me andreas glen cole has been singled out for criticism in the financial press what has the company done wrong in your opinion why the county the company has a lot of things from accounting mining licenses at the very low prices to aggressive tax avoidance in countries such as colombia are book enough though until running it goes feet ships that was never disclosed. so your investigations into glen cause part of the paradise papers focuses on the company's operations in the democratic republic of congo why this country in particular. well first of
all the democratic republic of congo is one of the typical examples of a country that stuff is the result scarce meaning despite its reach it is the population states very very poor and what happened with like a business in the sea is that they worked with a very dodgy door opener it was already involved in arms stealing and i'm and dealing and through this door open it had direct access to president and the number two in congo they achieved to get mining licenses at the price that was four times lower than what the other mining companies paid at the loss of four hundred fifty million dollars for the congolese population so you're saying from the paradise papers what you're saying is that it's clear that they're involved in corruption now glencore isn't here to defend themselves they would probably say that they are
not to be involved in corrupt practices have you talked to them what is going to have to say to you well we had their response and they're just saying that. they actually got their mining license a hat of working with them which is a controversial door opener but what we see in the papers this is just not true. got credits from glencore that was actually tied to his success in the negotiations so implicitly that could also mean use that money however you have to to get the license so if everything is as bad as what you're saying it is why have the swiss authorities stepped in and done something to make glencore stop these kinds of practices. well we certainly expect in the light of new facts that now have come out that this with attorney general's office is actually looking into and we hope this is going to happen and certainly we are all so push in parliament
that now there are serious changes because it's not just about going pro it's so to the end as a commodity trading hop that definitely needs to be regulated to prevent such practices from happening so we can all be watching very carefully to see if something is done there from the recent public eye on today's misbah thank you very much for talking to us thank you. if you're a fan of the beatles or even madonna this next story will be music to your ears that's because some of the world's most iconic electric guitars are going under the hammer in new york up for grabs paul mccartney's famous gold gibson guitar jimi hendrix guitar the one he played at a festival in miami and the black players paul guitar that madonna played on her tours i didn't even know that madonna did play guitar for any of those struck a chord with you the auction is on december the second. so you can save up your
money either. that's it for another business update you can catch us with even more on twitter and facebook also check out our website at d w dot com i'll be back with more tomorrow same time same place until that cave in on the.
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Business - News
Deutsche Welle November 8, 2017 2:02am-2:16am CET
Trump 4, U.s. 4, Glencore 4, Madonna 3, Germany 3, U.s. Economy 2, United States 2, Democratic Republic Of Congo 2, European 2, Congolese 1, European Commission 1, E.u. 1, Congo 1, Donald Trump 1, E.u. Had 1, New York 1, North Korea 1, Colombia 1, Miami 1, Asia 1
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Sorry but there'll be no updates today or tomorrow - next update on New Year's Day.
Just seawatch news so far today: 50 Common Scoter, 7 Velvet Scoter, 3 Red-throated Divers, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and an Eider from Chesil Cove and 4 Mediterranean Gulls, a Black-throated Diver, a Mute Swan and an Eider from the Bill.
One or two additional grebes in Portland Harbour today but otherwise more of the same as in recent days: 2 Red-throated Divers and 2 Mediterranean Gulls passing through off the Bill, 50 Common Scoter and 5 Velvet Scoter still settled off Chesil Cove and 4 Great Northern Divers, 4 Black-necked Grebes, 4 Velvet Scoter, 3 Long-tailed Ducks, 2 Slavonian Grebes and a Red-necked Grebe in Portland Harbour.
today's Mute Swan and one of yesterday's Long-tailed Tits - Portland Bill, 26th/27th December 2007 © Martin Cade (Mute Swan) and Joe Cockram (Long-tailed Tit)
Overcast and breezy but very mild today. The Bill area produced 11 Purple Sandpipers, 3 Turnstones and a Redwing on the land and a rather incongruous-looking Mute Swan settled off East Cliffs, whilst elsewhere there were 70 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and one of the Black Brants at Ferrybridge and 4 Black-necked Grebes, 3 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Velvet Scoter, 2 Great Northern Divers, a Red-throated Diver and a Slavonian Grebe in Portland Harbour.
A couple of closer views of the Long-tailed Ducks from before Christmas - Portland Harbour, 23rd December 2007 © Pete Saunders
Boxing Day was almost as quiet as Christmas Day for birders in the field and the only reports received were of 10 Long-tailed Tits, 3 Fieldfares, a Dartford Warbler and a Brambling at the Bill and a lone Mediterranean Gull passing through on the sea there.
The handful of moths in the Obs garden traps this morning included the first Winter Moths of the season together with singles of Dark Chestnut and Satellite.
Christmas Day sunset - Portland Bill, 25th December 2007 © Martin Cade
With most people out of action due to the festivities or the lousy wet morning the only reports were from Portland Harbour where there were 4 Black-necked Grebes, 3 Velvet Scoter, 2 Great Northern Diver and a Long-tailed Duck.
...who's that overhead just as darkness fell? - Portland Bill, 24th December 2007
Very few reports for today: 3 Red-throated Divers, 3 Mediterranean Gulls and 2 Common Scoter passed through on the sea at the Bill and at least 1 of the Long-tailed Ducks was still in Portland Harbour.
A single Rusty-dot Pearl provided some immigrant interest in the Obs garden moth-traps overnight; Angle Shades and Epiphyas postvittana were the only other species trapped.
December 23rd
Considering the still and sunny conditions this morning's list was disappointingly thin. A trickle of Chaffinches, 2 Snipe and singles of Brambling, Siskin and Reed Bunting provided the only signs of late movement at the Bill where 35 Common Scoter, 3 Red-throated Divers and a Mediterranean Gull passed through on the sea. News from elsewhere included 20 Mediterranean Gulls, 7 Great Northern Divers, 4 Velvet Scoter, 3 Black-necked Grebes, 3 Long-tailed Ducks and singles of Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver and Tufted Duck in Portland Harbour, 69 Common Scoter and 2 Velvet Scoter still settled off Chesil Cove and a Black Redstart near the Sailing Academy.
A rare mid-winter mothing attempt produced just a single Angle Shades in the Obs garden traps.
Long-tailed Ducks - Portland Harbour, 22nd December 2007 © Martin Cade
...way too distant for anything other than another 'first for the website' record shot!
December 22nd
What a difference a day makes: the grey skies and bitter wind of the last ten days were replaced by pleasant sunshine and the lightest of mild south-westerlies. Much better coverage of the Bill area produced signs of renewed late passage along with a fair selection of the cold weather birds of recent days: 110 Linnets, 38 Song Thrushes, 20 Chaffinches, 12 Lapwings, 3 Snipe, 3 Redwings, 2 Siskins and singles of Pheasant, Jack Snipe, Dartford Warbler, Brambling, Redpoll and Reed Bunting. Seawatching at the Bill came up with 21 Common Scoter, 5 Red-throated Divers, 5 Velvet Scoter, a skua sp and a Mediterranean Gull, whilst news from elsewhere included 60 Common Scoter and 6 Velvet Scoter still settled off Chesil Cove and 5 Common Scoter, 4 Great Northern Divers, 4 Velvet Scoter, 3 Black-throated Divers and 3 Long-tailed Ducks in Portland Harbour.
Four Bottle-nosed Dolphins lingered off the Bill for much of the morning.
Late news for yesterday: 2 Short-eared Owls were at the Bill.
A dismal bird list for today: 80 Linnets and 15 Lapwings at the Bill and just 3 Black-headed Gulls through on the sea there.
Local fishermen reported a party of 15-20 dolphins heading west off the Bill this morning.
Less wind and more sunshine today but rather quieter on the bird front. Most of the news was from the Bill where there were 32 Song Thrushes, 3 Lapwings, a Water Rail, a Redwing and a Chiffchaff on the land and 7 Common Scoter, 4 Brent Geese, 3 Red-throated Divers and a Pomarine Skua through on the sea. The only report from elsewhere was of a Brambling at the Grove.
Quite a bit more of the same today including further evidence of some cold weather arrivals. Birding on the land was very hard work in the strong wind but still produced 95 Linnets, 40 Song Thrushes, 30 Chaffinches, 15 Lapwings, 4 Golden Plovers, 4 Redwings, 2 Fieldfares, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Bramblings, a Common Buzzard, a Snipe, a Woodcock, a Short-eared Owl, a Dartford Warbler and a Reed Bunting at the Bill and 2 Black Redstarts at Weston. Sea interest was limited to 18 Common Scoter, 2 Great Northern Divers, 2 Velvet Scoter, a Red-throated Diver and a Red-breasted Merganser passing the Bill and 31 Common Scoter and 6 Velvet Scoter still settled off Chesil Cove.
Gadwall (and Common Scoter) - Portland Bill, 18th December 2007 © Martin Cade
...an image that has absolutely no merit beyond being - we think - the first photograph of a Portland Gadwall. We quite like the idea of trying to get at least some sort of image of Portland rarities but fly-by ducks at long range on a dull as ditchwater day are almost beyond the limit of what's possible!
A surprise today was a little hint of cold weather movement - it's certainly chilly but we didn't think it was that cold - with 57 Lapwings and 3 Golden Plover turning up at the Bill; 72 Linnets, 4 Redwings and a Water Rail were also there and 6 Redwings, 2 Fieldfares and a Black Redstart were at Weston. As in recent days the rest of the interest was on the sea with 9 Common Scoter, 7 Gadwall, 4 Brent Geese, 4 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Red-throated Divers, 2 Pomarine Skuas, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and a Black-throated Diver logged at the Bill, 40 Common Scoter still off Chesil Cove and a Great Northern Diver and a Slavonian Grebe in Portland Harbour.
It remained too windy to allow for any serious coverage of the land where the only reports were of 2 Black Redstart and a Redwing at Weston and a Fieldfare and a Brambling at the Bill. The sea was still worth a look with 14 Black-headed Gulls, 8 Teal, 6 Eider, 5 Red-throated Divers, 2 Shelduck and singles of Brent Goose and Pomarine Skua passing through off the Bill and 40 Common Scoter, 12 Teal and 6 Velvet Scoter settled off Chesil Cove.
No change in the weather but far fewer birds to report. Seawatching at the Bill produced 14 Red-throated Divers, 10 Black-headed Gulls, 6 Wigeon, 5 Common Scoter and 2 Brent Geese, whilst 41 Common Scoter and 5 Velvet Scoter were still settled off Chesil Cove.
Feeling really raw today in a stiff easterly wind with heavily overcast skies. What little legwork was put in on the land revealed just 6 Redwings, 4 Fieldfares, a Lapwing, a Short-eared Owl and a dead Barn Owl at the Bill. The sea was a little more productive with 17 Red-throated Divers, 10 Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Wigeon, 2 Mallards, 2 Teal, 2 Pomarine Skuas, a Pintail and a Red-breasted Merganser passing through off the Bill and 4 Velvet Scoters still settled off Chesil Cove.
Another dreary and quite chilly day. New arrivals continue to trickle through with today's list for the Bill including a noticeable influx of new Blackbirds, along with 16 Song Thrushes, 10 Redwings, 2 Fieldfares and a Brambling; long-stayers weren't so easily found in the brisk south-easterly but did include singles of Snipe, Dartford Warbler, Chiffchaff and Reed Bunting. Good numbers of auks remained offshore, along with half-a-dozen Mediterranean Gulls, but the only birds on the move on the sea were 10 Common Scoter and 7 Red-throated Divers.
The brisk breeze and low temperatures have seen to it that we haven't bothered with the Obs garden moth-traps for a few nights but a single Rusty-dot Pearl was found this morning on the outside of the Obs front door.
Merlin - Ferrybridge, 13th December 2007 © Paul Baker
Dull and beginning to feel quite chilly in a brisk south-easterly today. At the Bill odds and ends on the land included 2 Short-eared Owls, 2 Dartford Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs (including the Siberian Chiffchaff), 2 Bramblings, 2 Reed Buntings and singles of Water Rail, Common Buzzard, Snipe, Redwing and Fieldfare, whilst seawatching there produced 19 Red-throated Divers, 9 Mediterranean Gulls, 8 Eider, 3 Velvet Scoters, 2 Pomarine Skuas and auks passing by at around 1000/hour. Elsewhere there were 5 Great Northern Divers, 4 Velvet Scoter and singles of Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe in Portland Harbour, 10 Mediterranean Gulls and a Merlin at Ferrybridge and 5 Velvet Scoter off Chesil Cove.
Breezier, more cloud in the sky and fewer birds on the move than yesterday. All of the early coverage was of the Bill area which turned up totals of 50 Chaffinches, 11 Song Thrushes, 6 Redwings, 4 Chiffchaffs (including the long-staying Siberian Chiffchaff), 4 Brambling, 2 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Short-eared Owls, a Redpoll, a Siskin and a Lapland Bunting on the ground or overhead and 34 Common Scoter, 8 Red-throated Divers, 5 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Brent Geese, a Great Northern Diver and a Pomarine Skua passing through or lingering offshore. The only later reports came from Portland Harbour where there were 4 Velvet Scoters and 3 Black-throated Divers.
A single Bottle-nosed Dolphin passed through off the Bill during the morning.
Calm and feeling almost mild after an overnight frost had disappeared. There was decent coverage of a lot of the island and another pretty reasonable list of sightings to show for the effort. Late migrants were again on the move with the Bill area returning totals of 300 Starlings, 65 Chaffinches, 40 Song Thrushes, 36 Bramblings, 14 Reed Buntings, 9 Redwings, 5 Redpolls, 4 Siskins, 3 Lapwings and 3 Fieldfares passing overhead; long-stayers on the ground included 6 Purple Sandpipers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Short-eared Owls, a Pheasant and the Siberian Chiffchaff, whilst seawatching there came up with 24 Red-throated Divers, 23 Common Scoter, 12 Brent Geese and a Great Northern Diver. News from elsewhere included 2 Black Redstart at East Weare, three single Chiffchaffs scattered around the centre of the island, 10 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 each of Red-throated Diver and Velvet Scoter and singles of Black-throated and Great Northern Divers in Portland Harbour, 4 Velvet Scoter still settled off Chesil Cove and 8 Mallard, a Pochard and a Spotted Redshank at Ferrybridge.
Short-eared Owls and Spoonbills - Portland Bill and Ferrybridge, 10th December 2007 © Martin Cade (all except Spoonbills overhead) and Pete Saunders (Spoonbills overhead)
The return of something approaching decent weather resulted in a veritable sightings bonanza today. A couple of Spoonbills that spent much of the morning at Ferrybridge were the highlight and a fly-over Serin at the Obs provided some quality back up. Clear skies enabled a few late thrushes and finches to get moving, with 80 Goldfinches, 70 Chaffinches, 35 Linnets and a Brambling passing overhead at the Bill during the first couple of hours of the day and a Fieldfare and a Siskin noted at Weston at the same time; winterers at the Bill included 3 Short-eared Owls, a Common Buzzard, a Purple Sandpiper and a Chiffchaff, whilst seawatching there produced 3 Red-throated Divers and a Mediterranean Gull. News from elsewhere included 4 Velvet Scoter, 3 Black-throated Divers, 2 Red-throated Divers, a Great Northern Diver and a Slavonian Grebe in Portland Harbour and 4 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 2 Knot at Ferrybridge.
Finally a reminder that there is an Focus field event at the Obs tomorrow, Tuesday 11th December, between 10am and 4pm.
Great Northern Diver - Portland Harbour, 9th December 2007 © Kevin Lane
Yet another stormy day. Most of what little passed through on the sea was logged at the Bill where the morning's tally included 36 Fulmars, 22 Common Scoter, 2 Velvet Scoter and singles of Balearic Shearwater and Pomarine Skua; 3 Velvet Scoter were still settled off Chesil Cove but the only other report from there was of a distant skua sp. Elsewhere there were 2 Pale-bellied Brents at Ferrybridge and 3 Great Northern Divers, 2 Velvet Scoter, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and singles of Red-throated and Black-throated Divers in Portland Harbour.
Plenty more grim weather today: heavy rain throughout the morning giving way to showers during the afternoon and constantly very windy. Seawatching at the Bill produced just 50 Fulmars, 7 Common Scoter and 2 Velvet Scoter, whilst the only reports from the land were of 2 Short-eared Owls, a Common Buzzard and the Siberian Chiffchaff still at the Bill.
Finally, of interest to book collectors the PBO Natural History Bookshop has recently acquired a number of important antiquarian titles; check out our bookshop pages for further details.
A stiff west/north-west wind was a constant feature of a day that was otherwise a mixture of sunshine and some very heavy showers. Three Chiffchaffs, a Short-eared Owl, a Redwing, a Dartford Warbler and the Siberian Chiffchaff lingered on at the Bill, where seawatching produced 2 Velvet Scoter, a Great Northern Diver and another single Balearic Shearwater; elsewhere 30 Common Scoter and 3 Velvet Scoter were still settled off Chesil Cove.
Late news for yesterday: a Pomarine Skua was an addition to the seawatch list for the Bill; also a Black Redstart was near Portland Castle.
Wet and windy again today. Despite quite a bit of seawatching a lone Balearic Shearwater that passed through during the afternoon was the only sighting of any note at the Bill.
A return of rough weather saw most of the interest on the sea with 10 Common Scoter, 2 Pomarine Skuas, a Great Northern Diver and a Balearic Shearwater passing through off the Bill, a Little Gull lingering in Chesil Cove and 30 Common Scoter and 3 Velvet Scoter still settled off the Cove. The only news from the land was of a Short-eared Owl and a Chiffchaff still at the Bill.
In mild but much too windy conditions overnight the only immigrant attracted to the Obs garden moth-traps was a single Rusty-dot Pearl.
Dreary but mild and not quite as windy as the last few days. The only reports were from the Bill where 4 Pomarine Skuas and a late Balearic Shearwater passed through on the sea during a busy half-hour in the afternoon; seawatching earlier and later in the day was uneventful with just 2 Red-throated Divers through during the morning. The land produced 42 Linnets, 7 Redwings, 3 Chiffchaffs (including the Siberian Chiffchaff), a Water Rail, a Short-eared Owl and a Fieldfare.
Overnight moth-trapping at the Obs produced 4 Rusty-dot Pearl and a single White-speck.
Late news for yesterday: 2 Black Redstarts were additions to the day's list at the Bill.
one of yesterday's Pomarine Skuas - Ferrybridge, 2nd December 2007 © Pete Saunders
...in the field this individual seemed like a straightforward enough juvenile Pom Skua but close examination of the photographs reveals a few unexpected features including, for instance, the exceptionally long central tail feathers (although they're clearly broad and blunt-ended as would be expected on a Pom), the rather conspicuous pale nape and the lack of contrast between the underwing and body.
December 3rd
Still breezy today but clear enough that there was a minor flurry of late migrants. Chaffinch was the only species in numbers, with more than 100 trickling north at the Bill; 2 Fieldfares and singles of Short-eared Owl, Redwing, Brambling, Redpoll and Reed Bunting were also logged there along with winterers that included 5 Purple Sandpipers, 3 Turnstones and 2 Common Buzzards. Singles of Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver and Mediterranean Gull passed through on the sea at the Bill and odds and ends elsewhere included 3 Goldcrests and a Redwing at Easton, a Black Redstart at Weston and 2 Mediterranean Gulls at Ferrybridge.
December 2nd
Wild weather today but, with the exception of a handful of skuas and a single unidentified petrel, no sign of the hoped-for wreck of seabirds. Watches at the Bill produced 110 Kittiwakes, a Black-throated Diver, a subliminal glimpse of a petrel sp and a Pomarine Skua, whilst elsewhere there were singles of Great Skua and Pomarine Skua at Ferrybridge and Arctic Skua and Great Skua at Chesil Cove; 20 Common and 3 Velvet Scoter were also still settled off Chesil Cove. The shelter of Portland Harbour produced 4 Velvet Scoter, 2 Black-throated Divers, a Great Northern Diver and a Slavonian Grebe, whilst the only reports from the land were of 8 Purple Sandpipers at the Bill and a Black Redstart at Chesil Cove.
December 1st
Very little to report so far today in blustery westerlies. Seawatching produced nothing of any interest actually on the move although 40 Common and 3 Velvet Scoter were settled off Chesil Cove; another 2 Common Scoter were settled in Portland Harbour. The only report from the land was a Black Redstart at the Bill.
Damp, dreary and increasingly windy today. Most of the news was of seawatching at the Bill that produced 12 Common and 3 Velvet Scoters, 5 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Red-throated Diver and an Arctic Skua. The only other reports were of singles of Purple Sandpiper, Black Redstart, Fieldfare and Redwing at the Bill.
The only immigrants (indeed the only two macros) in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning were singles of Pearly Underwing and White-speck.
Unfortunately the overnight rain lasted on into the first hour of the morning and seemed to have put a block on potential new arrivals. The rather thin list for the Bill included 40 Linnets, 3 Dartford Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Redwings, a Fieldfare and the long-staying Siberian Chiffchaff on the land and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Red-throated Diver passing through on the sea. The only other reports were of 2 Velvet Scoter, 2 Black-throated Divers and a Red-throated Diver still in Portland Harbour.
yesterday's Siberian Chiffchaff (the individual first ringed on 17th November) - Portland Bill, 27th November 2007 © Martin Cade
...in the past we wouldn't have hesitated to label this grey-and-white chiffchaff as a Siberian 'tristis' Chiffchaff; however the 2005 BB paper 'Siberian Chiffchaff' revisited appeared to put the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons by suggesting (or at least we thought it was suggesting) that tristis ought to be browner above and buffer beneath than this individual. Alan Dean, one of the authors of the 2005 paper, has kindly been in touch and pointed out that in fact this bird does fall well within the range of plumage variation of tristis (and it is quite unlike a typical abietinus Chiffchaff); our sound recordings of the bird's call also appear to be pretty well spot-on for tristis.
Not such a pleasant day as yesterday with a freshening south-westerly wind spoiling most birding on the land. Overhead passage virtually ceased and the only noteworthy reports from the land were of 2 Redwings, 2 Dartford Warblers, a Woodcock, a Chiffchaff and the Siberian Chiffchaff at the Bill and single Black Redstarts at Portland Castle and Small Mouth. Seawatching at the Bill produced 2 Red-throated Divers, 2 Velvet Scoter, 2 Pomarine Skuas, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and a Black-throated Diver, whilst odds and ends at Portland Harbour included 20 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Velvet Scoter and a Black-throated Diver.
Another fair selection of immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning included 14 Rusty-dot Pearl, 5 White-speck, 2 Silver Y, a Dark Sword Grass and a Delicate; Double-striped Pug, Brick and Feathered Ranunculus were additions to yesterday's list of resident macros still on the wing.
Late news for yesterday: 19 Common Scoter were settled off Chesil Cove and 4 Red-throated Divers, 2 Velvet Scoter and a Great Northern Diver were in Portland Harbour.
Garden Warbler and Serin - Portland Bill, 27th November 2007 © Martin Cade
...considering Portland's position as probably the premier site in Britain for Serin remarkably few have been handled here (today's individual was only the seventh to be trapped and ringed by PBO) so we're by no means well up on their ageing and sexing. That said, today's bird looks like a pretty straightforward first-year male: the unstreaked, bright yellow throat and breast mark it out as a male and the presence of a well-marked moult limit in the greater coverts (the four juvenile pale-edged outer feathers contrasting with the new green-edged feathers in the rest of the tract) confirm that it is a bird of the year.
Today was another of those days when you wonder why more birders don't visit Portland in November - and also ponder on what might have been found if there'd been coverage of sites away from the Bill. In mild, calm conditions the day's highlights were a Serin trapped and ringed in the Obs kale field, a late Garden Warbler trapped and ringed at the Obs and one of the Siberian Chiffchaff retrapped at the Obs. More mundane fare at the Bill included 200 Starlings, 5 Siskins, 4 Redwings, 3 Bramblings and a Redpoll passing overhead, 4 Snipe, 2 Dartford Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Water Rail on the land and 20 Common and a Velvet Scoter passing through on the sea
The first attempt at moth-trapping at the Obs for a few nights was very productive for the time of year: 12 Rusty-dot Pearl, 6 White-speck, 4 Silver Y and singles of Pearly Underwing and Delicate made up the immigrant tally, whilst Feathered Thorn, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Black Rustic and Angle Shades were the resident macros still on the wing.
Unfortunately, on what looked to be quite a promising overcast morning very little coverage was possible. At the Bill the first couple of hours of the day produced 17 Bramblings, 9 Redwings, 3 Chiffchaffs (including at least one of the Siberian Chiffchaffs), a Water Rail, a Black Redstart, a Mistle Thrush and a Dartford Warbler. The only later news was of 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese at Ferrybridge and 2 each of Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver and Velvet Scoter in Portland Harbour.
Goosanders - Portland Harbour, 25th November 2007 © Martin Cade
Far less by way of numbers overhead and on the sea but still quite a bit of quality to report today. The 2 Goosanders and a Little Auk remained in Portland Harbour where there were also 2 Red-throated, 2 Black-throated and a Great Northern Diver. The 2 Black Brants, along with 3 Pale-bellied Brents, were also still at Ferrybridge. The rest of the news came from the Bill where a probable Long-eared Owl that arrived in off the sea was the pick of the sightings; singles of Merlin and Bullfinch were also logged but, Blackbirds and Chaffinches aside, the strong passage of thrushes and finches of recent days petered out.
Shag and Water Rail - Portland Bill, 23rd and 24th November 2007 © Martin Cade
...no, we didn't need guile or years of hard-won experience to get our hands on these two infrequently ringed species: the Shag was reeled in by an angler after it had flown into his line when he was fishing off Pulpit Rock and the Water Rail was delivered to us from Easton after it had been brought indoors by a cat; both birds were released seemingly none the worse for their respective ordeals.
Despite a freshening westerly wind and a generally chilly feel to the day there were a fair few people in the field and a long list of sightings to report, with the pick of the bunch being 2 Little Auks past the Bill, an early morning sighting of the Serin at Culverwell and at least one of the Siberian Chiffchaffs still in the Crown Estate crop field, 2 Black Brants at Ferrybridge and 2 Goosanders and another Little Auk in Portland Harbour. The Bill produced decent numbers of birds on the move overhead, including 570 Wood Pigeons, 130 Chaffinches, 20 Bramblings, 14 Redwings, 8 Fieldfares, 7 Snipe, 5 Redpolls, 2 Siskins and 2 Reed Buntings, along with 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Dartford Warblers, a Merlin, a Water Rail and a Firecrest scattered around the area and 24 Common Scoter, 13 Velvet Scoter, 11 Red-throated Divers, 6 Brent Geese, 2 Great Northern Divers, a Shoveler and a Curlew through on the sea. News from elsewhere included 1500 Dark-bellied and 3 Pale-bellied Brents, 12 Mediterranean Gulls and 6 Black-tailed Godwits at Ferrybridge, 48 Mediterranean Gulls and a Great Northern Diver in Portland Harbour and a Water Rail at Easton.
November 23rd
Two Siberian Chiffchaffs were in the Crown Estate fields today and a Serin - presumably yesterday's individual again - put in a brief appearance nearby but the main feature of the day was a good northward passage of finches. Chaffinches dominated, with 500 over the Bill, whilst other totals from there included 70 Linnets, 52 Bramblings, 35 Fieldfares, 30 Redwings, 5 Siskins, a Redpoll and a Reed Bunting. Odds and ends on the ground at the Bill included 4 Chiffchaffs and at least one Dartford Warbler, whilst elsewhere there was a Swallow at Easton and a Black Redstart at Weston. Two Red-throated Divers and a Mediterranean Gull passed through on the sea at the Bill.
one of yesterday's Black Brants and some Redwing detail - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, November 2007 © Pete Saunders (Black Brant) and Martin Cade (Redwings)
...give or take the occasional first-year bird that has a more extensive post-juvenile moult than usual Redwing ageing is pretty straightforward and this series of photographs show the 'classic' suite of differences between adults and first-years - differences that are usually just as visible in the field as they are in the hand: some of the first-year tertials are tipped with triangular white marks, there is an obvious moult discontinuity in the first-year greater-coverts and there is a marked difference in tail feather shape between the age classes.
November 22nd
After another very wet night the sky had cleared completely by dawn and another decent array of late migrants were logged. The Bill received most of the coverage and returned totals of 150 Chaffinches, 42 Bramblings, 40 Linnets, 100 Goldfinches, 39 Redwings, 11 Fieldfares, 8 Reed Buntings, 5 Siskins, 5 Redpolls, 4 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Black Redstarts, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Merlin, a Water Rail and a Bullfinch; quality there was provided by one of the Siberian Chiffchaffs (click here to have a listen to the call) in the Crown Estate crop field, a fly-over Lapland Bunting and a Serin that appeared briefly in and over the Obs garden in the morning and equally briefly in the Obs kale field in the afternoon (click here to hear a sequence where the Serin suddenly appears beside us whilst we're recording the Siberian Chiffchaff, and click here to hear it as it darts about amongst the weeds before flying off; apolgies for the shocking quality of these recordings but it was quite windy, the Bill Road is much busier in late November than you might imagine and our fieldcraft was about as subtle as a herd of Wildabeast on the move). The only other reports were of a Firecrest at Southwell and 2 Red-throated Divers and a Mediterranean Gull past on the sea at the Bill.
November 21st
A big improvement in the weather allowed for a pretty full day of birding. Late migrants included 3 Goldcrests, a Black Redstart, a Chiffchaff and a Brambling at Southwell School and 100 Goldfinches, 18 Siskins, 9 Redwings, 9 Bramblings, 3 Reed Buntings, 2 Dartford Warblers, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Water Rail and a Goldcrest at the Bill; 2 Red-throated Divers, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and a Pomarine Skua also passed through on the sea at the Bill. The only other reports were from Ferrybridge where a Kittiwake passed through and 3 Pale-bellied Brents and 2 Black Brants were amongst 1500 Dark-bellied Brents.
Just a few hours birding possible early in the morning before more heavy rain set in and washed out proceedings. All the news was from the Bill where 65 Common Scoter, 4 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Brent Geese, a Black-throated Diver and a Pomarine Skua passed through on the sea, 5 Ravens headed north high overhead and a Fieldfare and a Chiffchaff were in the Obs garden.
Late news for last night: a Barn Owl was seen twice at Ferrybridge either side of midnight.
Still very unsettled today with frequent heavy, thundery showers blown in on a brisk south-westerly. A steady movement of Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks was evident off the Bill where quality was provided by 8 Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Pomarine Skuas, a Red-throated Diver and a Leach's Petrel passing by. Birding on the land was hampered by the poor weather but did produce 14 Bramblings, 6 Redwings, 4 Fieldfares, a Water Rail, a Golden Plover and a Black Redstart at the Bill, a Firecrest at the Eight Kings Quarry, a Chiffchaff at Avalanche Road and a Black Redstart at Chesil Cove. Elsewhere the first Black-necked Grebe of the winter was in Portland Harbour.
We have now been informed of the arrangements for Peter Mowday's funeral which will take place at 11.30am next Monday (26th November) at St. Michael and All Angels Church, Melksham; refreshments will be available after the funeral at the Beechfield House Hotel, Melksham.
After a late autumn of relatively benign weather conditions today's dose of blasting southerlies and constant heavy rain came as a very unpleasant shock. Seawatching was the only birding possible at the Bill where 17 Fulmars, 4 Pomarine Skuas, 3 skua spp, 2 Great Skuas and singles of Red-throated Diver, Manx Shearwater, Common Scoter and Arctic Skua passed through. The only other news was of 46 Common Scoter still settled at Chesil Cove.
Siberian Chiffchaff - Portland Bill, 17th November 2007 © Martin Cade
Another quite nice little flurry of migrants this morning included by way of a highlight a putative Little Bunting that was heard and seen over the Obs, and shortly afterwards over Culverwell, early in the morning. Further quality was provided by another Siberian Chiffchaff trapped and ringed at the Obs and singles of Great Spotted Woodpecker and Lapland Bunting over the Bill, whilst the morning's numbers there consisted of 72 Redwings, 50 Chaffinches, 43 Fieldfares, 25 Song Thrushes, 10 Bramblings, at least 4 Dartford Warblers, 4 Chiffchaffs, 3 Reed Buntings, 2 Black Redstarts, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Siskins, a Little Egret, a Blackcap and a Redpoll. Singles of Red-throated and Black-throated Diver were in Portland Harbour and 2 Long-tailed Ducks flew through the Harbour heading towards Weymouth Bay. Seawatching at the Bill produced 2 Mediterranean Gulls and a Great Skua.
Four Rusty-dot Pearl provided the only immigrant interest in the Obs garden moth-traps; L-album Wainscot and Satellite were additions to yesterday's list of resident species still on the wing.
In pleasantly still and partly overcast conditions there was a fair list of late migrants today topped off with a fly-over Richard's Pipit at the Obs during the morning. The tally of commoner species at the Bill included 1200 Starlings, 41 Redwings, 16 Bramblings, 9 Reed Buntings, 6 Fieldfares, 4 Dartford Warblers, 4 Siskins, 3 Swallows, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Redpolls, a Woodcock, a Black Redstart, a House Martin and a Bullfinch. Seawatching there produced just 7 Common Scoter, 4 Eider and 3 Brent Geese, whilst news from elsewhere included 74 Mediterranean Gulls and a Common Scoter in Portland Harbour, a Black-throated Diver at Ferrybridge and 45 Common Scoter at Chesil Cove.
The only immigrant in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning was a single Pearly Underwing; resident species still on the wing included Large Yellow Underwing, Angles Shades, Black Rustic, Red-line Quaker, Feathered Ranunculus, Dark Chestnut, Beaded Chestnut and Lunar Underwing.
It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of Peter Mowday, our Honorary Secretary and bookshop manager. Peter died this morning after fighting a long illness with great courage and fortitude. Our sincere condolences go to Jo and Peter's family. Peter served the Observatory with devotion and distinction over a sustained period and he will be sorely missed. Details of his funeral will be posted on this site as soon as they are known.
A chilly but otherwise very fair morning produced another typical array of mid-November sightings. A Long-eared Owl that arrived in off the sea at the Bill was easily the highlight of the day. As would be expected nearly all the routine movement at the Bill was overhead, with 250 Starlings, 23 Redwings, 10 Bramblings, 7 Fieldfares, 3 Lapwings, 3 Snipe, 3 Siskins, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Reed Buntings, a Little Egret and a late Swallow passing through during the course of the morning. On the ground 5 Dartford Warblers remained at the Bill (these birds look to be settling in for the winter in the Obs crops opposite the entrance to the Observatory; the two individuals that have been trapped there this week were originally ringed in the same area on 10th and 22nd October respectively). Seawatching at the Bill produced 7 Brent Geese, 6 Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver, 4 Common Scoter, a Teal and a Mediterranean Gull.
Yesterday's rain didn't do us much good and today's hint of east in the wind wasn't a lot better although a Siberian Chiffchaff (presumably the bird heard and seen there a couple of days ago) was a noteworthy capture in the Crown Estate crop fields. Passage overhead at the Bill included 60 Blackbirds, 24 Redwings, 24 Siskins, 17 Fieldfares, 2 Bramblings and a Reed Bunting, whilst 5 Dartford Warblers, 2 Snipe, 2 Blackcaps and 2 Chiffchaffs were the best on offer on the ground there. Ferrybridge produced 1330 Dark-bellied Brents, 14 Little Egrets, 10 Mediterranean Gulls, a Pale-bellied Brent and a Black Brant, and 23 Common Scoter, a Red-throated Diver, a Red-breasted Merganser and a Pomarine Skua passed through on the sea at the Bill.
Pale-bellied Brent Geese - Ferrybridge, 13th November 2007 © Pete Saunders
A bit of pre-dawn rain briefly raised hopes for a flurry of late migrants but it soon became apparent that not too much had dropped in. The morning's list for the Bill included 70 Starlings, 35 Redwings, 6 Fieldfares, a Merlin, a Chiffchaff, a Brambling and a Siskin on or overhead on the land and 10 Common Scoter, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, a Red-throated Diver, a Red-breasted Merganser and a Pomarine Skua lingering or passing through on the sea. The only reports of note from elsewhere were of 46 Common Scoter settled off Chesil Cove, 3 Goldcrests at Ladymead, Easton, and 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 1 of the Black Brants again at Ferrybridge.
Meadow Pipit detail - Portland Bill, 12th November 2007 © Martin Cade
...unless you're a) extremely cocky, or b) Scandinavian, Meadow Pipits are one of those species that are a nightmare to age for much of the year: the partial pre-breeding moult ensures that spring is a 'don't bother to try' season; summer isn't too bad when sparklingly fresh juveniles appear amongst breeding birds whose feathers are worn back to the quills, but mid-autumn - when most Meadow Pipit passage takes place at Portland - is again a difficult period when relatively fresh first-years can be tricky to distinguish from newly-moulted adults. Perhaps by late autumn the waters become a little less muddied as we didn't have too much trouble with an adult and a first-year trapped together today. The difference in wear was immediately apparent, with the relatively pristine adult contrasting well with the pretty shoddy-looking first-year. Moult-limits weren't too hard to spot in the first-year wing (for example in the tertials and between the new innermost greater-covert and the rest of the greater-coverts) and there were plenty of other differences to check out in the colour and pattern of the wing-coverts and the shape of the primary-coverts.
What a difference a day makes. A considerable reduction in the strength of the wind saw far more movement overhead with Bramblings being particularly conspicuous; a probable Siberian Chiffchaff was also seen and heard briefly at the Bill. The morning's totals at the Bill where virtually everything was moving north into the light breeze included 400 Starlings, 150 Wood Pigeons, 116 Bramblings, 100 Chaffinches, 60 Redwings, 45 Siskins, 19 Redpolls, 15 Black-headed Gulls, 13 Reed Buntings and a Snipe; odds and ends on the ground there included 2 Water Rails, 2 Dartford Warblers, a Purple Sandpiper and a Corn Bunting. Two Arctic Skuas were lingering amongst the feeding flock of Gannets and gulls off the Bill and 37 Common Scoter, 10 Brent Geese, 3 Red-throated Divers and 2 Goldeneye also passed through on the sea.
In much lighter winds overnight the Obs garden moth-traps attracted a few immigrants: 2 Pearly Underwing and singles of Rusty-dot Pearl, White-speck and Silver Y.
In terms of painful experiences an umpteenth day of blasting north-westerlies provided the Portland ornithological equivalent of sticking pins in your eyes. Thankfully a Black Brant continued to provide some interest at Ferrybridge but the morning's tally at the Bill didn't get beyond 80 Starlings, 3 Fieldfares, 2 Redwings, a Siskin and a Brambling on the move overhead and 11 Common Scoter, 2 Brent Geese, a Red-throated Diver, an Arctic Skua and a Mediterranean Gull passing through on the sea.
Late news for 9th November: a Hummingbird Hawk-moth was on the wing at Wakeham.
Black Brant - Ferrybridge, 10th November 2007 © Pete Saunders
A slightly better species list today despite a general lack of enthusiasm for birding in the continuing stiff north-westerly wind. At least 1 of the Black Brants was again at Ferrybridge where there were also 5 Mediterranean Gulls and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose but most of the variety was reported from the Bill where 200 Chaffinches, 12 Siskins, 5 Purple Sandpipers, 5 Bramblings, 4 Redwings, 3 Redpolls, 2 Fieldfares, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Black Redstart and a Dartford Warbler were logged on or overhead on the land and 18 Common Scoter, 2 Black-throated Divers, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Great Northern Diver and a Grey Plover passed through on the sea.
Black Brants - Ferrybridge, 9th November 2007 © Pete Saunders
Both Black Brants were again at Ferrybridge this morning (along with a record-breaking total of 2100 Dark-bellied Brents) but there was precious little else to report, with the day's list at the Bill consisting of nothing better than 4 Siskins, 2 Merlins, a Grey Wagtail, a Fieldfare and a Chiffchaff.
In cold and windy conditions overnight no immigrants were caught in the Obs garden moth-traps.
Black Brant and November Moth - Ferrybridge and Portland Bill, 8th November 2007 © Joe Cockram (Black Brant) and Martin Cade (November Moth)
...the bottom photograph is a microscope and compact camera attempt (a technique that we clearly need to refine!) to record the detail of the underside of the abdomen tip of the November Moth. Close examination of this area is required to separate November Moth from the other Epirrita species; in our specimen the tooth-like processes (arrowed) are widely separated and relatively long, whilst the clasper has a conspicuous curved spur (visible between the two tooth-like processes).
The discovery of 2 Black Brants amongst the Brent Geese at Ferrybridge provided some welcome rarity interest on what was otherwise another pretty slow day. Heavy cloud cover and a stiff north-west wind reduced overhead passage to a tiny trickle, with nothing better than 12 Siskins, 11 Redwings, 2 Redpolls, a Fieldfare, a Mistle Thrush and a Brambling passing through at the Bill. A lone Merlin was also logged at the Bill where singles of Great Northern Diver and Mediterranean Gull passed through on the sea
An unexpectedly decent selection of immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning included 5 Delicate, 4 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 Pearly Underwing, 2 White-speck and a Dark Sword Grass; much more interesting for Portland was a single November Moth (only the third island record of this relatively common 'inland' species).
Finally, it was with great sadness that we heard today of the recent death of Colin McEntee. Colin was a staunch supporter of the PBO website who had always been most generous in allowing us to use examples of his fine photographic skills with which to illustrate the site. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Colin's partner, Bev Benham, at this time of her sad loss.
Extremely quiet today with a stiff and chilly north-west wind making birding hard work everywhere. Odds and ends on the ground or overhead at the Bill included 15 Fieldfares, 9 Bramblings, 6 Redwings, 3 Purple Sandpipers, 3 Turnstones, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Merlin and a Blackcap, whilst seawatching there produced 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Great Skua and a Mediterranean Gull.
The only immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning were 4 Rusty-dot Pearl and 2 Delicate.
Whooper Swans and some Fieldfare detail - Portland Bill, 6th November 2007 © Martin Cade
...since we don't catch many Fieldfares it was something of a fortuitous fluke that the two netted today allowed us to compare both sexes and both age classes. Sexing wasn't too difficult in this case with the male being altogether more richly-coloured than the female; as would be expected it also had much larger black centres to the crown feathers, a much blacker tail and much darker wings. The presence/absence of a moult-limit in the greater coverts and the difference in tail feather shape saw to it that ageing was just as straightforward as sexing.
Today's big highlight - literally and metaphorically - were 2 Whooper Swans that were spotted flying south over Weston and shortly afterwards carried on out to sea over the Bill (the last Portland record of this species was as long ago as 1990). Under clear blue skies virtually all the rest of the movement was also high overhead with a flock of at least 40 Bearded Tits over Easton being the pick of the bunch; 21 Fieldfares, 16 Redwings, 8 Redpolls, 5 Siskins, 2 Reed Buntings, a Lapwing, a Snipe, a Mistle Thrush and a Brambling made up the numbers at the Bill. A Black Redstart at Verne Common and singles of Merlin and Short-eared Owl at the Bill were the best of the what little could be found on the ground.
Overnight moth-trapping was again a bit of a non-event with 9 Rusty-dot Pearl and a lone Rush Veneer the only immigrants caught in the Obs garden traps.
Not a busy day today with grounded migrants in particular in very short supply. Starling passage was conspicuous for a while during the morning when 1500 arrived in off the sea in quick time at the Bill; other 'overhead' totals there included 70 Chaffinches, 38 Siskins, 21 Redwings, 18 Bramblings, 8 Redpolls, 4 Fieldfares, 4 Reed Buntings, 2 Snipe and a Lapwing. The only sightings of any interest from the ground where of 2 Purple Sandpipers and singles of Black Redstart and Dartford Warbler at the Bill. Seawatching at the Bill produced 13 Common Scoter, 2 Teal, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and singles of Red-throated Diver and Red-breasted Merganser, whilst the Ferrybridge list included 300 Brent Geese, 20 Mediterranean Gulls and a Red-throated Diver.
Overnight moth-trapping was especially dire with 2 Rusty-dot Pearl, a Pearly Underwing, a Delicate and a Silver Y the only immigrants caught in the Obs garden traps.
Not so much on the move today but still a reasonable species list for the day. At a local level the pick of the sightings were 2 single Corn Buntings at the Bill; the best of the rest there were 2 Dartford Warblers, a Merlin, a Mistle Thrush and a Black Redstart on or overhead on the land and 3 Velvet Scoters, 3 Shoveler and a Pomarine Skua passing through on the sea. Sample counts of passage over the Bill through the morning included 28 Redwings, 12 Fieldfares, 8 Bramblings, 6 Reed Buntings, 5 Redpolls, 4 Lapwings, 4 Snipe, 3 Siskins and a Golden Plover, whilst further totals on the sea included 98 Common Scoter, 7 Brent Geese, 3 Teal and a Great Northern Diver.
Immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning consisted of 24 Rusty-dot Pearl, 3 Delicate, 3 White-speck and 2 Silver Y; singles of Heart and Dart and White-point were both noteworthy for the time of year.
Ring Ouzel - Portland Bill, 3rd November 2007 © Martin Cade
...today's Ring Ouzel - sorry, but this is another series of photographs taken when the light was dull as ditchwater - had such a cracking gorget that you'd be forgiven for thinking it had to be an adult male (compare it with, for example, the really ropey-looking presumed first-year male caught on 4th October); however a quick look at the greater coverts showed that it was certainly a bird of the year (the five outer juvenile feathers contrasting well with the new inner feathers).
November 3rd
Plenty more fairly routine early November passage today with, in particular, decent numbers of thrushes, Starlings and finches on the move under a blanket of heavy cloud but the only real quality was provided by a Mealy Redpoll that paid a brief early morning visit to a garden at Southwell, a Hen Harrier that passed through over Top Fields and the Yellow-browed Warbler that remained at Southwell. The morning's totals for the Bill area (where pretty well everything was on the move overhead) included 1100 Starlings, 150 Chaffinches, 100 Blackbirds, 100 Redwings, 90 Siskins, 40 Fieldfares, 35 Bramblings, 30 Song Thrushes, 12 Redpolls, 5 Reed Buntings, 4 Mistle Thrushes, 4 Dartford Warblers, 2 Swallows and singles of Snipe, Ring Ouzel and Black Redstart; similar variety and numbers elsewhere included 1400 Starlings and 510 Chaffinches (many of which were additions to those counted at the Bill) during a walk from Southwell to Weston.
Immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps this morning: 16 Rusty-dot Pearl, 10 Delicate, 4 Pearly Underwing and singles of White-speck, Merveille du Jour and Silver Y.
November 2nd
It certainly didn't feel like November today in clear skies and warm sunshine. Unfortunately these conditions didn't do much for the quality of the birding and aside from the Yellow-browed Warbler that remained at Southwell and a little bit of passage overhead there wasn't too much to report. For the first time this autumn Starlings made up the bulk of the numbers overhead with more than 1000 arriving from the south during the course of the morning; other totals from the Bill included 100 Chaffinches, 24 Redwings, 11 Siskins, 6 Redpolls, 5 Reed Buntings, 4 Bramblings, 3 Fieldfares, 3 Dartford Warblers, 2 Snipe, 2 Swallows, a Black Redstart, a Bullfinch and a Lapland Bunting.
The overnight catch of immigrants in the Obs garden moth-traps consisted of 41 Rusty-dot Pearl, 4 Delicate, 3 White-speck, 2 Silver Y and a Pearly Underwing.
Yellow-browed Warbler - Southwell, 1st November 2007 © Joe Cockram
After what frankly was a pretty poor October there are high hopes that November - so often the rarity month in recent years - might bring a change in Portland's fortunes. In the event today proved to be just a continuation of October: a heavy cloud cover at dawn was enough to drop a fair number of thrushes and finches but the only oddity discovered was a Yellow-browed Warbler at Southwell. More routine fare in the Bill area included 100 Redwings, 80 Chaffinches, 50 Blackbirds, 25 Song Thrushes, 18 Siskins, 11 Fieldfares, 3 Swallows, a Woodcock and a Reed Bunting; a lone Mediterranean Gull was about the only worthwhile sighting on the sea.
Conditions overnight looked quite promising for moth-trapping and there was a fair list of immigrants in the Obs garden traps this morning: 53 Rusty-dot Pearl, 7 Silver Y, 6 Pearly Underwing, 6 Delicate, 3 White-speck and singles of Gem, Scarce Bordered Straw and Red Admiral butterfly.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Rep. Diana DeGette's self-inflicted wound
149 posts	• Page 6 of 8 • 1 ... 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Article Discussion: Rep. Diana DeGette's self-inflicted woun
by GenePH on April 9th, 2013, 8:53 am #2965248
You are absolutely right. The free things are our freedoms. It is so ironic, that it is President Obama who resides over this plantation of people dependent on his care. When will we rise up against it and throw off the chains?
GenePH
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Re: Article Discussion: Rep. Diana DeGette's self-inflicted woun
by spstools on April 9th, 2013, 9:03 am #2965268
We need to honor Ms. DeGette for being the good little trooper, for falling on her sword to create more distracting controversy.
The gun control debacle is merely a side show, a smoke screen created to draw our attention away from the real problems the government hooligans refuse to face: deficit spending and the run-away train wreck of our national debt. She probably got her marching orders from the Democratic "leadership" who fail to acknowledge that their rampant spending is a serious threat to society. They won't recognize that continual tax increases on 'the rich' kill the golden goose which feeds our economy. The GOP is not blameless in this pagent. Taxes will have to be raised across the board to dig ourselves out of the hole. But I can understand their insistence on spending cuts first. It seems that when the GOP allows tax increases as part of a deal, the Democrats renege when it comes time for the spending cut portion of the deal. And to be fair when it was the GOP's turn at the trough, they proved to be just as gluttonous.
So while we're (self included) all frothing at the mouth about 2nd Amendment rights and bans on scary looking rifles, the government keeps right on spending, the national debt keeps right on draining our pocket books, and the do-nothing legislatures and executive branch continue to sweep the problem under the rug.
<sarcasm> So Brava, Ms. DeGette, for a job well done. </sarcasm>
Last edited by spstools on April 9th, 2013, 1:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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by Greystone West on April 9th, 2013, 9:17 am #2965299
GenePH wrote: Keith,
On gun control...we have risen up nationally. No anti gun bill is going to get a vote.
In Colorado, we are going to have to wait until 2014 and the national money is already flowing in and the sheriffs have testified that they will not enforce.
OwebamaCare is killing itself. It is imploding and the exchanges are not coming to fruition.
$17,000,000,000,000.00 in hard debt and another $72,000,000,000,000.00 in unfunded Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security liabilities will eventually teach the voter that government does not have its own money.
Patience is the virtue and often times in a Republic the other guy wins.
But with all the talk of sustainability that liberals speak of - the laws of economics will veto their ways of borrowing and printing.
Unfortunately, the young ones voting liberal now, are going to be the ones that have to endure the crash.
sarahpac.com
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Joined: December 2nd, 2009, 9:58 pm
Greystone West wrote: ...
In some ways I consider that a bonus, enduring the crash being karma for their liberal votes.
spstools wrote:
The Baby Boomers having the majority vote will borrow, print and spend to our death.
Then the kids will be left holding the bag.
Last edited by Greystone West on April 9th, 2013, 9:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
The rest of the story....
by swen swenson on April 9th, 2013, 9:35 am #2965345
Now we have five articles and OpEds on DeGette's "pretty stupid" remarks about magazines, but still nothing on the heartless remark that preceeded it? Here's what's missing from the DP coverage:
DeGette's assertion came ridiculing a questioner in the audience who was concerned that he would be outgunned by intruders if her ban was in place, telling the senior citizen that he would probably be dead anyway if facing such an assault so he shouldn't worry about her proposal.
("The good news for you, you live in Denver. The Denver PD would be there within minutes," she said to laughter. [Wonder why they were laughing? Perhaps because they know what this buffoon doesn't, that it takes the Denver police 15.75 minutes to respond to a 911 call, on average?]
"You'd probably be dead anyway," she added, smirking.)
Following that up with such a broadly incorrect statement offered in a voice of absolute certitude was especially unhelpful.
While this is personally embarrassing for DeGette, who has held herself out for years as an expert on the subject of firearms, it is also a blow to the broader Democratic effort to impose gun control measures. Like Akin's revelation, DeGette's has national implications.
The argument from Democrats is that they understand the subject and are sympathetic to legitimate gun owners, but wish to apply "common-sense" restrictions to prevent mass shootings in the future. When the principle architect of the ban on large-capacity magazines and clips does not understand the mechanics behind a central criticism of her plan -- that the huge number of such devices already in existence negates much of the purported benefit -- it becomes harder for Democrats to claim they are operating from "common sense."
Mocking a senior citizen? Telling him to wait for the police but he'll probably be dead by the time they get there anyway Ha, Ha, Ha? If a Republican had done this it would be front page news, wouldn't it? It certainly overshadows her ignorance of how firearms work, doesn't it? Dumb and heartless is a bad combination no matter how you look at it, so best to minimize it as much as possible, riiiight? Yes Curtis Hubbard, I'm looking at you. Let's review:
Lying by omission is lying by either omitting certain facts or by failing to correct a misconception. In the case of the former, an example of this would be a car salesmen claiming a car to have amazing fuel economy while neglecting to mention that it has no engine and is completely immobile. In the case of the latter, it could be a situation in which a misconception exists that the claimant is aware of but fails to correct, such as a person who wanders around a hospital dressed as a doctor, offering treatment while failing to mention that she is in fact just getting a kick out of pretending to be a doctor. ...
Political leanings may lead to lying by partisan reporting, in which scandals involving Republicans as front page news while similar incidents among Democrats are relegated to bylines buried towards the back of the newspaper. Whether or not this is lying by omission depends on the stated goal of the outlet in question. Fox News could certainly avoid lying by omission, at least in the case of partisan politics, if they ditched their slogan "Fair and balanced" in favor of "Death to Obama". [emphasis added]
And what is the Denver Post's stated goal?
From the article: Even for gun-control supporters like the Denver Post editorial board, there was no getting past the fact that she didn't seem to grasp the issue.
Gun control! So they'll chastise DeGette for not knowing her stuff -- if she actually knew anything about guns she'd be even more of a danger to our Second Amendment rights and fundamental human right to self defense -- but they'd much rather have us think that DeGette means well but is misinformed -- the misconception they're failing to correct -- than reveal that she's an evil witch. No one is going to trust an evil witch with their rights so best not tell us the whole story. Riiight, Mr. Hubbard?
May her reign of error be long!
roscoes wrote: Ms. DeGette needs to think retirement. Oh, don't worry, her congressional seat will still be warm for a new democrat to occupy but she's been in the inner sanctum of the beltway too long and needs to return to Earth. Denver is a vibrant, 21st century city being represented by a 20th century out of touch Pat Schroeder clone. Maybe this is the opportunity politician-in-training Andy Romanoff has been waiting for. The 1st District certainly needs a change of democrat blood.
I've got to disagree. If Diane DeGette was working at a job more suited to her skills -- like check-out clerk at the local grocery -- and a smart gun grabber was sitting in her seat in Congress we'd be in a lot more trouble, so we should count Rep. DeGette among our blessings and be happy that our opponents are nitwits!
by ParadiseRoad on April 9th, 2013, 9:52 am #2965388
BillORights wrote: You do not need anything more than a handgun, a rifle, and a shotgun and a reasonable amount of ammo.
...okay...
...handgun:
...shotgun:
...rifle:
"Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
...what are you going to do when all the "rough men" are gone?...hit the miscreants with your purse?...
ParadiseRoad
Paradise Road
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by swen swenson on April 9th, 2013, 10:01 am #2965403
artdeco wrote:
Unblocked wrote: I call on the gun rights advocates. It is not reasonable to expect a large magazine to be reloaded immediately. So she WAS right.
gun rights advocates read what they want to read.
You're putting words into her mouth. This is what she said, verbatim:
"These are ammunition, they're bullets, so the people who have those now, they're going to shoot them, so if you ban them in the future, the number of these high-capacity magazines is going to decrease dramatically over time because the bullets will have been shot and there won't be any more available".
Far from merely "immediately", it's clear she thought they could never be reloaded again and so they'd just disappear by attrition.
There's another way to look at this. She's trying to ban standard capacity magazines, but what she thinks she's doing is banning ammunition. Thank goodness she's a dunce! If she put her efforts toward banning ammunition and succeeded, we'd be in a world of hurt.
I think that's why Hubbard is willing to criticise her -- if she actually knew anything she'd be much more dangerous.
by RB on April 9th, 2013, 10:05 am #2965412
GenePH wrote: DeGette's ignorance on the gun control is not surprising. It is typical liberal Democrat action, no different than that on taxes, foreign relations, the environment and ObamaCare. They take action on things that effect everyone without an understanding of anything. It is their social policy that they care about. As outraged as we get here in Colorado after reading about her lack of insight, it is about Curtis Hubbard's last line - the ballot box in the fall of 2014. While I live in DeGette's district and will never vote for her, everyone else in her dependent district will vote her back in. That is why she can say dumb things and get reelected. Her constituents want the free things they think they get. That is Democrat party politics.
The solution is for Republicans to appeal to people getting free things. I really don't know how that can be done. The solution is not give free things, but educate the people about what freedom is, and about the history of our country.
Her constituents are "dependent" and want "free things"? Yet her district contains most of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the metro area. You're not making sense.
RB's recent comments
TheDuke wrote:
RB wrote:
RB wrote: Not at all. But I would be happy living in a place where the police are the only ones allowed to have guns.
Well, that's the real problem with liberals. You'd be happier living where only police have guns. Those places exist. However, you would rather force YOUR desires on the rest of us than go to someplace where they already offer what you want. Why is that?
Could it be that liberals are too selfish or too cowardly to go where others have the same desires and leave the rest of us alone?
Because I'm an American. My patriotic duty is to advocate for policies that will make this deeply flawed nation a better place to live. Yes, many other countries already have these policies. As a result, they are better places to live. But they aren't MY home. I do believe that I know better than many Americans about the best ways to improve this country based upon my education and experience. I'm a proud elitist and I don't care to preserve American "traditions" that have prevented us from achieving the quality of life and standard of living that residents of many other countries enjoy. I'd just as soon discard them and replace them with policies that have been proven to achieve better results.
By the way, conservatives are just as guilty as liberals of pushing for policies that will curtail individual freedoms. It's just that where liberals do this in order to improve the general welfare (the very purpose of the Constitution, lets not forget), conservatives generally do it to promote their religious preferences or the wishes of private corporations (which are NOT people).
While I'm sure you'd make a fine dictator, your crude arrogance is not compelling. The fact that you hold yourself in such high regard, and think your wisdom is sufficient to throw out over two hundred years of law and tradition, kinda makes you sound, dare I say... delusional? Your education and experience qualifies you to trump my constitutional rights?!? Is that some kind of joke?!? Really... just who the Frank do you think you are?
Fair enough. At least you're honest enough to admit you think you're just smarter than everyone else, thereby claiming the right to dictate how we live. Sounds about right. Just be aware that those who don't share your "vision" for America are more than ready to defend their own rights and heritage. Personally, I'll fight you at the ballot box, in social media, down the streets, in the alley or in the trenches. You will meet resistance every mile, every foot and every inch.
Like I said, too selfish or too cowardly to go where others share your views. A dictator at heart, like most of your "persuasion".
Yep. Deal with it. Ultimately, your kind will lose.
by ParadiseRoad on April 9th, 2013, 10:17 am #2965441
...for those of you who were not around for the results of the 1994 Federal gun control push...here they are:
The 1994 U.S. House of Representatives election was held on November 8, 1994, in the middle of President Bill Clinton's first term. As a result of a 54-seat swing in membership from Democrats to Republicans, the Republican Party gained a majority of seats in the United States House of Representatives for the first time since 1954.
The Democratic Party had run the House for all but four of the preceding 62 years.
In a historic election, House Speaker Tom Foley (D-Washington) was defeated for re-election in his district, becoming the first Speaker of the House to fail to win re-election since the era of the American Civil War.
...good luck Dems in 2014...
by zapatasghost on April 9th, 2013, 10:21 am #2965450
JoshW wrote: Would you care to address the others ...
Samuel Adams:
"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." –Samuel Adams, During the Massachusetts U.S. Constitution ratification convention, 1788
This quote was from an amendment proposed by Samuel Adams and later withdrawn for lack of support. It is immediately followed by "or to raise standing armies." I suppose you also believe that it is unconstitutional for the US to maintain its armed forces?
"Arms in the hands of citizens may be used at the individual discretion, in private self-defense." John Adams, A Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America, 1787-88
The full, honest quote is: "To suppose arms in the hands of citizens, to be used at individual discretion, except in private self-defense, or by partial orders of towns, countries or districts of a state, is to demolish every constitution, and lay the laws prostrate, so that liberty can be enjoyed by no man; it is a dissolution of the government. The fundamental law of the militia is, that it be created, directed and commanded by the laws, and ever for the support of the laws." (John Adams, A Defence of the Constitutions of the United States, 475 [1787-1788])
Read that. Arms in the hands of citizens, except those necessary for private self defense, "is a dissolution of the government." A militia must be created under law. Arms in the hands of citizens means liberty for no man. Seems pretty clear what John Adams' intent was.
George Washington:
"A free people ought to be armed. When firearms go, all goes, we need them by the hour. Firearms stand next to importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence." –George Washington, Boston Independence Chronicle, January 14, 1790
"To ensure peace, security, and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that is good." –George Washington, The Federalist No. 53
Both of these quotes are widely known to be made up. Washington never said this.
"It's pretty clear what the intent was."
The only thing that's pretty clear is that the framers all had different ideas of what the language should mean, and compromised on the ultimate text. We can all find a quote to support our position, since the framers did not all agree on most issues. Rather than cherry picking quotes, doesn't it make more sense to figure out what makes sense in today's society?[/quote]
Agreed. Gun guys like to think they have monopoly of understanding of the constitution and all things "founding fathers". In the overall scheme of the things - mostly irrelevant in today's world. Obviously they had no way of knowing or beginning to understand that we would be living in a society today where citizens would use the 2nd amendment to manufacture a cause for unrestricted access to assault rifles at the same time that these are legal tools of mass murder of innocents. Most Americans finally now agree that we need reasonable restrictions...thank God. It's time to call the NRA on their self-serving crazy talk and drag law makers along.
Last edited by zapatasghost on April 9th, 2013, 11:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
zapatasghost
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by Greystone West on April 9th, 2013, 10:22 am #2965455
Last edited by Greystone West on April 9th, 2013, 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
Navy Chief wrote:
RB wrote: I do believe that I know better than many Americans about the best ways to improve this country based upon my education and experience. I'm a proud elitist and I don't care to preserve American "traditions" that have prevented us from achieving the quality of life and standard of living that residents of many other countries enjoy. I'd just as soon discard them and replace them with policies that have been proven to achieve better results.
You really sound like a pompous fool. I'd really like to know what type of education and experience you have that enlightens you so much. I've got 2 college degrees and have visited 49 countries. In all those travels I haven't seen very many places that have a higher quality of life and standard of living than we enjoy here. Maybe you would be so good as to give me some actual examples instead of this type of mindless drivel.
By the way, if America and all of her traditions are so flawed, then maybe you would like to take a shot at explaining why so many people from so many other countries go to such great lengths to come here. Come on Son, step up to the plate and take a swing at that pitch. Let's see what you have. Bottom line, there are a lot more people immigrating to the USA than there are people leaving the USA. That alone speaks volumes.
Further more, who elected you to susch an elevated position that you can just discard the things that have made this country what it is? I don't believe anybody asked me if I wanted you to do that. So, I'm going to state for the record that I don't want you or anyone else just randomly tossing American traditions to the wind to support your particular flimsy position.
As to your statement that you would like to live in a place where only the police own guns, then I'd like to point out that you really need to be careful what you ask for. The people of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Russia, Poland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Namibia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Tanzania, Lebanon etc... can all own firearms. I know hunters in all of those countries and they all own their own guns. If you really want to live in a place where only the police own forearms you will need to go to a place like North Korea, the UAE , Mexico or one of the petty dictaorships. Sounds like a bad trade to me: The USA for North Korea. But, to each his own. I'll take the USA.
If you've visited other countries as a military man, then, in my view, you really haven't seen them. Believe me, very few people from more enlightened countries want to come to America any more. In fact, they look at us with derision...and rightly so in many ways. I can guarantee that those who are still immigrating here are not doing so because they like our gun laws, our health care, or our social policies. I don't really care if you find me pompous. I am only concerned with what people I respect think. As I stated in my earlier post, I'm fine with licensed hunters having guns and I like the Norwegian policy that requires those guns to be kept at the local constabulary when not in use (just like the laws we had in the "old West" days).
by fliefisher on April 9th, 2013, 10:24 am #2965461
Well at least the DP has finally dropped any pretenses of impartiality and admitted that they are against the Second Amendment.
There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. Daniel Webster (1782-1852)
fliefisher
Patrick S.
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Avs Fan Since: 1995
Joined: December 31st, 2007, 11:41 pm
20 million illegal aliens can't be wrong.
So you'd like to remake America to be more like Russia, where the peasants still plow their fields with horses? No, that can't be your ideal. I bet you want to remake America to be more like China, with the world's worst pollution? No, no, that can't be it either. I Know! You want America to be more like the European Union! Free healthcare, early retirement with generous pensions, lengthy paid vacations and all that are very appealing aren't they? Of course their generosity has them on the road to destruction but I suppose mortgaging our childrens' future is okay with you so long as you get more free stuff?
Oh, wait! Socialism has never worked in the past and has been an unmitigated disaster everywhere it's been tried, but that's because they didn't do it right. You're smart, you'll get it right this time, huh?
Last edited by swen swenson on April 9th, 2013, 10:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
by Kanha on April 9th, 2013, 10:43 am #2965487
Greystone West wrote:
Kanha wrote:
TAF wrote:
Actually, I'm neither. I believe that the historical record proves that the Second Amendment was never intended to guarantee the right of individual private citizens to bear arms and that the Supreme Court got it wrong when they ruled that it did.
Therefore, my views are entirely consistent with the historically correct view of the 2nd. As long as police forces and the National Guard are allowed to have firearms, all other gun control measures affecting individuals are constitutional.
No, I'm not afraid of guns. I just don't like them or the types of people who carry them and don't believe they have a place in civilized society and would like to get as many of them off the street as possible.
Ah . . . the SCOTUS got it wrong. Gotcha. OK . . . then please enlighten us as to where Jefferson, Washington, Samuel Adams, John Adams, etc. left any room for interpreting the 2nd Amendment a different way than to allow ALL citizens the right to keep & bear arms? Your "interpretation" has no basis in historical fact.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." –Thomas Jefferson, proposed Virginia constitution, June 1776. Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 (C. J. Boyd, Ed., 1950)
"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." –Thomas Jefferson, quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria in "On Crimes and Punishment", 1764
Read the 2001 Silvera decision. It provides the best historical analysis of the origins of the Second Amendment and clearly concludes that it was intended to protect a collective, not an individual right. This was also the NRAs position for the first half of the 20th Century, by the way.
Although, much of the above was written during a different time where there wasn't much of a police force, state militia or even an army, where citizens had to rely on themselves and each other for protection, most of those who support gun control still do not want to prevent citizens from defending their homes (as outlined in DC v Heller). What gun control advocates support is responsible gun ownership and a decline in gun deaths whether they be suicide, accident or homicide. Just because Jefferson said something in 1776 doesn't make it the law of the land.
Please read Article I Sec. 8 of the Constitution where the federal government has the power:
"To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions";
"To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress";
This is the context of the 2nd Amendment. You can romanticize something otherwise, but
the 2nd Amendment has nothing to do with fighting tyranny; this is myth. The states just didn't want to have to solely depend on the national government for their defense. At the time, slave rebellions, conflicts with natives and domestic uprisings were a real threat. If anything the 2nd Amendment empowers the government to put down rebellions not foment them. Also recall that George Bush was able to send the regulated "militia" to Iraq." So we may have the right to own a firearm to defend our homes but the government also has the power to implement universal background checks, gun registration and bans on certain types of arms and magazines. Why can't we have these regulations and still own firearms to protect our homes and children.
Only a liberal could put the Bill of Rights in "context".
Do you believe that any anti gun bill is actually going to hit the floor of the Senate or the House?
If you think I'm a liberal, you must a so far right that almost everyone is a liberal. You're losing your mind, man. All I'm asking for is for both sides to be rational and give up a little of their ideology in order to solve our nation's problems. And to answer your question, do I think Congress is going to pass any reasonable gun control legislation? Probably not.
Michael A
Michael's recent comments
I hit the wrong reply button in the previous post. My bad.
I am saying that only a liberal would put the Bill of Rights in "context".
The constitution puts to paper our unalienable rights.
Its not a policy position.


text:
Home » Blog » The Culture of Complacency
The Culture of Complacency
Organisations change constantly. For one thing, staff come and go. Retirement, promotions, transfers, new hires, and even internships all change its fabric. And even when the same people work there day in and day out, each of them gets a little older and, we hope, a little wiser. What that means is that your organisation is dynamic. It won't remain the same because it can't.
Some managers have resigned themselves to this and have adopted an age-old strategy for dealing with it. They ignore it. They pretend that it isn't happening and carry on merrily as if nothing has changed.
"Keep an even keel."
"Don't rock the boat."
That this is the case is evidenced by the Valukas Report. Its 300+ pages detailed the catalogue of failures which General Motors experienced as a result of its unwillingness to deal with a very serious problem. For more than 10 years, the company ignored the rising number of complaints that came in from their customers, dealers, and the media. Even the engineers at GM were aware of the problem. The ignition switches that it put into many of its cars were responsible for turning car engines off whenever the car was in motion, whether it was backing out of the drive or barrelling along the motorway. Notwithstanding a number of weaknesses in the company's policies and procedures, the Report made it clear that the real problem was due to the fact that no one could be bothered to do anything about it. The company was steeped in a culture of complacency.
Oh there were meetings and committees and "investigations"; but there was never any follow-through. Instead there was what was called the "GM-nod" – the general agreement by everyone who happened to attend a particular meeting that there was a bit of a problem, but it wasn't that important, and therefore there was no reason to get so excited that any sort of action should be taken to deal with it.
You could be forgiven for thinking that GM was content with the status quo. And to a certain extent you'd be right. They obviously had no intention of fixing anything unless they were forced to.
But GM was deliberately trying to keep things as they had been for generations. To do that would have meant committing themselves to a purpose. And what is so clear in the Report is that far from doing things deliberately, they had a well-developed attitude which meant, "I can't be bothered." In other words, they weren't trying to do anything. This complacency existed from the CEO all the way to the shop floor.
No doubt there were a few isolated individuals who want to make things better all 'round; but you can probably imagine what it was like for them – being told not to worry about it. It seems that GM didn't hold its managers accountable for fixing problems that had been identified. Not only that, there was no sense of urgency about this or anything else.
What about your organisation? What characterises its culture? Is it committed to excellence, or is it too complacent to care?
Need help with change management in your organisation? Get in touch with us by clicking here.
Them and Us
One of the most surprising characteristics still found in organizations today is the "them and us" culture. It seems to pervade the thinking of management teams no matter what country they're in.
Are meetings really the cornerstone of organisational life?
Ask a group of managers at random; which activity wastes most of your time and causes you the most frustration and most of your audience will say "meetings."