Dec 10 2012
Monday News: Three down, three to go in agency pricing; Mugshot websites under fire; Paywalls increase; FCC urges broader in flight e-device usage
As of this past weekend, all the settling publishers appear to have abandoned agency agreements with Amazon. Hopefully new deals will be struck between retailers like All Romance eBooks, Books on Board, Kobo and the like so that readers have true opportunity to shop around.
Ohio lawyer sues mug-shot websites – An Ohio lawyer is suing websites who post mugshots of individuals on the basis of extortion and inappropriate commercial use of the photo. Many mugshots are of individuals whose charges have been dismissed but the sites won’t remove the images until the individual pays a fee. First Amendment Center
Yellowstone’s popular alpha female wolf shot dead by hunters outside park– An alpha female wolf that lived in the boundaries of the Yellowstone national park and was tracked by researchers at the park was shot and killed by a hunter. Over eight wolves were killed in the last few weeks but hunting wolves is a legally sanctioned activity with grey wolves being taken off the endangered species list. I am sure I am adversely influenced by reading books like Julie of the Wolves and the Bitten series. Thank goodness Clay and Elena et al live in Northern New York. The Guardian
Paywalls roundup: Washington Post, Daily Beast, Gannett – The internet paywalls are going up which means readers will have to decide which sites they will want to read. The NYTimes and Wall Street Journal both have a paywall. One report by the Times indicates that the paywall has been a success. “Fifteen months after beginning to charge for reading more than ten articles and on reading devices, it hit 509,000 digital subscribers. Together with hikes in home delivery and weekday cover prices, that helped cross-format circulation revenue up 8.3 percent, offsetting print decline, it said.”PaidContent has a round up of all the other newspapers adding paywalls including the Washington Post, Daily Beast, and Gannett. paidContent
FCC to FAA: Allow ‘greater use’ of electronic devices during flights – There’s no evidence that the use of tablets and ereaders will cause problems in flying an airplane which is likely why the head of the FCC, Julius Genachowski, has asked for wider in-flight use of “tablets, e-readers, and other portable devices.” No word on when new regulations are likely to be enacted. The Hill’s Hillicon Valley
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Dec 10, 2012 @ 07:19:12
We get the WSJ and The Washington Post at the Flynn house. A paywall for The Post makes me sad because I tend to only go to the online site when I want to share a specific story (such as the amazing piece Gene Weingarten wrote about a 1979 murder, go read it’s really well done: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/since-1979-brian-murtagh-has-fought-to-keep-convicted-murderer-jeffrey-macdonald-in-prison/2012/12/05/3c8bc1c6-2da8-11e2-89d4-040c9330702a_story.html). Not being able to share links with friends would really annoy me. The Daily Beast is one of the first sites I’m on whenever I need a 10 minute break from a project. I like the site, but I don’t love it enough to pay for it.
Dec 10, 2012 @ 09:02:25
@Avery Flynn: You are right. That is very impressive. I remember reading about the crime when it happened, the trial, the McGinnis book and the follow up with Janet Malcolm, but I didn’t realize about the Morris book or the recent hearing. I’ve never waivered from thinking he was guilty.
Dec 10, 2012 @ 10:29:50
At airport security, a woman cut in front of the line to ask if she had to take her iPad out of the suitcase. The agent said no, but it seems to me the answer should have been yes (in the interest of making us all struggle equally). What’s a tablet except a laptop without a lid? According to the TSA website, it’s all about size, not type. Under 12×14 inches? Leave it in your carry-on.
Dec 10, 2012 @ 12:18:09
RE: Wolves
A similar sad situation is playing out in North Carolina. At least 7 endangered Red wolves have been shot since night time hunting for coyotes was started in August. Red wolves are difficult to tell from coyotes even in daylight, at night it’s impossible. With only 100 wolves living in the wild, the seven shot make up a significant part of the population.
Dec 10, 2012 @ 12:35:08
The red wolves in NC are a little bit different situation. They are native to the area and having a difficult time.
The wolves out west that are being hunted are non-native Canadian gray wolves that the government introduced to the area in the 90s. They are larger than the natives and have thrived in an area where nothing else can compete with them. They’ve decimated a lot of the native herds, especially elk, run rampant through livestock and virtually wiped out or absorbed the native timber wolf populations. It’s fine to go to Yellowstone and pretend you’re at Disneyland and that the wildlife are just characters to be enjoyed while you’re on vacation. The reality is much different.
Dec 10, 2012 @ 14:11:52
@TaraL: I wonder why the native timber wolf wasn’t supported instead of importing the Canadian grey wolf?
I know there are always two sides to these emotional issues. The coyotes are thriving here in NC and are doing damage as well, hence the overnight hunting. The Eastern Band of the Cherokee is adding a $25 bounty for coyotes because, believe it or not, the coyote is threatening the native white tail deer population in western NC. That’s amazing to me because every where else in NC the deer are taking over. I’m becoming convinced that it won’t be roaches ruling the world in the event of an apocalypse, it will be the white tail deer.
Dec 10, 2012 @ 16:49:23
TaraL:
The gray wolf, Canis lupus, IS native to the West.
Gray wolves are sometimes called timber wolves (common names can become very confusing). The wolves that were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995 were our native species, with individual animals who happened to be from Canada.
Wolves actually have a lot of competition in Yellowstone: grizzly bears, black bears, cougars, coyotes–and most importantly, humans. In fact, Yellowstone is one of the last places in the U.S.A. that still has a full complement of large mammalian predators. That’s one of the things that makes it so special.
Wolves have not decimated the elk herd. It’s healthier now than it’s been in a long time, according to the state wildlife agencies of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. For example, on Sept. 28th, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks predicted in its 2012 Elk Hunting Outlook (http://fwp.mt.gov/news/newsReleases/hunting/nr_1815.html) that “most hunters are going to find elk populations in good physical shape” and “some snow hunters could be in for a banner season in many areas.” The reported elk populations are stable or above average in almost every region.
What’s changed is their distribution. That’s partially because of the presence of wolves, and partially because of the effects of forest fires and global warming, which influences summer rainfall patterns, winter snow pack, the timing of spring green-up, and forest fire patterns.
Very rarely can you point to one factor and say, “this is responsible for the prosperity of this species.”
In fact, biologists believe that elk populations in Montana and Colorado will increase as winters become less severe and more forage becomes available (see: “Observed and Projected Ecological Response to Climate Change in the Rocky Mountains and Upper Columbia Basin: A Synthesis of Current Scientific Literature,” Natural Resource Report NPS/ROMN/NRR- 2010/220.” http://www.greateryellowstonescience.org/download_product/958/0).
Individual wolves that harm livestock are killed (there must be evidence of the depredation, not just a rumor). That has been true since the reintroduction effort. Ranchers and farmers who lose livestock are financially compensated, thanks, in part, to Defenders of Wildlife.
Yes, you are absolutely right that some people view Yellowstone as a zoo, and the reality is far more complex, especially for those who live near the park. To craft good wildlife management plans, we need to respect each other, listen, and rely on good facts and real science.
Since you seem to be deeply concerned about these issues, I highly recommend the book, “Searching for Yellowstone” by Paul Schullery. It goes into great detail about the history of predator control and elk management in the park. Great information, and highly readable.
Other great resources include:
Yellowstone National Park, Nature and Science: http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/index.htm
International Wolf Center, http://www.wolf.org/wolves/index.asp
Some of the most knowledgeable wolf experts in the U.S.A. include Dr. David Mech, Rolf Peterson, Douglas W. Smith, Michael K. Phillips, and Diane Boyd. Dave Mech is affectionately known as Wolf Man. Google their names and you’ll find a ton of research articles and connections to all of the wolf projects in the U.S.A.
Dec 10, 2012 @ 18:23:17
Thank you Jill Shultz!
Dec 10, 2012 @ 20:20:51
The wolf story reminds me of the shooting of the white deer in WI:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/hunter-legally-shoots-rare-white-deer-in-wisc-so-why-are-the-locals-calling-it-a-moral-issue/
Just because something’s legal doesn’t mean you should do it.
Dec 10, 2012 @ 20:49:55
@Jill Shultz:
Thank you for a cogent response. I no longer live near Yellowstone, but earned a B.S. in Fish and Wildlife Management from Bozeman, and spent a lot of time in and around the park.
I love Montana, but the hysteria of the ranchers (who often claim EVERY animal was a “Wolf Kill”, regardless of evidence) is driving a wave of anti-wolf sentiment that’s completely unsupported by the facts and very discouraging to those of us who actually grew up around the wolves. Very sad news.