You dirty, insulting....

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Posted by KJUN on February 05, 2003 at 21:53:15:

In Reply to: Re: You mean I get something out . . . posted by terryp on February 02, 2003 at 12:27:11:

: Now there's KJ. That southerner really loves snakes and has information and an opinion on just about anything. Someday, I may actually send him an e-mail where he won't say something about it that is wrong or not technically right or some abstract view that it's wrong. If he plays horseshoes, there's only scores when you throw a wringer (sp) because there's no points or scores for being close. We'd all probably end up throwing the horseshoes at each other over some tidbit of information that KJ won't budge on. But, every piece of information is as important as any of the rest. I guess he fights for the tidbits and you're not right if you don't know it or have it incorrectly. Well, I better write some more on the spec sheet before KJ says he didn't realize he didn't have to send the info he right away. I sent him some info too. It was late of course. Had to get threw KJ's comment on that before he got to the info I sent. lol Thanks for the thread everyone.

That is cold-hearted to kick a man when you think he isn't around to listen and know what is going on like that. I know this is really just because I lectured you on the truths concerning the War of Northern Aggressions and California�s role as apathetic pseudo-sympathizer! Yeah, uh-huh. I�ll remember this. I�ve got a loooonnnngggg mem �. Um, now what was I saying?

You think it is bad on email? Try living with me. (No, that was only just a hypothetical situation, so don�t you go and get all excited on me, Sweetheart.) I�m even worse. For example, all the matchsticks in a box of matches have to have the unlighted heads facing the same direction with the burnt ones (if they go back into the box) facing the other direction�. THAT is how anal I am. But that is only half of it, the Evil Incarnate, Collector of Souls, Devourer of Hope, and Remover of Testes (which is the proper title of my �owner�) is ALMOST as bad. As Daryl how we argue in a car together. It isn�t safe. Top that off with my stupid sense of honest, and you�ve got war on your hands. (Heck I�m so stupid I�ve even told her a nightgown looked sexier on the coat hanger than on her. Granted, that isn�t what I meant, but that is how it came out. $900 dollars worth of snakes later to add to HER collection, and I�m ALMOST out of the doghouse�.almost!)

Now, I�m so far off topic, I would remove my post if I were in charge of that kind of stuff. Let�s get back on topic. There may or may not be a difference between Mexican bairdii and Texas bairdii. I believe there is one, but I may be wrong. Either way, they are definitely isolated genetically (mostly) from each other. This means the potential is there for a difference and a lack of gene flow. So, unless there is PROOF that they are the same, shouldn�t we work on the assumption that there is a good chance that they are different? I am working on that assumption; therefore, a cross between these two populations, to ME, is the same as a sub-specific man-made cross (e.g., hybrid). Since I despise man-made hybrids of all types, I would despise this cross too on the same grounds UNTIL it was proven that there is no difference. (I still wouldn�t personally make the cross since they are so far isolated. However, I am not going to insist that all of you out there agree with me. You have the write to err as much as I do�.lol.

Now, why do I feel this way? Simple. If you had no proof that logging a mature-growth forest would cause a species to go extinct AND you had no proof that it will, but there was the potential for you to find out the answer to that question in the next couple of years (if someone cared to look), would you cut down the forest and hope you did the right thing or would you let it stand and wait for the �safe� answer JUST IN CASE? Remember that you can NOT uncut a forest. Personally, I�d rather play it safe and WAIT on the data. You could always cut the forest later. That said, you can always make trans-population crosses in the future, but can you un-hybridize a species or subspecies? I don�t think so.

All of that said, I don�t mean this to hurt anyone�s feelings or to directly insult anyone (except maybe Terry for making me sound like an anal retentive bastich�.lol). These are just my opinions AND thoughts that I wish everyone would consider BEFORE jumping on a bandwagon and doing something potentially �bad.� Anyway, I know I can get on a soapbox and ramble on for too long, but it is your fault for reading this far down�.lol. I guess the take-home point of this is that JUST because the current taxonomy does not say there isn�t a difference doesn�t mean that there is NO difference. Lots of things we now KNOW to be different were once grouped together in the same taxonomic group, but that is another story I�m sure I don�t need to go into for anyone here.

Thanks for your time,
KJ

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I thought these forums were monitored . . .> terryp 02/10/03 (0)