Subject: [Tweeters] Diversion for whom?
Date: Fri Feb 2 09:47:10 PST 2018
From: Robert O'Brien - baro at pdx.edu

Well, since Mitch posed his post as a question, I'll answer it, although it
took me a few
days to realize it _may_ have been directed to my post about Thayer's Gull
vs. the AOU
(American Ornithologists Union). It was a snide remark, but it wasn't
directed towards
or about the president. It was directed against the AOU. Now whether one
admires
the president or the opposite, I think most would agree that his Tweets
(remember,
this is 'Twitter') use colorful language, which is very much personal to
him and very
effective in getting his opinions across. Being a sarcastic s.o.b myself,
I am often
in awe of his vocabulary and manner of speaking. So, in this case I did
borrow
(plagiarize) from his frequent Tweets. But, it was in admiration for his
style
and was directed solely at the AOU, whom I have long believed to make
inconsistent (capricious? well, maybe not quite) judgement on speciation of
'our'
North American Birds. I strongly disagree with the current lumped status of
Iceland/Thayer's Gull and Audubon/Myrtle Warblers, not based upon a desire
to tic
two more species, (I still 'count' the 4 individually) but because it is
inconsistent
with other splits, for instance Pacific Slope vs. Cordilleran Flycatcher
and
Dusky vs. Sooty Grouse both of which splits are justified (to my
interpretation)
currently (and even originally) based on insufficient evidence. Or, if
splits/lumps are to be made on the basis of one closely related pair then
they
should apply to the other pair.

Bob OBrien Portland


On Wed, Jan 31, 2018 at 9:33 AM, Mitch <biglou22 at gmail.com> wrote:


> Could anyone explain how a birding forum has anything to do with personal

> views of politics? Tangential topics about new laws or proposals that

> impact birds and wildlife make sense, but how are unsolicited snide

> comments and backhanded remarks about the President of the United States of

> any value or relation to a site about bird sightings? And also I wonder how

> this is a diversion if you actively bring up what you are supposedly

> diverting from (many hours before the event would even take place mind

> you)? It certainly isn't a diversion for me to hear anyone's political

> views, once again, on a forum about birds.

>

>

> Mitchell

>

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