Of course, this is just one, non-ornithologist's personal Tweet
(I mean opinion).

Bob OBrien Portland

On Fri, Feb 2, 2018 at 9:47 AM, Robert O'Brien <baro at pdx.edu> wrote:


> 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

>>

>> _______________________________________________

>> Tweeters mailing list

>> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

>> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>>

>>

>

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