found via rm:

Known for gliding along local waterways with statuesque grace, the mute swan is rarely thought of as an environmental hazard. Wildlife experts in Connecticut say that mute swans, like these at Holly Pond in Stamford, devour shoreline vegetation, displace waterfowl and other creatures, and can even attack people. But wildlife experts say that the swan’s elegant facade conceals an ecological menace that devours shoreline vegetation, scares away other waterfowl and can even attack humans. The bird is now a target of a campaign to reduce its numbers in the state’s delicate coastline habitats. The leaders of the effort are conservationists, including the Connecticut Audubon Society, which in the coming months will intensify a campaign to urge state officials to control the swans’ population, which stands at about 1,100. ... Kathryn Burton, president of SaveOurSwans U.S.A., a nonprofit organization in East Lyme, Conn., said the group would actively oppose the Audubon campaign as well. “I’m not going to let it go,” Ms. Burton said. “They really don’t care about the birds. It’s just unjust.” Connecticut’s swan population has more than doubled in the last three decades. Mr. Bull said that one idea for reducing the number of swans was to disrupt the nesting birds’ eggs to limit reproduction, a tactic known as addling. He said the Audubon Society was not suggesting that any of the 1,100 swans in Connecticut be killed — though other states have taken that step. full story

Humans are far more of a threat to the environment than swans. There are only 1,100 mute swans in Connecticut, if the human population of the state were only 1,100 the humans would still have more of an environmental impact, especially if those humans were typical modern Americans.

Environmentalists wanted to kill of the cherry-headed conures in San Francisco, the monk parakeets are always under attack even though they are essentially a replacement species for the extinct Carolina parakeet. Even here in Arlington, the Friends of Spy Pond still hate the geese.

The Audubon society wants to get rid of swans, well in this world nothing should surprise me anymore. Sometimes things still do, but they shouldn't.

As we'll be down two roommates, I don't foresee the house_of_clocks surviving. Hence, I'm looking for a room in or within public transit of any of the following cities: Boston, MA; Lowell, MA; Northampton, MA; Brattleboro, VT; Providence, RI; Portland, OR; Portland ME; San Francisco, CA; Boulder, CO; Seattle, WA; or Minneapolis, MN. I can pay up to $400/month and have two cats. Let me know if you know of any openings. Thank you.

from chaoticerotic

The Great San Francisco Earthquake struck 99 years ago, Teddy Roosevelt was president. Unlike Hurricane Katrina, there was no warning of the impending events.

Here is what happened.

i was having really bad twitchiness today
panic attack after panic attack
the ativan wasn't helping
so i smoked some pot
and that helped
i feel much better now
sometimes pot can be used as a psych med
just like ecstasy can
that's what i plan on using it as
i'll be looking for it in about a month
after i've gotten comfortable with my new therapist
i want to explore
i want to write what i see

i bought some cigars today
i feel like smoking one
but i haven't yet
i smoke cigars from time to time
i share mark twain's opinion on cheap cigars
mark twain was ahead of his time
letters from the earth wasn't published until 70 years after his death
and the war prayer is still a wonderful anti-war piece
he was one of the few good things to come out of missouri

i grew up in missouri
lived there until february 1994
i much prefer boston
i love it here
the only places in the u.s. i'd consider moving to at this point are san francisco and minneapolis
but i have too much tying me to boston right now to move
or i would probably move to minneapolis
minneapolis has many good things about it
minnesota is one of only two states in the country with statewide anti-trans discrimination laws
minneapolis is much cheaper than boston
and on i'd still get the same ssdi check
meaning i'd be quite a bit financially better off
minneapolis was also ranked by psychology today as the best place for people who are psmi to live
psmi = persistently seriously mentally ill
(me)