Open Thread – New Life Part II
Here’s another great shot of new life from Mudflatter Dave Bachrach. The term “impossibly cute” comes to mind. And don’t you just want to run up and rub his little belly? Well… if it wasn’t for the one standing behind him.
Awwww!
Yoda comes to mind!
Beautiful composition and shot.
Having lived in the woods and had Bears as neighbors, I have to say….No they are not cute.
Not even close to cute.
They are a species that is at the top of the food chain. We are several levels below that.
What people fail to understand is that we are just food to a bear.
I look into a river and see a fish. Food. Bear looks at me and sees food. Food.
Making them ‘cute’ is making them deadly. Stop that line of thinking.
Bears need a place in the food chain.
They are predatators. We are prey.
They are not ‘cute’. They want to eat us….
Bears are not Yogi and BooBoo. They are meat eaters. We are meat.
Grow up. We are not going to ‘coexist’ with bears.
hmmmm…….thanx for the perspective…or maybe just a reminder of what our relationship REALLY is…..reminds me of the movie about the guy that thought he was a bear whisperer…and was for many years…until a bear that didn’t :know” him…ate him and his new g/f….not so cute….but this pic is….even with reality in mind….
Grizzly Dan.
Nevertheless, I do find the cubs cute from a safe distance. But I have no interest in petting one, untranquilized.
Actually it was “Grizzly Man”. An interesting study in a complete breakdown on film. A good flick for psych majors. There were many in Alaska who tried, in vain, to get him out of there because he was desensitizing bears to humans and thereby putting both himself and them at risk. Bears are impressive animals but they are wild and should stay that way. Better shot with a camera (at a safe distance) than with a gun.
In a similar way, Ms. Palin’s peeps see her as cute and lovable, when in fact she is deadly.
If people and bears are not going to “co-exist” then why not leave them to their habitat? Is it really necessary to live among them? When people go bear hunting it is very clear who the predator is and who the prey are.
There is nothing wrong with admiring an animal who only behaves as it does in order to survive. Although there is one particular “Mama Grizzley” I wouldn’t mind seeing next to the mash potatoes.
Hmmm, as a vegetarian, I’d agree with you and eat just the mashed potatoes.
I hear what you’re saying fishingmamma but I have to say, the cub is adorable ! I know it would eat me, if hungry and given the chance but it doesn’t take away from the ” awww ” factor that all babies have. Babies are just simply cute. We can have a healthy respect for their wildness while still appreciating their beauty and even giving in to a little ” omigawd i just wanna kiss that face!” when we see the little ones.
Now , for those folks that believe that wildlife is like a Disney film and actually try to get up close and personal in hopes of a quick cuddle, well yeah , they’re gonna end up as lunch and will be deserving of their Darwin Award.
http://www.DarwinAwards.com
Grow up?
The babies of just about any mammal are cute, and this little guy is no exception. He looks like an inquisitive little toddler exploring in his yard.
Yes, bears are predators and they have eaten human flesh before, but remember that humans are the super predators and have eaten far more bears than bears have eaten humans. And humans have killed and eaten just about every life form on earth, which is much more than bears have eaten.
Bears have a normal habitat and need food sources like fish and berries to survive, just as we need food sources to survive. Human babies and toddlers are cute, and so are bear cubs!
Bears most certainly can be considered cute. Just as the stars can be beautiful, an erupting volcano can be breathcatching, and so on. Sensible people don’t try and get to close to those things of beauty and amazement either.
And bears do not look at us as food. They don’t attack out of hunger, they attack out of fear or self preservation.
We can coexist with bears. Just like we can learn to coexist with who we once considered enemies. Its all about learning, understanding and accepting the differences.
yes, and respect.
that little baby bear is adorable!
Yes Barbara, respect too!
Thanks
Guess what – humans are at the TOP of the food chain and we are PREDATORS. Ain’t nuttin’ cute about us either. At least bears do their utmost to avoid us. It would be nice if we could leave them alone too, We are the most over-populated, predatory, self-centered and wasteful species on the face of this human-polluted planet and we’ll be the death of it.
Maybe some of us should grow up and realize that we are omnivores like bears. Bears are omnivores, NOT carnivores. Dig out a dictionary if unfamiliar with the term, fishmomma.
great shot
Great picture.
Fishingmama: I, too, have lived in the woods amongst bears……and, I still find cubs adorable.And, yes, I do believe we can coexist but one must remain aware of the fact that if, given the opportunity, a bear will make us his/her lunch.
Humans have coexisted with bears for a very long time. Sure there have been bear attacks, but the person is very rarely ‘eaten’. I’ve lived amongst many bears and still think they are not only cute, but intelligent and literally, only trying to survive. They need to be respected. I love the picture.
It is interesting the way mammal babies are all adorable, and they tug at our heartstrings. The big round heads and eyes and squeaky sounds they make really do bring out the maternal and paternal instincts we have to protect them, regardless of species.
I have, however, never had those feelings about a baby cockroach or tick.
nice…LOL
Bears are eating machines, and I know that. They are dangerous, and I know that. Never to be trusted, and I know that. But, that cub is cuter than the dickens!
Beautiful image.
Sorry to destroy the great feeling of a natural world but I just read this in the “Jerusalem Post” and had to pass it along:
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=180788
Doesn’t destroy great feeling about natural world…
Just reminds us humans are at the top of the predator list.
love this baby bear pic !
never enjoy real life sightings of cubs as am always
scanning for where mama bear is…
Very interesting article about Israel and it’s relation to the American Republican party. The article seems to start with one point of view and then changes to another – indicative of the complicated nature of the relationship we have with Israel. Thanks for the link.
I think one of the reasons we get into so much trouble is because the cubs ARE so doggone cute. People get lulled into thinking that if we just take them out of the wild and raise them around humans they’ll be harmless. Bears that get habituated to humans are far more dangerous than they would have been if left alone. Humans who feed bears or leave food easily accessible to bears are pretty much signing that bear’s death warrant. I’ve been backpacking in plenty of places where bears exist and know that it is human carelessness that leads to problems with bears more than anything else.
Go, Cubbies!
I’m at a computer that doesn’t have speakers so I didn’t get to hear this ( which is probably a good thing)
Palin puts out campaign-style video :
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39488.html
**** Sarah Palin released a video Thursday produced by her political action committee that has the feel of an early campaign spot.
The video, titled “Mama Grizzlies,” splices together shots of Palin speaking and appearing with supporters along with shots of tea party rallies. ****
I saw that too! Alot of “Mama Grizzlies”, “Pink Elelphants”, “Pitbulls.” Vomit inducing.
I now believe she is going to run for Prez., either that or she is running a great scam ( very possible.)
LOL @ her use of pink elephants. She should have thought that one through. Pink elephants are usually associated with someone who has had way to much alcohol and is seeing things that aren’t there.
And for that, pitbulls, while there is always someone who has a loveable well-behaved one, don’t have the kind of reputation that makes most people want to engage with them. The same can be said about mamma grizzlies. The cubs are adorable, and watching video of adult bears is fascinating – but that’s as close as I want to be.
So maybe her choices of symbols is apt – I don’t really want to be around the republicans that identify with Sarah Palin either.
Is she’s trying to capture the women’s vote for her 2012 run? I loved the site “Women Against Sarah Palin” during the 2008 election–I think we’ll need another national declaration from women who are against Palin sooner rather than later.
Good f-ing luck with the women’s vote. When they do polling, women have the lowest opinions about her.
IT might be 24% of GOP, but only 17% for the females who like her.
The only women who like Palin are her followers. Most of the other women have already seen her for what she is and wouldn’t touch her with a ten foot pole. You can only get so far without offering solutions to problems and acting a like a junior high girl and playing the victim card too many times.
I think most women IMMEDIATELY see through the bimbo. Guys just want to do the bimbo, as I learned on 8/29 right after she was announced and saw all the GILF and MILF comments from before she was chosen.
For the ones that don’t see through her, please rapture already.
I watched the whole stinking thing when somebody emailed me about it early this morning. Had to go back to bed and nap after. Her voice. Ick. Her style of delivery. Ick. Her message. Gag. Those close-ups of adorning followers. Yeesh.
i’m just going to have to miss that one. oh well also too.
Yes, that cub is cute, and the mother bear is awesome, literally, worthy of awe. I wish all mothers and fathers protected their children with as much alertness.
Fishingmama, I can understand your reaction, but I note you used past tense when talking about living in the woods. Did you have a bad experience with bears?
Not everyone is cut out to live in the woods or near to nature. Hopefully, fewer of us will invade their natural habitat and allow them to just be.
Most folks know better than to try and hug or rub a bear. However, if you make bears into enemies you get the Palin-Parnell response to wildlife management which is not good. Better to let people admire them because, really, statistics seem to indicate that bears attack and eat people less often than the stupid people who bother them deserve. I agree with the folks here who say people should not feed or try to domesticate bears. They and we are safer when we just admire them from afar.
And, too, note the felled trees, stripped of branches, clearly human-produced in the background. Who’s habitat is being infringed upon? People need to stay away from wild animals. And to stop pushing them out of their habitats and into contact with humans. I think that baby bear is adorable. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a healthy respect for wildness.
i concur.
R’ipley, I think that’s a lake shore (picture water 3 or 4 feet deep where mama is standing) piled up with driftwood logs pushed there by stiff wind and small waves. The sunbleached logs have been there a long time. No sign of chainsaw cuts. All perfectly natural, and not an indication of human activity.
Come to Alaska and we’ll go hiking.
I did think of that for a moment, about the deadfall, but I was mad.
I take it back, but stand by the rest of my comment 
The dead fall you see in the background is not from human activity.
This is a very common sight in Alaska. Trees are pulled into rivers from floods or the winter ice going out. As they are traveling they are stripped of bark and branches. Waves and wind and ice push them on shore. Those trees are bleached by the sun.
Wow, that Rubber Room is one smart commentor.
and cute too.
As Palin pries open that closed door and begins her campaign, it’s not a bad idea to remind everyone about her ignorance and duplicity. A Real Mama Grizzly vs a Fake One:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/07/why-does-trig-matter-ctd-2.html
Excellent information. I’ve bookmarked that link because it contains so much information about Palin’s complete lack of understanding about the parents of special needs children. The saddest part is realizing that Trig doesn’t have the kind of advocate that he needs.
I love this picture! And I love bears! Just the fact that one could be around the next bend is enough to keep me on my toes while hiking, or creating back up scenarios in my head about what to do when one of the dogs bring one right back to me. Hopefully those scenarios will remain a fantasy.
My best friend, born and raised Alaskan, is so terrified of bears that she levitated herself across a rocky beach and walked on water to escape into a nearby skiff when one came for an unexpected visit to their campsite. To this day, she has no idea how she moved so fast and didn’t break an ankle on the slippery rocks between her and the skiff. Her father was lost at sea when she was a child, so she’s not fond of the water, either, and found herself almost completely dry when she landed in the skiff and got her wits about her. The skiff was on an outhaul and a ways out from the shore.
Adrenalin – don’t leave home without it!
great story Martha UYS
A mutual friend of ours has a very scary story about a bear, luckily with a happy ending. It gives me chills to hear her tell the story – they were in Glacier Bay, hiking out of their campsite with another couple. They were hiking along a cliff and came to an impasse. They decided to stop and have lunch before turning back. A huge brown came out of nowhere, blocking their way. With a drop off of at least 2000 feet behind them, they backed up to the point of no return on the cliff. A couple of them flung their day packs (with food inside) toward the bear hoping to distract it. That wasn’t happening.
The bear approached them, and started to stand up. Janet said she was literally frozen with fear and knew the rest were, too. She had a handful of nuts in her hand drenched in sweat, and flung them at the bear’s face about ten feet away. The bear stood down and actually backed up and shuffled off. What are the chances???? She didn’t want to talk about who did and did not pee their pants – they made a pact to just say they all did!
Bears in my yard daily now (as every summer and fall). Or, I suppose more correctly, I’m in their yard. I do find that the “cuteness” of the bears relates to how close they are to me and if I have an excape route from wherever I am. Up in the tree next to the kitchen window? Awww, cute. Five feet away and blocking my way? They seem to double in size! Cubs like my strawberries. Also the berries on Mt. Ash trees later in season. And of course blueberries, huckleberries, currants, raspberries. Also, I’ve noticed a big draw for the bears is pooled fresh water to drink (rainwater that collected in a bucket). Bears in our neighborhood learned how to open car doors. Particularly good at Subarus. Many stories of bears shutting themselves in cars, etc.
I know it’s not really funny, but the visual of a bear getting himself or herself into a Subaru is pretty funny.
I knew Subaru’s were eco-friendly, even the bears prefer them! We happen to have two of them.
I’ll never forget “what’s her name” telling people to pull over those Subaru’s with Obama stickers and ask them how that “Hopey-Changey” thing is working out for them. I hope she does so herself and she finds a Mama Grizzley inside!
My favorite car was my Subaru Justy – small even by Subaru standards. Imagining a bear shutting himself in my little car just makes me giggle. So . . . who was brave enough to open the door to let the bear out?
I’ve never seen the Justy, but the Outback is practically Colorado’s state car.
Why isn’t Mama Grizzly wearing her glasses and red pumps? She’s gonna be really mad that someone got her photo without her makeup and wig. Looks like she hasn’t hit the waxing salon in a while either. Now you’ve done it! Didn’t you hear her when she said that “the kids are off limits, no photos”.
Facebook in 5,4,3,2,1…..
Love it!
I just want to make a public declaration of deep and abiding love for my table top fan and my spray bottle filled with ice water. If our culture was more open minded and people would just let us be, I would marry both of them.
Inside the house temp is 94. Heat breaks for us tomorrow. Hope everyone’s hanging in there ok!
Heh. And I’ve got my lap robe on, knowing it’ll be nice later, but it’s a bit cool this morning. While you guys roast, we live in the fog. All things considered, I’ll take the fog. But, dang! Are we never getting summer?
And I love bears. Used to live with them myself. Always gotta be careful, but they’re great. I actually was more concerned about the wild boars.
Today is supposed to be our hottest also. Yes, I know you in the East Coast laugh at us, but 88 yesterday was too hot for this Pacific Northwesterner.
I’m glad y’all are going to get some relief from those high temps. Seattle finally has our turn today. Yesterday it was in the 80s, but quite pleasant with a breeze and lower humidity. Today we should break 90 – it’s already 80 at 11:30 am.
Quite a change from out 270+ days of not even having 70 degrees. No wonder we whine – we really aren’t used to warm weather and most of us don’t have air conditioned homes. Unfortunately the air conditioning in my car isn’t working either. So if I get too hot, I’ll be spening some time at my local Barnes and Noble.
Bufgal…i am hanging in there but just barely. i am as evil as a junkyard bear…..er dog.
Entourage culture. Remind you of anyone? My mind kept screaming SP1.0! when I read this. Her excesses are different, but there nonetheless. And it explains her kids.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2010/0708/Lindsay-Lohan-Entourage-culture-undermines-essential-values
has anyone posted this link to the dude in dillingham who took a stand for the fish in bristol bay:
http://greenalaska.blog.com/2010/07/06/sarah-palin-and-pebble-mine/comment-page-1/#comment-17
I saw that fawnskin. I followed your link and he made a later comment which is very interesting.
“And with what I heard about the Discovery/TLC crew being run by Mark Burnett Productions (Survivor-CBS) going around having people cover signs and logos that are really a part of the FISHING culture here in Bristol Bay, I wonder about the opinions of Discovery Communications as well. I bet we don’t get an answer.”
http://greenalaska.blog.com/2010/07/06/sarah-palin-and-pebble-mine/comment-page-1/#comment-17
OK, folks, Lisa Jackson’s EPA just issued a permit for mountaintop removal that will DESTROY 2 mi. of freshwater streams. Please take action at: http://www.act.ran.org. Thanks!
Sorry, that link doesn’t work. Please go here: http://www.ran.org/ and you’ll see the link to the action on the upper right of the page.
As most of you know, I’m an experienced hiker/camper/climber/sailor. I give bears a wide berth (and hang all food items well out of their reach), but the babies are very, very cute — from an appropriate distance. Beautiful photo, as always, AKM.
Andrew Sullivan is really going after Palin today (gotta love it):
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/07/one-spending-policy-palin-is-clear-about.html
awww love that picture…no desire at all to get up close and personal…nuff said..
Mudflatter Dave, that’s a gorgeous, well-composed shot. Has AKM been giving you lessons?
Bears, as I do, have good taste in food (berries and salmon come to mind); yea, they’re nigh unto sophisticated consumers. Not that I would stroll up to big mama there and offer a gastronomic review.
Everyone, I just got an email that I’d like to share in its entirety. It’s from my great friend and colleague, Elva, who lives in South Dakota. The Rosebud Reservation is in the poorest county in the US, yet every summer, she and her husband Harold, a medicine man and tribal chief, open their land to people from all over the globe to hold a Sundance. Elva is one of the singers. I attended six years ago, and it was a transformative event. Here’s her email:
Mitakuyepi,
On Sunday July 11th, there is a total solar eclipse. See http://www.earth-keeeper.com. Special eclipse edition. At that time there will be a massive energy potential for real change in this world. Please contact everyone you know to pray for the planet on the 11th, as the cosmic event will amplify the prayers we began at the the sundance and send a great wave of healing energy to our damaged earth.
This is a fantastic opportunity. I will be with you in prayer.
Blessings
E.T.
What we want to manifest should be prayed for/affirmed at the new moon (when solar eclipses occur; lunar eclipses occur at full moon), starting 1/2 hour before the new moon. The more of us participate, the greater our success. Since our planet is REALLY in need of healing this year, I humbly ask all who can to participate. Thanks so much. Health and peace.
OK, once again, the link I posted didn’t work — here’s one that will: http://www.earth-keeper.com/EKnews_6-26-2010.htm
Thanks for your patience. I assumed E’s link would work, & hadn’t clicked it before I posted. I’ll be more careful next time.
Can you believe it? There’s an opinion piece about Levi/Bristol in the NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/opinion/08collins.html?src=me&ref=general
Bear cub is adorable and mama looks seriously attentive and fierce – definitely one I would give a wiiide berth to. I wish more of the kids I work with had mamas who were as concerned about their babies as that mama bear!
I can just imagine the baby toddling in the water, struggling to maintain balance as the chilly water laps at his ankles, trying to figure out what the heck is going on with this wet stuff he’s standing in. It’s so thrilling to see babies of any species encounter something completely new to their world. You can almost smell the wood burning as the brain cells speed up their firing, taking it all in, processing and storing that information for future use. The brain is an amazing thing, no matter what kind of animals body surrounds it!
Sarah sells photos at a bowling alley (like all serious politicians, right?), and one guy’s excitement is a little too apparent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuZe6H-Zc24
Maybe not safe for those of more delicate sensibilities!
Does this sound remotely like anyone else we “know”?
http://ap.juneauempire.com/pstories/20100708/672714831.shtml
That is too funny! I still laugh when I think of Shannyn pursuing Doogan!
Republicans and tea baggers may have been cute and cuddly babies,too. I am not sure. I think I would treat a real bear with respect and admiration. The other two mammalsmentioned, not so much.
Really late comment here, but I have to say “Of course it’s cute”. Way over there.
“Cute” is a visual judgment, not an evaluation of dangerousness. Admittedly, people sometimes lose track of the distinction. Also, too, bears as a class are not cute — nothing is cute as a class. Only individuals can be cute.
I hope that we can co-exist with bears. Co-exist, in this sense, does not mean “share an apartment with them”. It means “allow them to exist in their own environment, to which we may pay the occasional, careful visit”. Because if we can’t co-exist with bears, it means no more bears. Because humans, like it or not, are at the top of the food chain on Earth. (Not unarmed humans, of course, but that’s why we evolved the big brains).