Intermittent Positive Reinforcement

Yes, indeed, experience it all,



but mostly experience the joy of putting tokens in a video poker machine. Can't think of anything much more entertaining than that. 

FISH TORTURE

This Minneapolis Star-Tribune story tells about the Peterson family, residents of the northern Itasca County wide spot in the road called Effie. The folks have boated 1260 sturgeon since 2003 and haven't eaten a single one. All have been released back into the water. Pretty neat, huh?

Well, when you see junior pulling the wings off of a fly or poking a frog with a sharp stick you wonder if he's going to turn into a serial killer. It ain't nice to be mean to animals. Unless they're fish. Since nobody can hear the fish scream in terror, it's OK. It's called "playing" the fish. Catch 'em and throw 'em back in so somebody else can torture them at a later date. This is also the normal practice at fishing tournaments, where perhaps thousands of fish are yanked from the water by pros and then released, many of which will not survive.

It seems odd in an era when people are worried about the confinement of laying hens and injuries to race horses and discomfort to rodeo animals that nobody seems to care about the treatment of our piscine brothers, If you're going to go to the trouble of catching a fish, why not eat it?

Bad Parents Let Kids Roam Again

A Maryland couple has once again disturbed the neighbors by not leashing their children and the authorities have taken action. As we reported earlier this year here at Pulverized Concepts, Mrs. Meitiv is defending their parental policy of allowing children, yes, children, to walk unescorted by adults about the hamlet of Silver Spring, Maryland. And without helmets.

Wood Bison Finally Make It To Shageluk, Alaska

If you've been following the saga of the marooned wood bison, you know that these hairy creatures had been held prisoner in Girdwood, Alaska, a suburb of Anchorage, while bureaucrats at every level had shuffled papers back and forth in an effort to avoid responsibility for any unfortunate consequences. Our initial report on this fiasco is here.  A later update on the odd story is here. We don't know if all of these beasts have been set free or if a reserve is being maintained in captivity to provide reinforcements.

Sussex County Virginia Sheriff's Dept. Encourages Nightclubs to Hire Them as Security

Raymond Bell, Sussex County, VA Sheriff wants nightclub owners to employ his deputies as security. Or else, according to this article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The former owner of the club has shut down his business and filed a $15 million lawsuit against Bell and one of his lieutenants.