Oh my, another asshole surfaces!

Well, here we go again, another asshole surfaces in my presence this week!

I hate to add that this one is another "wildlife photographer". I don't want to paint every person out there with a camera pointed at a bird to be an asshole; I'd really like to believe it is only a small percentage. But this guy didn't even try to be nice, didn't try to hide his asshole-ness one bit. He stormed on the scene bitching and squawking and as quickly as he entered the scene, he left almost as fast.

I guess since much of my free time is out in the wild, walking and looking, carrying my camera and binoculars. And with this, I encounter most other people through this venture. If I were a person who went to hockey games every week, I'd probably find an asshole at the arena quite often. Same with a bar. Or whatever other regular adventure I had in my life. Just throwing this bit in to keep it in mind with some not to think every person with a camera is most likely an asshole.

So, the jist of it is this...

A report of a red morph Eastern Screech Owl was made almost two weeks ago west of Toronto. I was off work yesterday and took the opportunity in the morning to go see it, especially after an email from a friend who informed me the little Owl was sunning himself like he seems to do most days.

I found the area with ease. Now to find the tree. I wasn't out of my truck more than a minute when a car pulled up and this man rolls down his window and asks me if I am looking for the Owl. I said "yes" and he pointed to a tree no more than 150 ft from where I parked. I thanked him because I had another tree in mind further off from the reports. He then drove off.

So, this was starting off very well. You know, not getting lost driving out here. Finding the area with the tree quick. And then someone taking the hunt out of it for me just like that. Sure I like the thrill of a "hunt" or as I put it, a nice walk.

I noticed another guy walking around with his camera. And he slowly approaches me. He kindly asked me if I knew the whereabouts of this Screech Owl.

Normally I don't like to share Owl locations, not for selfish reasons, but because how can I trust a total stranger? There are enough horror stories of people messing with Owls and I don't like to add to this problem.

But the Owl definitely was high enough in the tree that nobody could really harm or harass it. This guy's character seemed nice and genuine enough. And the fact someone pointed it to me, I decided to pay it forward to another.

We both took some photos, looked at it through our binoculars, marveled at it's beautiful coloring, and shared our own bird stories throughout the few minutes we had with the Owl in near full view.

Suddenly in comes this guy. He's got his camera, it's wrapped in something like bandages or gauze. I guess it's his way of protecting his lens? Anyways, he pretty much storms onto the scene. His walk is fast and aggressive. And he is immediately on a tangent about how there is a shadow across the Owl's face, there are branches in the way and whatever else. It was bitch bitch bitch nonstop.

The other gent I was with calmly suggested he take another look because we certainly did not see what he was going on about. I repeated the same bit. But the guy continued to stomp through, pretty much not listening to us, and headed right for the tree this Owl was roosting in.

I spoke louder as he was nearing the tree and asked him why he couldn't just enjoy the sighting we have because how often do most of us get to be in good full view of an Eastern Screech Owl?

Seemingly ignoring us still, he stomped right towards the tree, still cursing away.

The Owl took notice of this aggressive jackass and quickly disappeared into the tree. And then this guy disappeared down the hill.

Both myself and the other guy were quite stunned at what had just happened. But then laughed at the idiocy of this character. Here he had the perfect opportunity to have a great moment looking at this Owl and he chose not to. And he didn't ruin it for us. We had probably 5 minutes of viewing before he entered the scene. We enjoyed our brief moment with the Owl. And then had some comic relief with this asshole and his attitude.

Might as well laugh at them, eh? No harm was done.

People like this make me sad (not really)... did they ever take joy in the wildlife around us or is all about the photos? Why photograph something if you don't have a passion for it? His actions and words sure screamed nothing more than photographs.

Maybe he didn't like having a couple others looking at this Owl? If he saw us as a threat to the Owl, I am sure he would have said something about that instead of bad lighting and branches. And with the height of this Owl in the tree, one would have to stand well back to get a decent photograph. The closer one gets to the tree, the higher the angle they would have with the camera and certainly wouldn't get a shot.

Perhaps the height of the Owl pissed him off? He had a 300mm lens which would have been sufficient for a nice body shot after some cropping. I was happy seeing the Owl and getting something with the lens to share with my family and friends.

Oh well, it's his loss.

Yep, just had to say "I met another asshole today!"

Here is one of my shots of this Owl. How much complaining can one have with this?

First real Asshole of 2012!

So, we are almost one month into 2012 and while a few have got on my nerves, I must say that yesterday I met my first true asshole of the new year!

A lovely morning walk turned shitty real quick after a few minutes with this individual.

As many of you know, I enjoy nature walks and almost always bring my camera along because I never know what I am going to see. Both Angie and I feel it is our "yoga" to walk in the woods, away from most people. Most often it is a nice peaceful time but occasionally you cross paths with an asshole. Yesterday was one of those times...

I usually say "hello" to whoever I pass on the trails. Most people are quite friendly and return the comment along with a smile. Some keep on walking, not even looking. And then there was this guy. "Do you know where the Owls are?" No "hi" or nothing, just hit me with this question. Of all the wildlife to be seeking, he had to ask about the Owls. For those who may not know, it is unfortunate, but Owl locations really should be kept quiet. Why? Owls can be all around us at certain times of the year but they are masters of camouflage, hiding in the woods and rarely seen by most people. If one studies up on a species, learns their preferred habitat and trees, they may luck out one day. It can be real work to see certain Owls or it can be just dumb luck. Most people it is work. But not everybody likes work and to spend a couple hours searching out Owls in a woodlot, and to come up with nothing can be a real piss off to some. Even when someone reports an Owl sighting on the internet, most times it is not that specific... so while another may end up in the same area, there's still work involved to spot it. Okay, sorry for the ramble here... point is, some people have no boundaries and especially when it comes to Owls because they are stunningly beautiful majestic creatures and so rare to see for most people. And once a boundary lacking person sees an Owl, they will pretty much sit on this bird, with their camera for as long as they feel like it. Guys like this feel it is their right to take 1,000 photos of the Owl while the bird is trying to live it's life... to rest, to hunt, to eat and just plain survive.

Owls come to the GTA through the winter. They are hardy creatures but with food lacking at times because of the snow, they store much energy by resting in between hunts, and to keep warm. Having people in their face with cameras for hours on end is not restful.

So, of course I did not offer any information to this guy but did engage in some conversation when I probably should have just said "no" and kept walking. I knew from that initial question and how he was dressed, he was as we refer to as "f**king photographer". There are birders, there are wildlife photographers, and there is a cross between both much like myself who enjoy both. And then there are as I mentioned the "f**king photographer". For them, it's all about the photographs and nothing else. They will do what they have to, often very selfish things that can put their wildlife subjects at risk, just to get those shots. It doesn't matter to them in the end if the animal was stressed to no end because of whatever they did, or even if the animal died in some occasions. The photographer got his shots, he can brag to his friends, post them on the internet for all to see, and nobody will know the dirty tricks he did to get the pics.

99.9% of my photos, I can look back at, and have a good memory. I do have one shot that has a dark story to it, but not of my doing. I will save that for another day but it did involve a "f**king photographer".

So, the conversation went something like this...

"Do you know where the Owls are?"

"Ummm, there was a Great Horned Owl here but hasn't been seen since before Christmas."

"Oh. How about the Long-ears? I know they are here but I always seem to miss them. People tell me they were right here, out in the open an hour ago." as he points to the bare trees in the woods. If his first question didn't tell me what he was all about, this sure did, and it showed that he knows nothing when it comes to Owls. All he knows is that he wants pictures.

I could feel within myself that I was getting angry. To have a person like this near me, and in a wooded area that I visit often and enjoy so much was upsetting.

I rambled on for a bit with some rather insinuating and demeaning bits of certain types of photographers that have no respect for the wildlife, you know the things I mentioned above here. I called them "selfish fuckers" and certainly not humane.

His reply was that all wildlife photographers do selfish things from time to time because they want the shot. And before I could tell him one more thing, two words that definitely weren't "Merry Christmas", he finished with an admittance that he does do "selfish things", whatever it takes to get his shots. The guy admitted his guilt! I couldn't believe it! He came by it honestly, like I would accept that. Usually this type of photographer would never admit to being guilty of doing those things they know very well are heavily frowned upon by most. They keep these secrets to themselves or share with other "f**king photographers".

I said a few more things really quick, can't really put it all together, but I made him quite aware that I don't approve of such things and it was probably a very good idea to get away from me. And he did just that... went the other way.

I walked away, shaking my head. And moments later found myself surrounded by a herd of Deer. Two at first, then three, and then a couple Bucks walked in, next thing I know there was 6, then 7 and in the end a total of 10! I stood quite still, letting them do their thing and getting used to my presence... showing respect to them and their home. And they rewarded me with a lengthy view of them going about their day, grazing wherever they could and interacting with each other. The Bucks didn't stay for long and at one point, I had three females so close to me I couldn't even take photos! Mind you, I had put the camera down well before this, and took in the moment with them.

It was me, who once again, as in other encounters with the Deer, that chose to walk away. They sure changed the vibe of my walk back to what it is supposed to feel like.

I got on Facebook immediately, changed my status to share my adventures of both good and bad. And timing was right because a buddy of mine who works at the visitor centre where I was at picked up on my status, knew where I was without me saying it, and kept an eye out for that "f**king photographer".

Take a look at this photo below. Sure this guy is holding a gun and not a camera, but pretend he is. A "f**king photographer" can have the same impact on wildlife as this guy with a gun. And the guy I met that morning is even more dangerous. The fact he is so ignorant to the Owls he seeks out is scary. He was quite harmless where I met him, well away and very clueless to where the Long-ears were roosting for the day. But if he ever found out, it would be a very shitty stressful day for those poor Owls.

I just had to say... "Yesterday I met my first asshole of 2012!"

All About Nothing... or is it?

Wow!  I really suck at this blog!  I guess I may consider myself lucky lately since I've not had an "Asshole of the Week" in some time.  And I am much more focused on my animal blog, which really is like my yoga, and I forget all the f**ktards I encounter in my travels.

How about those occasional movie reviews I've done in the past?  Well, I cannot really remember the last NEW movie I saw.  I think it may have been the final installment of the Harry Potter series...  which I give good praise to.  It was exciting and certainly made up for the pt 1 of the final chapter which I found to be very long and drawn out.

And with the closing of Blockbusters everywhere, I don't really go out and buy dvds these days.  I always enjoyed Blockbuster not for the rentals but picking up my "wants" when they became available for sale used.

Rogers Video still lingers around but none are that close and convenient for me.

So, what have I watched in the past month?

First off, Fred Claus.  Tis the season, right?  I don't mind Vince Vaughan's performances and Paul Giamatti is great overall in the movies I have seen of his.  Fred Claus is a fun Christmas flick, hitting the perfect hour and a half time span.  And I found that with this movie, I can now say I have one Sinead O'Conner song that I like, and I really like it.  She's does a great almost haunting version of "Silent Night".

From Fred Claus, I moved on to "Shoot 'Em Up".  A ridiculously fun ride with Clive Owen and once again Paul Giamatti.  It's overkill with crazy shooting, stunts and killing.  And gives me another reason to carry around carrot sticks...  not because they are full of goodness and are great for your eyes, not because of the occasional Deer encounters I have and feeding them, but man, they are a great weapon when some gangster is coming at you (if he doesn't shoot you first).

I revisited Mulletville.  A low budget fun film of an evening party with some red necks in a trailer park.  Silly stuff but anyone who grew up in the hair metal era might relate and say "hey, I think I was at that party, or one like it...  or knew a guy just like him, and him, or that one".

I acknowledged the loss of Bianca Butthole a decade ago with a viewing of the Betty Blowtorch documentary.  A hard rocking chick band that were very short lived.  Bianca seemed like a wonderful misfit who loved rock, animals and collecting lunch boxes.  Here's a snippit.

So, ya, not much else going on that I care to expose to the world here.  But if you want a bit more, you can always check out my animal blog...

I will try in the new year to be a tad more regular with this blog.  I do enjoy writing when I get the chance.

So please bear with me and see yas in the new year.  All the best through the holiday season!  It doesn't matter about how many people you spend the time with, it's the quality of the people you share the time with.

Cheers!

A couple real Assholes last month...

So, not much action here lately...  but it's not like I haven't had anything to say either.  I have a couple movies I would like to recommend at a future blog.  But for the moment, I need to let out about a couple real assholes I ran into, and one was almost literally and these guys were only separated by about 36 hours.

First off, out on a nature walk in the Claireville Conservation Area last month (August).  When suddenly out of nowhere a full grown Rottweiler came running up to me, growling and snarling away.

There were no people in sight, but the dog had a leash/collar on.  He wasn't allowing me to move even as slow and cautious as I was trying to step back from him.  Soon I did see a person come running to us from off in the distance.  He was calling the dog but of course the dog was not responding.  What seemed like forever was probably only 90 seconds before the guy reached us and grabbed his dog.  He assured me the dog was very friendly.  I commented on how the dog was with me, showing signs of aggression.  And his reply was, "oh, I guess he just doesn't like you."  And off he walked!  No apology, nothing.  Seriously, what an asshole!

Claireville is not a leash free area.  There are signs as soon as you drive into the park to keep your dog on leash as it is a wildlife sensitive area.  And I'd hate to think worst case scenario if this dog did indeed attack me, out in the middle of nowhere...  and suppose the guy just grabbed his dog and disappeared into the woods somewhere.  There was nobody else around.  I got back to my truck, which is the opposite direction they went, and there were no other vehicles.  So it's not like I could have even gotten a licence plate. 

But, good thing it ended the way it did.  Makes me wonder how much a can of pepper spray is?  I ought to start carrying it in my nature walks alone.

Next up happened a few weeks back.  I had just picked up Angie from the subway station after the Def Leppard concert, and I had just finished a shift at work.  We are on Jane Street, it's near 1am, and find ourselves sitting at a red light.  I am in the right lane, there is a car beside me waiting for the light as well.  The light turns green and I begin to accelerate, and am just about through the intersection when I hear Ang say "watch out for the guy on the bike."  Next I know, some kid is right in front of us and I am slamming on the brakes as hard as I can, wailing on the horn.  He's on a ten speed, and riding an empty bicycle along next to him.  He went white as a ghost as he saw our 4x4 right in front of him, almost on top of him.  And he made it to the curb, where he wipes out himself and both bikes.  Thankfully we did not hit him.  I did want to get out and kick his punk ass because I was so angry at his stupidity.  Who runs a red light on not one but two bicycles at one in the morning when there is traffic?  A real asshole is who!

He was heading east, while we were heading north.  It's dark out, I got a vehicle beside me, so I couldn't see him until this point in front of us.  He made it across three lanes of traffic into the fourth (my lane) as his light turned red, mine turned green and I made it across the intersection where we almost collided.  We, and a couple other vehicles stopped.  Other drivers were all saying he ran the light, they would be witnesses if anything came of this.  We asked him if he was alright, he appeared okay, other than he probably deposited his last meal in his shorts right about now.  He gathered himself up pretty quick, along with the bikes, and disappeared into the darkness of a side street.

I am a cautious driver and I don't have a lead foot at stop lights.  One would think others would have more sense at intersections, not challenging 3,000 plus pound vehicles, especially when riding a bicycle and breaking the laws of the road...  you will always lose.

I guess the plague of being an asshole shows no discrimination when it comes to age is what I just had to say...

Asshole of the Week

Well, I had great intentions with this blog because I see so much shit from one week to another, crap that I need to vent about, and as this BLOG is titled "I Just Had To Say" which gives me all the opportunity and reason to just do that. But somehow it's gotten lost over the past year. I miss writing... it's something I have always enjoyed. My love of photography and exploring the world outside has taken over hugely. Snapping pics of birds and animals, sharing to friends of what I see so close to home, is something I get joy from now. The fact that some people I know are now actually stopping to look at the different birds around them is great. Having more people aware of our animal friends will be beneficial to the animals in the long run and I hope that it might make some people look at life a little differently, enhancing it... like how beautiful the simplest things are around us. I mean, what does it cost a person to stop and look a bird in a tree? Their time? The morning song of an American Robin could be the beginning soundtrack to a great day, sending one off into the world with a smile before they get into their vehicle on the way to work.

Anyhoo, back to the reason I am writing here. I have encountered my "Asshole of the Week". Shit, it was only Tuesday when this happened, I hope I am not jumping the gun with this one and soon run into a worse one before the weekend hits.

The joy of the internet. The joy of Facebook. All a part of my virtual world and sharing what I see with my friends near and far that cannot see what I see. Facebook has many groups one can join, pick an interest of yours, and there probably is a group on Facebook with fellow enthusiasts. A few of the groups I belong to are nature groups, backyard bird watching groups, stuff like that.

So, occasionally I share some of my photos within these groups. I have become much more selective these days with that when a while back one of the group admins *borrowed* one of my prized Owl photos without my permission. I was so proud of that shot, not that it was spectacularly clear, but the fact that I saw two Long-eared Owls sitting in a tree together. But that is another story and that is another asshole whom I should have blogged about a while back.

Well, I shared a photo, and a few hours later I got a private message from someone here in Canada who also belongs to that group on Facebook. For whatever reason he sure felt the need to express to me his disliking to my current Facebook profile picture.


Ya, that's my pic. A shot I took of one of the McFarlane Toys Spawn figures line-up. His name is "The Freak". I collect a few toys, he is in the mix. I like this figure. And somehow I see myself as this character when I step outside. Well, not really how I see myself, but how I sometimes think others see me. Look at that long-haired guy... what a freak! Boy there's a list of assholes behind that one. If this really bothered me, I would'a gave in years ago and become more of a norm I suppose. But I really don't care what most people think.

So buddy writes me an e-mail containing a few lines on what he thought of my profile picture. He stated he really didn't like it. He thought I was wrong to be on Facebook and having something so grotesque for my photo. Oh, and I was a coward as well for not showing my real face to the world. No true animal lover would have a photo like that to represent themselves.

What was the point? I know this guy like I know the subway system in Tokyo. How high is the horse this guy rides around on? How miserable is one's life to just go off like that? Jezus pal, get a grip on yourself, either a good tight grip around your own neck and do us all a favor or maybe have a time out alone somewhere, getting a grip on another part of your body before you start the day, and then walk out to the world much more relaxed.

I chose ignore with this goof. As much as I wanted to retaliate. Take the high road on this one, let him think he's done something right. Hopefully he just goes away, finds someone else to bother, and eventually crawls back into his deep dark hole until the next time Jupiter's moons are all in alignment or something similar. Like I really know if Jupiter's moons ever line up.

Well, I spent enough time blogging about this guy and I just had to say "he's definitely the asshole of the week (so far)!"

Asshole of the Week is "The One-Upper"

Today I met someone, who as they left my presence, all I could say was "What an asshole". Nothing sums this man up better.

Other than "asshole", I will call him "D from Burlington- The One Upper".

I had never met this guy before today. I really could care less if I ever saw him again. He was involved in part of a conversation between a friend of mine and myself for about 20 very long minutes. My friend knows him through business. I swear when "The One Upper" left, my friend muttered something along the same lines as I.

It didn't matter what was being discussed, this guy knew better, had better, saw better, owned better, etc. If I drove a Firebird, he drove a Trans Am. If I had a beer, he had champagne. Know what I mean?

Our conversation involved topics on birds (of course) and photography. This was due to me showing my friend my recent photos of the Snowy Owl Angie and I had seen at a waterfront park near out home. Instead of "wow" or "good for you" or even nothing being said, which would have been fine... I got "I see you've played with these on your computer. I can tell you've blown them up beyond the max. They are grey and grainy." Stuff like that. He then asked me what kind of camera I have. I told him. Well, he had one waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than me. He went on to tell us how great it is, how he could get shots from across the street on his zoom and be able to print them with no cropping or manipulating whatsoever and being crystal clear. He even told us about the amazing shots he gets but had none as testimony... it was all in good word I suppose. Good for you pal but unfortunately nobody asked nor cares!

He went through my latest pics. Suddenly he comes to my Red Breasted Nuthatch pictures. He accused me of photo-shopping these to unbelievable ways as the colors were un-natural for this species of bird. He said it didn't even look like a Red Breasted Nuthatch. I felt like telling him how uneducated I am with a computer, not having elaborate photo-shopping programs and so on. Instead, I just said "that is how they look in my backyard, up close, on a sunny day, with the flash on". I should have said I have better food for them than he does, giving them brighter shinier coats.



He talked about how great it is where he lives. I get 12 to 15 Goldfinches... well, he gets 65! He has birds who do not migrate anymore, they just stay with him, because his property is so good, his feeders are so good, and the food is too! He's got Eastern Bluebirds that most of us won't see until May, and only if you are some ways out of the GTA. He gets four different species of Woodpeckers too. Blah blah blah. Enough!



I looked at the clock and was going to give this another 5 minutes before I would just up and leave. People like this, listening to them go on and on, and knock down anything from others, are nothing but serious time wasters, but he finally left.

I am certain most of us know a person like this... or have been exposed to someone just like "D from Burlington - The One Upper".

I just have to say "Lets all give him a big hand for being 'The Asshole of week' and it's only Thursday!"

People are Shit-heads OR I want Crazy Taxi!

One thing I have to say about the age of computers and e-mailing is that it is so much easier for people to be dicks, shitheads, impersonal and just plain rude.

My example of the week, excluding the horrible drivers I see everyday, is this...

I've been wanting a game for my Sony Playstation 2. It's called "CRAZY TAXI". I had game 1 and game 2 for my Sega Dreamcast and they were awesome. It's a fun driving game with a soundtrack of tunes by Bad Religion and The Offspring. The object of the game is you, the taxi driver, must pick up fares about town and take them to their desired destination... be it KFC, the Library, a record store or whatever. The more thrilling of a ride you give them, the bigger the tip you get. That's about all there is to it. It's just a fun game to pop in, play for a while, and shut off until another time. It's nothing complex, not needing to worry about special moves, missions, etc.


So, right after Christmas, I posted an ad on Kijiji.com. I've seen the game on eBay and sellers through Amazon.... prices range from $4.99 used to $30.00 brand new. I search EB Games at random who sell it for $14.99 when the game is in. I try to find it locally in hopes to not deal with any shipping costs. The game isn't expensive. It's just older, not impossible to find, just stores don't carry it unless it's traded in.

As I was saying, I post an ad on Kijiji. I got 3 replies within the ten days.

First one... seller has the game, no instructions or casing (no big deal)... he offers it to me for $5 but also says it's badly scratched and he's not sure if it even works... why did he bother?

Second one... seller is trying to sell 4 games, which includes Crazy Taxi... $30 for all four... I offer him $15 for two games. He soon replies back that there is great interest in the game(s) and will sell to the highest bidder. I don't go for that and pass. A day later he contacts me again, I find out he's a 12 year old, there was no other bidder(s) and he wants as much as he can get for the games. So he asks me "how much will you pay for the games?" He tells me he's a kid, too young to have a job and wants to sell his stuff for something else and wants as much as he can get. I stand on my price. "Whatever bro! It's your loss!" was his last bit to me.

Third, and most recent... someone contacts me from Thornhill. He says he's got the game, clean disc, all the instructions and so on are included. He wants $15 for it. I reply with "SOLD! Where and when can we set up the transaction?" The next evening, which is tonight, he writes me and says "I need money bad, you can have the game for $35." I reply with "Not interested." and I won't be even if he comes back with the initial offer.

It's just way too easy for people to be such jerks in this virtual world. It makes me wish I could reach through the computer screen and strangle the buggers!

One day I will have this game again... and such a$$holes will not ruin my fun.