Edwin Timwell tries to usher a northern bottle nosed whale away from the tidal shore of the River Thames near Battersea Bridge in London Friday Jan. 20, 2006. Rows of puzzled spectators on the river banks watched the mammal navigate between boats and under bridges, while divers followed its movements, promising to help it if it became stranded. It was the first time this type of whale has been sighted in the River Thames since the Natural History Museum began recording such sightings in 1913, museum zoologist Richard Sabian said. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
Men and Whales Come Together in Unity
A Whale Of A Tale
By ERIKA PENNINGTON Associated Press Writer
LONDON Jan 20, 2006 — A northern bottlenose whale swam up the River Thames on Friday, passing Parliament and Big Ben, and drawing large crowds of spectators to the banks of the waterway.
As TV stations followed the rare spectacle with live coverage, the mammal wandered into shallow water near the muddy banks of the tidal waterway, and several people jumped into the cold River Thames to coax it away from shore.
"I saw it blow. It was a spout of water which sparkled in the air," witness Tom Howard-Vyne said. "It was an amazing sight."
The whale was swimming about 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the mouth of the river on the North Sea.
"The fact that it is swimming upstream is not a good sign. The whale must be confused or ill," said Alison Shaw, a manager of the Zoological Society of London, Marine & Freshwater Conservation Program. Such whales are generally accustomed to swimming in deep ocean waters, she said.
It was the first time a northern bottlenose was sighted in the Thames since the Natural History Museum began recording such sightings in 1913, museum zoologist Richard Sabin said.
A minke whale was sighted in the Thames about six years ago, but not as far downstream, the museum said.
At least twice on Friday, the northern bottlenose appeared to get stuck in shallow water in the Thames, and people ran along the shoreline in shallow water to try to coax it away from the banks.
Witnesses, riding in boats and walking along the river banks, first spotted the whale near Parliament and said it appeared to be 6 meters (20 feet) long. Howard-Vyne, who is a spokesman for London Eye, the large Ferris wheel on the southern bank, said he saw the mammal swim under Westminster Bridge, near Big Ben.
Northern bottlenose whales, which can grow up to 8 meters (26 feet) long, are known as curious and social animals, readily approaching boats and normally traveling in groups, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society's Web site. The fact that this one was in such an odd spot could mean it was debilitated, said Mark Simmonds, science director at the conservation society. "When whales turned up in strange places before, they have been old, sick or wounded," Simmonds said.
Sabin said northern bottlenose whales rarely swim in water as shallow as the Thames. "The whale's chances are not particularly good," Sabin said. "We hope it will swim back to sea."
We couldn't help but notice that this beautiful sea creature has made an appearance at the same time the Fathers 4 Justice League has become ... well ... beleaguered. Whether the organization has simply attracted a radical fringe and rightly dissociated itself from that aspect; or, whether F4J was the target of a well-manipulated and false media and governmental assault remains uncertain. We'll think that it may be a combination of both.
Whatever it was that caused the uproar - false allegations, counter tactics, or weakened foundation - we are confident that because of their public ACTION, F4J can and will serve as a basic model for how things can be improved against all odds. Maybe the Men's Movement can learn from this and rather than splinter itself into factions --- take a lesson from one of the most powerful and unfortunately - harmful - movements in History. Feminism. If we want to learn how to re-build our culture, our men, our relationships, and our democracy - then we must learn how the opposite was achieved. Study it and reverse it.
Maybe Annie is talking out of her ass. Who knows. But, Annie looks at this whale going upstream and she reads the quotations that this is "not normal." Annie, thus, can't help but feel that sometimes Nature takes a course that we have to leave alone and take our lesson from that. Rather than try to view "swimming upstream" or "against the tide" as abnormal -- we need to sit back and think about not only the animals who show us lessons here ... but the people who do it too. Study the Men's Movement issues. There are crybabies, haters, and fanatical lunatic fringe in many of our culture's important movements. Put those findings aside for the time being and focus on the heart of the matter. If you want to understand the perspective of sickened matriarchy from a woman's point of view, then Annie suggests you read Camille Paglia. If you want to understand from a man's point of view - then it may be best to just STFU and read, listen, stop the inner cogs long enough to hear. Look at the world around you. Here's a simple example: There are hundreds of Domestic Violence Programs. We know -- we have had to use the services. And we are forever grateful to those who help and continue to help.
We are not stupid or senseless and do not want to bite the hand that feeds us. But, maybe that hand needs a man-i-cure. When we look locally at the Safe Houses they are only for women, children and gay men. Is this a problem? Yeah. I know men who are not gay and have had to flee violent women. There are no places for them to go. Except maybe the banks of the riverside with the other homeless men. That's just a small example. Yes, we need to look at individual merit but as a society who must often rely on a collective for survival we MUST become more cooperative and willing to see where changes need to occur. Regardless of our gender.
So little bottlenose whale .... go where you must. Annie hopes with the hugest wish possible that you can live and be a happy whale. We thank you for the hope, the distraction, the attention, and the lesson you may be showing.
A Whale Of A Tale
By ERIKA PENNINGTON Associated Press Writer
LONDON Jan 20, 2006 — A northern bottlenose whale swam up the River Thames on Friday, passing Parliament and Big Ben, and drawing large crowds of spectators to the banks of the waterway.
As TV stations followed the rare spectacle with live coverage, the mammal wandered into shallow water near the muddy banks of the tidal waterway, and several people jumped into the cold River Thames to coax it away from shore.
"I saw it blow. It was a spout of water which sparkled in the air," witness Tom Howard-Vyne said. "It was an amazing sight."
The whale was swimming about 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the mouth of the river on the North Sea.
"The fact that it is swimming upstream is not a good sign. The whale must be confused or ill," said Alison Shaw, a manager of the Zoological Society of London, Marine & Freshwater Conservation Program. Such whales are generally accustomed to swimming in deep ocean waters, she said.
It was the first time a northern bottlenose was sighted in the Thames since the Natural History Museum began recording such sightings in 1913, museum zoologist Richard Sabin said.
A minke whale was sighted in the Thames about six years ago, but not as far downstream, the museum said.
At least twice on Friday, the northern bottlenose appeared to get stuck in shallow water in the Thames, and people ran along the shoreline in shallow water to try to coax it away from the banks.
Witnesses, riding in boats and walking along the river banks, first spotted the whale near Parliament and said it appeared to be 6 meters (20 feet) long. Howard-Vyne, who is a spokesman for London Eye, the large Ferris wheel on the southern bank, said he saw the mammal swim under Westminster Bridge, near Big Ben.
Northern bottlenose whales, which can grow up to 8 meters (26 feet) long, are known as curious and social animals, readily approaching boats and normally traveling in groups, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society's Web site. The fact that this one was in such an odd spot could mean it was debilitated, said Mark Simmonds, science director at the conservation society. "When whales turned up in strange places before, they have been old, sick or wounded," Simmonds said.
Sabin said northern bottlenose whales rarely swim in water as shallow as the Thames. "The whale's chances are not particularly good," Sabin said. "We hope it will swim back to sea."
We couldn't help but notice that this beautiful sea creature has made an appearance at the same time the Fathers 4 Justice League has become ... well ... beleaguered. Whether the organization has simply attracted a radical fringe and rightly dissociated itself from that aspect; or, whether F4J was the target of a well-manipulated and false media and governmental assault remains uncertain. We'll think that it may be a combination of both.
Whatever it was that caused the uproar - false allegations, counter tactics, or weakened foundation - we are confident that because of their public ACTION, F4J can and will serve as a basic model for how things can be improved against all odds. Maybe the Men's Movement can learn from this and rather than splinter itself into factions --- take a lesson from one of the most powerful and unfortunately - harmful - movements in History. Feminism. If we want to learn how to re-build our culture, our men, our relationships, and our democracy - then we must learn how the opposite was achieved. Study it and reverse it.
Maybe Annie is talking out of her ass. Who knows. But, Annie looks at this whale going upstream and she reads the quotations that this is "not normal." Annie, thus, can't help but feel that sometimes Nature takes a course that we have to leave alone and take our lesson from that. Rather than try to view "swimming upstream" or "against the tide" as abnormal -- we need to sit back and think about not only the animals who show us lessons here ... but the people who do it too. Study the Men's Movement issues. There are crybabies, haters, and fanatical lunatic fringe in many of our culture's important movements. Put those findings aside for the time being and focus on the heart of the matter. If you want to understand the perspective of sickened matriarchy from a woman's point of view, then Annie suggests you read Camille Paglia. If you want to understand from a man's point of view - then it may be best to just STFU and read, listen, stop the inner cogs long enough to hear. Look at the world around you. Here's a simple example: There are hundreds of Domestic Violence Programs. We know -- we have had to use the services. And we are forever grateful to those who help and continue to help.
We are not stupid or senseless and do not want to bite the hand that feeds us. But, maybe that hand needs a man-i-cure. When we look locally at the Safe Houses they are only for women, children and gay men. Is this a problem? Yeah. I know men who are not gay and have had to flee violent women. There are no places for them to go. Except maybe the banks of the riverside with the other homeless men. That's just a small example. Yes, we need to look at individual merit but as a society who must often rely on a collective for survival we MUST become more cooperative and willing to see where changes need to occur. Regardless of our gender.
So little bottlenose whale .... go where you must. Annie hopes with the hugest wish possible that you can live and be a happy whale. We thank you for the hope, the distraction, the attention, and the lesson you may be showing.
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