That's because SnowJob SquareGlasses (with apologies to 'not-sure-who-came-up-with-this-one' - I did not, however - just don't know who to credit) is Vicious-Ambitious...

Just as you say, throw 'em under the bus, Sarah, when you don't need 'em anymore...

And they wanna to put this doozie up for Vice-President? Granny Clampett from the Beverly Hillbillies once said about Mr. Drysdale, because he was a 'Vice'-President of the bank, admonished him about the 'Vice' part because she said: "I know what YOU'RE in charge of, you nasty so-and-so...

Puhleeze...

I've never understood the excitement with the moose-hunting schtick...

First of all, I don't hunt - I do like to skeet-shoot and I have been known to fish - although, with my technique, you can't exactly call what I do fishing, actually. But, that's a story for another day.

In New England, where I come from (I live in Florida now - that's another 'nother story) they legalized moose-hunting, oh maybe fifteen or so years ago.

Big whoop - and here's why. The moose had gotten so tame over the years, that hunting and shooting one was kinda like shooting a cow - they weren't particularly afraid of humans - maybe they are more so now.

So, it wasn't really 'sporting,' as they say - the hunters that I know kinda want the animal to, sort of, have a chance. It's not supposed to be like just going up to a cow and slaughtering it...

Now, maybe the moose in Alaska ain't quite so tame. I was up there once and we saw one or two from the air - so maybe that's true - that they're not so tame.

Okay, so maybe it's not the hunting ethos - to be sporting...I guess I get that...

I was listening to a guy being interviewed in NPR - an Alaskan - who says that it's a big deal to bag a moose. He did go on to say that sometime you get lucky - that it's right there in your backyard - there's that shooting the cow thing again - but that sometimes you can go for a while and not see one.

Okay - so maybe it's not about the hunting sporting ethos. The Alaskans call it 'subsistence' - which seems to mean that one will starve to death if one doesn't get a moose...

Okay - well, this fellow goes on to say that you need to 'dress' - butcher, basically - and haul out the haunch of the moose - which he says can be a coupla hundred pounds.

Okay - so here's another thing. Mr./Ms. Big Game Hunter - for 'subsistence,' okay - up there in Alaska - what happens to the rest of the moose - the part that you have decided, in your infinite wisdom, you don't want or it's 'not worth bothering with?'

Your average moose weighs in excess of 800 or 900 pounds - maybe more.

Are you telling me that you only want the prime parts and you, what, leave the rest? I suppose you figure that's nature's way or some kinda crap like that?

Your Native American - at least that's the ethos (that word again) that we hear about - would have 'used' (consumed) the whole animal.

Even deer hunters in New England - well so the ethos (grimmace...) goes... - are supposed to use the whole animal - deer skin mittens and all of that.

The hunting ethos says that you're supposed to use the whole thing, but what, Alaskans don't???

So, it's not really 'hunting,' I guess 'cuz it's not really 'sporting' and it seems to be more like going to the butcher 'cuz you don't use the whole thing - and maybe the moose is just sitting' in your yard, so it's less like hunting and more like a slaughterhouse.

Boy, that really gets me excited about Alaska, Alaskans and 'hunting' up there...

And what's that stuff about shooting wolves from aircraft? In Ipswich, Massachusetts, where I'm from originally, there is a facility dedicated to the preservation of wolves - there's a recognition that they're part of the ecosystem - you know, natural predators and all of that.

What's wrong with this picture?

So, your Alaskan is what - a moose butcher who doesn't use the whole animal - leaves the rest of it lying there - shoots wolves from the air - all wholesale slaughter, not at all sporting.

Good grief, Charlie Brown - what is it with these people? And they're proud of this 'lifestyle?'

Sheesh...