Given what Joey has taught us about a sea lions backward serrated teeth, and given what I witnessed as their veracity and skill with said teeth, dollar wise what would it take to get you to do this behavior day in and day out? LOL
Every year about this time Circus start addressing what went wrong or what went right. They usually only address the same thing year after year. The economy, the weather, the Animal Rights Activists. The past couple of day's I have attempted to address "other issues" that have never been addressed and it might behoove the circus to start to address them. The sands are ticking through the hour glass. As animals are near and dear to my heart, I have offered a number of animal act from around the world. And offered some of the reasons for their decline or their greatness. I think it is time to address who has been our own worst enemy, as well as the economy, the weather, AR, etc. ect.
I thank Show Biz Dave for visiting the blog yesterday. He is in the process of working out a standard to judge the "Best 0 the Best Circus" of the year with noted historian/Artistic Director Raphael de Ritis. His comment on visiting the blog yesterday was, nice pictures of tigers, and the question who are they? I suggest he spend a bit more time, as there may be something he can use in his quest for the show standard. The "honor system" he mentions is going to be hard to get past anyway, impossible for validity without a standard.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Jim Alexander I will defer to you on this!!!
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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8 comments:
On the sea lion behavior:
It looks like the sea lion is about to dive into the "family jewels". I describe sea lions as bears with funny feet. They are strong and have some serious teeth. In addition, their diet of raw sea food doesn't clean their teeth so their mouths are full of bacteria. I hope the understander is wearing protective gear. I heard about a sailor in the Navy Marine Mammal program that got bit "where it counts" by a sea lion. Not only was it a medical problem but he had to put up with the med. staff all coming around to look at the wound and comment.
As to the act: It's a small S. American sea lion. I'm no Don Foote but why wear dark clothes with a dark animal. Roland Tiebor was standing when he did the hand to flipper stand. (Does this meet the standard?)
Jim,
You must not have seen the picture of the one foot stand, where I asked you to rate it from 1-kiss on the cheek to 10-hand to flipper stand? Yes, I would think hand to flipper would be the standard for 10. Nose to nose stand would be the corbett.
Wade
Rating sea lion behaviors:
I give a one-flipper stand as pictured an eight (the presenter might do better). Combined with a ball balance or on a spinning pedestal, add a point. A ten behavior would be the standing hand to flipper with a ball balance like R. Tiebor did. Considering Mr. Tiebor did the behavior twice a day in a tent he gets an eleven.
Sea lion acts seem to be very popular in Denmark, but it's necessary to have a permit to perform with them , although I'm not sure if it's the presenter of the act, or the show owner who needs the licence. Same situation with elephants, although there is a move to have them banned by law - and one leading member of the Danish circus fraternity has supported that move!!
John.
John,
The member that supported that move, was if personal philosophy or a private agenda towards somebody?
Wade
Jim,
I didn't realize that there was also a ball balance added. I sure wish I could find a picture of that behavior.
During his agent days if you were in his area, you could be guaranteed of a visit, he in his fedora. I always kept cheese on hand, because, inevitably there would be a knock on the door, with the greeting, "Maestro, is there a cheese sandwich available." A classic individual from this business. I of course was aware he had a sea lion act, but I wasn't aware how good. Thank you for the stories, Jim.
Wade
Ball balance?!?!?
The member of the circus fraternity in question has always marched to the beat of her own drum!
John.
John,
Who is it? Give us some insight as Mr. Herriott did with Ursula Bottcher. I'll even let you go anonymous on this one.
Wade
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