RTP-area local music and culture

[Duncan Murrell <dvmurrell AT nc.rr.com>]

The necessity of this press release, which I don't doubt, has left me  
feeling despondent. The ascendance of pop culture to omniculture, the  
ruin of irony and ironic gesture through repetition and the  
credulousness of spittle-sucking Americans. It all crashes together.  
I feel faint.

d

p.s. Or, maybe they're just having fun over there at the Wildlife  
Resources Commission's press office. This _is_ one of the most  
interesting press releases they've issued in awhile, a break from the  
monotony of mercury warnings, the occasional new green sunfish record  
(which has gone from half a pound to nearly two pounds in two years,  
since people realized there _was_ a green sunfish record), and  
announcements of wildlife officer promotions.

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Bower, Michelle" <michelle.bower AT ncwildlife.org>
> Date: August 21, 2006 3:19:52 PM CDT
> To: "Cantrell, Geoff" <geoff.cantrell AT ncwildlife.org>
> Subject: "NCWRC News Releases:" Snakes On A Plane
Media contact: Sarah Cross,
> Statewide Herpetologist
>
> (919) 218-1886
>
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
> "Snakes on a Plane" Is Movie Fun, Not Wildlife Reality
>
>
> RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 21) - There's a lot of attention being paid to  
> snakes lately, thanks to a Hollywood thriller starring Samuel L.  
> Jackson.
>
>
> The movie "Snakes on a Plane" and the phenomenon surrounding it  
> have inspired blogs, a book, songs and merchandise. State wildlife  
> officials hope it doesn't inspire any mistreatment of snakes.
>
>
> "Most people won't confuse the entertainment value of the movie and  
> the reality of snake behavior," said Sarah Cross, the statewide  
> herpetologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.  
> "However, there are a few people who consider snakes as threatening  
> creatures and they shouldn't. Snakes are a beneficial part of the  
> environment and they generally pose no danger unless they are  
> threatened."
>
>
> In the movie, snakes are living weapons, wreaking havoc and mayhem  
> onboard an airline flight from Hawaii to Los Angles. It is an  
> exciting plot device.
>
>
> "Actually, snakes are no more aggressive than squirrels or birds,"  
> Cross said. "A squirrel would probably bite you if you grabbed it.  
> A bird might dive bomb you if you approached its nest. The snake's  
> defensive mechanism is to first avoid detection and then retreat if  
> threatened. A snake bites only as a last resort."
>
>
> The chances of being bitten by a snake in North Carolina are very  
> low, said Cross, who added that North Carolina has only six  
> venomous species: the copperhead, cottonmouth, timber rattlesnake,  
> eastern diamondback rattlesnake, pigmy rattlesnake and eastern  
> coral snake. Of these, only the copperhead is found statewide. The  
> coral snake and the rattlesnake species are found so rarely that  
> they are protected by law, she said.
>
>
> The Wildlife Resources Commission, through its N.C. Wild Store,  
> sells "A Guide to the Snakes of North Carolina," a 42-page book  
> that features more than 150 color photographs and descriptions of  
> the 37 snake species found across the state. The book tells about  
> the important roles snakes play in ecosystems, presents maps that  
> detail the ranges of different species and gives information on  
> snake conservation efforts. For more information or to order a  
> copy, go online to www.ncwildlife.org.
>
>
> -        30 -
>
>
>
> [MEDIA NOTE: A color, high-resolution photograph to illustrate this  
> release is available for free download at the N.C. Wildlife  
> Resources Commission Web site, www.ncwildlife.org.]
>
>
> SNAKES SIDEBAR
>
>
> SNAKES ARE BENEFICIAL
>
> Snakes have been called nature's most efficient mousetrap. Farmers  
> have long considered snakes as friends, since they are a deterrent  
> to rodents. Some species of non-venomous snakes eat venomous  
> species. Snake venom has been used to develop medicines that help  
> humans.
>
>
> SOME SNAKES ARE PROTECTED BY LAW
>
> The diamondback rattlesnake and the eastern coral snake are  
> endangered species, while the timber rattlesnake, pigmy  
> rattlesnake, southern hognose snake, pine snake, Carolina water  
> snake and Outer Banks king snake are species of special concern.  
> Killing them is allowed only when they pose a clear and imminent  
> threat to health and safety.
>
>
> SNAKES ARE WILDLIFE: DON'T TOUCH!
>
> There are six venomous, often called poisonous, snakes in North  
> Carolina. The most common is the copperhead, found throughout the  
> state except on the Outer Banks. Yet authenticated reports of  
> fatalities from snakebites are rare, with only one death in the  
> state being attributed to a copperhead bite, according to the N.C.  
> Museum of Natural Sciences.
>
>
> -30 -