#schmergo

[schmergo]

Today I learned a fact that kinda blew my mind, and I'm almost astonished I didn't know this before as someone whose chief interests include zoo animals, the U.S. Presidency, true crime, and D.C. history. What an opener, right? How could those topics possibly combine?

Well, buckle up and get ready to hear how negligent National Zoo leadership potentially could have killed a US President or started a local epidemic. Spoiler alert: They didn't. But only because luck was in their favor.

First, the part that I DID already know. In 2004, Lucy Spelman stepped down as the director of the National Zoo after a spate of controversial zoo incidents, including a string of unfortunate (and often preventable) animal deaths, misleading and missing zoo records, and other signs of negligence. The AZA even "tabled" renewing the National Zoo's accreditation for a year until they made some significant improvements. Spelman was also a vet and some of the cases she was accused of bungling happened at her own hands, not just under her supervision. It was a major disgrace for a zoo that was meant to represent the nation's capital.

I was in elementary school during these fraught years and I remember devouring articles about this in the newspaper, riveted with shock and dismay. Some of the deaths were just bad luck, but others were obviously negligent. The most infamous case was two red pandas killed by rat poison shallowly buried in their enclosures as a slapdash solution to the zoo's pest problem. A young zebra died of starvation and hypothermia after Spelman ordered the zebras' feed be cut in half, an orangutan was euthanized due to a recurrence of cancer that didn't exist (she actually had salmonella), a lion died after being administered over twice the usual amount of anesthetic, and more. I remember the names and details of these animals from when I first read these cases 20 years ago. But the one I'm talking about today is that of Nancy the elephant.

Nancy was a 46-year-old African elephant whose health had been steadily declining for several years. She suffered from a bone infection in her foot that seriously affected her mobility and quality of life. She had lost a lot of weight, she was fatigued, she even lay down at times. Nobody could be blamed for deciding to euthanize the obviously ill animal.

But they could be blamed for what was discovered in the necropsy after she was euthanized. While she did indeed have a diseased foot, the bone infection was only "moderate." Why, then, was she so obviously unwell? Her lungs had been destroyed by the effects of untreated tuberculosis. It was the tuberculosis, not the sore foot, that most contributed to her decline in health.

Here’s the scary part: nobody knows how long she'd had it because she hadn't been tested for tuberculosis, a known concern for zoo elephants, in TWO YEARS. All this despite the fact that it's MANDATORY for all zoo elephants to receive a tuberculosis test once per year-- and in fact, it was a National Zoo staff member who pushed for that reform in the first place. And the elephant was on Prednisone for her foot issues, which zoo staff noted in her records made her more vulnerable to illnesses like TB. In fact, none of the zoo's elephants had been tested recently, which meant any of them, including one who was pregnant, may have had tuberculosis, too.

There are documented cases of humans catching tuberculosis from elephants. Now, Nancy the elephant had bovine tuberculosis, which seems to be less contagious to humans and which elephants haven't so far spread to humans... BUT it has spread to humans from black rhinos, a fairly close relative, so it seems likely that elephants COULD spread it. It can also take a while for TB for incubate (and can also be latent without symptoms), especially for elephants, so the elephants OR keepers who were around Nancy were at serious risk for TB.

NOW HERE IS THE PART THAT I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT UNTIL TODAY:

Spelman actively tried to COVER UP the situation, potentially putting many more people at risk. The elephant house was closed to zoo guests, but they were only told it was for "renovations." (The actual renovations, incidentally, were to improve ventilation so that illness would be less likely to spread.)

A BBC news crew that came to film the elephants was asked to keep a healthy distance from the elephants for their emotional health and the crew's safety-- the explanation given was that the elephants' group dynamics had been thrown off by Nancy's death. Spelman instructed zoo staff not to mention the TB situation to the BBC crew and, if asked why Nancy died, they were to respond that it was for multiple reasons and that the official test results weren't all back yet.

And here's the most shocking part of all, the part that made me GASP out loud. Spelman still personally gave some special VIP behind-the-scenes tours of the elephant house during the months that the elephant house was closed, a time when the remaining elephant inhabitants could potentially still develop active TB.

One VIP who received an elephant house tour was PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON and five family members!!!!

BILL. CLINTON. THE GOSHDARN PRESIDENT.

While zoo staff says that the tour was deliberately distanced and nobody got close to an elephant, there are photos of Bill Clinton's nephew about a foot away from an elephant's trunk. You know, their nose. The part they can spread disease with. So, uh, definitely in the danger zone there.

Hillary Clinton's brother, Tony Rodham, was on the tour and he said that nobody in the party was warned about TB risk or asked if they had any medical conditions that might (a. make them susceptible to communicable disease, or (b. be contagious to the elephants. This is especially egregious because according to zoo guidelines, all behind-the-scenes tour participants MUST be asked these questions-- not just when there's a very real possibility of a TB outbreak at the zoo.

Fortunately, none of the zoo's other elephants OR keepers ever tested positive for tuberculosis. But it was certainly a close call! And imagine what would have happened if a US President caught TB from a close encounter with an elephant thanks to poorly managed zoo staff.

Presidents meet a lot of people. In fact, this zoo visit happened only 2 weeks before the inauguration of President George W. Bush, which Clinton attended. He very well could have started a TB outbreak there. Heck, TWO US Presidents could have been infected!

Now THAT is something I will be thinking about for a long time!

[fandomfluffandfuck]

https://www.tumblr.com/schmergo/636275005226991616/isnt-it-suspicious-that-the-sexiest-man-alive-is

saw this post and immediately thought of ur dentist!chris au lmaooo, like that wasn't one of seb's thoughts when they eventually went on that date 😂 he keeps staring at the guy and has visions of him lounging on a beach chair and sexily showing off his tattoos (which he hasn't even seen close-up and in full!!) and then seb gets brought back to the present and has to stare at his date's actual face and not ogle him complately 🥴

related to this post, and this dentist-and-patient-au

Oh my fucking god, you're so right 💀💀 that's exactly it. Poor Sebastian is sitting there, on the first date, thinking what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck, why are you the hottest man I've ever seen and you're not even famous!? What is this!? Is this allowed?? Is this even legal?

[malapertmarquess]

25 questions

Tagged by @thankyouforyourcooperation

1. Why did you choose your url?

Because at the time of choosing it I had recently played the Marquess of Dorset (amongst other characters) in Richard III and I love that ridiculous boy.

2. Any sideblogs? If you have them, name them and why you have them.

@redpensandplaywriting is where I focus my writing stuff and share posts from my Ghost blog/newsletter of the same name.

@adhdtectives is for stuff about the detective story I'm writing, but I'm not very consistent about posting on it.

3. How long have you been on Tumblr?

Since sometime in 2011.

4. Do you have a queue tag?

Nope.

5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?

My new uni bestie talked me into it (as well as into watching Doctor Who and Sherlock, and listening to Cabin Pressure...)

6. Why did you choose your avatar?

I like medieval drawings, and a snat? Perfect.

7. Why did you choose your header?

I also particularly like the medieval meme of fighting snails.

8. What’s your post with the most notes?

I hopped on the polls train with a D&D themed one when they started getting big, and it travelled quite a ways.

Check yours here

9. How many mutuals do you have?

Technically 20, I think? (I got distracted immediately after counting) A lot of them are no longer active though.

10. How many followers do you have?

79.

11. How many blogs do you follow?

An even hundred, though I don't know how many of them are regularly active.

12. Have you ever made a shitpost?

Not one that took off.

13. How often do you use Tumblr each day?

I usually keep it running in the background most of an evening while doing other things.

14. Did you have a fight/argument with another blog once?

Nope.

15. How do you feel about ‘you need to reblog this’ posts?

I ignore them.

16. Do you like tag games?

Yeh :)

17. Do you like ask games?

I don't really do them anymore; never got much response when I reblogged them.

18. Which of your mutuals do you think is Tumblr famous?

I think @schmergo is the most famous mutual I have.

19. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

I am married to one!

20. What is the last song you listened to?

I don't remember...

21. What are you currently watching?

The second Lethal Weapon movie (it's a brainless movie night).

22. Sweet/savory/spicy?

Yes, yes, no.

23. What is your current relationship status?

@dragonatthedinnertable.

24. What is your current obsession?

Probably the Anne of Green Gables books...

25. What are nine albums/songs you’ve been listening to lately?

You assume I regularly seek out specific songs and albums.

Tagging: Avron already has, sooooo @dragonatthedinnertable? Anyone else who's interested?

[cor-aeterna]

10 songs/10 people as tagged by @agentmika <3

pulled mostly from my spotify on repeat

Candle Light Blessings - Zamir Chorale Boston. A beautiful setting of the candle lighting blessing for Chanukah <3

2. Who By Fire - Leonard Cohen.

3. Maoz Tzur (Italian Chant) - Zamir Chorale Bosteon.

4. Hells' Comin' With Me - Poor Man's Poison

5. St Andrews - Alexis Ffrench

6. I'll Fly Away - The Highwaymen. I left xtianity behind years ago, but the harmonies in the Highwaymen's version of this hymn do slap

7. The Snow Hare - Spell Songs.

8. Shnirele, Perele - The Klezmatics

9. Strangers - Meet Me @ The Altar

10. Ida's Jig - Dàimh

@davidfosterwallaceandgromit @nik-the-bik @oppan-gandalf-style @aigenderated @linguisticparadox @schmergo @dogtheory @multiclassed @w-illlo-w @snakeofcookie

[pinterest-finder]

@asmilinggodess @schmergo

Congratulations, you’ve both been found on Pinterest. This was you P-Worthy post:

[rugessnome]

I forget now exactly what it was (something that made me want to use the phrase, probably with some irony) but I finally went and listened to Cool Considerate Men from 1776 no more than a couple weeks ago.

While I've never seen 1776 in its entirety, I have known "The Lees of Old Virginia" and probably "But Mr. Adams" for probably 14-15 years now (thanks to previous online acquaintance with possibly my favorite [once?] Virginian @schmergo), and I think I became aware of the song title "Cool Considerate Men" at that time.

[all-that-jazz-93]

1. Grace Kelly - Mika

2. Somebody New - The Struts

3. Last Day - Two Friends

4. Mary Go Round - The Struts

5. Live Your Life - Mika

6. HandClap - Fitz and The Tantrums

7. Oz - Philip Labes

8. Easy Silence - The Chicks

9. Bachelor's Degree - Philip Labes

10. Mr. Shoes Tied - Philip Labes

Tagging @kyliafanfiction @castingmysilver @elliebartlets @thatgeeklover @ughhhdavid @youre-fired-s-seaborn @invaluabledonna @purrrcrastination @astrangertomykin @schmergo and anybody else who wants to do it

rules — shuffle your “on repeat playlist” and list the first ten songs, then tag ten people

tagged by @missingspaceships 🙃 thanks! 1. i want to break free - queen 2. chateau - angus & julia stone 3. the archer - taylor swift 4. miracle love - matt corby 5. sky full of song - florence and the machine 6. almost (sweet music) - hozier 7. imploding the mirage- the killers 8. just keep driving - harry styles 9. figure you out - djo 10. weird goodbyes - the national ft. bon iver tagging @kermitsleftnipple (you have to do it) and tagging with no pressure @highkingpenny @hammity-hammer @hellion-child @corrodedbisexual @loser-jpg @enbyeddiemunson @shrimply-a-menace @queen-stevie @patchworkgargoyle @augustjustice @djoqueeryand anyone else who wants to do it ✌️

[davinciae]

schmergo replied to your post: wow finland was disappointing

I didn’t realize this was about Eurovision and just thought it was surrealist

hahaha yeah i didn’t make any pre-esc warnings this year

[wendyetc]

Realization: Hallmark Christmas movies are always about high-powered, sophisticated people being forced to go into the countryside and discovering that these people are just as civilized and often wiser than city people. Hallmark Christmas movies are modern pastoral comedies.

[schmergo]

I just celebrated my 33rd birthday! This is the age that hobbits come of age, so I had to mark the occasion in true hobbit fashion!

[garland-on-thy-brow]

If Cassius is your favorite, it means you're witty, intelligent, passionate, and devoted to your interests but are also an impulsive mess. You feel like an outsider and think things would be better if you had more opportunities. Also, gaaaaaayyyyy

All excellent points, but especially the last one :D Thank you!

[iwouldhavebroughtyouviolets]

Quoth the Raven,

Motherfucker

[diemondgrimm]

@schmergo giiiirlll You got so many likes

[thecatsaesthetics]

schmergo replied to your post:Call Jaehaerys, call Aemon, whatever, but Aegon?...

To me it makes sense because it’s kinda like Jon in sound (hence why Ned would call him that) and Rhaegar genuinely believed a prophecy that this son would be the prince who was promised- a conqueror like Aegon

But it’s not acknowledging at all that Rhaegar seems to have believed his three children would The Prince that Was Promised, he didn’t think he child with Lyanna was it, he thought his and Elia’s son, Aegon, was The Prince that Promised. That much is very clear. Rhaegar thought his son needed two fellow dragon riders (Maybe Rhaegar had dragon eggs hidden away) and wives, so he named his one daughter Rhaenys and most likely he probably thought Jon was going to be a girl, so if Jon has a “True Targ. Name” it was probably Visenya. 

Ned most likely called Jon, Jon, after Jon Arryn who was a father figure to him. Just like how he named Robb after Robert it seems. 

[earthboundfacebook]

[shakespearecircle]

My favorite Shakespearean quote is "I have no brother, I am like no brother, And this word 'love', which greybeards call divine, Be resident in men like one another, And not in me. I am myself alone." (Hence why I was jazzed that part of that monologue was the final Jeopardy question tonight.) Or, from Much Ado About Nothing, when Claudio just says "That."

Okay that last one made me laugh really hard

   If your blog were a Shakespeare character it would be: Feste

   If your blog were a Shakespeare pun/dick joke it would be: villain I have done thy mother

    Aesthetic: | Are you Marlowe? | A Bit Bardy | Absolutely Shakespearean

    Following?: | no sorry! | I am now | already was! |