One of the most misunderstood creatures in this country is crotalus, a genus of venomous pit vipers most people simply call rattlesnakes. Crotalus horridus, also known as the timber rattlesnake or canebrake snake, epitomizes the deeply ambivalent relationship Americans have with this animal, which Benjamin Franklin considered a symbol of our nascent country-and which remains a symbol of freedom and defiance of unjust government-yet has been hunted to extinction or near-extinction throughout New England.

The fear and loathing with which most Americans view rattlesnakes is illustrated most vividly by events like the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup, wherein thousands of rattlesnakes are captured, killed, and skinned-often in gruesome ways-as a means of promoting local tourism. This deep revulsion is exhibited towards an animal that in normal circumstances does not threaten or harm humans, who are rarely-if ever-killed when an encounter does occur. It should be noted that some of these fatalities include people who wantonly abuse snakes.

With this sort of deep misunderstanding and distrust, Ted Levin’s insightful book, America’s Snake: The Rise And Fall Of The Timber Rattlesnake, is such a welcome resource. It not only debunks some common misconceptions about this increasingly threatened species, it explores why timber rattlesnakes were able to inhabit Maine, Long Island, and even New York City, although you’ll no longer find any dens-or rattlesnakes-in these places. One of the proximate causes of the rattlesnake’s decline in the Northeast, and a key part of the puzzle Levin hopes to unlock in his book, is Ophidiomyces ophiodilcola, a fungus which can prove fatal if a snake is not rehabilitated.

Although Ophidiomyces is the immediate villain, as Levin’s story unfolds the reader realizes that the greatest threat to the survival of the timber rattlesnake in the northeast is the increasing encroachment of humans upon this species’ habitat. The disruption of the mating process through development-particularly roads which cut between snake dens-the rapacious poaching, especially of gravid females, and general indifference of society towards the welfare of this fascinating animal all imperil its continued survival in this region.

To get a better idea of what this book is about, and learn why you should be concerned about its future, I would recommend watching this video of a talk delivered by Ted Levin last year. It might give you a new perspective on a quintessentially American reptile.

Update: An explanation of the delegate selection process, as well as CD vote totals. 

Overview of the primary, by the New York Times. 

Clinton and Trump both win.  

A more navigable map, courtesy of WNYC.

How every neighborhood in New York City voted in the Democratic and Republican primaries.

Stay tuned.

Local businesses and news media are doing what they can to help out those who’ve been heavily-impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Here’s a list of a handful of opportunities for you to assist, if you happen to live in the New York Metro Area. I’ve also reprinted the names of distribution sites within New York and New Jersey which WFAN is using to coordinate relief efforts at the bottom of this page.

We are organizing a big day of volunteer canvassing this Saturday, November 10th. We also try to send out volunteers during the week (including tomorrow, Friday), but are mainly looking for drivers with their own cars. We are not organizing any volunteering this Sunday the 12th.

If you are interested in donating supplies, we are still accepting flashlights, candles and batteries, nonperishable food, blankets, diapers and other essentials. No Clothing will be accepted. Donations can be sent or delivered to our Brooklyn office at: 

New York Communities for Change,
Attn: Olivia Leirer,
2-4 Nevins Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11217 (second floor)

We’re collecting monetary donations via this contribution page:

Volunteer Opportunity in the Rockaways on Saturday 11/10/12

If you have a car with room for passengers or do not have a car:

Please meet at 10 am at our office in 2-4 Nevins St., second floor. We will from there leave to Far Rockaway. Tasks will include knocking on doors and making needs assessments, delivering and sorting supplies.

Please RSVP to nyccvolunteer@gmail.com with subject line “RSVP Saturday”. Include number of volunteers, whether you have a car, and number of passengers you can fit. You can also call Olivia to RSVP at 347-410-6919 ext 285.

If you have a car and it will be filled (no more room for passengers). we will meet in the Rockaways at 11am:

15-26 Central Ave, Far Rockaway, Community Room at Nordack Houses
Point Organizer: Amelia – 646-250-5797

321 Beach 57th St, Arverne, Councilman Sanders Office
Point Organizer: Zach – 202-390-8331

Dress warmly and be ready to work! Thanks for your support!

Our opportunities for volunteering and donating after Sunday are yet to be determined.
Best, Olivia Leirer and the NYCC Sandy Relief Team

All this week, CBS Radio New York will be setting up at various locations in the tri-state area with station vans, Academy buses and “fun buses” to collect needed items that will be distributed to aid victims of super storm Sandy.

Main Items Needed:

• Cleaning Supplies: shovels, Garbage bags, gloves, heavy duty brooms, bleach, Lysol….
• Goggles for eye protection
• Face masks
• Flashlights
• Batteries: mostly “D” and “AA”
• Diapers
• Blankets – space blankets (also known as a Mylar blanket, first aid blanket, emergency blanket, thermal blanket or weather blanket)
• Anything that produces HEAT!
• RIGHT NOW CLOTHES ARE NOT NEEDED!

CBS CARES DONATION LOCATIONS

• FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9th: 11am – 4pm– BRONX TERMINAL MARKET ROOF DECK (610 Gateway Ctr. Blvd., Bronx, NY)
• FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9th:IZOD CENTER from noon ’til doors open for the Justin Bieber concert
• SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11th: 11am – 4pm – IKEA (1000 IKEA Drive – Elizabeth, NJ – located in the outer parking lot to the right of the IKEA Store)

Atlantic City is living up to its name, and parts of the Bronx appear to be underwater. Half of the people living in my old neighborhood of Dyker Heights are without power, according to my favorite independent bookstore, Boulevard Books & Cafe.

You can discover whether you live in the danger zone through the hurricane evacuation zone finder, although by this point it’s probably best to hunker down, especially considering that your travel options are increasingly limited. You can find live updates here. Here’s a power outage map, courtesy of LIPA. Those of you living below Hylan Boulevard on Staten Island should prepare for extensive flooding and take precautions as needed.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to sustain our Internet connection through the storm, but I wouldn’t be surprised if-like many other New Yorkers-we lose access sometime within the next day. Until then, enjoy the tweets of Mayor Bloomberg’s Spanish-language alter ego, Miguel Bloombito,

h/t Celeste Katz.

One of the most exasperating aspects of the  current immigration debate is the persistent use of cliches, which have come to replace logical, factual arguments. Probably the worst purveyor of myths about immigration policy is the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, whose bishops and priests have repeatedly demonized Americans-including much of the Catholic faithful-who want to reassert control over their country’s porous borders. In addition to being one of the most outspoken proponents of amnesty, the Church has also resorted to the most baseless, vituperative smears in order to castigate those who support reasonable immigration policy; the exemplar being the recently retired Archbishop of Los Angeles, Roger Mahony, who likened SB 1070 to something you would see in Nazi Germany.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that a Roman Catholic priest in the Bronx would help foreign nationals fighting deportation orders. However, as my friend informed me when I was sent the link to a New York Times profile of Father Vitagliano, this priest is now being accused of ignoring his responsibilities to clients seeking to remain in the United States permanently. The chaotic situation described in the aforementioned article will only be made worse if the policies advocated by the Roman Catholic Church, as well as other churches advocating various forms of amnesty, are implemented, which is why the recent statements by Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin are so disturbing. The concerted effort by churches throughout this country to foist amnesty upon the American public, in spite of their congregants’ strenuous opposition to this idea, raises the question of whether they are acting in a religious or political capacity. The tax-exempt status accorded to churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and other bodies of religious worship is premised upon the notion that they are not partisan political advocates, which Senator Durbin, as well as individuals like Father Vitigliano, seem to believe they should be. 

The disconnect between what these religious organizations market themselves as and what they are actually doing in many instances needs to be highlighted, especially to those churchgoers who are ignorant of what their leaders are doing in their name. Otherwise, the manipulation of our government to serve the purposes of those who seek to exploit it will only continue, to the detriment of Americans.