At the risk of continuing the Animals That Attack segment from the last newsletter, I’m going to give you the shortened version of the most memorable news story of late. Ready? Here goes!
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Mauled man tried to ‘reason’ with chimps during attack, wife says
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO – A man who was severely mauled by two chimpanzees at an animal sanctuary last week was quickly overwhelmed when the apes attacked, his wife said Monday.
“One was at his head, one was at his foot. But all that time … he was trying to reason with them,” a sobbing LaDonna Davis told “Good Morning America.”
Davis, 64, and her husband, St. James Davis, were visiting Animal Haven Ranch near Bakersfield on Thursday when two male chimps escaped their enclosure and attacked the couple. The Davises were visiting the sanctuary to celebrate the birthday of Moe, a 39 year old chimpanzee who was taken from their home in West Covina, a Los Angeles suburb, after biting off part of a woman’s finger in 1999.
St. James Davis, 62, lost all the fingers from both hands, an eye, part of his nose, cheek, lips and part of his buttocks in the ferocious attack, his wife said over the weekend on NBC’s “Today Show.” She also said one of his feet was mutilated.
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Folks, this is a true story, but upon first reading, I could have sworn it was something out of The Onion. I mean, really! He’s being attacked by monkeys? And trying to “reason” with them? Hey, call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure that an attacking monkey will not respond to logic. What possible words could convince a primate to stop acting out a scene from, Fight Club? “You know, it really hurts my feelings when you gnaw off my lower extremities. So, Curious George, let’s all just take a deep breath and count to 10. You stop sinking your teeth into my flesh, I’ll forget this happened and we’ll all enjoy some birthday cake!” Please!
My first thought was that this guy sorta got what was coming to him. I mean he shows up to a “convicted felon” of a monkey with a cake, singing “Happy Birthday”. Maybe, just maybe, that isn’t the smartest thing to do. But, if you read carefully, you see that it was not Moe, but actually two other chimps that attacked this time.
How many of us immediately made my same deduction: this guy played with fire and got burned. Isn’t that lumping every chimp into the pre-determined “Dangerous and Unpredictable” category? Are they? I’ll let a primate expert be the judge!
On an almost daily basis, I am approached by dog lovers who comment on Carson, my Seeing Eye dog. Often, these same people regale me with stories of their pet pooches at home. Over the past few years, I’ve been surprised at the number of folks who own Rottweilers. In the early days, I used to ask them, “Why would you want a dog that is famous for killing children?” Then, there would come a lengthy description of just how sweet, docile and loving their Rott is. After hearing this a few thousand times, I’ve changed my tune on these big fellows. So, has the public been led to falsely believe that Rotts are aggressive? Rott owners are always telling me emphatically, “Yes!”
What does all this mean? Well, that we’re all prone to categorization; and we should work hard NOT to be. I might be going out on a limb to relate stereotyping humans to animal behavior, but logically this makes sense. We are doing both ourselves and other factions of society a disservice by not evaluating each person as an individual. Not every CEO is a crook like we’ve been led to believe by the recent corporate scandals. Not every young, African American male is pillaging his community like the producers of Cops display every week. Not every teenager is a pot-smoking delinquent with an ear-splitting car stereo. Not every pop star that owns his own amusement park and gets a new nose every week is a freak (Okay, okay, so this one is the exception to the rule.)
Treating everyone as an individual just seems to make the most sense, doesn’t it? All of us belong to some sub-group that has been boxed in by stereotypes; sex, religion, race, political affiliation, wealth, whatever.
The best way to break those broad categorizations is to get the whole story, analyze the data and use facts to make our determination. Is the info true? Or are we falling victim to another wide-sweeping generalization? Determining what we truly believe can be more difficult than fighting off some disgruntled chimps, but it’s the only way we can truly learn and grow.
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The above listed story from the Associated Press was slightly re-arranged due to space limitations. The only part that was excluded was a description of injuries to the victim’s (Ahem!) “unmentionable” area. Everything in this article was factual, according to the AP.
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How many musicians do I need?
The size of the wedding party is the key to this question.
A duo with discreet amplification can happily entertain a group of up to 60-70 people. A trio can cope with up to 100 people. As the party size increases, so does the size of the venue. You need more happening on stage to catch the attention and get the party going. A four or five-piece band with a small PA system is generally required if the party is 100 or more.
To entertain 200 people and beyond, the quality of the PA system and the lighting for the stage and dance-floor becomes crucial to the success of the event. An act is required that is able to present a “stage show” that not only sounds good but also looks good, in terms of movement and costume, with the ability to catch the attention of the crowd … even those at the back of a big hall!
How do I find the right band?
The quality of musicianship is the most important factor. Listen to recordings of the band performing live, where available.
Repertoire and experience come next. How long has the band been involved in wedding entertainment? Can you talk to a “satisfied customer” … a couple who used the band for their wedding and were, hopefully, delighted with the result?
If it’s possible, watch the band perform live. However, if your wedding is in the UK, do be aware that recently revised licensing laws have made it very difficult and expensive to present live music in a public place, so public performances by bands of the quality you require for a successful wedding are a rarity.
How will the performance be organised?
You can expect approximately 3×45 minute sets of live music in a four hour period … or 2×1 hour sets, if it suits you better. If the musicians are carrying a PA system, they will probably come equipped with a CD player and will be able to play CDs of a similar style of music for half an hour before the first set and in the breaks between the sets, giving professional-quality background music when the band is offstage.
For peace of mind, organise your music through a reputable agency. Make sure you receive, sign and return a contract stipulating when the band will arrive, when the performance will take place and the agreed amount of remuneration. You should expect to be able to talk to the bandleader a few weeks before the wedding to discuss any specific preferences you require.
That first dance is something really special. If you approach the band well before the event, the guys will usually be prepared to learn your chosen song, if it’s not already in their repertoire.
How much should I expect to pay?
Reliability and quality of performance are the two attributes that are essential for headache-free, successful music at a wedding. If you go for cheap, you are likely to sacrifice either or both of the above!
In the UK, a professional musician will expect to take home £100 – 150 for an engagement. On top of that there are equipment and travel costs, along with publicity, advertising and agency costs.
As a rule of thumb, you can expect to pay £200 – 250 for a solo performance, £300 – 400 for a duo, £450 – 625 for a trio. A four-piece band starts at approximately £800. Depending on the versatility of the musicians, the quality of equipment (PA system … possibly backlighting for the stage and for the dance-floor), the price increases to £1000 – 1500. Larger bands cost proportionately more. To see the variety and versatility of the wedding bands available in the British Isles, take a look at The A – Z of Wedding Bands in the UK
Jennie Evans runs Hop Till You Drop, a company that provides music of all styles and types for weddings, birthday parties and corporate events in the UK. To find out more about all aspects of wedding music planning and to get up-to-date info on live music for weddings in the UK, why don’t you check out Hop Till You Drop Wedding Music Services ? Hop Till You Drop is a company run by musicians, so you can be sure that all the important aspects of your live wedding music will be attended to by knowledgeable, experienced professionals.
