What do BallOfSpray readers do for a living?

[Horton]

http://ballofspray.com/component/poll/46-what-do-ballofspray-readers-do-for-a-living

This is kind of interesting. More of less what I expected.  I think 10 or 15 years ago there were a lot of teachers.

[h2odawg79]

maybe in this economy at the present time we could include a catagory for what we "used to do" or what we "would do" if we had something to do!

[Horton]

Hmmm welll that goes back to my hope that WallOfSpray will become a source of networking among skiers personal and professional use.

[SM]

I never saw this poll. Was it in the forum or only on Wall of Spray?

[Thomas Wayne]

 

I never saw the poll either, but this is what I've been doing for a living for the last 28 years:

http://cuezilla.com/archives/263

TW

[Andre]

TW

Do you use real elephant ivory? Just saw a news report where they showed some illegal elephant hunting just for the ivory...Not a nice sight.

[Thomas Wayne]

All of the Elephant Ivory I use is certified antique, and was legally imported before my father was born - long before Elephants were considered "endangered".  I also frequently use Mastadon Ivory, most of which came from a Siberian excavation estimated to be around 30,000 years old.  I've been unable to find any video footage of Mastadons being hunted.

Even if I could get more recently taken Elephant Ivory it would have no value to me, since it takes decades for Ivory to stabilize to the point where it can be used for my purposes without cracking and/or shrinking.  Virtually all of the Ivory illegally exported from Africa goes to Asian countries - most of it being made into "name chops" (google it) in China.

On another note, Andre, do you eat beef?  I just watched a documemtary that showed how cattle are raised and slaughtered just for their meat... Not a nice sight.

TW

[Horton]

Poll was only on front page and was below the tweets. You guys have to look around to see everything I have going on.

I was eathing some lamb the other day and thinking about how it would be fun to raise the little guys, give them love and the BBQ them.

Sort of interesting about Ivory. The old ivory, where does it come from  . .  where has it been for 300 years?

Mastodon - not crap. That is kind of cool. How expencive is that stuff in the raw form?

[Thomas Wayne]

Antique elephant ivory generally comes from old museum displays that have been in storage following the wide-spread emotional swing against Ivory use that began in the 80's.  There is much controversy over the current status of "endangered" for elephants, but no elephant ivory - legal or or otherwise - has been imported into the U.S. in many decades.

Currently the greatest danger to elephants is human overpopulation. As land is cleared for lumber and living space the elephants are becoming more and more crowded in their original habitat.  In fact, virtually all of the footage of elephant "poaching" shown on television is actually from government culling programs bent on reducing the local herds to a manageable size.  Furthermore, elephants have no natural predators but will only live to an age of 50 - 60 years before they wear out the last of their six sets of teeth; then they starve to death.

All of the ivory recovered from government culling [and elephants dead from natural causes] is currently being warehoused by various governent agencies.  A while back a one-time sale of some of this ivory was approved, and around ten tons of it went to Japanese buyers.

Antique elephant ivory runs between $150 and $300 per pound, depending on its condition (cracked, calcified, etc.)  Mastadon ivory has an even greater range, running from $60 (total crap) to $450 per pound for the primo stuff.  I have a lifetime supply of both.

TW

[SM]

Lucky's got goats. Maybe your on to something here! Sneaky hiding the poll on the front page.

[Steven]

TW,

Very cool! I don't play pool often and don't know the terminology, but I'm thinking that "Monster" is a very fitting term. for your cues! I like the theme.  

[Bulldog]

Excellent work!! I like would to see you do an inlay like that or similar for a steering wheel on a boat!! That would be very cool.

 

 

 

Mike