The paradox of solitary confinement

he juxtaposition of the word “solitary” with the word “confinement” seems like a paradox to me. Solitary, an adjective derived from the noun solitude, is an emotional and physical state of seclusion or removal, an aloneness that is by choice. Yet in terms of the punishment described above, it is done by force or is foist upon an individual, with an interest to either remove from harm or to make certain he or she harms no one else. How then could it then be done by choice? Nonetheless, in my case the solitary confinement was forced upon me by no act or choice of my own.

Darwin and evolutionary biology aside, I think that most of us concur that the human species is social in nature. John Bowlby, a British psychoanalyst, who achieved notoriety for his study of “separation”, claimed that it is a natural survival instinct that drives us to maintain proximity with members of our tribe and if forced to be apart, especially as a vulnerable member, represents a very perilous situation. Individuals without the interconnectivity of community feel the fear of isolation instinctively and that impacts the ability to survive the predator.

Solitude and loneliness: both may appear similar on the surface, but they are wholly different. Yes, despite these two terms being used interchangeably, the distinction between them is vast. Both are characterised by aloneness, but that is where all similarity ends. Solitude is a positive state of choice ~ usually used for reflection, growth or rejuvenation. Solitude is refreshing cultivation and, as such, it is an act of restoration of both body and mind – a time of replenishment.

Unlike solitude, loneliness is a distressful condition and state that leads to complete depletion rather than to restoration. Yes, loneliness is being shunned, rejected or estranged from people and starved of the physiological rewards that companionship of friendships or community can bring. Loneliness is not synonymous with depression and grief, although both can lead to loneliness. Loneliness is a negative state, marked by a sense of isolation. Others often perceive it as a character flaw, a sign of some undesirable trait or ineptitude. And often the chronically lonely are denigrated by others and brushed off as psychologically impaired. And as contradictory as it may sound, it is possible to be in a crowded place, filled with people and still be lonely. Others impose loneliness on you and everyone is oblivious to the fact that you're there by yourself when you don't want to be. Yes, that is loneliness at its most bitter.

January 1, 2005, the beginning of a brand new year. A marriage, a family and now a company dismantled. A cherished friendship with "Doug" in a state of perpetual limbo and quite possibly based upon specious words of kindness and compassion ~ maybe even as hollow as the building that once served as the hub of commerce and the source of my livelihood. I found myself rattling around in a terminus that had once been a buzzing hive of activity, now empty save for myself. While bitter wintry winds howled outside, inside I could only hear the clatter of my own footsteps across the terrazzo flooring echo through the long concourse arcade. I’d gaze through the frosted windows to watch the rest of the world pass by. My computer was the only gateway to the outside yet I sensed that no one out there was even aware that I existed.

I drafted the letter to Doug several times before it was ready to send...

Needle in the haystack ~ Scientific packaging

everal times in this blog, I've referred to the daunting quest of establishing Doug's real identity as a process akin to "finding a needle in a haystack". The idiom refers to finding something that is hidden in a mound of information that appears virtually impossible to find.

For scientists, the quest of searching for a "needle" is the essence of what they do. If we consider the world of science as a conglomeration of data, with each scientist adding his data to the haystack, then it's logical to conclude that the "needle" would become more difficult to locate as the haystack grows in proportion. A Case Western physics research team stated that in order to be successful in finding the needle, "As haystacks of information grow ever larger--and the needles ever smaller--the search for a signal becomes increasingly difficult to find using traditional approaches. There is a need for sophisticated new statistical methods."

Sitaramam a Professor of Biotechnology at the University of Pune, India, in relationship to science, wrote "Individuals in every age spend enormous efforts gaining some knowledge. The very rarity of insights brings home the analogy of the needle in the haystack. Haystack is not simply a paradigm working overtime....Haystack is not a paradigm. Haystack is the package that gives the paradigm its colour, texture, feel, sophistication . . . anything except its essence. It comprises both the statements made to be compliant and statements omitted to avoid conflict. Kuhn’s notion of a paradigm actually refers to that pack behaviour that makes you belong to a club. You cannot call something a haystack unless the larger component in the proposition is found wanting. Usually these moves are motivated. It is strategy triumphing over technicalities."

In my situation, I had a wealth of facts offered to me by Doug. By this time, I'd already determined that some were erroneous, the question was were all of the facts erroneous and more crucial was the essence of his connection with me on a friendly plane also a farce. In analysing the facts and their corresponding relationship to each other, I stumbled upon the "needle". Yes, I'd found the virtually impossible. I identified him: a name, an address, a profession, his identity was, for the first time in nearly a year, very clear. Success? Not really. Although I knew he wasn't Doug Reynolds, nor was he a businessman, in fact, there were few facts about his personal life that were accurate. What emerged from this very excruciating discovery was yet another puzzling dilemma.

Prior to encountering Doug, I'd been very deeply betrayed by my ex-husband, and although I shall never be able to condone his reprehensible actions, there was some sort of explanation for his devilish undertaking. DF could not have remained in this country were it not for our former marriage. I'd been a tool used in his quest for a green card. Indeed, that was his "prize" and as the saying goes "desperate times call for desperate measures", he'd been driven to this end, no matter what casualty or what he might have to do to me in order to achieve it.

However, I served no purpose for Doug. He could achieve nothing from me, and knowing that I'd been so deeply hurt from the betrayal at the hands of my ex-husband and KMC, why would Doug submit me to such gut wrenching, shocking and excruciating pain all over again? Was it accidental? Was there another purpose for our meeting. I knew I would never be able to be close to anyone again, until I knew the answer.

By Christmas 2004, I was certain of Doug's real identity. I'd stumbled across the web page that discussed a position he held at Sealand of the Pacific in San Juans as a whale trainer in early 1990, which then provided me with search terms that would lead me to his current web site, complete with photographs and description of his life's work in biology. The incongruous facts slipped away, but what emerged was a sense for his mysterious manner. Seeing his photograph featured on his website, an image of the same man, but at least a decade older than the one he'd sent to me was comforting in one sense and extremely painful in another. I felt as though someone had thrust a spear through my heart. He was my friend for more than a year..... My only friend in a world that had become so very hostile and unsafe.

It wasn't the fact that he'd sent me a photograph that was clearly taken some years ago, nor was it that he wasn't in the profession he'd declared, nor was it that he was not "available" ~ those issues were not the source of deep pain. No, it was the discovery that my sole friend and the only person I'd been in contact with for almost a year had mislead me even though he knew that I'd been hurt so badly before. It was the knowledge that he knew what another act of betrayal could do to the only thing I'd retained from my marriage ~ hope for the future. What did that say about the way he had regarded me as a friend or a human being? Was anything that he'd shared with me real? Was there some other reason for our lives collided as they had? These questions would haunt me through the rest of the month of December 2004. I was stunned, numb and despondent. I felt completely alien and removed from society; unable to ever feel consider emerging to get to know anyone again, yet needing to know why "Doug" would have been promoted to masquerade as he did.

That Christmas Day, while the rest of the world enjoyed the company of family and friends, under a new avatar, I joined the two alternate immigration news groups on which Doug still participated to read and try to find the answer to the aching questions.

I would never have expected what was about to happen in the next few weeks....

Binomial nomenclature

redit is given to the Swedish botanist, Carolus Linnaeus, for popularising "binomial nomenclature" when he invented the convention of organizing species within a hierarchical classification, based upon shared characteristics. He identified species and then limited the use of a two-word reference to that species so that no two would have the same name. His works, exceptionally well-received by botanists of the time, served as the catalyst for this two-part naming system to become the standardised method in both zoological and botanical circles.

Binomial nomenclature assigned standard references to the living world and broke through language barriers worldwide. Every species would be unambiguously identified with just two words. The name being a combination of a generic or genus name and a second descriptive element to better define the species characteristics. The terms used were most frequently derived from either the Latin or Ancient Greek lexicon or a combination of the two.

The whole premise behind the Linnaean systematic classification was to avoid confusion over various species.

We can see how helpful binomial nomenclature is in defining specific characteristic reference by way of this hypothetical and fictitious example. Homo (man) + canadensis (Canadian), or Homo canadensis would identify a particular man as a “Canadian man”.

You might be asking, "What's all this got to do with this story?” That's just it, a name ~ I was searching for name that would identify Doug specifically. Not a moniker he adopted while posting on public message groups, but a given name. An arduous and daunting task, were it not for an unexpected stroke of luck and serendipity.

Roam in the phloem

he allegory continues. Taking cover in a location that would not be the natural habitat for members of Arachnida, I sought refuge in a heavily forested area, outside the reach of my 8-legged adversaries. Twice approached, twice injured and practically devoured, I was hopeful that once outside their reach, I'd have seen and experienced the worst.

To my delight a majestic and welcoming conifer towered before me, with what appeared to be a series of small recesses that could be an ideal place for me to shelter. Yes, the outer bark of the trunk featured square holes bored in a neat and tidy vertical row. These ready-made impressions would be most accommodating, and could serve to protect me from future attack. I crawled up the trunk intent on taking cover in one to recuperate.

Consider the outer bark of a tree as a shield of protection, guarding both excessive moisture from entering and critical moisture within the tree's anatomy from being dissipated into the atmosphere. The outer bark also serves as insulation against temperature changes and wards off insect invasion. The inner bark is the conduit by which nutrients travel. The transfer or exchange of fluid within a tree is bi-directional, as nourishment is collected both at its base through the root structure and in the canopy by way of the leaves. Phloem sap carries nutrients from the leaves travelling downward, while xylem sap travels upwards from the root bowl. The xylem sap is a dilute liquid comprised mainly of water that is under pressure and therefore flows quite readily. Phloem sap, on the other hand, has a higher viscosity and is hence more slow moving as it travels from the extremities of the branches down into the trunk. Heavily laden with sugars, the phloem sap has a thick and gluey consistence and could be tricky to navigate if one were a small creature roaming the bark.

What I wasn't aware of is that multiple rows of square holes, featured on a tree trunk, are a tell-tale sign of the work of a sapsucker. This crafty bird laboriously drills away to release the tree phloem sap which he then laps up with his very elongated feathery tongue. The process is addressed much like an assembly line. One horizontal row of holes is drilled and, whether by sheer persistence or related to some anti-coagulant in the sapsucker's saliva, the phloem sap flows freely until the tree begins to coagulate its precious life blood just above the wound. Methodically, the sapsucker then creeps upwards and proceeds to drill a hole above the last, releasing the phloem sap that collected near the prior injury site again.

Yes, indeed, the yellow-bellied sapsucker loves his nectar and is a highly intuitive and skilled craftsman.

The wolf in sheep's clothing

ncidentally, I'd come to learn that not all spiders use webs for capturing prey. The ground-dwelling member of Lycosidae, the Wolf Spider, stout in body and frame with long thick and powerful legs, will have nothing to do with a web. No, it prefers more stable terrain and with a total of eight eyes has no problem scouting its environment for a tasty meal while on the constant prowl. Its mass and speed more than adequately prepare it to actively chase down prey and overcome it with two able front legs.

Wandering hunters either during the day or at night, many wolf spiders dig burrows where they lie in wait for passing prey. Yes, the wolf is a crafty creature, utlising even a trap door at the burrow entrance to conceal the den, while its natural speed and visual acuity facilitate a successful chase and capture. The Wolf spider of the Lycosidae family is always on the hunt, and in this recital he used "Lycos" as a search engine to find his next meal.

When Detective Southard contacted me just a week before Christmas, I was taken aback. After JM Henderson of Missing Link had failed to perform the services upon receipt of the money I'd sent him, I'd enquired with the Police Department to see if there had been any similar complaints about his operation. What ensued was a full-blown investigation into his activities by the local law enforcement department that resulted in the State of Georgia charging him for operating without a license. The Detective was alerting me by email that they had arrested Mr. Henderson and the State would be subpoenaing me to testify, when Henderson was scheduled for arraignment. Apparently, I would receive something in the US mail in ample time to make the 1800 mile trip.

A number of days later, presumably after JM Henderson had learned that he was being charged by the State for practising without a license, a rather accusatory email from him appeared in my inbox. To my dismay, Henderson was angry that I'd contacted the Police and was holding me responsible for his conviction!

I couldn't take any more incoming artillery ~ I'd been under siege by multiple people for months, I missed my companion and friend, Doug, intensely; my company was being dismantled and I was feeling exceptionally alone and as if the world were closing in on me. I clicked "forward" and directed the email to the Detective in the Gwinnet County with an "FYI" note in the subject line.

A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals. ~ Aesop

Specht-acular specht-acle?

Not to continue to "hammer" a point, but it bears a little "drilling" down. My ex-husband had thoroughly used me and I had later been made well aware of that fact. After the divorce was final DF continued to be obstinate about returning that which the Court had mandated. I'd dismissed the whole matter of what had obviously been a pseudo-marriage as one event, unlikely to be repeated, with a man who clearly never had any respect for me as a person. OK, can't cry over spilled milk ~ time to move on. And move on I did, to the best of my ability.

Enter the second man I'd encountered, seemingly compassionate towards the horrors of learning I'd been treated as an inanimate object, and had suffered damage as a consequence. Claiming not to abandon me and to be there as a friend, he then simply vanished. Had I not discovered that he maintained a presence online in the same fora as I, there could be any number of reasonable explanations. But what to make of this now?

During the many hours of chatting that Doug and I had enjoyed earlier in the year, Doug had once referred to me as Aphrodite and he as Poseidon. As Greek mythology goes, there were 12 immortal deities that ruled the world. In retrospect and after learning more from the web-crawling I had done in early December, I believe we were more closely akin to the Roman deities, Venus and Mars.

Equated with the Greek equivalent, Aphrodite, Venus was the Roman goddess of love and beauty, but originally a vegetation goddess and patron of gardens and vineyards. Her favourite animals were the dove, sparrow, swallow, swan and turtle. Venus was touted as the "queen of pleasure" and the deity that was devoted to bring joy to gods and humans, alike. Often depicted unclothed, as goddess of sexual healing, she epitomises erotic beauty and so naked in her presentation is justified. Venus' lover was Mars.

Originally, Mars was a god of agriculture whose role was to protect crops and guard animals from disease. The Roman god of fertility and vegetation, he only later became affiliated with war. Mars was drawn to Venus' intoxicating beauty and she became his lover. Mars is often depicted accompanied by Fuga and Timor, the personifications of "flight" and "fear". The sacred animals and symbols to Mars are the wolf and the woodpecker.

Yes, Picus, the sacred symbol of Mars, a minor woodland agricultural deity associated particularly with the fertilisation of the soil and as protector of the forests, streams and haunting springs. Picus was endowed with the gift of prophecy. Often depicted in a purple cloak secured with a gold clasp, symbolisation that is preserved in the plumage of the bird. In zoology, Picus is a genus of woodpecker.

Yes, a myriad of clues, arranged into their proper placement would begin to make sense of the puzzling mystery...

Specht [German]
(n.) A woodpecker; -- also speight, spekt, spight.

Sphyra [Greek]
(v.) To hammer

Picus; (pl.) Pici. [Latin]
(n.) A woodpecker. Reference to the genus of woodpeckers.

Under a lens

nowing that for the past few months Doug had been actively assisting members in some of the threads on ILW ~ threads in which I, too, had participated, in fact, in which he had directed comments towards me, albeit under a completely different moniker was a little disquieting. Add to that the fact that I hadn't received one reply to my emails since he purportedly was in Idaho Falls. As much as I wished to dismiss the caution I'd received from both Private Investigators I'd consulted (the outcome of Mr. Henderson to be explained, shortly) it was difficult not to wonder why Doug hadn't continued contact with me and if there was some less than honourable motive for his initial interest in getting to know me. I likened the feeling to one of a specimen butterfly on display under glass. Could it be that I was now being watched? And for what purpose?

There was no doubt that "irritated" was simply another ID he'd used. I compared the absence of posts on ILW during mid-March to mid-June, when Doug had been on a project in California. His emails to me during that time frame indeed indicated that they originated from the La Jolla area of Southern California, so I had no doubt that his work had taken him away for a while. Indeed, under his other personae, the same break in activity was evident. I began to expand my search for information beyond the realm of ILW to see if he was a participant on other immigration message boards. Bingo! Not only was Doug active on two others, but he'd shared a wealth of information, to include his own "immigration process". Immigration? He had told me he was a United States citizen.

What's more, during the late summer months, after it became clear that Doug had returned from his project on the west coast to resume participation on ILW under his alter ego, he'd been quietly observing how I was in BS's "scope" and the heinous manner in which BS had been discrediting me for my loyalty to "irritated".

Subsequent to those very uncomfortable outbursts from BS, my activity on ILW had bifurcated. In addition to providing assistance on immigration issues, I'd also begun adopting a more philosophical approach to the information I posted there as well. My participation was to encourage people to be aware that there was indeed a person "Behind the Avatar" and that we should all be mindful of that. How could Doug then sit back and watch how this had impacted me terribly and yet make no attempt to thank me for being loyal to the end, or to put my mind at ease? Was it, indeed, entirely possible that he was enjoying the display and that he wished to see me hurt and humiliated?

The prospect that someone I'd shared so much information with and had represented himself to me as a friend could wish to witness my despair was disturbing, to say the least. I knew that I would only begin to understand once I had identified who he really was. I reflected on his own comment when the Famous Five were attempting to solve the mystery of the impostor on ILW. "El, it's not one big clue that solves a mystery, but a whole lot of little ones". I began to scrutinise the trail of clues.

In a rather peculiar and unexpected turn of events, while I was indeed a specimen under Doug's lens, at the same time, he didn't realise that, yes, he was now under mine.

The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white

CSI: A popular television programme now, but at the time in late 2004 I’d not had the occasion to watch it. Had I access to the type of forensic tools they use, I’ve no doubt I could have solved the mystery of Doug’s real identity in much less time. No, all I had to go on were numerous examples of prose, a range of facts he’d shared about himself – some of clearly doubtful veracity, the rest still undetermined and the posts he’d made under his “irritated” moniker on ILW.

I began to analyse the language to identify the attitude of the author. Was a distinct personality demonstrated in the writing? And as to syntax ~ were sentences long or short; abstract or concrete? I evaluated the diction ~ at times it was pedantic and satirical, and the pragmatics direct in postsmessage boardageboard. In our emails, the general writing style was much more relaxed and sensuous, but cutting edge and hip. I suspected that although he was in his 40s, by reference to events that occurred during that time frame, he was also exposed to Generation X.

It was at this time that I wish IÂ’d been more familiar with dialect geography, lexicography, and sociolinguistics. What I did note was the spelling was very accurate, punctuation well used and range of vocabulary he selected suggested he was very learned. Sometimes it is possible to determine clues to a writer's origin from the expressions used or references to things, places or events indigenous to the area in which he lived. Doug had made many in our conversations to the upstate New York area, yet his dialect in voice chat bore no signs of a New York accent. He was fluent in cross-cultural word usage, and often had spelled things in the British manner, and knew, intuitively, some of the turns of phrase that were commonplace in my repertoire. I thought, initially, this was done for my benefit, as despite three decades here in the USA, I have yet to shrug some traditional "Britishisms". Perhaps this was a habit he had difficulty in disguising.

Could it be that he too was originally from the United Kingdom, or perhaps a former member country of the Commonwealth? His occasional use of a french word, with accents grave and aigu competently placed on the correct syllable and in the correct direction, lead me to believe he was either fluent in French or exposed to French. Quite possibly, another explanation was that he may have hailed from a province in Canada. In summary, I was gaining more insight into Doug's possible roots and environment, but more crucial was that the more I examined DougÂ’s style, the more this other regular ILW memberÂ’s writing style began to match.

Knowing that Doug had access to the Internet, after all, and that most likely he was still using Yahoo messenger, yet wishing to encourage him to just be himself with me, I sent a quick Yahoo instant message to Doug for the first time in 9 months.

The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself. ~ Lao Tzu

I waited for a response, hopeful that heÂ’d be able to resume our friendship, and this time without the need for intrigue or masks.

Yes, indeed, by the first week of December 2004, I arrived at the conclusion that Doug was still quite active on ILW, but using another ID. But why? And who was this person?

"I cannot fly, but bear-like I must fight the course"

ecember began in typical form ~ snow, sleet and other signs foreboding Mother Nature's change of season. I was braced for what would be a third winter, exiled to either my abode or office with little contact with anyone outside my daily sphere of influence, which was shrinking with each passing month.

Despite having being armed with a team of lawyers in the front lines, bearing threatening warnings of the liabilities that cessation of business could create for our uncooperative contract partners, the dispute could not be settled and it culminated in a complete separation. Mine was the job of winding up a company with just short of a decade of unprecedented acclaim and success for a venue in a community of this size under its belt. I didn't relish the task of delivering news that we'd been forced to close our doors. Nor was it at all satisfying to acknowledge that all reasons for having pulled up roots in another territory to relocate to this region was for naught and all stability was sloughing away like sand under foot.

I would postpone releasing the staff until the last day of the year, concerned that unemployment beforehand would place a palor on any of their holiday celebrations. The staff had been a willing and cohesive force, supportive and eager to take on the challenge and exceeding expectation in many an instance. Rather, I began a systematic process of contacting other operations within the area and pitching them to hire my key employees. The last was reassigned two weeks prior to Christmas.

My own situation was no more comforting. First, DF had failed to sign a quitclaim on my home, and therefore I had no ability to sell it until I had his trusty signature. I buckled down for what would, most likely, be a bumpy ride and a very bleak immediate future. As the proverbial captain not expected "to abandon the ship" I was responsible for the wind up, which would take at least a fair number of months, if not more and with no remuneration until all company assets had been sold. This would call for more tightening of the belt, personally, and seeking comfort in the prospect of better in the future.

My search for information that would lead me to Doug was well underway by the early days in December, and I had formulated a goal to have it complete before the end of the year so that I had something to look forward to as well. I became the consummate web-crawler, reading anything and everything I stumbled upon. I delved into SEC filings of corporations in Tallahassee, reading all of the 10Ks, 8Qs and 14As that might list names of shareholders and trustees. Minutes lapsed into hours, hours into days, I navigated Cyber space for a clue, or anything that would help to solve the mystery of his name, company or location.

Meanwhile, I kept a close eye on ILW to see if Doug would appear there as if by some miracle. That's when I noticed that a current and active ILW member used similar vernacular, grammar, sentence structure and syntax.

They have tied me to a stake. I cannot fly,
But bear-like I must fight the course
~ Macbeth, Shakespeare

Selon le vent, la voile

abyrinthine would be an apt term for the nature of the task before me. Wading through facts that I hoped could ultimately lead me to Doug's location, but unaware of where it would lead me, or if I'd ever get there. But first back to Greek mythology and the origin of the term labyrinth.

Daedalus was a skillful architect who created what we know as the labyrinth, a complex unicursal structure, at the request of King Minos. The king commissioned the labyrinth to be built to imprison his wife's son, Asterius, who was a Minotaur. Upon completion, the king's son (edit That would be King Aegeus' son)Theseus managed not only to navigate the labyrinth to find the Minotaur, but also came out to tell about it. The king was furious that the labyrinth had failed its original intention and mandated that Daedalus and his son, Icarus, be locked up in a tower so that the existence of the labyrinth or its purpose would never become known to others. The fates of Daedalus and Icarus are yet another story.

Often a labyrinth is mistakenly confused with a maze. While a maze is of complex design offering choices of path and direction, a labyrinth has only a single, Eulerian, (a term derived from the noted mathematician, Euler), path to the centre. The key to the labyrinth is that as one progresses towards the centre, a decisive turn can bring one out again.

Socrates describes the labyrinthine line of a logical argument as... "we thought we were at the finish, but our way bent round and we found ourselves as it were back at the beginning, and just as far from that which we were seeking at first."

After Doug's departure to the West Coast in mid-March, my day-to-day life had become terribly quiet and lonely. I didn't know why he hadn't received my emails. Perhaps, indeed, he had ultimately been called to Japan on another high security project.

With only a computer and access to the Internet at my disposal and no knowledge of whether Doug Reynolds was his real name and all alone again for the Thanksgiving holiday, I chose to begin to navigate the winding course through Cyber space...

Set your sail according to the wind

Selon le vent, la voile

"A deed of dreadful note"

hen several weeks passed without any new developments from Henderson, I began to get a little concerned. He answered my calls to his office, but always abbreviated the conversation with a recommendation that he was tied up and would have to call me back. When, or if he did, he'd simply ask for me to be patient, that he was pulling together the final report. It seemed a little absurd for a simple name check to take that long, and for Henderson to be reluctant to share the results with me prior to compiling a report. Nonetheless, I complied.

In the meantime, I'd sent another email to Doug in mid-November, informing him of some of the issues that were occurring in my business and suggesting that if opportunity presented itself I'd like to arrange a time when we could meet. Still no answer to the two previous emails, but I was hoping that it was due to a heavy travel schedule that he'd made mention of in our chats. By the third week of November with no more information from Henderson, I placed yet one more call to him to inform him that I was not willing to wait any longer. Imagine my concern when the phone number was no longer in service! I turned on my computer and began to pull up the Missing Link Investigations website, to find that it had been removed also.

I contacted the Chamber of Commerce in Grayson Georgia to make some preliminary enquiries to learn that the business address he had given me was simply a mail drop box. Infuriated to find that the office he always claimed he was in was nothing more than his car, I contacted the local law enforcement agency to ask if there had been any other complaints about him or his company. Sure enough, though none in Georgia, there was one listing from Texas. Yes, another woman had been taken advantage of. I shared with the detective the P I license number that he had given me, to learn that it was issued in Washington State, but not in Georgia. The police took the matter under investigation.

Crestfallen that so much time had elapsed while waiting for Henderson not to mention being out a fair amount of money to boot and that I was no closer to locating Doug, I knew that I'd be left to my own devices from this point forward. I set out on the daunting task of finding a needle in a haystack.......

A deed of dreadful note ~ Macbeth, Shakespeare

Prudent predation backfires!

Back to the web for a moment, while I explain a little about appetite and sustainability of resources. Remember the spider’s practice of immobilising prey and wrapping it up in a silky shroud for later consumption? We know that spiders tend to be territorial, and DF and KMC were obviously thinking that the world is comprised solely of spiders like them and supply like me. They were most likely operating under the genetically programmed notion that they owned the world, well the habitat anyway. Huh? But if that’s so, how could it be logical that organisms with such a rapacious appetite would leave even a tasty morsel behind?

It has to do with "prudent predation". First, let’s consider the balancing act that is involved in predator-prey relationships. Over generations, individual selection favours predators that can increase their populations most efficiently. Here’s the balancing act ~ if a species becomes too successful in this, and population growth explodes, the species creates its own demise because once prey populations are depleted or overexploited the source of future growth or continued viability of the species is threatened. To compensate there’s an evolutionary tendency towards moderation. That moderation is the ecological principle of “prudent predation”. This means that even a predator with a voracious appetite limits its prey capture so that prey will be available down the line. If all prey were consumed what would be left? By exercising some restraint, it permits prey populations to increase and replace prey taken by harvesting, hence, keeping the food source available. Makes sense right?

Except that these two forgot that prudent predation only works if the same predators that restrain themselves from devouring all prey and, as such, are provident with resources are the same individuals who can benefit from what has been left over for the future. That’s right. Prudent predation only works if a predator has exclusive access, and the sole benefit and point of territoriality is to maintain exclusive access to the habitat’s resources.