Pie or Cake

[kulu se mama]

Man critical after chimp rampage

11:41 AEDT Sat Mar 5 2005

AP - Investigators are trying to determine how two chimpanzees that viciously attacked a visitor at a US animal sanctuary escaped from their cages.

The chimps chewed off St James Davis' nose and severely mauled his genitals and limbs before the son-in-law of the sanctuary's owner shot the animals to death, authorities said.

Davis, 62, and his wife, had gone to the sanctuary to visit another chimpanzee that had lived with them for decades before they were forced to give the animal up.

LaDonna Davis, 64, was bit in the hand.

"A big part of the investigation will be figuring out whether the (sanctuary) owners were in compliance with regulations," sheriff's Commander Hal Chealander said.

"There's a reason why those chimpanzees got out. It will be crucial to our investigation how they got out."

Health authorities were testing the dead chimps for rabies and other diseases.

The couple were at Animal Haven Ranch, in a canyon 48 kilometres east of Bakersfield, to celebrate the birthday of Moe, a 39-year-old chimpanzee who was taken from their suburban Los Angeles home in 1999 after biting off part of a woman's finger.

The couple had brought Moe a cake and were standing outside his cage when Buddy and Ollie, two of the four chimpanzees in the adjoining cage, attacked St James Davis, said Steve Martarano, a spokesman for the state Department of Fish and Game.

Moe was not involved in the attack.

Dr Maureen Martin of Kern Medical Centre told KGET-TV of Bakersfield that the monkeys chewed most of Davis' face off and that he would require extensive surgery in an attempt to reattach his nose.

Chealander told The Bakersfield Californian that the chimps also tore off Davis' testicles and foot.

Davis was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Centre, where he underwent surgery.

The hospital would not release any information on his condition.

Animal Haven Ranch has held state permits to shelter animals since 1985 and serves as a sanctuary for animals that have been confiscated or lost, Martarano said.

The permits are held by Ralph and Virginia Brauer.

A woman who answered the phone at the Brauer home on Friday said the family had no comment.

Mr and Mrs Davis had waged an unsuccessful legal fight to bring Moe back to their West Covina home and visited him regularly at the sanctuary, where he had been living since October.

In 2000, after city prosecutors decided to drop charges against them in Moe's 1999 attack, Mr Davis said Moe was not a threat to the public and attacked only when provoked.

"Animals bite, people bite, Mike Tyson bites. So what?" he said.

here's one more reason why pie is better than cake.

but i suppose the 2 chimps would vote for cake over pie (maybe).

[Spontooneous]

I truly believe I am with the silent majority who prefer cake.

[Jazzdog]

Cake, no frosting!!

If there is indeed frosting, I would still eat it, but if it came to a choice between cake w/frosting and pie, as long as there is whipped cream, then I choose pie. If no whip cream, I take the cake with frosting.

[Guest che]

I truly believe I am with the silent majority who prefer cake.

Cakes or pies, never stay silent one day the minority may become the majority.

Cake eaters of the World Unite B-)

Che.

[robviti]

Isn't the expression "as American as APPLE pie" anyway?  I think the cherry gets thrown in there because of the apocryphal story of the young George Washington chopping down a cherry tree.

You know, there's another old pie-related saying: It's as easy as pie! Personally, this adage never made a great deal of sense to me, since I have never made a pie and I don't believe it to be an extremely simple and utterly stress-free endeavor. Recently, I discovered that the actual maxim is It's as easy as eating pie! Now there's a motto I can wrap my lips around, as I have never encountered any real difficulty in filling my pie-hole with said fruit and pastry. It's nice to know you're never too old to realize one of the fundamental truths of the universe.

Long live Pie Man!

Edited March 6, 2005 by jazzshrink

[Ron S]

In fairness to our cake-loving friends, we should concede that something that's "easy as [eating] pie" would also be "a piece o' cake."

[Guest che]

In fairness to our cake-loving friends, we should concede that something that's "easy as [eating] pie" would also be "a piece o' cake."

Take no prisioners.

Pie eaters good, Cake eaters bad!

Long live the Revolution Brother

Che.

[maren]

Isn't the expression "as American as APPLE pie" anyway? I think the cherry gets thrown in there because of the apocryphal story of the young George Washington chopping down a cherry tree.

Yeah, apple pie is the usual... I never thought about the George Washington angle, but you might be right... I just figured Malcolm X was giving the idiom a vivid (risque?) twist...

[Jim Alfredson]

I had to vote for pie, although my made-from-scratch chocolate cake is to die for... I learnt the recipe from me mum. But she was a wicked pie-maker, too!

[wolff]

Pie, specifically, peach cobbler.

[Elissa]

May I recommend, for the pie die hard: Pie Across America

Edited April 23, 2005 by Elis

[jazzbo]

Elis, another fantastic avatar!

[jazzbo]

I've got an overwhelming urge for a big slice of strawberry rhubarb pie!