Reid spotted this one at LAT: Hollywood turns to birth control to clean up its (pigeons’) act. Francisco Vara-Orta writes, “Eager to reduce the neighborhood pigeon population and the mess that comes with it, Hollywood residents appear ready to try a new birth control method on their wild birds. “Beginning within the next couple of …
Month: July 2007
Endless act of transference
Thanks both to Mary and Reid for forwarding this NYT editorial by Verlyn Klinkenborg, Should Most Pet Owners Be Required to Neuter Their Animals? (subtitled: “When it comes to pets, Americans are lost in a seemingly endless act of transference.”) “…the opponents of mandatory neutering make it sound as though the problem can be solved …
Breeding Like Rabbits?
Trivia: China claims to have cloned the first rabbit from fetal cells (evidently the French cloned a rabbit earlier from adult cells). It should be noted that this is NOT the easiest way to breed rabbits. I was warming up for a tirade on the evils of cloning. My point was not to be that …
Jumbo Squid Invade California
Jumbo squid that can grow up to 7 feet long and weigh more than 110 pounds are invading central California waters and preying on local anchovy, hake and other commercial fish populations. I think we should look on the bright side – calamari anyone?
‘Roos
The result of a lawsuit brought by an animals rights group against athletic shoe maker Adidas, has been the confirmation by the California Supreme Court of a state law that bans the use of kangaroo hide for shoe manufacture. Kangaroo leather is apparently favored by soccer players for their shoes. Australians are puzzled by this. …
Another Significant Cultural Event
A Miraculous Birth
Today’s Denver Post tells us of an unusual event that took place on a ranch near Colbran in western Colorado. Kate, a “molly” or female mule, has given birth to a healthy female foal. Mules are officially sterile hybrids from the mating of a female horse and a male donkey. But very rarely they do …
Brave Dog
The Denver Post tells us that a five-pound Chihuahua in Masonville, Colorado fought off a rattlesnake to keep a one year-old toddler from being bitten. Zoey the Chihuahua sustained bites herself, but survived. What’s that old saying – it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in …
Some Soviet Planes
I mentioned in an earlier post that for some years I had worked in jobs in aerospace and aviation. In one of those positions I worked at a flight test facility at the Mojave Airport in southern California. My employer manufactured jet engines. Engines that needed to be tested for FAA certification were shipped out …
From Steve
Dear all, Internets still screwed but: (1) I am halfway, the worst half, through on the book and if I have a peaceful week– unlikely– I could be all drafted in a week. (2) As of last night they will pay my way air & in- country to go to Almaty for the Primitive Dog …