Thanks to Chas for posting on this piece in Slate, a story by Jon Katz about a border collie who earns her keep and then some. It is a paean to a working pooch that ought to give Wayne Pacelle the willies—one domesticated animal whose job and joy it is to keep other domestics in …
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Papal Rifle
Tam has discovered the ultimate military collectible: “..the official rifle of the Papal States from 1867 to their demise in 1870: The M1868 Remington (Pontificio)” This is a Remington rolling block, in a very similar cartridge to the classic bufflo hunter ones also chambered in this action– and one of the makers was Westley Richards …
Manatees
From the NYT, courtesy of Reid: manatees may have smooth brains, but that doesn’t mean they have dull senses. It is a long article and you should read it all, but here is an example. “In research over the last five years, Dr. Reep and his colleagues have shown that manatees have 2,000 facial vibrissae …
Good things elsewhere…
You should be keeping up with Mary’s wise, prolific, and insightful posts. She continues to reflect on her experiences as an animal control officer here at Prairie Mary— read and scroll down. The ‘possum story is hilarious, but she knows darker things about human- animal relations too. And at her writing blog, Merry Scribbler, she …
“Novels”
Querencia (the book) is not one, for instance (it’s a memoir) even though a reviewer implies it is ON THE DUST JACKET. Reflection prompted by this Washington Post essay by Michael Skube on reading in which we learn that (A) students don’t read, and (B) they think all books are “novels”. “…And my favorite: “Novel,” …
Steve Irwin, 1962- 2006: RIP
Sure, he could be annoying. But in an age when cool trumps all, I can’t find it in me to disapprove of enthusiasm. He may have inspired more children in the love of all of nature, including “creepy- crawlies” than anyone in his generation or even mine. My little nephews are fascinated by insects and …
Blogging From Q.
Rebecca here. We always have such aspirations for my visits…deep writerly conversation that leads to literary masterpieces, long stimulating discussions that lead to ultimately solving the problems of the world… instead we babble on and drink. Still, I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend. The drive here was phenomenal. The monsoon …
Guest Post: Dog Whispering
My friend Gregg Barrow trains championship protection dogs and has a soft spot for unwanted “hard case” hounds. A German police unit recently sent him a dog they couldn’t handle, a monsterous, muscled-up, sulking giant schzauzer who savaged several handlers. Gregg has also been, in past years, a case worker and counsellor for criminal teens. …
Sandburg’s City
It’s too late to be the first to read Sandburg’s fine poem in lament for Chicago. We made this rather obvious connection here, way back in May. Yesterday Reid spotted this LATimes editorial by Nick Gillespie, who chimes in with a feature-length razzing of the Windy City’s accelerating nanny-fication. As Steve says, “Unfortunately, we animal …
That Rotten Old Town That Everyone Loves
Borrowing a page from the 2Blowhards playbook, here’s a clip from YouTube, sent last night by my friend Jenn, formerly of St. Bernard Parish, which is just outside New Orleans. The musician is Grayson Capps, another local who had to leave the city. I wrote up a short review of a gig we caught before …