Probably not. But Steve’s got something of a nasty respiratory thing to deal with. He sends his apologies for not posting and asked that I spread this to everyone. Um, maybe that is not the best way to put it. Convey the news, I mean. (cough)
Big Snakes
A news item I found earlier this week, describing how a man in Cincinnati had been strangled by his 13-foot pet boa constrictor, elicited some comments and reminiscences from the crew here. Steve:A thirteen- footer can kill you and it doesn’t even have to be aggressive.When I was at the zoo we didn’t let people– …
Paleontology Christmas Cards
I would urge you all to see Darren Naish’s post on paleontology-oriented Christmas cards. I must admit these paleontologists are more creative than us archaeologists.
Andean Bats
More bats! The NY Times brings us the story of this nectar-eating bat from Ecuador. The 2-inch long bat has a tongue 3.3 inches long! This is proportionally the longest tongue of any mammal and the second-longest (behind the chameleon) of any vertebrate. This bat keeps the tongue in its chest – it is anchored …
New Orleans Writers
A friend from Idaho asked me this week, “What’s the deal with New Orleans? We get conflicting reports up here.” I told him what I could, which isn’t much, since we get conflicting reports down here in Baton Rouge, just an hour away. I posted earlier on some of the Crescent City’s musicians here and …
Reid is Moving
I wanted to make a public announcement about something I’ve told a few privately. Connie and I have accepted transfers from our current employer and will be moving to work at their Denver, Colorado office. Our move will most likely take place in January, but timing will be conditioned by the move-in date of the …
Whale Vomit
I had to post this one just so I could use the title. It’s actually an interesting story from the NY Times on what is thought to be a piece of ambergris found on a beach in the eastern US. With the general demise of whaling, this story points out that it is difficult to …
Gnatcatchers
Despite environmental gloom and doom, sometimes things do get better. The LA Times brings us the story of habitat restoration resulting in the rebound of endangered Gnatcatcher populations in the affluent LA suburbs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Yet More Neanderthal News
We’ve had quite a few posts on the explosion of new findings on Neaderthals lately, and I thought I’d bring these two to your attention. One claims to have proof that Neanderthals engaged in cannibalism. The other presents the theory that Neanderthal women and children took part in hunting, and that there perhaps was not …
Airport Bats
Connie and I were trudging through the Phoenix airport week before last, when I was amazed at this sight on the wall of one of the concourse stores. A whole roost of bat sculptures. These fruit bats are made of rusted steel and I was told the artist is a gentleman named Henri Dupree who …