From James Lileks’ post 9-11 column: “If I really ran a political site I would end up disappointing everyone, since I am a mess of superficially contradictory opinions (hands off regulating cable because of adult content; stop marking slut dolls to my little girl) and old-style liberal notions, like the primacy of individuality over race. …
Flying Primates!
No, neither bats nor Oz- ean Winged Monkeys. In a fascinating post, Darren examines Madagascar’s sifakas and their– aparently known, but not well known, (despite the fact, pointed out to me by Darren for the first time, that it is noted in standards like my ’83 edition of Walker’s Mammals of the World) ability to …
California 2– Cruelty?
This idiotic story has a high “EEEUWW” factor, but “cruelty”? “Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies come across a bizarre encounter at La Purisima Mission in Lompoc. “Around midnight they found a 69-year-old Huntington beach man naked and covered in oats. “Deputies say the man had covered himself in olive oil, rolled around in oats and …
Pluto and– Californians
With apologies in advance to Reid, Connie, Margory– what is it with Californians anyway?? From Anthony Dick again, the reaction of some members of the state legislature to the “downsizing” of Pluto: “WHEREAS, The mean-spirited International Astronomical Union decided on August 24, 2006, to disrespect Pluto by stripping Pluto of its planetary status and reclassifying …
Real Food
Michael Blowhard reviews and discusses Nina Planck of “Real Food” fame, with links to books and sites like hers and Rod Dreher’s. I had the book on my wish list but at a pretty low priority, as I assumed it was worthy but maybe a bit boring. That’s not Michael’s take: ” “Real Food” I …
Retraction!
Apparently the alleged Galileo- style firing of the Vatican’s astronomer for his views on evolution was a badly- researched non story. Anthony Dick has the details. “This makes for a good story: a classic conflict between science and religion, harkening back to the good old days of Copernicus and Galileo. Unfortunately, it’s pure fiction. I …
Death of a Good Dog
Please stop by Patrick’s blog and read about the remarkable life and sudden, recent death of his good dog Sailor. Patrick, we are all sorry!
Migration Meme
As Helen harks to the sounds of migrating birds, I am still waiting for the first one to whack itself cold against the window at the Student Union. I check every morning, taking a short detour down the pedestrian ramp and parking my bike against the retaining wall at the bottom of the stair. Up …
Common Thread?
We’ve said it among ourselves through pursed lips and wondered aloud about it here at the Q.: Is there something we can point to that explains most or all of the things we complain about? Urban sprawl, nanny states, gun control, leash laws, animal rightists, humanist leftists (sorry), illiteracy, virtual reality, canned hunts. . .There …
Working Like a Dog
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 …