Not a joke: Qatar has developed a lightweight robot jockey for camel racing, to replace the children who were preferred before. Unfortunately this version does not have the photo from the original dead- tree WSJ version of October 3.
Karma Light?
One used to go to the BBC and such papers as The Herald Tribune for information. But according to this hilarious item by Canadian columnist Michael Higgins, you might best avoid it. Maybe it’s my age or upbringing, but even moderately educated non- Catholics used to know that “Carmelites” were nuns, and that LATIN was …
Zuni Rock Art Blogging 2
For your enjoyment, I’m back with some more prehistoric petroglyphs from Zuni Pueblo in west central New Mexico. As I mentioned in this post there are some beautiful examples of rock art from an area near the northern edge of the reservation. I have always liked this cliff face which has a variety of geometrics, …
Islamic Indians??!!
At the wedding last Sunday, my brother- in- law, an anthropologist who has worked for more than 30 years with the Chamula Mayas of Chiapas, told me bemusedly that the latest fad for these VERY religiously syncretic people– they have incorporated their own Paganism, Catholicism, Presbyterianism, some sort of Evangelicism, and alchoholism with little effort. …
Microchip everything!
Eveyone interested in keeping domestic animals should read this post on animal control and the “PAWS” bill. The odd alliance of the AKC, the HSUS, and the worst of all, PETA, are lining up with the support of “conservative” presidential hopeful Rick Santorum in a bid to control all domestic cat and dog breeding and …
Beluga Caviar
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has banned importation of Beluga Caviar from the Caspian. Something had to be done. My only concern with a total ban is that, as always (and as in ivory before it) it equally penalizes those countries with real conservation, and those where poaching and corruption are rampant. Ironically, Iran …
History’s Ironies 2
In Nigeria, white farmers driven from their land in Zimbabwe, and their modern methods, are being welcomed with open arms. One can only hope it will stay that way.
History’s Ironies 1
Chinese colonists in Xinjiang, patriotic Communists when young, are being dispossed by the new Chinese capitalist economy, and have nowhere to go. It is sad, but probably neither Uyghurs or Tibetans are shedding any tears.
Moving Photo
This photo of Condoleeza Rice and a Kyrgiz eagle falconer is amazing, and should move anyone but the most hardened ideologue. When I was born, her family was living under Jim Crow, and he was a Soviet “minority” forbiden to roam with his herds, as his ancestors had always done, or even fly eagles, by …
Extremely Cool Beetles..
…at this Cornell site. The carbon dust illustrations here are particularly nice. Thanks to Will Brown of Blue Ridge Biological.