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From Tech Central Station: is your mind stuck in 1968? I try to be open to ideas, whether they come from left or right-- have linked to TCS, Orion, 2Blowhards, Sailer, Derbyshire, the NY andLA Times(es), and more. But I often find conservatives (of a certain kind anyway) and libertarians more open to heretical ideas than liberals...

A hilarious Instance of Doom & Gloom, sent by a reader to the Doom & Gloom master himself, John Derbyshire-- from the works of P G Wodehouse!

" "I hope you don't disapprove of weddings, Ferris?'
"Yes, sir."
"Why?"
"They seem to me melancholy occasions, sir."
"Are you married, Ferris?"
"A widower, sir."
"Well, weren't you happy when you got married?"
"No, sir."
"Was Mrs. Ferris?"
"She appeared to take a certain girlish pleasure in the ceremony, sir, but it soon blew over."
"How do you account for that?"
"I could not say, sir."
"I'm sorry weddings depress you, Ferris. Surely when two people love each other and mean to go on loving each other ... "
"Marriage is not a process for prolonging the live of love, sir. It merely mummifies its corpse."
"But, Ferris, if there were no marriages, what would become of posterity?"
"I see no necessity for posterity, sir."
"You disapprove of it?"
"Yes, sir."
"George walked pensively out on to the drive in front of the house. He was conscious of a diminution of the exuberant happiness which had led him to engage the butler in conversation. He saw clearly now that, Ferris's conversation being what it was, a bridegroom who engaged him in it on his wedding-day was making a blunder. A suitable, even an ideal, companion for a funeral, Ferris seemed out of harmony when the joy-bells were ringing. "

Derb adds that his "...diligent reader may have tracked the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement back to its source..."

Check out wonderful new blog "Birding Babylon", by a former soldier stationed in Iraq. It even has falconry! (He links to this First Science post that Reid or Matt may have mentioned before-- not entirely convincing but interesting nevertheless). He also has a general natural history blog here. Both are full of good things. Hat tip to O & P.

And a final food post (for now): "The Scottish Executive wants to prevent primary schoolchildren from eating haggis more than once a week. Has the world gone mad?" (From Arthur's Seat).