Around the Web

Things stack up when you are busy!

Nanny state part one thousand and ???: Britain now is suggesting compulsory training in nursery rhymes for inept parents. Can't make it up...

While Beijing is pursuing a compulsory one- small- dog policy--- not that Albuquerque mayor Marty Chavez wouldn't do the same if he had the power.

Also in Britain: a Moslem gent, hungry from his Ramadan fast, attacked and killed a park swan. To me, the funny part is that he "admitted possessing a kitchen knife in public". The depravity!

On a more positive note, Dr. Hypercube introduces us to the fantastic zoological art of Briony Morrow-Cribbs at the Diary of a Mad Natural Historian.

Continuing in that vein, check out regular commentor Moro Rogers' Kambodia Hotel Blog. She and I have been corresponding for many years (really-- she was a precocious talent!) and it is a delight to watch her skills unfold. Moro, you should tell us about such things!

A federal judge is allowing Indians to violate federal laws and kill eagles. How far should religious tolerance extend? I think in conservation biology should generally trump all. My initial and admittedly reactionary reaction-- in a note to Matt-- was: "If they want to kill eagles they should also live in tipis, and give up trucks, booze, welfare, and rifles!" (living next to a particularly dysfunctional reservation will make one sour). Matt as always was more humane, though his perscription amounted to the same thing put more thoughtfully:

"I am not one to wish "primitive" peoples back into
their molds (or worse, our idea of their molds), but I
don't think you can have it both ways. The old, right
ways contain their own natural limitations.

"If you want to dig in and catch your eagle by hand,
kill it barehanded and use every part of it for a
ceremony once a year, I'm OK with that. I have
"harvested" wild raptors and (unwittingly) killed them
in the pursuit of my own nirvana. I've got no room to
complain.

"But add bullets and money into the equation and all
bets are off."

Back at the ranch: Reid sent this LAT piece on the "discovery " that grazing can be good for the range.

Well, "duh". Grass coevolved with grazing. Until we get "rewilding" it had best get at least some grazing or prooblems will result..

Michael Brendan Daugherty at Surfeited with Dainties has posted a stirring defense of dandyism. It's not just for metrosexuals! "If, as Chensvold insists, Dandyism is a male archetype, then a Dandy must be identifiably a man. He ought to like wine, women and song more than attention, fake titles and sunflowers in his own lapel."

One more: the War Nerd has some bleak views on our future conflicts. Will we ever learn?