Lots of Links

Busy busy busy-- but stuff just keeps coming in. Thanks to all!

We had a good visit from Dan and his hounds last week-- well, good except for that seat belt ticket. The weather was almost too hot to run dogs, but we have had two snowstorms since! He chronicles it all there, with pics.

Darren chronicles the unholy amount of plastic crap in the oceans- I had no idea of the magnitude. Watch his spot next week for something weird, entertaining, and utterly different.

The best and funniest music video of-- the year?

From a commentor at Rod's, a little background:

"The Leningrad Cowboys is a Finnish rock and roll band famous for its humorous songs and concerts featuring the Soviet Red Army Choir.

"Currently, the band has eleven Cowboys and two Leningrad Ladies. The songs, all somewhat influenced by polka and progressive rock, and performed in English, have themes such as 'vodka', 'tractors', 'rockets', and 'Genghis Khan', as well as folkloric Russian songs, rock and roll ballads and covers from bands as diverse as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, all with lots of humour.

"The Red Army Choir (Choir Aleksandrov) is a performing ensemble that served as the official army choir of the former Soviet Union's Red Army. The choir consists of a male choir, an orchestra, and a dance ensemble. The songs they perform range from Russian folk tunes to Church hymns, operatic arias and popular music.

"In 1991, The Red Army Choir participated in Roger Waters' The Wall concert celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall. They performed an anti-war song 'Bring the Boys Back Home'."

Bad enough when an inanimate object like a gun is demonised. But now they are going to demolish a building where a shooting happened, to spare students' feelings. I fear for our sanity.

A creepy tale. But how can anyone test the veracity of something that happened in a closed society like the old Soviet Union? (I have seen some strange things there myself, things military people here tell me I couldn't have...)

Andrew Campbell is back from Mongolia-- scroll down for the rest of the trip.

Mike shows the world typical western distances. I live just to the right of those hazy mountains on the left, about 100 miles from where he snapped that photo-- and there is not a lot in between.

Science? Walter Hingley has been busy sending me links. Tuataras have DNA that is changing faster than that of any other creature studied, while keeping their dinosaur- era form., Why?-- perhaps Darren may have some idea.

Feathers in amber shed light on the early evolution of feathers. Nice Luis Rey pic here.

Crows learn to use coins in vending machines. I don't know if that is funny or scary.

Mike Spies sent a copy of the new bill to criminalize killing a migratory bird. Well, OK, but don't these nitwits even know that it is already illegal?, and has been for many years? What is this blind passion to pass laws? (Anyone have a link?)

Speaking of which, Arizona has jumped on the mandatory spay- neuter bandwagon. The proposed law is one of the worst yet-- since I cannot show my perfectly purebred tazis, they would not be up for exemption. I do not understand government's attempts to make more and more outlaws.

Let us turn to less depressing subjects. Patrick is always thought- provoking, but the most amazing thing in his latest "Coffee and Provocation" is that wolves are returning to Massachusetts! I used to live not far from Shelburne, and I find that utterly amazing.

Finally, from Annie D, something as funny as the Leningrad cowboys: Dogs in Elk.

Pix of various subjects & more soon..