Thursday, August 03, 2006

Around the Blogosphere..

Still busy, but still collecting tidbits...

Weird-- and ominous. The Chinese are modelling Indian mountain ranges.

I keep saying this: drinking is good for you!

Hantavirus strikes in California. It has been dormant in New Mexico recently, probably because of the drought-- but the rains will likely bring it back. Nothing is simple.

Apparently some idiots in Botwana think falconry endangers birds of prey. Like in the US, where falconers brought back the Peregrine and are working on the Aplomado? Or the UK, where there are an estimated (and incredible to me) 20,000 plus hawkers and booming populations of everything from Peregrines to Sparrowhawks?

Of course, this genius also thinks raptors cannot catch crows. Thanks to Anne Pearse Hocker.

The latest volume in the collected works of George Orwell has been rejected by his long- term publisher on the grounds of political incorrectitude. I'd blame this on the conglomerate- ization of everything-- Secker and Warburg is now a part of (evil) Random House.

Are we becoming a nation of wimps? "Shortly after psychologist Robert Epstein announced to his university students that he expected them to work hard and would hold them to high standards, he heard from a parent— on official judicial stationery— asking how he could dare mistreat the young."

For a different view of childhood, read this. (Don't know how long this link is valid).

Michael at 2Blowhards has long been a champion of what I call the Raymond Chandler theory of literature-- that is, there are no genres, only good and bad writing. He recently introduced me to the site Bookgasm, which features serious but not solemn reviews of thrillers, horror novels, adventure books, "pulps" and more. If your taste in reading goes beyond the New Yorker's fiction pages, check it out!

Coming soon: photos of stuffed animal toys-- really! Blame Darren-- who also has a post featuring my javelina skull.

No comments: