Promoting Ignorance

MWK commented on this article with a post title that sums it up nicely: “A whole museum dedicated to not thinking.” From the article:
Tyrannosaurus rex was a strict vegetarian, and lived with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
There were dinosaurs of every kind aboard Noah’s ark. Some dinosaurs managed to hang around [...]

History Lessons

Patti Smith has a new album out; it’s called Twelve and it’s album of 12 covers. Unless you buy it at Target, as I did this morning, and get the bonus track: a cover of REM’s “Everybody Hurts.” (I’m listening to it now & enjoying it; it doesn’t have the goddess of the [...]

Looking at Houston Through a Lens

The Houstonist blog is organizing a juried photography exhibit about – what else? – Houston. It’s called 600 sq mi: Photos from Houston, and here are some details:
It’s a juried exhibition of photographs from Houston, from Main Street to the coastal prairie and everything in between. We’re looking for photos that show what makes Houston [...]

Greetings from Gliese 581c

I find news of the discovery of an Earth-like, potentially life-supporting planet just 20 light years away quite inspiring.
The planet in question orbits a star called Gliese 581 that lies a mere 20 light years away in the constellation Libra. The temperature of the sun is such that it supports nuclear fusion that generates bright [...]

Living Accessories

Maybe the idea of timesharing a dog shouldn’t give me the creeps, but it does: FlexPetz lets you share a dog the way that Flexcar lets you share an automobile, though unlike Flexcar, they don’t appear to know how to spell.
After all, there are so many dogs out there with no home, sitting in shelters, [...]

Culture of Life Update

Because nothing says “We value life!” like trying to blow people up.
Mysteriously absent from the news story is the word “terrorist.” Apparently killing for your religious beliefs only merits the big T if you’re not Christian.

Meanwhile, Inside…

Electrical hell continues.

Frak is helping out through constructive napping.

Backyard Nature

At last, I have found a plant that likes the sun-baked deck on the back of my house!

“I’m ready for my close-up!”

This Old (Damn) House

I like old houses. I like their charm and character. I like the feeling of a place that’s been around a while. I like older neighborhoods, which are more likely to have been built at human, rather than automobile, scale.
But I am quite aware of the downsides of old houses. Especially today. This morning, quite [...]

"Man Bites Dog"

I think this headline fits that news category:
New York Lawyer Disbarred for Being an Asshole
No offense to the lawyers out there (hi Jeff!) but… it’s not a profession known for a low asshole population.