A Scottish brewery — opening in the U.S. today — not only allows employees to bring dogs to work. It gives them a week off when they get a new puppy or adopt a rescue dog. (H/T Joel) The final (?) chapter has been written in the life and death of Kennewick Man. Google and Bing sign a pact to be even more secretively manipulative than they already are with search results. Kickstarter: Wearable luggage for the frequent traveler. (Tip o’ hat to MJR who ponders whether this clothing might also substitute for a bug-out bag) Gunblogger Kim du Toit…
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Normally around this time of year, I’d expect the first signs — well, foreshadowings — of spring. But given the frigidity of the present winter all happy signs and portents have been delayed. Until a day or two ago I had to settle for this: A squashed frog on the road a few blocks from my house. Not this particular deceased amphibian (whose photo I found online). But one of its relatives that I’ve had to step over on my walks to town. Damn strange first sign of spring. Frogs are usually late-season arrivals and not very plentiful; what a…
7 CommentsComes a report that a lake of molten carbon underlies vast stretches of the western U.S. This is scientifically fascinating. This is the kind of awesome information earth sciences geeks live for. When I was a little kid, I’d have been right on this, learning everything I could and probably hoping it would be possible to dive down and explore the lake someday. Maybe this is also terrifying when you consider that it’s roughly (very roughly) centered on the Yellowstone supervolcano and covers areas that have been buried in almost unthinkably thick, vast lava flows at at times in their…
14 CommentsConvicted of self-defense in a Portland court. Outrageous. But there’s Portland and then there’s Oregon when it comes to gun rights. Kit Perez begins a three-part series on how social media silences dissent. Ugh. Looks like the NorthWET is in for another big drenching. But we’re used to that. It’s California — the poor people below the Oroville Damn — getting the worst of it. They say the dam danger is much less now. But I wonder. I also wonder whose head is going to roll for this. Why is the whole world suddenly debating whether Huxley or Orwell got…
24 CommentsI learned yesterday that the gift Toyota is not going to be. Turned out it’s a great vehicle for someone who doesn’t mind getting out and doing minor wrenching once in a while, but not for someone who just wants to get in and go. But I had fun exchanging messages and receiving photos from FishOrMan (and with another friend who offered to join the Toyota conspiracy) and I consider the offer(s) and consequences to be part of the magic that touches my life so often. It’s been a rough six or seven days. There’s been good news (no surgery!…
18 CommentsI have this longstanding superstition. I’ll never put a new music player in an older car. I’m sure the moment I commit to some nice little luxury like that the vehicle will come down with a dreaded car illness — beyond repair. The CD player in the Xterra never worked properly, but never got replaced in the five or six years I owned it because … doom. Old Blue doesn’t even have a CD player, just a radio that jumps randomly every few seconds from NPR to heavy metal to Mexican oompah music. So I never use it. I’ve missed…
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