Why do people have tigers and lions and suchlike as pets? I’m baffled.

Trackers kill mystery tiger roaming Southern California hills

It’s sad that someone kept this creature to begin with and then to have it shot is horrific, but what was the alternative?

Yes, it is February.
Yes, there is a full moon tonight.
Yes, big, fat, fucking snowflakes are falling or flurrying or whatever.
Yes, it is cold.
Yes, I get it that winter is not yet over.
The Vernal Equinox is in 25 days.

Read this, Brushes with Llamas, by J. Sallini-Genovese, on YPR. My favorite bit:

My attempt to engage him proved unsatisfactory. “Aren’t you Fernando Llamas?” I asked him. “You know, the actor, married to Esther Williams, the swimming star.” I would have listed selections from his filmography but I couldn’t think of any. I tried to get more personal. “Say, between you and me, isn’t that synchronized swimming about the silliest idea of an Olympic sport there is?”

The storySouth Million Writers Award Notable Online Stories for 2004 have been posted and I am THRILLED and honored to note that for the second year in a row, one of my stories (“Bridges“) has been selected out of the 1,200 nominations to be a part of this list. I’m also delighted to see many of my friends on this list.

My thanks go out to those who voted for my story, to the judges (Sefi Atta, Rusty Barnes, Scott Esposito, Megan Powell, Dan Wickett, and two additional judges who wished to remain anonymous), to the wonderful people who make Pindeldyboz happen (especially Shauna McKenna) and, of course, to Jason Sanford for hosting the awards.

Please note that the top ten stories of 2004 will be released on March 1, 2005. Public voting for the best story of the year will begin at that time. You can check back at the main award page for more inforamtion.

Here’s a fascinating little article, which sort of confirms what I had been thinking and that is that: The Web Not the Death of Language:

Traditional linguists fear the internet damages our ability to articulate properly, infusing language with LOLs, dorky emoticons and the gauche sharing personal information on blogs. But some researchers believe we have entered a new era of expression.

“Resources for the expression of informality in writing have hugely increased — something not seen in English since the Middle Ages,” said David Crystal, an author and linguistics professor at the University of Wales at Bangor

.

I’m not much of a T-shirt wearer but some of these are sorta funny (and some are lame/cruel, frat-boy humor).

I might have to get the “Okay, I give up. It’s Nucular” T-shirt.

Watched (i.e. fell asleep while it was on my television) Pirates of the Caribbean – The Curse of the Black Pearl last night. Thought it was hackneyed and boring. That’s not to say that the actors weren’t great–Johnny Depp was certainly fantastic and Geoffrey Rush was his typical greatness–but there were a few too many clashing swords scenes for me (unless you are in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or something of that ilk, I don’t really want to see you fighting–it’s too fucking boring for words).

So, I know I’m in the minority because everyone seems to love this movie but it wasn’t for me or did I miss something?

this pisses me off (the Traditional Values Coalition needs to get a life)–Anti-gay religious group targets Shrek 2:

“Shrek 2 is billed as harmless entertainment but contains subtle sexual messages,” says the coalition, which describes itself as a grassroots inter-denominational lobby with more than 43,000 member churches.

“Parents who are thinking about taking their children to see Shrek 2 may wish to consider the following.”

The article then proceeds to describe one of the characters, an “evil” bartender (voiced by Larry King) who is a male-to-female transgender in transition and who expresses a sexual desire for Prince Charming.

In another identified scene, Shrek and Donkey need rescuing from a dungeon by Pinocchio and his nose, which is made to extend as an escape bridge by getting the wooden boy to lie about not wearing women’s underwear.

And this makes me happy (Go, Matt Groening, go!): Simpsons’ gay character is Patty:

In There’s Something About Marrying, which has aired in the US, Homer Simpson buys a licence to perform dozens of same-sex marriages.

This prompts sister-in-law Patty to explain how she fell for professional golfer Veronica.

I’m in a bit of shock over this: HUNTER S. THOMPSON: 1937-2005

Hunter S. Thompson, the counterculture writer credited with creating a new form of journalism in books like “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” was found dead Sunday from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Aspen- area home, authorities said.

if you are interested, please read this:

Sign Here to Save the Planet:Join a people’s campaign to ratify the Kyoto Protocol

and then, if you feel so moved, sign the petition found here:

Kyoto and Beyond.

Both your planet and I thank you.

this is great:

The Somerville Gates