More Domesticky Cats

I'm surprised the cats are not eager to rush back outside this morning. It's not that cold outside. But I am glad too. Maybe all that rainy weather is finally making them more domesticky, even if they remain a little disturbingly wild in the house, like small children but with tiger claws.

More Domesticky Cats

I'm surprised the cats are not eager to rush back outside this morning. It's not that cold outside. But I am glad too. Maybe all that rainy weather is finally making them more domesticky, even if they remain a little disturbingly wild in the house, like small children but with tiger claws.

I am a Judas

Sammy was in the kitchen, and through the glass sliding-door, he was fixated on a bird near the patio. He badly wanted to go out. I was happy to oblige him; it's a gorgeous day, sunny and briskly cool. But I made a lot of noise to scare off the birds. I feel a little bad. Sammy must think I am a Judas. I don't think I'll ever get used to the idea of the cats killing and eating birds and other little prey.

I am a Judas

Sammy was in the kitchen, and through the glass sliding-door, he was fixated on a bird near the patio. He badly wanted to go out. I was happy to oblige him; it's a gorgeous day, sunny and briskly cool. But I made a lot of noise to scare off the birds. I feel a little bad. Sammy must think I am a Judas. I don't think I'll ever get used to the idea of the cats killing and eating birds and other little prey.

Miley in Hawaii

Not bad at all. Sometimes she looks heavenly and sometimes she looks like the game is over. Whether this has nore to do with photoshopping skills or not, I cannot say, but I like the results.

(Source: ONTD)

Miley in Hawaii

Not bad at all. Sometimes she looks heavenly and sometimes she looks like the game is over. Whether this has nore to do with photoshopping skills or not, I cannot say, but I like the results.

(Source: ONTD)

Marine Mammal, Special Agent

The more you know...

_ _ _

You've likely heard of the Navy SEAL dog that took part in the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. Now meet the other Navy seals. Actually, they're sea lions. And dolphins.

For more than five decades, the Navy has enlisted sea lions, dolphins, and other marine mammals as an elite corps of underwater sentries, searchers, and mine-sweepers. Its Marine Mammal Program started in 1960 when weapons researchers studied a Pacific white-sided dolphin named Notty to see if she might teach them something about designing speedier torpedoes. She didn't, but the service has remained intriguiged by sea mammals' speed, stealth, sonar, and smarts. During the Vietnam War, specially trained dolphins were deployed to protect ships in Cam Ranh Bay. The Navy denies that they were dispatched to kill enemy divers as part of a "swimmer nullification program", though more recently sea lions have been trained to "attach restraint devices to swimmers." (The notion of dolphins as trained killers inspired The Day of the Dolphin, a 1973 movie starring George C. Scott.) Since the mid-1970s, the program has expanded to include beluga whales, seals, and and killer whales, though bottlenose dolphins and Californa sea lions have become its two mainstays due to their "their trainability, adaptability, and heartiness in the marine environment."

-- LJ/Mother Jones

_ _ _

I half-expect to have to delete this later because they are pulling my leg.

Marine Mammal, Special Agent

The more you know...

_ _ _

You've likely heard of the Navy SEAL dog that took part in the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. Now meet the other Navy seals. Actually, they're sea lions. And dolphins.

For more than five decades, the Navy has enlisted sea lions, dolphins, and other marine mammals as an elite corps of underwater sentries, searchers, and mine-sweepers. Its Marine Mammal Program started in 1960 when weapons researchers studied a Pacific white-sided dolphin named Notty to see if she might teach them something about designing speedier torpedoes. She didn't, but the service has remained intriguiged by sea mammals' speed, stealth, sonar, and smarts. During the Vietnam War, specially trained dolphins were deployed to protect ships in Cam Ranh Bay. The Navy denies that they were dispatched to kill enemy divers as part of a "swimmer nullification program", though more recently sea lions have been trained to "attach restraint devices to swimmers." (The notion of dolphins as trained killers inspired The Day of the Dolphin, a 1973 movie starring George C. Scott.) Since the mid-1970s, the program has expanded to include beluga whales, seals, and and killer whales, though bottlenose dolphins and Californa sea lions have become its two mainstays due to their "their trainability, adaptability, and heartiness in the marine environment."

-- LJ/Mother Jones

_ _ _

I half-expect to have to delete this later because they are pulling my leg.

Finished "1Q84"

I finished "1Q84" a couple of nights ago. Close to a thousand pages. And I was really enjoying it. For over nine-hundred pages, I was even thinking that I might like to book-blog it some day, if I have so many years of life left in my credit. I could understand Murakami's fame. He gives us characters and scenes that suck you in, heart and soul.

On the other hand, when I finished the last page and put the book down, I found myself sympathizing with Janet Maslin, the New York Times critic who was witheringly harsh on Murakami and his novel. Oh, to be sure, I think she goes too far. Sonny and Cher are only mentioned a few times, and I found a good 90% of the book to be more than consistently interesting. It was a fascinating world, and you always want to know what happens next.

And if someone had stolen my book when I still had fifty pages left to read, I would have thought that "1Q84" must be one of the all time great masterpieces of world literature. Okay, that may be overstating it, but I thought it was more than escapist pop-fiction, a real find. Unfortunately, no one stole my book, and when I finished the last page, I was overcome by the resentment that, after reading almost a thousand pages, I was cheated, taken for a sucker indeed. This is not "The Brothers Karamozov" of the twenty-first century.

The story ends up being the most sappy love story ever played out in the major leagues of literature. All those wild imaginings of air chrysalises and supernatural little people and two worlds and two moons, while intriguing and fascinating in their development, all seem to be pointless detours when you have reached the end. It doesn't make sense. All those well-drawn scenes do not add up. The ultimate lesson I draw is that you can have all the marvelous talents of a writer, but you can still fall short if you cannot design a good plot.

Well, I do not regret reading the book. It gave me weeks of fun reading, before letting me down. I may still try Murakami's more realist fiction, perhaps "Norwegian Wood", but it is close to the bottom of my wish list. For now, I feel like switching back and forth between Charles Bukowski and Charles Dickens, if that makes any sense. I am a strange and sad fellow. For Murakami fans out there, it may be that I am too unhip and uncool for what may be the cutting edge of fiction, as I am even older in spirit than I am in years, ancient and old school. Everyone has to find their happiness in themselves.

Finished "1Q84"

I finished "1Q84" a couple of nights ago. Close to a thousand pages. And I was really enjoying it. For over nine-hundred pages, I was even thinking that I might like to book-blog it some day, if I have so many years of life left in my credit. I could understand Murakami's fame. He gives us characters and scenes that suck you in, heart and soul.

On the other hand, when I finished the last page and put the book down, I found myself sympathizing with Janet Maslin, the New York Times critic who was witheringly harsh on Murakami and his novel. Oh, to be sure, I think she goes too far. Sonny and Cher are only mentioned a few times, and I found a good 90% of the book to be more than consistently interesting. It was a fascinating world, and you always want to know what happens next.

And if someone had stolen my book when I still had fifty pages left to read, I would have thought that "1Q84" must be one of the all time great masterpieces of world literature. Okay, that may be overstating it, but I thought it was more than escapist pop-fiction, a real find. Unfortunately, no one stole my book, and when I finished the last page, I was overcome by the resentment that, after reading almost a thousand pages, I was cheated, taken for a sucker indeed. This is not "The Brothers Karamozov" of the twenty-first century.

The story ends up being the most sappy love story ever played out in the major leagues of literature. All those wild imaginings of air chrysalises and supernatural little people and two worlds and two moons, while intriguing and fascinating in their development, all seem to be pointless detours when you have reached the end. It doesn't make sense. All those well-drawn scenes do not add up. The ultimate lesson I draw is that you can have all the marvelous talents of a writer, but you can still fall short if you cannot design a good plot.

Well, I do not regret reading the book. It gave me weeks of fun reading, before letting me down. I may still try Murakami's more realist fiction, perhaps "Norwegian Wood", but it is close to the bottom of my wish list. For now, I feel like switching back and forth between Charles Bukowski and Charles Dickens, if that makes any sense. I am a strange and sad fellow. For Murakami fans out there, it may be that I am too unhip and uncool for what may be the cutting edge of fiction, as I am even older in spirit than I am in years, ancient and old school. Everyone has to find their happiness in themselves.

Quote of the Day

“All I’ve ever done is dream. That, and only that, has been the meaning of my existence. The only thing I’ve ever really cared about is my inner life. My greatest griefs faded to nothing the moment I opened the window onto my inner self and lost myself in watching.

"I never tried to be anything other than a dreamer. I never paid any attention to people who told me to go out and live. I belonged always to whatever was far from me and to whatever I could never be.”

-- Fernando Pessoa

Quote of the Day

“All I’ve ever done is dream. That, and only that, has been the meaning of my existence. The only thing I’ve ever really cared about is my inner life. My greatest griefs faded to nothing the moment I opened the window onto my inner self and lost myself in watching.

"I never tried to be anything other than a dreamer. I never paid any attention to people who told me to go out and live. I belonged always to whatever was far from me and to whatever I could never be.”

-- Fernando Pessoa