November 30, 2006

Some Thanksgiving Birding

On a new schedule, having skipped forward from last week's Thanksgiving holiday Five Wells' Mary Ann details many reasons to be thankful in the 37th edition of I and the Bird.

Posted by Steve on November 30, 2006

What would Mr Dewey say about her?

There is a new search tool on The Internets. It might even have been made with w in mind. I'll let Professor Myers describe it for you:

Microsoft has added everything to a search engine that you've missed in Google: long load times, half of the screen space dedicated to flash animation and another quarter just empty charcoal grey, results that are shown 3 at a time and displayed in a light gray font on a distracting pale graphic, and most importantly, the most annoying librarian in the universe, Ms. Dewey, who seems to be there to nag you to type faster and mock you if she doesn't understand your request.
Yes, she will mock you:
Are you just letting your dog type now?
It wasn't hard to get her to say:
It's easy to make jokes about the president. So easy, I'm going to pass on it.
Maybe if they gave her a few more waiting for input routines one wouldn't get totally annoyed by the time you are able to read the 3 search responses and figure out how to scroll for more that you can't read.

If you are not in a hurry for your answers or turn out to be more interested in hers....well, go try it out.

NB: Ms. Dewey will show you her hands tied behind her back, admits to being coded overseas and does give a page of the Kama Sutra an intrigued bit of study. All of which means that I've wasted way too much time at this site!

Posted by Steve on November 30, 2006

November 29, 2006

Why You Should Not Trust Regulatory Agencies to Protect You

Consider that an agency, say the federal trade commission, has approved the labeling that a company uses on its products. The average citizen would expect that use of this labeling implies that the product does what the labeling implies and that the product is safe for them to use.

Unfortunately, this is not a good expectation :

The lawsuit, involving 1.1 million people who bought "light" cigarettes in Illinois, claimed Philip Morris knew when it introduced such cigarettes in 1971 that they were no healthier than regular cigarettes. But the company hid that information and the fact that light cigarettes actually had a more toxic form of tar, the suit claimed.

A Madison County judge ruled in favor of the smokers in March 2003, saying the company misled customers into believing they were buying a less harmful cigarette.

But the state high court overturned that ruling, saying that, because the Federal Trade Commission allowed companies to characterize their cigarettes as "light" and "low tar," Philip Morris could not be held liable under state law even if the terms it used could be found false or misleading.

Read that last paragraph again. Philip Morris lied to the public, misled people into buying an ostensibly safer cigarette. The federal trade commission blessed their labeling and as a result the victims have no legal recourse against this fraudulent behavior.

Not only do they have no recourse but the entity that is supposed to protect them, the citizens, from fraudulent behavior was apparently in bed with the perpetrator.

Perhaps the ftc was fooled by Philip Morris. That's fine, not everyone is perfect. Nevertheless, it is not acceptable that citizens can not sue just because some federal administrative agency has said something is ok.

But then, is that not a big reason companies seek out regulation? To protect themselves from accountability. All they have to do is meet the minimum standards enshrined in the regulatory rules for their industry. Rules that they often have helped write. Once they meet the rules they are protected from suit and Joe and Mary Citizen are screwed.

Joe and Mary need recourse. It is clear that agencies like the ftc and their supporting legislation are not providing the deserved protection. Failing on this account what justification is left for their existence.

The money spent on the myriad of federal, state and local regulatory agencies might be better spent by investing in a legal system that provides easy and timely access to citizens. A legal system that acts under the rule of law not the rule of legislation or administrative rule making. A system that can punish fraud by providing full restitution to victims.

Better yet the money should be returned to the tax payers. Isn't that the appropriate option when the product you have bought is broken and the vendor can not provide a working replacement.

Posted by Steve on November 29, 2006

Crab Lunch and Plenty of Dessert

Long-billed Curlew snacking!

crablunchphotocontest_pipe.jpg

Your dessert is the rest of the winners in the National Wildlife Federation's 35th annual photography competition.

Via Chaos Digest.

Posted by Steve on November 29, 2006

November 28, 2006

Meme Speed

How fast can a meme propagate across The Internets?

Acephalous is running a modest experiment to evaluate this question. You can help out!

Here's what I need you to do:

1. Write a post linking to this one in which you explain the experiment. (All blogs count, be they TypePad, Blogger, MySpace, Facebook, &c.)
2. Ask your readers to do the same. Beg them. Relate sob stories about poor graduate students in desperate circumstances. Imply I'm one of them. (Do whatever you have to. If that fails, try whatever it takes.)
3. Ping Techorati.

Help him out! Give him a link.

Via Pharyngula.

Posted by Steve on November 28, 2006

The Vista

As we were just talking about correct usage we should also note that Microsoft is officially releasing The Vista and other stuff this week:

At an invitation-only affair in New York this week, CEO Steve Ballmer will unveil Windows Vista, Office 2007, and Exchange Server 2007, an upgrade to Microsoft's market-leading e-mail platform.
The title of the above article is 100 Things You Must Know About Microsoft's Most Important Product Launch Ever.

User Friendly saves you the work of reading all the details:

Userfriendlyvista.gif

More in the series here and here

Posted by Steve on November 28, 2006

The Internets and The Google

This may be old news for some of you but everyone should understand how to properly describe the tools we use and who better to tell us how than our top authority on good usage. Listen in as george tells us about using The Internets and The Google.

Via

Posted by Steve on November 28, 2006 | Comments (2)

November 27, 2006

Border Costs

Jaquandor reminds me that the cost of government is higher than the published budget numbers:

...at about 12:30 we left the Falls for the Lewiston Bridge back to the US, and then home.

Well.

The Lewiston Bridge was backed up. Badly. We rolled to a stop about 1.5 KM short of the bridge itself, whereupon we spent the next three hours slowly inching forward, closer and closer to the bridge, then over the bridge, and finally to the Customs checkpoint into the US.

Three hours. About two miles total distance.

That's a lot of people having a lot of their time wasted and there is more to the story.

Of course there is no explanation by the border person as to why Jaquandor and his family had to go through the grilling and search. My family did not have to on our last crossing a few weeks ago and there would have been no pressure on the guard not to take her time...there was no one in line behind us at the time.

Free people would not be subjected to this crap.

Posted by Steve on November 27, 2006 | Comments (1)

November 26, 2006

Better Living Through Chemistry

Mmmmm, I wonder how many cocaine users might have second thoughts after learning a bit about the pathway from leaf to powder.

Via Cynical-C Blog.

Posted by Steve on November 26, 2006 | Comments (3)

November 24, 2006

Friday Ark #114

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

We add boarders all day Friday plus intermittently on Saturday and Sunday so visit frequently.

Do link to the Ark every week!

You can find out how to board the Friday Ark at the Arkive page.

Update (11/26): Our apologizes to those who tried to board late Friday or yesterday. Family matters and travel were at the fore.

Cats

Birds

Dogs

Invertebrates

Other Vertebrates

  • Watermark Here's a squirrel for you; boarded 2006-11-26

In Memoriam

Didn't Make It

  • x

Exceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)

  • x

Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map. (73 shouts as of 11/23)

Dog folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings. Also, there are more doggies at Weekend Dog Blogging hosted this weekend by Sweetnicks.

Cat folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and the 139th edition, 11/19, is up at Mind of Mog. The 140th edition will be hosted by Scribblings on 11/26. There are more weekly cats at Weekend Cat Blogging hosted on 11/25 by House of the (Mostly) Black Cats . Do go shout out at The Catbloggers Frappr Map.

Bird folks: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks. The 36th edition is up and hosted by Words & Pictures. The 37th edition will be hosted on 11/30 by Five Wells.

For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles. The 14th edition is up at The Neurophilosopher's Weblog. The 14th edition will be hosted at the end of November by Ocellated.

For other current carnivals check out The Conservative Cat's Carnival Page, The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

Note for Haloscan Users:

Over the past month or so Haloscan started (the end of July) handling of trackbacks has improved though it is still pretty broken for carnival type posts. Now, instead of rejecting every attempt to ping it accepts single pings for a while and then will start rejecting them. I will keep trying to track back to Haloscan boarders but can make no guarantees for any particular week.

Note for Typepad Users:

Typepad continues to behave similar to Haloscan for trackbacks. I have, though, for the past month been able to get trackbacks to most, if not all, Typepad based boarders. I have to do it one at a time and wait a while in between pings but Typepad does not go into semi-permanent rejection mode like Haloscan.

Posted by Steve on November 24, 2006 | Comments (7)

November 23, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!


Give all your loved one's a hug!

Posted by Steve on November 23, 2006

Again!

I lost! Again...

You too.

Posted by Steve on November 23, 2006 | Comments (1)

November 21, 2006

They'll Be Coming For You

Coworkers, friends and family often look at me very askance when I call out coffee drinkers as druggies. Well, here you go

...on a popular pro-drug Web site, a visitor reported taking seven No Doz tablets, or 1,400 milligrams of caffeine, and compared the effects to a bad trip on LSD.

Then, like many who get carried away with the world's most popular drug, the person wondered: "Can caffeine really do this?"

It can. And abuse of the legal stimulant is an emerging problem among young people, according to Northwestern University researchers, who recently analyzed three years' worth of cases reported to the Illinois Poison Center.

Symptoms include everything from nausea, vomiting and a racing heart to hallucinations, panic attacks, chest pains and trips to the emergency room.

How long before the swat teams are hitting your breakfast nook and narcs are lurking in the corners of Starbucks?

Posted by Steve on November 21, 2006

A Blog to Support and A Blog to Bury

I've been reading PoliBlog for a few years now and generally find Steven Taylor's posts to be interesting and thought provoking.

Apparently Verizon is attempting to steal the name. (Update here) I will not read or link* to the Verizon site until they change the name and maybe not even then.

Whether you agree with Steven's view's or not I urge you to give him a link: google bomb his site, PoliBlog, to assure that he always ranks well above the folks stealing his name.*

Steven's site will continue to be the only PoliBlog that I read.

*Taylor has not encouraged any google bombing. However, it seems reasonable to me to come up with bomb material for Verizon that might become as effective as miserable failure. With the bomb material I will break my no link policy.

Posted by Steve on November 21, 2006 | Comments (1)

November 20, 2006

Bazel is An Excellent Host

To those few of you who have not already visited yesterday's Carnival of the Cats now is your reminder that it is time to head over to Bazel's place and check out the 139th Carnival.

Posted by Steve on November 20, 2006

If You Can't Do Your Job Leave It For the Next Team

Demonstrating that the voters made a good choice to kick them out of leadership the republicans reneged on their basic work as congress critters:

Republicans vacating the Capitol are dumping a big spring cleaning job on Democrats moving in. GOP leaders have opted to leave behind almost a half-trillion-dollar clutter of unfinished spending bills,

Of course, they and the dems could complete this work quickly: delete everything that they do not have the revenue to pay for.

Posted by Steve on November 20, 2006

Double The Pleasure

You all know the good news. Beginning in January there will no longer be a republican congressional rubber stamp. The bad news is that the democrats will have a majority in congress.

With this situation the pleasure of political opining will be doubled. For the past 6 years the republicans have been sitting ducks. There have been daily opportunities to point out their stupidities, foibles and immoral behavior. To be honest they are getting a bit boring. While we will still have the daily disaster of bush we will get the added pleasure of fresh meat in congress.

Gosh, they aren't even waiting until January. At least one senior democrat wants to bring back the draft:

U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, the incoming chairman of the House of Representatives' tax-writing committee, said he would introduce legislation to reinstate the draft as soon as the new, Democratic-controlled Congress convenes in January.

Asked on CBS' "Face the Nation" if he was still serious about the proposal for a universal draft he raised a couple of years ago, he said, "You bet your life. Underscore serious."

"If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft," he said.

Rangel, who opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, also said he did not think the United States would have invaded Iraq if the children of members of Congress were sent to fight. He has said the U.S. fighting force is comprised disproportionately of people from low-income families and minorities.It is a bit ironic that the party, or at least one if its current leaders, that brought us the Vietnam war and riots on the street in opposition to the draft now wants to bring the draft back.

rangel's proposal may be nothing more than a ploy to try to reinvigorate antiwar sentiment by tying it back together with the draft. Unfortunately he might get what he asks for not what he may be wishing for and is there any doubt bush would sign such legislation? What a treat for him. No more worry about recruitment rates getting in the way of a supply of bodies and he can blame the dems.

rangel also argues:

"I don't see how anyone can support the war and not support the draft. I think to do so is hypocritical," he said.

Supporting the war and not supporting a draft is not hypocritical. The latter, in fact, is a position all those who believe in freedom should support.

In the case of war supporters, well, they should all be automatically noted as volunteers for military service. No draft needed.

Also curious is why a black congress person would argue to bring back slavery...

Posted by Steve on November 20, 2006

November 19, 2006

Let Google Do Your Dialing

I suspect Google already knows exactly who you are if you use their search, mapping or other services. Why not, then, give up your phone number? Now, they provide just a bit of incentive to do so.

If you are doing a business search on Google Maps they provide a feature that will call that business for you:

Search for a business, like a hardware store, on Google Maps, and click the 'call' link next to its phone number. Then, enter your phone number and click 'Connect For free.' Google calls your phone number and automatically connects you to the hardware store.

There are two things that I really like about this. The business's phone number is automatically stored in your caller ID so you can easily call back in the future. And by checking the box to remember your phone number, you can make future calls from Google Maps with just two mouse clicks (and picking up your phone, of course).

We're providing the 'call' link as a free service to all businesses. These aren't ads and don't influence the ranking of businesses in the search results. We foot the bill for calls (local and long distance), but airtime fees or other mobile fees will still apply if you use a mobile phone number.

The click to call feature is currently available only within the US and they say that they eventually delete your phone number from their servers. But they most certainly have added the information about your search and your phone call(s) to their growing file on you. If they really want your phone number later there are plenty of ways to acquire it.

On the other side, and it may not really make a difference, there are still quite a few people that delete Google cookies after every use. But, for that to mean anything, you'd better change your IP address every time as well.

Or use something like Tor.

Posted by Steve on November 19, 2006

November 17, 2006

Friday Ark #113

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

We add boarders all day Friday plus intermittently on Saturday and Sunday so visit frequently.

Do link to the Ark every week!

You can find out how to board the Friday Ark at the Arkive page.

Alert: The Ark staff is traveling again today, 11/17. After the first round of early morning boardings updates will be intermittant...every few hours at best.

Cats

Dogs

Other Vertebrates

Invertebrates

Birds

In Memoriam

Didn't Make It

  • x

Exceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)

Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map. (73 shouts as of 11/16)

Dog folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings. Also, there are more doggies at Weekend Dog Blogging hosted this weekend by Sweetnicks.

Cat folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and the 138th edition, 11/12, is up at This Blog Is Full of Crap. The 139th edition will be hosted by Mind of Mog on 11/19. There are more weekly cats at Weekend Cat Blogging hosted on 11/18 by Catsynth . Do go shout out at The Catbloggers Frappr Map.

Bird folks: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks. The 36th edition is up and hosted by Words & Pictures. The 37th edition will be hosted on 11/30 by Five Wells.

For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles. The 14th edition is up at The Neurophilosopher's Weblog. The 14th edition will be hosted at the end of November by Ocellated.

For other current carnivals check out The Conservative Cat's Carnival Page, The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

Note for Haloscan Users:

Over the past month or so Haloscan started (the end of July) handling of trackbacks has improved though it is still pretty broken for carnival type posts. Now, instead of rejecting every attempt to ping it accepts single pings for a while and then will start rejecting them. I will keep trying to track back to Haloscan boarders but can make no guarantees for any particular week.

Note for Typepad Users:

Typepad continues to behave similar to Haloscan for trackbacks. I have, though, for the past month been able to get trackbacks to most, if not all, Typepad based boarders. I have to do it one at a time and wait a while in between pings but Typepad does not go into semi-permanent rejection mode like Haloscan.

Posted by Steve on November 17, 2006 | Comments (8)

November 16, 2006

The International Traveler

Kafka would be hard put to one up the folks at homeland security:

Under the proposed rules, orders by the CBP [Customs adn Border Patrol] to common carriers not to transport specific persons would not be based on restraining orders (injunctions) issued by competent judicial authorities. Instead,they would be based on an undefined, secret, administrative permission-to-travel ("clearance") procedure subject to none of the procedural or substantive due process required for orders prohibiting or restricting the exercise of protected First Amendment rights.
Jill provides perspective:
I remember watching Sound of Music when I was a child and feeling my heart race as the Von Trapp family made its escape from Nazified Austria. I could never have imagined that a day would come when those wanting to leave the United States would be forced to "make a run" for the border to evade a myriad of obstacles placed by an American government in the path of those who wished to exercise their fundamental human right to emigrate.

That day has not yet arrived. But it will on January 14.

Don't count on the Mexican or Canadian borders being your safety valve. The fences and the electronic surveillance can be just as effective at keeping people in as at keeping people out.


The newly powerful dems need to put the elimination of this star chamber behavior close to the top of their early 2007 agenda . If they don't then a free people would be well within their rights to take the job into their own hands.

Posted by Steve on November 16, 2006

November 14, 2006

Playing The Game Are You?

I just lost.

Unless it has been less than 5 minutes since your last loss you have just lost.

Via

Posted by Steve on November 14, 2006

Orange Coast College Student Government Gets Rid of the Pledge

There will be no more reciting of the pledge of allegiance at Orange Coast College student government meetings:

Student leaders at a community college voted to drop the Pledge of Allegiance after a tense meeting in which one flag-waving pledge supporter berated them as anti-American radicals.

Orange Coast College's student trustees voted Wednesday not to recognize the pledge, with three of the five board members saying it should be dropped from their meetings.

Board member Jason Ball argued that the pledge inspires nationalism, violates the separation between church and state with the phrase "under God," and is irrelevant to the business of student government.

To which Edwonk suggests:
Since these student "leaders" have taken it upon themselves to make a "statement" by rejecting the United States Flag, I wonder if these same student "leaders" would be willing to make an even bigger "statement" by rejecting all government-supplied financial aid as well.

Nope, not until the government stops collecting the funds used for financial aid via taxation.

Update (11/21/06): It's back for now:

At an intense two-and-a-half-hour meeting in the faculty lounge, the student trustees listened to — and often expressed — passionate opinions both for and against making the pledge an official item. In the end, by a 3-2 vote, the board opted to reinstate the pledge as an "opportunity" for any attendees who wish to recite it and promised to hold a forum or take an opinion poll in the near future to determine students' feelings on the matter.

"In my view, this is a fair compromise," said student body president Lynne Riddle, who suggested the compromise that the trustees accepted but is not a voting member of the board. "I feel strongly still that the board made no mistake. However, we have heard additional voices from students and the community."

If they can create an environment that supports those who do and those who don't choose to recite the pledge great. If not, then eliminating it was the correct choice.

Posted by Steve on November 14, 2006 | Comments (6)

November 13, 2006

Rush Boogies

Clearly, talent on loan from god.

Via The Presurfer.

Posted by Steve on November 13, 2006 | Comments (1)

November 10, 2006

Friday Ark #112

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

We add boarders all day Friday plus intermittently on Saturday and Sunday so visit frequently.

Do link to the Ark every week!

You can find out how to board the Friday Ark at the Arkive page.

Update: 1:02 PM CST Staff will be on the road for the next 4-5 hours. Next watch for the next Ark boardings early this evening.

Cats

Dogs

Other Vertebrates

Invertebrates

Birds

In Memoriam

  • x

Didn't Make It

Exceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)

Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map. (73 shouts as of 10/19)

Dog folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings. Also, there are more doggies at Weekend Dog Blogging hosted this weekend by Sweetnicks.

Cat folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and the 136th edition, 11/5, is up at Crazy Meezer. The 137th edition will be hosted by The Whole Kitten Kaboodle on 11/12. There are more weekly cats at Weekend Cat Blogging hosted on 11/11 by Skeezix's Scratching Post . Do go shout out at The Catbloggers Frappr Map.

Bird folks: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks. The 36th edition is up and hosted by Words & Pictures. The 37th edition will be hosted on 11/30 by Five Wells.

For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles. The 14th edition is up at The Neurophilosopher's Weblog. The 14th edition will be hosted at the end of November by Ocellated.

For other current carnivals check out The Conservative Cat's Carnival Page, The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

Note for Haloscan Users:

Over the past month or so Haloscan started (the end of July) handling of trackbacks has improved though it is still pretty broken for carnival type posts. Now, instead of rejecting every attempt to ping it accepts single pings for a while and then will start rejecting them. I will keep trying to track back to Haloscan boarders but can make no guarantees for any particular week.

Note for Typepad Users:

Typepad continues to behave similar to Haloscan for trackbacks. I have, though, for the past month been able to get trackbacks to most, if not all, Typepad based boarders. I have to do it one at a time and wait a while in between pings but Typepad does not go into semi-permanent rejection mode like Haloscan.

Posted by Steve on November 10, 2006 | Comments (10)

November 9, 2006

Bird Party

I and the Bird #36 is up at Words & Pictures!

Check out the Grey Heron, the Sandpipers on Parade and the many other particpants at this avian get together.

Posted by Steve on November 9, 2006

November 8, 2006

rummy gone?

2:06 Eastern

NPR just said bush will soon announce rumsfeld's resignation.

This is also the headline beneath the bush talking head on MSNBC as bush reacts to the election.

Posted by Steve on November 8, 2006 | Comments (2)

November 7, 2006

Haven't Voted Yet?

Go now and fling them out!

These are not people you want to have practically unchecked power.

The counterargument is that the Democrats will be gutless and no real threat to the security state the GOP has spent four years building. I think that’s probably true. However, there is still one principle worth upholding: throw the bums out. Voting is like being strapped into a high chair and offered a couple of bowls of mush. The one useful way to communicate is to fling whatever they made you eat yesterday against the wall. Go now and fling.

Yep, the republicans need to be thrown out.

Unfortunately, no matter who wins we will, for the most part, still be stuck with democrats or republicans.


Posted by Steve on November 7, 2006 | Comments (2)

November 4, 2006

Thieves In Action

It appears none of the victims stole anything, committed violence against anyone or were fraudulent. It's time to acknowledge that we have turned our protection over to gangs of thugs.

Via The Agitator.

Posted by Steve on November 4, 2006 | Comments (2)

November 3, 2006

Friday Ark #111

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

We add boarders all day Friday plus intermittently on Saturday and Sunday so visit frequently.

Do link to the Ark every week!

You can find out how to board the Friday Ark at the Arkive page.

Cats

Dogs

Other Vertebrates

Birds

Invertebrates

In Memoriam

Didn't Make It

Exceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)

*Should have boarded last week.

Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map. (75 shouts as of 11/2)

Dog folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings. Also, there are more doggies at Weekend Dog Blogging hosted this weekend by Sweetnicks.

Cat folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and the 136th edition, 10/29, is up at Watermark. The 136th edition will be hosted by Crazy Meezer on 11/5. There are more weekly cats at Weekend Cat Blogging hosted on 11/4 by Lali et Cie . Do go shout out at The Catbloggers Frappr Map.

Bird folks: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks. The 35th edition is up and hosted by Migrations. The 36th edition will be hosted on 11/9 by Words & Pictures.

For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles. The 14th edition is up at The Neurophilosopher's Weblog. The 14th edition will be hosted at the end of November by Ocellated.

For other current carnivals check out The Conservative Cat's Carnival Page, The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

Note for Haloscan Users:

Over the past month or so Haloscan started (the end of July) handling of trackbacks has improved though it is still pretty broken for carnival type posts. Now, instead of rejecting every attempt to ping it accepts single pings for a while and then will start rejecting them. I will keep trying to track back to Haloscan boarders but can make no guarantees for any particular week.

Note for Typepad Users:

Typepad continues to behave similar to Haloscan for trackbacks. I have, though, for the past month been able to get trackbacks to most, if not all, Typepad based boarders. I have to do it one at a time and wait a while in between pings but Typepad does not go into semi-permanent rejection mode like Haloscan.

Posted by Steve on November 3, 2006 | Comments (13)

November 2, 2006

A Belated Happy Spineless Halloween

If only you could have morphed into one the fine Circus of the Spinless #14 participants for your Halloween costume!

For the more carnel minded of you the Neurophilosopher has included a short clip of leopard slugs doing stuff that Alberto thinks should be banned (he might have a different opinion privately).

Posted by Steve on November 2, 2006 | Comments (1)