Tuesday, August 24, A.D. 2010

Rest in Peace, Star Hustler

While I was touring Yooperland with my family, the iconic Jack Horkheimer—the Star Hustler—died at the young age of seventy two last Friday. I grew up watching Horkheimer on P.B.S., and I am saddened to see him go. He was a unique character, and he provided a fine service. I just learnt that the Star Hustler became the Star Gazer in the internet age in order to avoid confusingly awkward searches. I wonder if Horkheimer got a kick out of that. Memory eternal!

Here is the Star Hustler from A.D. 1985:

Keep looking up!

Posted by Joseph on Tuesday, August 24, A.D. 2010
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Wednesday, August 11, A.D. 2010

Treadmill Cats

I wonder if one has to have had experience with pets to appreciate pet videos. I think that videos that feature amusing animal behaviors and reactions are quite entertaining, but I wonder how universal such appreciation is. Maybe some background is required. I am not sure. Well, for those with ears to hear and eyes to see, enjoy this lovely pet video:

Wait for 2:13. Cats . . .

Posted by Joseph on Wednesday, August 11, A.D. 2010
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Thursday, July 1, A.D. 2010

An Engineer’s Guide to Cat Yodeling

If you like cats and if you do not hate engineers and their manifold geeky ways, you may like “An Engineer’s Guide to Cat Yodeling.” It is dorky, but it has some funny moments—and the cats are cute.

The internet is an interesting beast.

Posted by Joseph on Thursday, July 1, A.D. 2010
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Saturday, May 8, A.D. 2010

A Glimpse of Pan

The Nature Conservancy sponsored a nature photography contest last year, and the winners, finalists, and honorable mentions are lovely. Spend some time marvelling at these snapshots of God’s work.

My favorite picture was the contest’s first runner up—Patrick Smith’s shot of Mirror Lake in Yosemite. It is stunning.

One of Ohio’s great places made it on the list, too, with Valerie Crist’s photograph of Old Man’s Cave in the Hocking Hills.

Let us consider Ben Johnson’s congratulatory words to Robert Wroth on the benefits of living in the countryside (from “The Forest”).

But canst at home, in thy securer rest,
  Live, with unbought provision blest ;
Free from proud porches, or their gilded roofs,
  ‘Mongst lowing herds, and solid hoofs :
Along the curled woods, and painted meads,
  Through which a serpent river leads
To some cool courteous shade, which he calls his,
  And makes sleep softer than it is.
Or if thou list the night in watch to break,
  A-bed canst hear the loud stag speak,
In spring, oft roused for thy master’s sport,
  Who for it makes thy house his court ;
Or with thy friends, the heart of all the year
  Divid’st, upon the lesser deer :
In Autumn, at the partridge mak’st a flight,
  And giv’st thy gladder guests the sight ;
And in the winter, hunt’st the flying hare,
  More for thy exercise, than fare ;
While all that follow, their glad ears apply
  To the full greatness of the cry :
Or hawking at the river, or the bush,
  Or shooting at the greedy thrush,
Thou dost with some delight the day out-wear,
  Although the coldest of the year !
The whilst the several seasons thou hast seen
  Of flowery fields, of cop’ces green,
The mowed meadows, with the fleeced sheep,
  And feasts, that either shearers keep ;
The ripened ears, yet humble in their height,
  And furrows laden with their weight ;
The apple-harvest, that doth longer last ;
  The hogs return’d home fat from mast ;
The trees cut out in log, and those boughs made
  A fire now, that lent a shade !
Thus Pan and Sylvan having had their rites,
  Comus puts in for new delights ;
And fills thy open hall with mirth and cheer,
  As if in Saturn’s reign it were ;
Apollo’s harp, and Hermes’ lyre resound,
  Nor are the Muses strangers found.

We celebrate poets because they give voice to the words that our souls wish to express when we encounter our beautiful world.

Posted by Joseph on Saturday, May 8, A.D. 2010
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Tuesday, March 9, A.D. 2010

Do You Know for Whom the Cat Meows?

The Daily Telegraph had a story last month about a cat who uncannily predicts the death of residents in a nursing home: “Cat predicts 50 deaths in RI nursing home.” You may read about Oscar, which further shows just how fascinating the critters around us really are.

Furthermore, the story reinforces my view that while dogs bring joy, friendship, and unending loyalty to man, cats simply bring the grim reaper! It is for this reason that we label a dog Canis familiaris—the family dog, while a cat is merely Felis domestica—only a house cat. It lives in the house, but it is not part of the household.

(Yeah, yeah, Linnaeus gives Felis catus, but that is an inconvenient fact to my point! Felis domestica is widely used, too.)

Seriously, I admire both dogs and cats, though my heart is more oriented toward dogs. They are social like us. They are concerned with the common good of the pack, the practical result of which is that they defer to the established order of the pack, and, unlike cats, they quickly acknowledge their betters. Still, retractable claws, amazing eyes, and the ability to discern impending doom are rather remarkable traits.

Posted by Joseph on Tuesday, March 9, A.D. 2010
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Thursday, December 24, A.D. 2009

Not a Creature Was Stirring

I found this video earlier in the year and I knew that I would post it today. YouTube user “chibudgielvr,” a.k.a. Maggie, made a cute home movie with her critters at Christmas. Enjoy the real life “Tom and Jerry” fun.

Look over her other videos. She has many animals in her life. I hope that they’re enjoying the festive season this year.

Posted by Joseph on Thursday, December 24, A.D. 2009
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Friday, November 13, A.D. 2009

The Power of the Dog

My dog died last night. He was a seventeen year old Shetland Sheepdog, and his name was Lucky. We did not name him, though it clearly fit; for he joined the family when he was two years old. He lived many years with us, and he was a very good dog.

Last year, I posted the following poem from Rudyard Kipling. It is appropriate to post it again.

“The Power of the Dog”

There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie—
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart to a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet’s unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find—it’s your own affair—
But . . . you’ve given your heart to a dog to tear.

When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!)
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone—wherever it goes—for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.

We’ve sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we’ve kept ‘em, the more do we grieve:
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-term loan is as bad as a long—
So why in—Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

Posted by Joseph on Friday, November 13, A.D. 2009
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Thursday, October 8, A.D. 2009

Hermitage Cats

When my brother Aaron and I visited Russia, we made sure to visit the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg that now houses the Hermitage Museum. The palace was the principal home of the imperial family, though a section first opened to the public as the Hermitage Museum under Nicholas I. Its story before and after the Bolshevik revolution is interesting, but its most remarkable period may have been during the siege of Leningrad in World War II. The museum housed residents underground as the Nazis bombed the city. Its dedicated staff hid the museum’s enormous collection. Unfortunately, it appears that its population of cats dwindled during that dreadful time. The people of Saint Petersburg probably ate the cats and their prey themselves. It is amazing that people and cats survived the two and a half year siege at all.

If you have the chance to visit Saint Petersburg, I highly recommend it. Maybe, you’ll meet one if its imperially housed felines.

Posted by Joseph on Thursday, October 8, A.D. 2009
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Thursday, August 27, A.D. 2009

Ape Genius

The following documentary, “Ape Genius,” from Nova is one of the most interesting episodes on nature that I have ever seen. It is worth your time.

What I really appreciate about the program is that we get to observe the clever experiments that demonstrate the scientists’ argument. I especially found the last segments pretty amazing. It reminds me why I esteem children and dogs so highly.

Posted by Joseph on Thursday, August 27, A.D. 2009
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Monday, August 17, A.D. 2009

Bunny Rape

My sister breeds and shows Holland Lops. They are cute creatures, and many of them have charming personalities (for lagomorphs, at least).

So, when I visit home, I often spend some time in her rabbitry playing with the locals.

Well, I recently learnt a new lesson about human-rabbit interaction. Never play with a doe before playing with an adult buck. For it seems that the doe’s scent remains on your person, and the buck responds to the doe’s odor in a quite unseemly way. You have been warned.

Posted by Joseph on Monday, August 17, A.D. 2009
Animals • (1) Comments • Permalink