Breaking: LA Earthquake

Today is (was, actually, at 5:08am UTC, which I think was
just after midnight eastern time) the Vernal Equinox!

I was gifted Alan Weisman’s The World Without Us over the holidays and started reading it this afternoon. I haven’t gotten very far yet, but I really enjoyed the opening chapter’s description of Białowieża Puszcza — the half million acres that is all that is left of Europe’s old-growth, lowland wilderness.

The forest is home to two distinct genetic families of wisent, which are separated by a fence (built by the Soviets in 1980) that runs along the border between Belarus and Poland. Beyond the bison, there are more species found here than anywhere else on the European continent, even though the area does not enjoy the benefit of variations in elevation and climate that might increase the number of habitats.

It sounds like a gorgeous setting. If you’ve ever wanted to see the Garden of Eden, this would be one site to put on your “Places to Visit” list.

Here are a few (very random) links for the last day of the year…

Who is the most honest man in news?

The battle behind the Hollywood writers’ strike is a story we’ve heard before: even though big business makes its money off the creative talents of the little guy, they still want to cut him out of the deal. But maybe this time the artists will break new ground. The world’s musicians are starting to realize that they don’t need the greedy bastards at the RIAA. Perhaps the writers will find out they can still make livings without without the studio fat cats.

Speaking of the RIAA, guess what? They’re still evil. And they think we’re stupid.

Do you have any idea how the amount you spend on food compares to other world families?

What’s a New Year without a bunch of lists? Here’s just one: 2007 Dickheads of the Year.

While we’re reviewing the year, we have to give a nod to the iPhone. Unfortunately, we also have to recognize that this was the year when Apple lost its white hat.

The iPhone altered our calculus of concern. By illustrating the possibilities of the mobile Web, the phone cast wireless networks as ground zero in the battle for computing freedom.

Ironically, Apple itself wound up on the wrong side of the fight.

It’s not as though everyone didn’t already know that abstinence-only education doesn’t work, but now the failed movement has it’s own pathetic poster child. Can we please start handing out condoms, along with knowledge, in middle schools now? Seriously, what harm would it do?

And of course, let’s not forget those we’ve lost, including Benazir Bhutto.

And consider this: if George W. Bush had done his job — the one the Supreme Court appointed him to do — instead of diddling around in Iraq, how would the world be a different place now?

By the end of this year, Bush’s occupation of Iraq will have lasted 4 years, 9 months, and 14 days. Think about that when you go to vote in your state’s primary or caucus, and please, don’t vote for the a guy you could drink with — this time, vote for the smart guy. Incompetence gets really old very quickly.