Happy Armistice/Veterans Day!!!!!

On this day in 1918 the "Great War" (what we now call World War One) came to an end. The armistice was signed in Compiegne, France on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year. Ever since some of us [admittedly an ever decreasing number] have marked the day with two minutes of silent meditation. I still remember a time when people bought poppies and wore them on their lapels to honor those who fought and died in the worst war ever.

There was a reason that this was called the "Great War." Nothing like it had ever been seen before. The casualty counts ran into the millions. Probably most horrifying was the fact that so many of those who came back from the war were permanently crippled both mentally and physicallyand their presence was a continual reminder of what war does to people. The war introduced concepts like "shell shock" and "basket case"[for quadruple amputees] into the language and was so horrific that an entire generation was determined to bear witness to it and pledged their determination that such a thing would never be allowed happen again.

And, of course, we all know how that turned out. So much for good intentions.

After World War II the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day and it is still observed today under that name. But let us not lose sight of its original meaning -- to commemorate those who died in a "war to end all wars."

The Arab Street Awakens

Die Welt opines:

Al-Qaida's triple hotel bomb blasts may backfire because the victims were ordinary Jordanian Muslims rather than members of the police, the army or royal family.

The money quote:

"Even diehard fanatics should now finally realize that the totalitarian nihilists of al-Qaida are waging a war against the whole of humanity, at least against all who don't want to bow to their demand for total domination."

On one level they certainly are right. The terror is increasingly nihilistic and the vast majority of the population throughout the Arab world have been disgusted by the excesses of the radicals. But that is not going to stop them. You don't need many people to sustain a terror campaign. The terrorists know that, and that is why they do not shrink from committing atrocities that horrify sane people.

Read it here.

RELATED:

Amir Tehari notes that Jordan has so far been pursuing a duplicitous policy of rhetorically supporting the US while in fact giving support to Iraq's insurgents.

The half a dozen or so groups that constitute a political facade for the insurgents have been allowed to set up shop in Jordan, hold conferences and coordinate a propaganda campaign against the elected government in Baghdad. The up-market quarters of Amman have become home to the Iraqi Ba'athist nomenklatura, including Saddam Hussein's several wives and daughters.

Jordan has always been a safe haven and playground for the Ba'athists. In 1990, the late King Hussein opposed the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. That encouraged Saddam to use Jordan as an extension of his Iraqi hinterland: He and his henchmen created shell companies in Jordan to beat the U.N. sanctions, taking over a couple of Jordanian banks, investing in real estate and laundering vast sums of money.

After Iraq's liberation, Jordan became a refuge for Ba'athist criminals and their families — who brought with them some of the estimated $500 million that Saddam's Vice President Izzat Ibrahim reportedly stole from the Central Bank in Baghdad before the regime's fall.

Since then, Jordan has emerged as a center for anti-Iraq — and, more specifically, anti-Shiite — propaganda. Members of the elected Iraqi parliament and government have become persona non grata in Jordan, while Jordanian diplomacy has worked overtime to isolate Iraq within the Arab League. Last year, Jordan's Vice-Premier Marwan Muasher prided himself in what he claimed was the success in "not taking sides" in Iraq....

Now, however, as a result of the hotel bombings, all that may be coming to an end.

Just hours after the attacks, hundreds of Ammanites had gathered on the scenes of the carnage to express horror and condemn the perpetrators. By yesterday morning, the crowds had grown to tens of thousands of people — shouting slogans that the Jordanian leaders, starting with King Abdullah II, would be foolish to ignore...

As cries of "Burn in Hell, Zarqawi!" reverberated in central Amman, speakers described Zarqawi and other Islamist terrorist figures (including the fugitives Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri) as "traitors and miscreants" and called for their arrest and punishment.

The demonstrations, organized by trade unions, attracted some of Amman's poorest people. This was a clear message: Islamism and Ba'athism may have support among Jordan's elites — but they are rejected by the people.

Until not so long ago, Palestine was supposed to be the cause that justified any abominable crime. Now Iraq is used for the same purpose. But one thing is clear: The Jordanian man-in-the-street does not believe that it is right to kill innocents in the name of any cause.

So, the fabled "Arab street" is speaking and it's message is "Burn in Hell, Zarqawi."

Read it here.

The Coffee-Shop Culture Wars

I used to get up early in the morning and walk to a popular coffee shop near my harbor home two or three days a week. There, my mind clear and fresh, I would read academic articles and plan my day's writing. There were others like me who frequented the shop and I got used to seeing them sitting alone, typing into computers or scribbling in notebooks, sipping a coffee or munching on danish. Nobody talked much, or even took much notice of each others' presence. We were there to get some work done. Of course there were always some talkers in the place, but they were generally quiet and non-obtrusive. I liked it. It was a comfortable -- a nice "third place" where serious people could do serious things.

Then a couple of months ago, the mothers came.

Each day around nine o'clock several young women with toddlers would come in and form little gab groups while their kids, unsupervised, would run amok. The moms were loud and their kids were louder. Within a couple of weeks all of the other writers disappeared, and so did I. I've now moved to another coffee-shop a couple of blocks away in a slightly less affluent neighborhood -- a place that describes itself as "funky." Needless to say tt's not as cozy as the old place, sometimes they have a TV on and the owner seems to have a thing for urban blues (not what I would choose for early morning), but it's better than hanging with the pre-school crowd.

This seems to be a general phenomenon -- an ongoing conflict between serious adults and young moms who are crowding them out of public places. The NYT chronicles the phenomenon.

CHICAGO, Nov. 8 - Bridget Dehl shushed her 21-month-old son, Gavin, then clapped a hand over his mouth to squelch his tiny screams amid the Sunday brunch bustle. When Gavin kept yelping "yeah, yeah, yeah," Ms. Dehl whisked him from his highchair and out the door.

Right past the sign warning the cafe's customers that "children of all ages have to behave and use their indoor voices when coming to A Taste of Heaven," and right into a nasty spat roiling the stroller set in Chicago's changing Andersonville neighborhood.

The owner of A Taste of Heaven, Dan McCauley, said he posted the sign - at child level, with playful handprints - in the hope of quieting his tin-ceilinged cafe, where toddlers have been known to sprawl between tables and hurl themselves at display cases for sport.

But many neighborhood mothers took umbrage at the implied criticism of how they handle their children. Soon, whispers of a boycott passed among the playgroups in this North Side neighborhood, once an outpost of avant-garde artists and hip gay couples but now a hot real estate market for young professional families shunning the suburbs.

Read the whole article here.

Attracted to some extent by the real estate boom, young professional couples have been flocking to urban neighborhoods in recent years. There they have been having kids and most of the mothers opt to stay at home. But that doesn't mean that they have to cut back significantly on their social life. They are determined to take advantage of the amenities of the city and as they do, they drag the kids with them. When they congregate, as they tend to do at coffee shops and bakeries, the place begins to look and sound like a nursery school.

Maybe it's just a temporary thing. The real estate market is cooling and soon the kids will be in pre-school or something. With luck peace will return, and so will I.

I first blogged this subject here.

Happy Birthday Marines!

This Day in History

On this day in 1775 the Continental Congress created the Marine Corps as a division of the Navy. I was in the Army but..., Semper Fi, guys!

Something to think about...

If you are one of those who dates the nation's founding from the Declaration of Independence, that means that the Corps is older than the country. Just a little reminder that the whole process of creating a country was a lot more complex than is generally appreciated.

Something else to think about...

Today also marks the execution in 1865 of Captain Henry Wirz, commander of the Andersonville prison camp. What did he do to deserve death? That's right! He mistreated U.S. prisoners under his control. Hmmmm.

For information on the Wirz trial and execution go here. [nice site]

Sulawesi Update -- Suspects Apprehended

Last month on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, Islamic radicals attacked and beheaded three schoolgirls. [Read about it here]

Now, at last, four suspects have been apprehended.

BBC reports:

Four men have been arrested in connection with the beheadings of three schoolgirls in Indonesia last month.

The Indonesian military said the men, who have not been identified, were being held for questioning.

The teenagers were attacked on their way to their Christian school near the city of Poso, in the eastern province of Sulawesi, on 29 October.

Jakarta said recent attacks on the island were an attempt to foment religious hostility.

Read it here.

Note that attempt to stir up religious animosities. America has had people like this too. Think of John Brown or Charles Manson. They were judged to be mad, but what are these monsters? There is a profound sickness in Islam that can sanction such atrocities as this, or the blowing up of a wedding party in Jordan, or the killing of school children in Beslan, or a thousand other vile acts and say that it serves the will of God.

A Love Letter to Condi

Check it out here.

Pennsylvania Evolution Debate Update -- The Voters Speak

The NYT [somewhat gleefully] reports:

All eight members up for re-election to the Pennsylvania school board that had been sued for introducing the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in biology class were swept out of office yesterday by a slate of challengers who campaigned against the intelligent design policy.

...

The election results were a repudiation of the first school district in the nation to order the introduction of intelligent design in a science class curriculum. The policy was the subject of a trial in Federal District Court that ended last Friday. A verdict by Judge John E. Jones III is expected by early January.

"I think voters were tired of the trial, they were tired of intelligent design, they were tired of everything that this school board brought about," said Bernadette Reinking, who was among the winners.

The election will not alter the facts on which the judge must decide the case. But if the intelligent design policy is defeated in court, the new school board could refuse to pursue an appeal. It could also withdraw the policy, a step that many challengers said they intended to take.

"We are all for it being discussed, but we do not want to see it in biology class," said Judy McIlvaine, a member of the winning slate. "It is not a science."

Read it here.

This doesn't mean that there won't be a judgment in the court case that brought so much publicity to the Dover district. Testimony there has concluded and we are awaiting the judge's ruling. But there is little liklihood of an appeal given the results of this election.

Once again the wisdom of the voters prevails over the silliness of the zealots, both secularists and religious. There is no reason why a discussion of the competing claims of religious and scientific authority should not be presented to students, but the subject need not be discussed in a science class. Ms. McIlvaine has got it just right.

Riots in France -- What to Do? Walter Laqueur Has Some Suggestions

There’s a fascinating new blog out there – one I highly recommend. It’s supported by Die Welt and titled “The Free West.” It is written by Dutch novelist, Leon deWinter, but recently features posts written by one of the most distinguished living historians, Walter Laqueur. Both are commenting extensively on the current crisis in Europe.

I have not commented on the Eurabian Intifada thus far because I have had a hard time figuring out why the riots are taking place. What is happening doesn’t fit easily into any of the standard templates we use to explain things. DeWinter explains:

The standard explanation is povery and unemployment. And it is of course true that the attacks came not on Boulevard St.Germain, nor in the 1th and 8th and 16th arrondissements but in the banlieue, “ la zone”—the outer suburbs. But it did not necessarily happen in the poorest places either….

Then it is said that it is all the fault of the government ( or governments), of many years of neglect. But in truth billions were invested in these suburbs and many of today's slums were reasonable, if not very beautiful, housing estates not that long ago...

Others say that it is all the result of unemployment and there is no denying that unemployment, especially of the young is very high, up to 40%. But—a curious fact:—Arab and African young women have no particular difficulty to find work, it is the problem of young males. Why?

How to explain that a great many of the Molotov cocktail throwers are thirteen and fourteen years old and for them the issue of unemployment cannot possibly be the decisive one.

Is it the negative impact of Islam? But many of the rioters are of West African origin and are not Muslims, and the young Muslims are not particularly religious, do not keep the religious commandments. They are sans foi et sans loi, as one of them put it—without respect for religion and the law.

Were the attacks systematic, planned and coordinated or were they spontaneous? This is not clear at all. There is no doubt that the “echo effect” played a role…, But some form of organization must have existed for even the production of the most primitive Molotov cocktails involves a certain amount of technical knowledge.

Why the concentration on cars and trucks? Well, the psychologists explain , a car is a status symbol , bombing a car expresses defiance of the establishment as well as envy.

This is all very well, except that they bombed also a great many schools , kindergarten, youth clubs and similar such places. According to observers not a few militants arrived on the scene on powerful motor bikes to carry out the torching—motor bikes which cost about as much as a second hand car.

Or was it perhaps the desire to have some fun and excitement with an admixture of the wish to cause destruction…?

I must confess, I'm just as confused as Leon deWinter. What is important right now, though, is not to understand the deep processes underlying the spreading civil unrest (that will be debated for decades), but to devise measures to contain it.

Professor Lacqueur notes that both the Euro- and the Islamic elites are failing to control, or for that matter even to comprehend, the developing crisis. This is beyond their understanding or experience. He suggests that after the restoration of order the French government undertake a program of "positive discrimination" [indistinguishable so far as I can see from America's "affirmative action" programs] and PC censorship that will eliminate from the language terms that offend Muslims.

As irritating and offensive as such programs have been in the US [and they certainly are], they have been an effective response to the urban disorder of the 1960's, which in many ways resembles what is going on in France today. These programs have promoted the creation of an ever-growing Black middle class that [importantly] is dependent on government action for its continued existence and therefore subject to government control. They have split the disaffected Black population along class lines and enlisted the Black middle class in an effort to promote responsible behavior among the Black lower classes. By enabling Black "race hustlers" like Jesse and Rev. Al to jerk around White dominated institutions almost at will, they have provided American Blacks with at least the illusion, if not the substance, of real power. The result has been to restore order and a degree of racial harmony to a nation that forty years ago seemed to be coming apart at the seams, as Europe does now.

RELATED:

James Lileks feels much the same as do Mr. deWinter and I regarding the riots. He writes:

I’ve been hesitant to say boo about the French situation, since I actually think this is not Pure Undistilled Jihad-O-Rama, but something more complex; I mean, just because there’s an economic underclass aspect to it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have religious roots, but just because it does have religious roots doesn’t mean it’s not a blend of ethno-cultural identity politics mixed with racism and economics. Which doesn’t mean it’s not, etc. You can go on all day and settle nothing; meanwhile, cars burn. We are dealing with a Gordian Wad here. At least with a knot you can see the individual strands.

Of course, what seems complex and muddled to us is very clear to the rioters. They have the West’s number, and it’s pi: endlessly irresolute.

Read it here.

Of course, to an historian, confusion is a challenge. The French situation is more complex than any of the standard templates will allow, which makes it a challenge to our easy assumptions that we understand how the world works. Things that don't quite fit our preconceptions are valuable because, if we are serious about historical inquiry, they make us reconsider our cherished beliefs and search for better answers.

Blogging from Wegmans

A Wegman's market recently opened in Hunt Valley [home of Firaxis, maker of the superb "Civilization" games] north of Baltimore. It has changed area shopping patterns dramatically. I know many people who drive all the way out from the Harbor just to shop here. One of them is "She Who Must Not Be Named." I'm not much of a shopper, but I gotta admit that this is the way to go shopping. (or, to be more accurate, to sit and blog while "She" shops)

David Brooks on "Getting In"

David Brooks has a wonderful review in the Sunday New York Times in which he faces head-on some major developments of twentieth century American culture that, while blatantly obvious, could not until now be discussed in polite company. Basically, he's writing about the rise of the "meritocracy" that displaced the WASP elite after WWII. He notes:

1) the dominant role played by Jews in promoting this shift in values.

For the Jews were the vanguard of a social movement that over the course of the 20th century transformed the American university system and the nature of the American elite.

2) universities are not neutral arbiters -- they adopt positions that tend to be self-serving

[A]t any given moment the universities tend to gravitate toward the definition of merit that best helps them preserve their status as prestigious, rich and powerful institutions.

3) the new "meritocratic" elite is consciously attempting to become self-perpetuating.

As time goes by, it becomes more and more clear that the meritocrats are doing exactly what the WASPS did, rigging admissions criteria to favor the qualities they and their children are most likely to possess.

One important omission in Brooks' discussion is the recent challenge to the "meritocracy" on the part of black and hispanic minorities by way of affirmative action programs.

A few of random thoughts.

Much of the overt hatred of Dubya is rooted in the "meritocrats" disdain for their old WASP antagonists.

The Harriet Miers nomination ripped the scab off these old animosities and exposed a number of conservative pundits as meritocratic bigots.

I had once hoped that Nick Lehman's book, The Big Test, would stimulate a national debate over the benefits and limitations of meritocracy, but it didn't happen then. Maybe Brooks' article, appearing in the NYT will do it.

Brooks notes expressions of disapproval by WASPS regarding the number of Jews in elite institutions half a century and more ago. I have heard similar comments from the mouths of meritocrats in recent decades with regard to the number of minority students in their classes.

RELATED:

The Financial Times Deutschland, discussing the French riots, notes that France has a problem similar to that discussed by Brooks -- that of a self-perpetuating credentialed "meritocratic" elite.

The national education system purports to provide equal chances for all but in reality cements inequality. The elite universities churn out children from the same families into leading positions of industry and the civil service while the system doesn't provide alternative education routes for immigrants. People who take vocational training without attending university are still regarded as second class citizens.

Read it here.

Curse of the Iceman Redux

Some months ago I noted that sensationalist journalists [is there another kind?] had invented a "Curse of the Iceman" similar to the "Curse of King Tut's Tomb" that titillated readers early in the last century. [here] Well, they're at it again.

IOL reports:

Sydney - A sixth person connected to the discovery of the 5 300 year old frozen corpse of a man who became known as Oetzi the Iceman has died, fuelling claims of a curse surrounding the mummified body.

Molecular archaeologist Tom Loy, 63, was found dead in his Brisbane home two weeks ago as he finalised a book about Oetzi, The Australian newspaper reported on Friday.

The United States-born Loy, director of the University of Queensland's archaeological sciences laboratories, lay dead in his home for several days before his body was discovered.

Read the whole thing here.

The Australian has pictures of some of the curse's "victims." [here]

And the story gets the BBC treatment here.

Loy himself pronounced the whole thing "just superstition." He said, "People die."

Indeed they do....

I have a friend who was once a screenwriter. Have to talk to him. This one practically writes itself.

Pretty Poison, Japanese Style

From Der Spiegel:

A 16-year-old Japanese schoolgirl was arrested this week for gradually poisoning her mother, who is now in a coma...

Japanese police allegedly found a Japanese translation of Anthony Holden's non-fiction book "The St. Albans Poisoner: The Life and Crimes of Graham Young" along with powdered thallium and a severed cat's head in the girl's bedroom...

Although the girl's grades and general behaviour in school didn't alert anyone, teachers did say they were impressed by her interest and knowledge of chemistry.

Read it here.

There is no truth to the rumor that Eihi Shiina, star of "Audition," has been signed to play her in the movie.

Topless Protest -- There They Go Again

SF Gate reports:

SACRAMENTO -- Judge tosses a blanket on topless protest
Breasts Not Bombs told nudity not part of free-speech rights

Sacramento -- A federal judge denied on Friday a request from a group of Mendocino women who wanted to protest topless on the grounds of the state Capitol.

U.S. District Judge Garland Burrell said the group made no compelling argument that showing their breasts constitutes free speech.

"Being topless is not inherently expressive" speech, Burrell said. The group, Breasts Not Bombs, had scheduled a protest for noon Monday. The California Highway Patrol threatened to arrest anyone who went topless.

Sherry Glaser, a leader of the group, said the protest may take place without bare breasts.

"All we really have is the power of ourselves," she said. "Our bodies bring attention."

Group members, whose protest on the west steps of the Capitol is intended to contrast the "indecent" initiatives backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on the November ballot with their "natural and decent" breasts, sought a temporary restraining order prohibiting CHP officers from arresting women who protest topless.

Read it here.

What is it with these people? Just when and where did the idea originate that taking off your clothes is an effective way to win political debates. I suspect it was in the "Sixties" when some of these protesters were young and worth looking at. Today, though, all too often they simply reveal the ravages of time on the human form and are unlikely to inspire anything in viewers other than bemused contempt or ridicule.

At least PETA, for all their lunacy, has the sense to prominently feature healthy young female mammals in their nude protests, but even there the response is more likely to be lust than political agreement. Nudity gains attention, but not the kind that is likely to be politically productive.

Jarhead -- the Non-Review

The days when I had to see and review and teach about lots and lots of films are, thankfully, long past. Now I can pick and choose [within reason -- "She Who Must Not Be Named" has a lot of input, hence I am fated, dare I say "doomed," to see the new Harry Potter movie on opening day] the films I will see and the even smaller number I will waste time reviewing.

One of the films I will not be seeing or reviewing is "Jarhead," directed by the insipid and politically moronic Sam Mendes [I still can't believe the critical acclaim heaped on American Beauty, one of the most offensively patronizing films of recent years].

Note: As I am typing this I am listening to Anthony Swofford reading from his book on C-SPAN. The prose is incredibly pretentious and tendentious -- but that seems to be what sells these days. Reviews I have read have called the work, "ambivalent" regarding the experience of Gulf War I, but it doesn't seem that way from the excerpts Swofford has chosen to read.

For a review from someone who knows what he's talking about and is definitely not impressed with Swofford and Mendes' portrayal of the experience of war read Donald Sensing's commentary here. [he liked the visuals, but little else]

If you want to see an good evocation of the experience of war see Mel Gibson's "We Were Soldiers". I saw that in company with one of my DC correspondents. We are both Vietnam-Era Veterans and the film brought back in extraordinarily vivid terms, the military that we had experienced long ago and far away. Don't waste your money or time on "Jarhead". I know I won't.

Note: Swofford just said in response to an audience question that he has not had any communication at all, either positive or negative, from any of the men he wrote about. I think that says a lot.

The History Carnival is Up

I'm a few days late on this, for reasons discussed in an earlier post, but the latest History Carnival is being hosted at Rebecca Goetz' (a)musings of a grad student blog [here]. It includes a lot of neat links -- Victorian halloween stories -- werewolves in early theatre -- early modern murders -- Genghis Kahn's offspring -- urbanization and suburbanization in US history [one of my favorite subjects], etc. In short, there's something there for everyone.

Check it out...

A More Peaceful World Redux

Last month I noted a report from the University of Maryland's Center for International Development and Conflict Management that traced a global decline in armed conflict, in autocratic regimes, in repression and political discrimination against ethnic minorities, and a marked upsurge of democracy. [My post is here. Download the report here.]

This confirms a study done by the Center for Human Security at the University of British Columbia which found a similar decline in interstate wars, civil conflicts, and deaths attributed to armed conflict. [I blogged the study here, read the report here].

Now comes a discussion of the phenomenon by Paul Rogers at Open Democracy. [here]

He notes two explanations for the decline -- the end of the Cold War [which mistakenly is considered by many to be a period of relative peace] and the end of the decolonization struggles that ensued after the end of WWII.

The BCU study attributes the decline to the effectiveness of the UN and other international organizations in mediating conflicts [snicker].

The Maryland study suggests that the spread of democracy and more specifically, the spread of American power has contributed to stabilizing the world [possible but not proven].

All of these are testable hypotheses and an evaluation of the rival claims could be the basis for a nice doctoral dissertation [hint, hint].

Interestingly, the two most belligerent nations through the second half of the Twentieth Century were Britain and France, followed by the US and the Soviet Union. This lends support to the idea that we are emerging from an abnormal period of extreme violence caused by decolonialization and the Cold War and that the decline in violence we are currently experiencing is a return to normal levels.

And there follows a second, equally important question. Why, in the face of mounting evidence for a more peaceful world, is the general perception, at least througout the West, exactly the opposite? Why do we think the world is getting more violent when in fact it is becoming more peaceful?

There are several possible answers:

1) that old standby, the media which systematically misrepresents the true situation in order to boost ratings and profits [in other words it's the capitalists, stupid].

2) the public is slow to react to new information. It will take time for the good news to sink in [in other words the people are stupid].

3) perpetrators of violence are getting better at attracting attention to themselves, as for instance by targeting aid workers, and this increases the public perception of rising violence. [in other words terrorists are manipulating the media]

4) Or, Rogers suggests, the perception of increasing violence is confined to the "Atlantic" nations of Europe and the Americas -- a global elite that feels insecure becauses of constant media bombardment [uneasy lies the head that rules the world]

5) Or, he suggests, the 9/11 attacks made the US public paranoid and incapable of understanding the true nature of the world. [the people are unhinged]

Hmmm..., another dissertation topic?

Finally, Rogers speculates that the downturn in violence might soon be reversed. He sees three possible reasons for such an upsurge -- an activist US that destabilizes the world; an expanding China that begins to challenge the west for global resources; and global warming which forces massive population movements.

Rogers' analysis is neither particularly rigorous or perceptive, and displays a distinct anti-American bias, but the phenomena he notes are important and worthy of our attention.

Carniverous Toilet Lizard

A persistent urban myth (at least I hope it is) surfaces again, this time in Norway, and apparently there is some substance to it.

Aftenposten reports:

Carnivorous lizard in toilet

A three-year-old boy got the fright of his life on a trip to the toilet on Wednesday.

The youngster was lucky that his mother had come along to open and raise the toilet seat. The startled woman found a carnivorous teju, or tegus, a large black and yellow South American lizard, lurking there...

The Akvariet (aquarium) in Bergen was called, and reptile expert Remi Andersen paid a house call. He confirmed that the animal in the apartment in the Nordnes district of Bergen was a 1.5 kilo (3.3 lb) teju.

The teju is capable of holding its breath for half an hour, which probably explains how it managed to navigate its way through the sewer and up into the family toilet. The family is lucky they looked, rather than sat, first.

I'll say!

Read it here.

How Does Lileks Do It?

Very light blogging for the past few days. The reason -- "She Who Must Not Be Named" has been struck by home improvement mania. As a consequence a seemingly endless procession of contractors has been in and out of our home. Here in the mountains we have dial-up access to the internet, but have had to keep the lines open so contractors can call to explain when they are coming, why it won't be when they said they were coming, to explain that they're lost and can't find our place [we live far out of town and the directions there are complicated], to tell us again that they're going to be even later than they had said, etc. That and trips to pick out paints, flooring, counter-tops, etc. have made it almost impossible to get anything much done. And, to make things worse, work on my latest book has bogged down.

Finally, late in the evening peace descends and I sit down to read and write, but I'm too distracted and burned out to do much more than stare at the screen.

How does Lileks get anything accomplished?

Things should be returning to normal in a couple of weeks. Until then, blogging will be a sporadic thing.

But stay tuned..., this too shall pass.

Ursine Promiscuity

Brown Bears are making a big comeback in Europe. Throughout the central mountain regions bears are reappearing in places where they have not been seen for generations. Biologists and environmentalists are ecstatic about the development, but farmers and other residents are definitely not happy about it.

The situation is complicated. There are bear enthusiasts and "bear tourists" who flock to areas where the bears have been seen. Hikers report a thrilling sense of danger when walking through bear territory. And there is even a "bear lawyer" who represents the beasts' interests against critics. But what will happen when the first hiker is killed, or a shepherd finds his flock decimated, or families' pet dogs are slaughtered? Officials admit that "bear management" is an extremely expensive proposition. How long will taxpayers be willing to shell out for it?

Stay tuned....

Read about it here.

And on the subject of ursine sex -- Der Spiegel reports:

The Slutty Habits of Brown Bears

Female brown bears like to sleep around, according to findings just published by a new study. But their promiscuity stems not, it seems, from good-old fashioned randiness, but rather is a clever way of protecting their cubs.

If you are a brown bear, being a good mother doesn't preclude also being a bit of a tramp. In fact, according to a new study released on Wednesday, putting yourself about is actually the best way to protect your children.

A favored tactic of male bears to ensure that their own genes get passed on, is to kill the offspring of other fathers. This not only decreases competition for their own cubs, but also frees up the mothers to be fertilized again -- but this time by them.

Faced with the infanticide tendencies of their males, mother bears have come up with a cunning way of preventing their cubs being knocked off: copulate with as many males as you possible can. While this may appear fun to some, and simply exhausting to others, it does mean that no one is quite sure who the father is. Hardly a classy approach but an effective one: The male bears hold back from killing the offspring just in case they end up wiping out their own genetic pool.

Read it here.

Clever, no? But why don't we see similar behavior in other species, like lions, where males kill off their rivals' cubs?

Zimbabwe -- The Fruits of Racist Redistribution

Mad Bobby Mugabe's government has at last begun to open its eyes to the catastrophic effects of its racist land redistribution policies. For years Mugabe and his henchmen have tried to explain the precipitous decline in Zimbabwe's agricultural production as the consequence of drought or of western, especially British, perfidity, but those excuses no longer fly.

News 24 (SA) reports:

Harare - Zimbabwe launched its strongest criticism of black farmers who benefited from its controversial land reforms, saying their apathy was responsible for a serious food crisis.

"We have a few people that are really committed to production while many others are doing nothing on the farms," deputy minister for Agriculture, Sylvester Nguni was quoted as saying by the state-owned Herald newspaper.

"The problem is that we gave land to people lacking the passion for farming and this is why every year production has been declining."

He said although an ongoing drought had contributed to reduced yields, "the biggest letdown has been that people without the slightest idea of farming got land and the result has been declining agricultural output."
...

Last month co-vice president Joyce Mujuru labelled new farmers who were under-utilising the land "saboteurs" and "perennial beggars."

Central bank chief Gideon Gono last week hit out at new farmers keeping farmland purely for its own sake and turning once productive farms into "weekend picnic venues" while the country is reeling under acute food shortages.

"We are not blind to the fact that it was not land for the sake of having it and merely looking at it that mattered to our liberators. It was not about having vast pieces of land and using them as braai (barbecue) spots and weekend picnic venues," Gono said.

Read it here.

So the policy of confiscating white-owned farms and giving them to Mugabe's political cronies didn't work. What is plan B?

The strong language used against the "new farmers" is ominous. Previously groups targeted by such language have suffered greatly. And what of the promise to re-confiscate unproductive farms? Will they be run by the government, or redistributed yet again, or what? To return them to their white owners is unthinkable in the current atmosphere of rabid racism. Such is the poisonous legacy of anti-colonialist ideology.