tumorous guinness

this big ol' honker "growth" began to grow on guinness' leg last year, but having determined it was not cancerous, and not bothering him, we left it alone until last friday --- it was just getting too big and ugly looking --- he also had a knot on his back and a weird little growth on his right front paw --- now all of those are gone, and he's got eight stitches --- but he's handling it way better than I expected, and not even needing all of the pain meds they sent home with him --- another week or so and the stitches can come out

plus the vet bill stayed in three figures

ends of the world

three or four years ago, i read craig childs's house of rain: tracking a vanished civilization across the american southwest, which was an excellent read and I still think a great introduction to the anasazi, or ancestral pueblo, and the natural world in which they lived --- now he's just published  atlas of a lost world: travels in ice age america ---  he is a little much sometime, but i really like his writing and how he combines what he sees as a naturalist with archaeology and genetics and what not

gave the first plausible explanation that i've heard for why the oldest archaeological site in the americas is in southern chile --- and a wonderful travelogue along the eastern shores of the pacific

kanaan bausler made the entire trip from alaska to monte verde by kayak and bicycle, and did it in a couple of years

We have speculated that the same traits that may be selected for in individuals with a DRD4 7R allele also may predispose behaviors that are deemed inappropriate in the typical classroom setting and hence diagnosed as ADHD. In this environmental-mismatch hypothesis (Hartman 1993; Jensen et al. 1997), the DRD4 7R subset of individuals diagnosed with ADHD is assumed to have a different, evolutionarily successful behavioral strategy, rather than a disorder. It is also possible, however, that DRD4 7R, although selected for in human populations, could have deleterious effects when combined with genetic variants in other genes. (Wang et al. 2004)

treason in real time

although i could not bear to watch the whole thing

things and what not

to the wilds of buckhead last night for our monthly meeting of the 106 club --- purty intense building up in there --- purty people, too, but i didn't take their picture --- oh, and good food, too

this is the best car i've seen on p'tree st in a while ---

 sez "no redemption" on the back of his jacket --- hmph

 i almost never go to the monthly scott's antique show or anything like it (been there, done that kind of thing), and if i do i don't buy anything --- today i got het up to go to scotts, which brought me to this object, which i acquired for $15 and will give me pleasure in viewing and use for many years to come

for the antiquarian

this ad is from barnwell's city directory for atlanta in 1867 --- so wonderfully simple in the graphic design

city directories can be a time suck but you discover little nuggets: e.g., i never knew until just now that boulevard was called "rolling mill street" in 1870 --- i've always wondered why "boulevard" didn't have a name or at least an indefinite article attached to it --- my grandmother had a special way of saying "boo-lee-vard"

nice, cool saturday for july

thanking frige for her many blessings

dog was given an "authentic" himalayan yak chew --- yak milk, cow milk, salt, and lime juice --- his life is now complete

incidentally, the recipe was originally used to make a long-lasting food for people at high altitudes

cat looked particularly crazed this morning --- sometimes i fear him

still celebrating the fourth of july

excellent view of fireworks from the balcony, the best since i've been here --- a good storm came through and there was heat lightning all around ---- the centennial park fireworks were set off where the old stadium used to be so partially visible from here --- a great view of the display at old fourth ward park, their firststill

sweating the fourth

dump truck barricades and a lot of sweaty people --- especially the firefighters than ran the race in their fire-fighting gear

jaw-dropping ideology

there have been more than a few fukd up decisions by republican-appointed judges of late, but this might top them all:  "U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy III ruled last week that children have no fundamental right to learn to read and write in the United States."

orchidaceaen update

"The genus name comes from the Ancient Greek ὄρχις (órkhis), literally meaning "testicle", because of the shape of the twin tubers in some species of Orchis." ---- this i did not know

fresh start for the mama and her pups

the sad mama dog and her eight wormy nasty puppies that i helped lizzie with are all much improved now

dog on the mountain

we met angela and her rambunctious baby girl dog at arabia mountain this morning --- a little warm and a little humid but still nice --- lots of dog water, including in the geodesic survey marker on top of the mountain ---

random images