Here’s a late arrival in the Bear Chronicles. At my request, Steve Pinker forwarded what I believe to be the first photographic documentation of Wilfred, the bear he uses as an example in his undergraduate psychology classes. (Remember our contest about Pinker’s bear? See here and here. )
His note:
My ex-wife, Ilavenil Subbiah, is an avid bearophile, with a family of well over a hundred bears. When we first dated she was appalled to learn that I was living in a studio apartment with nothing in the way of bear companionship, so she brought Wilfred into my life. When we split amicably almost a decade ago, there was no question as to who would get custody of Wilfred, and he has been at my side ever since.
The caption: “Wilfred J. Bear at work” (I have no idea what the “J” stands for):
More bears to come: the readers’ photos are still trickling in.
sub
Maybe the J stands for Jesus. 😉
Or Jerry!
Probably something much more prosaic, like, “Pinker.”
b&
Traditionally, in animation, the initial “J” is a salute to Jay Ward, the creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose and Homer J. Simpson.
Damn, beat me to it. I was going to suggest the same. It would make sense there there would be a Wilfred J Bear in the world given these precedents.
Also, it could be an allegory for “Arthur”….
b&
I was going to suggest that “ursophilia” might be more accurate than “bearophilia”. Then I googled ursophilia….
Fans of Paddington or Rupert will be disappointed if they do likewise.
😀
That’s becaue it is inherently evil to combine Latin and Greek. It summons Classics demons who haunt your declinations forever.
Instead, try the Greek-Greek combination: arktosophilia.
Oops or if you have to Latinized: arctophilia.
I’m sorry Diana, but in the right (for certain values of “right”) societies, asking for a Greek-Greek combination will get you some very interested, but also geometrically challenged, attention.
A Greek-Greek-Greek or higher combination would be rather more achievable. It’d still be a cluster-fuck, but a more achievable one.
Hang on – isn’t ‘Diana’ the Latin version of Artemis?
Yeah and I tried to make sure I didn’t make that salacious but you know ancient Grekeks, you just can’t avoid it.
Diana was probably from the Roman religion pre-Ancient Romans.
I have no Etruscan with that idea.
Let me guess…if you’ve got a foot fetish, that doesn’t actually make you a pedophile, either…?
b&
Ha ha, but serious : a Welsh(-dwelling) paediatrician got bricked and petrol-bombed out of her house a number of years ago.
Underestimating the intelligence of the Mob is dangerous.
Damn…insane.
…and can you imagine if she was a pediatric podiatrist as well as a pedagogue?
Too many who, by all rights, should be too stupid to breathe or breed still manage to do both….
b&
*Overestimating
(or underestimating the stupidity of the mob)
Can one buy a Steve Pinker wig? My pate has lain unadorned so far, but…
Only if you mix together your Latin and Greek. It’s always bad.
By Jove and Hera, I do believe you might be right….
b&
It’s a suspiciously tidy desk. I don’t think that bear is doing any work at all.