Various bits by Jerry & Grania
Greetings from a very cold Europe!
It's so cold outside that the ghost that haunted the house froze to death pic.twitter.com/pwYST9CpOJ
— Faces in Things (@FacesPics) December 27, 2017
Jerry’s sad because today is already the 5th day of Koynezaa (it ends tomorrow on my birthday), and greetings have been few on the ground and presents nonexistent! Do remember this six day holiday that celebrates The Wonder that is Coyne! For my birthday, instead of extorting readers or Facebook friends to donate to my favorite charity, I simply ask them to give fusses to a stray cat (or, if you really want to make me happy, adopt one).
Today’s Google Doodle in India celebrates the 113th birthday of Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa, or, in the beautiful and local Kannada script, ಕುಪ್ಪಳಿ ವೆಂಕಟಪ್ಪ ಪುಟ್ಟಪ್ಪ. Also known as Kuvempu, Wikipedia describes Puttapa as “an Indian Novelist, Poet, Playwright, Critic and Thinker. He is widely regarded as the greatest Kannada Poet of the 20th century. He is the first among Kannada writers to be decorated with the prestigious Dnyanpith Award.” Poetry is a big deal in India—much bigger than in America—and great poets are widely celebrated. Here’s the Doodle.
Kannada, by the way, is the local language of Karnataka, which includes Bangalore. There are so many languages in India that many people from different areas communicate in English or Hindi, but often locals in some areas don’t speak Hindi well.
A cat zinger from the official Downing Street Mouser.
For those of you lucky enough to still be off work, you'll be generally unaware what day it is and will be spending a lot of time laying around and eating. Congratulations, you've become a cat
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) December 28, 2017
In nearby Wloclawek, Leon is sad as he didn’t get any presents, which is weird because Hiroko kindly sent him (and Hili) some “cat’s snacks” from Japan, as well as some dog treats for Cyrus. When I asked Malgorzata why Leon was sad when he had gotten presents, she responded, “You didn’t notice the word ‘today’. Leon got presents every day during the holiday. Now, when the holiday is over, he is complaining.”
Leon: What, no presents today?!!!
And in Winnipeg we have a special Christmas Gus photo. As his staff notes:
Gus demonstrates the latest thing in cat toys. (There is a pile of half a dozen toy mice just outside the picture frame…)
Here’s sweet story from The Dodo about a hero vet who looks after animals who have “fallen on hard times“.
This surgeon comforted an orphaned wombat in the middle of the night ❤️ https://t.co/UhgLqw1Bis pic.twitter.com/Moxs9c9YlR
— The Dodo (@dodo) December 28, 2017
And from Poland the inscrutable couple are having an ineffable conversation. I think.
Hili: What’s the time?
Cyrus: Nine o’clock.
Hili: You are just guessing.
In Polish:
Hili: Która może być godzina?
Cyrus: Dziewiąta.
Hili: Zgadujesz.
Hat-tip: Matthew
… … two items:
i) in re “that is Coyne,” is it now okay
to refer to WEIT’s host only as … … Coyne
? cuz of the past, I am aware that there are
a few appellations quite preferred and a few
so loathed ? as in “Happy Birthday, Coyne ?”
ii) in re Dr Howard Ralph, his analysis in re
what he refers (within the linked article) as
to the absence in educations of the “respect
for wildlife,” is spot – on. And .the. prime
reason I appreciate WEIT and Dr Coyne’s
and Dr Ralph’s dedicated works to remedy that
absence.
Haaaappy, Happy Birthday tomorrow, Dr Coyne.
Blue
Jerry doesn’t like being called “Coyne”. He prefers “Jerry”. If you wish to be more formal, you could call him “Dr Coyne”, but definitely not “Coyne” on its own.
Though a regular commenter here uses it frequently, roolz or no roolz…
… … and, Ms Diane G / Ms Hastie, in addition to the respect for our host, .that. — “a regular commenter here” — is .the. reason I ask. Rules or no.
Respectfully = Merry Everything and
… … Happy Always !
Blue
Maybe we can mollify him by securing a Coynezaa greeting from VP Pence that “Jerry Coyne is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful bl*g-host I’ve ever known in my life.” (How long was that guy a POW in N. Korea anyway?)
Anyway, happy early b-day, boss!
Happy Birthday to all the Capricorns, including PCCE!
https://flic.kr/p/J1y26X
That vet is also a qualified human doctor – how the hell he found the time to qualify in both beats me !
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/in-the-spotlight-dr-howard-ralph
My cat, whose name is Ambrose but is always just called “kitty” when addressed, will receive much fussinations from me in your name today, Prof. CC (E). He was adopted from the local shelter, so that’s covered too.
Falcon Heavy is now vertical on launch pad 39A at the Cape.
I am just now vertical here. That would be a triple landing, right.
Yes. Though it is the first launch attempt they are planning on landing all 3 cores. 2 of them on land and 1 of them on a barge. It will be pretty amazing if they pull it off.
Personally, I’m expecting things to go wrong. But if they do it won’t damp my enthusiasm for SpaceX. This is a 1st attempt with a new system and in rocketry graceful failure modes are not the norm.
I think the ice figure is Jesus.
Oh damn, we’ll have to cancel Easter next year.
I’ve not sent greetings because I am afraid of the opprobrium I’ll receive if I use the “wrong” phrase. But, here goes: Merry Coynezaa to all but especially to PCC!
O, Mr Lewis Helf, what a mighty fine word,
this one: opprobrium !
Fitting it so is in re very many, many
phrasings ! In addition to myself,
Dr Coyne is the only other one whom I have
known to employ it ! And now … … you !
Blue
It’s 30/12 here now, so happy birthday PCC(E)!
Happy Birthday Jerry!
A day in advance,
Homology
Allopatry
Phylogeny
Phenotype
Yak
Biodiversity
Isolation
Recombination
Trogoniformes
Hiodontiformes
Diatom
Adaptation
Yorkrakinensis
Have a wonderful day!
“Y” is tough!
I came up with YAC, YEC, Y chromosome, Y-linked & Ypresian
You (ha) noticed. I had trouble with the Y and subsequently the whole thing is a little off. Anyway, Happy Birthday to Jerry. I’m very grateful.
Yaaaaaa…..
Or a lot off based on your other comments. I didn’t know.
Just a celebratory “Yaaaa” for Jerry’s bday. I liked your post very much. 🙂
Wrt cats mastering the art of leisure, and in the inimitable voice of the Dowager Countess Crawley on Downton Abbey, “What’s a weekend?”
Happy Coynezaa, dear Professor! And a very merry un-birthday to youuuu today!
For f^cks sake – I click the pic of the frozen ghost so I can fwd it and I can’t find it on the page that comes up (try it!). Then I notice a little box that says there’s a pic that may contain sensitive material. Srsly???
This is where the vaunted artificial intelligence is leading.
Here is a direct link to the image in the tweet: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DSFMuC5U8AAMCuB.jpg
For whatever reason that image has been hidden in the tweet & marked “This media may contain sensitive material. Learn More”. I went to the “Learn more” link & anyone who finds an image disturbing can tag it as such & it gets hidden, but it’s still accessible by expanding it. I suppose it’s to protect the feelz of those who are triggered easily. Usual bollocks.