Open thread: change the law

July 16, 2015 • 2:00 pm

by Grania

Here’s a question Jerry posed this morning: If you could change one law in your country, what would it be and why?

Please say which country you are in too, seeing as this is a multi-national website (ahem).

There are a bunch of laws that I would like to change in Ireland which is the country I live in – the blasphemy law here is deeply misguided; but I think the one that is most urgently needed to change is the current ban on abortion, except in rare cases where a woman can convince a panel of doctors that her life is sufficiently in peril. So far this law means that anyone needing an abortion in Ireland has to travel to the UK to obtain one. Anyone who is unable to travel has no recourse at all, and the few cases where women have attempted to obtain a termination legally here have all resulted in grotesque violations of their human rights.

So far most political parties in Ireland are wary of the subject, so I suspect the law will take a long time to change.

What law would you change?

Here’s Baihu!

July 16, 2015 • 12:45 pm

Everybody (including staff Ben Goren) has been clamoring to see Ben’s cat Baihu. I managed to take one picture of the moggie when we trapped him in the laundry room; otherwise he hides when strangers arrive. So here, for your delectation, is Baihu, whose name means “white tiger”:

P1080642He looks affronted.

Sunsets, Arizona

July 16, 2015 • 9:45 am

I have a whole passel of photos from Arizona, but the margins of this post are too small to contain them. A larger post will appear very soon. For now, let me just put up a few photographs of sunsets, all taken from the home of Mike and Karen Houle (Kelly’s parents) in Dewey-Humboldt, Arizona, between Phoenix and Flagstaff.

Arizona clouds are large, mercurial, and, at sunset, multicolored.

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The conjunction of Venus (left) and Jupiter (right):

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Evening hummingbird:

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Sunset over the mountains:

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Readers’ wildlife photos

July 16, 2015 • 9:00 am

by Grania

Reader Jacques Hausser from  Lausanne, Switzerland sent Jerry these absolutely gorgeous photographs of hedgehogs. He writes:

Sitting in the garden enjoying the first stars and the temperature dropping under 30º C  (86º F) at least (and also a beer), I spotted three little shadows following each other across the lawn. I didn’t have my camera, but I remembered a picture of a similar scene taken some years ago – and I thought it was a good idea to send you this family of hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus). I add a second picture of another one, who was convinced to be well hidden under a bush.
PL335 - copie
PL1055 - copie
The European Hedgehog is widely distributed across Europe as the name suggests.

The European hedgehog is found across a wide range of habitat types, encompassing both semi-natural vegetation types and those areas that have been heavily modified by man. The range includes woodland, grasslands such as meadows and pasture, arable land, orchards and vineyards as well as within the matrix of habitat types found in human settlements. It prefers lowlands and hills up to 400-600m, but is also locally present on mountains, exceptionally up to and altitude of 1500-200m (e.g. Alps and Pyrénées).[23] Outside cultivated land it prefers marginal zones of forests, particularly ecotonal grass and scrub vegetation.[24]

Hedgehogs are most abundant within the gardens, parks and amenity land close to or within human settlements.[25] They are generally scarce in areas of coniferous woodland, marshes and moorland, probably because of a lack of suitable sites and materials for the construction of winter nests (or hibernacula), which have specific requirements.[7]

Breaking News: Jesus now in Texas

July 16, 2015 • 8:00 am

by Grania

On the side of a cow trailer.

My only comment on this is: how does this become a news item at all? It’s not like even the news team believes it to be real, whether or not they may profess to be Real Christians™ themselves.

Even they are basically yukking it up at the imaginings of an emotionally compromised individual and her family who are lapping up every bit of attention they can get.

It’s kind of the 21st century equivalent of the old Victorian era freak show.

Yes, some people will get a warm and fuzzy message out of it; although you could get a message out of Harry Potter too without anyone feeling the pressing need to call the local press and share the good news.

Mostly, it’s a tawdry peep show for people to point and roll their eyeballs at, and I guess the media will keep reporting on it while people keep gawping and laughing.

Jesus

Hat-tip: Joyce

Thursday: Hili Dialogue

July 16, 2015 • 5:55 am

Good morning, happy day of Thor. Make sure you honor him in appropriate ways.

Today in 1945 the Atom Bomb was tested in Alamogordo, New Mexico, in 1935 the first parking meter was installed, in 1951 Catcher in the Rye was finally published after having been rejected a couple of times; in 1969 the Apollo 11 mission blasted off on its way to the moon.

Over in Dobrzyń Hili is up to Important Cat Stuff.

A: Hili, what are you doing up there?
Hili: I’m pretending that I’m just taking pictures.

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In Polish:

Ja: Hili, co ty tam robisz?
Hili: Udaję, że go tylko fotografuję.

Meanwhile, Leon is being a Helpful Cat with every bit of solemnity the task requires.

Leon: Guarding the preserves is a very responsible task.

leon task

Readers’ wildlife photos

July 15, 2015 • 1:30 pm

by Grania

Reader Mark Otten from Ohio sent Jerry five beautiful photographs. He writes:

All of the attached photos were taken at Glenwood Gardens Park (a component of the Hamilton County Park District) in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio.

Male eastern (rufous-sided) towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus).

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Field sparrow (Spizella pusilla).

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Bumble bee (Bombus spp.) on gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata).  I am not sure which species of bumble bee this is, but I think it is Bombus impatiens.  Maybe one of your readers can verify the species.  The lower one is the uncropped version of the photo.

P1020204b

P1020204

Male tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor ).  This photo was taken on a warm day soon after the young had hatched; which may be why he looks thinner than most tree swallows.

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And bonus photo from Ben Goren: spot the butterfly and grasshopper. He says nothing about nightjars, though that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.

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Thanks Mark and Ben, those are wonderful.