Another glorious sunny 75 degree day in Maryland. Who says we have lousy weather!
Intelligence
Have you listened to NOC (no C)? NOC is a 35 year old Beluga whale that can talk like a human.
That's what I said. Visit www.smithsonian.com/beluga and be amazed. For a while, a few years ago, NOC decided to mimic the humans that surrounded him every day. The humans never did figure out what NOC was trying to convey.. but I know. NOC had every necessity provided to him except one: female companionship. Anyway, when he realized that humans were not intelligent enough to understand his need in this regard, he gave up trying to communicate with them. At least, that is what I think.
Incidentally, some species of whales have brains that are bigger and more convoluted than those of humans. They probably are more intelligent than we are. Just look at Moby Dick!
I am glad that my New Bedford ancestors decided to discontinue hunting whales and concentrate on fish instead.
By the way, did the large spider I squashed today have a brain? Suppose it is not true that spiders' brains are just used for basic survival and not for the higher level functions of humans. Suppose that we are squashing sentient beings. Also.. crabs and lobsters and the like.. and of course, those New Bedford fish that "Fish Mary" lumps. Maybe I will become a Buddhist and honor and cherish all forms of life.
Thoughts on Guns
John Retsinas, sociologist from Rhode Island writes in the Nation Magazine: "Today forget the pawn shop. You can buy a gun online (Armslist). You can buy one at gun shows, at Walmart, on some city streets. If the restrictions seem onerous, find someone to purchase it for you.. a straw customer." It seems quite easy to get your gun and start legally "packing."
John says that "In the savage land that is America, we are all Paladins, or 'knights without armor.' Our motto: Have gun, shoot."
But you know.. when I was younger, my favorite radio show was Gunsmoke! And my favorite TV show was of course: Have Gun Will Travel.
(When I was active in giving Toastmasters speeches, my motto was: Have gavel, will travel!)
Carroll Magazine
A copy of the glitzy free magazine with that name showed up in today's mail. Its an easy, pleasant read, mostly advertisements and pictures of the "good life" here in glamorous Carroll County Maryland. Many flashy pictures of people I've never seen or heard of before. Perhaps its because the people depicted are a lot younger than I am.
Wait a minute.. the publisher's picture shows an older dude, and there is an article about a couple of older folks. But, overall, the magazine's photographer is good at taking pictures of younger looking people. These glamorous people obviously do not travel in my circles. Only a few look old enough to join AARP. The smiles on the faces of these beautiful people tell me that they enjoy being young and beautiful, and of course they scream out "We are never going to have wrinkles and grow old." My comment is the punchline of an old joke: Thatsa nize! which roughly translates to "Bullshit!"
Finally.. a Donnybrook!
The Carroll County Times printed a "regional item" from Philadelphia. There was a very large fight in a bar in South Philadelphia, in which several people were stabbed last weekend. Big news in Phillie.
Hey, guys.. fights like that occur every weekend in Baltimore, except that guns are used and young men are killed. Hermine Saunders had this title for her column yesterday:
Where have all the Flowers gone?
Well... the youthful human flowers of the Baltimore communities have been going away for some time now... cut down by stabbings, beatings, and drive-by shootings. It has to stop!
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