The end is near, kind of

Ten years is a long time but that's how long it will probably take the US to phase out animal testing in labs, or so says this current article. As it is, labs are living hell for nameless billions of innocent creatures. Just thought I'd share the better than nothing news.

According to the article, "the new systems the agencies hope to use rely on human cells grown in test tubes and computer-driven testing machines. They allow the scientists to examine potentially toxic compounds in the lab rather than injecting them into animals. The EPA has begun evaluating 300 chemicals using the new methods."

Crow's return

The crows are back!!! I'm been lamenting their absence all winter. It's Charlie, the News Guy. What a loud mouth but I've sure missed him. In fact, I woke up thinking about the crows this morning, wondering where they've been. At the moment, he's criss-crossing himself down into the Bird Park. As always, he starts hawking out on the street, from the top of a lamp post. Then swoops up to the peak of Dick's roof, then across to the peak of our house, then down to the garage roof, then another cross back to the main roof. He'd better hurry. The starlings drop straight down and he has only just now landed on the ground. The specialty d'jour is crust from the valentine pies. Yum. For all his talk, Charlie has never been one to stick around long, reporter you know and, since I started this paragraph, he has come and gone. I hope he's an omen of birds to come. I really enjoy the crows. It's calving time and, like the eagles, perhaps they are back in the valley to enjoy the tasty afterbirth. I prefer pie.

Drubbing

This morning I was thinking about a bumper sticker I saw yesterday and the word drubbing came to mind as in,"He needs a good drubbing". Dictionary.com explains that "drub, to drub, drubbing" originated in Arabic around 1625-35, but, of course, the idea has been around lot longer. It's not a happy thing, a drubbing. The bumper sticker screamed out, "Why the hell do I have to push 1 for English?" Clever. Anger wafted from it like a bad smell from an outhouse. My knee jerk waftback was, "Because you live in a multi-lingual world, asshole."

Standing in line to mail my package, I tried guessing whose truck it was but, not seeing any scruffy dudes hunkering down in Monday's 5 o'clock shadow, I decided the proud owner was probably next door at Hamdog's drinking his lunch and that, anyway, I probably didn't really want to get in an argument with him.

Of course lots of people feel like that, not just alcoholic rednecks, and the arguments seem reasonable. "They are taking all our jobs away, getting benefits without paying into the system, bringing their gangs, reducing English to a choice..." We benefit from their work then complain because they are working for us but, for all the huff and blow, these people ignore the fact that cheap, under the table labor, is one of the pillars of our false economy.

Plus, Americans won't do those jobs because they want, need, more money for their time. Or can't do them because they are in jail doing time. In case you didn't know, the US has the largest prison population on the planet. We build prisons ... not schools and libraries ... then put our "problems" behind bars, drop another prozac, eat, shop, have a little drinky poo, turn on the TV and pretend that we are The People and the rest of the world is somewhere else starving and better stay there if they know what's good for them, so eat your damn dinner. Seems someone should tell Lady Liberty to cool it. She's lookin' real out of touch.




immigration illegal aliens border politics Mexico

Hsu

I did an I Ching reading this morning, asking a pretty generic question, What is the way forward today? The answer?

Trouble Doll contemplates I Ching

"Hsu. It is only when we have the courage to face things exactly as they are, without any sort of self-deception or illusion, that a light will develop out of events, by which the path to success may be recognized. This recognition must be followed by resolute and persevering action."

So...

Shaye Saint John

If I ever get as bad as her, I'll quit.


TWENTY4SEVEN REDUX

03:15

Venice Beach in January

Here are a few more photos from that nice sunny day at Venice Beach last month. Now I'm off to get another cup of coffee. The second one pretty much captures my mood this morning.

My favorite guy on the beach. What's not to love
about a cute muscle man in a bikini? And that smile!
The scary evil clown could take a lesson or two.

My mood this morning, and many mornings.

Play today. Right.

Lil' Dancing Boy. I wonder what his life will be like.
What the hell?! Perhaps he is following his heart.

Manifesto of the Living

Worlds apart

Shadow on the wall. Strange people haunt Venice Beach.

For more recent LA photos, start here