It's Valentine's Day

What?

Don't forget to wish JanieBelle a happy birthday, too!

UPDATED: I think someone at You Tube has been playing matchmaker for this lil' baboon lady:



Come to think of it's what's "Peter" Graves doing these days?

The Food of the Gods

Various ambrosia to sip:

(I say ambrosia, because we don't want to upset the tummies of Mr. Chairman and Senator Irving.*)

December 16 is Arthur C. Clarke's birthday. You can go here to send him birthday wishes.

It's also Ludwig van Beethoven's birthday.

Biologist Ken Miller gives an explanation of the significance of the recently-published Chimpanzee genome here:



And PZ explains it here. (Warning: Casey Luskin aftertaste.)

Shimmies to Pharyngula and, of course, Ken, Ludwig, and Sir Arthur.

*"Until a few centuries ago, the favourite food of almost all men was meat – the flesh of once living animals. I’m not trying to turn your stomachs; this is a simple statement of fact, which you can check in any history book…

"Why, certainly, Mr. Chairman I’m quite prepared to wait until Senator Irving feels better. We professionals sometimes forget how laymen may react to statements like that. At the same time, I must warn the committee that there is very much worse to come. If any of you gentlemen are at all squeamish, I suggest you follow the Senator before it’s too late…"
—Arthur C. Clarke, “The Food of the Gods”

A Meeting with Medusa

The age 42 is jangling its irritating ringtone in my ear (okay, it's not attractive to let your mouth hang open like that - yes, that's how old I am), and to console myself because I hate birthdays I bought myself a present.

I haven't read some of these stories ("Reunion," "Food of the Gods") since I was a very young girl, and others ("The Star," "Dial F for Frankenstein") since college, and I've never before read "The Wind from the Sun." Can you believe it? I guess I never got around to it - and it's wonderful, a beautiful story, so sad and heroic.

UPDATED: This dates me.