Just a quick postcard or two, since I’m not posting anything consequential (as though that’s something new…) but go check out some of the space blogrolls to the left, and this week’s issue of The Space Review should be up.

About fifteen years ago, for some reason, a group of elephant seals decided to colonize a stretch of beach by Point Piedras Blancas, just north of San Simeon. It was a surprising location, because it’s hardly a remote area–Highway One goes right by it, and I remember that when they first started mating and birthing here, there were a lot of cars just pulling over to the side to look. State wildlife people put up barriers to prevent this, and set up special parking lots from which to view the beach. Several years ago, one could walk among them, but this is now strongly discouraged with fences and docents.

With all the protection, and despite the tourist interest, the population has exploded, and right now is breeding season. There were hundreds of pups on the beach, still in their black pre-weaning coats (they’ll molt and go gray after about six weeks, when they start swimming and eating in the ocean). Many are almost newborn, and staying close to mom.

We drove a little farther north, and had lunch at Ragged Point. It was somewhat cloudy and foggy, but the view to the north of the Big Sur coastline was still gorgeous.

Alan Boyle has an interesting story of the restoration of a lost Algonquin dialect. I don’t know whether or not the movie is any good in general, but I’m always impressed when a director works hard to get it right, even if few people would know the difference.

The global test is no longer number one on Google! It’s been demoted to numero dos.

C’mon, blogosphere. Are you going to let some cheesy marketing firm get away with that? Open up your hearts, and links.

The global test is no longer number one on Google! It’s been demoted to numero dos.

C’mon, blogosphere. Are you going to let some cheesy marketing firm get away with that? Open up your hearts, and links.

The global test is no longer number one on Google! It’s been demoted to numero dos.

C’mon, blogosphere. Are you going to let some cheesy marketing firm get away with that? Open up your hearts, and links.

The Donner family didn’t resort to cannibalism:

No cooked human bones were found among the thousands of fragments of animal bones at that Alder Creek site, suggesting Donner family members did not resort to cannibalism, the archaeologists said at a conference of the Society for Historical Archaeology in Sacramento, Calif.

“The Donner family ended up getting the stigma basically because of the name,” said Julie Schablitsky, one of the lead authors. “But of all the people, they were probably the least deserving of it.”

Patricia has been trying to keep the guest bedroom cat-free, in deference to potential allergenic guests. But occasionally she forgets, and Jessica, for whatever perverse feline reason, has decided that it’s her favorite room (in fact, her very own room, which we unjustly keep her out of), and lives for the times that the door gets left open.

She’s not thrilled to be caught in the act, but on the other hand, she can’t be bothered to show much deference to our recognition of her insubordination. She’s too mellow and relaxed, and she is, after all, a cat.

Patricia has been trying to keep the guest bedroom cat-free, in deference to potential allergenic guests. But occasionally she forgets, and Jessica, for whatever perverse feline reason, has decided that it’s her favorite room (in fact, her very own room, which we unjustly keep her out of), and lives for the times that the door gets left open.

She’s not thrilled to be caught in the act, but on the other hand, she can’t be bothered to show much deference to our recognition of her insubordination. She’s too mellow and relaxed, and she is, after all, a cat.

Patricia has been trying to keep the guest bedroom cat-free, in deference to potential allergenic guests. But occasionally she forgets, and Jessica, for whatever perverse feline reason, has decided that it’s her favorite room (in fact, her very own room, which we unjustly keep her out of), and lives for the times that the door gets left open.

She’s not thrilled to be caught in the act, but on the other hand, she can’t be bothered to show much deference to our recognition of her insubordination. She’s too mellow and relaxed, and she is, after all, a cat.

…last night watching that weird bowl game. You know, they have the cliche about “no one deserved to lose,” but I think that in that game, both teams deserved to lose. They certainly both tried hard enough to do so. It was like watching Michigan play itself.