Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Squirrel's Nut Cache - 326/09

The Nut Cache - a collection of recent things I found interesting, or amusing, or noteworthy.

China has long been known for their draconian “one child” policy. Well, now they are forcing the use of birth control in their efforts to control population. To make things worse, the target group is unaware of the drugs they are being tricked into taking. Read the story from the BBC here.

I’ve never understood the need to set out to set records. I’ve never bought a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records, and have no plans too. I’m not talking about athletes trying to run faster, or further, or jump higher, of catch more touchdown passes. That is not the kind of record I’m talking about. This is the kind of record I’m talking about! And I ask you, if the loo isn’t real, is the queue?

Well, goody gumdrops! Iraq is now open for tourists. Now, if you’re an historian, like I am, or if you just have a thing for Babylon (with or without Squirrels!), this is actually pretty cool. It would be fun to see Babylon and Nineveh and Ur for yourself, wouldn’t it? Just goes to show you how good of a job our boys and girls in uniform have done! Huah!

Here’s a hometown story that you probably care nothing about. This clock is a landmark, and I’m glad that it will be sticking around. I also really like to see community action that actually does something good for a change.


First, full disclosure: I was born in the South, “Rise Again, Dixie!” and all that, ok? When I saw that this story was from Tennessee, I just wasn’t surprised. I’m just trying to imagining the fireman… “Got your cat stuck in a tree, mister? Oh, it’s not your cat?”


Ok, so I’m picking on Tennessee today. What can I say? I was born in Georgia! (Here in Montana, they tell North Dakota jokes. What state does your state make fun of?) Some people just shouldn’t drink beer, and it shows. Shows too much!


From the Better-Late-Than-Never department: David Letterman finally married the mother of his child, 5 years after the fact. In typical Letterman fashion, he then made a joke of it with one of his famous Top Ten lists. Missing from the list was “Obeying God.” Not that anyone is really shocked.

It is a truism that, when you reject belief in the truth, whatever you do believe will be a lie. The only question at that point is, “What lie will you believe?” C. Michael Patton explores a lie that has a surprising number of believers, and has invaded science and popular culture.

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