SHORT, THOUGHTFUL

The NYT on the Environment: A recent short editorial at least acknowledges the extent of the problem. “As so often happens, the more we come to know about the life of any individual species, the better we understand how extensive the human impact on this planet really is.” It’s a start. Maybe, next, a daily column. And then a whole section?

Resource for Transplanted Professionals: Imnotfromhere is a website that helps people new to a town get their bearings and meet other newbies and locals. Laurie hosts a ton of local events in the Twin Cities area for ‘transplants’, and there are now chapters in Richmond and Milwaukee as well. Time on your hands? Want to meet new people? She’ll help you set one up in your town.

Takeoff on Consultants: The hilarious HuhCorp site spoofs the newspeak and hype of marketing and management consultants. If you’ve been one you’ll wince. Also politically incorrect. And click on the auto-generated Google ads to see just what they’re satirizing. Thanks to Incite by Design for the link.

Animal Welfare Organizer Needs Marketing Help: A new sculpting business based in Fergus Ontario is donating all its profits to animal rescue. The owner, Barry, also maintains a site for advice on animal adoption and lost-and-found pets. He is looking for advice on how to publicize what he does to raise more money for stray animals. He’s just set up a parallel site for US stray adoption and support. If you’re in marketing, or experienced in animal rescue, e-mail him with your suggestions. It’s for a great cause.

WHO Plans Genetically-Modified Smallpox: Allegedly for purposes of studying the smallpox virus to develop anti-virals in case of terrorist bio-attack, this has to be the most moronic idea since the invasion of Iraq. Despite previous ‘accidents’ with this virus, and despite the fact this virus has killed more humans than anything other agent, natural or man-made, in history, the WHO really believes they can do this ‘research’ safely. And since Bush was the guy who wanted to develop ‘mini-nukes’ to counter terrorism last term (whatever happened to that loony idea?) does anyone think he’ll say no?

Bush Expands Alaska Drilling Area: In the last push before attacking the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Bush has approved exploration and drilling in the ecologically-sensitive (and critical for local biodiversity) northeast corner of the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska.

Cartoon from the local paper by the inimitable Tim Dolighan. In my recent post on Implausible Deniability, I mentioned that three cases of BSE (Mad Cow) have now been found in Canada, but in the US, which has larger stocks from the same sources, the same standards, but lower levels of inspection, there have been none. The cartoon shows I’m not the only one who finds this odd.