You must buy this book. I don't say that often, but I'm saying it now.

Okay. New Orleans. Last night, we were listening to a radio interview the mayor of New Orleans was giving. It's here:
http://www.zen41771.zen.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/WWL-AM%20Interview%20Nagin.mp3

Listen to it. Listen especially to the part where he's describing how the Feds are insisting that they didn't send help faster because the proper forms weren't filled out by the proper officials of the city ASKING properly for help.

Then go read the first chapter of this book:
Don't Think of an Elephant!:Know Your Values and Frame the Debate by George Lakoff
You can read the first chapter from a library copy. But then go out and buy the book, so you can recommend it to friends, and loan it to them so they can start reading it before they buy their own copy.

Although I had bought the book a month ago, I hadn't gotten around to it yet. I sheerly by coincidence started reading it this morning - next up on my shelf of things to be read. And I felt like I was being hit by a bolt of lightning. It explains completely why conservatives honestly think it's moral to prevent help from being given to New Orleans. Why helping poor people is "immoral."

Honestly, you need to read this book and start acting on it. Beginning with dealing with a federal government which currently thinks it is a strict father that needs to punish undisciplined children, of which cities like New Orleans is one. Why our administration thinks it is actually helping the country by punishing the poor and rewarding the already rich.

It will make you go gaaaaaaah!! How can people think like that!!! But at the same time, once you see that framework, you can begin replacing it with a better one, and you can't get people to see things differently until you DO acknowledge the way they currently think.

Okay, end of lecture. Do your homework, people. Thank you.

And now an ordinary post

We went to the zoo yesterday. The one in Baltimore, not the National Zoo. It only recently became "The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore" rather than just the Baltimore Zoo - new management, new funding, lots of upgrades in process. They are working hard to improve things - many more keepers hired, animals moved to better environments, etc. It's a work in progress, and there are still parts of it that are a sad older zoo, but they are trying.
leiacat came with us, and it's nice to have someone who knows more about the city than we do along. I'm sorry we couldn't stay longer, but an hour and a half in the heat and walking uphill was all I could take - I came home and slept for 3 hours after that. They had wheelchairs available but not motorized scooters, and I hate using wheelchairs. ( digression about wheelchairs )

Anyway. We passed by the Parakeet Landing, as I have enough of small psitticines landing on me every day, thanks to The Beak. ( strange side effect )

We went through the African area, and attended a keeper session at some of the african birds, particularly the Kori Bustard. Fascinating bird, and the keeper shared a lot of information about moving the birds, about breeding issues, and so on. The bustard is interesting looking, and especially when you look at the feet, you realize, no, not all the dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago. We also saw a few cheetahs, and some leaping lemurs - well, sifakas, same diff. We'll have to go back to see the polar bears and snowy owls some other time; I suspect they'll be more active when the weather is cooler.

More later...