Save the Seals

If you’ve ever been to La Jolla, CA, you know there’s a wonderful inlet where seals gather and have babies. They’re cute, fun to watch . . . and, unfortunately, they poop a lot.

This is creating a big legal dust-up between the seal-lovers and the people who insist that the area must be maintained as a Children’s Pool, because the legislature deeded it to the city for that purpose alone. Not as a seal sanctuary. And all that poop is making it impossible for children (or adults) to make hygienic use of the beach there.

It’s an interesting mess–poop-wise and legal-wise. If the seals lose, they may end up getting thrown to the wolves (or, in this case, the sharks), which would suck. Plus La Jolla would lose a wonderful functioning habitat area.

Maybe if the legislature could just look at the seals’ cute little whiskered faces, it would change its collective mind on the appropriate use of that inlet.

Anything But ‘Love’?

Ever wonder how to sign off in a business email? Should it be “Sincerely,” “Best wishes,” or “Cheers”? What about “Regards” or just “Thanks”? This article provides guidance from two business communication experts on things to consider when you’re wrapping up a message to employees, business contacts or friendly acquaintances.

TTFN.

Great Book–Will It Translate To Film?

I’m happy to see that Alexander McCall Smith’s book, THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY, is being made into a movie. But there are concerns about whether this great novel will also make great cinema.

The main character is Precious Ramotswe, a “traditionally built” (i.e., fat) Botswanan woman who starts a detective agency and relies not on guns or fisticuffs, but on her wits and insights into human nature, to solve her cases. The book has wonderful descriptions of Botswana–its landscape, its weather, its animals and its people. Precious is a philosophical soul who’s suffered her share of hard knocks and is a pleasant character to spend time with. Overall, the story has a nice (dare I say it?) life-affirming quality to it.

How will this play on film? I’d like to think it could play well, if the writing and acting are good. I mean, now and then, there is the occasional surprise hit movie that succeeds based on interesting characters and story, rather than gratuitous explosions, special effects and nudity, right?

Naturally, it won’t be like reading the book. Part of the joy of reading Smith’s series is in his writing style–film can’t capture all the nuances of literature. But film can express things in visual ways and through dialogue and action–which is different, but not necessarily bad.

There is some skepticism about the project, though. “Because of the addiction to action in American cinema, the cut-to-the-chase excitement of American film, I think it’s unlikely that this will work in a movie theater,” according to Anthony Minghella, the director.

This from the film’s director? Well.

Where There’s A Will . . .

. . . cats will always find a way.

Who needs opposable thumbs, anyhow?

Bush and Climate Change

President Bush took a pass on a United Nations gathering on global warming for 80 countries this week. But he’s holding his own meeting on the subject, per a promise he made at the G-8 summit in June.

Some U.S. environmentalists are skeptical of Bush’s commitment to dealing with climate change. Philip E. Clapp, president of the National Environmental Trust, said Bush’s meeting was “a sidelight, not a process that leads to anything. . . . You’re seeing the Bush administration make this up as they go along.”

Meanwhile, world leaders and major banks are urging the U.S. government to regulate carbon emissions in various ways.

Heavy Metal Librarian

Why? Because it’s there.

Live Greener, Closer to Work

In yet another study that seems to state the obvious, the nonprofit Urban Land Institute concludes that to fight global warming, you should live closer to work.

Well, pardon me for saying so, but–duh! It only stands to reason that living closer to work reduces fuel use and emissions from same. Not to mention vegetation that absorbs carbon dioxide gets sacrificed to build all those houses, roads, retail outlets and so on that make up sprawl development. And, of course, pedestrian-friendly communities are healthier overall, since they provide more exercise than places where you’re car-dependent.

The study advocates building more mixed residential and business communities, which is a fine answer–assuming you can create enough jobs for everyone living in the community. I think this may represent the real “fly in the ointment” of this proposed solution–I live in a planned community (which has a mix of residential, retail and office uses in it) in which a substantial number of residents commute to one of two nearby cities. There are only so many office jobs here, and a whole lot of area residents work in offices. Plus what about friends, activities, special services, etc., located outside your community? You still need roads or public transit to reach them.

Maybe they don’t have all the answers yet. But if it takes a study that states the obvious to get politicians to consider the questions, then fine.

Starbucks Song Giveaway

Starbucks plans to give away 50 million free digital songs to customers in its domestic coffee houses, in order to promote a new wireless iTunes music service debuting in select markets.

From Oct. 2 to Nov. 7, the coffee giant will give away 1.5 million ”Song of the Day” cards every day. These cards will be redeemable on Apple’s online iTunes Store.

The music selection will feature 37 artists, including Paul McCartney and Joni Mitchell–the first musicians to sign with Starbucks’ Hear Music label–and others such as Dave Matthews, John Mayer and Annie Lennox.

The first song to be given out will be “Joker Man” by Bob Dylan.

Fifty million songs–that’s a whole latte of free music. (sorry, sorry . . .)

Fine Bush? . . . No . . .

An independent student newspaper at Colorado State University published a succinct, four-word editorial concerning our President on Friday–one that’s incurred the wrath of campus administrators.

The Rocky Mountain Collegian’s short opinion piece read simply: “Taser this… F— BUSH,” except with the third word spelled out. The editorial was printed with an explanation that “this column represents the views of the Collegian’s editorial board.”

Despite the paper’s independent status, the college has some control over it through a faculty-student Board of Student Communications, which can fire the paper’s editor-in-chief, David McSwane.

Jeff Browne, director of student media, wrote in a published letter that there will be an internal investigation of “the decision-making process” that led to the editorial’s publication.

While acknowledging the paper’s First Amendment right to publish what it will, Browne said, “We do not support the specific editorial statement on page 4 of today’s Collegian. We find it unnecessary and unbefitting the proud 116-year tradition of the Collegian.”

McSwane, who is no stranger to walking the wild side of journalism (he once posed as a high school drop-out, to dig up dirt on military recruiters’ methods), had not seen Browne’s letter and had no comment when this article went to press.

While the reference to tasers is a bit murky for me, it’s concise. And I think we get the point.

Celebrate How We Punctuate

For the copy editor in all of us . . . a reminder that tomorrow will be National Punctuation Day, “the holiday that reminds America that a ’semicolon is not a surgical procedure’” nor is an ellipsis that thing that happens when the moon moves in front of the sun.

This reminder brought to you courtesy of The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks.