Speaking of strange, unexplained events

At least one of them is over. Footnote-to-history Thad McCotter, has dropped out of the race for the GOP nomination.

I try to keep a sense of humor about this sort of thing, especially given the caliber of other, more serious, candidates (like there are any,) but McCotter I found to be a more than usual insult to the intelligence of the public (like there is any.) Anyway, he's gone, crawling back under the rock of Southeastern Michigan Republican politics.

Must-have fashion accessories for Fall

A camo beanie! From Cabela's, who else? From their mannerist collection, after Parmigianino's Moron with the long neck. Besides all else, consider that someone got paid to model for that photo, someone else got paid to take it, and a catalog editor selected it for use. The wonder of it all.

What's that? You say it's not a real model, it's a dummy? Oh, I agree. I agree. One way or the other.

Stupid Comics

No, this is not a current political cartoon, representing Republican members of congress. It's one of many, many '40s era comics mocked on the web site, Stupid Comics.

I grant you, the guy in the middle does look like Dick Cheney, but no ...

Cat food, cat food, cat food ... AGAIN!

Detroit is the worst dining city? Hard to argue with. Let's just all hope that Kwame Kilpatrick doesn't opt for the food service business when he finally wriggles away from the feds (hopefully not in my lifetime.)

Seriously, this take on Detroit food brings to mind the Firesign Theater bit about Mayor Noche's Bamba Shelter: Hey, Jose', order up our special-a sandwich, a sleepy Joe. One's enough, 'cause they're made of dog food and downers! Plus, fabulous, this week only, red beans and reds! Yes, Bad food and bad people go together at Mayor Noche's (cue reverb) Bamba Shelter!

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To John's comment below, the "study" that produced this conclusion was a survey of LivingSocial (a Groupon wannabe) customers, so its gold-plated, double-blind, statistical veracity could well be questioned. The Mlive blogger I stole this from who noted the story believed it applied to within the bounds of Eight Mile, not the Detroit SMSA. Why he thought that, I cannot say.

Another study on snakebite

"One and a half million people per year are poisoned by snake venom in Sub-Saharan Africa." Turns out the estimates were way under-estimated. I particularly like the cycle of ignorance, poor outcomes, and under-reporting described in the article. Ain't it the way?

Another article says, "Most victims of snakebite are among the poorest, least empowered people in the world..." but at least holds out some hope for an improvement in the pharma situation.

As I've tried to ask in other forums, if this were a microbe or even a parasite causing such havoc, people would be talking about eradication. Not in the case of venomous snakes, though. Why is that? Wouldn't people rather put up with rodents (snakes -- some of them -- eat rodents, but how many? Are they really a necessary vector in controlling the population of rats n' mice?)

Oh, well. Who knows how we'd do it if we could. We don't seem to be doing very well with mosquitoes and poison ivy, over here, after all.