Two things I've learned today

Oh, and some dragonfly porn. Not a great shot since I had to take it with the zoom and through a tangle of grass, but I think it works aesthetically if not for ID purposes.

They're some sort of darner, I think. I'll leave you to look them up.

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So. I learned two things from surfing the news sites while eating my lunch just now. One is that I officially have an excuse if I decide to snap one morning and stab Wheat in the shins as he's coming into the office (why the shins? Well, why not?). It seems that lefties have an elevated risk of psychosis. Ok, slightly elevated. But add that to the elevated risk of schizophrenia, accidental death, and probably lots of other depressing things if I cared to warm up the search engine... and my bet is that Wheat's going to get it in the shins sooner or later.

On the plus side, we're apparently better at coping with multiple stimuli. I'll remember that the next time I plan to pilot a jet fighter.

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The other thing I learned gave me more of a pause (yes, more than stabbing Wheat in the shins). Tommy Makem has died.

I'm sure there are a few of my two fans (a few of two? Oh, never mind) who are thinking Tommy who? right about now, and really that's too bad. I grew up listening to Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers (amongst others), and it gave me an interest in folk music that's never gone away. It's true that my own tastes later developed more along the line of traditional-style performance and instruments, but if it hadn't been for people like Sarah Makem handing the music down and her son Tommy keeping it alive for audiences, those who've worked to reconstruct historical performance wouldn't have had much to go on.

Besides, the music is just fun to listen to. Look it up if you've never heard it.

It's weird, but every time I hear that one of those folk artists who came to fame in the sixties has died, I feel like part of my childhood has gone too. I don't feel that for the rock or pop singers, as much as I like that whole era.

Maybe the folk music had a little more heart to it, I don't know.

I have to get back to work now. This post has caused me to turn the internet radio over to the folk station, which is a shame because it's not one of their better channels overall. Funny how something I like so much can drive me nuts so quickly when it's not done properly.

Ah well, I can always go back to Guitar Heroes after a bit. Either that, or wait for Wheat to get back from lunch so I can... oh, you fill in the blank.