And now for something completely different: baby Toller!

Oh, sumi, I saw him this morning! Doesn't he just look like a stuffed Gund? The little white bits on his paws are so cute.

BTW, did you see the beagle from a few days ago? Chloe? OMG, SOOOOO precious and adorable and a total, total Snoopy dog. I had to keep reminding myself, "Big spazzes. Big, big spazzes. Will dig like mad and follow their noses at all costs. And btw, BIG spazzes."

it seems like there is more concern (churchwise) about gay men than gay women.

Maybe because a gay woman isn't emasculating?

Oh, Tollers are VERY HIGH ENERGY. Very.

And (despite that puppy's very fluffy and adorable self) can be quite aloof.

Also - tollers scream.

Oh, Tollers are VERY HIGH ENERGY. Very.

Yeah, I knew about the high energy-- they're sporting dogs after all and AFIK haven't been inbred to death, so they're pretty true to type.

Did not know about the screaming, however.

it seems like there is more concern (churchwise) about gay men than gay women.

Maybe because a gay woman isn't emasculating?

Sometimes I think about two women prayin'... and then I go pray by myself.

I would happily be the make-believe family for some ex-gay man. Live nearby, pay half my bills and I will go to family gatherings, company events, and church functions.

Pretty picture of Mercury taken yesterday by some space probe thingie: [link]

Whir it up into breadcrumbs?

Maybe. Now all I need is to find recipes that needs breadcrumbs.

bake it off into croutons?

Not very braces friendly, I'm afraid. But hey, I hope friends would love them with soups and salads.

Is this a sign of the apocalypse? Or the beginnings of a glorious utopia?

Monkey waiters at restaurant

Yat-chan and Fuku-chan are waiters at the Kaoru Otsuka sake house north of Tokyo. The two are monkeys. They bring hot towels and also serve drinks. From Reuters, where you can also see video:

"Yat-chan first learned by just watching me working in the restaurant. It all started when one day I gave him a hot towel out of curiosity and he brought the towel to the customer," the 63-year-old owner of the tavern, Kaoru Otsuka, told Reuters...

"We called out for more beer just then and it brought us some beer! It's amazing how it seems to understand human words," said 71-year-old retiree Miho Takikawa, who said she came to the tavern specifically to meet the monkeys.

Ooh - that could be a new drinking game! Every time a monkey brings you a drink, you drink it.