First some links:

Women are deploying panties in a protest against Burma's military rulers. Apparently General Than Shwe believes that contact with women's undergarments saps him of power. Got panties? Lanna Action for Burma urges you to send, deliver or simply fling them at your nearest Burmese embassy or consulate.

From the Department of A Civilized Country Would Have Done This a Long Time Ago, US Representatives Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Ed Whitfield of Kentucky have introduced the Sportsmanship in Hunting Act to stop canned hunting of exotic animals inside fenced pens.

I feel like I should go see Lust, Caution, but I can't say I'm excited about it. Michael Clayton, on the other hand, and Gone Baby Gone are high on my list.

111 shirtless men of average build prank Abercrombie & Fitch store:



And now a few bits of news about me:

I bought my secret boyfriend nerd-crush Paul Krugman's new book (that's his smiling face in my icon) and got two tickets to hear him speak on Tuesday night, but I can't get any of my friends to go. These are tickets that would have been $12 a pop if I hadn't bought the book. The only positive reply I got came from a friend of mine who said she would go, but she's never heard of Paul Krugman. And this is someone who works for US AID! If a policy wonk doesn't know Krugman, who does? Clearly I need to bring these people to a party under my Paul-Krugman-worshipping rock sometime.

I know you've heard this before, but this time I think I've really found Stella's true breed. At a picnic last weekend I met a girl who said Stella looked just like her old dog, a Plott hound from North Carolina. I went home and looked it up, and found photos of a bunch of Stella look-alikes on Wikipedia and other Plott hound sites. The dog in this photo could easily be Stella, except that it doesn't have the scarred ear sticking up the way she does. The AKC has pages on Plott hound history and specs, which she matches perfectly except that she's a little smaller. And this adds an interesting twist to my upcoming camping trip this weekend, because here's what I found on http://dogbreedinfo.com:

Loyal and intelligent, the Plott Hound is quick to learn and quick to love and is good with children. Their personable natures are surely not evident on the trail. This large game hunter and scenthound has great courage. Determined, courageous and proud, it will play chicken with a 500-pound papa bear or a ticked off boar.

I'd like to think Stella has the sense not to bring an enraged bear to me. I guess I'll find out. Wish me luck!

And finally here's a good story from the New Yorker for your snooty reading pleasure.

Tags: k9, out there, reading