Michael Blowhard writes:

Dear Blowhards --

* Rod Dreher wonders why pit pulls aren't banned. The comments on his posting are full of interesting facts and provocative thinking.

* Small-m passes along some fascinating stats about Scandinavia.

* Now open for business: MarginalFoodie, offering culinary insights and tips for dining around the DC area.

* Friedrich von Blowhard has been exploring the work of James Jean, a very talented, very young, LA-based artist and illustrator who works in a variety of styles: storybook, fantasy, and observational. I'm especially fond of Jean's sketchbooks myself. Here's his blog, here's his website. Check out how quickly Jean makes some of those drawings! Nothing wrong with a little facility, is there?

* I've been enjoying the work of a French illustrator-designer, Marguerite Sauvage -- now that's a name! Sauvage's saucy yet sophisticated style makes me think of James Bond book jackets and Modesty Blaise comic strips, only given a lot of Riot Grrrl attitude. Wait: Modesty Blaise already had a lot of attitude ... Anyway: witty, sexy, full of spirit.

* DVD Spin Doctor raves about the the quality of the new DVD version of the original "3:10 to Yuma."

* Alt-erotica photographer Samantha Wolov wants your opinion: color or black-and-white? (NSFW)

* I've found Jewish Atheist's wrestles with his faith and his identity moving and instructive. (As well as considerably more interesting and less self-important than this semi-similar piece of soul-searching by Philip Weiss. Which, by the way, is also worth reading.) JewishAtheist collects his postings on the topic here.

* MBlowhard Rewind: I examined what a bestseller list tells us -- and what it doesn't tell us.

Best,

Michael

RE: pitbulls. I've left a comment there, but it needs to be reiterated because this ignorant attitude needs to end:

Yes, you are missing something: the human element. a lot of people buy pitbulls for one reason and one reason only: to train them to be mean. Most get them and train them for dog fighting (like that scumbag, Vick. If there were any justice in the world, he'd be tied to a post, covered in steaks and then we'd let his dogs loose), others get them and abuse them so they'll be mean...and then wonder why it later kills their children.

You specifically mentioned your "awful neighbors" and how their pitbull was a menace. Exactly whose fault was the menacing? The animal or the animal that owned it? There is no such thing as a "bad breed", except when talking about humans. Dogs are dogs, it doesn't matter what breed they are. My wife's a vet tech, and I've met hundreds of pitbulls over the years, and not a one of them was dangerous. Perhaps that's a pretty good indicator: that the "mean" ones never see a vet? How well can they be treated if they're not getting regular medical care?

Another ignorant backlash ban is not the answer, more stringent punishment of those who raise these dogs to act like this is. These people lost their child, and that's a shame, but I can tell you without any shadow of a doubt that they brought it on themselves and need to go to prison for animal abuse.

Posted by: Upstate Guy on September 6, 2007 9:30 AM

People can make any dog mean so why do they choose pit bulls. Why not something bigger or faster. Pit bulls are originally bred for such things and people went with it to an extreme. Each breed of dog is set up for certain traits to be most likely. In pit bulls it's compact agression with a locking death grip of a bite at one time for the purpose of hunting certain animals and pro dog fighting. The breed traits were becoming obsolete till some urban assholes saw it as easy to exploit.

Posted by: TW on September 6, 2007 2:43 PM

(Pitbulls) In the UK, they were banned - along with several other breeds (Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1991/Ukpga_19910065_en_1.htm)
I still see them on the street, and every so often a child is still mauled to death, but every so often a breeder or dogfight facilitator is jailed, too.

Posted by: Nigel on September 6, 2007 3:53 PM






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