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Yesterday I read a fairly interesting book called "The Pig who sings to the Moon"- The emotional lives of farm animals. (Author- Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson)

This is apparently the first book ever written on this topic. Amid most of the detailed facts about animal emotions, there were also numerous facts about the livestock and farming industries. I think the author made several good points, and this book could be a text for animal rights activists. However, I did think that he was trying to manipulate his audience by being overly sentimental in several instances.

Some things I learned- ( some disgusting details )

Anyway, it was a worthwhile read and I intend to read his other books on the emotions of dogs and wild animals.

A nice quote about the Gobi, from the journals of Marco Polo

(could be of special interest for [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] and [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]

When a man is riding through this desert by night and for some reason -- falling asleep or anything else -- he gets separated from his companions and wants to rejoin them, he hears spirit voices talking to him as if they were his companions, sometimes even calling him by name. Often these voices lure him away from the path and he never finds it again, and many travelers have got lost and died because of this.... Even by daylight men hear these spirit voices, and often you fancy you are listening to the strains of many instruments, especially drums, and the clash of arms. For this reason bands of travelers make a point of keeping very close together. Before they go to sleep they set up a sign pointing in the direction in which they have to travel, and round the necks of all their beasts they fasten little bells, so that by listening to the sound they may prevent them from straying off the path.

(no subject)

Maybe I'm just strange but I think the stuff at despair.com is really funny.

The poster for persistence is particularly funny, as is the one for potential.