Do not go Gently into that Zero-Sum Night

Something I'd read ages ago, updated here by the always-estimable Martin Wolf of the FT, and commented by Naked Capitalism.

If there is a crunch or three coming along (energy use, global cooling cos' of Chilling Stars, various tragedies of the commons), we humans won't react all that well. Fights. Wars. The line which best sums it all up:

"People fight to keep what they have more fiercely than to obtain what they do not have. This is the “endowment effect”.

Hmm....

The Food Channel strikes again

This little anecdote has to be one of this season's LOL hits....

How's about:

a huhu grub inside a
rifleman inside a
tui inside a
pigeon inside a
blue duck inside a
little bush moa inside a
New Zealand eagle

I'd just be exerting my customary/culinary/cultural rights.

Oh dear. Some of these here boids seem to have been extincificated.

Culinary rights clearly have a Lot to Answer For.

No, wait. Some of 'em went west during the Little Ice Age. So we'll blame a lack of Globble Warmening.

No, wait...