Goddamn pandas

We went to the San Diego zoo last weekend. There was a line of people waiting to see the Great Pandas. Once we got into the panda enclosure, there were zoo volunteers who were shushing the excited tourists. "Shh! Don't disturb the pandas!". We were also not allowed to linger as there was a line of people waiting about 100 ft. long.

We also went to the reptile exhibit. Here, there was a poisonous Bermudan snake that is critically endangered; it's natural habitat has been reduced to 10 sq. mi. due to deforestation and development of tropical resorts. The only people looking at the snake were a bunch of punk kids banging on the glass of the poor snake's aquarium. There were no zoo personnel to been nearby.

OK, so pandas are endangered. But (speaking as a biologist) these things have pretty much evolved themselves into a dead end. They don't have much to blame for their endangered status except for their own evolutionary stupidity. The Bahaman snakes, however, can attribute the eminent demise to unabashed capitalistic human greed. I suppose I understand that pandas are much fuzzier and cuter than snakes, but I can't help but think: goddamn pandas.

cancer

A of colleague of mine, who has been working in our department for almost 30 years and had only missed 2 days of work (EVER), is finally succumbing to cancer. You could tell that over the last few months it has been harder and harder for him to come to work . He was clearly losing weight, and often limped. The really amazing thing about him is that he has been toughing it out for so long. If I was diagnosed with terminal cancer I probably would have given up the ghost long ago, and spent my final days blowing my life savings doing lines of coke off of a hooker's ass in Vegas.

It's a real testament to his love of teaching and his intestinal fortitude. I salute you, sir!