Juxtaposition

The local paper runs an occasional feature titled "News of the Weird". Sometimes what runs there is funny (usually blackly so), but sometimes I have to shake my head at the writer's judgement. The following two items appeared today, grouped under the heading "Mob action".

On Thika highway in Nairobi, Kenya, frenzied and hungry villagers brawled for access to meat from a baby hippopotamus (it weighed 1,700 pounds) that had been killed by a passing vehicle. Amidst the kicking and punching, two people were stabbed.

In the London suburb of Edmonton, about 6,000 Ikea customers rioted, vying for on-sale sofas (advertised as 80 percent off) and other bargains. One customer said: "People were diving onto sofas and tugging at different sides of the same sofa while shouting 'mine, mine.'" At least 20 injured people were taken by ambulance for treatment.

Yes, these two events are similar, and equally amusing. Sheesh.

Spring Shearing

With the return of warm weather, I have performed my yearly ritual. What was a mane of shoulder-length hair has been cut back to an inch, inch and a half, and a five-months growth of beard has gone into the trashcan. (I kept the mustache; I always do. I've had that mustache, except for two brief intervals, continuously since I was thirteen.) The "before" picture bears a distinct resemblance to Karl Marx, though with rather less gray; the "after"... doesn't really remind me of anyone. (Sue Reynolds once suggested a resemblance to Emperor Gregor Vorbarra, but ol' Greg is described as being tall and thin...)

For some reason, Murphy gets very excited every time I shave, especially the first one of the year; he insists on giving my freshly-bare chin and neck a thorough licking. Ben gets into the act too, but he doesn't quite understand what the fuss is about; he settles for licking a free hand, a knee, or whatever else is in reach. I don't understand Murphy's reaction, either; is it oils, or perhaps a faint trace of blood that attracts his attention? (Lord help me if I'm ever badly cut while he's around, if that's the case...)

Classes tomorrow. We'll see how they react. That's always fun.