No details, flimsy numbers: Varoufakis (ABC TV – Australia) — Greek economics professor Yanis Varoufakis interviewed about EU’s latest rescue plan for his country and the eurozone — not exactly a rave review. Video — click on screenshot above.

How Germany Became Europe’s Green Leader: A Look at Four Decades of Sustainable Policymaking (The Solutions Journal)

CONVEGNO: “UN’EUROPA. MOLTE LINGUE. NUOVE OPPORTUNITÀ” (Mediapolitika) — saw this thanks to Ivan Turatti — interesting Umberto Eco quote, “The language of Europe is translation.”

Looks like Congress has declared war on the internet (GigaOM)

Celebrate with us on December 10…  TerraMadre Day (Slow Food)

In Honor of Bella – Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee Slideshow (The Elephant Sanctuary) – Bella died this week. Click on screenshot below to see slide show of Bella and her boon companion Tarra.

The ARKive project has unique access to the very best of the world’s wildlife films and photographs, with more than 3,500 of the world’s leading filmmakers and photographers actively contributing to the project, and giving ARKive unprecedented access to their materials. Contributors include the most famous names in natural history broadcasting, commercial film and picture agencies, leading academic institutions and international conservation organisations, as well as myriad individual filmmakers, photographers, scientists and conservationists. (from ARKive  – About page)

When I took this photo in Rome a couple of weeks ago, I felt a bit of a louse. The horse doesn’t exactly look happy, and here I was flashing a camera a few feet from its face.

Today when I saw the article at ANSA.IT about the city of Rome issuing new regulations to ease the lives of the buggy horses there, I felt some sense of vindication, even though irrational, probably (“Rome gives buggy horses a break” Feb 22, 2010).

“The new regulations were adopted after a series of accidents over the past few years, which have seen horses maimed in the line of duty.

In addition to limiting the horse’s work-day to a maximum of eight hours with mandatory breaks during the hottest hours of the day, the city ordinance mandates regular check-ups by city-approved veterinarians.”

Animal rights activists aren’t satisfied with these regulations, according to the article, which quotes Animalisti Italiani head, Walter Coporale:

“We’re not going to stop lobbying until we get them off the streets for good,” said Walter Coporale.

“It simply isn’t conceivable for horses to be carting people around in 2010,” he said.

Coporale suggested that the city should have gone further in its regulations and allowed the buggy horses only along the shady trails of parks.

All this brings back to mind the compelling story of Nietzsche’s last sane act, which leading scholars insist is mythical. From the website Nietzsche Circle:

On January 3, 1889, Nietzsche collapsed in a piazza in Turin. It is oft repeated that he saw a coach-driver beating his horse, threw his arms around the horse in tears, and collapsed; however, this is but another apocryphal legend that cannot be corroborated with absolute verity. Italian Nietzsche scholar Verrecchia investigated and disputed this tale, which was originally published in an Italian newspaper somewhat akin to the Daily News called Nuova Antologia.

Whatever the doubts of the scholars, they can no more prove this didn’t happen, than its proponents can prove it did. So, going with my heart — I’ve read Nietzsche, I admire Nietzsche, and I say it did.

Intro translation:

It’s cold!
In search of the animals of the Arctic Circle

Video link here.

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