Instead of finishing a bunch of novels last month, I read some current and back issues of my very favorite magazine, Fortean Times. I feel that it helps me appreciate the glorious variety of people and things in the world.

From the October 2006 issue (FT214), page 42, in the article “Big Cats on the Border” about tracking sightings of exotic big cats along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland:

“On Monday, we headed off to Dublin Zoo, where we interviewed head keeper Gerry Creighton. Gerry is a career big cat man, and was involved with the legal seizure in 1997 of a jaguar and serval from a private owner who kept them in his garage and walked the jaguar on a lead around a local housing estate at night. These animals were subsequently placed in English zoos.”

and on page 44:

“At present, the [Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] provides homes for six tigers, a pair of lions, a leopard and three wolves that have all been acquired from private owners.”

UK : Sound of Music :: US : Grease
They seem to have started more or less simultaneously, which makes me wonder (idly, natch) whether there was some Dutch musical that was subjected to Hoi Polloi casting first.

Also via Lifehacker, how to leverage a freezer full of food.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation tells us what and how to freeze. Or can. Or dry. Or pickle. Or whatever. They’re your one-stop preservation shop.
(Yes, we’ve talked about freezing before)

The international symbols are now easily available from AIGA. No need to resort to alleged English-Hungarian phrase books.