The Ten Most Magnificent Trees in The World (via Ampersand).
This one’s the oldest known human-planted tree in the world, the Sri-Maha-Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka, planted in 288BCE, allegedly from a cutting from the actual banyan tree under which the Buddha meditated.
[image from Images of Ceylon]
It’s Feminism Friday over at Finally, A Feminism 101 Blog, with a guest op-ed.
Scared of flying? What if you woke up from a nap and found yourself sitting next to a corpse? (Hint: show some compassion for the dead woman’s daughter instead of complaining about how it ruined your trip in first class)
It would certainly be disturbing and worrying to wake up next to a dead person on an airplane, particularly when you have nowhere else to go. However, he does need to get over himself a bit. He seems more concerned by how much the flight cost him than anything else.
Some of the complaints made in the comments thread were pretty amazing, too.
Like the one who complained about how the dead corpse might spread whatever she died of. No, if she died of something respiratorially contagious, she would have been spreading far more contagion before she died, while she was still breathing. It’s already all through the air-conditioning mate, and now that she’s dead she’s not actually spreading it any more.
These people think they’re so smart and that if an airplane crew does something which causes them inconvenience then they must simply not have thought it through properly, rather than doing the best they can in a confined space.
I started reading the comment thread but found it too depressing! Heartless bastards.
And good on BA for making the daughter and son in law more comfortable in first class with their bereavement.
I’m a tree-hugger from way back and can recommend a book by Thomas Pakenham titled MEETINGS WITH GREAT TREES and it’s sequel Great trees Of The World.
also Barista has an Australian TREES blog.
agree with Mel about airline, but what a tough way to get a seat upgrade. I feel sorry for the brain of a man who is freaked out by a non-breathing person in his vicinity, for gods sake what a wuss.
Hi Brownie! I didn’t know about Barista’s trees blog, I’ll have to go check it out.
I thought they were quelle tasteless to show an actual picture of the corpse next to the article, but then I realised it was just Elton John on his 60th.
Heh. He is getting the waxy, embalmed look, isn’t he?