En Lapin!

Nateblogg Tip of the Day: Whenever you want to sound pretentious and educated, use Latin names (It works for churches like Imago Deo and Ecclecia). This post is about rabbits...

1) In looking for the new Volkwagen Golf (a car I may consider buying when I experience a mechanical problem in my Accord in about 12 years, probably with the wiper blades), I found that VW is bringing back the name Rabbit for this generation Golf, no doubt banking on the Millenial target audience possessing no recollection of the oil-burning, smoke-belching tin can deathtrap that their parents suffered with. The new one looks to be a quality car, and unlike most recent VW's, is affordable.

I say all this to point this out: On the VW website, you can not only build a Rabbit that comes together before your very eyes, but you can then breed your Rabbit with another Rabbit and create Rabbit progeny. The animation is cute (not nearly as disturbing as I expected), and worth going through at least a couple of generations - you'll see what I mean...

2) It's a good thing that God made rabbits fast and gave them the ability to multiply rapidly - they are fragile little buggers. I would call them the Chinese-made inferior appliance that you can purchase at Wal-Mart for $8.77 of the Animal Kingdom.

3) Eclipse, my parent's black cat that my mom calls "the best cat I've ever had" has a soft spot for rabbits. When my parents moved to their 2-acre lot in the country a few years ago, Eclipse promptly killed a family of them (in addition to literally hundreds of field mice and several birds). He has killed more since - not in large numbers, but whenever they pop up. Eclipse isn't picky about what he kills.

Here's what gets me about Eclipse - as a kitten, he had a similar temperment to Wolfy - maybe a little less rambunctious, but still very outgoing. Outside the house, he is a vicious and prolific killer. Inside the house, he is the perfect lap cat that begs for treats and reads the paper with you. I can't let Wolfy outside the house - not enough yard, other backyards have Dobermans, and too many streets - but I wonder if he would be more like Eclipse if he could go outside and hunt stuff and get his killing out of the way. Just a thought.

4) Quick list of pop culture items prominently involving rabbits, ranked in order of quality and significance:

1. Bugs Bunny Rabbit of Seville (for the scalp message scene)
2. Watership Down, by Richard Adams (One of my favorite books)
3. The Rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail ("Look at the bones!" I think Wolfy could take him...)
...
1276. Donnie Darko - The first cult film of the aforementioned Millenial Generation. Like most things the Millenial Generation takes to, it's pants (First sign of getting old - dismissiveness of things popular with those younger than you).

That's all I've got. Later...