Online Images

[poliphilo]

A cute little rodent has set up home with its cute little partner under one of the bird feeders- where, of course, it rains manna from heaven. Clever little rodent! I can't quite decide if it's a rat or a mouse- and so I've been looking at pictures online- but that hasn't helped because I'm sure some of the pictures labelled "mouse" are of rats- and vice versa. Anyway I've made the executive decision that it's a mouse because people like mice and have an unreasoning ancestral prejudice against rats- and I want them to view it- as I do- in the best possible light.

Talking about online images, I've also been looking at photos of the French town of Niort- which is in the news because professionally unpleasant French novelist Michel Houellebecq has called it "ugly". Judging by the evidence I've seen, it's not ugly at all. It has a river, ancient bridges, spires- and now I want to visit. The Angevin monarch Henry II- who was their king and ours- built a stonking great castle there- and while not exactly pretty- its remains- two huge towers linked by a renaissance living space- are mightily impressive.

Comments

[cmcmck]

Rats are a fair bit bigger than mice of course.

[poliphilo]

This is betwixt and between. It's either a small rat or a big mouse.

Anyway, it's not up for discussion. It's a mouse because I say so!

[athenais]

I have been to Niort and it is not ugly! The architecture is jumbled, so if you don't like modern next to medieval and then 18th century it may seem peculiar.

[poliphilo]

I like jumble. I live in a house that is full of it....

[oakmouse]

I'm in favor of mice myself. ;-)

Houellebecq is such a walking ball of antinomian assholiness that I automatically assume the truth of everything is the exact opposite of what he claims. Thus, Niort must be a rather pretty place.

[poliphilo]

I doubt that he's even been there.

It's one of those interesting places off the beaten track that I tend to prefer to the ones that are on it.

[oakmouse]

I also like such places. If I ever get to France (doubtful), I may try visiting it.

[qatsi]

This reminded me that there's an Umberto Eco book Mouse or Rat? (I haven't read it, but I believe it's about the art of translation.)

[poliphilo]

That sounds interesting. I like Eco.