California's Official Slug

Banana slug (Chron photo)

You've got to hand it to Governor Newsom. Amidst all the problems California is facing--crime, homelessness, a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, businesses fleeing the state--he still found the time to name three new state symbols.

The state now recognizes the Dungeness crab as its official crustacean, the banana slug as its official slug, and the black abalone as its official seashell.

“California has some of the most biodiverse environments in the world — with over 5,500 plants, animals, and other life forms,” Newsom said in a statement. “From the majestic California redwood down to the delicate California quail, every organism matters here — and it’s time we celebrated our less cuddly friends before they get too crabby.”

The abalone and the Dungeness crab are more well-known, but your humble blogger finds the banana slug especially appropros to California: [bold added]

Neon yellow banana slugs that are synonymous with UC Santa Cruz make their home in the region’s lush redwood forests. The slugs, which can grow to 7 inches and longer, have both male and female reproductive organs. This gives them unique mating abilities, including the option to reproduce asexually, though extremely rare.

According to ChatGPT California is the second State to have designated an official slug, the first being Tennessee's coneflower slug in 2023. California used to be first in woo-woo stuff like biodiversity, but it's losing its edge, beaten out by a red state no less. Well, California's slug is non-binary, so there.

Bringing Your Kid to Work Has Its Risks

The first televised Presidential debates between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy have been analyzed extensively by historians, and the consensus seems to be

that people who listened to the radio were more likely to vote for Nixon while people who watched the debates on television were more likely to vote for Kennedy. One of the explanations to this phenomena was presidential candidates physical appearances during the debates with Kennedy appearing better on television than Nixon.

As further proof that video is more impactful than audio, watch Rep. John Rose' (R-TN) speech on the House floor with his six-year-old son Guy seated behind him. Mute the sound in order to appreciate more fully why Guy dominated the show.

A child on the House floor while @repjohnrose delivers remarks. pic.twitter.com/HeNY5nNNEI

— CSPAN (@cspan) June 3, 2024

Kim Walters (1951-2018)

My friend Kim Walters discovered in his later years that Buddhist teaching resonated powerfully, and so it was that the memorial service for the Tennessee native, who died of cancer at the age of 66, was held Friday at the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple. (A brief obituary is here.)

I had lost touch with Kim after we worked as junior staffers in a public company in the 1980's but saw him recently over the past five years when I helped him with his consulting practice. Alas, he couldn't finish a software product that could have sparked explosive growth.

A man is known by his loves--Kim loved his wife and two grown children, of course, as well as working on his company. He enjoyed riding famous roller coasters, tasting expensive whiskeys, and taking long car trips. His eyes would light up when he bought the latest device made by Apple, and he was always rescuing dogs from the shelter. Tennessee football was a special case (he graduated from UT), and he would spend hours discussing the high school seniors who had committed to Volunteer football.

I'll miss the hundreds of stories he would tell in his Southern drawl, the invitations to "supper", the how you doin' that started every conversation, and the kitschy birthday e-cards. These days, 66 is far too soon. R.I.P.

Victory Marches

Tua Tagovailoa celebrating with his parents (AP)

My high school wins awards for its sports programs but its longtime rival, Saint Louis, has left it in the dust as a training academy for top quarterbacks.

2011 graduate Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy at Oregon in 2014. Last weekend he led the Tennessee Titans to their first playoff win in 14 years.

On Monday fellow Crusader [don't let them change your mascot, St. Louis!] alum Tua Tagovailoa came off the bench in the National Championship game to spark a come-from-behind overtime win by Alabama over Georgia. Both quarterbacks were and are effusive in their praise for each other.

If Tennessee upsets heavily favored New England on Saturday, look for Marcus Mariota to regain the headlines from his protege.