N.Z. Bear's Blogosphere Ecosystem currently lists me near the end of the 'Marauding Marsupials', tied for 75th place with Silflay Hraka and Joanne Jacobs. I think that makes me a wombat, which is fine with me, as these pictures will illustrate (the last one looks particularly fat and happy):
I had always wondered why wombats were not as famous for their cuteness as bunnies, pandas, and koalas. Then an Australian told me the reason: they are seldom seen in their native habitat except at night, and even then they are generally only briefly glimpsed as they flee into the underbrush. I've never been to Australia myself, but with the help of his description I have made this very approximate rendition of the typical Australian view of the wombat:
Not nearly as cute from this angle . . . .
By the way, I can't find the reference, but some leftie blogger was recently whining about N.Z. Bears' category names, which he found insulting or degrading or something. It therefore gives me great pleasure to note that some of them came from me. I suggested several new categories in this entry last July and N.Z. Bear accepted some of them, as he mentions here. However, 'marauding marsupials' were his idea, and he rejected my tentative suggestion to put a category of 'Baboons' between the Primates and the rest of the Larger Mammals. Too bad: if the first ten 'Large Mammals' on today's list were promoted to baboons, one of them would be 'Hesiod Theogeny'. Perhaps it's just as well: I have nothing against the other nine.
Posted by Dr. Weevil at March 09, 2003 12:27 PMI am still having a difficult time with the complacency of the health issue. The top four wombats seem very much contented and at peace too; not to mention, relative longevity looks very promising.
...Well, then again those prurient thighs engender quality living.
Posted by: Nathan Barna on March 9, 2003 04:28 PMWombats are incredibly dense and heavy (hit one with your car and it crushes the sump).
Wombats travel in straight lines (if you build something in a wombat's way, such as a brick wall, the wombat will make a wombat sized hole in it).
Wombats are nature's short, furry bulldozer.
Posted by: Russell on March 9, 2003 07:26 PMDoc, you've been demoted to Adorable Little Rodent. I shall link to you forthwith to put you back up in Marsupial land.
By the way, an op-ed in today's Times references the ancient Greeks and is for the war in Iraq.
It's by a professor from Texas. He made me think of you the second he started referencing Greeks. (But you write better.)
Posted by: Meryl Yourish on March 10, 2003 12:37 PMI'm an old motorcycle racer.
An imported dirt bike in the '70's was named the "Wombat".
When the company modified it to sell for motocross racing,
they named it the "COMBAT WOMBAT".
GO OZZIES. {:^)