In between innings of the not-good Red Sox game today, I read the rest of Lullaby (I'll get around to that resume thing any minute now). One of the characters is an eco-terrorist and an all around asshole named Oyster. There's very few times in the book when he's not going on about invasive species or animal cruelty. Here's two of my favorite passages for your reading pleasure:
When you think about it from a native plant perspective," says Oyster, "Johnny Appleseed was a fucking biological terrorist." Johnny Appleseed, he says, might as well be handing out smallpox.
Centuries ago, sailors on long voyages used to leave a pair of pigs on every deserted island. Or they'd leave a pair of goats. Either way, on any future visit, the island would be a source of meat. These islands, they were pristine. These were home to breeds of birds with no natural predators. Breeds of birds that lived nowhere else on earth. The plants there, without enemies they evolved without thorns or poisons. Without predators and enemies, these islands, they were paradise. The sailors, the next time they visited these islands, the only things still there would be herds of goats or pigs. Oyster is telling this story. The sailors called this "seeding meat." Oyster says, "Does this remind you of anything? Maybe the ol' Adam and Eve story?" Looking out the car window, he says, "You ever wonder when God's coming back with a lot of barbecue sauce?"
This is from the guy who wrote Fight Club, the movie being one of my all-time favorites. Makes me want to read the rest of his library, but I have Bowling Alone on the shelf, waiting patiently for months, and I'm probably going out to pick up this book tonight (Thanks Matt Graves!).

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