Goats

A conversation with a colleague prompted me to draw an important distinction in long-form journalism between the thumbsucker and the goat-choker. The thumbsucker, long a journalistic staple, is the article that tells you What It's All About. Thumbsuckers flourish on Sundays, because Saturdays are generally slow news days and the increased space of Sunday editions is an open invitation to pontificate about the how and why and what next of some development during the week.

Two goats in a fenced pen in a Pasadena yard were attacked and killed by two dogs Saturday, then a neighbor shot and killed one of the dogs when it charged at him, Anne Arundel County police said. Police said they were called around 11 p.m. Saturday to the home in the 800 block of Woods Road. The goats' owner called the neighbor for help because the animals were being attacked, they said. Police said they believe the Siberian husky that was killed had escaped its property by going beneath a fence.

In an age when there are "baby apps" for the iPad and HBO is reissuing classic children's books as made-for-TV musicals, it's nice just to take the kids to visit some goats. Some hard-working, big-eating goats. My husband and I spent a weekend soloing as handlers for Mikey, the 22-month-old grandson with the halo of blond curls, and when a friend spotted a herd of goats along the side of a road, we were off. There's nothing toddlers like more than barnyard animals that are roughly the same size they are. "Goats!

Most people who haven't finished their shopping are starting to worry about what gifts to give a friend, relative or spouse. Quick, what did you give or receive last year? How about two years ago? Most of us can't remember, unless it was a big-ticket item. What if you could give a gift that mattered -- one that literally kept on giving and improved the life of another person? Would you buy that gift? Two years ago, I bought two gifts for people I have never met. One was a goat and the other a sewing class.

This well-rounded, youthful white wine may not reach the pinnacles of complexity, but it's an excellent value for under $10. And it's a lot of fun. This Rhone-style blend of white grenache, viognier and marsanne is a dry wine but very fruity, with flavors of pear and strawberry and citrus. (The name is a pun on Cotes du Rhone, but some French vintners don't see the humor.) 2009 Goats do Roam White From: South Africa Price: $9 Serve with: Full-bodied fish, Asian cuisine

Two goats in a fenced pen in a Pasadena yard were attacked and killed by two dogs Saturday, then a neighbor shot and killed one of the dogs when it charged at him, Anne Arundel County police said. Police said they were called around 11 p.m. Saturday to the home in the 800 block of Woods Road. The goats' owner called the neighbor for help because the animals were being attacked, they said. Police said they believe the Siberian husky that was killed had escaped its property by going beneath a fence.

Would someone explain to me, why during the week, we have to have three hours of news on the local stations? All during these broadcasts, all the information given is the same, especially the weather. The weather is given every 10 minutes. Also, on Feb. 18 in Rome, Baltimore ArchbishopEdwin O'Brienwas elevated to cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI. On the following day, however, only a small picture of Cardinal O'Brien receiving his red biretta from the Holy Father. Yet, in the same edition, there's a lengthy article on whether goats can be kept as pets ("Do goats suffer from discrimination?"

Perhaps a herd of goats will help Gibson Islanders solve a mystery that was created when an ancient tulip poplar that blew over six years ago during Tropical Storm Isabel revealed several handmade bricks in its extensively tangled root ball. Earlier this year, a Gibson Islander out for a stroll with his dog was greeted with a present of a handmade brick when his dog exited the thick underbrush. A quick glance and the passer-by realized that it wasn't a typical run-of-the-mill Home Depot brick; it turns out it harks back to the 18th century.

PUT YOURSELF IN Cathy and Rodney Holden's place -- but hold your nose while you're doing it. Picture yourself at their new house, on Oella Avenue off Frederick Road, where they saved all their money, and sacrificed convenience, and finally built this lovely split level brick home to raise their two daughters.And now they all have to share it -- with goats.This is not what they had in mind -- not in all the years the Holdens were saving their money, not in those 15 months Rodney Holden was building the house in Oella, not in those months when the family lived in a trailer to save money while Rodney finished construction.

At night, when Stephen Elliott can't sleep - a consequence of years of shooting heroin - he leaves his mattress in the barn and walks to the pen where five spindly-legged goat kids live. They crowd around him, jostling for a scratch behind the ears, and sometimes Princess and Jasmine settle into his lap. He strokes their heads and thinks about the unlikely journey that brought him here. After years of drug abuse and months of homelessness, he has found solace, perhaps salvation, among a family of goats.

Previously on "The Amazing Race," there were 11 teams. Some of them were really awesome, and some were not. Phil Keoghan eliminated a lot of them, and now the lucky remaining few are in Spain. It all ends tonight, you know, so I hope you have some comfort food around. You can't blame them for coasting when you cleared away their obstacles At the start of the leg, all the teams give pep talks about why they deserve to be in the top three. The Twins single out the Goat Farmers, accusing them of coasting through, taking the spot of a more deserving team.

The owner of the life-sized stuffed goat that has served as the unofficial mascot for the Naval Academy Class of 1961 is offering a $500 reward for information that leads Annapolis police to identify a person in a photo and for information leading to the return of the stuffed billy goat. Dubbed Fearless, the billy goat has stood atop Ron Carlberg's SUV during tailgating before Navy games, and children ask to pet it. But the stuffed animal, bought several years ago by Carlberg's wife, vanished from the back of the couple's car during an Oct. 20 Navy-Indiana game.

A life-sized stuffed Naval Academy mascot who's stood atop its owner's vehicles before many a football game, was stolen from a car parked at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis during Saturday's Navy-Indiana matchup. "It's almost like losing a pet," said owner Ronald Carlberg, Naval Academy Class of 1961 and a retired Air Force colonel. Carlberg, 73, recalled that his wife and daughter bought the white goat - dubbed 'Fearless' - several years ago, when it was part of a department store sweater sale display.

Beets are back in style. Long thought of as the food of older generations, or deemed too messy to deal with, beets have come back with the help of great chefs across the world. A culinary staple for thousands of years, beets are among the more striking of vegetables, ranging in hues from yellow to dark crimson and all colors in between. There are even some varieties that resemble a bull's-eye. I usually roast beets and dress them with olive oil and a splash of vinegar, but sometimes I want to do a little more.

In an age when there are "baby apps" for the iPad and HBO is reissuing classic children's books as made-for-TV musicals, it's nice just to take the kids to visit some goats. Some hard-working, big-eating goats. My husband and I spent a weekend soloing as handlers for Mikey, the 22-month-old grandson with the halo of blond curls, and when a friend spotted a herd of goats along the side of a road, we were off. There's nothing toddlers like more than barnyard animals that are roughly the same size they are. "Goats!

The flavor of a peach in hot weather can instantly transport you back to your childhood. The peach succumbing to the pressure of your grip while the juice cascades down your chin is a tactile memory that explodes in your cortex with every first bite of the season. Peaches can be had locally from June until September, and now is a great time to start cooking with them. Peaches are normally thought of as dessert fare, but when combined with more savory items, they can be used to create a mind-blowing appetizer at your next cookout.

Robin Morrison grabs the leashes from a hook in the shed. She calls out to Nanny and Samuel, who are lounging in the shade on the back porch: "Come on, you two. It's time for a walk." At first glance, Morrison might look like a typical pet owner taking a dog for a stroll through her Baltimore County neighborhood. But passing motorists sometimes stop, she says, when they realize she's leading a pair of goats down the suburban street. "I know, I know, my daughter said the same thing: `Mom?

Would someone explain to me, why during the week, we have to have three hours of news on the local stations? All during these broadcasts, all the information given is the same, especially the weather. The weather is given every 10 minutes. Also, on Feb. 18 in Rome, Baltimore ArchbishopEdwin O'Brienwas elevated to cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI. On the following day, however, only a small picture of Cardinal O'Brien receiving his red biretta from the Holy Father. Yet, in the same edition, there's a lengthy article on whether goats can be kept as pets ("Do goats suffer from discrimination?"

One day last winter the Balunsats carried home a gangly baby goat. They named the fuzzy thing Snowbird, cradled her while she slurped a bottle and allowed her inside to snuggle under a heat lamp. With Chesapeake City grass, hay and the occasional potato chip, Snowbird filled out into a handsome animal with a thick white coat, ridged horns that curl between her ears and lips that seem ever-pursed in an ironic smile. When she bleats "Meh, meh, meh," Lisa Balunsat - who will tell anyone she raised that goat as a child - hears, "Ma, Ma, Ma. " Cecil County officials mainly hear a zoning violation.