People watching can be fun, especially when they’re doing something for the first time. I was waiting in line at LAX to be processed by the TSA and found myself behind a young man, about 21, taking his first flight.

At least it seemed like his first flight since he probably made a dozen people late for their flights.
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The co-founder of Esprit Clothing, Douglas Tompkins, has spent over $30M to create a nature sactuary in the country of Chile. That’s 714,000 acres dedicated to the protection of natural species in that area. Full story at MSNBC.

If I had that much extra money I’d give it away for philanthropic causes. Ocean conservation and WW2 aviation restoration are my picks.

Matthew Gilbert is guest blogger for the NRDC this week.

“The fact that it’s even a question whether we should drill in a pristine place like the Arctic Refuge, the breeding grounds of Polar Bears, the Porcupine Caribou Herd, and many bird species, is an ethical travesty of our time. The world is realizing fossil fuel is becoming more and more scarce and its costs to the earth more expensive. We Gwich’in of Alaska pay $5.00 a gallon and are getting hit the hardest, but we know our environment is far more important. Even in a time of energy shortage, we stick to our belief: complete protection of the Refuge’s Coastal Plain to ensure the survival of the Porcupine Caribou Herd.”

Read the full text at his NRDC blog. Visit the NRDC blog for other stories from Matthew Gilbert.

Living in LA and doing some business in entertainment, I get the opportunity to go to private screenings. They’re great: private theater, clean floor and seats, no kids, no noise. The attendees are usually professionals in the film industry and respect those around them.

But this one woman couldn’t get enough of her Blackberry during a recent film.
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I can’t have any pets in my rental home. No dog, no cat, no fish. Apparently spiders and ants are OK since they’ve nearly taken over the place. Did I mention my nicely stocked 30 gallon aquarium is in the garage? At least I don’t have an algae problem.

Robot pets… I don’t see something cute and fuzzy like that bear in the film A.I. arriving any time soon, but cold, mechanized robots seem like a good fit until then.

The Robosapien creeps me out. I’ve watched Aliens and Robocop too many times. But this new Roboraptor looks interesting. It’s a dinosuar (what kid doesn’t love ‘em and what adult didn’t love Jurassic Park) with a mind of its own. It’ll roam around the house looking for things to attack or nuzzle your hand if it’s feeling friendly.

From a landlord’s perspective it’s perfect: no mess, no pet deposit, no noise. Well, this raptorbot lacks a Mute switch so perhaps it’s not so quiet.