LA Observed's long weekend

Deanne Stillman, author of the forthcoming "Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West," posts a Memorial Day paean to Buffalo Bill Cody and one of his favorite horses, Charlie Almost Human, who died at sea on the Atlantic in 1887.

The crew took him to the main deck, wrapped him in a canvas shroud, and covered him with an American flag. He lay in state that day and everyone reminisced about their times with the horse....

At eight o’clock that evening, candles were lit and with all hands and members of the Wild West show assembled, the band played “Auld Lang Syne.” Charlie was lowered into the water – his bones laid bare over time and perhaps borne by current toward the grave of his ancestors - and the ship’s cannon boomed farewell.

Also at Native Intelligence, David Rensin explains why he never gives his real name to the barista:

I suppose it’s better than saying, “Venti double caramel mocha, extra whip, for the short fat guy salivating by the bakery case;” or “Skinny black coffee for the brunette toothpick with the implants.” As for me, I want to retain what small bits of my privacy that I can, given that I'm unable to resist writing for public consumption, hoping someone will notice. (You think I do this only for the money? I'm an artist.)

More Memorial Day weekend posts at LAO:

• Bill Boyarsky fondly remembers arguing with both Bernard Parks and Mark Ridley-Thomas.
• More exits at the Register, and the $1 million bathroom, at LA Biz Observed.
• Sydney Pollack dies of cancer at 73.
• Fareed Zakaria gets California wrong.
• Mittelstaedt out at CityBeat, sends email to writers.
• Telemundo dumps anchor Lucia Navarro.
• Kobe speaks Italian, his wife Vanessa screams at reporter.
• JPL nails the landing on Mars.
• 492 Californians dead in Iraq, Afghanistan.