Some cool animals facts images:
Observing
Image by Melissa Maples
At first I was a little bit weird about the fact that the families brought their kids down to watch, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that I probably wouldn't be so disproportionately freaked out about death if I had had this sort of exposure to it as a child. I probably also would have grown up with a greater appreciation of where meat comes from.
View the set here.
A few nice animals facts images I found:
Moreton Island 0589
Image by Michael Dawes
The Bottlenose Dolphin is the most common and well-known dolphin. Recent molecular studies show it is in fact two species, the Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (T. aduncus). It inhabits warm and temperate seas worldwide and may be found in all but the Arctic and the Antarctic Oceans.
Moreton Island 0621
Image by Michael Dawes
The Bottlenose Dolphin is the most common and well-known dolphin. Recent molecular studies show it is in fact two species, the Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (T. aduncus). It inhabits warm and temperate seas worldwide and may be found in all but the Arctic and the Antarctic Oceans.
Check out these animals facts images:
Gre
Image by t i m i
A pitbull as seen through the eyes of the world... Gre is not fierce at all. In fact, he dances when you sing him the Scooby-Doo song. He's very lovable.
A few nice facts about animals images I found:
Indian Rock Python
Image by kmkeshav
An Indian Rock Python in the Guindy Park, Chennai.
Weird Fact about me: I totally love snakes. Ya, I know! :D I never miss a single show about these creatures on Nat Geo/Animal Planet. Somewhere in my past, I should have studied something that would have made me a Herpetologist!!
Ah well.. anyway.. hope this doesn't creep you people out! :D
G+ | Twitter | Facebook | Profile
Some cool facts about animals images:
Even Scorpions Cuddle
Image by Furryscaly
Az and Femme cuddle under a blacklight. I miss these guys. They're Arizona bark scorpions. Formerly known as Centruroides exilicauda, they're now back to the original Centruroides sculpturatus name, after being split into two separate species. The Baja California bark scorpion, being the "newer" species, gets the newer C. exilicauda name, while the "older" Arizona bark scorpion gets its old name back.
You should NEVER leave a blacklight on a scorpion long-term. The intense UV rays will eventually kill the nocturnal animal. Some pet stores market scorpion habitats with blacklights because they look cool, but they don't tell you the facts. Long-term blacklight exposure will stress them out. They like it dark.
Here they are featured on UglyOverload.com on June 24, 2007:
uglyoverload.blogspot.com/2007/06/as-you-requested.html
Az and Femme are also featured in the scorpion gallery at About.com's Phoenix, AZ site:
phoenix.about.com/od/arizonapicturesandphotos/ig/Arizona-...
EXPO88_Static Display_019
Image by Degilbo on flickr
Alaskan bear in USA Pavilion at Expo 88 held in Brisbane from 30 April to 30 October 1988. Taken with Agfamatic 4000 on Kodacolor 110 size film. Some facts about the Alaskan or Kodiak bear: "The island grizzlies of Alaska (Kodiak and Admiralty) are considered the largest land carnivores in the world, and live on a diet of fish and other rich food. The inland animals are smaller by some 30%."
www.bears.org/animals/
Expo '88 was a World's Fair held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia between April 30 and October 30, 1988. The theme of the Expo was "Leisure in the Age of Technology" and at a cost of AUD5 million, Expo '88 was the largest event of the 1988 Bicentennial celebrations of the British settlement of Australia.
Some cool facts about animals images:
2012 Reggie Day at Miller Park Zoo
Image by Homecoming at Illinois State
Families enjoyed a fun day with Reggie Redbird and his animal buddies as they toured the zoo and learned about fun animal facts. View more images at IllinoisStateHomecoming.
2012 Reggie Day at Miller Park Zoo
Image by Homecoming at Illinois State
Families enjoyed a fun day with Reggie Redbird and his animal buddies as they toured the zoo and learned about fun animal facts. View more images at IllinoisStateHomecoming.
Check out these animals facts images:
CP259 Live Oaks and Spanish Moss
Image by listentoreason
Spot the varmit!
Walking and playing in Forsyth Park.
MIT mini-reunion July 2011 in Savannah, GA.
From Wikipedia:
Quercus virginiana, also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States. Though many other species are loosely called live oak, the southern live oak is particularly iconic of the Old South.
Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is a flowering plant that grows upon larger trees, commonly the Southern Live Oak or Bald Cypress in the southeastern United States. It closely resembles its namesake (Usnea, or beard lichen), but in fact it is not biologically related to either mosses or lichens. Instead, it is an angiosperm in the family Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) that grows hanging from tree branches in full sun or partial shade.
It ranges from the southeastern United States (as far north as southern Virginia and eastern Maryland) to Argentina, growing wherever the climate is warm enough and has a relatively high average humidity. It propagates both by seed and vegetatively by fragments that blow on the wind and stick to tree limbs, or are carried by birds as nesting material.
Some cool facts about animals images:
012/365 24th August
Image by Bradley.Johnson.
The Scream
This photo is brought you by: Lightbox
This photo is a random black and white photography of me screaming/shouting :) Not meant to be any good, But let me know what you think please :)
Name: Bradley Johnson
Age: Sixteen.
Languages: English, a bit of BSL & a little French.
Sexual Orientation: Straight.
Career Aspiration: Electrician
What are your passions: Photography, Music, Sport and Technology
Hobbies: Flickr, Extreme Cycling, Photography Sport
Goals in life: To travel, Become a professional Electrician, Married and Start a Family
Favorite books: I love all of Karen Rose's novels and Autobiography's
Favorite movies: 500 Days of Summer, Love & Other Drugs, Toy Story 3, Monster's Inc & Funny Face, Grown Ups, All Jim Carry Films
Favorite animals: Pandas! Red Pandas & Giraffes, Bears and Penguins
Favorite song: Umm...I don't have one. I like lots of songs.
You watch: How I Met Your Mother, American Chopper and Hot Rod. NBA and Wife Swap.
One random fact about you: I love wonky eyes ;)
One thing you wish you could change about the world: For it to be in the hands of the right person. Soon.
Twitter
© All rights reserved
The paper princess
Image by Ellieboat
Technically this is for my art project, but I needed to upload on here! It's been so long since I've posted... I had no ideas, no time and then I went on holiday, but here I am (:
I'll put some more in comments
oh, also, does any one know anything about the Nikon d3100? I'm seriously considering getting it when I eventually have the cash..
Name: Ellie
Age: 16
Languages: English, and technically french and german but I suck at both
Favourite Color: orange
Career Aspiration: I intend to be a renowned artist and photographer whose works sell for thousands. Until then, I want to do any job that allows me to travel and / or involves art (:
What are your passions?: dance, art, photography, and I like acting, too.
Hobbies: Shopping, dancing, drawing and painting, cycling, pilates, Photo editing, Photography
Goals in life: to travel, to work hard and enjoy myself... to have an interesting life story to tell.
Favourite book: The Family Way; The Fire Within series.
Favourite movie: Chicago, Chocolat, the classic disney films, the Emporers New Groove, and anything by Pixar. (:
Favourite animal: I like lots of animals! Cats, dogs and fish.
Favourite song: right now, promises by Nero is all I want to listen to!
You watch: Miranda... actually sit coms and comedy panel shows in general. And the Mentalist.
One random fact about you: I have lived in three countries, but I've never been back to one since, and the other I went literally half my lifetime ago ):
One thing you wish you could change about the world: Bad things happening to lovely people.
Greenshield Lichen
Image by elycefeliz
Common Greenshield is one of our most common lichens. A lichen is special, because it is not one organism, but two. A lichen is a complicated relationship between a fungus and an algae.
A lichen is created when the fungus and algae join together to form a new organism. The lichen looks different than the way the fungus or algae looks by itself. The lichen can also reproduce itself and looks like a plant. The relationship between the fungus and algae is not fully understood, but scientists are studying to learn more.
An interesting fact about lichens is that the algae species in one lichen can usually join with a different fungus and make another lichen. It doesn't work the opposite way, however; a fungus is only able to make a lichen with one type of algae.
Although they look like plants, lichens do not have roots, stems, or leaves. The lichen takes the form of the fungus, and the algae lives inside. Since most algae are plants, they can make their own food. The fungus part of a lichen gets its food from the algae. Scientists cannot make up their minds if this relationship is mutualism or parasitism. This may be a mutualistic relationship, since the fungus gets food from the algae, and the algae gets a "house" from the lichen. Or maybe the fungus is just a parasite, taking food from the algae, when the algae could just as easily live on its own or with another lichen. The fungus is able to live on its own, but it doesn't do very well without the algae.
A lichen species always takes its name from the fungus part of the relationship. The fungus in Common Greenshield is Flavoparmelia caperata, so that is also the scientific name of the lichen.
Common Greenshield is usually greenish-gray or yellowish-green. It is called a "foliose" lichen because its body looks a lot like leaves. The "leaves" are mostly round usually overlap. Sometimes they are wrinkled, sometimes smooth.
Common Greenshield grows on tree trunks or rocks. Some trees that often have greenshield on them are maples and oaks. Lichens do not damage trees. Common Greenshield grows well in shady, damp places, especially in woods.
Lichens are not a popular food item for animals, but some that are known to eat them include: White-tailed Deer (small amounts in Winter), Wild Turkey, Meadow Vole, terrestrial snails, springtails, and oribatid mites.
Lichens grow very slowly. If a part of the lichen is broken off, it can grow into a new lichen. Lichens also make spores which can travel to new places on the wind; however, the spores will only grow into a fungus, not the total lichen.
Over time, a colony of lichen can break down rocks and put nutrients back into the soil.
Check out these animals facts images:
May I Introduce Myself
Image by James Marvin Phelps
This guy has caught on to the fact that nuts are given out on the deck.
This photo is available for sale as a print or high resolution digital
download.
Click here for more information.
All the Lions
Image by Men In Black
Somehow, I managed to miss the fact that the male lion was sitting above the females.
20090307 - cats outside enjoying the nice weather - 176-7682 - Clint, Oranjello - climbing tree
Image by Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL)
Oranjello no longer wants to visit his favorite perching place from his earlier visits to the creek -- he's too big to fit in between the trees anymore. And despite the fact that he's by far the best climber out of the 5 cats we've owned ... He wasn't at all interested in climbing this tree.
Clint.
climbing.
Oranjello the cat, tree.
back yard, Clint and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.
March 7, 2009.
... Read my blog at ClintJCL.wordpress.com
... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL.wordpress.com
BACKSTORY: Hard to believe that just 5 days before, there was a snow-storm. The weekend was really really nice in the 70's. Lemonjello still wasn't thrilled to be outside, but Oranjello loved it. If Carolyn tried to pick him up, he'd growl and whine to stay outside. At least until Clint threw a rock into the creek and Oranjello got somewhat freaked out.
Some cool animals facts images:
Canon Fan
Image by Diamondduste
This bird has fine taste!
I spent a LOT of time in the lorikeet aviary the last time I went to the zoo. It was mostly due to the fact the birds were flocking to me, and I really didn't want to leave with three Australian parrots hanging on to me.
The Birmingha Zoo
Birmingham, Alabama
A few nice facts about animals images I found:
The Making of Harry Potter 29-05-2012
Image by Karen Roe
The Great Hall
These are the actual main doors to the Great Hall, surrounded with stone statues and carvings. Walking through into the Great Hall we are told that we were now walking on the actual stone floor used in the films and seeing the actual tables where the actors ate their feasts. Dummies down each side of the hall wear the actual house costumes that were used in the films: Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin and not forgetting Moaning Myrtle. At the far end of the hall is the teachers table area, with more amazing costumes worn by Professors Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Moody, Trelawney and Flitwick as well as Hagrid and Filch. Each of the Great Hall torch holders is a carving of one of the four house animals.
The House Point Counter
Though it was rarely seen on screen, prop makers are especially proud of the house point counter, which contains thousands of glass beads.
The Owl Podium
The podium used by Professor Dumbledore is covered in real gold and years of melted wax.
People the world-over have been enchanted by the Harry Potter films for nearly a decade. The wonderful special effects and amazing creatures have made this iconic series beloved to both young and old - and now, for the first time, the doors are going to be opened for everyone at the studio where it first began. You'll have the chance to go behind-the-scenes and see many things the camera never showed. From breathtakingly detailed sets to stunning costumes, props and animatronics, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London provides a unique showcase of the extraordinary British artistry, technology and talent that went into making the most successful film series of all time. Secrets will be revealed.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London provides an amazing new opportunity to explore the magic of the Harry Potter films - the most successful film series of all time. This unique walking tour takes you behind-the-scenes and showcases a huge array of beautiful sets, costumes and props. It also reveals some closely guarded secrets, including facts about the special effects and animatronics that made these films so hugely popular all over the world.
Here are just some of the things you can expect to see and do:
- Step inside and discover the actual Great Hall.
- Explore Dumbledore’s office and discover never-before-seen treasures.
- Step onto the famous cobbles of Diagon Alley, featuring the shop fronts of Ollivanders wand shop, Flourish and Blotts, the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Gringotts Wizarding Bank and Eeylops Owl Emporium.
- See iconic props from the films, including Harry’s Nimbus 2000 and Hagrid’s motorcycle.
- Learn how creatures were brought to life with green screen effects, animatronics and life-sized models.
- Rediscover other memorable sets from the film series, including the Gryffindor common room, the boys’ dormitory, Hagrid’s hut, Potion’s classroom and Professor Umbridge’s office at the Ministry of Magic.
Located just 20 miles from the heart of London at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the very place where it all began and where all eight of the Harry Potter films were brought to life. The Studio Tour is accessible to everyone and promises to be a truly memorable experience - whether you’re an avid Harry Potter fan, an all-round movie buff or you just want to try something that’s a little bit different.
The tour is estimated to take approximately three hours (I was in there for 5 hours!), however, as the tour is mostly self guided, you are free to explore the attraction at your own pace. During this time you will be able to see many of the best-loved sets and exhibits from the films. Unique and precious items from the films will also be on display, alongside some exciting hands-on interactive exhibits that will make you feel like you’re actually there.
The magic also continues in the Gift Shop, which is full of exciting souvenirs and official merchandise, designed to create an everlasting memory of your day at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.
Hogwarts Castle Model - Get a 360 degree view of the incredible, hand sculpted 1:24 scale construction that features within the Studio Tour. The Hogwarts castle model is the jewel of the Art Department having been built for the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It took 86 artists and crew members to construct the first version which was then rebuilt and altered many times over for the next seven films. The work was so extensive that if one was to add all the man hours that have gone into building and reworking the model, it would come to over 74 years. The model was used for aerial photography, and was digitally scanned for CGI scenes.
The model, which sits at nearly 50 feet in diameter, has over 2,500 fibre optic lights that simulate lanterns and torches and even gave the illusion of students passing through hallways in the films. To show off the lighting to full effect a day-to-night cycle will take place every four minutes so you can experience its full beauty.
An amazing amount of detail went into the making of the model: all the doors are hinged, real plants are used for landscaping and miniature birds are housed in the Owlery. To make the model appear even more realistic, artists rebuilt miniature versions of the courtyards from Alnwick Castle and Durham Cathedral, where scenes from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were shot.
A few nice animals facts images I found:
Juvenile Cooper's Hawk I
Image by liquidnight
This handsome young bird recently made an appearance on the side and in front of the house, unlike the first one who dropped in on the backyard for a little while. The neighbourhood crows were none too pleased about this. In fact, it was their ruckus that first drew my attention to the hawk's presence. He sat on the powerlines for a while doing his best to ignore the crows, who were shouting and occasionally swooping down at him. Eventually he moved on with a few crows in pursuit. Good luck out there little one.
Albino Alpaca
Image by aka*Travz
An albino Alpaca from the Nashville Zoo.
Alpacas have been domesticated for thousands of years. In fact, the Moche people of Northern Peru often used Alpaca images in their art. There are no wild alpacas. The closest living species are the wild Vicuña, also native to South America. Along with Camels and Llamas, the Alpaca are classified as Camelids. Larger than the wild Vicuña, the Alpaca is smaller than the other Camelid species.
Not all alpacas spit, but all are capable. Spit is somewhat euphemistic. While occasionally the projectile contains only air and a little saliva, they also commonly bring up acidic stomach contents (generally a green grassy mix) and project it onto their chosen target. Spitting is mostly reserved for other alpacas, but an alpaca will occasionally spit at humans that, for example, take away food.
For alpacas, spitting results in what is called "sour mouth." Sour mouth is characterized by a loose-hanging lower lip and a gaping mouth. This is caused by the stomach acids and unpleasant taste of the contents as they pass out of the mouth.
Individuals vary, but Alpacas generally make a humming sound. Hums are often comfort noises, letting the other alpacas know they are present and content. However, humming can take on many inflections and meanings, from a high-pitched, almost desperate, squealing, "MMMM!" or frantic question, "mmMMM!" when a mother is separated from her offspring (called a "cria,") to a questioning "Mmm?" when they are curious.
Thank you wikipedia.org for teaching me more about alpacas!
A few nice facts about animals images I found:
Tipton St John Scout Group learn about DonkeyS. Photo copyright of The Donkey Sanctuary
Image by Donkey Sanctuary Press Images
SCOUT TROOP SPENDING TERM AT THE DONKEY SANCTUARY
A 19 strong group of Scouts are spending their entire autumn term learning about the worldwide work of The Donkey Sanctuary and meet each Monday at the charity headquarters near Sidmouth.
On Monday 8th November the 1st Tipton St. John Scout Troop will be learning about the charity’s work in Mainland Europe in six project countries including sanctuaries in Cyprus, Italy and Spain.
Since the 6th September, the Scout Troop have been involved with caring for the donkeys (grooming etc), learning about the history of The Donkey Sanctuary and had introductions to the Fundraising and PR functions of the charity.
Dawn Vincent, who held the 4th October session on Public Relations, involved the Scouts in writing a quote for a news release, which would help to promote the work of the charity in local press.
Jack Roberts of 1st Tipton St. John Scout Troop said: “I was amazed by how much work is put in everyday, all over the world and how much they care about every single donkey.”
Over the next few weeks, the 1st Tipton St. John Scout Troop can look forward to hearing about the charity’s work overseas on international veterinary aid and educational work, including the opportunity to make toggles using leathers and materials used in project countries.
Jan Aherne, the Education and Activities Manager who has organised the action and fact-filled term for the Scout Troop says: “It is wonderful to share our devotion of donkeys with the Scouts and we hope they learn a great deal about our worldwide work in a fun and interesting way.”
The Scout Troop are working towards their Global, Community and Promise challenge badges and will be presented with these on Friday 10th December during the Sanctuary’s Carol by Candlelight event.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITOR
For an interview, further information or images, please contact The Donkey Sanctuary press office on 01395 573097/573014 or mobile 07970 927778
Download a high resolution image for this story at:
About The Donkey Sanctuary
The Donkey Sanctuary aims to protect donkeys and mules and promote their welfare worldwide.
The charity was founded by Dr Elisabeth Svendsen M.B.E. in 1969 and has since provided a sanctuary for life to more than 14,500 donkeys and mules in the UK, Ireland and Mainland Europe.
It alleviates the suffering of working donkeys in developing countries and has major projects in Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Mexico where donkey welfare is improved through education and veterinary work.
The charity relies entirely on donations to continue its vital work in 29 countries worldwide. For further information telephone: 01395 578222, view www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk or visit the charity’s headquarters near Sidmouth in Devon (open 365 days/free admission).
Collective Quotes from the 1st Tipton St John Scout Troop:
•Chris Seers: “I have had a great time at The Donkey Sanctuary, and I have learned that donkeys are very interesting animals”
•Lily Pearson: “I’m feeling really excited because I know I’m working with a charity that changes the world each day”
•Jamie Davis: “The experience at The Donkey Sanctuary has been interesting, but also very motivating. It is intriguing about the history and what the staff have done to help improve their lives”
•Madeleine Roberts: “I’m loving my time at The Donkey Sanctuary because I know that if I continue learning about them, I have the potential to change a donkey’s life. Even cleaning out a donkey has been great, because I’ve never been so hands on before in my life”
•Harry Holmden-Bollard: “I like coming to The Donkey Sanctuary because it is fun spending time with the donkeys. I have learned that a lot of owners do not treat their donkeys with respect and know the way they should be treated”
•Amy Taylor: “Over the past couple of weeks I have been coming to The Donkey Sanctuary I have seen some really great things which have come out of some really bad things. I now feel strongly about the welfare of donkeys, but I know that not every owner in the world is as kind to their donkeys as others.”
•Polly Edwards: “I think that I am amazed and impressed by how long the people at The Donkey Sanctuary have worked, and how much they put into it – and how many donkeys they rescue from all over the world every year.”
•Jack Roberts: “I was amazed by how much work is put in everyday, all over the world – and how much they care about every single donkey, no matter how big or small.”
•Charles Amos: “I think that the donkeys don’t deserve to be treated in a horrible way. The people who use the donkeys to work shouldn’t treat them unkindly. I have been working with the donkeys that have been brought in, and I am finding out different things about them. They have a right to be treated they way we would like to be treated because they help us. I am working for a badge for my scout activities. I love working with the donkeys, they are lovely. Please carry on treating the donkeys nicely”
•Ben Wilkins: “I think The Donkey Sanctuary does some really good work to help the donkeys”
•Tobias Walters: “I think the people at The Donkey Sanctuary are very kind and caring towards these amazing animals”
•Lewis Douglas: “I think The Donkey Sanctuary is a fabulous idea. They take in an array of different donkeys and make sure they live a happy life – and live it to the full extent”
•Tom Gardner: “Since I’ve been at The Donkey Sanctuary I’ve become more interested in donkeys and giving them hope”
•Matthew Shepherd: “Help donkeys at The Donkey Sanctuary every day to help them live a happy life”
•Finn Hutchings: “I think The Donkey Sanctuary is a good charity, looking after poor and wounded donkeys and giving them a good life, helping them to live a lot longer and giving them hope”
•Joanna Barker: “I think that The Donkey Sanctuary is a great charity. The staff there have the expertise to advise and expand. They have shown presentations that have made me feel touched, and also sad about how some donkeys are treated all over the world”
•Jacob Franks: “The most amazing, revealing experience of all time – hardworking and worth it”
A witch in disguise, perhaps?
Image by Gabriela Ruellan
This is a followup to a series of events started here.
So, after a month and a half spent in pupal stage, this moth eclosed yesterday at 3 AM (yay! — and there's still one pupa left in the jar). I did some photo sessions of it and left it in the garden at dusk, then it flew away.
Yesterday was overcast and rainy, so I had to resort to artificial lighting.
I don't know much about Citheronias, but this one looked like it was a female, judging by the thin antennae and from the fact that it spent quite a lot of time doing the pheromone release thing. The one that's about to eclose should be a male then, since the two pupae were different. Suspense...
Edit: It is a female, lol. It did not go away, it's still in the garden and has managed to attract not just one male, but two. Impressive, considering I had never seen a male Citheronia moth before.
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
Esta es la continuación de una serie de eventos que comenzó acá.
Bueno, después de haber pasado un mes y medio en estado pupal, esta mariposa nocturna hizo eclosión ayer a las 3 de la mañana (¡iupi! y todavía queda una pupa en el tarro). Le hice algunas sesiones de fotos, la dejé en el jardín al anochecer, y ahí se fue.
Ayer estuvo nublado y lluvioso, así que tuve que recurrir a la luz artificial.
Mucho no sé de Citheronias, pero esta parecía ser una hembra, juzgando por las antenas finitas y por el hecho de que pasaba bastante tiempo haciendo la cosa de echar feromonas. La que está por eclosionar debe ser un macho entonces, porque las dos pupas eran diferentes. Suspenso...
Editado: Es una hembra, jua. No se fue, está todavía en el jardín y consiguió atraer no a un macho, sino a dos. Impresionante, considerando que yo nunca había visto una polilla Citheronia macho antes.
Citheronia brissotii meridionalis ♀
7 cm / 2.75 inches long
Distribution range / Área de distribución: Southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina / Sudeste de Brasil, Paraguay, Uruguay y Argentina
Check out these facts about animals images:
Arizona's Tigers of Africa
Image by Boogies with Fish
www.messersmith.name/wordpress/2011/10/12/arizonas-tigers...
I won't belabor the obvious. I posted only once in September. This is my first post in October. It would be a gross understatement to say that something is happening. In fact, a great many things are happening. I have been "busy". That word covers a huge swath of ground. The day-to-day changes are not amusing, so I'll not waste precious time by accounting for them here. The big changes pretty much take my breath away. In the space of a little over a year I have made countless difficult. perplexing but sometimes happy decisions at a time when I'm not supposed, according to popular wisdom, to be making any substantial decisions at all. I won't go back over those either. Once is enough.
However, I might tally up the results. I have disposed of nearly every possession which I previously owned, except for some technical gear (what man can live without it?) a bit of furniture and my meager wardrobe. I have traveled here and yon for months searching for my future. I have wooed and won my life long friend, Grace. She was (and presumably still is) the life long friend of my late wife, Eunie. I have relocated the stage for the last acts of my life half way around the world from wet and wild Madang to dry and wild Sedona. If that's not enough, well . . . okay, I'm getting married again this Saturday afternoon.
Whew!
And this is me, charging bravely, if still somewhat clueless, into whatever comes next:
Uhhh . . . well, no. Actually, that's not me. I am not nearly so handsome. Grace and I, on her birthday this Monday, visited Out of Africa at Camp Verde, Arizona. I have never been to a wildlife park before. The glitz factor has, until now, kept me at bay. I like Out of Africa, because my perception is that there is far more focus on the animals themselves than on providing excessive comfort and pizazz to appeal to jaded tourists. Frankly, much of the park is ever so slightly shabby. That appeals to me when viewed beside the care and concern offered to the animals.
Watching the gorgeous white tiger being exercised in the enclosed area containing a large pool was one of the most exciting and interesting animal exhibits I've seen. Though one might blink at the idea of tigers out of Africa, nothing else in this show is fake. The big predators here might appear to be tame, but the handlers insist that they do not train them in any way. The say that they take care to give the big cats experiences which are as close to hunting as can be devised in captivity. Here Chalet, the white Bengal takes another dramatic leap into the water:
Why the huge lunges into the pool? The answer is in this shot:
I imagine that the park tigers puncture enough large inflatable plastic toys each year to keep a small Chinese factory going. It is one leap - one shredded blow up. The tiger always gets what it's after:
In the shot above it's interesting to examine the focus of the tiger's attention. It it clearly on the toy and not on the handler. As you watch the show this tactic becomes clear. The toy is the game, not the person controlling it. The cats don't seem to mind the fakery. The handler in the image above will soon flip the toy over the tiger's head and run like crazy for the pool, making certain that he is well away from the toy when the tiger lunges powerfully through the air at the sailing object. The puffy plastic will suffer the same fate as a leaping antelope.
Some of these antics are so stunning that I don't really feel like commenting about them. The images speak much more elegantly than I:
I was worried that shooting through the chain-link fence would be a problem. As it turns out the shallow depth of field of the Canon 300mm telephoto lens saved the day. It focused flawlessly on the main subjects while blurring the fence enough so that it is not too distracting.
The big cats, lions, tigers and a lone black leopard are not the only denizens of the park. Here is Grace having her hand washed by one of the giraffes' sixteen inch purple tongue. This is a sensory treat which I have, so far, avoided:
And here is something that you don't see every day:
It is amusing to watch the giraffe as it withdraws from the coach. It carefully lowers its head just enough to avoid konking its knobby antlers on the window frame.
I have a couple of more leaping tiger shots for you. I set the Canon 5D MkII for rapid fire. It usually digests five frames per second at full resolution, though it does occasionally stutter at an imappropriate moment. I think this is because my memory card is not quite fast enough to keep up:
What you see above and below are nice examples of what the handlers are trying to accomplish. One must suppose that everybody is winning here. The paying audience is certainly getting their worth, even better if you've gotten in on one of the common half-price deals. The big cats appear to be getting some much needed aerobic exercise and having what passes for fun in captivity. The handlers, hopefully well paid, are getting an adrenalin rush second to none.
Once in a while the tiger gets the jump on the toy and the handler, preparing to flip the thing over the top for a good leap, gets jerked onto his back in mid-air:
Out of Africa is a little off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. For family fun at a very reasonable price you would be hard pressed to beat it.
I got fitted for my getting married outfit today. I won't be spectacular, but Grace will certainly look classy, as she always does. We are going down by Beaver Creek where the wonderful red rocks are reflected in the water.
Maybe I'll get some good pictures. I don't really care as long as I get that ring on my finger.
Pygmy marmoset
Image by 2sirius
Pygmy marmosets are the world’s smallest true monkeys. Adults are about five inches (13 cm) long with an eight-inch (20 cm) tail and weigh four to seven ounces (113 to 199 g).
(Photo taken at the Vancouver Aquarium.)
A few nice facts about animals images I found:
SAFE SPRING GRAZING FOR DONKEYS AND MULES
Image by Donkey Sanctuary Press Images
PRESS RELEASE from The Donkey Sanctuary
23 March 11
SAFE SPRING GRAZING FOR DONKEYS AND MULES
As spring makes a very welcome return to the UK, international animal welfare charity The Donkey Sanctuary is calling for donkey owners and vets to be particularly vigilant about the potential hazards this could bring for donkeys and mules.
One thing to keep a particular eye out for is laminitis, a complex disease that can cause severe pain and damage to the donkey’s feet. There are many suggested causes for this disease, but in the UK and other developed countries it is most likely to be a result of inappropriate feeding, including excess access to lush grass and feeding cereals. It has also been strongly linked to obesity.
The key factor at this time of year is the rapid growth of spring grass, which is very rich and can contain high levels of sugar. Allowing donkeys and mules to access large amounts of this sugary treat can mean that their digestive system becomes overwhelmed and the vital bacteria in their gut become damaged. Research shows that the resulting release of toxins can lead to serious issues in their feet.
It is possible that donkeys are particularly susceptible to laminitis due to the fact that they evolved to live in the desert. As a result, their ‘good bacteria’ are even more sensitive to sugar overload than those of ponies and horses.
Unfortunately there is no ‘cure’ for laminitis apart from good veterinary care and management; if a donkey has a serious episode or recurrent problems sadly it may need to be put to sleep. Thankfully good nutritional management can help to prevent laminitis and should be an important consideration for the owner of any donkey or mule.
Faith Burden, Veterinary Research Manager for The Donkey Sanctuary, explains how donkey owners can reduce the risk of laminitis:
“To keep your donkeys and mules safe and healthy you need to follow the simple mantra of keeping your donkey in a healthy body condition, restricting grazing and giving them lots of exercise. Donkeys should have their access to grazing limited by restricting the total amount of land they have available to them whilst making sure they have access to alternative food sources.
“Laminitis is an awful disease and prevention is better than cure. Simple steps to keep your donkey in a trim body condition will help to lower the risk of laminitis. Make yourself aware of the signs and symptoms that your donkey may exhibit - increased digital pulses, increased periods lying down, a ‘pottery’ gait and reluctance to move quickly. If you spot any of these signs or are at all worried you must seek veterinary attention immediately; laminitis can be a life threatening disease and one which should be assessed and treated quickly. Every donkey is a laminitic in the making and good management is the best chance you have to prevent your donkey suffering from laminitis.”
Further information and advice for donkey owners, including fact sheets about feeding and foot care, can be found online at www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/donkeycare. The Donkey Sanctuary also run a series of free training courses around the UK, for course details please visit www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/trainingcentre.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITOR
For an interview, further information or images, please contact The Donkey Sanctuary press office on 01395 573097/573014 or mobile 07970 927778
About The Donkey Sanctuary
The Donkey Sanctuary aims to protect donkeys and mules and promote their welfare worldwide.
The charity was founded by Dr Elisabeth Svendsen M.B.E. in 1969 and has since provided a sanctuary for life to more than 14,500 donkeys and mules in the UK, Ireland and Mainland Europe.
The Donkey Sanctuary supports projects to relieve the suffering of donkeys in 29 countries worldwide, including sanctuaries across Europe and major projects in Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Mexico, where donkey welfare is improved through community education and veterinary work.
For further information telephone: 01395 578222, view www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk or visit the charity’s headquarters near Sidmouth in Devon (open 365 days/free admission).
Precious Water
Image by Camerons Personal Page
They say you can go a couple of weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Having been severely dehydrated a few times over the years I can attest to this fact. In fact, a 10% drop in your body’s water supply can equal an 80% drop in physical and mental capacity. Water is that important.
Our planet is truly the water planet, it is the giver of life and in some cases it takes life away too. Here at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas, water is A#1 King. Nothing happens without it. These little pools known as ‘tanks’ in desert parlance, are what sustains wildlife through the dry spells and the long brutally hot summer. Savvy wildlife photographers know how to set up near to these tanks in the dark with long lenses and sit absolutely quiet as the sun rises. If you do that you can catch just about every animal in the park coming down for a drink including the elusive big kitties, or so I’m told.
This season here in Las Vegas I’ve got one of my trademark obsessions going with the summer monsoon. Every time we get a storm now I’m tossing everything in the car and running out to Red Rocks in the hopes of catching some of the hundreds of seasonal waterfalls that crisscross the park. I’m even preparing to don a wetsuit, booties, and the dry bag (from the Cabo adventure this past February) and climb right into them for shots that have never been taken before.
On this day however the rain ended early and wasn’t heavy enough to come down the washes and activate the waterfalls. My B plan was to climb in some slot canyons and caves which I did, and spend some time at the edge of these little tanks, dreaming of the flash floods that will surely come.
Soon my friends, soon….
Right after I shot this and in absolutely classic Cammy style, I of course slipped and fell into it. Yuk!
Alike but different
Image by dbarronoss
This is a brother and sister red fox, despite the fact that the female is a silver fox.
I hadn't realized how musky/pungent foxes were, till they were running under my feet.
Also...talk about hyper animals...geez!!!!
In nature it's the widest ranging terrestrial carnivore, being native to North America, Europe, Asia, North Africa, and Asia. South America and Australia would be fox free zones, except someone imported them for hunting in Australia...and well....they must know how to breed quite well :)
Check out these animals facts images:
Hawk vs. Crow III
Image by liquidnight
There was quite a lot of avian drama in the neighbourhood yesterday. This handsome young Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) showed up, which thoroughly upset the neighbourhood crows. It repeatedly flew down into the backyard. One time it seemed to be going after sparrows deep inside the rhododendron, while other times it appeared to be seeking a quiet place to perch for a moment. This wasn't the first time we've seen one of these beautiful raptors in the yard. In fact I think this is the fourth time in just under a year. But this was the first time that it stuck around for so long.
For hours yesterday the crows were in an uproar about its presence. The strangest part was that, for as often as the hawk shot out of a tree being pursued by angry crows, there were as many moments when a single crow would burst out of a tree closely pursued by the hawk, while the rest of the crows noisily followed the pair. It was amazing to watch.
This dramatic back and forth went on right outside our house for much of the morning and well into the afternoon. Every time we thought the harried hawk had finally given up and moved on, it would all start back up again. The crows were relentless, so I think eventually it was the Cooper's Hawk that gave up and departed.
A few nice animals facts images I found:
伊勢神宮外宮 - Geku of Ise Grand Shrine // 2010.02.10 - 1
Image by Tamago Moffle
Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮 Ise Jingū) is a Shinto shrine dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. Officially known simply as Jingū (神宮), Ise Jingū is in fact a shrine complex composed of a large number of Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, Naikū (内宮) and Gekū (外宮).
The Inner Shrine, Naikū (also officially known as "Kotai Jingu"), is located in the town of Uji-tachi, south of central Ise City, and is dedicated to the worship of Amaterasu-ōmikami. The Outer Shrine, Gekū (also officially known as "Toyouke Daijingu"), is located about six kilometers from Naikū and dedicated to Toyouke no ōmikami, the deity of agriculture and industry. Besides Naikū and Gekū, there are an additional 123 Shinto shrines in Ise City and the surrounding areas, 91 of them connected to Naikū and 32 to Gekū.
Purportedly the home of the Sacred Mirror, the shrine is arguably one of Shinto's holiest and most important sites. Access to both sites is strictly limited, with the common public allowed to see little more than the thatched roofs of the central structures, hidden behind four tall wooden fences. The High Priest or Priestess of Ise Shrine must come from the Japanese Imperial Family, and is responsible for watching over the Shrine.
The two main shrines of Ise are joined by a pilgrimage road that passes through the old entertainment district of Furuichi. The region around the shrines consists of the Ise-Shima National Park and numerous other holy and historic sites including the 'wedded rocks' Meoto Iwa, and the Saiku (the site of the Heian period imperial residence).
(by Wikipedia - Ise Grand Shrine : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ise_Shrine)
Birds the size of large bugs
Image by shoe the Linux Librarian
In fact, when my flash would go off, I am pretty sure I was attracting larger bugs than these birds...
A few nice facts about animals images I found:
The Making of Harry Potter 29-05-2012
Image by Karen Roe
The Great Hall
These are the actual main doors to the Great Hall, surrounded with stone statues and carvings. Walking through into the Great Hall we are told that we were now walking on the actual stone floor used in the films and seeing the actual tables where the actors ate their feasts. Dummies down each side of the hall wear the actual house costumes that were used in the films: Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin and not forgetting Moaning Myrtle. At the far end of the hall is the teachers table area, with more amazing costumes worn by Professors Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Moody, Trelawney and Flitwick as well as Hagrid and Filch. Each of the Great Hall torch holders is a carving of one of the four house animals.
The House Point Counter
Though it was rarely seen on screen, prop makers are especially proud of the house point counter, which contains thousands of glass beads.
The Owl Podium
The podium used by Professor Dumbledore is covered in real gold and years of melted wax.
People the world-over have been enchanted by the Harry Potter films for nearly a decade. The wonderful special effects and amazing creatures have made this iconic series beloved to both young and old - and now, for the first time, the doors are going to be opened for everyone at the studio where it first began. You'll have the chance to go behind-the-scenes and see many things the camera never showed. From breathtakingly detailed sets to stunning costumes, props and animatronics, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London provides a unique showcase of the extraordinary British artistry, technology and talent that went into making the most successful film series of all time. Secrets will be revealed.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London provides an amazing new opportunity to explore the magic of the Harry Potter films - the most successful film series of all time. This unique walking tour takes you behind-the-scenes and showcases a huge array of beautiful sets, costumes and props. It also reveals some closely guarded secrets, including facts about the special effects and animatronics that made these films so hugely popular all over the world.
Here are just some of the things you can expect to see and do:
- Step inside and discover the actual Great Hall.
- Explore Dumbledore’s office and discover never-before-seen treasures.
- Step onto the famous cobbles of Diagon Alley, featuring the shop fronts of Ollivanders wand shop, Flourish and Blotts, the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Gringotts Wizarding Bank and Eeylops Owl Emporium.
- See iconic props from the films, including Harry’s Nimbus 2000 and Hagrid’s motorcycle.
- Learn how creatures were brought to life with green screen effects, animatronics and life-sized models.
- Rediscover other memorable sets from the film series, including the Gryffindor common room, the boys’ dormitory, Hagrid’s hut, Potion’s classroom and Professor Umbridge’s office at the Ministry of Magic.
Located just 20 miles from the heart of London at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the very place where it all began and where all eight of the Harry Potter films were brought to life. The Studio Tour is accessible to everyone and promises to be a truly memorable experience - whether you’re an avid Harry Potter fan, an all-round movie buff or you just want to try something that’s a little bit different.
The tour is estimated to take approximately three hours (I was in there for 5 hours!), however, as the tour is mostly self guided, you are free to explore the attraction at your own pace. During this time you will be able to see many of the best-loved sets and exhibits from the films. Unique and precious items from the films will also be on display, alongside some exciting hands-on interactive exhibits that will make you feel like you’re actually there.
The magic also continues in the Gift Shop, which is full of exciting souvenirs and official merchandise, designed to create an everlasting memory of your day at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.
Hogwarts Castle Model - Get a 360 degree view of the incredible, hand sculpted 1:24 scale construction that features within the Studio Tour. The Hogwarts castle model is the jewel of the Art Department having been built for the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It took 86 artists and crew members to construct the first version which was then rebuilt and altered many times over for the next seven films. The work was so extensive that if one was to add all the man hours that have gone into building and reworking the model, it would come to over 74 years. The model was used for aerial photography, and was digitally scanned for CGI scenes.
The model, which sits at nearly 50 feet in diameter, has over 2,500 fibre optic lights that simulate lanterns and torches and even gave the illusion of students passing through hallways in the films. To show off the lighting to full effect a day-to-night cycle will take place every four minutes so you can experience its full beauty.
An amazing amount of detail went into the making of the model: all the doors are hinged, real plants are used for landscaping and miniature birds are housed in the Owlery. To make the model appear even more realistic, artists rebuilt miniature versions of the courtyards from Alnwick Castle and Durham Cathedral, where scenes from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were shot.
Some cool facts about animals images:
2012 Reggie Day at Miller Park Zoo
Image by Homecoming at Illinois State
Families enjoyed a fun day with Reggie Redbird and his animal buddies as they toured the zoo and learned about fun animal facts. View more images at IllinoisStateHomecoming.
A few nice facts about animals images I found:
ONE OF THE WHALE'S MANY USES. Liquid spermaceti being drained from the head of a sperm-whale.
Image by Thoth, God of Knowledge
ONE OF THE WHALE'S MANY USES. Liquid spermaceti being drained from the head of a sperm-whale.
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article:
THE EDIBLE FLESH OF ONE WHALE EQUALS IN BULK STEERS OR 500 SHEEP, AND IT "TASTES REMARKABLY LIKE BEEF"
WHALE-STEAKS
AMERICANS ARE LEARNING to like whale meat. Other nations have always liked it, but we are slow to adopt what we consider foreign foods, altho there is nothing particularly foreign about the whale. The Food Administration is responsible for our early attempts at eating whale, but, according to a writer in The Scientific American (Now York, November 16), our liking bids fair to grow and spread after the emergency that gave rise to it has passed. During the war the production of whale meat has enabled us to keep the usual supply of domestic animals nearly normal and has released ample meats of other types for the maintenance of our military and naval forces. Plants for preparing whale meat, storage-houses for keeping it, and vessels for its distribution, are now scattered along the North Pacific coast. Seven stations have thus disposed of about one thousand whales this season —all of which we have eaten. Readers who have never knowingly consumed whale are invited to reflect on the fact that it tastes remarkably like beef. The original owner of that luscious steak you ate last night may possibly have swum the North Pacific instead of galloping about on the grassy plains of Texas. We read:
"The meat of the whale extends in great masses from the base of the skull to the tail fin and downward to the middle line, or completely over the rib section. This meat, all of it of the same quality, amounts to ten tons for each fifty feet of length and each fifty tons gross weight of the whale. Above these dimensions there may be fifteen tons of solid whale flesh of best eating quality. In other words, one-fifth of a whale is meat, without computing the other parts, such as the heart, etc., that are edible. The steer, being also a mammal, with nearly identical skeletonic structure, represents almost precisely the same proportions. That is to say, a steer weighing 1,000 pounds has 200 pounds of beef, but only a proportion of its meat of the first class such as characterizes nearly the whole whale flesh. A 50-foot, 50-ton whale, then, represents in bulk a herd of 100 steers of one-half ton weight each. He represents as much meat also as the herd. He is also equal to 500 sheep of 200 pounds each or to 300 hogs of 350 pounds each.
"Of course, steers range up to a ton of weight, with a corresponding increase of weight of flesh. But a whale also weighs up to 75 tons, representing a herd of 150 steers of a half-ton weight each. Any way you look at it, the whale has advantages over beef cattle. He requires no herdsmen or cowboys to care for him. He and his wife rear, feed, and guard their own young without any assistance from laborers. There is no cost to any one to feed him or his family; no food, clothes, or fuel to buy, with corresponding labor to produce them. When wanted, the whale is in his given haunts, ready to be taken. No butchering is required for him, the harpoon gun lands the fatal stroke. All you have to do is to haul him out and cut him up. The cost of whatever processes are required to put a whale on the market is so small in comparison with that of breeding and rearing a stow that Americans, like the Japanese, will soon have meat as good as the best parts of beef at probably not over fifteen cents per pound and in as large quantities as any family needs.......
"A whale is a mammal, not a fish. It produces its young alive and suckles them the same as a cow. Its flesh looks like that of beef, altho admittedly a little coarser in texture, and it has a slight flavor of venison. Whale steaks and roast whale have been served in several of the leading New York restaurants for some time past, having had a preliminary test at Delmonico's restaurant. New York chefs have developed the best methods of cooking and serving, and have found that it yields to as many forms of preparation as beef. There is little to distinguish it from beef, when served on the table, either in appearance, aroma, or taste. Many would be deceived into thinking it beef if not told what had been served. It is only in America that whale meat is a novelty. In Asia and elsewhere whale meat is the staple food.
"Whale meat has every advantage over beef—mutton— pork. In the first place, the whale is a diseaseless mammal, and its salt-water habitats contribute to its freshness, cleanness, digestibility, and healthfulness as food. On the contrary, cattle are subject to tuberculosis and foot-and-mouth and other diseases more or less communicable to humans. As an example, according to the statistics issued by the University of California, a billion pounds of pork are annually lost to America from hog-cholera. Sheep are subject to foot-and-mouth and other diseases. Disease also is destructive to immense numbers of the poultry and domestic food-bird families. In brief, we have diseased meats of all descriptions, if bred on land, and no diseases to worry about if bred in salt water. The meat of the back of the whale further differs from that of all other edible mammals, in that it is uniform, that is, all roasts and steaks, and also boneless. Its sirloin section, of some ten tons, is entirely kicking in those tough, cheap, and nearly inedible parts characteristic of beef, which some of us have to consume or go without meat because of the cost."
In conclusion, the writer quotes Dr. Roy C. Andrew's book on "Whale Hunting with the Camera" to the effect that few people realize the great part whale meat plays in the life of the poorer Japanese, who cannot afford to buy beef. For shipping purposes, it is cooked in great kettles, canned, and sent to all parts of the Empire.
A Man's Guide to Feelings
Image by Viewminder
Are you a man?
Does the Pope wear a funny hat?
Do you like beer?
If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions you might need to read the following excerpt from our other excerpt that grew too large to be considered an excerpt... 'Everything I Know About Women I Learned the Hard Way' it's called 'A MAN'S GUIDE TO 'FEELINGS.'
A MAN'S GUIDE TO FEELINGS
Webster's Dictionary defines 'feelings' this way:
'1a (1) : the one of the basic physical senses of which the skin contains the chief end organs and of which the sensations of touch and temperature are characteristic : touch (2) : a sensation experienced through this sense b : generalized bodily consciousness or sensation c : appreciative or responsive awareness or recognition
2a : an emotional state or reaction b plural : susceptibility to impression : sensitivity
3a : the undifferentiated background of one's awareness considered apart from any identifiable sensation, perception, or thought b : the overall quality of one's awareness c : conscious recognition : sense
4a : often unreasoned opinion or belief : sentiment b : presentiment
5: capacity to respond emotionally especially with the higher emotions
6: the character ascribed to something : atmosphere
7a : the quality of a work of art that conveys the emotion of the artist b : sympathetic aesthetic response
Examples of FEELING:
I noticed tingling feelings in my fingers.
She had a queasy feeling in her stomach.
I had the feeling of something crawling across my foot.
We enjoyed the feeling of walking barefoot in the sand.
He had no feeling in his right leg.
He's been troubled by feelings of guilt.
There's no point in trying to hide your feelings.
He spoke with feeling about the injustice he had seen.
Have you no feeling for the plight of the homeless?
I can see that you have strong feelings about this subject.
First Known Use of FEELING:
12th century.'
You'll never get the twenty six minutes of your life back that it took you to read that definition that was cut and pasted directly from Webster's Online Dictionary.
If there was a 'Viewminder's Online Dictionary' the definition of 'feelings' would go kind of like this...
'Feelings:
'A weapon used against men by women whenever women seek the 'upper hand' in any situation.
A magical glittery 'trump card' from the land of puffy clouds, unicorns, rainbows and sparkles that takes whatever a woman says and makes it not only 'right' but absolutely unassailable, impervious to the application of all reason, logic, contrary factual evidence and deduction.'
First Use: The Garden of Friggin' Eden.'
Example:
Eve: 'Hey Adam... I feel that you should eat this apple.'
Adam: 'But Eve... God said NEVER to eat the fruit of that tree!'
Eve: 'Did you not hear what I said before I said 'that you should eat this apple'... I said that 'I FEEL that you should eat this apple?'
Adam: 'OMG this is delicious! If God was all loving and caring why would he create such a delicious fruit and then waive it in front of us with all his prohibitions like it was some kind of test of our loyalty and... yo Eve... you know what I 'feel' like? I feel like some hot freaky tonight baby.'
Eve: 'Shut up Adam... everyone knows men don't have 'feelings.' Feelings only work for women. You're such a moron and you never take me or anything else seriously. It's like God made you as some kind of a joke or something... along with that thing he called a 'platypus.'
Adam: So does this mean you 'feel' like rockin' The Garden widda little hot freaky tonight or what?'
Eve: Gives Adam history's first 'PLOD'... Putrid Look of Disgust.
Snake: (Played by the Legendary Leon Haywood) crawls by humming 'I wanna do someting freaky to you baby.'
Guys... you will never understand 'feelings.'
The best you can do is identify them... try to cope with them... and flee from them at the first sign of their very existence.
Which is usually when your girl is telling you that she has one (or more if you're particularly unlucky.)
Feelings are absolutely absurd.
I should say 'I feel that feelings are absolutely absurd.'
Saying it that way protects me from being judged, criticized or challenged in any way and it keeps me from ever having my position held up to the critical light of reality where flaws in my thinking could be exposed and possibly even ridiculed.
Let's look at it from the male perspective.
Which is the only perspective you will ever understand.
I know it's the wrong way to look at it but it's more entertaining so just go with me.
I am so used to being wrong it isn't even funny.
Here's an example of a conversation between you and your buddy.
Of course it takes place at a bar and of course alcohol is involved.
I said it was from the 'male perspective' right?
That means its some dive ass bar that smells like... some dive ass bar on a Tuesday night.
Because most of the time alcohol is the only way to get you to open up and even think about 'feelings.'
The conversation goes something like this:
Guy: 'The President Sucks.'
Other Guy: 'Why does the President suck?'
Guy: 'Because he did this, this, this and that.'
Other Guy: 'That is a very well thought out argument, highly persuesive, filled with reason and applied deduction and empirical evidence even.'
Third Guy: 'Check her out.'
Other Guy: 'I accept your position and I accept that indeed the President sucks.'
That's cut and dry, black and white, a tenable position made rock solid by the application of reason and evidence to come to a logical understanding with your buddy.
You done good.
Now if the bartender would only see you dying of thirst and get you another beer.
How hard can it be for her to look at your wide eyes, your forward leaning posture, the money you are waving at her and the crusty white shit on your cracked parched lips that indicates you want another beer?
Now let's try that at home.
Not that... only men who have mastered the 'Real Secret' get to do that... I'm talking about the example of the discussion you and your buddy just had.
First off... your girl ain't your buddy.
Because she has feelings.
By now we've come to the understanding that 'women aren't the enemy.'
Feelings are.
And the 'Lifetime Network.'
And anything Oprah says.
Don't ever forget that.
You'll never understand them.
And if your woman ever says anything about how she 'feels about Oprah on the Lifestyle Network' say that stupind thing you gotta say and then just duck...
because the lobe's gonna blow!
But don't ever forget what makes men 'different' from women... besides that five percent of the body and their love of paint color sample chips... and the fact that they used to brush the hair and actually talk to little plastic ponies in freakishly human tones... it's 'feelings' that make women different nimrod.
In their minds they feel that's what makes them superior.
Let's try that conversation on your woman now.
Guy: 'The President Sucks.'
Girl: 'Well I feel like he's a good President.'
Guy: 'Baby I'm Sorry You Were Right.'
Of course instead of the 'BISYWaR' response that should become reflexive every time your woman says the word 'feel' or 'feelings' you'll say something stupid.
That's what you do.
Maybe that's why God made man.
To amuse himself watching the stupid shit that you do.
Just think of Charlton Heston having the biggest laugh right now with the reverb turned all the way up while he's floating on a cloud in a comfortable looking white robe and pointing at you.
And hope he doesn't accidentally turn the lightning on when he's havin' a laugh attack after watching you screw everything up.
How does that 'feel' braniac?
Gentlemen you must accept that all of the logic, deductive skills in the world, reason, evidence, and expert opinion are NOTHING and in fact ENTIRELY WORTHLESS when it comes to dealing with 'feelings.'
If you wanna get some hot freaky... and you know you do... you're gonna hafta learn to understand, cope and deal with feelings.
It's inevitable without the skillful application of Oscar caliber acting skills and adding alcohol to the pursuit.
Which we've also come to identify as an inappropriate long term relationship strategy.
Remember when you were a kid and your parents got sick of your shit and the conversation ended with 'because I said so.'
That's what feelings are.
They're like the 'be all end all'
The female equivelent of 'shut the fuck up.'
'Feelings' are something a woman pulls out of her delightfully embroidered 'tool bag' when she wants to take whatever it is that she just said... or is about to say and make it, in her mind... and yours... what would in reality be a 'universal truth' in your shared 'reality' together.
Of course if there's one thing you know, it's that there's 'reality' and then there's 'her reality' and then there's your shared reality which consists of you pretending to accept and support her psychotic and twisted vision of 'reality' in order to bring happiness and sunshine to the woman that you love and cherish and that is your beloved partner on the quest for the ultimate hot freaky experience.
Just keep that to yourself dumbshit.
That little factoid will never bring you closer to your ultimate goal.
Here's an example... we've all heard it said that 'that which goes up must come down.'
You probably haven't really put much thought into that statement and there's really no way to debate its beautiful simplicity.
It's a fundamental truth.
Let's just say your woman thinks otherwise.
And she wants you to think that way too.
Because if there's one thing she wants as much as you want hot freaky it's to get you to think like her.
And she wants to do it without having to go through the effort prove her point, support her position with evidence of any kind of merit whatsoever or take any shit from you.
You see how chicks can be as lazy as guys?
She's going to say 'I FEEL that what goes up doesn't have to come down.'
Her application of the word 'feel' to the statement above means ultimately, in at least all of your relationship to her and your quest for some hot freaky therein, that what she just said must now be respected and accepted as what would be in reality one of those 'universal truths.'
Of course your dumb guy brain, even on its best day will try to say something like 'baby... according to the laws of physics you are clearly mistaken.'
She's your girl... you love her... you want to show her that she's mistaken because you care.
In your stupid guy way you relish the opportunity to impress her with your intellect and look smart.
You might not remember too much from college but you're absolutely certain that 'that which goes up must come down.'
You've gotta lotta life experience to prove it dontcha?
You're willing to talk about this in a non threatening, non judgemental, loving and supportive way aren't you big guy?
She will then clarify the audacity of your 'fucking unbelievable' response in the following way:
'are you saying that I am wrong?'
I swear only you could go from teachin' Honey Baby Poopie Pie a lesson on physics to 'personally attacking her' in one sixtieth of a billisecond.
Your relationship is more volatile than pennystocks on a Friday right before a three day weekend after everyone's had a three martini lunch.
She has been the judge, the jury and the executioner every time you mess up... she's seen you screw up so many ways... so many times... in so many circumstances...
yet you still genuinely shock her with your idiocy.
By this time she forgot what she'd even said after the two words she first uttered 'I feel.'
Because of your utter and contemptuous insolence for her.
You know how it goes.
Right now you realize that you've done it again.
You ask yourself 'will I ever fucking learn?'
Probably not.
You're doomed.
You're never gonna make it.
But I'm not gonna give up on you brother.
Although I'm starting to doubt you could ever get to the land called 'Shangri-freaky-la' even If I could carry your fatass there on my back.
In addition to being a fool and always falling into the oldest woman trap in the world... asking a chick 'baby what's wrong' you're pretty adept at falling into the second oldest woman trap in the world too.
Feelings.
It's taken women eons to work out and finess these traps to insure that they always work.
They're handed down from generation to generation of women and improved upon as more effectively vicious and cruel methods are discovered.
They've been honed to 'razor sharpness' on all those trips to bathroom that they've taken together.
And you think you're gonna be the first guy to 'beat them?'
You can't 'beat them.'
They are unbeatable.
The best you can do is to avoid them.
She probably wanted to blow her stack any way.
Maybe the pressure was building up in that extra lobe of hers and causing her a discomfort like a bloating of the brain.
And she's come to you for relief.
Because she knew she could count on you... without fail... to fall into the trap that would allow her animal woman to release the contents of the lobe and become comfortable again... maybe go hang out at the Sherwyn Williams store or something and think about paint.
You dumbfuck.
Here's a 'universal truth' for you...
if a woman 'feels' something it cannot be wrong.
Women's feelings are never wrong.
How dare you even think for a second that she was wrong.
This isn't about the laws of physics.
She doesn't even remember what it's about besides you telling her that there was a possibility that her feelings could be wrong in a loving an supportive non judgemental way of course.
Do you not remember what happened after you bitched about her buying the deluxe urn for Punkin?
Do you just like that shit going down?
You like that more than hot freaky?
It seems like it.
You didn't sell your soul, give up your free will, all of your computer passwords, burn all of your shit in a giant pile and throw away all of your male friendships to teach your girl about the laws of physics did you?
A woman's feelings can NEVER be wrong.
No man in history has ever succeeded in getting a woman to admit that what she 'felt' was wrong.
You are not going to be the first.
Go back to Webster's definition and look at the time 'feelings'was first used as a word.
The twelfth century.
Medieval times.
When not so coincidentally the first evidence of the Christian concept of 'purgatory' was found.
A lot of things and concepts were invented in the twelfth century.
You know... torture... the plague... big titties in tight velvet bodices... dungeons... gunpowder, canons, bombs, the Iron Maiden, black death... cholera... feelings...
Medieval times.
You don't want to be dealing with anything from the twelfth century.
Shit was all bad and evil and wicked back then.
Except the tight velvet bodices.
That's the only thing that got mankind through the twelfth century.
That's where 'feelings' come from.
A freakin' twelfth century idea come to torture your ass in modern times buddy.
And you're about to get some medeival shit for even thinkin' that you might have had what it takes to become the first guy in all history to prove to a woman that her 'feelings' are wrong.
Welcome to the twelfth century brother.
While men had just invented the magnetic compass in the twelfth century... a device with a floating needle that always pointed to north... a tool that they thought would make 'asking for directions' a thing of the past...
women were in the beginning stages of designing another sort of compass.
A compass called 'feelings.'
And that compass always points to 'right' Asshole.
And you and me both know that that 'compass' will certainly never point to you.
LEVEL Magazine, Issue 44: Pages 34-35
Image by LZ Creations
The last spread from a 6-page article written by Johan Martinsson about my book, The Excavation of Mushroom Island.
Special thanks to Mózsi Kiss for providing the following translation.
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Page 34 - When LEVEL gets a hold of Logan Zawacki, he says that he is now 28 years old and the manager of the photographic laboratory at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida.
28 years. That means that he would have been four years old in 1983, when he supposedly received his first science grant. Something is – as you have of course understood already – not right here.
It turns out that it is all made up. The scholarship, the subterranean tunnel, the forgotten island, the whole story.
Or not all of it. One of these things actually does exist. The book where all this was documented.
It is 76 beautiful pages filled with excavated skeletons from Mario’s world, tons of facts and topographical maps of the invented islands – complete with places such as the “Pipe Maze,” “Vanilla Dome,” and the “Castle of Koopa.”
“Imagine if Mario’s universe really had existed! That idea made me take on the assignment of interpreting the Mario mythology from a more realistic and scientific point of view,” says Zawacki. “Science has always used skeletons as physical proof of ancient cultures, so I decided to do the same.”
Zawacki started searching for pictures of real skeletal parts that could be used to illustrate the fossilized remains of the Mario characters.
“Every fossil consists of several different components that I have joined together. For example, I created Bowser’s skeleton by combining skeletal parts from a bear, an iguana, a turtle and a dolphin.”
After creating the images of the fossils, Zawacki fixed them to the paper through a printing technique that was considered out-dated already in 1860 – all in order to give the reader a feeling of flipping through an old book on anatomy.
The result feels so authentic, it is difficult not to be convinced that both goombas and chain chomps really existed, once upon a time. But the book also lets us know that they do not exist anymore – an insight which leaves the reader unexpectedly discouraged.
The Mushroom Kingdom is one of the places where time stands still. Peach, Luigi and Mario can never age and die – they can only play their roles over and over in a drama that is repeated in infinite, timeless cycles.
But the Excavation of Mushroom Island sees that world in the rear-view mirror. It has been destroyed. All its inhabitants are dead. Page 20 shows the skeleton of the Princess. Zawacki reports that an examination of the body revealed that she had a large tumor in her left breast. On page 49, we learn that a Homo Sapiens male dressed in a green cap with an L-shaped character had been trapped in a pipe and had starved to death. Page 55 reveals the discovery of a human head, which had been separated from the rest of the body by a falling block in the Donut Caverns. It is Mario.
The immortal are dead, and it feels wrong.
“The fact that all the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom were dead became inevitable the exact moment I decided to present them as fossils from a long lost time. And I understood that I had to explain why the characters died to place them in a credible reality – where all people, plants and mythological things have one thing in common: death.”
Page 35 - It is unclear what Shigeru Miyamoto thinks of Logan Zawacki’s scientifically unsentimental way of killing all his iconic characters – but all things considered, it is difficult to think that the game genius would feel anything but honored by “The Excavation of Mushroom Island.”
Not because it confirms that he has always made historically correct games – but because it confirms that he has made something much more than this. He has created his own history. He has fantasized and turned his fantasies into physical reality.
Once upon a time, the idea of a plumber who jumped on small two-legged brown animals and collected coins to get extra lives, was just some funny thoughts in the head of a young Japanese game designer. Today, Mario is a reality for billions of people.
“The Excavation of Mushroom Island” is a tribute to the fantasy and its incredible power. It is difficult to imagine a better way to show Shigeru Miyamoto respect.
[The caption: To order Logan Zawacki’s book “The Excavation of Mushroom Island,” send an e-mail to LZcreations@hotmail.com]
