Archive for May 2008

Monster Hogs!

May 29, 2008

— I found the season premier of Monster Quest rather disappointing. It was about monster hogs, giant pigs supposedly a growing problem in certain southern states like Texas. Investigative techniques were used like attaching a camera to a wild pig and releasing it in the hopes that it would lead to these giant pigs…that’s right, a hog cam! Despite amusing close-ups of pig bristles and bouncing countryside, no giant hogs were found.

And what about the people who investigate and capture wild hogs, the so-called hog wranglers? Would you like a job like that, or would you eventually get boared?

(This blogger not responsible for mental anguish caused by atrocious puns…)

The Cajun Fox

May 28, 2008

Courage, the Cowardly Dog by John R. Dilworth has many enemies, some human, others animal, some otherworldly.  My personal fave is The Cajun Fox (pictured), who wears sunglasses and desires to cook Courage’s owner, Muriel, into a stew or gumbo.  He never succeeds, but looks very good in his efforts.

Hopefully we will continue to see more of this fox, along with other memorable furry enemies such as Le Quack the Duck, and of course the Cat.  Evil is so much more interesting than good, don’t ‘ya think?

Meat Without Animals?

May 5, 2008

— Now this is strange… it may someday be possible to generate meat artificially using cloning technology without hacking it from an animal.  This would be done in the same fashion that cells and organs might be generated from stem cells; muscle tissue would be generated without it having come from a once-living, intact creature.  Rewards have been offered by some animal-rights groups towards this end, with chicken flesh the most likely to be initially  created.  Ethical questions and divisive, organization-splitting differences of opinion abound as this new territory begins to be explored…

Giant Squid Found

May 3, 2008

— A giant squid currently being thawed out and examined in New Zealand has the world’s largest eye with a lens the size of an orange; the eye itself in total is about the size of a dinner plate. The squid measured about 26 feet long when caught accidentally by fishermen off Antarctica last February; it weighs in excess of 1,000 pounds!

Giant squids are mollusks, cephalopods to be more specific that are related to the octopus. Specimens larger than this one are regarded to exist in the ocean depths!