Archive for May 2010

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Research Lab Animal Victims

May 31, 2010

– – This Sunday, May 30th was proclaimed “A National Day of Mourning for Animals in Laboratories,” specifically those animals that have died of human negligence.  Research laboratories were targeted in Nevada, Oregon, California, Kansas, Georgia, Florida, New Hampshire, Washington, and Washington, D.C.  where animals have died through dehydration, starvation, infection, being boiled alive, hyperthermia, and botched surgeries.  The labs cited were associated with both major U.S. universities and private corporations, and activist complaints have in some cases resulted in USDA citations.  Similar memorials have been held earlier in New York and Illinois.

Animal research under proper controls and supervision is valuable and at times necessary, but there is never an excuse for animal deaths because of human negligence.

Categories: animal rights, animals, furry causes
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Comments: 2 Comments

Summer Rerun Season…

May 28, 2010

– – When MonsterQuest has a re-run marathon fest, I can usually tell by the number of renewed hits that I get on my old posts on past episodes of The Quest. It’s the good episodes that get the hits…like myself, most people aren’t as interested in installments on wild dogs, rats, or bees.

So mundane and unexciting were some of these episodes, in fact, that we can bring you this picture of a MonsterQuest reject…in fact, he might have been more interesting than some of the episodes that aired!


Categories: animals, anomalies, creature features, cryptozoology, furry, television
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Spaced-Out Spiders…

May 27, 2010

– -What happens when  poor, innocent spiders are given the active ingredient in marijuana, THC?–Well, they create a poorly-constructed minimalist web.  Since garden spiders typically build a new web every day, such impairment isn’t good.  In experiments, spiders have also been given such drugs as speed, LSD, and even caffeine.  On high doses of caffeine, for example, the regular design of the web disappears.  While on acid, the spider can’t complete his web at all…much like stoner humans who aren’t terribly productive, either…

…and nobody wants stoned spiders around their house, anyways!

Categories: animals, insects, Invertebrates, science

Comments: 2 Comments

Impact of the Gulf Spill…

May 25, 2010

– – That the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is catastrophic is readily apparent although it presently cannot be predicted how long it will continue or just how devastating it will prove to be.  Compounding the disaster is the fact that numerous species come to the fragile ecosystems of the Gulf to feed, nest, breed, and spawn with peak migration and breeding times coming from late April through mid-May; the timing of the disaster accordingly could not be worse.

The animals most threatened by this environmental nightmare include brown pelicans, sea turtles, dolphins, shore birds, shellfish and crabs, and North  Atlantic Bluefin Tuna.


Categories: animal occurrences, animals, environmental
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Alternative Animal Trophies

May 23, 2010

– – Perhaps you have been in a bar, club, or private home that features animal trophies mounted on the wall, usually of the stuffed and decapitated variety.- -Yeah, nothing says “man cave” like the carcass of an animal,  shot from a safe distance with a high-powered weapon!   But as a furry, such spectacles make me want to lose my lunch or vent my indignation, especially when there is a better way…

…consider cardboard animal trophies by Cardboard Safari! You can choose either large or miniature versions of moose, rhino, deer, and the heads of other animals to adorn your walls, and all are made from recycled and non-toxic materials.–The environment and the animal kingdom will thank you!

Categories: animals, environmental, furry, furry causes
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Killer Slug Attack!

May 21, 2010

– – I hate it when slugs are  used as weapons; the gross-out factor alone is appreciable.- – Yet when slugs are outlawed, only outlaws will have slugs!

True Story! A man in Sweden has been found guilty of harassment  after he dumped a bag of killer slugs (Spanish slugs) into a neighbor’s garden.- -Did she tell the authorities, “He slugged me?”- –Was this assault with a deadly mollusk?  The man previously had thrown a firecracker into the woman’s garden, who had taken out a restraining order against him.  The slug in question earned the “killer” nickname due to its tendency to eat dead or weaker individuals of the species…

Remember, it’s not nice to slug your neighbors…and yes, it was a sluggish day in the news!

Categories: animals, Invertebrates
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Ancient Astronauts?

May 19, 2010

– – The notion of ancient astronauts (namely extraterrestrials) visiting earth and spurring the development of human culture, technologies, and religions is nothing new, and found popularity during the later twentieth century in the writings of Erich von Daniken and others.  Ancient astronaut theories have been widely used in science fiction, but have not received support within the scientific community.  Astrophysicist Carl Sagan and others have concluded that extraterrestrial visits to earth were possible but unproven, and likely improbable.

The History Channel now has an Ancient Astronaut series that may pique your curiosity if you haven’t been down  this trail before.  It’s good fun, and you may want to believe as you’re exposed to ancient religious texts and physical specimens such as cave drawings, stone sculptures, and pyramids…


Categories: aliens, cool things, historical perspectives, mysteries, space, strange happenings, television
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Squid vs. Whale Smackdown?

May 17, 2010

– – What could be cooler than a battle royal between a colossal squid and a sperm whale?–Well, maybe a three-way between the whale, giant squid, and a T-Rex, but that’s just for rich fantasies!   Sadly, even the image of the giant squid as the Kraken which attacks ships is not all that it’s cracked up to be…

Marine biologists reporting in the April issue of the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom have painted a picture of a mostly sedentary creature that would wait to ambush passing fish rather than even bother to swim after them.–What a slacker squid!   As a cold-blooded creature, the colossal squid was not even great whale food; it simply wasn’t that nutritious!

I still look for colossal squid to enter the United States by coming through Arizona, evading the police, and taking  jobs that no native-born American would want…then they’ll be able to get health care!

Categories: animals, anomalies, Invertebrates
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Comments: 2 Comments

In Blackest Night…

May 15, 2010

– – Coming on June 17th is The Green Lantern movie; I’ve been a  fan of Green Lantern since I was a kit, possibly due to combining the superhero thing with an extraterrestrial element (“The Guardians of the Universe”).  It’s hard to successfully adapt comics to the big screen, but this looks promising…although the costume reminds me of a green-themed version of Robin’s get-up in the one Batman flick…

…better practice your Green Lantern oath…and no, I don’t mean swearing!

Categories: comics, cool things, movies
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Comments: 3 Comments

The Caveman in You…

May 11, 2010

– – Neanderthals had for many years been regarded as primitive and ape-like, but like modern humans, they had developed a culture, used tools, and probably spoke a rudimentary language.  Although their culture was less rich than that of modern man and they were less able to adapt, a recent study of DNA evidence has suggested that there were also less than 10,000 Neanderthals in existence at any one time, making them more vulnerable to diseases or sudden climatic changes.

An international team of scientists recently decoded the complete Neanderthal genome, and found that roughly 1 to 4 percent of the genomes of non-African people derive from these extinct relatives.  This would suggest that modern man and Neanderthals interbred, so there’s a little caveman in all of us!

Categories: extinct species, medical, science
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