Birds Rain from the Skies!

Posted January 3, 2011 by vulpesffb
Categories: animal occurrences, animal oddities, feathered friends, unexplained, weird
Tags: ,

– – Yes, I live to write headlines like that!- -And in the Arkansas town of Beebe, more than 1,000 blackbirds fell from the sky in a one-mile area Friday night about 30 minutes before the arrival of the new year.

A wildlife officer on the scene reported that the birds “showed physical trauma,” and said the flock might have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail.   Another theory was that fireworks launched skyward by new year’s revelers might have stressed the birds.

And with 1,000 dead birds on the ground in Beebe,  they then obviously wanted to get the flock out of there…

(…What?– -You didn’t think I’d pass up a gift like that, did ‘ya?)   😉

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(Addendum: The number of dead birds has been upped to possibly as high as 5,000!  Preliminary autopsies have determined that the birds died of traumatic injuries inflicted not on the ground but in the air, which lends support to theories of death by impact.)

Comments: 3 Comments

Happy, Happy!

Posted January 1, 2011 by vulpesffb
Categories: absurdities, humor, Off-topic
Tags:

– – My mother used to eat pickled herring on New Year’s Eve, possibly thinking that if she did that, nothing worse would happen to her in the upcoming year.– -But whatever your tradition, may your 2011 be a healthy and happy year!

Comments: 5 Comments

Chupacabra or Coyote with Mange?

Posted December 30, 2010 by vulpesffb
Categories: animal oddities, animals, cryptozoology, Uncategorized, unidentified, weird
Tags:

– – Once again a farmer, this time in Kentucky, has shot a hideous, otherworldly-looking creature, raising speculation that it was the chupacabra, the legendary livestock killer.

Researchers and wildlife experts tend to think that this and similar creatures are most likely coyotes, raccoons, or opossums with mange, however.  Infection by tiny parasites or mites causes the infection in such cases, which results in the animal’s hair falling out and their skin becoming shriveled.

DNA testing by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is expected to solve the mystery of the pictured animal’s true identity…

Comments: 4 Comments

“Being Human” Coming Soon!

Posted December 28, 2010 by vulpesffb
Categories: animals, anthropomorphic, cool things, television
Tags: ,

– – Imagine a TV show about three roommates in their 20’s; sounds like familiar territory, right?  Not so if those roommates happen also to be a vampire, werewolf, and a ghost!   As the trio struggles to hide their dark secrets from the world, they help one another navigate the complexities of living double lives while trying to be human.  Such is the core premise of Being Human, a re-imagining on the Syfy network of a dark and witty BBC original series.

British humor and sensibilities don’t always translate well in the States, and so not everyone is happy with the idea of an Americanized reboot of an acclaimed British series.  Syfy has promised that this won’t be a poor recreation of the series, but we’ll just have to wait until the January 17th premier to see.

They had me, after all, with the werewolf character…I still miss “Oz” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

Comments: 2 Comments

Reindeer High?

Posted December 26, 2010 by vulpesffb
Categories: animal behavior, animal oddities, animals, furry, science
Tags: ,

– – Santa’s reindeer may require a slight assist to gain altitude.  Scientist Andrew Haynes reports in the respected Pharmaceutical Journal that reindeer deliberately seek out the mind-bending agaric fungi in the wild, and are often seen staggering around afterwards, making odd noises.

It is felt that the reindeer deliberately seek out the mushrooms to escape the monotony of dreary long winters.  A common side effect of psychedelic mushroom consumption in humans is the feeling of flying, so the flight capabilities of Santa’s reindeer are interesting.

Herdsmen are also reported in some parts of the world to drink the urine of the reindeer to get high themselves, but I find that a little hard to swallow…

Comments: 3 Comments

Jakarta’s Monkeys

Posted December 24, 2010 by vulpesffb
Categories: animal abuse, animal rights, animals, deplorable practices, furry
Tags:

– – In Jakarta, Indonesia trained monkeys perform skits on the street of the capital city using props such as toy motor bikes, wooden rifles, and doll masks.  Unfortunately, the macaques are kept on chain leashes which are jerked to keep the trained simians on task; they are conscripted and trained beginning as young as one month of age.  The performances are believed to have originated in the port cities of northern Java in the late 1800’s when entertainers from Europe introduced monkey and dog shows. Forced to perform unnatural acts in a stressful, abnormal environment, the forced performances may easily be seen as a form of animal exploitation or abuse.

Such monkey business is diminishing, however, owing at least in part to the depressed economy…

Comments: 1 Comment

Hitting a High Mark

Posted December 22, 2010 by vulpesffb
Categories: blog business, Off-topic

– -Woo-hoo!–We’ve reached 175,000 hits on Foxsylvania, which is none too shabby!  Many thanks for your continuing readership!  And by the way, a very Merry Xmas, Happy Hannukah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus,  or  whatever to you all from Foxsylvania!

Comments: 5 Comments

Afraid of Nothing?

Posted December 20, 2010 by vulpesffb
Categories: animals, psychology, research, science
Tags: ,

– – Excessive fear is certainly not a good thing, but it’s likewise undesirable to be afraid of nothing.  A woman with a rare genetic disorder, Urbach-Wiethe disease, falls into the latter category, and is literally afraid of nothing.  Her condition is associated with damage to her amygdala, an almond-shaped portion of the brain strongly associated with fear responses in past research on animals.

Researchers at the University of Iowa tried their best to scare a 44-year old female with the condition, exposing her to live snakes and spiders, taking her on a tour of a supposedly haunted house, and showing the subject emotionally-evocative films; they got nothing! The subject also had a life history full of dangerous situations, including being held up at both knifepoint and gunpoint, and almost killed by domestic violence.  Even in those situations, the subject did not experience fear.

Through study of this woman, researchers hope to be able to better understand how the amygdala is connected to human fear, leading to better treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Comments: 2 Comments

The Big Bang Theory

Posted December 18, 2010 by vulpesffb
Categories: cool things, humor, science, television
Tags: , ,

– – Not the cosmological model…but rather what was once called the “dumb show about smart guys.”  Featuring brilliant but socially inept science nerds, the show has an undeniable chemistry among ensemble cast members and makes intellectualism admirable. You might catch a glimpse of someone you know among these characters, certainly not yourself  (snorts while laughing and adjusts his pocket protector)!

Theory is centered around the character of Sheldon as played to perfection by Jim Parsons, who looks as he is taunted on a recent show “like a preying mantis.”   “That’s very hurtful,” he responded.   Sheldon speaks with precise, impeccable, comically fussy grammar, possibly the best delivery on television.  Neurotically afflicted with OCD and hypochondriasis,  Sheldon is living in a world that he can never really be a part of; he is in the world, but not of it.  Truly there is, as Peanuts once observed, no greater burden than having a high potential.

This is one of the best, most intelligently written comedies ever on television!  Who ever would have thought that post-doctoral physicists could be featured in an engaging show on a major network?   Big Bang Theory works on a variety of levels…maybe there’s hope for us yet!


Comments: 2 Comments

Dog Attack Signals

Posted December 16, 2010 by vulpesffb
Categories: animal behavior, animal occurrences, animals, psychology, science
Tags:

– – Scientists believe that thousands of young children are being bitten by dogs because they can’t tell when the animals are giving aggressive warnings.  Surveys have shown that 43% of school children in England have been bitten, often at home by a familiar dog.   Some suffer serious injuries.

Tests by psychologists show that children as old as six believe that a dog baring its teeth is smiling, and may think that such a dog is happy and receptive to being given a hug and kiss!   Eye-tracking studies at Lincoln University show that children tend to look only only at a dog’s mouth, ignoring other signs of aggression that adults key into, such as pointed ears.

A computer game called The Blue Dog has been created by psychologists to help teach children when it is best to leave dogs alone…

 

Comments: 6 Comments

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »