The Christmas: Post.

Also...MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS CYBER WORLD!

I give you one of the many perfect holiday animal pictures you can find online.

This reminds us all to have a Merry Christmas, appreciate our world, and be mindful of nature by saving endangered species---like the polar bear.

And even though there's a WHOLE shabang of pictures...click here for more animal holiday photogenic fun :)

The Special: Saharan Cheetah Sighting!

Since the new year is coming soon, I must put forth effort to make posts positive. I think I've stated this before but I choose Yahoo! as my front page because I enjoy the fact that it lines all the political, the funny, the advice, the celeb gossip all nicely in front of my eyes. I am not biased by what I "choose" to see because I didn't set any default settings, that way, I get a little bit of everything and then decide which articles I actually read.

Anyway, a few days ago I saw an article on rare cheetah sightings, and I actually didn't know that there were very specific other types of cheetahs.

The Saharan Cheetah is only known in 6 countries (and slowly decreasing) and is so rare that there is only about 250 known adults left in the wild. There are 0 in captivity and virtually nothing is known about them. The photos are a stroke of luck by pre-set cameras! Good going science guys :)

Still...I'm totally psyched! As seen from the picture, I guess you'd say that the Saharan Cheetah is more-or-less like your average cheetah....one that hasn't eaten in a while. It's extra slim and is even more nocturnal than its more well-known relative.

But if I lived almost completely in the desert, I think I'd rather be out longer at night than day too, wouldn't you? Click here to read the whole story.

The Fake: Shark Week Shows Not Real?!

I know that many people around me love the infamous "Shark Week" on Discovery Channel...or something like "Big Cats Diary"...however, I read an article today that not only disappointed me, but shocked me a little. It's sort of an ironic thing that people try to educate the public about wildlife, yet do so by using human tactics to achieve their goal. SHAME ON YOU!!

Wildlife Film Maker, Chris Palmer released a book on how many wildlife documentaries are not in fact captured under "wild" conditions...AND some of them use animals from gaming farms. Gaming farms are places that raise animals for human use, like crocodile farms that produce large amounts of leather for expensive purses and shoes (a completely unnecessary fashion statement in my opinion!).

So they "buy" a croc. from one of these farms...drive out to Lake Placid...throw the croc. in, and then film the whole event as it gets into a fight with another animal or tries to hunt---> and that's what we're watching on television as "wild-life documentaries."

I say blasphemy!

Even more ironic are shows like "Shark Week" that portray sharks as demonic man-eating monsters while trying to urge people to preserve these creatures in the end credits. le sigh.

Let's have week-long show about how Sharks are getting their fins cut off, then thrown back into the ocean alive (only to drown/suffocate later since oxygen is not passing threw their gills since they can't swim)....just for a soup that is seriously not that nutritious. TAKE VITAMINS PEOPLE, EAT MORE FRUIT.

It's a fine balance between using fakes and getting to close trying to get the real thing. The danger happens when people believe they are "one with nature" and get too close...and something happens. Then the animal is deemed dangerous or a killer, when, in fact, it was only protecting its already dwindling territory. You would smack a stranger with a baseball bat if you saw them sneak into your house, right?!? me too.

read here

The Rare Saola: ...usually die in captivity :(

I'm one of those people who use AIM and still manages to deal with it's front page, separate pop windows each time I log in. Originally, I had planned to turn off this little tick, but soon found myself browsing some of it's interesting news and facts and fun tid-bits (a reason why I love Yahoo front page over a personalized Google homepage)

Anyways, I read this article on the Saola aka The Spindlehorn...a species first "officially" discovered in 1992 and now has proved to be one of the most rare animals. Needless to say---> definitely on the endangered species list.

With only a few hundred remaining between it's Vietnam and Laos territory, to see one in all its glory would be amazing to say the least. And apparently deadly.

A local village sighted one and couldn't resist their urge to capture it. It's not clear rather the animal would have been set free or a shrine might have developed over time to worship it...or maybe the villagers were hoping to make some tourist money off it. What is known that after only a few days in captivity...the animal died.

The carcass will be studied in order to obtain a better understanding of the animal and perhaps one day be able to raise some in captivity so the species does not go completely extinct. With so few numbers, I feel a little disheartened by this story, just thought I'd share. Here's the link to the one I read...but perhaps you found another?

The Smuggling: 95 Boa constrictors break "free" out of luggage bag!

yes, you read the title correctly!! Officials say that on August 26th, Keng Liang "Anson" Wong, 52, attempted to smuggle 95 Boa constrictors (hardcore snakes!) and a few other species of snakes and a turtle through Kuala Lumpur International airport.

His plight ended early when his luggage burst open on the conveyor belt and all the animals came tumbling out. Ironically, Wong was arrested almost a decade ago for the SAME crime and sentenced to almost 6 years in jail for smuggling wildlife in the U.S. between 1996 and 1998.

Why do we allow these things to happen? Shouldn't there be some sort of an alarm or colorful sticker on these people's passports that say "hey, I once tried to smuggle wildlife, you should probably check my baggage carefully!! K,thanks."

And even more ridiculous is that he is only being charged for the boa constrictor snakes smuggling because the others are not on the endangered species list!!

WHAT?!? Now, we must wait until a species population ranks so low that it makes the human bottom list before we care? Cynical and egotistical things we are.

READ IT!!

The Infuriatingt!!: WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

So I have a tumblr...and through this tumblr I reblog pictures, videos, and other sporadically random things I come by. It's not really a diary, but a sweep of visual memories that make an impression.

Anyways, today I saw (on my tumblr) someone blogged this photo:



And I thought...hm...what is she doing and why is she wanted by police? You can't really tell from the photo here..




Well...what she's doing is throwing new born, live puppies into the river...!!






WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?! seriously. Apparently her identity is now known because news travels fast in this high tech world...and authorities have asked that people do not take any direct actions or make any personal threats to this woman...because the circumstances are unknown.

While all that is true and sound...what REAL excuse can one throw out regarding chucking live puppies into a river?!?!? I don't understand. I don't understand these things at all. I don't understand people at all.

Not only do you have this girl who's throwing puppies into a river...you have the person VIDEO TAPING a girl throwing puppies into the river...WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TOO RECORDING MYSTERY PERSON?!?

These kinds of things make me think that there is no way for us to reverse all the damage we've done.

here's the video if you'd like to watch...but you've been warned, it's brutal. and stupid. and I hope she %#$#@^*%.......gets what she deserves.

The Picture: CHEESE.

These guys look familiar??





SAY CHEESE!! I love this photo, it captures these curious, playful creatures--perfectly. (Read about Meerkats!!)
















^ that up there is the reality of Timon from Disney's "The Lion King" famed...weirdo-pair of best friends...Timon and Pumba!! :)






Cats are another furry animal that take AWESOME pictures! They do the most random, genius things!!

<<---Like this fella here...he knows how to be cool!! (get it?? cool...HA!)







<<---This also makes me happy. For more reasons than one. Either way, the message is perfect.

The "Ground Hog" woodchucker: Marmot

It's currently 6:30am (no joke!) as I write this, so I'm not sure why my brain isn't dead and my body limp, but I'm relatively awake! It was a night full of long talks, remembering, smiling, and bonding. I crave these nights...so while my mind is still alive, I decided I would do a little more remembering through animals.

I hiked California Yosemite National Park's "Half Dome" about a week and a half ago and it was AMAZING!! For someone who never went to the gym, I think I did pretty well for a round trip of 11 hours and 9 minutes. The top of the dome is AMAZING (I suppose I will be using this word a lot in this one). It's height and stature is awesome and its views are breathtaking while still completely scaring me to my core.

Nature never ceases to put me in my rightful place and reminds me that although I concurred the mountain, I only did it because the mountain allowed me to. It was entirely because of the AMAZING guidance I received and the fact that nature chose to grace me with its grandeur, so thank you. For everything.

Anyway...back to the animal part. At the top of the dome I saw a "marmot" and honestly I didn't even know what it was! It's the look of a beaver meets giant-fatty-mutant-squirrel. And actually GROUND HOG day was named after a marmot!
They're a type of rodent that's closely related to both ground squirrels and prairie dogs and found mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. If you've ever heard "how much could a woodchuck chuck wood if a wood chuck could chuck wood" (phew, that was a mouthful!)---they're talking about a marmot!!
There are actually about 14 different species of marmots, and none of them really "chuck" wood, but it helps with rhymes. The one in Canada is endangered with fewer than 100 left, while some places in the alps hunt them for food and sport. They hibernate in the winter but wake up once a week or so then go back to its deep sleep. (weird!) They can be social and solitary...depending on where you look. And while they're on the prey list for many carnivores, marmots are generally vegetarian.

This is the one I saw @ Half Dome!! very cute and chubby and "friendly."



Although they're chubby and cute, and I saw people feeding it cranberries, it's important to remember that feeding wildlife only diminishes their chances of surviving and fending for themselves in the wild, so don't do it!

The Oil: taints your seafood buffet

I'm not sure if everyone knows this, but for the most part, I get my information about the world via my awesome Yahoo front page. No...they didn't give me money--I wish! But I'm sort of a cluttered (but organized!) person that enjoys having many things around me. I like that Yahoo front page gives me a little bit of everything including politics, cute animal videos, celeb gossip, sex blogs...and updated on what matters.

Like this darn BP oil spill...just when you think you've heard enough and that we've all escaped the dirty waters unscathed (save for those who actually live in it)...now there's news that the sneaky oil drops might've already climbed up the food chain!

In this article on one of my ridiculously long and informative list of yahoo front-scroll-bar-stories...the blue crab has apparently been hit by the BP crisis---in a big way! If you count reproductive viability a "big" way---which I do.

The wild blue crab's larvae (or "eggs" which hold teeny-tiny crabs) are found tainted with a familiar orange oily hue on the exterior. Scientists are concerned because if these droplets get inside the larvae, it could affect the health of the new babies and the reductive viability of the future generation...thus impacting the whole species in a BIG way in the years to come.

Only a handful of these 3 million or so eggs actually grow to adulthood as it is...and now their chances are lowering again.

And let's not forget about all the other creatures that depend on the blue crab for food! HOPE YOU HATE SEAFOOD.

Although crab extinction is sort of a stretch as of now, the though is still scary, and it SHOULD BE scary. It may be hard to fathom how a tiny blue crab affects OUR health, but they do and they will. So reserve your oil...ride a bike, walk the dog, play some soccer...and pray for the crabbies.

The Paul: Magical Octo for World Cup

So the world cup just ended in South Africa and SPAIN WON!! Normally I'm actually not a huge soccer watcher (besides that movie She's The Man with Amanda Bynes back in high school...anyone? tampon up the nose...anyone?? just kidding) but when those around me are gleaming and sweating with intensity, energy, and concentration, you really have to join the hype to feel its awesome-ness. AND I DID!! I watched a few games and then parts of other games and besides from feeling really tired for those guys running back and forth on the huge field--I rather enjoyed myself!

But here's my animal related scoop. I know that you know I'm going to talk about Paul the amazing ESP, magical octopus from Germany that can tell the future, but I'm going to tell it anyone...one for the books! (And for those anti-soccer people, they should still know about paul's amazing-ness)
So who is Paul anyway??
Paul is this cool octopus originally from England, but transfered to a Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany. He correctly predicted the winners to all 7 of Germany's World Cup games as well as the winner (aka Spain) in the final.

How's it done??
Paul was presented with two boxes that had the flag of each of the opponents on either box and both boxes had Paul's dinner in it...and whichever box Paul eats from is deemed the winner.

Is this shady....???
Yes...maybe....only a tiny bit...but no one's quite sure yet. So octopuses are colorblind, therefore the exact colors of each flag shouldn't matter to him much. However, they can detect brightness and some flags can be brighter than others so that might have something to do with it, or perhaps the mussel/oyster inside one box was a bit better smelling or juicy or larger than the other.

Point is...we should take this whole thing with a grain of salt. BUT it's still pretty cool. When Paul predicted Germany's loss to Spain, his own countrymen sent death threats to have him turned sushi!! (how rude!) but he's safe again after predicting Germany's win for 3rd place, so no worries! As of now, Paul is officially retired apparently and will be making no further predictions---sadness, I wanted to win the lotto or something! (now he gets to sit in a tank completely decked out in soccer gear AND a World Cup replica, can you believe it?!)
Anyway...read here for when Germany hated him and read here for news on his retirement OR just type "paul the octopus" and you'll get a zillion listings!

The Oil: Man's Stupidity

I forgot my user name and password (again) but then rediscovered it (again!)

So I found this really great photo article on the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It's now been an on going spilling and cleaning process for over a month, but the damage can't seem to be repaired. The Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 people and continues to expand and pollute all nearby waters and wildlife. Scientists now fear that it may catch the ocean's current and spread even further than before. Here is the link to the article for more images. These are a few of the amazing and chilling pictures:


This next one is far more sad than anything else because it's before these animals even have a chance. The eggs are clearly covered in what appears to be oil. It's incredibly sad to think that the first glimpse of the world that these chicks will see is a polluted world.




5 ways you can help!!!

1. Report Injured Wildlife

oiled wildlife: 1-866-557-1401 (Leave a message; they will be checked hourly.)

2. Volunteer

Tristate Bird Rescue & Research is coordinating on-the-ground volunteer efforts. Several other groups are helping to organize volunteers to help cleanse birds and otherwise protect both wildlife and human populations along the Gulf Coast. Our favorite (since we just handed its president John Flicker a 2010 Heart of Green Award) is The National Audubon Society, which is helping connect volunteers with the best government or non-profit agency doing work related to the oil spill response. (But there are many many many others.) The government also has a volunteer hotline at 1-866-448-5816.

3. Donate

While BP has pledged to pay all legitimate claims made in relation to the oil spill, the groups working in the area need immediate support (and there's no guarantee BP will pay every claim victims feel is worthy, especially since U.S. law caps some expenses at $75 million). Here's a list of some of the groups working on the oil spill that get three- and four-star ratings from charitynavigator.com.

• National Audubon Society, is working to aid birds and habitat affected by the spill.
• National Wildlife Federation, is responding to the spill.
• Greater New Orleans Foundation, is assisting locally.
• Matter of Trust is accepting donations of hair, fur and nylons, which are used to aid in the oil response.

4. Write to Elected Leaders

There's nothing like a crisis to focus political will on environmental issues. At issue currently is a proposed expansion of offshore oil drilling in U.S. waters. President Obama made good on a campaign process and proposed the expansion, which is also believed to be a central compromise in the Senate energy bill developed by Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman. The BP oil spill shows how dire the consequences can be from a spill, and Obama has temporarily halted new offshore oil exploration. If you think offshore oil drilling is a bad idea, it's a good time to tell leaders what you think.

5. Boycott BP

While no major national organization is calling for it, there's at least one Facebook page suggesting that people boycott of BP, the oil company responsible not only for the Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill, but also, in the last decade, a Texas refinery explosion and an Alaskan oil spill. Its safety procedures have been criticized, as has its response to this disaster and its lobbying efforts against stronger offshore oil safety and environmental rules. You'd have to boycott not only BP gas stations but also Arco gas stations, Castrol auto oils and lubricants, am/pm convenience stores and Wild Bean Cafes, Aral gas stations (in Germany), as well as countless products that BP oil is likely used to make, from plastics to pharmaceuticals.

To Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/gulf-oil-spill-2010-0503?src=rss#ixzz0otp2JPGs

The Bloody: Medical Leeches

While doing community service the other night I managed to "snip" (if snip is even the right word) my left index finer--good thing I'm a righty! At which point the nail began to fill up with blood internally and the finger is all swollen...and now I have a cute little semi-creepy teddy bear band-aid to cover up the atrocity so as to not gross anyone out :\ it hurts.

So here's my inspiration that deals with blood---LEECHES!

Back in the day people used to think that if you were ill for a period of time it may be because you had bad blood flowing in your veins! So people would seek "doctors" who make an incision somewhere on your arm and allow you to bleed out a little bit. The normal body knows that bleeding a lot is bad so its natural instinct is to stop bleeding...here's where leeches come in!

Leeches may be placed on such open cuts to help you bleed out....OR in today's world, during various types of surgery (plastic surgery/reconstructive surgery). The leeches act as a natural anticoagulant which will keep you bleeding--up to 48 hrs after the leech has been removed actually!. This allows for dramatic decrease in post surgery swelling and congestion and also promotes healthy blood circulation to the wounded area.

you'd think that a process like this might hurt, but the leech actually produces its own anesthetic in its saliva so its quite painless. weird.

Here's a pretty cool site that offers info, advice, and leeches for sale!!

The Deadly Manipulator: Parasitoid Wasp

Today is special. Today I walked into an anatomy lab for the sheer fascination I have with the deceased human body and general anatomy itself...and with me was one of the best people I know, who happened to be deathly disturbed/afraid of the deceased human body. My bad!!

So for this entry, I am inspired by the anatomy and weird-ness that is the parasitoid wasp. why so cool you ask??? well, first of all...not only do the various species of parasitoid wasps have the ability to "control" the mind of their future prey, they also plant their larvae inside the poor chump, thus creating a live, ticking time-bomb of sorts. Let's pick an example---Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga (OR just some specific species of wasp that is dangerous)

These wasps are creepy the adult wasps have the ability to first paralyze the spiders so that they can lay their egg on the abdomen of the spider. Then as the egg "hatches" the baby spiders suck on the spider's blood until it is ready to cacoon.

They then chemically manipulate spiders into spinning a web that the spider has never made before and sit motionlessly in the middle of the web. The larva molts and kills the spider (via poison) who sits helplessly in the middle of a foreign web it spun itself...and is sucks it dry. Afterwards the larva pupates in the cacoon and emerges an adult and finds another spide to start the whole cycle again!!

Here's the wikipedia page which holds a bit more info.

creepy little buggers eh?? kinda glad I'm human...

The Beginning: Friendships

For my first entry of 2010, I'd like to touch on friendships. There are millions of stories where predator and prey become friends, companions, and guides for each other. So why is it so hard for people? Why is there conflict and distrust? If instincts could be trusted and actually applied, we'd be golden! But of course...then we must add higher brain power, cognitive thought and free will. Which leaves humans with more choices and decisions than most animals face in a lifetime and where does it really get us?? Are we better off with this brand or that brand? with this color or that color? What have we forgotten along the way? simplicity at its best, because when we don't try or expect it, wonderful things are allowed to happen on their own. naturally.


We've seen photos of mother lions caring for piglets, deer and bunnies never leaving each others' side---take it from those who know how to trust instincts and simply give back and pay it forward.

So for 2010...when I will be at the fork of life, one of my strongest resolutions is be true and good to those who are good to me and pay it forward. Because there's not enough time to be anything else.