I think the general public has a somewhat comical view of animals and their mental abilities. From chickens playing tic-tac-toe at county fairs to "stupid pet tricks" on TV to humorous news clips of zoo animals entertaining the masses. It isn't much of a résumé. Perhaps one of the mental barriers to seeing evolution in a clear light is regarding animals as buffoons; and being related to a buffoon is unacceptable to many people.

But if we actually give animal behavior more than a cursory glance, we find that many groups exhibit extraordinary abilities on par with humans, if not quanititatively then qualitatively. My favorite is the birds, specifically the corvid family. (Monkeys get all the attention, the diaper wearing media whores.) New Caledonian Crows have demonstrated their ability to use tools. Watch the video of a crow forming a wire tool, but look closely or you'll miss the key moment.     

Wikipedia:

Bird Intelligence

Books:

"Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays" by Candace Savage

 "Ravens In Winter" by Bernd Heinrich 

Artist was the underdog (no pun intended) from the start -- a single father from the rough side of town with the least amount of professional grooming experience. The other contender, Jonathan, is a self-described celebrity dog groomer.  What Artist lacked in experience, he more than made up for in patience, compassion and the willingness to take and learn from criticism.  From challenge to challenge, Artist grew in confidence and ability. 

His most impressive effort was evidenced during the "shelter" challenge in which the contestants visited an animal shelter and to select and groom a dog that they later had to find a home for.  The other three contestants, Jonathan included, selected dogs that were relatively easy to groom.  But Artist, chose a dog with an extremely matted coat despite knowing that his selection could place him at an extreme disadvantage thus making him eligible for elimination.  

After a couple passed on his dog, Artist directed them to fellow contestant Jose, whose dog Artist thought would be more suited the couple's needs/desires. Although he did not complete the challenge, thankfully, Artist was not eliminated.

As you may know, I watch way too many shows like this.  And I have grown weary of the outright manipulation that is done in the name of gamesmanship.  Too many times, the ruthless villain, the insufferable prick, or the conniving beyotch wins in the end.  Case and point:  This season's Survivor (CBS) had some real pieces of work -- sewer wenches who cozied up to then proceeded to shank their fellow contestants in the back as they laughed and congratulated themselves all the way to the finals. One admitted to using flirtation to get what she wanted in the game of both Survivor and life.  

The behavior of the Survivor broads (and previous contestants as well) makes Artist's win all the more rewarding.  Score one for people who dare to hold themselves to higher standards.  

For a recap of the final episode, click here.  

The reason I'd like to keep Animal Planet's cops at bay (love you guys, btw), is because of the now-famous "Officer H." Officer H. was introduced incognito, with his head fuzzed out and unidentifiable on the screen. The explanation was given that he sometimes works undercover, and for his own safety could not be identified as a police officer.

Fair enough.

But here's where Common Sense took a left turn, went down a one-way street and fell off the edge of the planet: Not only did the show state Officer H's location and show his body shape and skin color, but the cameraman clearly caught FOUR tattoos on the man's body.

Ahh, folks...?

When a dude has 2 large tattoos on each arm, he's not that hard to identify.

Just so you know.  

This article is an original post from www.UglyAssOpinion.com© Kelly L. Trainor 2008 All Rights Reserved

I spent the last couple hours watching the Animal Planet channel on Fox TV (Cable TV). It's quite sexual isn't it? What happened to National Geographic missionary mating? The documentary was centred around three bird species and how their lives intermingled. Meet the Albatrosses;

Apparently the male Albatross are sexually frivolous and mate with other female Albatrosses that are not necessarily their partner. So they showed a pair of Albatrosses canoodling followed by the commentary; that female Albatross does not belong to him and rape is common. Was that a necessary comment? As far as I'm concerned they're a pair of birds canoodling, let me enjoy the innocence. It was disturbing, what is our society becoming? Next we had the 'Boobie chic';

It took me a while to figure it out. The one on the left is a 'Boobie chic' meaning a baby Boobie bird. That was the introduction to the Boobie bird with the 'Boobie chic' which left me wondering what an earth is this perverted commentator on about?

After mentioning boobie chic about 20 times, THEN they talked of the Boobie bird species. Now that made sense but that was so low. Don't you think their little blue flippers are so adorable?

Finally we have the 'Frigate' bird, pronounced 'frigid' I must say it was a contrast to the Boobie chic and Albatross, so the Frigate birds were labelled pirates because they steal from the hard-working Boobies and the males attract females by blowing up their chest as seen in the above pic. They didn't get much airtime, it was cool to see a bunch of males pumping their inflated egos but that was all, frigid is not a pleasant thought is it so why give it airtime. Pathetic.

Utterly dissappointed with today's dirty, dirty society.

Seven year old Gus, a pedigree Chinese crested won hands down. Gus is toothless, three legged (one amputated because of a skin tumor) , missing one eye (lost to a tomcat in a cat fight) , and has no hair except for a little white tuft on the top of his head. Gus is so hairless that his official color is pink and black. His tail looks like it belongs on a rat.

Since Gus was diagnosed with skin cancer, he couldn't attend last years competition because the chemotherapy had worn down his immune system. He had a relapse in January, and is currently facing radiation treatments. But that didn't stop Gus, who came all the way from St. Petersburg Florida to compete this year.

Despite all of Gus's hardships, he is well loved by his owners, mother and daughter Jeanenne and Janey Teed. Gus was adopted by Jeannene and her 16 year old daughter Janey through word of mouth when they discovered  he was being neglected and kept in a crate in a garage of someones home. They are going to make good use of Gus's $1,600.00 winnings by putting it towards his radiation treatments.

I am thinking of Gus and he will be in my prayers. He is a tough little guy and I have all the confidence that he will get well soon.

Don't you just love Gus? I know I do! 

Yang ini patung lobster :

Yang ini hanya patung di Sanur Beach, Bali.

I already told you how cised I get for guys that open their own dojos. Bruce Lee founded his own martial arts philosophy. And I quote the good book:

"Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see "ourselves". . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don't, and that is that."

That's deeper than the Force. If I could be a member of the Jeet Kune Do, I would. But one can't. Besides being completely shredded and the sickest kung-fu artist ever, Lee could spring a 235 pound man several feet with a 1 inch punch (seriously), perform one-hand push-ups using only the thumb and index finger, and throw a grain of rice in the air and catch it with a pair of chopsticks. Then again, Daniel-Sahn kinda one-upped him by catching a fly with the chopsticks, so take the grain of rice with a grain of salt.

_____________________________________________________________________

18. Greg Valentino

If I could have any nickname in the world, here are my top three:

3) The Shlonginator

2) Richie Rich

1) The Man With the Biggest Arms in the World.

Unfortunately, my favorite nickname already belongs to Greg Valentino and his awesome guns. Greg Valentino knows the potential of the human body. That with the right amount of discipline, we can all achieve a Roman sculpture-like physique. Funny though that he's straight up disrespected in the bodybuilding world. If I were trying to get huge, I'd hate on Greg Valentino too. Look who accomplished my goals before me. Greg Valentino.

Their chief complaint is that he juiced. Look, I don't know anything about that. I mean, he looks okay to me. But if juicing gets you arms like that, so perfectly chiseled and well-defined... shit, stick me in the biceps right now. Cause if being awesome is wrong, me and Greg don't want to be right.

_____________________________________________________________________

17. Kimbo Slice

I Googled "Kimbo Slice Loses" and it came back asking "Did you mean "Kimbo Slice is Ridiculously Awesome?" And I was like, "yes, that's exactly what I meant." Kimbo's business is leaving guys with bloody eye sockets like Joe Victim in the vid. Back before his debut in MMA, Kimbo walked through the gate of a backyard. A dozen or so of the shadiest guys you had ever seen all had cash neatly arranged on the patio. Joe Victim stepped, and then got beat down. Lastly, Kimbo collected his duckets. And that, my friends, is how Kimbo rolls.

Check out :26 in the video where Kimbo gives Bloody Eye Socket Man three free punches.

Then check out the very last frame of the video where Bloody Eye Socket Man becomes Bloody Eye Socket Man.

_____________________________________________________________________

16. Steve Irwin

Awwwww Crikey! Steve Irwin was a naturalist, an animal lover and an environmentalist. Steve Irwin was also a bona fide lunatic. The way he called animals "gorgeous" was downright creepy. Be that as it may, when Steve Irwin slipped into those little khaki shorts, no man or beast could handle the Croc Hunter. Just ask that busta, Argo. And a man that can take a croc down, then stand above it and say, "you just got served, mate," is monster himself.

_____________________________________________________________________

15. Tiny Lister

He's not really tiny, silly. What he is though, is a man who suffers from possibly the worst lazy, cockeyed, Shaq eye I have ever seen. However, since he's 7'13" and tough as a piece of burnt steak, the only one who has ever mentioned it to him is the mirror. I know 14 is high on the list, but in reviewing his service to this country through various entertainment outlets, I feel justified in a ranking this high. His role as Zeus in the epic "No Holds Barred" opposite Hulk Hogan is nothing short of mesmerizing. In the Fifth Element, he played the president of the United States which I found a little less believable, but made me excited about the future of this great nation should it head down a similar path where a man like Tiny one day stands at the helm. And then, of course, there's "Friday," where he played Debo. Something tells me he didn't need to do a lot of research for the role. But his line, "stop bein' a bitch and c'mon," will go down in history next to "Rosebud."

Jorge (about Jonathan): "It's hard to fit yourself, and him, and his ego in a small place. I thought I would have to hose him down at some point."

When time was up, Mario inspected the trucks literally with a white glove. I think Mario would have been more disgusted with the condition with Hell's Kitchen. Kathleen and Artist won the challenge and received a mobile GPS as a reward.

At dinner that night, Kathleen and Jonathan made fun of groomers who put plastic flowers in their vans and according to Kathleen, "happily wear polyester." Artist said he never wore a uniform and Jonathan said that wearing a black tank top isn't appropriate if your dealing with certain types of people. Jonathan's dress for success attitude didn't impress Artist who said he would work at a Humane Society for free.

Watching Jonathan and Jorge navigate the streets of Los Angeles in a mobile Grooming truck was like watching Dumb and Dumber. Apparently Jonathan will hire his own driver in the future because he doesn't drive, he grooms. Jorge's comment was hilarious: "We are from New York. We don't use maps, we just tell the cab driver where to go." Jonathan and Jorge made all of their appointments on time (barely), and managed to put a hole in the roof of their truck in the process. But they figured they would be OK because they would not be judged on the condition of their vehicle.

At judging, Jonathan said, "There was a low hanging branch that did hit the top of the van." Apparently Jonathan thought he was in Narnia where the tree branches have minds of their own.

Jonathan also trimmed a dog's ears wrong. Interestingly, this was the same mistake that sent Jasper home, but this week Jonathan won--go figure. However, the judges determined that Kathleen's made two fatal mistakes when grooming Eloise, the Coton de Tulear 1) Forgetting the Kwik Stop and 2) not letting the client know that the dog's nails could bleed afterwards.

Kathleen bowed out gracefully; she was smart enough to know not to say anything bad about Artist, who is quickly becoming the show's unsung hero.

Honestly, I have to admit what bothered me the most about this episode was that General Hospital actress Kelly Monaco named her French Bulldog "Booger." Who names a dog Booger? Kelly looks too young to remember Curtis Armstrong's character of Booger from Revenge of the Nerds, so what's up with that name? It was funny, however, to see Karen "Doc" Halligan ask with a straight face, "Was this Booger's first grooming?" But it would have been even funnier if they groomed Pink's dog whose name is "F**cker."

I'm still rooting for Artist to take the title!

PJ

Photos: Narnia's Creepy Trees, Coton de Tulear, French Bulldog, and Curtis Armstrong, the original "Booger" in Revenge of the Nerds (1984).

A bunch of e-geeks (said lovingly) found out about Microsoft's plans for a Mii-like avatar on the site of market survey firm Intellisponse and began messing around with their url.  Through doing this, they were able to uncover a bunch of unannounced Microsoft, Activision, and Disney games, which was posted by  Wii Fanboy.

Most were just pitches, so there is no guarantee any of these will be made.  I myself am not a big gamer, but the following look AWESOME:

Bill Nye the Science Guy's Science Lab: "In the game Bill Nye the Science Guy's Science Lab, perform experiments alongside famous science-guru, Bill Nye the Science Guy. Listen to Bill's science tips and tricks as you use your Wii Remote to pour and mix ingredients into your chemistry concoctions. Learn how to build erupting volcanoes, transform pennies to gold, create glowing creatures, and more. Challenge your friends to experiment competitions where you'll race to see who can solve the science puzzle first. The science lab has never been more fun and interactive!"

Gossip Girl (Wii/DS), based on the TV show: "In the game Gossip Girl, spend a semester fraternizing with the glamorous socialites of Manhattan's Upper East Side at an elite private school. Explore the hippest social hot spots of New York City and attend the most fashionable parties. Shop in the trendiest boutiques of the fashion district and customize your character's appearance. Gain entry into exclusive social cliques where you'll make or break relationships with popular girls and date the most desirable boys while you build up your social status. Read the Gossip Girl Blog and see how the choices you make become part of the complex world of shifting friendships, jealousies and scandals.

Mensa Workout: "In the game Mensa Workout put your brain into training answering a variety of questions in a number of tests developed by the prestigious Mensa Society. Every test is engineered to keep your brain fit! Flex your mental muscles with brain-buster questions that range from word scrambles, hang man and crosswords, to mathematics, problem solving and deciphering codes. Bring your mental workout with you and build your IQ in daily, weekly and bi-weekly routines that keep your brain in shape. Do you have the smarts to outwit the Mensa Workout?"

Animal Planet's Emergency Vet (Wii/DS/PC): "In Animal Planet's Emergency Vet, play as a neighborhood veterinarian where you will be faced with the challenge of treating and curing a variety of sick house pets that need urgent care. You will need to quickly and correctly diagnose their ailments and provide proper medical attention including surgery, IV's, sedatives, injections, blood tests, medication and more. Nurture and pamper the animals back to full health and experience the joy of their grateful owners."

KODOK BERACUN

FUNNEL WEBSPIDER

BLUE RING OCTOPUS

KOMODO

RED BLACK SPIDER

COBRA

ULAR LAUT

BOX JELLY FISH

Disebut juga tawon laut, tergolong binatang rongga (coelenterata), hidup di daerah perairan lepas pantai timur laut, Australia. Ia kerap muncul di daerah perairan laut dangkal pantai laut Queensland, dan dianggap sebagai makhluk yang paling beracun bagi manusia yang sudah diketahui di dunia saat ini. Jika tergigit akan menemui ajal dalam hitungan detik. PS : Jangan melihat bentuk luarnya, makhluk ini adalah makhluk paling beracun sedunia.

Desi nu are o prea consistenta legatura cu acest caz , mi-ar face o reala placere ca personaje ca Setila, Flamanzila, Ochila si marele Pacala, sa-i gasim doar in paduri, si nu zilnic langa noi.

Tu ce personaj de basm crezi ca ai fi?

(sursa stire : yahoo news)

Si tratta di una serie di undici corti di animazione. I protagonisti sono degli animali ripresi nei loro habitat naturali che insegnano come ognuno di noi può fare la differenza vivendo secondo uno stile di vita "eco-friendly".

Prodotti per Animal Planet dalla Aardman Animations...semplicemente deliziosi. Andate a guardarveli tutti!

PJ

Lange Foundation documentary

Animal Planet has confirmed that another of the stars of "Meerkat Manor: The Next Generation" was killed in a hit-and-run accident on April 28.

The 6-inch meerkat was crossing a road in the Kalahari Desert when it was struck by a vehicle, said Animal Planet spokeswoman Tahli Kouperstein.

Season 4 of the docusoap (which premieres at 9 p.m. June 6) had already wrapped, so the animal's character will finish the season alive, she said.

The character's death will be acknowledged in the following season. (The name of the dead meerkat can be found easily through some Googling.)

Click here for the full article.

Om syryoyotv finns med i telge tillägg så vill jag fan att Rai också ska göra det. Varför inte lite thaitv? Eller kanske afrikansk tv?

Jag kan ta att Yle finns, det finns sjukt många finnar över hela Sverige, Yle finns ju till och med i basutbudet, men jag tycker fan man går för långt när man låter folk som inte ens pratar syrianska betala för syryoyotv. Det vill jag fan inte vara med på.

Kanske ska ringa och se om man får byta ut de där kanalerna mot Animal planet. Jag saknar den kanalen. Den var spännande. Särskilt programmen om fobier var spännande.

Surikater är flockdjur
Surikater är sociala djur och lever i hierarkiska kolonier med ibland upp till 30 individer. Gruppen har ett härskande föräldrapar och deras avkomma. Olika surikater kan ha olika arbetsuppgifter och en viktig sådan är hålla utkik efter fiender för att varna gruppen vid fara. Som alarmtecken används ett skall och efteråt tar alla hastigt tillflykt i boet. Andra kan vara barnvakt. När en surikat inte har någon särskild uppgift gräver de efter insekter och larver att äta.

De flesta av bilderna från Flickr föreställde surikater på vakttjänst...

Foto: Jad_23

Foto: BabyDinosaur

Foto: g-hat

Surikater i Wikipedia
Alla bilder på surikater hittas i Wikimedia Commons (Wikipedia projekt): Suricata suricatta. Mer om surikater finns att läsa både i Svenska och Engelska Wikipedia:

Meerkat
Surikat

Meerkat Manor
Meerkat Manor är en drama-dokumentär-serie där en flock med serikater (Whiskers) följs. Familjen
Whiskers bor i Kalahariöknen i ett område där de lever nära flera andra flockar av surikater. Bland de spännande avsnittet finns t.ex. sådana där Whiskers går i krig mot andra flockar.

TV-serien visas på Animal planet och är en av deras mest populära serier. Den har också vunnit flera preser: Omni Awards (2006) och New York Festivals Award Galas (både 2006 och 2007).

Filmklipp och bilder från TV-serien, information om filmer och surikaterna finns på Animal planet: Meerkat Manor.

1. For the love of God, please allow me to abort the capture at any stage of the process, rather than just when it's in the middle of digitizing a clip. Whenever the deck keeps searching and searching for a timecode I know it won't find, I have to switch the deck into Local mode to confuse the Avid into asking for the next tape. Nothing else seems to work.
2. I wish there were an option for the Avid to attempt increasingly shorter prerolls whenever it can't find the preroll point due to a timecode break. As anyone who works on multicam shows knows, with time-of-day timecode, there can be dozens of timecode breaks on a tape. If you're attempting to capture a clip that starts right after a break, the Avid will try several times and then give up, forcing you to abort the batch capture to manually override the deck configuration settings with custom preroll.
3. It is tremendously inconvenient that the message bar (which indicates what the Capture Tool is currently doing) is limited to 2 lines, and everything else gets cut off. Anytime it's working on a clip with a long name (which is frequently), it's impossible to see how much time is left in the batch capture (see screen capture below). Couldn't they put this vital piece of information (as inaccurate as it usually is) somewhere prominent and permanent? Or at least make the message bar 3 lines...
4. I always like to keep my bin of master clips open so I can see how many clips are left on each tape (this is useful when planning quick jaunts to the bathroom or refrigerator). However, you cannot access the bin when a batch capture is running. Meaning every time I want to scroll down to see more clips, I need to stop the batch capture to do it, then restart it again.

To avoid sounding like a total whiner, I will now espouse the many virtues of the Capture Tool. I love how it instantly calculates how much media you can fit on each drive at every resolution. I love how it estimates how much time is left in your batch (even though I routinely have to inflate the estimate by about 90%). I love that you can easily auto-configure a deck and set custom preroll right from the Capture Tool. With a few improvements, the Capture Tool could be unbeatable. Seems that way with a lot of Avid's features, doesn't it?

PJ