11 Siberian tigers starve to death in zoo :( Technically, the title should read "way to go, Shenyang Forest Wild Animal Zoo, partly government owned."
The Charity.Ryan and Bio-bot collaboration!
  Go on and vote and comment, why dontcha!  also, what's your favorite rock opera / musical?
The last bus back to my house leaves in 7 minutes and my transfer already expired and I'm 45 cents short of bus fare.
looks like I'm walking.
I sometimes tend to think of American animals as "mundane" or "boring" compared to the exotic creatures of Africa, Australia, the tropics, and well, everywhere else in the world. Maybe it's just over-familiarity. Still, there are a handful of lesser known animals in North America that I thought I'd highlight, if for no other reason than to amuse myself and put off doing other things.
1. the Ringtail   also known as ringtail "cats", the ringtail is actually a close relative of raccoons, only less common. It's nocturnal and shy, making it all the more mysterious. 2. the Alligator Gar  These gigantic fish live in the Mississippi River and other fresh waterways of the U.S. They are freaking ancient!   3. the Hellbender   The largest salamander in the western hemisphere, hellbenders dwell in cold clear streams from the Appalachians to the Ozarks. They can be up to 3 feet long. A charming colloquial name is "snot otter". 4. the Flying Squirrel  Ok, I watched Rocky and Bullwinkle as a kid, and always knew of flying squirrels, but they're so less common on the west coast, and I never really thought of them as being "native". but look at that guy! 5. The Pine Marten  These sizable relatives of weasels live in northern conifer forests. they climb trees and eat birds. awww. 6. the Amphiuma  Another salamander, fully aquatic, from the Eastern U.S. Their legs are tiny! There are 3 species: three-toed, two-toed, and one-toed amphiumas. ok, that's all for now.    
Also, here's some knowledge about the Sub-Phylum Myriapoda: First, they're not insects, nor arachnids, nor crustaceans, nor worms. They're Myriapods (many-legged)! Centipedes (Class Chilopoda) are predatory and venomous, injecting venom into their prey with modified venom claws. This means centipedes can bite you. and it can hurt! Millipedes (Class Diplopoda) are herbivores, and many are toxic, in that they exude noxious chemicals to avoid being eaten. Millipedes will not bite you, but you should wash your hands after holding one. They usually don't emit chemicals unless they're sufficiently irritated. Some primates have been observed rubbing millipedes on their fur, as the defensive chemicals millipedes produce is good at repelling mosquitoes and fleas. Other primates have been observed sniffing millipedes after messing with them, apparently getting high off the cyanide-based excretions. Cool interview with Bob Manna! I think he was in that band Braib. also a cool DIY shirt modification which I'll never ever do.   
Thanks!
For the vaguely defined Alumni/Slumni contest put forth by Rossmat8 in this here blog, I figured this could be a starting point, stomping ground, think tank, focus group, or just a collection of animated cat gifs.
Team 3: 1. Brightwood+pjbrick7 2. puppetmeat+randyotter3000 3. Tikimasters+arkanghel 4. Bio-bot9000+alexmdc 5. maltzmania+pilihp post here for acknowledgment. Should we keep this secret and just talk over e-mail? eh?  So, I've been traveling recently, and talking to people from many different countries on the issue of tipping. And I've been thinking a lot about it: how country- and culture-specific it is, how arbitrary the services we tip, and how it came to be. My thoughts: Tipping in America for food service is expected- almost compulsory- as it is considered bad form to not tip after paying for a meal at a restaurant. A socially acceptable tip is 15-20%, more or less based on quality of service. Tipping bartenders at bars is also nearly socially mandated (not tipping will get you sour looks, at least, from barkeeps). A common tip is 1 dollar per drink, or at least per order. In California, there is no separate minimum wage for waitstaff or bar employees, thus waiters, waitresses, chefs, dishwashers, bartenders, barbacks, etc. get paid at least the state minimum wage, which as of Jan. 1st, 2008 was $8.00 per hour, although in some cities the minimum wage is higher. This means that no employee over the age of 16 can legally be paid less than 8.00/hr, whether he/she is a waiter, cashier, dishwasher, janitor, or a clerk at a 7-11 I realize that other states set lower minimum wages for wait staff, such that expected tips are assumed to make up for the discrepancy in income. Tipping in other occupations seems to be less common and less structured, although cab drivers, cleaning staff, hair stylists, and food delivery employees, customarily receive tips. Tipping, even if less than the customary amount, is basically considered a given, an entitlement, regardless of the effort or merit. My question is: why? Why, in a state with a defined minimum wage at least, are we compelled to spend 20% more than the cost of the meal? Why does a person who opens a beer for me deserve an extra dollar each time? Why do we tip employees at The Olive Garden but not at McDonald's? Could the institution of tipping be promoting sub-par quality service in heavily tipped occupations? Shouldn't tipping be more of a genuine gesture of appreciation, rather than a socially enforced service fee? I'm curious to know your thoughts on tipping, especially if you're not from America. Tipping appears to be a rarity, not an expectation, in Australia, Asia, and much of Europe. |
              
I'm way into animals.
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Mar 15 '10 by
