Starship Asterisk*

I've always thought the lyrebird should be worth more than 10 cents:

http://wiki.australian-coins.net/wp-con ... 76-10c.jpg

(You can tell the coin is Australian, because the obverse shows the British monarch.)

It was gentle and not aggressive toward them, they said, but they also said they were still horrified by it. Kind of odd to remain horrified of something despite it completely failing one's expectations of it being an actual horrible thing.

Snakes, spiders and creepy-crawly things, just seem to trigger/bring out the horrorbility factor for a lot of people.

Donald was never one to duck a free beer.

Animals in mirrors.

More animals in mirrors.

After having read this thread I decided to have my cup of coffee on the front porch. I sat down in our rocker and immediately felt sharp pain in my lower left cheek. My first mental image was of a snake (I blame this thread... and further, I blame Geck) to which I jerked up out of the rocker spilling half my cup onto my right leg. At first I didn’t see the culprit but finally noticed under the rocker was a staggering wasp... he must have put his all into the attack. Now he has interfered with what I do best according to my wife... sit. (I’m glad I got thru that without a typo)

You've probably got a nest nearby. They will typically sting you if you get too close to it. It may even be on the underside of the rocker.

Hi Geck,

Just kidding that you were to blame for the snake image in my head... my head is too much responsibility for anyone.

No nest could be found near on or near the chair so I expect he was just hunting. What I was funniest about the experience was that image of a snake popping into my head... I mean what would a snake be doing in a rocking chair? Everyone knows that there is typically no serpentine motion in a rocking chair, only back and forth... which has to be alien to a snake. But then again, who’s to say there couldn’t be some particular wacky snake that likes to get outside the box.

While on vacation in northern Indiana I was able to snap a picture of a cardinal in my wife's brother's backyard. We don't get them in the west so I was happy to see one. Any ideas why they haven't spread west? I can't seem to find the specific reason other than adaptability.
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/Cardinal-Northern_vq2234.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_cardinal
http://birdsbybent.netfirms.com/ch31-40/cardinal.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33262884

Beyond wrote:http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33262884

My first instinct was to scream...

http://www.heritagedaily.com/2015/07/fe ... ina/107684
http://www.nature.com/srep/2015/150716/ ... 11775.html

I'm loving all the new feathered dinosaurs being found, as well as the so-called feather revolution that apparently a lot more dinosaurs than just the bird-like ones had feathers. Even t-rex gets them. Unless, of course, you have an image style to upkeep in a certain blockbuster film. Check out this emu/turkey vulture-like t-rex. http://moricemonkey93.deviantart.com/ar ... -489843658

Is it Praying Mantis?
or Preying Mantis.
Either way they are pretty cool. Unless you're the bug.

That's what happens when you let the cat - into the bag.
Though it's not nearly as sexy when the cat takes off it's shirt

With some things, you just have to grin and bear it.



http://www.wfsb.com/story/29742958/bear ... start=true

Bear goes for a swim in Canadian family's pool, then relaxes in their hot tub.

http://www.wfsb.com/story/29843011/vide ... milys-pool

This really surprised me. http://cattime.com/cat-facts/lifestyle/ ... love-water I had no idea some are hydrophilic.

Animals getting along good with one another.