Seasick Sheep

University of Queensland PhD student Eduardo Santurtun is conducting research into whether sheep get seasick. Or rather, the effect of "ship motions" on sheep. But he's not studying the sheep on an actual ship. Instead, he's created a contraption (a modified flight simulator) that replicates the roll, pitch, and heave of a ship. His subjects spend hours a day inside this thing being gently see-sawed up and down, back and forth. This is all being done to help the sheep, not hurt them. His research is supported by the Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, which is concerned about sheep getting seasick and dying as they're transported from farms in Australia to consumers around the world. [qt.com.au, abc.net.au]

Posted By: Alex - Mon Oct 22, 2012 - Comments (8)
Category: Animals, Science, Experiments

Raving Rabbids

RAVING RABBIDS TRAVEL IN TIME from AKAMA STUDIO on Vimeo.

TRAVEL IN TIME / INCAS from AKAMA STUDIO on Vimeo.

TRAVEL IN TIME / Christophe Colomb from AKAMA STUDIO on Vimeo.

TRAVEL IN TIME / Jules César from AKAMA STUDIO on Vimeo.

TRAVEL IN TIME / Billy the Kid from AKAMA STUDIO on Vimeo.

Despite being advertising for a video game, these mini-cartoons are still pretty weird and funny.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 22, 2012 - Comments (8)
Category: Animals, Advertising, Cartoons, Time-travel, Videogames and Gamers

Ancient Flamingos and Grebes similar

Just when you start to believe in species purity, a find like this in Spain sets the evolutionary world on its head.



The short version is this: modern flamingos nest in a very different way than this recently discovered fossilized flamingo nest.

It seems flamingos and grebes may have nested more similarly in the past than now, and as the article states, they are closely related -- maybe a little too close?

Here's the link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/20/prehistoric-flamingo-nest-eggs-spain_n_1986140.html

Next we'll find out homo sapiens and neanderthal have been diluting the gene pool.

Oh, wait. We have found that out.

Here's an ancient human interbreeding article.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/06/AR2010050604423.html

But then again, it is an article from the Washington Post. Who can you trust these days?

Posted By: gdanea - Sun Oct 21, 2012 - Comments (7)
Category: Animals

Creepy Flesh Painting Art

Great artwork but very creepy looking! There are more pictures at the link.

Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 21, 2012 - Comments (8)
Category: Surrealism

Boredom Through Ham-carving

If these hams weren't so delicious looking, I'd rank these videos even higher on the boredom scale we have explored here before. Philip Jones is the new maestro of the somnolence-inducing monologue.

And I thought the whole point of a spiral-cut ham was, "no carving involved"...?

Posted By: Paul - Sun Oct 21, 2012 - Comments (6)
Category: Boredom, Food, PSA’s

Horseless Horse Shows

The latest phenomenon sweeping the world of equestrian competitions is the Horseless Horse Show. They're just like regular horse shows, with riders going around a course completing jumps, but without any horses involved. Participants, whose ages range from 3 to adult, take the shows pretty seriously. They train hard for them. A judge of one of the shows says, "We judge them just like horses." [wsj.com]

Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 21, 2012 - Comments (8)
Category: Sports

Chicken Deception Criminalized

Be careful in Zimbabwe. If you serve your husband the gizzard, wings and a drumstick instead of the breast and "back portions", you may get hauled to tribal court and fined ... wait for it...

.

a chicken.

Here's the link.
http://nehandaradio.com/2012/10/15/nkayi-woman-assaulted-for-eating-chicken-thigh/

The part that really angered the husband was the the wife had eaten the "best parts", which are reserved for the husband by local custom.

But everyone seems fine with the assault and possible divorce facing the 24 year old wife. Even the grandmother was charged with "dereliction of duty" for not teaching her grand-daughter "the rules".

Makes me glad I don't live in Nkayi. Or Zimbabwe.

Sorry to readers living in Nkayi and Zimbabwe.

Posted By: gdanea - Sat Oct 20, 2012 - Comments (6)
Category: Food

How To Get A Permanent Vacation

Faking your own abduction to get a day off work will turn out way more effective than planned. Especially if the police catch you at it!

Posted By: Alex - Sat Oct 20, 2012 - Comments (4)
Category: Jobs and Occupations

Bump Art

According to the Daily Mail, Bump Art is all the rage. This involves pregnant women painting their baby bumps. The Guardian interviews professional bump artist Julia Francis who says that "around 70% of women choose nature-based ideas such as flowers and leaves, a small percentage go for something 'really bizarre', and she has even done a few planets."

Well, it sure beats placenta art. I guess us men can always join in the fun by painting our food-baby bumps.

Posted By: Alex - Sat Oct 20, 2012 - Comments (5)
Category: Art, Fashion, Pregnancy, Stomach

Skating in the Streets

Was there anything that wasn't ruined by the hideous touch of disco? Here's Martha Reeves re-doing her classic "Dancing in the Streets" for the disco era.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 20, 2012 - Comments (6)
Category: Fads, Music, 1970s