Oddities and Humor

Edgar, I think you did the right thing. Too many pets and small children could have been bitten by that deadly snake. I wonder if there are more of them in your area? Usually if there is one there are more.

BBB

I did right in this instance. But, if given a choice, I would have let it live in the wild.

Echo, the remarkable matriarch of a family of elephants in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, was most studied elephant in the world, the subject of several books and documentaries, including two NATURE films. For nearly four decades, elephant expert Cynthia Moss, and award-winning filmmaker Martyn Colbeck were on hand to record the trials and triumphs of Echo and her family, documenting the intense loyalties and deep caring that are so fundamental to all elephants, creating a moving record of a life we all can share.

Echo died of natural causes at the age of 65 in May of 2009, leaving the family she had cared for and guided for so long to face the worst drought ever recorded in Amboseli on their own. It was a final test of the years of Echo’s leadership. Had she taught them all they would need to survive without her? Could her wisdom continue to provide for them even after her death?

With rich archival footage and warm recollections, Moss and Colbeck share their memories of Echo and her family as they follow the fortunes of Echo’s family during the drought. Echo is shown caring for her newborn son, Ely, who overcame the crippling condition he was born with thanks to her patience and extraordinary perseverance. Echo is also shown making a heartbreaking decision to abandon her mortally-wounded daughter, Erin, in order to save Erin’s young calf, Email. Moss and Colbeck have especially fond memories of Echo’s mischievous baby daughter, Ebony, whose playful nature was so endearing to them both. And they marvel as they recall Echo’s rescue of Ebony when she was kidnapped by a rival clan, remembering it as one of the defining moments of her leadership.

Happily, Echo’s legacy lives on. Though other elephant families suffer devastating losses, her family is able to survive the drought, retaining her wisdom for future generations, keeping her memory alive.

Found this looking for Bob Dylan doing his Clothesline Saga for the Washing Clothes Around the World Thread- reminded me of why I love this song so much - the words are so inane they're funny - although to hear Bob doing it is even funnier - he even giggles himself at some points in the song- but for some reason, it's not on youtube - so here's a raccoon singing it:

Don't you know, Rebecca, that Dylan's recording company has removed all the videos off U Tube. Money doesn't talk--it swears.

I've linked a few on A2K and they have now been removed as well.

It's an unmitigated artistic disaster.

I like Clothes Line Saga too. Still --I like a lot of stuff so that's no big deal.

Yeah - I guess if I were an artist, I'd rather my stuff be on youtube, but that's only because I like to listen to albums in their entirety- I like the context as the artist intended, so I assume others do too - but maybe our musical tastes have gone the way of everything else on the internet - breath instead of depth - just little smidgens and soundbites - forget the whole picture.

But for someone like me, I'd hear a song on youtube that I might never have heard before and I'd be less likely to just download that one song- I'd say to myself, 'Hmmm, I really like that - I'd like to hear the whole album' and then I'd go buy it.

But if the song is not on youtube for someone who's uninitiated to even hear - there's less chance they'll buy the album at all.

And a lot of young people don't know Dylan's old stuff or any of his stuff. I mean it's not like they play it on the radio stations these kids listen to. So unless their parents listened to it - how're they gonna hear it? How's he gonna sell his stuff?

I think this is a mistake - he should keep it out here to initiate new generations of listeners - because it IS timeless. He is probably one of the premier lyricists in the world and his melodies aint bad either.

No - he should be on youtube- if I were his business minder - I'd insist on it.

You could, in the recent past, find most of Dylan's studio albums on youtube. Now it's mostly gone. Same with Donovan and some others of my favorite artists. I still have my vinyl collection, but it gets harder to keep a good turntable in operation for me.

SEDRUN, Switzerland — Swiss engineers have smashed through the last stretch of rock to create the longest tunnel in the world.

A gigantic drilling machine broke the remaining wall 8,200 feet below the imposing Piz Vatgira peak in the Gotthard massif several minutes ahead of schedule Friday afternoon.

Miners, VIPs and journalists inside the tunnel cheered as Switzerland reclaimed the tunnel record from Japan's Seikan Tunnel.

The 35.4-mile Gotthard Base Tunnel is an important milestone in the creation of a high-speed rail network connecting all corners of Europe.

It will allow millions of tons of goods currently transported through the Alps on heavy trucks to be shifted onto the rails.

An Indiana hospital is allowing patients or family members to bring alcohol into the hospital if doctors have approved it. Some dietitians wonder whether the policy is a good idea...

October 2010: This October has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays, all in 1 month. It happens once in 823 years.

From a friend:
dont mean to bring bad news, but january 2010 also has all of these.

So it happened twice in 823 years. Still an oddball of statistics!

This is the 'Odd Ties and Humour' thread isn't it?

Correction: Odd ties and cufflinks and humor thread.

What's the gist of the first number tie? The writing is a tad too small.

I'm pretty sure the punch line was 'I'm feeling a little odd' but none of the numbers are...

Pardon the omission!

sorry, couldn't get those oddities to work. Something about run time, hinge.





A 63-year-old man described by authorities as an experienced hiker died from injuries he sustained during an encounter with an aggressive mountain goat Saturday in Washington's Olympic National Park.

According to the Peninsula Daily News, Bob Boardman, of Port Angeles, Wash., was on a day hike with his wife, Susan Chadd, and their friend Pat Willits and had stopped for lunch at an overlook when a mountain goat appeared and moved toward them.

When the goat began behaving aggressively, Boardman urged Chadd and Willits to leave the scene.

Bill and Jessica Baccus, also out for a day hike with their children, saw Willits, a longtime friend of Jessica's, coming up the trail.

"Nobody saw what actually happened," Jessica was quoted as saying in the Peninsula Daily News. "They heard Bob yell."

The tracked the goat with blood on it, and killed it.

Humor:

From Grim's fair tales.

“Little goat, if you are able,
Come and deck my pretty table.”

The name of the fairy tale was "Little One Eye; Little Two eyes; and Little Three Eyes.

Little Two Eyes was the normal one in the family, so they isolated her. Later, she became a princess in a castle and helped her other wicked sisters out when they were hungry and forlorn.

I saw that story, either on line or TV, letty. Hingehead's video plays for me. That performer has perfect form and timing.