Archive for January, 2008
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
Political Animals (Yes Animals)
and why shouldn’t parrots vote?
“….Just as there are myriad strategies open to the human political
animal with White House ambitions, so there are a number of nonhuman
animals that behave like textbook politicians. Researchers who study
highly gregarious and relatively brainy species like rhesus monkeys,
baboons, dolphins, sperm whales, elephants and wolves have lately
uncovered evidence that the creatures engage in extraordinarily
sophisticated forms of politicking, often across large and far-flung
social networks.
Male dolphins, for example, organize
themselves into at least three nested tiers of friends and accomplices,
said Richard C. Connor of the
"More articles about University of Massachusetts">University of Massachusetts
at Dartmouth, rather like the way human societies are constructed of
small kin groups allied into larger tribes allied into still larger
nation-states. The dolphins maintain their alliances through
elaborately synchronized twists, leaps and spins like Blue Angel pilots
blazing their acrobatic fraternity on high.
Among elephants, it
is the females who are the born politicians, cultivating robust and
lifelong social ties with at least 100 other elephants, a task made
easier by their power to communicate infrasonically across miles of
savanna floor. Wolves, it seems, leaven their otherwise strongly
hierarchical society with occasional displays of populist umbrage, and
if a pack leader proves a too-snappish tyrant, subordinate wolves will
collude to overthrow the top cur…..”
No Comments » - Posted in Reviews and Comments by Julie
Monday, January 28th, 2008
Bear Watch
socialization
else
the
No Comments » - Posted in Hoss x Faye Litter by Julie
Monday, January 28th, 2008
Mariah
Mariah is in her third week of a
basic agility class. She loves it and is very vocal while she waits her turn.
She gets bored with doing the same thing again and again and when they are given
the go ahead to string several obstacles together she goes as fast as she can.
She’s one happy and tired girl when class is over. Stu has set up a tunnel,
small vertical jump, broad jump, and pause table in the basement. This has kept
Mariah happy in the below zero weather when the walks get shorter and
shorter.
No Comments » - Posted in Zucca by Julie
Monday, January 28th, 2008
Two Proud Accomplisments
From Charlene Wiglesworth:
pottied away from home over the weekend! I loaded her up with water and she
finally let go late on Saturday. There was much rejoicing.
and was certainly the toughest to earn. It has taken years to finish. The
versatility NATCH requires a gazillion qualifiers in Regular (the usual standard
stuff but with distance challenges and tight times), Chances (3 tests in one-
distance, directionals at distance and discriminations at distance), Jumpers
(the usual, but fast), Tunnelers (just tunnels, and fast), touch N Go (contacts
and tunnels- hard to hit the contact zones at speed), and Weavers (three sets of
12 poles with tunnels in between, also done wicked fast). “gazillion” is
actually 13 in all the classes except regular, where you need 23. Not a cheap
title.
No Comments » - Posted in O'Stara by Julie
Monday, January 28th, 2008
Susie
about a year old…but I am not complaining…so happy to finally see pictures and check these out…already doing articles!!!!
No Comments » - Posted in Chopper by Julie
Monday, January 28th, 2008
The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz
that about his books. You also figure out quickly he is a fan of the Golden Retriever. This latest book features Golden Retrievers into his formula of good vs evil and the
supernatural.
This is not the edge-of-the-seat thriller that some of his books are. As always there is some very disturbing evil all at the hands of human. This time the supernatural forces are on the
side of the good, and in the form of the dog.
I was a bit confused about the character Theresa, a young autistic girl. Koontz seemed to be building her up for a larger part in the story, but rather, the last we hear of her is a maybe or
maybe not sighting through a window.
An entertaining book, although a tad sugary— but then Golden Retrievers are very sweet, so what did I expect?
No Comments » - Posted in Reviews and Comments by Julie
Monday, January 28th, 2008
Police Puppy Makes Online Debut
Police puppy makes online debut
Fri Jan 25, 9:16 PM ET
LONDON (Reuters) -
Police in Scotland have set up a Web
site to allow the public to meet their newest, and cutest,
recruit as he learns how to sniff out criminals.
his own online diary as he prepares to begin his new career
with Tayside Police.
Officers said the puppy, one of a litter of seven, has
attracted huge interest since he was unveiled as the force’s
latest crime-fighting weapon.
The dog’s new handler, Constable Mike Keenan, said: “The
benefits of using German Shepherds are that they are generally
very loyal and hard working, as well as being intelligent.”
Keenan’s wife Jennifer has asked pupils from St Ninian’s
Primary School in Dundee to come up with a name for the puppy.
You can follow his progress online at:
id="lw_1201314081_1">www.tayside.police.uk/dog_section_diary.php