Random

[urbpan]

Today I saw the first snowflake of the 2007-2008 season. Other people saw many more, but I just saw the one. Lots of coworkers were whining about the cold, but I just toughed it out wearing a sweatshirt (our work coats haven't come in yet, and I didn't want to wear my ratty jacket where the public could see me) on our way to the ICE CREAM PARTY that the cops threw us for some reason.

I had the wonderful experience of going in a cage with an animal I've never even seen close up before, not knowing how it moved or reacted to things until I watched it with my own eyes a few feet away. It was like having an encounter with an alien, which, I suppose, it was. (it was a red panda)

A couple days ago i dreamt that someone was eating a burrito that was stuffed mostly with uncooked BOP. The zookeepers reading this all gagged, imagining the smell of it so close to their faces. For the rest of you, imagine coarsely ground indeterminate meat product, complete with gristle and cartilage fragments. It smells like...well, I can't quite describe it. When I used to cut mice up with poultry shears, the smell of that was similar--sour, a little rotten.

A 12 ton minke whale was found swimming in a river, almost 1000 miles from the ocean.

Alexis posted a voice post meme, so if you want to know what her voice sounds like (sexy) go here.

Also she posted a video of me at Flann's explaining my opinion of mozzarella sticks, so if you want to see what I look and sound like talking you can go here.

(I guess the fact that I think she sounds sexy and she thinks I'm funny means that we're good for each other.)

I've been trying to decide if i should try out this mouse electocutor. It seems more humane than most mouse killing devices (apart from snap traps) but it's marketed for the squeamish--you 'never have to see the dead mouse.' I like the fact that you could conceivably get many mice in a short period of time with it. What do you think?

On this day in 365 Urban Species: Devil's coach horse, a rove beetle (a kind of beetle that likes to prey on the insects and other animals associated with death and decay) with a most excellent common name.

Comments

[mperrotti76.livejournal.com]

SNOWFLAKE! *points angrily at sky* You gonna die...

[audacian.livejournal.com]

"ICE CREAM PARTY that the cops threw us"

That's a new one. It's a trap?

PS, hi. :]

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

We got out unscathed (although my digestive flora are having a hard time with all that lactose) so their trap didn't work. (we were being rewarded for an orderly event that I personally wasn't involved with).

hi!

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

you never have to see another dead mouse?! does it like vaporize them or something?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't want any mouse vapors. maggie is zooming.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

i don't want to know how those two things are related.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

i don't think they are. I think what set her off is that i gave her my plastic fork.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

phew!

[aemiis-zoo.livejournal.com]

Mozzarella sticks are decadent beyond what you are comfortable with???!!!

Errrmmmm...

I once dipped mozzarella sticks in nacho cheese sauce! How about that?! =D

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

The ice cream party was as a Thank-You for the National Night Out event - you guys get all the good stuff! :P

There was once a guy who did cook and eat a BOP burger. It was long before my time, though. And we used that as a scene in our Okie last year. Did I ever send you a copy of that?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

no, I've never seen any of the okies! I can't wait!

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

Did you get the file I sent you?

Wanna buy a jaguar?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Hey! We watched it last night! That was funny and cute. I did gag when G ate the BOP burger. You looked cold as "can't afford pants!" and P was a very good sport.

What are other peoples' films like?

[pipu.livejournal.com]

Do you have mice at home or at work?

I've had great success dealing with a small number of mice using the live traps baited with peanut butter and then walking them over to a park and releasing.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

To paraphrase Megadeth, it's my job, and I'm busy with it.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

With two terriers and a cat at home, if we had mice, someone would be fired!

[gigglingwizard.livejournal.com]

Wow, 4 AA batteries have enough of a kick to kill 10-30 mice or rats? Wouldn't a rat take more than a mouse? I'd think that would throw off your estimations if you started catching both. What happens if a rat gets in there when there's only a mouse-sized charge left? Mightn't the rat survive with crippling neurological damage? I wonder how many batteries it would take to discourage a raccoon. And if a rat can get killed in there, I'd be careful not to put it where a squirrel or a kitten might investigate.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I have the same questions. I think you'd have to use rechargeable batteries and swap them out every day. I haven't seen the thing up close, so I don't know how accessible the killing plate is. They warn not to put it where children or pets can get at it. It's also not weather-proof, so that limits where you can use it.

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Hey,

I think you should get the most humane of all mouse-traps- the one that catches them alive and lets you release them unharmed someplace else!

Ahh, yes, the Staphylinids. I'm currently raising a colony of Orange-Headed Rove Beetles (Creophilus erythrocephalus) for my Insects as Biological Clocks class. My Hister Beetles, alas, chow on them like popcorn!