Some random
Aug. 7th, 2008 06:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urbpanI haven't been keeping up with the weird wonderful world out there but I came across a couple interesting stories yesterday.
For example, I love a bioluminescent anything, so learning that there's a species of bioluminescent springtail is pretty great. Too bad they faked most of the pictures. Of course, this creature lives in New Zealand.
There were two tiger attacks this week in Missouri, a region of the world I hadn't associated with tiger attacks before. One involved a 16 year old "employee" (I can't fathom how someone that young would be allowed to work with such dangerous animals, EVER) and the other involved a volunteer. Most animal facilities rely on volunteers a lot, but none should rely on them to do anything that results in getting attacked by a tiger. The last news story I read said that the 16 year old is still in critical condition. The other victim lost part of his leg to the attack. The most shocking part of that second story was the attempted cover-up. The facility told authorities that it wasn't a tiger that injured their worker...are you ready? No, they said it was a pit bull that nearly tore a grown man's leg off. Yes, the pit bull myth has become so pervasive that these people thought that it was a plausible story--Charles Stuart, anyone?
Well, if you can't have an imaginary killer pit bull, perhaps you'd like a cloned hero pit bull? This story causes mixed feelings for pit bull lovers everywhere. On the one hand, it's a rare bit of positive press for this type of dog. On the other hand, it gives the impression that a good pit bull is so rare that you need to take advantage of cutting edge science in Korea and spend 50,000 dollars to get one. Interestingly, the act of heroism that Booger (groan) was known for was attacking another dog; the fear of this act causes many shelters to kill any and all pit bulls they receive, whether or not the dog ever attacked anyone. There are however, at any moment, eight or nine thousand of these dogs available for adoption from shelters in this country.
For example, I love a bioluminescent anything, so learning that there's a species of bioluminescent springtail is pretty great. Too bad they faked most of the pictures. Of course, this creature lives in New Zealand.
There were two tiger attacks this week in Missouri, a region of the world I hadn't associated with tiger attacks before. One involved a 16 year old "employee" (I can't fathom how someone that young would be allowed to work with such dangerous animals, EVER) and the other involved a volunteer. Most animal facilities rely on volunteers a lot, but none should rely on them to do anything that results in getting attacked by a tiger. The last news story I read said that the 16 year old is still in critical condition. The other victim lost part of his leg to the attack. The most shocking part of that second story was the attempted cover-up. The facility told authorities that it wasn't a tiger that injured their worker...are you ready? No, they said it was a pit bull that nearly tore a grown man's leg off. Yes, the pit bull myth has become so pervasive that these people thought that it was a plausible story--Charles Stuart, anyone?
Well, if you can't have an imaginary killer pit bull, perhaps you'd like a cloned hero pit bull? This story causes mixed feelings for pit bull lovers everywhere. On the one hand, it's a rare bit of positive press for this type of dog. On the other hand, it gives the impression that a good pit bull is so rare that you need to take advantage of cutting edge science in Korea and spend 50,000 dollars to get one. Interestingly, the act of heroism that Booger (groan) was known for was attacking another dog; the fear of this act causes many shelters to kill any and all pit bulls they receive, whether or not the dog ever attacked anyone. There are however, at any moment, eight or nine thousand of these dogs available for adoption from shelters in this country.
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no subject
Date: 2008-08-07 11:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-07 01:22 pm (UTC)Yeh, too bad the tigers couldn't just laugh themselves into hysterics at the stupidity/lack of common sense of the human species. Here's your Darwin Award, genius.
As for the other, I am usually gobsmacked into silence by many things Asian cultures -- purportedly one of the oldest and therefore wisest? -- do these days, from the Hello Kitty Kraze to beating dogs to death in the streets of Beijing to clean up for the Olympics. I'm equally gobsmacked that EVERYTHING we buy comes from Over There.
Some days, I just can't read any more news without wanting to blow someone's brains out. Maybe mine. Then I couldn't read the news!
no subject
Date: 2008-08-07 02:37 pm (UTC)We don't kill pits if they have attacked a dog or person...it depends on the situation. We can deem them "Dangerous Animals" and their owners will have to pay for a permit every year to keep them and abide by certain rules. We don't just kill them though. It sucks people just ASSUME pits did the tiger attack...yikes...
no subject
Date: 2008-08-07 03:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-07 03:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-07 04:06 pm (UTC)http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/08/05/congo.gorillas/index.html