Monday, February 20, 2012
Animal Spotlight: Skunk
Skunks
Skunks are crepuscular and are solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their range they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day, they shelter in burrows that they dig with their powerful front claws, or in other man-made or natural hollows as the opportunity arises. Both genders occupy overlapping home ranges through the greater part of the year; typically 2 to 4 square kilometres (0.77 to 1.5 sq mi) for females, up to 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) for males.
Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. Overwinter multiple (as many as twelve) females huddle together. Males often den alone. The same winter den is often repeatedly used.
Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing – vital attributes in a crepuscular omnivore – they have poor vision. They cannot see, with any clarity, objects more than about 3 metres (10 ft) away, making them vulnerable to death by road traffic. They are short-lived animals: Fewer than 10% survive for longer than three years
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Tim Wakefield
Drafted as a first baseman by the Pirates in 1988.
A scout told him that he would never get above Double-A ball as a position player.
So he started working on the knuckle ball.
"I just want to be able to say I tried everything I could to make it"
19 seasons and 52 million dollars later...
Tim Wakefield retires with the most wins in Redsox history.
Goodwill Industries: $12.16
Air Supply (1980)
Petty Officer Book (1970)
Poisoned Earth and Sky Book (1964)
Romeo Void (1981)
Droll Yankees record 7 inch (1968)
Droll Yankees record 7 inch (1964)
Droll Yankees record 7 inch (1962)
Thermos (Norwich, CT)
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Alex Trebek is better than you.
1. Has only 2 percent body fat.
2. Has a love child with Vanna White.
3. Uses his mind to stir his coffee
4. Has never seen a commercial.
5. Sang background on "Hey Jude"
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
health check
1. Be real with friends.
2. Wheat bread.
3. Never rely on tomorrow.
4. Keep it cool.
5. Use your best judgement.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
High Five: Common Mistakes
1. Looking the other way
2. Giving the benefit of the doubt
3. Gut decisions
4. Going for it
5. Playing it by ear
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Animal Spotlight
Crow
As a group, crows show remarkable examples of intelligence. Crows and ravens often score very highly on intelligence tests. Certain species top the avian IQ scale. Wild hooded crows in Israel have learned to use bread crumbs for bait-fishing. Crows will engage in a kind of mid-air jousting, or air-"chicken" to establish pecking order. Crows have been found to engage in feats such as sports, tool use, the ability to hide and store food across seasons, episodic-like memory, and the ability to use individual experience in predicting the behavior of environmental conspecifics.
One species, the New Caledonian Crow, has also been intensively studied recently because of its ability to manufacture and use its own tools in the day-to-day search for food. These tools include 'knives' cut from stiff leaves and stiff stalks of grass. Another skill involves dropping tough nuts into a trafficked street and waiting for a car to crush them open. On October 5, 2007, researchers from the University of Oxford, England presented data acquired by mounting tiny video cameras on the tails of New Caledonian Crows. It turned out that they use a larger variety of tools than previously known, plucking, smoothing, and bending twigs and grass stems to procure a variety of foodstuffs. Crows in Queensland, Australia have learned how to eat the toxic cane toad by flipping the cane toad on its back and violently stabbing the throat where the skin is thinner, allowing the crow to access the non-toxic innards; their long beaks ensure that all of the innards can be removed.
Recent research suggests that crows have the ability to recognize one individual human from another by facial features.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
NFL Fun Facts!
1. Early NFL uniforms included capes.
2. The first NFL game was played on an Indian burial ground.
3. Touchdowns were originally called Hot Shots.
4. Early footballs were made of otter skin.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Ideas for America: Put a Cap on Capitalism
Since 2003 Major League baseball has instituted a luxury tax to discourage high payroll and create a better competitive balance. How can we create this balance in America without it being construed as Socialism? I purpose a cap on capitalism. A simple formula to encourage a fair payroll balance.
The formula goes like this: the highest payed employee cannot make more than a 1000 times more than the lowest payed employee. An employee making more than 1000 times the lowest paid employee will be taxed 75% on every dollar that exceeds the limit. An example of this would be a company with the lowest paid employee making 30,000 a year would have a CEO capped at 30 million dollars a year. (Bonuses are included in this formula) This formula is fair and will encourage CEO's who want to make more to pay more. All tax proceeds from this "Cap Tax" could go towards education and social services. The funds would assist lower paid americans with getting medical insurance and pursuing higher education.
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