Truth Meets Fiction—Sort Of

 

February 18, 2024

 

A female manta who has no male companion at a North Carolina aquarium has become pregnant.

 

Some people speculated that one of the sharks swimming in her tank might responsible, but scientists are ascribing it to good ol’ parthenogenesis. If you remember your high school biology, that’s the process of asexual reproduction where offspring develop from unfertilized eggs.

 

(This reminds me of the old story in which a class was assigned to write an essay mixing royalty, religion, sex, and mystery. One student wrote, ‘“My God!” said the Queen. “I’m pregnant. I wonder whose it is?’” The story is apparently a myth, but it is a funny coincidence.)

 

 

This Dog Was No Lassie

 

August 16, 2022

  

There is a heartwarming story today about a dog who was missing for 2 months, then was found alive (but thin) in a dark cave.

 

She had been with another dog–according to their owner, they were inseparable–when she fell into the cave. The other dog returned home without her. The owner instituted a search, but eventually gave up.

 

I was curious as to why the other dog didn’t try to give the owner a clue by going back to where her friend fell into the cave– or at least go keep the other dog company, so that the owner might have noticed.

 

Maybe she needs to be shown some “Lassie” reruns.

 

 

 

Gunning for the Popular Vote

March 11, 2022

 

Headline from the March 10, 2022 Post-Dispatch:

 “Missouri House approves plan to allow guns on public transit”

 

If the proposal passes, people with concealed-carry permits could bring them onto public transportation.

Well, shucks, guns are already on public transit, so why not let law-abiding citizens have them, too? That way, more people could be caught in the crossfire.

And if you have a valid concealed-carry permit, the proposal says that your church/place of worship couldn’t bar you from bringing the gun into the building.

 “Wait,” you say. “Presumably a person with a concealed carry permit has passed some sort of competency test—gun safety, mental health, what-have-you.”

 

HAHAHAHA! This is Missouri. Basically, if you’re breathing, pass a one-hour online course, and have taken an in-person course that hits gun-safety highlights and makes you fire 20 rounds reasonably accurately, you can get the permit. I just looked it up.

 

Is It Murder Murder?

 

February 17, 2022

 

A murder of crows (bird-speak for a flock) has been around the federal courthouse in St. Louis for months. According to the paper, things have gotten very messy.

Attempts to make the crows move on have failed, but now they are dying—several each day. Some sort of toxin is suspected.

 

Is someone committing murder murder?

Under the Sea

 May 21, 2021

 

I was listening to “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid”, and I thought, “Huh. Whales, dolphins, squid and octopi are very intelligent. How long before they form alliances to rid the seas of all the garbage humans put into it?”

I picture them cultivating a special kind of seaweed that they can use as nets—or just using old fishing nets that get left in the ocean—rounding up the trash, and depositing the packages on our beaches.

I hope that they can come up with something soon, before we choke all the oceans with trash.

Bee Sensible

April 27, 2021

 

I learned from an article in Sunday’s paper that not all bees live in hives. In fact, most bees that are native to Missouri are solitary. They don’t make honey, but they’re great pollinators.

According to the article, they’re also less prone to sting than honeybees; so if you want to attract them to your yard to pollinate the flowers, you don’t have to worry so much about getting hurt.

Who knew?

 

If you want to attract these spunky pollinators to your yard, or just help out the native population, which is losing a lot of habitat, you can purchase a bee home. Consult the internet or the Post-Dispatch for details. 

If You Can’t Beat ’Em…

March 28, 2021

 

A stray pup in North Carolina kept entering a Dollar Store to visit a friend. Whenever customers opened the door, the dog would come in and head for a purple stuffed unicorn.

Eventually, employees locked the door and called police.

The police officer solved the problem by buying the unicorn, then carrying it out of the store, with the dog following.

 

Epilogue:

The dog and his friend were taken to a shelter, and it looks like he’s found a home. The Dollar Store says it will send more unicorns to whoever adopts him.

  

Friends Look Out For Each Other

January 22, 2021

 

An adorable video shows two groups of penguins traveling in opposite directions meeting up. When the groups resume their travels, one penguin heads off with the wrong one.

As he looks around, confused, another penguin from his group comes back to get him and brings him safely back to his friends and family.

  

Fowl Language

 

October 1, 2020

 

Five parrots at a British zoo were separated because they kept encouraging each other to swear.  

Although most people thought the situation was funny, the parrots were moved to separate areas of the park to keep children from hearing their foul/fowl language.