Sunday, October 2, 2016
Cheetahs
Byter Nando sent me an email as follows:
Hello OttoI happened to get some info on this photographer: Michel Denis-Huot.Could make an interesting story.
http://www.websites-host.com/cheetah-impala-kenya-huot.htmlKind regards
Thanks Nando.
On opening the link, I found the following heartwarming story and pics:
The Law of the Wild:
Photographer Michel Denis-Huot on safari in Kenya's Masai Mara, captures amazing pictures of Cheetahs and Impalas:
He describes his experience:
"These three brothers (cheetahs) have been living together since they left their mother at about 18 months old,' he said. 'On the morning we saw them, they seemed not to be hungry, walking quickly but stopping sometimes to play together. At one point, they met a group of impala who ran away... But one youngster was not quick enough, and the brothers caught it easily."
Pictures from his fascinating experience follow:
And then they just walked away without hurting him...
Can we learn from some cheetahs?
“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Comments:
- The story comes from a Daily Mail article at:
- That article, it has been said, distorted the true story by giving it a false happy ending. Indeed, the article even shows the first photograph above as the last photograph, saying that the impala made a quick getaway.
- The complete series of photographs of the cheetahs and the impala can be seen on the website of the photographers at:
The commentaries unfortunately are in French.
- The last 3 photographs in the series, from that website, are:
- One person has provided the following translation of the French commentary:
In Masai Mara, Kenya, three male cheetahs have lived together since they left their mother at 18 months of age. They became famous among all lovers of the Savannah. Very united and very playful, they are very difficult to follow for us photographers because they move constantly, both day and night and their territory is huge. You find them one day then the next day they are 30 km away! And they love to hunt at dusk, pouncing on the herds of wildebeest, without hesitation. One morning we found them at dawn and followed them. They stopped occasionally to play and moved on. They are obviously not hungry. But they cross the road right into a small group of fleeing impala but a young one does not run fast enough and the three brothers catch it without harm. They put it on the ground and then seem to lose interest. The small antelope is looking at the cheetahs, even sticking close by one of them. For over a quarter of an hour the cats stay with the young impala without harming him, other than to ask him or lick the paw on the head. And, finally, they decided to kill and eat him ...
- There is discussion, however, as to whether the final 3 photographs are part of the same sequence, see:
Whatever the truth may be, it goes to show that in this day and age, with electronic communication and with technology at the highest level that it has ever been, we are also the age where there has been most misleading information, deception and communication manipulation.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
October 2016
Another month and Christmas coming closer. As the northern hemisphere experiences Autumn, we in the southern hemisphere enjoy the delights of Spring.
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Each month Byter Brett R sends me a list of the special days for the coming month.
Just as Donald Trump said he was too much of a gentleman to mention certain things in the debate, with Huillary Clinton, which he then described as not having said, I will say that I am too much a gentleman to say that Brett heads his emails "That time of the month (again)."
Brett's lists follwo, the daily ones being interactive, just click on.
Thanks Brett.
October, 2016
Bizarre and Unique Holidays
Month:
- Adopt a Shelter Dog
Month
- American Pharmacist
Month
- Apple Jack Month
- Awareness Month
- Breast Cancer Awareness
Month
- Clergy Appreciation
Month
- Computer Learning Month
- Cookie Month
- Domestic Violence
Awareness Month
- Eat Country Ham Month
- International Drum Month
- Lupus Awareness Month
- National Diabetes Month
- National Pizza Month
- National Vegetarian
Month
- National Popcorn Popping
Month
- Sarcastic Month
- Seafood Month
Weekly
Celebrations:
- Week 1 Get Organized
Week
- Week 1 Customer Service
Week
- Week 2 Fire Prevention
Week
- Week 2 Pet Peeve Week
- Week 3 Pastoral Care
Week
October 2016 Daily
Holidays, Special and Wacky Days:
1 International
Frugal Fun Day - first Saturday of the month
1 World
Card Making Day - first Saturday of the month
2 Oktoberfest in
Germany ends, date varies
5 National
Kale Day - first Wednesday of October
7 World
Smile Day first Friday of month
10 Columbus Day -
second Monday of month
12 Emergency
Nurses Day- second Wednesday of month
12 National
Fossil Day - Wednesday of Earth Sciences Week
12 Take
Your Teddy Bear to Work Day -Second Wednesday of month
14 National
Dessert Day - take an extra helping, or two
14 World
Egg Day - second Friday of month
15 Sweetest Day Third
Saturday of month
16 Bosses Day
18 No
Beard Day
21 Babbling
Day
21 National
Pumpkin Cheesecake Day find a recipe, too.
22 Make a Difference
Day- fourth Saturday of the month, neighbors helping neighbors.
23 Mother-In-Law Day -
fourth Sunday in October
27 National
Tell a Story Day - in Scotland and the U.K.
27 Navy Day
28 Frankenstein
Friday - last Friday in October
29 Hermit
Day
31 Carve
a Pumpkin Day - no surprise here
31 Halloween
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Regular readers will be aware that I am a member of a weekly trivia team called Lazarus, although sometimes we change our name for that night for a bit of fun. Recent examples: Ben Dover, Neil Down, Haywood Jablome, Far Kurnell (Kurnell is a suburb of Sydney), Far Queue and so on.
Trivia organiser and MC, Graham, aka Mr Trivia, also sends a monthly summary of events and his follows as well.
Thanks Mr T.
Friday, September 30, 2016
Funny Friday
A rushed Funny Friday in that the internet was down part of the time. Enjoy the long weekend. . .
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One day Adam and Eve notice God standing before them, holding a bag.
"Hi, God. What's in the bag?" asked Eve.
"These are a couple of things that were left over from creation that I thought you two would be interested in." God rummages around in the bag a moment. "Okay who wants to be able to pee standing up?"
Adam immediately puts his hand up in the air, waving frantically. "Me! Me! Me! Oh, oh, PLEASE, God, let me have it! Just think of how much more work I could get done in the fields if I could pee standing up! And it would help so much when I'm out hunting! Oh, please, please, please let me have it!"
"Well, all right," says God. "Now, let's see what we have for you, Eve." God rummages about a bit more in the bag.
"Ah, right. Multiple orgasms."
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An Aussie, a little man, was sitting at a bar in Sydney when this huge, burly American guy walks in. As he passes the Aussie, he hits him on the neck knocking him to the floor. The big, burly Yank says, "That's a karate chop from Korea."
Well, the Aussie gets back on his barstool and resumes drinking his beer. The burly Yank then gets up to go to the bathroom and, as he walks by the Aussie, he hits him on the other side of the neck and knocks him to the floor. "That's a judo chop from Japan", he says.
The Aussie decides he's had enough and leaves. A half hour later he comes back and sees the burly Yank bastard sitting at the bar. He walks up behind him and smacks him on the head, knocking him out. The Aussie says to the bartender, "When he wakes up mate, tell him that was a fuckin' crowbar from Bunnings."
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I am a sailor in the New Zealand Navy. My parents live in Whangarei and my brother-in-law is living in Melbourne. My father and mother have been busted for drug running and they depend on my two sisters, who are prostitutes, for a living.
My only brother is serving a life sentence in jail on conviction of rape and murder, and my uncle is a High Court Judge who takes bribes. My other uncle is on trial for lighting fires in a National Park which burnt down 93 houses.
I am in love with a Thai prostitute who solicits around the Auckland wharves. She says she loves me, but she knows nothing about my family background. We intend to marry as soon as her illnesses clear up. Me being white does not bother her at all. When I get out of the Navy we will open a brothel in Hamilton and my two sisters will work there to keep the business in the family.
My problem is that I want to marry this girl and have an entirely open and honest relationship with her. The burning question is whether I should tell her that I have a brother-in-law who lives in Melbourne?
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An oldie and worth a repeat. . .
This chap goes to the doctor saying that he gets blinding headaches. After a series of tests the doctor tells him that the good news is that he had found the cause but the bad news was that the headaches were being caused by an upward pressure of the testicles upon the base of the spine. The only cure would be an orchidectomy. The chap thought that one over for weeks but in the end the headaches were so severe that he decided to go ahead and have his testicles removed.
After the operation he was feeling so good that he decided to go down the street and get a new suit. In the menswear store he found a salesman who looked him up and down and said 'I guess you would be a 42 inch chest 38 inch waist and 40 inch hip'. 'My God' said the chap, 'how did you guess that?' 'I don't guess, I know. That's my job,' said the salesman.
When the chap was fitted out the salesman asked him if he would like a shirt because he had one in stock with a 42-inch chest and 24 inch arm. 'That's my exact measure' said the chap with astonishment. 'That's right mate. It's my job to know that,' said the salesman and handed him the shirt. 'Now what about a hat' said the salesman. 'OK' said the chap, sensing a challenge 'I bet you can't guess that one'. 'You'd be a five and seven eighths' said the salesman 'I know that, it's my job'.
Finally the salesman enquired whether some underpants were desired. 'OK' said the chap 'but let me get in first this time. I'm a size 34 in underpants'. 'No you’re not,' said the salesman 'You’re a size 36'. 'I've got you this time,' said the chap 'because I always wear a 34'. 'You're totally incorrect Sir, I know my job' said the salesman. 'You're a size 36, and I can tell you now that if you go on wearing a 34 you'll get blinding headaches from the upward pressure of the testicles on the base of the spine.'
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Gallery:
Corn Corner:
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Martin, Cats and More Cats
I posted an item a few days ago about Mrs Chippy, the cat that accompanied the Shackleton Arctic expedition and came to a sticky end when the expedition ship was caught in the ice. Mrs Chippy didn't have 9 lives after all. Anyway, it inspired Martin S, who regularly corrects items posted, to send me an email about some other notable cats. Thanks Martin.
Here is Martin's contribution:
Otto.
I am pleased that you had an article on Mrs Chippy, one of the most undated, and fearless master of us humans, the not so humble Cat. Too often overlooked to other imposters, such as the horse dog or ……the Pigeon!
Trim
We should be reminded of Australia’s own naval contribution of Felis Catus, being, of course, Trim.
Trim proudly in front of the NSW State Library.
Trim undertook the first circumnavigation of Australia, assisted by Matthew Flinders, and was later interned in Mauritius on his return trip to England. Trim suffered a fate far worse than Mrs Chippy. Eaten by those horrible French Savages, who obviously had run out of frogs, snails or horses for their consumption.
I believe Bryce Courtenay wrote a book about him.
Simon
Perhaps for a war hero, we should look no further than Simon.
Simon escaped on board the HMS Amethyst, when in Hong Kong docks in 1948, no doubt saving him from a fate that befell our beloved Trim.
The Amethyst was caught up in the Yangtze Incident in 1949 during the Chinese Civil war. Shots were fired, Simon was injured, and some sailors died.
Simon, sporting one of his war service medals
Simon's role on the Amethyst was one of keeping up morale, preventing plague by personally disposing of vermin, and inspecting the operations of the ship.
Simon never fully recovered from wounds received in action, and was awarded the Dickin Medal posthumously (for us humans, the equivalent of a VC).
Recognition of military exploits are surrounded by controversy. Between 1943 and 1949, the Dickin had been awarded to 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, 3 horses, and Simon. A bloody disgrace, and no wonder our feline masters take pleasure in dispatching those, as Woody Allen puts it, “Rats with Wings”.
It should be noted that the entire crew of the Amethyst attended Simon’s funeral.
Simon’s life was put to film in 1957 in the “Yangtse Incident”, and no, it does not feature Chairman Meow.
On a further nautical note:
Polydactyl Cats and Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway was the pet of a great number of moggies.
He amused them by telling them a story of catching a big fish!
One of his favourite owners was a polydactyl cat (many toes) that had previously spent a considerable time at sea.
This genetically inherited trait is considered advantageous to a sea going puss, as it greatly aids the hunting and climbing on a ship.
Yep. More thumbs than a Koala
Hemingway bequeathed his house to his polydact owner, and it remains in the many toed family to this day.
Hemingway stated:
“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.”
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
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