Giraffes Can't Yawn

So claimed my trivia calendar the other day. That didn't make sense and didn't give a reason why, so I did a little research and found some trivia sites (here's one) that claimed that neither whales nor giraffes have ever been filmed yawning.

Well, I wasn't convinced;  perhaps whales WERE yawning and it was thought they were just opening their huge mouths to suck in some krill.  There's a video on YouTube of a young whale calf that sure looks like it's yawning. (about.39 seconds into the vid)  OTOH, yawns are a mysterious thing;  some scientists claim they are an involuntary action to take in oxygen to cool the brain and others say it's to exercise jaw muscles. (and it's pretty much a consensus that it has nothing to do with boredom)  After an image search, I found this photo and others like it:

Now, that might be a yawn...or it might be the face made during a mating call.  I went on looking and found these photos on the Sacramento Zoo Blog.

So, I believe I'll go with the folks at a zoo before I will a trivia calendar. (which has been wrong on some and "iffy" on other "facts" - if I have posted a trivia "fact" I've usually checked it, especially if it's one that gives me suspicion)

No Definitive Set Definition

At least not a single one.  Of all the words in the English language, the word "set" has the most definitions - over 400.

Forbes Haiku

I was looking for some financial-related information and saw a link to Forbes.com and thought I could probably trust the information I would find there since I've read a lot of other articles on the site and it's all been good advice.  They have a "splash page" before the link, the content of which I don't see because of my ad blocking add-on on my Firefox browser.  I have to wait on a countdown clock for a few seconds before I can proceed to the article, but it's no problem, much less annoying than an advertisement. 

Yesterday, though, I got this message on the splash page:

I'm fairly certain that doesn't fit the definition of a Haiku, but that's not my complaint; rather, it's trying to shame me in such a "cutesy" fashion.  Sorry Forbes, I hate to deprive you of ad revenue, but many sites go overboard with their adverts, slowing the page load times even with my fairly fast connection and often having multiple flash ads which sometimes hangs up my browser.  I also don't like places like Facebook following me all over the 'net...that's why I use an adblocker.

I wrote a reply, not in a Haiku, but a short verse.  I can't post it because I have a few words in it that rhyme with "Haiku".  It DOES have a little bit to do with "love", though.

Doggy Daycare Cam

(click pic f/ larger view)

Another favorite webcam I often visit.  From the website:

Destined to become the most paw-pular webcam views around, visit The Canine Club and Spa in Minnesota and watch live as the dogs romp around the yard. From playing fetch with their two-legged friends to hitting the pool for some doggy paddle practice, viewers will be left panting from the non-stop excitement.

OK, it's not exactly riveting, but I do find it entertaining.  It's fun to watch the dogs romp around and play with each other (and I guess they have to be temperament-tested, spayed or neutered before being accepted as "customers") but you can also see the normal doggy behavior that's not so cute,  such as sniffing each others butts, peeing on things and other dogs smelling where other dogs have peed and then peeing on the same spot.

Doggy Daycare Cam

Glass Bathroom

I Don't Think Nuts

Are well-adjusted. Otherwise, we wouldn't be nuts, huh?

You Are Well-Adjusted

You are easygoing and take this world in stride. You can ride the ups and downs with ease. You are calm and level-headed. You are the one that people turn to in a crisis, and you're a good person to have on any team. You rarely have to deliberate when a decision needs to be made. You are very intuitive and know just what to do. You are naturally family oriented, and you do your best to make your loved ones happy and comfortable. Giving comes naturally to you.

What Does Your Favorite Nut Say About You?

Those are cashew nuts, btw, just in case you didn't know.  Not sure why the quiz results didn't mention what kind they were.  The quiz consists of a single question, namely what nuts are your favorite.

Cashews really ARE my favorite nut, although I do like most others, too.

"What kind of nut is your favorite, Mike?"

"Cashew."

"Gesundheit!"