Thursday, April 17, 2008
And so the story goes.
I have a job now, which isn't too awful terrible. I am, however, much tired everyday. I have 3 weeks of school left until summer break, and I can't wait. I can't keep up with all this crap. Blarghh. Let this craziness end soon. And make my Middle Eastern Cultures professor stop assigning stuff.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
You know I, you know I'm not dead...
Now you know where I've been:
Buying new yarn, because adding to the stash is very important. Especially when your LYS has a 20% off of everything anniversary sale. Normally, I go in there to drool over the stuff I can't afford, and sometimes pick up a clearance item or two. Hey, college makes you poor.
But I actually was able to buy this skein of Manos del Uruguay Kettle Dyed Silk-Merino blend. I LUUURVE it. I always admired you from afar, Manos, but now you are mine. I don't even know what to do with it yet. Maybe a hat? Or a luxuriously fine tudora? We will see.
They had such a large amount of mohair on sale (this one was $3.60 after the discount) that I was able to buy this little gem. I recently found a blue-purple-dark navy ball of mohair at Tuesday Morning for around $3. I bought it just to see how it knits up. Before this, I did not care for the look or even idea of mohair, but as some yarns have surprised me (Lionbrand Boucle, for example), I have decided to be more democratic to all yarns. As it turns out, I really like the look and feel of knitting with mohair. I bought this ball because it picks up some of the colors in the Tuesday Morning ball (I'll post pics when I get the project underway). I needed another ball because I want to make a head-wrap scarfy thing. I had started it with the T.M. ball but ran waaaay short and had to frog it. I will have updates on that as it is knitted.
In other news, the dogwood outside is blooming. This is my favorite kind of tree, as well as my favorite flower. I love it. Also, the azaleas are about to burst into bloom. As you can see from the leaves, the bushes have some type of scale but I didn't have the heart to spray any pesticides for it last fall. They aren't dying or anything, after all.
See? Almost blooming, but not quite. Sorry for the blurriness, my camera decides where it wants to focus and doesn't discuss it with me sometimes.
And here it is, its back after weeks of hiatus.
This post will be a little different. I had to go to the zoo, so I took some pics of the jaguars and tigers. I should have done with the lions, but I was too lazy to walk back over to their enclosure after I thought of it. Sorry.
They are maybe a little hard to see. The black jaguar had his ears back, there were lots of kids there that day, making lots of noise. He is so beautiful, I wish I could have taken better pics of him. He looks like my roommate Dave's sister's cat. Except bigger, of course.
The tiger was pacing, as you can see. He wasn't roaring, as I have observed hungry impatient tigers in zoos to do, just pacing.
But do you see that fence behind him, on the other side of the rock wall?
This is who was in the fence. I would be pacing if I was trapped in an enclosure less that 50 yards from a delicious hamburger. I bet the smell of these gazelles drive him and his pen-mates crazy.
On to other zoo creatures. I was there to observe primates, which I was unable to do. There were too many people. I am going to try again tomorrow afternoon, my instructor said afternoons were better than mornings.
Here is a siamang. He was sitting about 4 yards from the edge of the enclosure, hoot-calling at all the people staring at him. It was so loud, I could feel the vibration in my clothing and backpack. I caught a picture of him in mid-hoot. While I'm here, I would also like to point out that he is NOT A MONKEY. Siamangs are apes, like gorillas, chimps, and orangutans. They have no tails, that is the easiest way to tell an ape from a monkey. As this guy is sitting on his tailless rump, here is a picture of a gorilla butt to clear it up.
See? No tail. By the way, that stuff on his back is hay. I don't know if his keepers were playing with him before I walked up or if he put it there, playing by himself. Either are possible.
Here is another kind of primate called a prosimian. He is a lemur from Madagascar, and no he is not dead although he looks it. The others were on a platform sleeping together, I don't know why he didn't join them. As you can see, he has a tail. He is NOT a monkey though, prosimians are kind of their own thing. Lorises and tarsiers are also prosimians, but I don't have pictures of them. Their enclosure was kind of dark. The most noticeable difference I can spot in the lemurs from monkeys is their snout. They kind of look fox-like.
This guy is a Talapoin Monkey, part of a group called the Old World Monkeys. They are basically monkeys from the African and Eurasian continent. They, of course, have tails.
These guys are Spider Monkeys, from the New World Monkeys. New World Monkeys are from the Americas. New World Monkeys also have tails, but some have prehensile tails. None of the Old World Monkeys have this. A prehensile tail can be used as a sort of fifth arm. When you see a monkey hanging onto ropes or branches with his tail, then you know for sure that he is a New World Monkey.
Although I am trying to get into the Primate Enrichment program next semester to work with some primates doing mentally stimulating activities, zoos generally make me feel bad. These guys are probably not that happy. For example, this is the female gorilla with her new baby. You can kind of see her baby between her legs, the baby's arm is around her as well. The mother kept moving around, trying to get out of sight of the enormous crowd. In this picture, she has her arms folded where her hands are on her shoulders. This is something you would do to try to block out unwanted attention. She is doing the same thing. It made me profoundly sad. One mother near me told her children "look, they are hugging!" No lady, they are not hugging, the gorilla mom is miserable and trying to hide.
On the other hand, without zoos people (most importantly, children) would not develop an empathy for these creatures. Seeing them helps them connect, and ultimately helps them care more about what happens to animals in the wild. In addition, many of these creatures are likely one day to become extinct, and locking them in zoos may keep them safe from our destructiveness, as backwards as that sounds. I believe that many zoos have a long way to go in terms of suitable enclosures, but people are working on things like that right now. Thats why I want to join the primate enrichment program. It basically involves thinking of things for the animals to do so they aren't bored or inactive. They are intelligent creatures, and need stimulus just like people do.
Another thing that gets me is the insensity of some of the people (adults) at the zoo. I overheard several unpleasant comments, including an older man's claim that the guy below would "make a good pair of boots." Dammit, people.
So please take your kids to the zoo, but be sensitive about what you say. Even if you are kidding, your children are listening.
Buying new yarn, because adding to the stash is very important. Especially when your LYS has a 20% off of everything anniversary sale. Normally, I go in there to drool over the stuff I can't afford, and sometimes pick up a clearance item or two. Hey, college makes you poor.
But I actually was able to buy this skein of Manos del Uruguay Kettle Dyed Silk-Merino blend. I LUUURVE it. I always admired you from afar, Manos, but now you are mine. I don't even know what to do with it yet. Maybe a hat? Or a luxuriously fine tudora? We will see.
They had such a large amount of mohair on sale (this one was $3.60 after the discount) that I was able to buy this little gem. I recently found a blue-purple-dark navy ball of mohair at Tuesday Morning for around $3. I bought it just to see how it knits up. Before this, I did not care for the look or even idea of mohair, but as some yarns have surprised me (Lionbrand Boucle, for example), I have decided to be more democratic to all yarns. As it turns out, I really like the look and feel of knitting with mohair. I bought this ball because it picks up some of the colors in the Tuesday Morning ball (I'll post pics when I get the project underway). I needed another ball because I want to make a head-wrap scarfy thing. I had started it with the T.M. ball but ran waaaay short and had to frog it. I will have updates on that as it is knitted.
In other news, the dogwood outside is blooming. This is my favorite kind of tree, as well as my favorite flower. I love it. Also, the azaleas are about to burst into bloom. As you can see from the leaves, the bushes have some type of scale but I didn't have the heart to spray any pesticides for it last fall. They aren't dying or anything, after all.
See? Almost blooming, but not quite. Sorry for the blurriness, my camera decides where it wants to focus and doesn't discuss it with me sometimes.
And here it is, its back after weeks of hiatus.
This post will be a little different. I had to go to the zoo, so I took some pics of the jaguars and tigers. I should have done with the lions, but I was too lazy to walk back over to their enclosure after I thought of it. Sorry.
They are maybe a little hard to see. The black jaguar had his ears back, there were lots of kids there that day, making lots of noise. He is so beautiful, I wish I could have taken better pics of him. He looks like my roommate Dave's sister's cat. Except bigger, of course.
The tiger was pacing, as you can see. He wasn't roaring, as I have observed hungry impatient tigers in zoos to do, just pacing.
But do you see that fence behind him, on the other side of the rock wall?
This is who was in the fence. I would be pacing if I was trapped in an enclosure less that 50 yards from a delicious hamburger. I bet the smell of these gazelles drive him and his pen-mates crazy.
On to other zoo creatures. I was there to observe primates, which I was unable to do. There were too many people. I am going to try again tomorrow afternoon, my instructor said afternoons were better than mornings.
Here is a siamang. He was sitting about 4 yards from the edge of the enclosure, hoot-calling at all the people staring at him. It was so loud, I could feel the vibration in my clothing and backpack. I caught a picture of him in mid-hoot. While I'm here, I would also like to point out that he is NOT A MONKEY. Siamangs are apes, like gorillas, chimps, and orangutans. They have no tails, that is the easiest way to tell an ape from a monkey. As this guy is sitting on his tailless rump, here is a picture of a gorilla butt to clear it up.
See? No tail. By the way, that stuff on his back is hay. I don't know if his keepers were playing with him before I walked up or if he put it there, playing by himself. Either are possible.
Here is another kind of primate called a prosimian. He is a lemur from Madagascar, and no he is not dead although he looks it. The others were on a platform sleeping together, I don't know why he didn't join them. As you can see, he has a tail. He is NOT a monkey though, prosimians are kind of their own thing. Lorises and tarsiers are also prosimians, but I don't have pictures of them. Their enclosure was kind of dark. The most noticeable difference I can spot in the lemurs from monkeys is their snout. They kind of look fox-like.
This guy is a Talapoin Monkey, part of a group called the Old World Monkeys. They are basically monkeys from the African and Eurasian continent. They, of course, have tails.
These guys are Spider Monkeys, from the New World Monkeys. New World Monkeys are from the Americas. New World Monkeys also have tails, but some have prehensile tails. None of the Old World Monkeys have this. A prehensile tail can be used as a sort of fifth arm. When you see a monkey hanging onto ropes or branches with his tail, then you know for sure that he is a New World Monkey.
Although I am trying to get into the Primate Enrichment program next semester to work with some primates doing mentally stimulating activities, zoos generally make me feel bad. These guys are probably not that happy. For example, this is the female gorilla with her new baby. You can kind of see her baby between her legs, the baby's arm is around her as well. The mother kept moving around, trying to get out of sight of the enormous crowd. In this picture, she has her arms folded where her hands are on her shoulders. This is something you would do to try to block out unwanted attention. She is doing the same thing. It made me profoundly sad. One mother near me told her children "look, they are hugging!" No lady, they are not hugging, the gorilla mom is miserable and trying to hide.
On the other hand, without zoos people (most importantly, children) would not develop an empathy for these creatures. Seeing them helps them connect, and ultimately helps them care more about what happens to animals in the wild. In addition, many of these creatures are likely one day to become extinct, and locking them in zoos may keep them safe from our destructiveness, as backwards as that sounds. I believe that many zoos have a long way to go in terms of suitable enclosures, but people are working on things like that right now. Thats why I want to join the primate enrichment program. It basically involves thinking of things for the animals to do so they aren't bored or inactive. They are intelligent creatures, and need stimulus just like people do.
Another thing that gets me is the insensity of some of the people (adults) at the zoo. I overheard several unpleasant comments, including an older man's claim that the guy below would "make a good pair of boots." Dammit, people.
So please take your kids to the zoo, but be sensitive about what you say. Even if you are kidding, your children are listening.
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