observations NGC

[rodekyll]

Why can an owl rotate its head almost 360 degrees?  Let's see if the owl cognoscenti know this one!

They have very limber necks is why.  The question is -- why do they need to?

To watch out for turkey ambushes. 

I would guess that there eyes are fixed so the need to move there head?

This.  The owl's head is so stuffed full of eyes that there is no room for eye muscles.


We had a lot of banties when I was growing up.  My sister named some of them.  Bad idea, since my sister gave them the same love she did the horses, and a brace of banties make a fair dinner.  Two were named Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.  Macbeth was an atypical rooster in that he didn't like most of the hens in the flock.  He had no problem with other roosters in the henhouse.  He did have a thing for Lady Macbeth though, and she returned his affection.  They were paired like geese instead of chickens, and as long as the other residents didn't mess with his lady, Bantytown was a happy place.  Mac and the missus liked to wander into the house and roost on the mantle clock, which sat between statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.  The birds would nap up there side-by-side -- for no longer than half an hour at a time.  When the chimes went off every half-hour, those two birds would literally hit the ceiling, squawking and flapping like they were being attacked by a skunk.  They'd sulk around on the floor all outraged and fluffed up for a few minutes and then return to their perch -- until next time -- like clockwork, you might say.  Every half-hour the chimes were a complete surprise, and after every episode they'd set up for the rinse and repeat. 

[lucian]

They have very limber necks is why.  The question is -- why do they need to?

This.  The owl's head is so stuffed full of eyes that there is no room for eye muscles.


We had a lot of banties when I was growing up.  My sister named some of them.  Bad idea, since my sister gave them the same love she did the horses, and a brace of banties make a fair dinner.  Two were named Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.  Macbeth was an atypical rooster in that he didn't like most of the hens in the flock.  He had no problem with other roosters in the henhouse.  He did have a thing for Lady Macbeth though, and she returned his affection.  They were paired like geese instead of chickens, and as long as the other residents didn't mess with his lady, Bantytown was a happy place.  Mac and the missus liked to wander into the house and roost on the mantle clock, which sat between statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.  The birds would nap up there side-by-side -- for no longer than half an hour at a time.  When the chimes went off every half-hour, those two birds would literally hit the ceiling, squawking and flapping like they were being attacked by a skunk.  They'd sulk around on the floor all outraged and fluffed up for a few minutes and then return to their perch -- until next time -- like clockwork, you might say.  Every half-hour the chimes were a complete surprise, and after every episode they'd set up for the rinse and repeat.

One of these days I'll figure out which there to use.  their. or is it thayre, how bout thair?

[Huzo]

The "Southern Cross" is "in the same part of the sky" at midnight in June and in December, but it's not in the same place, and not in the same orientation.    In June, the "Southern Cross" is on one side of the South Celestial pole, oriented one way, and in December, it's on the other side of the South Celestial Pole oriented 180 degrees from its June position.   

It's like our "Little Dipper" that contains "Polaris".   You can see it every single night of the year, at any time, in "the same place", but not in the same orientation as it moves around the pole star ...

So it's not like it's not moving - it's close enough to the South Pole in the sky so that you can always see it and it never sets ....

Lannis

I can tell you know what you're talking about, but I'm a fair way from getting a grasp

[Lannis]

I can tell you know what you're talking about ....

STOP!   Leave it right there, don't say another word .... 

Lannis

[Huzo]

Recipe for tough game birds:

After cleaning and plucking or vice versa.  Have tomatoes, onions, garlic, potatoes in the portions that you want and at least one green papaya.  Clean and prep all veggies for cutting.  Chunk cut all veggies.  Chunk cut up fowl.  Place in pot.  Add veggies.  Add water to level of stuff in the pot.  Put cover on.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat to lowest setting and simmer.  Taste broth.  Add Salt & pepper to taste.  Let simmer for at least an hour.  The green papaya is used like a squash.  The papain in the papaya will tenderize the meat.  You could stuff all of the mess into a slow cooker.  Works for pork too.         Serve with green toss salad and your favorite carb.

Or...
Throw the prepared bird in the oven, put a brick on the lower shelf, when you can get a skewer in the brick, the bird is ready

[Huzo]

STOP!   Leave it right there, don't say another word .... 

Lannis

I might be making my mistake thinking that the spiral galaxy spins on an axis that is aligned with that of our solar system.
If not, then it's easier to start to understand.
Put simply, maybe the fact is that the axis through te sun is pointing towards the Southern Cross more so than not.

[Orange Guzzi]

I rolled over, looked at the clock, thought about this post and wondered why Humans  are the only one of God's creatures that worry about time.  I mean the dog or the cat could care less, just feed me and let me out to pee. 

[kirby1923]

I don't "worry" about time but maybe without time we wouldn't exist..no?

[Lannis]

I rolled over, looked at the clock, thought about this post and wondered why Humans  are the only one of God's creatures that worry about time.  I mean the dog or the cat could care less, just feed me and let me out to pee.

A dog's life would be great for some sorts of humans, I suppose.   Think about how simple it is.

"If you can't #### it or eat it, then pee on it and walk away."

Sound good to you?   Then go for it!   

Lannis

[Huzo]

I rolled over, looked at the clock, thought about this post and wondered why Humans  are the only one of God's creatures that worry about time.  I mean the dog or the cat could care less, just feed me and let me out to pee.

Okay here's one 'cos we're on this thread.
If the dog or cat were not able to care any less than they currently do...
Would it not be more correct to use the phrase..
"I mean the dog or the cat COULDN'T care less"..
If they COULD care less, then that would mean that they held some level of care...

[Chuck in Indiana]

Over time, the term "I couldn't care less" has been shortened to "I could care." <shrug>

[Sheepdog]

Americans love to customize things...the English language, for example.

[Huzo]

Americans love to customize things...the English language, for example.

Nothing wrong with that,other than it conveys the opposite meaning to the intended one.

[Lannis]

Americans love to customize things...the English language, for example.

Fo'shizzle!

[Tom]

Customize....lil 'dat....wot evahs brah!   

[Sasquatch Jim]

Why can an owl rotate its head almost 360 degrees?  Let's see if the owl cognoscenti know this one!

 It's that way so you can grab it by the head and rapidly swing it in a circle without breaking its' neck.
 Try it, I dare you.

[Bill Owens]

I have often wondered why when I fart I usually don't sheet my pants?

[Howard R]

I can tell you know what you're talking about, but I'm a fair way from getting a grasp

Hold your coffee mug in your left hand, straight out to the side.  Now, climb out of your left ear, walk along your arm, climb down into the coffee mug and look out the window in the bottom at your shoes.  Six months later, transfer the coffee mug to your right hand and hold it straight out again.  Climb out of the sun's right ear, walk along the arm, and down into the coffee mug earth to look out the same Australian window, and you can still see your shoes. 

When you look at the Southern Cross, you are essentially looking "down" in relation to the Earth's orbit around the sun.  You're not looking out radially along the plane of the orbit.
 
Does this help?

Howard

[hidn45]

Why can an owl rotate its head almost 360 degrees?  Let's see if the owl cognoscenti know this one!

Why? Because their eyes are both towards the front of their head for binocular vision, hence better depth perception, & as was mentioned, their eyes are fixed (no eye muscles).  How?  Their vertebrae pivot on one another at a single point rather than 2 points as ours do.  The cartilage (discs) are much thicker, relatively, & more flexible than in other types of animals.  Also, their arteries run along the centerline of the spine rather than at the sides as our carotids do, & they actually have backup arteries which continue to supply blood to the brain when their twisting shuts off blood flow in the main carotid arteries.  The actual range of motion for most owls, & many other raptors such as hawks & falcons, is about 270 degrees.

An owl's eye also has a larger retina relative to its ocular opening than the eye of most other animals, to accommodate more photoreceptive cells for night vision, creating a funnel shaped orbit.

Prolly more than anyone wanted to know.... sorry...

[Tom]

It's okay.  Some of us need the schooling.  Didn't know about the 2 pts. vs 1 in the vetebrae.   Thanks.

[oldbike54]

 "I want to fly ,
 like a ...Turkey?"

 Somehow that doesn't quite work 

 Dusty

[Huzo]

I have often wondered why when I fart I usually don't sheet my pants?

USUALLY ????!!!
But while we're pedalling toilet humour, that's an astute observation that has doubtless been the subject of "exhaustive" testing over the journey.
I've wondered that also..
How does your body know if the "arrival" is gaseous or solid, you'd think that pressure against the colon would be registered in the nerve endings and the signal would be sent to the brain and the old grey matter would be unable to distinguish between the two.
Clearly this is not how it is, in the vast majority of cases.
However I digress...
On this very topic, if you are in polite company and you feel the dreaded pressure and are not in a position to operate the valve, presuming that you have sufficient control to hold back the hectopascals, you will usually find that the impending disaster is avoided and the pressure goes away, but here's the question on everyone's " lips".
WHERE DOES THE PRESSURE GO ?
If the pressure back up in the system is less than the now thwarted expulsion, (as it would have to be to allow the gas to retreat backwards through the system), what was the force at play that initially drove the vile package toward the outward hatch in the first place.
A vexing question to say the least...
Also on the earlier topic of not being able to distinguish between gas and solid..
Next time you are in the appropriate place conducting a normal ablution, take a small note pad with you and see if you can guess which is which and keep a note of your level of success.
I'm guessing it'll be a 50/50 thing, so the concious mind cannot distinguish between the two, yet the earlier example of correct etiquette surrounding such near disasters,  suggests the subconscious can.
Just a thought...

[lucian]

I knew this would come full circle back to soap eventually.

[Huzo]

I knew this would come full circle back to soap eventually.

Sort of Monty Pythonesque..
Also, depending on your level of skill, soap may or may not be required.
One of the better threads going around at the moment I'd suggest.

[lucian]

No pic's PLEASE

[Huzo]

Hold your coffee mug in your left hand, straight out to the side.  Now, climb out of your left ear, walk along your arm, climb down into the coffee mug and look out the window in the bottom at your shoes.  Six months later, transfer the coffee mug to your right hand and hold it straight out again.  Climb out of the sun's right ear, walk along the arm, and down into the coffee mug earth to look out the same Australian window, and you can still see your shoes. 

When you look at the Southern Cross, you are essentially looking "down" in relation to the Earth's orbit around the sun.  You're not looking out radially along the plane of the orbit.
 
Does this help?

Howard

Ok Howard.
I can't claim to have walked out into a beam of enlightenment, but yes, that opens a bit of a door for me thank you very much.
So the axis of rotation is biased toward the SC as it were, if I'm understanding your explanation.
I love this stuff...

[Huzo]

No pic's PLEASE

I've lost my mirror, but my Go Pro is on the charger.
Now if I could just find a pen...