I have been reading Mutts by Patrick McDonnell for a long time now and his strips can make me laugh so hard and cry just as much. Patrick juggles between charming humor and serious, environmental issues. His big heart cares a lot for all the animals in shelters. And here comes my point...

Why does all these animals end up in shelters? Does people really not care for them after a little while as their owner. I was really surprised and disappointed the time i worked as a volunteer in a dog shelter. People just threw their dogs out when they were tired of them...and didn´t care at all what happened. And the worst time of the year was around christmas. That makes no sense! In Norway you can´t get dogs in pet-shops but it´s still too easy to get one. Cats get thrown after you for free so they really have no value in peoples minds or hearts. A friend of mine has adopted two cats that had a rough life to begin with. There is not enough room for all the cats in the cat shelter so when you help one cat, you really help two...the cat you took home to take care of and a cat waiting in line.

So please think before getting a pet. Every pet needs love, attention, food, exercise and so on just as much as any human. They may live longer than you expect them to. And any cute little puppy, kitty, bunny-rabbit grows up to be an adult dog, cat or rabbit. If you´re not planning on breeding, nurture your pets!!

Whales turn out to be masters of bubble management, comparable to the proper serving of fizzy drinks, such as soda and beer.

Lead author Brian Beatty explained to Discovery News that "whale blood vessels themselves are extremely smooth-walled, preventing cavitation (bubble formation), much in the same way that bubbles in a beer have a harder time forming on the walls of a glass than a plastic cup, which is why the bubbles last longer in a glass, making the beer taste better."

"Bubbles carry odor to your nose, where much of the taste is (registered)," added Beatty, an assistant professor of anatomy at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine.

He and coauthor Bruce Rothschild analyzed vertebrae from 331 modern and 996 ancient fossil whales housed at museums and universities across the United States. They subjected the whalebones to standard X-rays and fluoroscopy, a process that allows for real-time video images, in order to detect bone damage linked to the bends.

Beatty explained that pressure changes can "cause a bit of fat or gas to form an embolism in a blood vessel" and that, in turn, can be a literal bone buster, since the blood vessels "have little room to expand within the bone."

The researchers discovered that toothed whales, a group that includes killer, sperm and beaked whales, along with dolphins, likely would have suffered from the bends some 32 million years ago, while another whale group known as the mysticetes would have got the bends some 22 million years ago.

The mysticetes include humpback, blue, gray and other whales that have baleens, or rows of plates that look like giant combs. These allow for filter feeding and are used instead of teeth.

The findings, which have been accepted for publication in the journal, Naturwissenschaften, have multiple implications that could change current views on whale evolution.

My work life is exploding this week -- something major is happening in every area of my beat. As if the farm bill weren't enough, we've got major breaking news on fish and endangered species too. Geepers!

I am also, apparently, having some stress-related health problems. yippee. More on that later. So, I am trying to remember that the world is a bigger place than my cube. There is a God in heaven above and much to rejoice over. For instance, ribbon seals. Hello, have you ever seen a picture of one? Lookit above. What a cool animal!

I will be  human again in a week or so.

Just do yourself a favor and don't eat at KFC, I know that crispy chicken is good, but you have no idea what's in that grease.....well maybe now you do.

There are days when Miss Gina Chinchilla comes barrelling out of her cage to play. Then there are other days she wants a sniff of my hand, a little love pat and then to be left to rearrange her cage. Today, was her day to stay in. I do not force her to come out on those days she is not in the mood. I try to follow her cues because I feel less stress for her is better. As you can see, I have tried to fill her cage with a variety of things to chew, fresh hay and quality feed. I rearrange her cage often to prevent boredom and provide adequate dust baths. And while it may be my imagination, I do believe her fur is growing back. Granted, this is not the best photo today, since it only shows part of her hind quarter where she chews. But, I believe you can see her fur is not chewed as badly on the upper part of her side as the previous photo. I am afraid to get my hopes up at this point, but do find a little glimmer to grab on to for now. I realize chewing can be a cycle, it can start again as quick as it stops. All I can do is continue to provide the best for our little furry friend.

Scientists in Louisiana are reporting development and successful testing of a new cost-effective system to kill unwanted plants and animals that hitch a ride to the United States in the ballast water of merchant ships. These so-called "invasive species," such as the notorious zebra mussel, devastate native organisms and infrastructure and cost taxpayers billions of dollars annually.

In the study, Dorin Boldor and colleagues point out that invasive species often travel in ballast tanks of international cargo ships. Ships pump sea water into these tanks for stability when a vessel leaves port with little or no cargo. They dump the water at their destination -- along with zebra mussels, Asian clams and other organisms that may pose environmental risks.

Click here for the full article.

An Antarctic fur seal has been caught on camera trying to have sex with a penguin.

This seems to be the first known example of a sexual escapade between a mammal and another kind of vertebrate such as a bird, reptile or fish, "although some mammals are known to have attempted sexual relief with inanimate — including dead things — objects," said researcher Nico de Bruyn, a mammal ecologist at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

One summer morning, scientists observing elephant seals on a beach on Marion Island near the Antarctic spotted a young male Antarctic fur seal subduing a king penguin.

"At first we thought it was hunting the penguin, but then it became clear that his intentions were rather more amorous," de Bruyn recalled Monday via e-mail.

Click here for the full article.

Cameron Fritzson, 20, was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, then Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami with second- and third-degree burns to his upper extremities, police said. He was listed in critical, but stable condition later Monday night.

Fritzon climbed a 10-foot fence surrounding a Florida Power & Light substation near Sheridan Street and University Drive shortly before 4 p.m, police said.

Authorities say he then tried to scale the electrical tower where his arm brushed against a transformer. He fell 20 feet. Police believe Fritzon may have been trying to collect the parakeet eggs to sell at a pet store.

Investigations continue into the cause of a mysterious illness that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of bats since March 2008. At more than 25 caves and mines in the northeastern U.S., bats exhibiting a condition now referred to as "white-nosed syndrome" have been dying.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently issued a Wildlife Health Bulletin, advising wildlife and conservation officials throughout the U.S. to be on the lookout for the condition known as "white-nose syndrome" and to report suspected cases of the disease.

USGS wildlife disease specialist Dr. Kimberli Miller advises that "anyone finding sick or dead bats should avoid handling them and should contact their state wildlife conservation agency or the nearest U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service field office to report their observation."

Click here for the full article.

I looked up and, just barely visible by the light of the streetlamps, was a colony of bats overhead. I had to laugh, even as I covered my head and ran across the street the rest of the way home. Bats are funny.

I've been communing with animals a lot lately. On Friday morning, there was a dead bird outside our office building. It probably flew into a window. It looked so sad, on its back with its little legs up in the air. It was almost cartoon-like. I kept imagining it with little Xs over its eyes and its tongue hanging limply out of the side of its beak. Also, I had to kill two spiders this morning. One was huge and in my bathtub. I'm aware of the irony, that a little dead bird can make me sad while I won't blink twice before drowning a defenseless spider or eating a hamburger for dinner. I'm just full of contradictions. Don't try to predict me.

We saw these guys on Sunday.  The baby rabbit was running through our yard eating our grass while the squirrel was in our gutters eating the leaves/seeds from the trees.  I just wish they would eat all the grass/leaves so I wouldn't have to do yard work.

I wish I had a picture of Jackson (The Cat)  he was going crazy staring out the sliding door.  He was jumping up trying to get the animals.  I also through them a few Reese's Pieces but they didn't take the bait.

Probably we never will know such answer, but I revel in the love God had for us humans when he created the remarkable animal kingdom. What joy these beings give to us. I bring you three exception specimens today. Take a look--and a listen.

From the Daily Mail

His name is Chilli and he's described as a gentle giant.

Which is just as well for his handler, Tara Nirula, pictured by his side.

His owners have contacted the Guinness Book of Records who are currently assessing his credentials and comparing them to other big bovines.

The black and white Friesian bullock weighs well over a ton and at the same height as a small elephant, casts a shadow over his cattle companions who are about 5ft.

More information about this spectacular animal is here.

• Download the audio here

You just must watch this monkey here. He works in a bar...(heaven, help us all. :)  )

This I Believe, Inc. - This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief, written by people from all walks of life, are archived here and featured on public radio in the United States and Canada, as well as in regular broadcasts on NPR. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

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Caryn sent me these pics of Panda babies in my email this morning...

A car passes by and they show the card to the driver. The driver laughs at them, insults them and keeps on going. A moment later, there's a loud crash beyond the curve, followed by a great silence.

One of the priests says to the other:
- Maybe we should change the card and just write 'The Bridge has Fallen', no?

Photo by Erik Reis
(www.olhares.com/erik)

*

• Andrew Bird
• Elefant
• Foals
• Frightened Rabbit
• Grizzly Bear
• New Buffalo
• The Redlands Palomino Co.
• Swan Lake
• The Unicorns
• Wolf Parade

And those are just the bands I have on my iPod.  I wholeheartedly recommend all of them, especially Frightened Rabbit, who I got into only recently.  Their most recent album, The Midnight Organ Fight, is my favorite album of the year so far, which says something.  I have one of their songs on my muxtape, so give it a listen.  You'll be glad you did.

Photo by Raphael, O Pensativo
(www.olhares.com/manraphael)

Photo by Paulo Madeira
(www.olhares.com/moss)
(www.paulomadeira.net)

Photo by Pedro N.S. Costa
(www.olhares.com/costix)

Photo by David Sousa
(www.olhares.com/davidsousa)