Not Reccommended...Trying to pick up a beaver for a photo op!

A fisherman was killed in Belarus when he spotted a beaver on the side of the rode. He was with friends and they stopped the car for him to take a picture with it. Apparently beavers have become very aggressive over the last couple years (maybe they always have been) and it fought back biting him in several places. It severed an artery in his leg and he bled. It was apparently the first beaver death in Belarus!

Beaver Kills Fisherman

This reminds of my friend fighting over a tree limb in the woods...at night...with what we are pretty sure was a beaver (alcohol may or may not have been involved). After laughing hysterically in the car for like 5 minutes I finally yelled at him to stop before he lost a nipple. We live in Louisiana so it probably wouldn't have been to out of the ordinary. Oh if only I had my camera with me! It still makes me laugh to remember him playing tug of war over a tree limb in the dark with the only light coming from my headlights. What happens in the woods doesn't always stay in the wood because this was a hilarious story. I may have to draw a picture at some point.

Hippos Scare the Poopoo Out of Me!

The Guardian posted an article last week about a guide recount of being swallowed by a hippo! Yes I said swallowed! He had 40 punctures wounds from the hippo chewing on him. Doctors thought he would lose both arms and part of one leg. Luckily (I don't even know if this is the right term) he only lost part of one arm!

Experience: I was swallowed by a hippo

Ah honey, honey

'Honey Laundering'

"Food-safety experts have found that much of the honey sold in the United States isn't actually honey, but a concoction of corn or rice syrup, malt sweeteners or "jiggery" (cheap, unrefined sugar), plus a small amount of genuine honey, according to Wired UK." Mother Nature Network

Yet another reason to buy local!

Affecting Your Taxes

I am not very happy about the taxes right now. While mine did not really go up this year (i.e. I don't make enough money to be affected) the hold up with Federal and State refunds is ridiculous this year! I am still waiting on my state return even though I filed over 6 weeks ago! My Federal return was quick if you don't count the 4 week delay in filing!

The Wall Street Journal had a piece on how the taxes could affect people. I am not sure who these people are they are referring to because I sure am not making $260,000 as a single mother! If I was I think I could suck up the $3,356 increase I might see. I was informed by a co-worker that I was correct in that it doesn't represent the majority of taxpayers in the US, but this is representing the average taxpayer that reads the WSJ. I tried to suggest that maybe I need to start reading the WSJ if I want to start making $260,000! He told me it wouldn't help. The image below is from their article.

I'm on your team. Be on my team.

A Pep Talk

Three Wooden Crosses

I was flipping through my channels one night and caught Randy Travis and The Avett Brothers singing this on CMT Crossroads. I love Randy Travis (even with all his many, many troubles lately) and this made song made me instantly fall in the love with The Avett Brothers. Update: The page was still up after I posted this in a seperate tab and I listened to a couple of the other videos from the show and they are all awesome!

Tampon vs Mooncup Rap Battle

Those Brits are so silly! White girls with British accents battling over Tampons and Mooncups is possibly the most hardcore rap video I have seen in awhile. It is also very educational!

Seen on The Frisky

Giant Squid

I know I am a little late posting about this, but I guess this is the first video I watched that explained it well. The comparison of the squid to a school bus is pretty impressive. The technology and the fact that is the first one that they have EVER see in the ocean moving is amazing!

If the world stopped buying ivory...

maybe this would stop elephant poaching! If there was no demand maybe these animals lives would not be killed so that their tusks could be cut from their carcass and sold on the black market. I know this is a very narrow view and there are a variety of factors affecting this situation, but I think a case of supply and demand. I can't think off the top of my head of any special need for ivory. It is not used to save lives or stop wars!

Kenyan Rangers hunt for Poachers who Killed 11 Elephants for Ivory

Big Maple Syrup Heist

In $18 Million Theft, Victim Was a Canadian Maple Syrup Cartel

This may be the strangest story of the year! Thieves stole $18 million worth of maple syrup from the  Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers warehouses. Yes there is a Federation for Maple Syrup Producers! I just learned more about maple syrup reserves than I ever needed to know, but it was still a funny story.

Romney Face Tattoo Regrets

I heart Anderson Cooper and this guy is a little kookie. What is strange is that no one mentions the PINK SCRUNCHIE he uses to hold his hair back! WTH! It also is apparently the only one he has because he seems to be using it at different times. Romney Face Tattoo Guy you crack me up!

Could it be...Atlantis?

Scientists undiscover an island.

"(CNN) -- An international scientific expedition has revealed a South Pacific island roughly the size of Manhattan and clearly marked on online maps and marine charts does not, in fact, exist."

What is That Strange Smell in My Fridge?

I was having a discussion at lunch today with a friend about how long lunch meat is good in the fridge. He though a month and I was like 5 days max. Turns out I was right and it is surprising he hasn't died of some strange food borne illness yet! This handy little image above shares information I think everyone should know. Like I didn't know Mayo was only good for 2 months in the fridge and Bacon was only good for 1 month in the freezer!

I heart Anderson Cooper!

Girls striking back with a tap from a pussy willow branch is apparently what knocked him over the edge! I have no idea why he would find that so funny?!

Riverdance is Back!

Don't Follow the Leaders

Sometimes I am a little behind on things. Today I joined Tumblr after looking at the Dog Shaming posts on B's phone over the weekend and discovered a whole new world! They have a whole section on Typography which is Freaking Awesome! Makes me want to learn how to hand letter some of these awesome types. Below is a video on hand lettering the lyrics to a Bob Dylan song. It is also awesome! Don't ask me why I keep saying awesome like it is 1986.

Bob Dylan Subterranean Homesick Blues - A HAND LETTERING EXPERIENCE from Leandro Senna on Vimeo.

Strange, Strange World: Romney Video

I saw this video at the end of an article on the Colorlines website about the Romney's housekeepers. She is seen in the video for about 2 seconds and the article is about why she is not introduced. Apparently, there has been some articles about what they pay there housekeepers in the past. I don't really follow politics so have no idea this was going on. She is in the video for like 2 seconds. If it was me I would probably rather not be mentioned in their strange "humanizing" video. The video just jumps from one topic to another, most of the times not explaining the background of different events. The first part of the video jumps from fireworks and interviews with Olympic athletes to the September 11 to the Salt Lake City Olympics. It made vague references to his involvement with the Olympics which I didn't know anything about and truthfully was to disinterested to look into it more. A friend explained his involvement when I mentioned the strange video to her and it even interested me even less. The video spends 10 minutes jumping from one thing to another trying to highlight how he is going to save America I guess. It just seemed to me like Mitt Romney propaganda. It is 10 minutes of my life I will never get back.

Annoying the Neighbors

I love how she reads the letter! She seems to take notes from strange people as well as I do.

Loose Interpretation of Gang Members

The A.V. Club has an article Strange Times at the 2012 Gathering of the Juggalos by Nathan Rabin that was posted yesterday. I have heard of Insane Clown Posse and have heard of The Gathering which is their annual festival, but I can't say I have ever listened to any of there music.  The most interesting part of the article for me was when they mentioned that several states and some law enforcement agencies are loosely considering Juggalos (ICP fans) a gang! I then felt the need to watch the video that was shown in the article which was a few years old and talked about some of the violent crimes that fans had committed. Because some of the weapons were similar to what was mentioned in the songs now law enforcement officials think the band's music is reponsible. The interview is pretty funny because one of the band members totally calls the interviewer out for sounding all "smart as a ..."! These guys don't sound stupid and obviously they are smart enough to continue making money after decades. The band members point out the ridiculousness of saying these crimes were committed because of there music.  The interview almost sounds like at one point that he is saying that fans are just trying to commit the same crimes as the band members. I do not really keep up with this band but I think I would have heard if they had killed people with hatchets! To imply that fans of there music are gang members because some have committed crimes would be like saying all Christians are gang members because a few have blown up abortion clinics or committed horrible crimes!

Let's Go!

 Narwhals ARE the Unicorns of the ocean! Apparently Greenpeace and Yes Man created a website called ArcticReady that features images from the Arctic with captions relating to the proposed drilling. I don't know if it is real or imagined that Shell has taken offense to this.  The first time I heard about it was because Shell supposedly called it a "scam". I am not a lawyer so I don't know what is legal and what is not. I would imagine that using their logo and their name on the site and images is probably not the most legal! In my opinion they probably could have made some type of parody of the logo and name and still have gotten their point across and maybe have covered their behinds a little bit! Shell is saying they are worried that "people are being deceived".  Who and how are they being deceived? Is the deceit that arctic drilling is bad or that people may think this page was made by them? Who would really thinks that Shell made this page?! Are they being vague because they think drilling in the arctic is really not that bad?!

Below are some of my favorite images-