Youngsters are always biting off more than they can chew ...

Our intrepid adventurer finds that getting down isn't

quite as straightforward as getting up ...

... much to the amusement of more seasoned aerialists.

Might take a bit to live this one down.

Karma isn't the most graceful feline in the pride, 

but what he lacks in technique he makes up for in personality.

:)

How to Bug your Cat ( Part 2 ).

Interrupt her bath ...



Genetically Modified Animals.

In recent years, as the science of bio-engineering expands, there have been an increasing number of questionable and disturbing projects involving genetically modified animals ( and plants, of course, although for the purpose of this entry I’ll focus on the critters ).

In 2007, scientists created human-sheep chimeras - sheep that have 15% human cells and 85% sheep cells. The modified sheep are, ultimately, to be re-purposed as organ donors.

This, in my opinion, is wrong on so many ethical and moral levels.

Then we have the eerie glow-in-the-dark mice, who have had bioluminescent jellyfish genes spliced into their DNA so that their skin glows green under ultraviolet light. If you’re one of those emotionally fragile females who swoon at the sight of wee rodents, this should give you plenty of fodder for some truly epic nightmares...

... and recently it’s been discovered that spotted salamanders have algae living symbiotically within their cells, which has sparked the interest of scientists who posit the possibility of a future version of our species that may be able to breathe underwater if they can figure out how to Frankenstein a photosynthetic Homo Sapiens.

It’s a strange new world.

However, despite my many misgivings about the advisability of messing with nature, there IS one genetically modified beast that I would welcome with open arms. THE TRANSPARENT CAT. Think of it ... no more issues when you want to read a newspaper or book, an end to irritating interruptions at the computer ... truly an idea whose time is overdue!

Care for a cup of Cat-Poop Coffee?

Poor Katie. No, puss, we haven't been raiding your litterbox. 

I'm refering to a variety of coffee that I recently heard about, coffee that has been "processed" in a somewhat unusual manner ... it's called Kopi Luwak, or more informally, Cat Poop Coffee.

In Indonesia there live small cat-like mammals called palm civets, which have an inordinate fondness for ( but sadly, an inability to completely digest ) coffee cherries. The civets pass the mostly undigested beans in their stools, which are then collected ( shudder ), washed, and lightly roasted to produce the world's most expensive coffee. Apparently the digestive enzymes break down the proteins in the beans, resulting in a uniquely smooth brew highly coveted by connoisseurs. Obviously, the nature of the process by which this coffee is produced means that mass production is unlikely any time in the future, and if you're ever feeling adventurous enough to sample it expect to pay about $500.00 a pound for the beans, or around $25.00 a cup.

Sounds yummy, doesn't it? Bet you just can't wait to shell out a week's wages for a bag of beans to impress your special guests with.

Personally, I prefer my coffee decrapenated, thank you very much; or better yet, I think I'll just stick to tea!

;)

Joys of the season.

It's that time of year again ... the days are getting shorter, the temperature is dropping, and my metabolism has begun the inevitable slow decline that late Fall/Winter invariably brings.
An insidious lethargy sets in. Crawling out of bed is like trying to escape the grasp of quicksand, and I find myself stumbling through the day in a kind of grumpy daze.
Then there's the weight gain - the winter insulation that seems to creep up on me when my back's turned. Every year, five or six pounds that appear in Nov. or Dec., that I carry around until Spring, when without any effort on my part they melt away like snowbanks in the sun.
It would be annoying if I could muster the energy to be pissed about it.
I suppose it's a classic case of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I've got to remember to use my full-spectrum lamp, try to get outdoors and go for a walk, force myself to ignore the sirensong of carbohydrates.
Bah humbug.
I must have been a bear in a previous incarnation ... it would explain this residual instinct to hibernate.

How cats amuse themselves on rainy days.