Category:
Animals
Animals
Tongue Jutting
The FiveThirtyEight blog noted the frequency with which McCain stuck out his tongue during last Friday's debate. The behavior is known as "tongue jutting." It's a well-known "tell" that professional interrogators and poker players look for. According to retired FBI agent Joe Navarro, this is what it means:Tongue-jutting behavior is a gesture used by people who think they have gotten away with something or are “caught” doing something... This behavior has several meanings – depending on specific situations – but is usually associated with one of these: I got caught (taking candy from a drawer), gleeful excitement (look at what I just did, Mom), I got away with something (and I didn’t get caught), I did something foolish, or I am naughty.
I'll add that tongue jutting (or tongue protrusion) is also a behavior often seen in the animal world. Reptologists have developed the "tongue flick attack score" which is "a common method for quantifying predatory behavior in squamate reptiles." A higher score (i.e. more tongue flicks) indicates a greater predatory response.
Tongue protrusion is also a form of sociosexual behavior that has been observed in nocturnal Owl Monkeys. It is part of a range of mating behavior that includes lip-smacking, squinting, partner-marking, and urine-drinking.
So the question is, was McCain's tongue jutting more reptilian or primate? i.e. was it more predatory in nature, or sociosexual? I'll leave that to you readers to decide.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Oct 01, 2008 -
Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Psychology
Fecal Scoring System
Don't you wish that the Purina pet food company would issue a handy chart by which to grade your dog's poop? Well, your wish has come true!Visit the hidden portion of this post, if you have a high tolerance for pictures of dog poop.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 25, 2008 -
Comments (21)
Category: Animals, Pets, Dogs, Scatology, Excrement
Pig Farms
Sure, we all love bacon! But who wants to live next to a pig farm? Not these folks in Massachusetts, who, according to today's Boston Globe (registration required), suffer smells like those "at the bottom of a dumpster." But this new Congressional report finds the EPA ready to relax their rules for such farms.
Here's an article about a manure lagoon spill in 2005 that released 3 million gallons of pig poop!
Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 24, 2008 -
Comments (12)
Category: Agriculture, Animals, Bathrooms, Disasters, Food, Scatology, Lawsuits, Excrement
Bacon Bloody Marys
Well, what about Bacon Bloody Marys?
For some reason I am reminded of Lisa Simpson asking Bart to please stop stirring his lemonade with a sausage.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 23, 2008 -
Comments (13)
Category: Animals, Fads, Food, Inebriation and Intoxicants
Fainting Goats
Having previously posted about talking goats, I'm now moving on to fainting goats. Enjoy!
Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 23, 2008 -
Comments (7)
Category: Animals
Follies of the Mad Men #29
Chick Chick and Presto Rabbit are the stuff of nightmares! Any child would surely run screaming from these hideous mascots. Note that the company that makes these kits is "Fred Fear"!!!
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 22, 2008 -
Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Business, Advertising, Holidays, 1950s
Tiger Trouble
I first learned of the reign of man-eating tigers here ten years ago, watching this series of PBS's NATURE show. One episode revealed how the natives had to wear human face masks on the backs of their heads to avoid tigers pouncing on them and eating them. (It was not a totally successful tactic.) I believe this bit later showed up in the wonderful Calvin and Hobbes strip, with Calvin trying the same tactic to avoid Hobbes's attacks.
This photographer, who goes by the handle of Jimbojack, has some wonderful photos of the region for you to look at.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 21, 2008 -
Comments (5)
Category: Animals, Death, Regionalism, Television, India
Life Imitates Cheesy Science Fiction Film
As we learn in this article from today's New York Times, conditions in hurricane-wracked Galveston, Texas, have begun to approach the scenario depicted in the latest remake of I AM LEGEND.As crews hacked away at downed trees and replaced blown-out transformers and cut lines, state and local officials contended with a plethora of other problems, among them a tiger on the loose.
James D. Yarbrough, the Galveston County judge, said a pet tiger, well known to locals, had escaped during the storm and was wandering the ruins of houses on Bolivar Peninsula. “I understand he’s hungry, so we are staying away from him,” Mr. Yarbrough said.
You'll see Will Smith's similar encounter at approximately the one-minute mark in the trailer below.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 17, 2008 -
Comments (13)
Category: Animals, Armageddon and Apocalypses, Death, Disasters, Guns, Movies, Nature, Pets, Dogs, Science Fiction, Actors
An Extraordinary Escape
Hmm. I vote it's fake. There are too many pixellated patches, suggesting someone has been erased.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 17, 2008 -
Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Video
Ruth Grace Moulon, RIP
Ruthie the Duck Girl was a New Orleans character famed for her pet ducks. You can read her history at the intriguing site known as ECCENTRIC NEW ORLEANS, and then read her LOS ANGELES TIMES obituary here.
A documentary was made about her, and shown on WYES TV, but I can't find any online video of it.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 16, 2008 -
Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Celebrities, Death, Obituaries, Eccentrics, Pets, Regionalism
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |