Parakeet demands tax refund

It's a long-standing tradition in the media to come out with stupid tax stories around April 15. Here's one from 1955.

Jo-Jo Kay the parakeet was paid $615 a year by the Kay Jewelry chain to go around to their stores and say the phrase "It's Okay to owe Kay." Of this money, $20.50 went to income tax and $12.30 to Social Security. However, Jo-Jo claimed $25 in deductible travel expenses and $1 in charitable contributions (given to the zoo). This dropped his total income to $589, which was less than the $600 personal exemption. So Jo-Jo asked for a refund.

The IRS responded by pointing out that Kay Jewelry wasn't paying Jo-Jo the minimum wage, which meant they were liable to have their property (including Jo-Jo) seized as a penalty.

The picture shows Jo-Jo standing on the head of Internal Revenue Commissioner T. Coleman Andrews. [Milwaukee Sentinel — Jun 24, 1955]

Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 10, 2013 - Comments (4)
Category: Animals, Government, Money, 1950s

Ferret Out The Truth

If you travel to Argentina here's a tip for you, do not buy any cheap toy poodle puppies. They are ferrets on steroids with fluffy hairdos.

Posted By: Alex - Sun Apr 07, 2013 - Comments (8)
Category: Animals

Simultaneous discovery of sheep poetry?

In science, the phenomenon of simultaneous discovery, or "multiple independent discovery," is well known. The term describes how two or more researchers often independently discover the same idea, at around the same time. For instance, both Newton and Leibniz came up with the idea of calculus in the late 17th century, and both Darwin and Wallace developed the concept of evolution by natural selection in the mid-19th century.

An example of this phenomenon might have recently occurred in the field of sheep poetry. Though whether it's simultaneous discovery or idea theft depends on whom you believe.

In 2002, Valerie Laws came up with the concept of "Quantum Sheep" or "haik-ewe." Her idea was to spray paint a different word on the backs of 15 sheep, and then watch them as they grazed in a field to see what poems would they would form. Then, last year, artist Alison Cooper came up with the same idea, though she called it "Write to Roam."

Cooper insists she was completely unaware of Laws' previous work, but Laws thinks it's more likely Cooper stole her idea, either consciously or subconsciously. Who to believe? Perhaps someone should ask the sheep what they think. [journallive.co.uk]

Posted By: Alex - Fri Apr 05, 2013 - Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Poetry

False Alarm

Residents of a Brockville, Ontario apartment building called the police when they heard someone repeatedly calling for help. The police arrived, heard the cries also, and soon located the apartment where they were coming from. They forcibly opened the door, looked inside, and saw a parrot loudly repeating the word "help" over and over again. The parrot wasn't actually in need of assistance. [Calgary Herald]

Posted By: Alex - Thu Apr 04, 2013 - Comments (7)
Category: Animals

Happy Easter 2013!

Personally, I think it's weird that we can peek at our ancestors from nearly 85 years ago. Be sure to catch the sylph-like dancing starting around the four-minute mark.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 31, 2013 - Comments (4)
Category: Animals, Holidays, Easter, Movies, 1920s

Henri Gugelmann’s Rat Circus

In 1979, when Henri Gugelmann debuted his "rat circus" in downtown Bern, he claimed it was the first of its kind in the world. And maybe it was also the last, because I don't know where one would go today to see performing rats.

His trained rats jumped over ropes, ran through burning rings, and crawled along in a "rat race" while Gugelmann, dressed as a clown, directed the show. That sounds like quality entertainment! [Google News: Victoria Advocate, Aug 9, 1979]

Posted By: Alex - Sat Mar 30, 2013 - Comments (9)
Category: Animals, Clowns, 1970s

FREE Trip to Ireland—Dog gone!!

Don't you hate it when you put your dog on a flight to Phoenix --



and he lands in Ireland.

Not even time to see the sights -- he gets sent back. Thanks United!!

Here's the link!!

http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/united-airlines-accidentally-sends-dog-ireland-instead-phoenix-1C8930021

Posted By: gdanea - Mon Mar 18, 2013 - Comments (2)
Category: Animals

Interstate Poultry School

"Interstate poultry husbandry?" That could get you ten to twenty years in prison nowadays!

Original ad here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 17, 2013 - Comments (6)
Category: Agriculture, Animals, Education, 1920s

Doomed

Doomed: a biological cartoon! from El Señor Studio on Vimeo.

Over one year ago, I posted a one-minute snippet from this great cartoon. Now, here's the whole ten-minute version.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Mar 13, 2013 - Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Freaks, Oddities, Quirks of Nature, Humor, Cartoons

Do Androids Dream of Electric Milkshakes?

Original page here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 10, 2013 - Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Puppets and Automatons, 1930s