AE's blog
Lions and Tigers and Bea^H^H^H, oh my!
Or should I say, "Ligers and Tigons, Oh my!"
Apparently, when Lions and Tigers breed (this is not likely in nature, as the two species are native to different habitats), you get a lion-like cat with stripes (and spots).
The following from Wikipedia:
The liger is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger. It looks like a giant lion, with diffused tiger stripes. Like tigers (and unlike lions), ligers like swimming.
Ligers grow much larger than tigers or lions. This is because female lions and male tigers transmit a growth-inhibiting gene to their descendants. Being the offspring of a male lion and female tiger, the liger does not have the growth-inhibiting gene and grows much more (as explained on a BBC program).
A cross between a male tiger and female lion is called a tigon.
I was just as surprised as you are.
For more information on Ligers, visit the Sierra Safari Zoo, and here's a rough idea of their size.
About Lanyards
Lanyards have come up in two completely unrelated conversations today - it must be a sign that I should blog about them.
I phoned my good friend Lyndith (it's her birthday today) and here's snippet from that conversation:
Lyndith: Guess what I got when I got back in Cape Town!
AE: A picture?
Lyndith: A Lanyard!
AE: Oh cool! They're usefull little things
Lyndith: They are! You can find your keys in your handbag
AE: Amongst other things
Lyndith: um...That's what I said...You can find your keys in your handbag amongst other things in your handbag
I love lanyards - I love them more while strutting through a mall. It's a statement really - one that says "I-know-where-my-keys-are-do-you?". You can almost feel the people patting at their pockets or glancing into their bags just as they passed you. It helps if yours is bright yellow like mine, though.
If you don't have a lanyard...get one - they're not cool until you do (not completely unlike pocket protectors, only lanyards doesn't get you beaten up by the big kids).
Author's note: The comments posted to the original of this article has been recovered despite (what I've come to refer to as) "the incident". Included here for posterity
Mine's yellow
Submitted by AnonoLewser on Fri, 2004/07/23 - 1:42pm.
Mine is from Ferrari
A tribute to Open Source
A Magic 8-ball is just a toy...or is it? The following happened in my office yesterday:
Muggie: Should Martin be using Evolution? *shakes Magic 8-ball*
Magic 8-ball: Oulook not so good
It all depends on your interpretations of the answers I guess ;)
The Incredible Laser
If you thought 20 Questions was a good time killer, try out This funky little game. Very similar in concept to "The Incredible Machine" aka "TIM".
Ãœber tip of the day: Write down the level passwords, they get trickier and trickier.
Someone Dropped the Sun
...'cos there seems to be a dead pixel..
But seriously: Today, Venus' path crosses between us and the sun - A feeble attempt to eclipse our sol, but a bold statement regardless.
Go Venus! :)
Update:
Here's an image created by my friend, neighbour AND colleague, Philip, capturing the transit of Venus as seen from where I live. Good work Phil! This is stunning :D
Shibumi
I finished reading Trevanian's "Shibumi" last week and I'm left speechless..
After closing the book, I sat upright in the glow of my bed-light, pondering if I could muster the English worthy of such a masterpiece...If I could fulfill my promise...
Trevanian's seemingly haphazard time-line, paints a perfectly linear tale that for all intents and purposes, feels exactly like a screenplay...yet turning this work into a movie would be a tragedy - for so much of what I can only describe as poetry, would be lost. I found myself re-reading several paragraphs to fully digest all the subtleties.
The lead character, Nicholai Hel, is everything James Bond wishes he could be, yet uttering that statement rings like an insult to who Nikki is. A man of Shibumi..
What would a review worth it's salt be without some form of negative; Trevanian tends to repeat certain concepts on occasion, which I found a touch annoying, but I'm certain it was merely done to drive some essential points home to slower readers.
I have not read it's equal, and I fear never finding anything good enough to read ever again. A bold statement from someone who doesn't even like political thrillers..
All Dressed Up and No Vertigo
It's towel day today and not surprisingly, I'm the only one with a towel. :(
I'll never forget you Douglas Adams!
My Roots and My Future
It's been a while since I had such a rough all-nighter, yet there's something about the small hours of the morning that stirs some slumbering memories or highlights some lingering thoughts that one tends to forget during the cold rushing of a normal business day. This post is an example of the stranger routes the mind takes when it's been overtaxed.
Warning: This is just one looooong rambling with no real point