Ferocious little animals (2) Dec 17, 2007
Two animals I learned about on the Montana trip 4 months ago (better late than never):  Badgers and wolverines. 
[Image: badgerwolverine.jpg]
Both are members of the weasel family, are carnivores, and are described as "fiercely territorial".  Badgers are about the size of large, stocky cats, growing to be about 2 feet long, weighing 15 lbs, and located in the northwestern part of the country.  Wolverines are about the size of medium dogs, growing to be about 3 feet long, weighing 50 lbs, and located in the Rocky Mountains and other cold areas.  Contrary to what I had thought, the wolverine is an actual animal, not just a comic book character.  And badgers aren't cute, cuddly animals that want to be your friend.  I learned this from a guide book, not personal experience. #nature
Source of happiness (3) Dec 17, 2007
I'm doubtful of people who claim that [fill in the blank] has finally made them happy.  I was just talking to a guy a few weeks ago who said he's finally happy now that he has a girlfriend.  It made me cringe. 

If you're basing your happiness on something that's absolutely guaranteed to change, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.  Things like relationships are guaranteed to change.  People change.  Feelings change.  Circumstances change.  It's not to say you can't be happy with your mate throughout your entire lifetime, but it's naive to say, "After a few months of dating I've come to the conclusion that I'm finally happy because I have a girlfriend." 

The main reason it made me cringe was because I can already imagine the conversation I'll have with this guy in six months.  It'll either be
  1. "She broke up with me." *cry* *moan*
  2. "As soon as I have a place to myself, I'll finally be happy."
Begin endless loop. #psychology
Short People (1) Dec 17, 2007
Short People is a satirical song by Randy Newman from 1977.  Among its many lyrical gems are the following: 
Short people got no reason to live

They got little hands
And little eyes
And they walk around
Tellin' great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little feet

They got little baby legs
And they stand so low
You got to pick 'em up
Just to say hello
They got little cars
That go beep, beep, beep
They got little voices
Goin' peep, peep, peep
They got grubby little fingers
And dirty little minds
They're gonna get you every time
I can't believe I've made it this far in life without hearing this song.  Like the author of the song, I have nothing against short people.  I just like anything that's blatantly and unapologetically offensive.  Instead of "short", substitute other one-syllable words like "dumb", "slow", or "white". #entertainment
Food fortification Dec 17, 2007
It's weird that chemicals are added to everyday items to introduce them into more people's bodies.  For example: 
  1. Fluoride is added to water to prevent tooth decay
  2. Iodine is added to salt to prevent goiters
  3. Vitamin D is added to milk to aid in bone health and other things
There are a few others.  It's called food fortification or food supplements, and it was invented by "the man". #food
Musk deer Dec 17, 2007
Musk deer live in high-altitude areas of central Asia and have an interesting physical characteristic:  They gots huge friggin fangs! 
[Image: muskdeer.jpg]
Wikipedia says these animals are herbivores and only use their fangs as weapons during mating season.  I can't help but notice they're just long enough to puncture a human jugular.  Convenient.  If these animals lived near me, I wouldn't leave my house. #nature