Animals

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BShaw on being "In Form"

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Here there be sports-political commentary.  Hey, why don't we just make a 'blog' for that, and then amigos can skip over these articles if so desired.  A new use for the nested-blog paradigm!

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New poster BShaw writes,

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In soccer they refer to being "In form." Simply, it's playing above your average level of play, that's my understanding anyway. Players have described it as things just going right, passes hitting team mates perfectly in stride, receiving passes in control, scoring goals off of shins. On the other hand, being out of form means things just don't work, whether a perfectly set up shot going just wide, or passes being just that little bit too far out in front.

In my own experience playing pickup soccer, I have been what I would consider "in form" once. For someone of my skill level that means I don't turn the ball over, and score a couple goals a game (which is unheard of). It lasted for probably three weeks, and afterwards I wouldn't say I lost the talent, just returned to my normal "grit, hustle and defense" game.

I think it is partly "random," but it also has a to do with a great deal of playing/practice, self-confidence, things just feeling right. So much goes into soccer, baseball, a shot in basketball, that it can't simply be explained away with "statistical variation." Maybe luck, if by luck you mean things happening that you don't understand, or can't explain thoroughly with science or math.

Granted, soccer is far more free flowing and seems more emotional than baseball, but I think the analogy is a good one.
By the way, I love this site. Definitely my go to source for M's news, and the occasional Seahawks article.

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In chess they use exactly the same term, "being in form;" it's one of those phrases that (in that case) is used constantly, ad nauseum.  You'll talk to five guys in a row at the skittles table and they'll tell you whether they are in form or (more likely) need to get back in form.

Paleolithic cave painters were probably high

A new paper theorizes that some of the themes and motifs in Paleolithic cave paintings might be due to the artist being incredibly high at the time. Apparently the researchers found a number of points of reference between Paleolithic paintings and the experiences reported by modern-day humans on hallucinogenic drugs (including peyote). 

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PETA's new ad campaign

I'm putting a picture of a pretty flower on this post, because the subject may be a little too gruesome for most. PETA's new ad campaign focuses on the demand side of the fur industry. It features everyday people helping to kill and skin wild animals. It depicts 1) a fashionable woman helping to skin a bear, 2) a business man helping to stab a crocodile in the head, and 3) a tourist helping skin a zebra.

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Scientists clone mice from single drop of blood

The big news isn't that Japanese researchers have been able to clone mice using a drop of blood drawn from the mouse's tail. Or even that the cloned mice live long and normal lives, and are able to give birth without problems. Cloning technology has come a long way since Dolly the Sheep. You can even get your pet cloned, if you have enough money.

No, if you ask me, the big news is that the entire point of their research is to create methods for cloning "high-quality animals for farming or conservation purposes."

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Pet safety on Independence Day

I had no idea that the more pets are lost on the 4th of July than any other day of the year—did you? This image has some great tips on keeping your pets safe for the holiday. Some of these include keeping a recent photo of your pet handy, walking your pet early before the festivities start, and playing with your pets away from fireworks and grills.

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The World’s Oddest Museums

Normally, when one visits a museum, one expects to see things like great works of art or a collection of things from the past all gathered in one place.  There are plenty of museums out there that cater to this more standard of needs.  But what about those of us that are looking to get a break from gazing at Picassos or reconstructed sets of dinosaur bones?  For the museum tourist with stranger tastes, there plenty of places out there that are dedicated to both enlightening and being different.  Today, I’ve gathered up seven examples of some of the oddest museums in the world, though there are plenty more out there if you look for them.

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Spinners, have you ever processed a raw fleece?

I haven't been spinning for very long, and I have yet to tackle a raw fleece. It's a daunting prospect! First you have to choose the seller and the fleece, which is - judging by the many woeful comments I run across on the Ravelry forums - a process which is fraught with peril. Get the wrong fleece and you could be in for a world of woe and sunk cost fallacy.

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Beagle/basset/boxer mix wins "World's Ugliest Dog" contest

Walle, a pigeon-footed, bandy-legged, waddling, humpbacked, large-noggined mutt, has won the title of "World's Ugliest Dog." In past years the title has almost inevitably gone to a Mexican hairless or Chinese crested dog. But this year, Walle's stumpy, clumsy, tongue-lolling appearance took the crown.

One judge commented that Walle "looked like he's been Photoshopped with pieces from various dogs and maybe a few other animals."

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