Animals

Put another shrimp on the barbie?

Australia is an awesome place. While it is a huge place, and many (including myself) don’t see a ton of it, what locals and travelers alike get to see is pretty awesome. Australians are friendly, they are progressive and they also offer some good times and some great BBQ.

Beyond the stereotypes and what we see through media as foreigners though, Australia is a bit mysterious. From the interesting lingo to some of the bizarre natural phenomena that seem a far cry from other western nations, Australia has a lot to offer.

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Why do we shiver?

It happens when we’re cold or frightened. It happens when we experience fever, pleasure or arousal. Shivers are a natural reflex with the primary purpose of keeping our bodies warm enough for survival.

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North Carolina’s Ghost Town in the Sky

When I first came across Ghost Town in the Sky on the almighty Internet, I thought that it sounded amazing. After all, what could be better than an amusement park located on the top of the mountain ridge? And what theme could be better than an old western ghost town? It sounded to me like a break from rampaging giant mice and other obnoxious cartoon animals running around trying to spread good cheer. But alas, I then found the truth of the matter. North Carolina’s Ghost Town has fallen far and has only recently, in the last year, been climbing its way back toward the tit

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Should you be a vegan?

I'm a carnivore, meaning I eat meat. Or, to use the term Michael Pollan would use, I'm an omnivore, meaning that I can choose to eat whatever I like: vegetables, meat and lots of other things. In looking at what I eat and how my diet affects the environment, it's been fascinating to learn how much more being a meat eater pollutes the air than being a vegetarian.

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The dangers of purebreeds

When people go to pick out their pets, many are very particular about what they’re looking for. Instead of thinking about how healthy an animal is going to be and thus how long it’s going to live and be their companion, people seem more preoccupied with the way the animal looks and, unfortunately, the quality of its breeding paperwork. While having “good breeding” may seem like a beneficial thing simply by nature of what it implies, the truth of the matter is that purebreed animals are notorious for having many complicated health issues.

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Let's Kill Some Snakes!

The Florida Everglades are being overrun, er, over-slithered, with pythons. The environmental balance is out of whack because of one of the most feared and hard to control kinds of animals around-- the invasive species.

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Michael Morse as Swing Virtuoso

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HERE IS THE ESPN VIDEO, a 2:05 clip in which Michael Morse explains the dynamics of his hitting motion.

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I was in a terrible slump in the late 1970's. The harder I tried, the worse I got. Finally I was walking the course one day and a fellow pro, seeing the look on my face, asked me "Johnny, do you LIKE golf?" After that I never had a bad slump again. - Johnny Miller, ancient SI interview, reproduced from memory

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California’s shark fin ban is standing strong

Last year, California passed a ballot measure banning shark fins from being used in restaurants. The measure takes effect in six months, when restaurants will be prohibited from using any newly-harvested shark fins. (In a loophole, restaurants will be able to keep serving fins that had already been harvested. I wonder how long those will hold out? Shenanigans!)

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Sims 3 werewolves

It's been a full month since I got the Supernatural expansion pack, and I still have not talked about werewolves either. For shame! Really though, it's just a great example of why this is the best expansion pack so far. Most of the expansion packs, I was already getting sick of talking about them after a month. But there is still a lot I haven't explored in Supernatural yet.

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The return of Bonehilda

Edit: This article details my experience with Bonehilda. Apparently there is a lot of variation in behavior among Bonehildas - check the comments for another Simmer's experiences, which were very different from mine.

Having trouble keeping up around the house? If you have the Supernatural expansion pack, Bonehilda can give you a hand! Sort of. Bonehilda began as a service NPC in the Sims 1 Makin' Magic expansion pack. She returns to The Sims 3 with a very similar set of advantages and drawbacks.

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