The Watering Hole: February 3 — Totally cool awesomeness!!!

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That bit of vegetation, it looks quite odd
But it’s not a plant it’s actually a cephalopod!
It hides away to avoid being seen,
by sharks and divers who can be quite mean
when it is found it squirts its ink
and the confused diver cannot help but think
that the mimic octopus is fucking amazing

~Zoo Jr

The camouflage ability of the octopus is just amazing, isn’t it?  I had to watch the video several times.

What would you do if you could camouflage yourself as well as our octopus friend?

HT:  Zoo Jr

 This is our daily open thread — Happy Friday!!

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102 thoughts on “The Watering Hole: February 3 — Totally cool awesomeness!!!”

  1. Very clever and well done, Zoo, Jr.!

    Mother Nature is utterly amazing with her hidden treasures!

      • And I agree with Ebb and Lass on Zoo Jr. and Mother Nature.

        It is amazing to me how animals do things like that.

        What would I do if I could mimic that behavior? Well, assuming I remained stupid enough to stay at my current job, I would put it to good use during my lunch naps. Yes, I’m one of those lucky bastards who can get comfy and doze off just about anywhere (including behind the wheel of a moving car.) To avoid interruptions, I would camouflage myself to look like the chair in which I was sleeping.

        If I were to get a new job, I would, of course, become a female locker room/shower “safety inspector.” ;)

        What can I say? I’m male and still breathing. :)

    • “Show me a Republican who makes less than a million a year and I’ll show you a moron who watches Fox News”

  3. Octopi are one of nature’s most beautiful creatures.
    But, don’t go near the beak!
    Happy Friday CrittierNation!

  4. “What would you do if you could camouflage yourself as well as our octopus friend?”

    Wall flowers could literally be wall flowers.

    Assassins would have an easy time.

    Most folks, however, would simply blend in with the crowd.

    • Mitt Rmoney is already there. He’s the Zelig of political figures, shapeshifting his policies to blend in with the political environment that he finds himself in.

    • I could go hang out at freaky tattoo bars with that kind of camo.
      If I wanted to.
      If I dared.

  6. QOTD:

    According to ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser, who was at the Capital Hilton for the dinner, former Supreme Justice Sandra Day O’Connor said that of the two leading Republican candidates, “one is a practicing polygamist, and he’s not even the Mormon.”

    SNAAAP!

  7. “What would you do if you could camouflage yourself as well as our octopus friend?”

    I would camouflage myself as a box of chocolates and send myself to Zooey! :wink:

    Good video and short enough not to crash on me.

  10. Massive pollution, our parting “gift” to Iraq and Afghanistan:

    “The little media attention that has been paid to this massive pollution has dimly illuminated its potential impact on U.S. troops. Left in mephitic darkness are the contractors, often impoverished South Asians, who did the dirty work at the bases, as well as Iraqi civilians who live and farm nearby. The Times of London reported that “open acid canisters sit within easy reach of children, and discarded batteries lie close to irrigated farmland,” causing people to sicken and rats to die “next to soiled containers.”

    The toxic air echoes with the Vietnam War’s Agent Orange fiasco. Victims of that war’s dioxin suffered for years before the United States took limited responsibility – but only for its troops, and not for the countries it poisoned.”

    http://inthesetimes.com/article/12578/u.s._military_toxins_the_gift_that_keeps_on_killing

  11. Roundup: Komen Story Keeps Changing As Outrage Grows and Group Becomes Increasingly Isolated
    http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/02/03/roundup-komen-story-keeps-changing-as-outrage-grows-and-group-becomes-increasingl
    “But the attack on Planned Parenthood also was made explicit by John D. Raffaelli, a Komen board member and Washington lobbyist, who told The New York Times on Wednesday that “Komen made the changes to its grant-making process specifically to end its relationship with Planned Parenthood.”

    • With each passing hour it becomes more clear that they are a nest of nasty little Reichwhiners who are using the public’s good will to enrich themselves and spread their agenda.

  14. MSNBC Breaking News: In reversal Komen breast cancer charity says it will fund planned parenthood
    TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

    • But, I thought they had all these “valid” reasons for withholding the funding? Apparently nothing they say is truthful.

        • It almost seems like a non-apology apology PR stunt. Seems like they said the same thing yesterday about honoring existing grants and they could apply for new ones. Not sure they mean it. Might just be trying to shut everybody up.

          • My thoughts exactly. No guarantee that PP will be funded beyond what was already committed. Fake apology to save face when confronted with more pressure than the nasty self-righteous little righties in charge expected because this group gets a lot of corporate funding by selling their little pink symbol for placement on a multitude of products, products that the little pink ribbon make easy to target for boycott.

      • This whole thing angers many of us. REALLY.However, now that theKomen foundation has a reversal of sorts, it is now time to show the Komen foundation that we mean business. Personally, I will no longer send the check that I used to pledge for the local region Race for the Cure. Perhaps I’ll have a change of heart later . For now, any donations will go to PP.

    • They could still redeem themselves. I don’t know who sits on the board or how much power they have but they could actually go back to doing good things if they purge those responsible for this PR fiasco.

      • They should fire Karen Handel.

        The press should dig around and see if she had anything to do with Cliff Stearns doing his “investigation.”

        And the problem with this policy of theirs, of not giving money to groups under investigation, is that it presumes guilt until innocence can be established. Even criminal investigations can, sadly, have political underpinnings.

        I can see that groups might not want to associate with other groups that might somehow tarnish their reputation; but a little American “presumption of innocence” would clear a lot of this up.

        • Plus now it’s been revealed that officers have been taking $500K salaries and are big GOP supporters. No thanks. It’s good to know Planned Parenthood writes the orders for mammograms because you can’t get one without an order. My money goes to them from now on. And I really don’t care how they spend it.

    • I found on the beach a couple of battered starfish that hadn’t survived the ocean storms, and had the same reaction. Even the seagulls weren’t interested.

  17. From now on, going on a two-day bender and then trying to make it up to everyone after will be called…

    “pulling a Komen”.

    • My friend who lives in Plymouth reports that it will only get down to -4C down there (25F). As long as the Gulf Stream doesn’t shift or disappear, they’ll be warm as toast.

    • They need to change something. Most times I click on a link to there or my bookmark to their front page, it takes about three minutes to load, and freezes up my computer until it does.

  23. I splurged on a new digital camera! I was really just planning on window shopping but found a deal I couldn’t very well pass up. It’s a Nikon L105. It’s not a pocket camera but is the mini SLR format so it has a good sized objective lens. 12.1 megapixels, 15x optical zoom, and it was only $89.00. I haven’t yet figured out how to focus on my fish but the light gathering ability is what I was really after and it exceeds expectations. I can also use it to read the print on a five gallon pail across the street but I can see that I’m going to have to find my old tripod if I really want to take advantage of the optics. Now I just hope that my pet goose decides to nest in the neighborhood this spring

      • Thanks. I’ve tried the macro mode but shooting closeups through glass is a challenge and I just have to learn how to fool it and/or turn off the autofocus. I want to wait till nightfall to get rid of reflections anyway and have to find my tripod. I think I know which closet it’s in but I haven’t seen the back of said closet in over five years! It may prove easier to just beg, borrow, or buy a new one. I did find my monopod so I’m going to venture out and see if it, along with the anti-shake, will enable snapshots at medium zoom but I’m not steady enough for the full 15x.

          • Indeed. I plan on making use of zxbe and the Zoo in general. I’m pretty well versed in old film technology but I have to learn a whole new language when it comes to digital. The camera has a flip up flash so I don’t have to disable the flash mode. I’m amazed at the light gathering ability. I have a pretty good old Konica with an f:1.4 lens and closeup lenses and it needs a remote flash for fish pictures. I can’t wait for sundown!

        • What’s really nice is that you’ll know immediately what works. No more having to send everything to the photo lab or bracket all your shots.

          • That’s the real selling point. Trying to capture animals is always a crap shoot and for some subjects one or two decent shots per roll is a rousing success. I pretty much reached my frustration limit when i was trying to get pictures of fuzzy goslings. Since they have no sharp edges I didn’t get a single shot in focus.

  25. Congrats on the new camera pete, enjoy!
    I just got a new gadget, an external antenna for the “air card” that I get my internet access through. It has boosted the signal at least 4 fold, and data transmission is much faster. Tomorrow I’m going to head to the outer limits of signal range and see what it can do.
    Heh, with each advance in technology I can move further out into the back of the beyond. :)

    • Whoa, this thing is fast! I’m not going to have the time anymore to make a pot of coffee while waiting for the page to load…

      • I had thought that my connection was clunky until I got my new computer a few months back. Now? I find it hard to justify turning the TV on. I might watch the Superbowl but after that I don’t know when I’ll turn the dang box on again. There are entire series of British comedies and bad sci-fi available for free and I don’t even have that maddening “buffering” every minute or so.

        • Oh yes bad sci-fi. AndytheTurtle (aged 5 1/2) loves Star Trek – although he is becoming concerned about wearing the colour red now….

    • I’m already enjoying it, Raven. I didn’t fully realize what it would be like to have a camera with twice the zoom of my best pair of binoculars. I really can’t wait for the birds to come back.

      It’s not hard to balance technology and simple living. Frankly, I find it more simple to live with modern conveniences! Sometimes I wonder how I survived my duck hunting and desert wandering days without a GPS. Maps and compasses are wonderful tools but they don’t tell you to stop before one walks off a cliff or sets out in the wrong direction in a fog-shrouded swamp.

  27. And here’s how FAUX”News” is covering the latest development in the Komen fiasco. I could opine on just how vile Kelly and Rios are and fill pages with expressions of contempt but I think I’ll just say that my one word answer is a word I just don’t use. It rhymes with “runt”.

    (Warning: If you have any shred of human decency you will be so outraged that the effects could manifest themselves in a physical reaction.)

    http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201202030012

    • I wish MM would offer more transcripts. I certainly don’t want to actually watch these assholes, or listen to them. Hmm, haven’t checked News Hounds in a long time.

      • It would be nice but given the sheer volume it would take a greatly expanded staff to provide transcripts. Plus, this is from their “MMtv” section. There’s a chance that they may move it to their front page and provide a transcript.

    • I’m pretty strictly opposed to hacking but that one is darned good.

      On a broader note: Let’s hope that this whole thing leads people to pay closer attention to charities. If Komen survives they will have to rethink their salaries and spend a larger percentage of their donations on actually fighting breast cancer. Plus, I’m willing to bet that some lesser known charities will benefit from those who no longer trust Komen. We’ll just have to keep an eye on them so that they don’t also turn into a cash cow for the founders and administrators.

    • Just the fact that they would pay a former Bush official is enough to convince sane people that they shouldn’t be trusted with money.

    • Aha, so he hasn’t learned his lesson about making up reasons to do something odious and then when called on it changing the story to something else ….

      • Ahh, Ari…
        Saw a bumper sticker today, outdated, but I laughed just the same:
        Frodo Failed – Bush Got The Ring

    • The Komen foundation is in defense mode. I would think that they chose Mitt Romney as their advertising manager Nothing else would explain their current rash of faux pas.

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