Friday, November 18, 2011

I love LEGO, and so should you :)...Winter Toy Shop | LEGO Shop

Winter Toy Shop | LEGO Shop

Cool and new: Winter Village Post Office | LEGO Shop

Winter Village Post Office | LEGO Shop

Thursday, November 17, 2011

A VISON with a vision [unlike a stoat, it believes that "surplus killing" is a stupid idea]...Do you see a heart shape in this non-traditional MAXICARD about The AMERICAN MINK (Neovison vison)? Don't let cuteness fool you - this is a ferocious little beast

Do you see a heart shape in this non-traditional MAXICARD about The AMERICAN MINK (Neovison vison)?
You think this animal is cute? Like a ferret "or something"?
Hmm...You don't know squat.
:)
This is a violent, fierce creature.
Passive/aggressive? No: aggressive/aggressive.
Only the grizzly bear, the wolverine and the shrew are more of a "terrorist" in the North American animal kingdom, I would say...
FEROCITY.

"The American mink (Neovison vison) is a semi-aquatic species of Mustelid native to North America, though human intervention has expanded its range to many parts of Europe and South America. Because of this, it is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN.[1] Since the extinction of the sea mink, the American mink is the only extant member of the genus Neovison. The American mink is a carnivore which feeds on rodents, fish, crustaceans, frogs and birds. In its introduced range in Europe, the American mink has been linked to declines in European mink [USA 1 - EUROPE 0, in Battle of the Mink(s) (no, not Minsk of Belarus)...] and water vole

It is the most frequently farmed animal for its fur, 
outdoing in economic importance the silver fox [outfoxing it],sable [disabling it], marten [smarten up, marten!] and skunk [minks are more skunkworks than the skunks :)...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk_Works".


Advice for the ANALytically-inclined: 
keep back 30+ cm from a mink!
"The American mink has two anal glands, which are used for scent marking, either through defecation or by rubbing the anal region on the ground. The secretions of the anal glands are composed of 2,2-dimethylthietane, 2-ethylthietane, cyclic disulfide, 3,3-dimethyl-1,2-dithiacyclopentane, and indole. When stressed, the American mink can expel the contents of its anal glands at a distance of 30 cm.[12] Scent glands may also be located on the throat and chest."

"Intelligence
An early behavioral study was performed in the 1960s that assessed visual learning ability in mink, ferrets, skunks, and house cats. Animals were tested on their ability to recognize objects, learn their valences and make object selections from memory. Mink were found to outperform ferrets, skunks and cats in this task, however this letter (short paper) fails to account for a possible conflation of a cognitive ability (decision making, associative learning) with a largely perceptual ability (invariant object recognition)."

No, Rodney King, mink individuals "can't all get along"
" Mink are solitary, territorial animals and are intolerant of other mink. In times of overpopulation, mink control their own numbers by either killing each other through direct conflict or by causing weaker mink to be driven from territory until starvation sets in."
Beware the hatred of a mink, even when trapped!
" Minks caught in traps cling to life with great tenacity, having been known to break their teeth in trying to extricate themselves from steel traps.[53] Elliott Coues described a trapped mink as thus ;
One who has not taken a Mink in a steel trap can scarcely form an idea of the terrible expression the animal's face assumes as the captor approaches. It has always struck me as the most nearly diabolical of anything in animal physiognomy. A sullen stare from the crouched, motionless form gives way to a new look of surprise and fear, accompanied with the most violent contortions of the body, with renewed champing of the iron till breathless, with heaving flanks, and open mouth dribbling saliva, the animal settles again, and watches with a look of concentrated hatred, mingled with impotent rage and frightful despair. The countenance of the Mink, its broad, low head, short ears, small eyes, piggish snout, and formidable teeth, is always expressive of the lower and more brutal passions, all of which are intensified at such times. As may well be supposed, the creature must not be incautiously dealt with when in a such a frame of mind."

As pets

Mink as pet
Wild mink can be tamed if caught young, but can be treacherous, and are usually not handled bare-handed.[61]In the late 19th century, tame American minks were often reared for ratting, much as ferrets were used in Europe. They are more effective ratters than terriers, as they can enter rat-holes and drive rats from their hiding places."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_mink


Mink are more terri-fic than terri-ers at ratting out the rats.
George W. Bush said "smoke them out", but MINK say "go personally after them in their ratholes" - much like in the case of Saddam and Gaddafi...


=======

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2011

Guest Heart Thursday #84


Welcome to Guest Heart Thursday -
A place to share YOUR heart!


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Top 30 Stamp Collecting Blogs, by guidetoartschools.com

#2:
"Dorincard: Blogger Dorin C is a stamp and postcard fanatic, and luckily he's more than pleased to write prolifically and charmingly about his obsession. He has a particular bent for stamps with wild mammals on them, but his blog demonstrates an affinity for stamps of all forms and backgrounds, as long as they offer a special narrative that's worth sharing with his readers.


  • Source: http://www.guidetoartschools.com/library/best-stamp-collecting-blogs#ixzz1KirbuA4p
    "

    Some feedback received about me and my blog here

    [DORIN'S NOTE: There are over 100 million websites.]

    From alexa.com traffic rank site

    "There are 1,699,250 sites with a better three-month global Alexa traffic rank than Dorincard.blogspot.com.
    About 43% of visitors to the site come from France, where it has attained a traffic rank of 152,077.
    About 80% of visits to the site consist of only one pageview (i.e., are bounces).
    Dorincard.blogspot.com's visitors view an average of 1.5 unique pages per day.
    Visitors to the site spend roughly two minutes on each pageview and a total of three minutes on the site during each visit."



    inkling (Enthusiast)

    The best use of this site is Other.

    Likes
    • Good content

    Comments:
    Postcards and stamps, mainly featuring mammals and birds but Dorincard also has other creations
    and interests he likes to share.
    His enthusiasm for Maximum cards (a postcard and a similar themed stamps sent through the
    postal system) shines through.
    He shows how he gets the right card, stamp and postmark together.
    Visiting his site you will also learn things about the natural world told with a dry sense of humour,
    possibly with a play on words, and a unique style of headings.
    Topical and informative both for the enthusiast and casual visitor.
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    1 Review
    Global 1,699,251
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    France Flag 152,077
    Traffic Rank in FR

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