Circa Ceramics=Sweeet!

I went to an art festival today and these guys were my favorite…

It’s all kind of kitschy, but I really like it. And I was happy to find that they were actually local artists b/c it’s always kind of a let-down to go to a local art festival, only to find nationally imported art.

ninjagarden

UPDATE: Princess Chunk the Fat Cat

Saw a similar article in the Des Moines Register today (the following article is more thorough). Sorry, Allison, if you were planning an update post.

This cat may have a condition that attributes to his obesity (I doubt it since it’s brother was also fat)…but if he is fat simply because his owner was feeding him Cheetos…then this should be considered animal abuse. Animals have to deal with the same health issues as humans when obese. And why are people in the media praising this cat’s obesity? They should take this opportunity to warn people of the risks associated with obesity, both for animals and humans. I only saw a brief mention of this in one of the articles I read.

Also, I read that Guinness World Records used to have a “Fattest Cat” category, but decided to drop it because they feared that owners might harm their animals in an attempt to break the record…as much as I hate to admit it, I think people probably would do idiotic things like force-feed their pets. Ugh…okay enough ranting, here’s the article!!!!!!!

Princess Chunky a male named Powder - victim of economic downturn

By Karen Langley

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

South Jersey’s feline darling would be better called Prince Chunky, according to a veterinarian who examined the 44-pound stray this morning on Live with Regis and Kelly.But the modified title is unlikely to take hold now that shelter officials know Princess Chunky’s real name is Powder, as ‘foster mother’ and Camden County Animal Shelter volunteer Deborah Wright of Sicklerville told the show’s hosts.

Shelter officials received a call from the owner, a senior citizen who lost her home to foreclosure and is now staying with friends. Because of her circumstances, the owner said she was “very sad” she could no longer care for the 44-pound cat, shelter executive director Jennifer Andersch said in a telephone interview this morning.

Powder’s owner, who Andersch would not name, was able to find a home for the cat’s brother - a big cat who is still “not nearly as chunky as Chunky,” Andersch said.

The cat formerly known as Chunky tipped the scales - literally. Cat scales can only measure to 25 pounds, so shelter workers used a dog scale to determine its weight, which falls only two pounds short of the Guinness world record for heaviest cat.

Andersch said the shelter has received hundreds of calls about the cat and at least 20 formal applications to adopt Powder.

The new details of Powder’s past emerged at the start of the cat’s biggest day yet. The fat feline - only two pounds shy of the Guinness world record - will follow its morning appearance on Live With Regis and Kelly with spots on other national TV shows.

“We in the media love a 44-pound cat,” co-host Kelly Ripa said as she petted Powder’s white hair.

It’s been quite a catwalk for Powder, found wandering the patio of a Voorhees apartment complex Friday and now staying in Manhattan’s posh Le Park Meridien, courtesy of TV producers.

The pussycat’s sex had been a subject of debate. Animal shelter employees named the cat “Captain Chunk” but soon decideded it was female. “Princess” was selected as a better courtesy title, and foster mom Wright tweaked the pet’s title so it became known as “Princess Chunky.”

After the owner claimed the cat was male, Andersch decided a vet would need to make the final call.

“Is it possible this cat is so dang fat that even though everyone’s looking at it things are hidden?” she said before the show. “It’s possible. We keep looking at this cat’s behind and it looks like a girl to us. But nothing looks really normal on this cat.”

The vet who examined Powder live on national TV said he was confident the cat was male - “He’s like you and me,” he told Regis Philbin.

Live with Regis and Kelly picked up Wright, her teenage niece and Princess Chunky last night in a limo to bring them to New York, where the cat and Wright will also be interviewed today with Fox New York and MSNBC.

“I don’t know anything about New York,” Wright said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

Friday’s schedule includes a Good Morning America appearance and and a CBS show. Wright did a live radio chat yesterday with a program in London.

The media frenzy may be affecting the white and orange domestic cat’s claim to fame.

“With her not eating because she’s nervous, I bet she’s lost a few ounces,” Wright said before the show in a phone interview. “But she loves the attention.”

Powder goes up for adoption Saturday when the state-required seven day waiting period for owners to contact the shelter ends.

“She’s just a sweetheart,” Wright said. “Whoever had her before did take very good care of her.”

The fat cat has seen a veterinarian to get her rabies shots but will have a more extensive appointment to check for thyroid conditions when she returns from her appearances.

sundrumlady

San Diego Zoo

Well, I went to the world-famous San Diego Zoo and guess what? I wasn’t impressed. I would definitely recommend the Omaha Zoo–with its nice layout, interesting displays, aviary and decent sized cages–any day. Here are some pictures (of mostly bears) I took:

ninjagarden

i really like octopi

i love octopi

this guy is the best!!

nataliebeth

World’s best dance crew?

The sickest dance crew from Japan.

cecilpaoli

sorry cecil, you’re out of the band…

why bother with your axl rose antics when we could just as easily build ourselves a guitar player?

those are the trons, and they are cool.

i’ve always been fascinated by automatons and, to a slightly lesser extent, electric robots, and when people create these machines to do wonderful things like play music, well… it brings a tear to my eye. (as an aside… one thing i’d like to do, at some point in my life, is make a cuckoo clock…)

here’s basically all the info i could find on the trons: (it’s from under the radar)

The Trons are a fully self-playing, singing, drumming and strumming band made mainly from recycled and salvaged parts and instruments and play their own style of NZ garage music. ‘Ham’, ‘Wiggy’, ‘Swamp’, and ‘Fifi’ rock out together in this unique Hamilton creation, driven by electronic circuits and computer parts. Having played a handful of performances already this year as a three-piece - including a local busking competion at which they ousted their human counterparts – the band is rearing to go for their stage debut.

and here are some other machines that make my eyes pop out of my skull:

scott

Dioramas suck - make stuffed animals instead

I guess you could say I was somewhat inspired by Allison’s diorama post because I’ve been feeling very arts & craftsy lately. I was sitting around playing with some wire, cotton balls, and albino beaver pelt that I had laying around. Suddenly it dawned on me that I could make my own fruity stuffed animal, just like Eric Brandt.

I used the wire to create a frame, or skeleton. Then I kinda folded the beaver pelt around it to make the fur. I carefully stuffed the cottonballs inside the pelt, making sure to distribute them evenly to avoid having a lumpy coat! I then used the bold key to make certain words bold. I definitely ran out of steam by the time I got to the face but maybe, in time, my skill will improve. Admittedly, the mouth is uneven, the nose is just a mess, and one of the eyes didn’t come out right at all. Oh, well! Maybe next time. Anyway, here’s what I came up with:

i would just like to say

that i am going to take my last exam in exactly two hours from now, and i am going to FAIL this one!

FAIL. as in:

OR

images stolen from faildogs.com

nataliebeth

two more unreal koala videos

nataliebeth

Cute Animals Cuddling

i am not going to caption these because what could i say?

nataliebeth