Fun Facts About Octopus!

Octopus are strange and unusual creatures.  Extremely intelligent, these eight armed animals are part of the family Octopoda and have no bones (except for a cartilaginous skull).  The get around by both swimming and walking and have been known to walk on the land if a tasty treat tempts them.  Read on to learn more about these fascinating residents of the sea.

* There are around 300 known species of octopus. 

* Highly intelligent, they have demonstrated the ability to solve problems and use simple tools.

* The octopus has three hearts.  One heart pumps blood throughout the body while the other two pump blood through the gills. 

* Did you know that octopus can change colors in order to blend into their environment.  The can also change the shape of their body if necessary in order to escape from traps or tight spaces.

* Octopus eject black ink when threatened.  This provides a screen which allows the octopus to escape as well as a scent which throws off the predator's sense of smell. 

* They like to eat fish, mollusks, and crustaceans.  They are able to suck their prey out of its shell. 

* The Giant Pacific Octopus is the largest known species of octopus, weighing in at around fifty pounds and bein approximately fourteen feet long. 

* Unfortunately, they have very short life-spans.  Depending on the species, they can live from six months to five years. 

Being Weird

What's it like to be a strange person living in a very boring world?  It can be lonely and frustrating.  Someone whom society considers to be a weirdo is oftentimes shunned and neglected.  People tend to gravitate towards others who are similar to themselves. which in turn gives them a faux sense of worth.  While this is completely understandable, it's not much consolation when you're the one who is being left out.

I live in a small, rural town.  Not much happens here.  Needless to say, I don't often meet others with interests similar to mine and on those rare occasions when I come across a kindred sole, it's a treat which I savor.  Most of the time, I must keep my predilections to myself.  It can be uncomfortable when your co-workers are going on and on about having their hair and nails done and you just want to tell someone about your most recent animal skull acquisition.   On those rare occasions when you do throw caution to the wind and mention some incredible find you are met with a blank stare, uncomfortable silence, and quiet judgment. 

People assume that if you like odd, dark, and offbeat items you must be a devil worshiper or something to that effect.  I love my strange collections and thoroughly enjoy owning them.  I am also a Christian and nothing will ever change that.  A few years back, a co-worker was telling me about a neighbor she used to have.  Apparently, the woman was very nice, but had "strange" items in her home.  My co-worker announced that "she must have been a witch!"  It crossed my mind that if this particular co-worker came to my home she wouldn't even try to understand who I was. 

If you are that odd soul please know that you are special, you are unique, and you are courageous as not many people have the courage to be the person they were meant to be.  Let the unkind words of others roll of your back and know that you are going to change the world in your own unique fashion and in turn the world will be better off because of it. 

Also know you've got a friend sitting in a small town in rural Nebraska.....

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall...

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again

Almost all children are familiar with the anthropomorphic egg Humpty Dumpty, featured in the well known nursery rhyme.  Few stop to consider that Humpty Dumpty is never actually described as being an egg, we all just assume that someone with such a fragile constitution must be an egg.  And if he truly is an egg, what type of egg is he - is he a rather large ostrich egg; perhaps something smaller like a humming bird egg; and maybe he could be a snake egg, who really knows?

While the exact origins of the rhyme are unknown, it first appeared in writing in 1797 in a book titled "Juvenile Amusements".  In 1872 he was featured in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass".  In the 1933 movie "Alice in Wonderland" W.C. Fields gives a memorable performance as the ill-fated egg.