Even More Intriguing than Ancient Aliens....

Adorable and romantic puffer fish!

Building underwater "crop circles" to impress the ladies!

Full story here and here.

1978 Week Continues: I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper

"Night and Day" was not an isolated incident.  Can you believe there's more of this?

Night and Day

They really don't make them like this any more.

Pas de Bunné

A Peeps version of the "Kingdom of the Shades" from La Bayadère:

source

I Didn't Know You Cared....

Do you know that the words "caress" and "carrot" share an etymological root?   Yes, really!  Well, no, not really, but here are some roots sharing a caress:

"Cuddling Cwmbran Carrots Stun Gardening Gran"

source

Related news story: Swedish woman's lost wedding ring found on garden carrot after 16 years.

.

Lena Paahlsson says the ring was on a small carrot she was about to discard.

How is the news coverage on this story utterly devoid of caret/carrot puns?

One Carrot Ring by Solange Azagury-Partridge

La pasión!

Good heavens! My life is not too boring, but it is never, ever like this:



The information attached to this video on YouTube identifies the performers as Sylvia Shazadi, Carmelo Cuevas, and his horse Cartagines.

More Octopus Romance... and More Nail Art

Here in the open ocean, things seem a bit more decorous, but I still think there's a menacing undertone to the sentiment, "you ARE going to say you love me too."  Nonetheless,  I appreciate that the editor of this video has kept us on our toes with a Beatles' tune that is NOT Octopus's Garden.

Actual underwater footage starts at :22



These blue ring octopodes must be absolute champs at repelling the evil eye.

via http://www.evileyebeads.org/turkish-evil-eye-beads/

via http://www.itsnature.org/sea/other/dangerous-blue-ring-octopus/ combined with
http://dussandharma.blogspot.com/

While we're on topic of nazars, how about some nail art!

via http://www.emeraldsparkled.com/2010/06/notd-evil-eye.html

via http://www.emeraldsparkled.com/2010/06/tutorial-evil-eye-design.html

manicured from http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/blue-ringed-octopus

The Romance of Tree Lobsters!

Hot on the heels of the Giant Weta, another big honking Antipodean insect is in the news:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/02/24/147367644/six-legged-giant-finds-secret-hideaway-hides-for-80-years

Two tree lobsters, perched atop Patrick Honan of the Melbourne Zoo.  Photo by Rod Morris/rodmorris.co.nz, via NPR.org

Dryococelus australis (also known as the Lord Howe Island Phasmid and sometimes dubbed the "tree lobster,") thought to be extinct, is alive!  And prospering!  And romantic!

Eradicated by invasive rats from its only previously known habitat on Lord Howe Island, it improbably survived on a lone shrubbery nestled in a windswept crag of this romantic island:

Ball's Pyramid, by John White, via NPR.org

After confirming rumors of the insects' presence, scientists scaled this rockface after dark on Valentine's Day 2003 to collect specimens, from which a breeding program has been established.  Observations of the insects snuggling in captivity reveal that "they sleep at night, in pairs, the male with three of his legs protectively over the female beside him."

Vive l'amour!

Cüte-sküdar'a Gider Iken: mülti-CÜTE-ral appeal

In the Turkish song "Kâtibim" (also called "Üsküdar'a Gider Iken," the opening lyric), a woman sings about a rainy day and her romance with a well-dressed clerk who looks handsome in his starched collar. 

Here's a movie version, complete with starched-collar clerk.



YouTube abounds with adorable kiddies acting out the parts of the lady and the clerk. Here's one:




Many other sets of lyrics, in many different languages, accompany this same melody.  There are several web pages discussing its ubiquity, and it was even the subject of a politically-tinged 2003 documentary film by Adela Peeva, titled "Whose is This Song?"

Read further:
http://riowang.blogspot.com/2009/10/whose-is-this-song.html
http://www.everybodys-song.net
http://reflections-of-a-nomad.blogspot.com/2010/05/when-going-to-uskudar-on-sacred-shabbat.html

While there aren't any Japanese lyrics for the song, these Japanese kidlets have cleverly reinterpreted the Turkish kids:  they are kawaii-sküdar'a gider iken!  (And look at how those two letters "i" practically make a "ü.")

Six Hearts that Beat as Three

At the Seattle Aquarium on Valentine's Day, an exhibit was reconfigured to allow "Rocky" access to female tankmate "Mayhem."

Via KPLU.org

On the one hand, it's pretty weird to anthropomorphize octopus mating--note roses in tank (apparently heart shaped decorations and romantic music further "set the mood.")  I'm not sure how much anthropomorphism colors my impression that maybe captive Mayhem didn't like having her tank opened to Rocky.  He did not exactly proffer a genteel request to hold her hand, hand, hand, [etc.]  On the other hand, OOOOOH OCTOPUS ROMANCE!

Maybe they can get married in front of the beluga tank!

Dafna Ben Nun - Behind the Camera

This woman makes me seriously examine my life choices.  She travels the globe photographing AND SNUGGLING adorable animals.  

Via Facebook.com/pages/Dafna-Ben-Nun-Photography

Photo: via Facebook.com/dafnabn

See more on Facebook or visit her site.

Romance Tips from Yahoo

From "Top 10 Sports Names Related to Valentine’s Day"

8. Do you Fila any love for sports?
In Persian, Fila is a name that means "lover". Naturally, this sports apparel must raise an eyebrow when it is sold in the country of Iran. For this reason, you can surprise your Iranian date with Fila fashion and doubly emphasize how you feel about them. After all, anyone that wears Fila shoes and clothing is technically a Persian lover.

Spacekisser

This is wonderful!  The people who brought us Orientalized Doctor Who comedy have now parodied Turkish Star Trek.

Spacekisser!


Thank you dokuztaneprogramla!