Tech Tip: Embedded YouTube

I used this video because it never fails to make me laugh and hopefully it'll make whoever stumbles on this post laugh, too.  

For those not in the know, this is from the 2013 ACM (Academy of Country Music) Awards campaign season, when Blake Shelton hosted for the first time after Reba McIntire stepped down.  This video shows his "search" for a co-host.  Blake showcases his straight-man comedic timing and self-deprecating humor.

For some more chuckles, here's the response from Luke Bryan...

Week 10: Famous Last Words - House Rabbit Primer 2/4

(Last week: The Basics, I)

A Primer to the Domestic House Rabbit: The Basics, II

1. The importance of spaying and neutering
2. Personality: rabbits have a lot of it
3. Body Language: ears, flops and binkies, and "getting the butt"

The Importance of Spaying and Neutering

This is something that I cannot stress enough and probably should have been in the first post, that's why it's first here.  A house rabbit needs to be altered (spayed if they're female, neutered if they're male).

Finding a rabbit-experienced vet is difficult, but the trouble - and money - is worth it.  The first question we always ask a vet when if we have to switch is: "Do females rabbits go into heat?"  If they say yes - we run.  Contact your local rabbit shelter (in Oklahoma, that's Heartland Rabbit Rescue) and they'll direct you to the vet that they use or can reference you to a vet in your area.

Female rabbits, also called does (males are called bucks), are induced ovulators, meaning they only produce eggs after mating.  A doe is typically able to become pregnant after she's 4 months old, though the chances of her litter surviving when she's that young aren't high.  After reaching sexual maturity, a doe can produce a litter every 31 days.  So it's incredibly important to alter all rabbits in a household to avoid any accidental litters.  (And if you're thinking about doing this intentionally - because "oh, baby bunnies are just so adorbs i want five" - don't.)

But getting rabbits altered isn't important just to keep down the number of domestic rabbits - it also significantly reduces their chances of cancer.  An unaltered rabbit has an 80% chance of developing cancer.

Also, rabbits are naturally territorial and males can get very, very aggressive.  Sure there's all the fun videos on YouTube of young boy bunnies humping balloons and the occasional chicken - but these rabbits can quickly turn from playful to mean.  But more about how that's expressed in part 3 of this primer (week 11) and in this next section.

Personality: Rabbits have a lot of it.

Rabbits are super independent.  They don't constantly need validation the way dogs do, nor do they necessarily make demands the way cats do.  Rabbits are very self-confident and like to just go about their business.

There are of course exceptions.  Like dogs and cats, each rabbit has its own unique personality and ways they like to be handled (or not handled).

There are rabbits like Amanda Panda, one of the rabbits out at Heartland Rabbit Rescue, who loves to be cuddled.  She will ignore treats placed in her bowl and stand on her hind legs, stretching up to whoever is visiting - much like how a toddler comes up to you with open arms, asking to be picked up.

Amanda Panda

There are rabbits like Ty-ty, my own rabbit, who like to be cuddled, but not to be picked up.  There are rabbits like Ziggy, our current foster, who will only accept head scratches and the occasional kiss on the nose.  And there are rabbits like Rocket - a Heartland rabbit - who will have nothing to do with anyone.

Now, a rabbit's history has a lot of impact on how touchy-feely they are and on who they are as individuals - much in the same way our own life events shape and mold us into who we are today.

Unlike cats or dogs, rabbit don't vocalize.  The only exception is when they are under extreme distress - then they squeak or scream and there's no sound worse than that.  So since they don't bark or meow, you have to be patient and learn the vast amounts of ways rabbits do talk.

Body Language: Ears, Flops and Binkies, and "Getting The Butt"

A rabbit's ears are key into deciphering what a rabbit wants those around them to know.  So, with lop eared rabbits, things can get tricky.  For example, with Jack, pictured below, it took a while to learn what he was trying to communicate to me since my experience with lops had been limited at the time.  But, while ear placement is important, there are other ways rabbits communicate.

I'm sorry, Jacky, I have no idea what you're trying to tell me right now.

The way a rabbit is sitting/standing is a big indicator of how they are feeling.  A variety of postures can indicate if a rabbit is interested in something nearby (they may hear something outside the house), if they feel threatened, or if they're relaxed.

Rabbits also thump to indicate that something isn't quite right.  (Forget what you see in Bambi and The Hobbit - rabbits use both hind legs, not just one, to stomp the ground.  Rabbits back legs are so powerful, the sound reverberate through the ground - useful when you and your buddies are burrowing animals.)

A super relaxed rabbit will flop onto their side just before they go to sleep - often kicking all four legs up towards the ceiling before slowly rolling back onto their sides.  Generally, the harder it is to get back up - the more relaxed a rabbit is.  Domestic rabbits still retain the prey instincts of their wild cousins and so a flop is a great compliment to you - it means your bun feels safe around you.

Tywin, the most relaxed bun to ever bun.  Fun fact: frozen water bottles are the best way to keep rabbits extra cool during the summer.

What a lug.

A super excited rabbit will often binky - jumping into the air, kicking their back legs out, and twisting their bodies.  The higher the rabbit jumps, the happier they are!  For the most part.  Ty can't really get very far off the ground.

Towards the other end of the spectrum: if you're on a rabbit's bad side, you'll know it.  A rabbit will pointedly turn away from you, "giving you the butt," to let you know when you're being irritating.  Sometimes, they'll even look over your shoulder - just to make sure you know.

Rabbits even lay down, facing away from you (or another rabbit) just to show how uninteresting you are to them.  Here's an example:

Ziggy is underneath the table, Khan is in the cage, Ty is in the middle.

Rabbits are often just presented as just props for a child's Easter-themed photos or as a metaphor for sex.  The truth is that they are every bit as complicated as people; they have their own unique personalities and needs.  Their vet care is expensive as is the amount of damage they can do around your house...

Coming Up

1. Week 11: The Hazards
1. I killed that snake for you: rabbits vs. power cords
2. Everything must go: rabbits vs. your furniture
3. I don't like that: rabbits vs. you, biting/scratching
2. Week 12: My Best Success Story and the Whole Point of Doing a Four Week Long Rabbit Primer
1. Cadbury, the Church Rabbit
2. What has been done: the "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign and the house rabbit memes
3. What needs to be done:  education, education, education

Storytelling for Week 10: Of Bulls and Bears

Author's note

This story is a retelling of The Buffalo and the Grizzly Bear from the Great Plains unit.  A buffalo is standing around, minding his own business, when a grizzly attacks him claiming that the buffalo has been talking trash.  The buffalo denies this and the bear starts to walk away.  The buffalo wonders why the bear would think such a thing, the bear hears this thought, and comes back and attacks the buffalo again.  The buffalo then starts to back up and the grizzly says "Don't run away!"  And then the buffalo charged and gored the grizzly.

For this storytelling, I added a hockey twist.  This story essentially became an extended metaphor.  So there are descriptions of the players from the Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins as their respective mascots.  I featured Jack Eichel, an American player who went 2nd overall in the 2015 draft, and his teammate Evander Kane.  

This also jumps around a bit in the timeline and are divided with "-x-" while sections divided by "-" take place within the same time period.

The Sabres haven't actually played the Bruins yet this season, so we'll see how it goes.  They're a pretty brutal team to play against.  If you have any questions about hockey terminology, just ask!

Evander Kane (#9) and Jack Eichel (#15)

-z-


Jack Eichel snorts and shakes his head.

Let the bears out on the ice roar all they like.

He’s ready for them.


-x-


Jack’s first trip out onto NHL ice had been on unsteady legs – the same as any young bison. And just as the same as any young bison.

Not living up to the hype, he’d heard the old dogs whisper. What a waste.

He stumbled, he slipped and slid as he battled along the boards.

At first.

But then he found his legs – pushing out the roar of the crowd and the bellow of their expectations. He remembered to just play the game; he remembered to deke and dance with the puck – and then the puck was in the back of the net and his herd was surrounding him. They pull him in for a crushing hug as they shout in congratulations.


-x-


The grizzly tries to stare him down.

Jack just smirks.


-x-


His legs are young, but he’s growing into them. Around him, his herd is assured and confident – protective.

They keep him tucked in close until it’s time for him to take to the ice again. And even then, they hardly allow anyone too close.

Highly touted rookies were too often on the receiving end of illegal hits meant to injure. Evander, a bull in the middle of his prime, takes to shadowing Jack’s every move – knocking away any of the opposition he saw getting too close.


-x-


Jack doesn’t see the bear coming up behind him – just feels his head snap first against the glass and then against the ice, the air knocked from his lungs.

There’s a flurry of motion and he turns his head just enough to see that Evander has a bear in a headlock. But the linesmen are quick to separate them and the bear skates away with a smile and a wink at Jack.

Jack snorts and shakes his head, lets Evander pull him back up to his feet.

“See you in two,” Evander says to Jack before he’s skating over to the penalty box.


-


The second hit comes when Jack’s got the puck on his stick. He’s sizing up the goalie, picking his spot, and just when he’s about to release – Jack’s vision suddenly swings wide and he’s staring up the bright rafter lights.

He doesn’t stare long.

Jack’s still sliding along the ice as he rolls over, gets his legs underneath him, and charges. He ignores the coach calling him back to the bench – ignores the way his muscles are screaming at him for taking this extra shift on the ice.

But there’s a young grizzly cub, a fellow rookie, who has the puck and it’s just too easy to strip it from him – and head back down to the other end of the ice.

He pumps his legs, puts his head down, and charges – he dances around the first defenseman and then a second, and then he’s facing down the hulk of their goalie. He fakes Rask out, gets him to drop to a knee – and then with a quick flick of his wrist, the puck is in the back of the net.


-


Jack is on the bench, the bears on the ice circling and snarling. He snorts and shakes his head.

Let them roar all they like.

He’s ready for them.


-z-


End.


-z-


Bibliography: Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson (1913).

Reading Diary B: The Great Plains

Despite Supernatural being my all-time favorite television show in the history of ever – these ghost stories terrified me. In this show, they fight ghosts all the time. They use shot gun shells filled with rock salt in order to dispel spirits and fight them off with anything made of iron. In the Supernatural mythos, the easiest way to get rid of ghosts is to salt and burn the ghost’s bones.

The Ghost and the Traveler

This story reminded me of the Women in White stories – except this ghost was friendlier and simply seemed to want some company. Women in White tend to want to kill you…
 

Woman in White

The Man Who Shot a Ghost

I had to read this one a couple of times before I realized that the wolf digging into the grave was what caused the injury to the ghost.

The Indian Who Wrestled with a Ghost

I wonder if he was burning sage brush? It’s commonly believed that sage has a lot of healing and purifying powers. If you ever watch shows like A Haunting (an anthology tv show that tells the stories of, well, those that are being haunted), sage will be burned in order to purify the house and chase off angry spirits.

There’s another show called The Haunted, which focuses more around animals sensing spirits; it’s not as good as A Haunting, but it’s still something to watch especially around Halloween. They even have an episode called “Thump in the Night” which shows rabbits reacting to paranormal activity.

However, the show lost a lot of credibility (with me, at least) when they showed another case where the guy kept hearing these awful shrieks behind his house. Those shrieks were clearly the sounds of a fox and I feel like anyone who lives near the woods should know that.

Reading Diary A: Great Plains

I’ve heard the story about The Buffalo and the Grizzly (The Great Plains unit) before in a previous class, but it’s still one of my favorites. I’m already thinking about ways that I could possibly do this for my storytelling post. There are even two hockey teams I could use if I wanted to continue putting hockey twists to things: the Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins.

One player I could feature for the Sabres would be Marcus Foligno, and for Boston it would be Matt Bartkowski. Bartkowski currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks, but he and Foligno fought each other last season when he was still on the Bruins.

I think they would work because this folktale kinda resembles what started the fight. Bartowski laid a hard and high hit on Gianta, making him go down to ice hard. In the story, the buffalo is just standing around, minding his own business, when the grizzly bear attacks him.

Unlike the story, Foligno immediately attacks back (technically, that would make him a second buffalo in the story – which isn’t canon – but just go with it), which the buffalo eventually does. Foligno goes on to win the fight (in my opinion, and according to the consensus of voters on the fight on hockeyfights.com) – much like how the buffalo wins the fight against the bear in the story.

Or, I can just treat the whole thing as a metaphor for Jack Eichel – one of the most highly touted American rookies from the 2015 NHL draft – being harassed by a Bruins player for the puck. The buffalo “winning the fight” would be Eichel scoring a game winning goal in overtime.

Jack Eichel (I saved this picture a long time ago from Twitter and now I
can't find the source but it's just too great to not use)