Blue Sky

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David Bowers

Jägermeister

For years I have heard people raving about, Jägermeister they would say to me, "Do you like black licorice?" I would say, "No, ew!" and thus ending anything that might have been between me and Jäger.
However last night at the Crazy Christmas Sweater party, something happened.
I don't know exactly how it started but there was a bottle of Jägermeister in the freezer and a tall silver shot glass...oh and I can't forget the circle of trust.
In the end I came out of the circle loving Jägermeister. It doesn't taste like licorice to me though, it tasted of sweet, delicious herbs that danced on my tongue and then swam in my belly.
I love that Jägermeister was originally used as a medicinal product aiding in digestion and curing coughs...in Germany it is still used as such and carries the nickname Leberkleister (liver glue).

I will gladly take my medicine!

Imprinting.

I recently read a Q/A with Stephanie Meyer and someone asked where she got the idea for imprinting and she said she watched a documentary about chicks and ducklings and went from there. That of course made me do a little google-research. It is a very interesting subject. 'The first scientific studies of this phenomenon were carried out by Austrian naturalist Konrad Lorenz (1903 - 1989), one of the founders of ethology (the study of animal behavior).'



Excerpt from Learning Who is Your Mother, The Behavior of Imprinting
by Silvia Helena Cardoso, PhD and Renato M.E. Sabbatini, PhD

"In the natural environment, behavioral imprinting acts as an instinct for survival in newborns. The offspring must immediately recognize its parent, because threatening events, such as the attack by a predator or by other adults could occur just after hatching. Thus, imprinting is very reliable to induce the formation of a strong social bond between offspring and parent, even if it is the wrong one.

This is only one of the many forms of imprinting which have been studied, and its called filial imprinting. Another form is sexual imprinting, in which birds learn the characteristics of their siblings, which later on will influence their mating preferences as adults. In greylag geese, filial and sexual imprinting occur almost simultaneously, but in other animals there is a clear interval between the two processes.

Imprinting in mammals is more rare. Primates are altricial animals, that is, they are born in a very "incomplete" state, with an exceedingly immature brain that will take many months to become fully operational, alert and active with all its senses and actions. Therefore the mother is the supreme caretaker and protector, and mother-child bonding takes place via other processes than imprinting. There is no hurry, so to say."

It made me think about my own mother and how I am glad that I have more sense than a duckling.

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you."
-Frank Lloyd Wright

Buffalo Gal - It's a Wonderful Life

One of my favorite movies, the scene, the song, Jimmy Stewart! Its a good thing, as Martha says.

R&J

Two households, both alike in dignity, / In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, / From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, / Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

Tauntaun Sleeping bag

DJ Kitty