Ed. See most recent post (January '06)

...
Hi all, just a wee note to the effect that I'll be online less often from now on (Sptember '5 onward). Have had a rather major job restructure, effective as of October 2005, that will keep me away for a wee while.
Steve

Best of luck with the moves and changes Steve!

:boat:

Thanks Tony. Things are progressing here and I am now 'unemployed' for 2 weeks (first time in my life since I was delivering newspapers on a bicycle, knee-high to a grasshopper that I've been unemployed).

Tintenfisch now resides in New Zealand :) , and in a few weeks we'll be posting away to our hearts content on all things biological to do with squid and octopus (as she embarks on her roller coaster ride of Discovery).

Someone has just donated to us a rather large and quite superb cylindrical octopus/squid tank, so you'll probably find us posting big time on ceph care for a while.... and very soon we'll be purchasing another specially designed tank for squid-rearing purposes.

Some fun news - Tintenfisch managed to get drenched (squirted big time) by a rather large octopus that took a sticky liking to her (it was a very confused octopus) that she was playing with in another marine lab a few days ago. Poor animal was stuck in a tank without anything to play with ... I've never seen such a playfull octopus actually - starved for attention/stimulation it was. I just worry, having seen the way the Tintenfish interacted with the 8-legged beast, how well the computer facilities and any artwork within squirting distance will survive with so much water about (although not a squirt of ink - it really was a happy octopus - happy to be played with that is).

Other news I could post here under this announcement topic is that the Haliphron manuscript has been accepted for publication (Discover magazine lists this as the # 96 'big story' for 2002 (though no mention of the giant squid larval capture :? ), although I have to make a few changes (as is always the case, and the changes are certainly for the better of the MS)), so soon, post publication, we'll be able to open that file up for public viewing without password.

That's it from me for the evening - am a tad tired. Oh, Tintenfisch is getting her photo taken in 2 days ... so the prediction that she'll be in the press 'this year' has come true already :D. I'll try and find a link when the article comes out mid Feb to embarass her :wink:
Cheers
O

Hey Steve!

Enjoy your R & R!!!! Goes really fast!!! Sounds like alot of exciting things are happening for you and Tinktinfisch!!!! I love it when I hear about Octopi's reaching out for attention!!! Can't imagine being squirted by a giant one!!!

Lots of luck to both of you in your new endeavers!!!!

Carol

Hi Steve,

Lots of good news from you! Congratulations on the publication of your article.

We will certainly welcome lots of postings on Ceph Care from you and Tintenfisch about your new octopus(es?). Don't forget to get some good photos of octo squirtings!

Nancy

Sigh, I'm unemployed for one further week only!

Morrow we have 9 giant squid to examine .... including one probably the largest or as large as the largest I've seen - a whopping great female - must be 400 feet long..... Have been driving through town all day today with squid on trailers .... and we smell beaut!

Tuesday coming we're taking a trip up to an aquarium and donating them a preserved specimen .... so our holiday has become suspiciously work like.

Off to see LOTR2 in a mo :)
Ciao
Us

Yep, it's a busy week, but somewhere in there we managed to squeeze in Lord of the Rings (I think Steve got hooked on the Watcher in the Water ;) ).
And about those nine squid we cut up, well, see new thread... :!: :mrgreen:

Howdo all. Well, we're doing part of the relocation today, in that Tintenfisch and I are heading north, laden to the gunnels with books, specimens, and 'stuff'. We'll probably check things out online before we go, but otherwise might not be about for a day or so.

Toodles

Have fun!

:D
We're both up and running! Should be in new offices by the beginning of next week. Then we can delete this thread :wink:

Another wee note (having changed the original topic title) to the effect that I'll be offline, on and off, through until June 10 2003. Will be travelling often, working away to drum up new and interesting news to post on TONMO, rather than rehashing the old.

Watch this space
Cheers
O

Don't worry, we'll rehash through the old stuff on your behalf while you're gone. :) Plenty there to work with... Do check in from time to time during your travels!

Kat and I are in Australia (Tasmania) from today, through until 09 June; we'll try and log on somewhere, but not sure where/when (we're off to look at some rather stunning, bizarre new squid and octopus from high southern latitudes). Will have to post pics of the last Expo (NZ Boat Show and our squid/boat exhibit) when we return.

Toodles from us (for a while)
Us

Now I'm green with envy. Tasmania is the part of Australia I most want to visit. Australian friends and other friends who have lived in Australia speak more highly of Tasmania than anywhere else in that vast expanse.

Melissa

have a good time you 2!

We did!!
Returned to NZ with a bucket-sized colossal squid :D , and all manner of other exciting bits and pieces :madsci: !

That week away has just set us back a few months (with additional work), but it was certainly worthwhile.

Will be quiet for a few days longer (have a talk to give morrow eve). Heard a 24kg (real small/male) Architeuthis is en route (though don't ask where we'll put it), but it could just as easily be Taningia or Idioteuthis; time will tell (next week).

Just an update. I'll be offline for a while while I get a few things attended to here; will return refreshed. Tintenfisch (Kat) will be about, in a few days time, to address any and all queries (coz she's good).
Cheers
O

Sweet! I have a question for Kat:

What is the meaning of life?

:heee:

You'll have to be more specific than that John. Do you mean at the organismal/individual or species level? For the sake of the species, does it matter if I smoke?

I'm afraid I'm not up to answering that question myself. I'll ask you another:

What does it all mean?
:heee:

It means, Steven, that if you whistle, the smoke won't get in your eyes.

actually, for the sake of the species it probably doesn't matter if an individual whistles .. or smokes

but then where would we be without the whistlers mother?

but then where would we be without the whistlers mother?

:roflmao:

What in tarnation is that dried-up thing in your avatar Clem? It seems to be changing from one day to the next, as in more of it coming into view (or am I really losing the plot?).

What in tarnation is that dried-up thing in your avatar Clem?

Ain't dried. 'Tis stone.

It seems to be changing from one day to the next, as in more of it coming into view (or am I really losing the plot?).

I'm sowing suspense, Steve. More strange, old business on the North Sea coast, with a bizarre echo from the Indian subcontinent.

Shouldn't you be enjoying a well-deserved coma, now?

:sleeping:

Clem

Hard to stay offline, even though it's in my best interests to do so, for a while anyway.

Stone? You've got my attention.

.... if you whistle, the smoke won't get in your eyes.


One could read an awful lot into this; is one meant to? Clouded judgement, or do I take this literally, face value in jest :?: Perhaps, most likely, it is simply because I like the Platters, so-much-so that I read too much between lines composed by a mysterious myopsid.

Sweet! I have a question for Kat:

What is the meaning of life?

Ok I'm not Kat but I always thought that the answer to life , the universe and everything was .............42! :heee: :heee:

J

It's hopeless trying to go offline - I give up! I'll just say I'll be about infrequently from now on.

Incidentally, there are 42 species of octopus known from New Zealand waters. Once we reached that magic figure I realised it was time to move on to squid. Unfortunately there's about 90 of those.

For my PhD, I undertook about 2500 measurements of low energy scattered x-rays, had to combine them in such a way to produce a value called effective dose, imagine my surprise when the result of my work was
0.42 uSv

Spoooooooky...

Moog

You'll have to be more specific than that John. Do you mean at the organismal/individual or species level? For the sake of the species, does it matter if I smoke?

I'm afraid I'm not up to answering that question myself. I'll ask you another:

What does it all mean?
:heee:

It means you need some rest, Steve.... :heee: Even cephs sleep... er, don't they?

And as far as smoking, it only matters WHAT you smoke... :heee:

Sake and Soboro Donburi,

John

Ok I'm not Kat but I always thought that the answer to life , the universe and everything was .............42!

not so.... i just looked in my wallet and only saw 3$....someone owes me 39$.... :)

Kat's heading home (US of A) for a wee while, and will probably be doing the wilderness thing. Just posting something on her behalf.

I'm not sure when she returns, but I think it's ~ 15 August.

Any chance she's comeing home to Minnesota? If so, welcome back, Kat!

Couldn't tell you I'm afraid - I live in an information vacuum when it comes to such matters. I've only just figured out that my keyboard has little leg-like things underneath, so that I can adjust its height/angle/whatever. This never seemed important to me before, but I've since learnt that either my desk is not level, or the legs are not level. A wee experiment followed: a marble did not roll on the desk, so it must be these stupid little leg-like things; maybe I'll break them off so that I can get back to work (otherwise I'll be tormented for the rest of the day thinking about it).

Good to see that you havn't lost your marbles Steve

..... lucky eh - I only had that one left to lose; had it rolled off the table I'd have lost it for sure.

Just a wee note from Kat; she's arrived safely and has commenced family festivities.

.... and a follow up note that she's now in some canoe somewhere ... and that's about all I know, except that she's having a ball (while I sit here doing all the hard work :roll: ).

Some of us at this end of the globe could be under the misapprehension that life is just a long holiday in NZ - cannot understand why people would need to take another AND to paddle their own canoe! :boat:
Well, I suppose it is winter down there, and the :sun: is shining up here.

It's been quite balmy weather here this winter, or perhaps it's because we've moved quite a few degrees latitude north.

Kat's alive and well, having survived her canoe expedition. Not that I'm counting, but she'll be returning to NZ in ~ 7 days, and soon afterwards back online. As we've a further 2 manuscripts to complete by months end, and a wee documentary, we'll be rather busy. But come September we can move on a few other important manuscripts that we want to do, and also get on to a bit of serious squid catching.

Watch this forum.
Cheers
Us

Also I see that Kat is giving the "warm up" cephalopod talk at the NZ Marine Sciences Conference on Sept 2. :D :D :D Then comes me and I'm sure I can clear the room pretty fast!! Course Kerry reckons she will stand and block the doors and keep me a captive audience!!!

J

...she'll be back in 4 days (not that I'm counting), so we'd best get her to rehearse that talk. Now I wonder why I'm not giving a talk at this conference ..... Oh, I forgot, I don't like giving talks :lol:

rehearse?? what's this rehearse thing? :shock: I haven't even WRITTEN mine :roll: :goofysca: uh oh!

what's this?
Now I wonder why I'm not giving a talk at this conference ..... Oh, I forgot, I don't like giving talks :lol:

I saw you give one years ago in Christchurch on octopus speciation it was great!

Just think we coulda had three ceph presentations to counter all those fish and echinoderm and aquatic botany ones :!: :lol:

J

.... doya think I should throw something together?

Hmmm: larval Architeuthis
Haliphron atlanticus
Sexy-new male squid (due out soon)
Mesonychoteuthis
Pholidoteuthis
Lepidoteuthis
Octopoteuthis
Leviathans of the deep
Squid egg spheres
Neil Diamond?

Hmmmmm. Am kinda outa time right now.

ps., .... 3 days to go

What about sexy new male squid meets Neil Diamond and produces larval Architeuthis from a squid egg sphere?????????

That would make them out there sit up and take note :shock: :roll: :bugout: :goofysca:

J

How about revealing that after exhaustive research, you've found out that Neil Diamond IS a larval Architeuthis?

tsk tsk

oh come on....you could gain some 'funding' by clueing in the tabloids to your speech.....

how can a week go from a diamond to an abyss from mon to tues?

also, will the Katcus stay wigged once your partner in crime reappears?

The Resident Idioteuthis

LOL

You're right; the week just picked up as of yesterday anyway (something good happened .. something that had plagued me for several weeks), so we're back from the abyss and now a diamond.

Better move that blond wig from the Katctis (sp?) .... it's gotta go when she returns (or she'll hide my $1 ceramic peanut again ... long story).

Onwards and upwards
O

.... just a wee note to say Kat's back, alive and well, and looking unnaturally tanned (for a southern person during the austral winter).

What about sexy new male squid meets Neil Diamond and produces larval Architeuthis from a squid egg sphere?????????

:yuck: I was going to say, 'Hi, I'm back' but perhaps I should just sneak off again quietly...

The time in the States was lovely; fewer mosquitoes than anyone in MN's seen in recorded history, which is not to be underestimated when canoeing the first 70 miles of the Mississippi.

But it's good to be back in NZ too... looks to be a busy couple weeks / months / years / rest of my life... not to mention the 1419 new posts waiting for me on TONMO. :shock:

Yay! Welcome back! :notworth:

Welcome back Kat!!!

Hope you had a good summer/winter... whatever your bodyclock is up to????????

Hey welcome back Kat, see you in september!!

J

Things are a little quiet right now - sorry. Kat is in Australia for a week and a bit (on a holiday of all things), and I'm trying to get a few manuscripts and documentaries out of the way, in between attending to a few things at work.

When I return (a couple of weeks away) I'll have a ton of things to contribute - new info on deep-sea squid, the squid eggs, and a progress report on the recently collected squid beaks from sperm whale stomachs. So, the slack period from me is only because I'm working away on the next lot of posts. I'll be checking in regularly, but will, in general, be quiet.

Cheers
Me

Thanks for the update Steve! Try to get some R&R in there as well... :)

..... had to come back; just couldn't resist this post!!

The world's best emoticon!

:whalevsa:

Things are a little quiet right now - sorry. Kat is in Australia for a week and a bit (on a holiday of all things)

Gee Steve................you're slipping.You let Kat have a HOLIDAY? I'd've thought after the poster episode you'd have her chained in the deepest, darkest dungeon you could find with ND played on repeat!!!!!!!!
:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
J

If I were you, Steve, I'd be using this time to organize a little vengeance.

:twisted:

I ran out of time ..... been insane over here lately. It will wait.

Steve Oshea wrote:I ran out of time ..... been insane over here lately
Oxford Eng. def: Lately: adv"that occuring over recent decades, Recent (Holocene)."
Thing is, everyone's the same, so he doesn't stand out in the crowd.[/i]

.... once again we're swamped, so there'll be little of either of us around for a week or so. Things to do, places to be, squid to frighten ........ gotta go

squid to frighten ........ gotta go

:twisted:

Things are very quite on the science sites, but it's just about impossible to check them out, contribute new information these days, other than a quick glance. Life and contribution will kind-of return to normal 17 March, unless of course we catch the larval Architeuthis again.

Will get picks of the ~ 67-day-old Sepioteuthis squid online shortly (as soon as the camera returns ... it's gone AWOL); moratlity remains zero (excluding 1 cannibalism strike earlier this week), and the squid are moving on to considerably larger marine prey. The Architeuthis expedition dates are 27 Feb through 7 March (you'll not hear from me throughout this period), followed by a series of lectures to the 16th (and you'll probably not hear from me between these dates either). Kat should be lurking around somewhere.

Sorry for the silence
Steve

... am outa here ... gone squidding

I'm really sorry about this, but I am pretty much restricted to short exchanges between now (the 8th) and the 19th of March (NZT). Although I'll be about, and can respond to any request for info that comes through, I would imagine both of the R & D and P & B forums will be rather quiet as I'll be contributing nothing novel in this time period.

There are so many things happening right now that I'm finding it a tad difficult to keep up to date with things, so a pm to me to draw something to my attention is probably the best way to get a hold of me. There are plenty of exciting things happening in other forums right now, so I needn't worry too much .....

Oh to have the time and experience/knowledge to comment (other than a :shock: ) on some of the fantastic fossils being posted right now!!!!

Oh, to win lotto!

Hi Steve,

Hopefully, this message will reach you (I am not sending you pm since you are apparently busy till Mar 19). I have just posted a message for you in ceph care forum. Since I am not sure whether it will catch you attention at all, I shall post a copy here:

"Hi Steve, I am not sure whether you are back or not or you're simply busy. I have posted another message (dated Mar 9, right after you posted your last message in this column).

I have been watching 'On the trail on the Giant Squid' on Discovery Channel. While I enjoyed it immensely, I was wondering when the documentary was made and also, about the progress or improvements (in terms of the techniques of collection, transportation and keeping baby Architeuthis alive) made since then.

I paid particular attention to the way the baby Architeuthis was handled after the tow. This includes sorting, screening and identifying the baby Giant Squid (in presumably small glass jars), subsequent observation and filming (in the plexiglas container) and eventually, the transfer of the baby Architeuthis into the specially designed circular temporary holding tank. I have also noted the behaviour of the baby Architeuthis in the plexiglas container.

Regretably, based on my experience in collecting, handling, transportation and keeping delicate marine animals alive, I have predicted the death of most, if not all, of the baby Architeuthis on arrival at port before I saw what happened at the end of the documentary.

I wish you have better luck since then and I would really like to talk to you more about the handling and care of the baby Architeuthis. "


By the way, I am also quite interested in the sort-of dwarf 'Aureoteuthis'? (not sure about the spelling) squid that you collected in one of those trips. I imagine they will be a lot easier to keep alive than baby Architeuthis. Did you managed to keep them alive in the end and if yes, for how long?

Ta

Hi Steve,

Regretably, based on my experience in collecting, handling, transportation and keeping delicate marine animals alive, I have predicted the death of most, if not all, of the baby Architeuthis on arrival at port before I saw what happened at the end of the documentary.
Ta

Hi Cyrus; thanks for the note. We've come a long way since then, much of it posted throughout the site. I really can't sit down right now and write all that's happened subsequent to this, though an article on something like this is certainly in order in the future (when I've had some time to breathe).

Perhaps you'd like to share with us some of your experience(s) and tell me how better the operation could have been conducted.

One thing I will add is that the nets we used to collect the squid were ideal for this purpose. No other kind of net could collect animals in the condition of the attached photographs. What you saw on screen were some of the more dramatic shots of the catcher bucket being emptied into the trough; NOT ALL retrievals (x ~ 130) of the gear were so conducted (and it certainly did depend on the sea swell at the time). Doco's are all about action, rather than gentle this, that and the other; unfortunately the action shots were not always the 'typical' shots.

See attached pics and see if you can spot ANY damage. Decide for yourself whether the equipment was as good as I say it was. The difficulties with keeping the animals alive were related to diet, tank shape and tank-construction materials.

I look forward to hearing from you; perhaps you'd like to discuss this ona separate thread altogether (not really appropriate in this thread).
Kindest
Me

http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/download.php?id=2216

http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/download.php?id=2214

http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/download.php?id=2215

.... and there are many more, hundreds of pics in fact, that will all, eventually, find their way on to Tonmo (when I get time and can write a wee story about each).

Damage was the exception, not the norm. The RMT25 net, non-knotted 6mm mesh, with catcher bucket, towed for ~ 5-15 minutes duration, when the moon neared full and the euphasiid layer was depressed in the ocean (so that we weren't trawling through a 200m-deep column of krill, damaging the specimens), caught perfect-condition specimens of almost all species. Damage was experienced on those nights aroudn new moon, when the krill layer could have extended from the very surface to depths of 200 metres or more. Now that really was a pain! We simply couldn't trawl, and even a 5-minute tow with the net resulted in a 20kg bag full of krill.

The problem was not with collection or handling immediately thereafter, but with the culture and photography environments.

I do look forward to comments from you.
Kindest
Me

Great new squid photos Steve!

Can't wait to see more images like that. I can feel some new drawings coming on after seeing those pics. I love the floating disembodied looking eyes on the Chiroteuthis. :shock:

:cyclops: ctoslave
www.feverisland.com

Beautiful pics Steve, Loved the spots on the Teuthowenia Is it's mantle balling?

J

Hi Steve,

Thanks for all that, in particular, those amazing photos. Although I don't know when the doco was made, I thought it must have been made quite a while ago. Obviously, you must have made sunstantial progress since then.

I have certainly noticed the modifications in the trawling gears and operation procedures that was employed in the later part of the doco (the RMT25 net, the design of the catcher buckets and the shorter trawl duration) and that the specimen (including the 7 live baby Architeuthis) collected were in much better physical conditions.

You pointed out that the problem was not with collection or handling immediately thereafter but with culture and photography environments and that the difficulties with keeping the animals alive were related to diet, tank shape and tank-construction materials. When you have the time, we can dicuss this in another thread. I am really looking forward to that.

Did you manage to collect more baby Architeuthis after those trips and rear them in captivity? if yes for how long and to what size? That will be really awesome.


Ta

Cyrus, i might be wrong but i think that this is the same board that was up when Steve first started writing for TONMO.com... if that is the case then you may be able to trawl (sorry) through old posts to find relevant posts about the tanks etc as it got discussed in quite some detail... There is a chance that it was on an older board but I'll have a look too :)

Thanks Colin :talker:

There's not going to be a lot of me around through to 23 October - things are rather busy at present (I'm not going anywhere, but have 3 docos to get out of the way, and 3 squid to preserve). I'll check out things when I can, but will probably be limited to updates on the SQUIDCAM front.
Me

All for a good cause, Steve! I hope we eventually get to see some of these documentaries, even way over here in the States.

Nancy

Sorry all; have been, and will continue to be absent for another week or so. Things are verging on insane right now; food for another few threads for sure.

Things are verging on insane right now
er.....what else is new???? you's always a busy boy! How're thecuttle eggs doing? Ours are OK but haven't eyed yet.


J

The eggs are fine Jean, although they do have a thick algal layer on them (I had them in the tank with the eggs on the upper surface of the rock slabs, instead of the under (the way they were collected)); I did it to ensure good circulation - it only effects the outermost capsule.

They're in a tank that might fluctuate 21-24°C, which is probably a darn-sight warmer than what you're circulating through yours. Last Thursday we sacrificed an embryo just to make sure that they were viable - it was ~ 40% embryo/60% egg yolk, with developing eyes and chromatophores, so they're quite ok.

I actually took a clump down to Kerry at the National Aquarium of NZ (Napier) on Friday - a whirlwind tour to collect something else - so we've got two bunches here and he has one there. Best not to have all eggs in one basket. You do have a copy of Hurst's project on these animals don't you? If not I can run a copy off (it is University of Otago anyway).

Have just returned from the Waitakere's, following a hunt for West Coast mysids (East Coast sources have dried up). After looking at many different locals I stumbled on a bonanza site - squirted a ton of O2 into the containers and whipped back with a trillion. We have thousands of starving baby octopus and broad squid, not to mention a ton of fish down at Kelly's that haven't fed for .... (I'll not say how long).

Will actually post a new thread in the conservation forum, given loss of maritime vegetation and excessive coastal siltation on the East Coast results in grossly elevated estuarine water temperatures, and lack of organic input (foliage), partly responsible for summer loss of mysids. Must be a collapse through the food chain. Have been taking pics of mysid habitat all this week (have been everywhere - Kawhia, Napier, Auckland East and West Coast, and have just located them; there are squillions in Napier, but I don't fancy the 11 hour, 1-day return drive too often, and we need those for the culture stock).

You get a ton of euphasiids coming into the harbour, but do you get mysids? Have you extensive Junctus grasses flanking the estuary down there? Should be a good place to look; great food for the wee Sepioloidea (I'd opt for this rather than amphipods)!

Just going through a rather full-on period here at work, and it's keeping me offline for long periods; sorry 'bout this. Things should settle down again in a week or so, and I'll be back on full steam.
O

Ican't believe this site..it is awesome..I have been teaching Oceanography to third graders for about 4 years..I learned so much in a few days. I first learned of this site through a scholastic magazine about two weeks ago. There was an article about Steve O'Shea and his research on Giant Squids. I read it to my class..they are now hooked on the giant squids. Thanks Dr. O'Shea for the hard work. You inspired about 30 children in New Jersey and a 30 year old Teacher.(wanna be Oceanographer)

Gaetan (Tonmo Newbie)

Hi Gaetan, and a warm :welcome: ; what magazine article was this? It is definitely news to me.
Ta
Me

Well...Scholastic is a huge publishing company (They publish harry Potter). They have a magazine that teaches reading and writing. It seems that the author of the article spent time with you looking for baby giants squids in NZ. Your article was the non-fiction read. Awesome pictures...

G

OH..thanks for the welcome.. nice to meet you.


G

Just remembered...the mag is called StoryWorks..here is a link ...

http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/classmags/Storyworks.htm

Peace,
G

Just a wee note to the effect that I'm way busy at present, am hardly online, and am falling way behind in many matters. Things will not lighten up for at least several weeks, and probably a month (end of August). Hang in there; we'll come out at the end of it with a few interesting stories.

Steve

o...stories.
*sits here until Steve comes back*

I hope not, Eric. I'm completely swamped at present, with no light apparent at the end of any tunnel. I'm terribly sorry, but I'm basically incommunicado until a few matters are resolved here.

You are left in the very capable hands of Kat, aka TTF.

is you're present work which is so over-running you ceph related, by any chance?

You are left in the very capable hands of Kat, aka TTF.

:twisted:

:shock:

yap, yap , yap...jeez Steve you would think you were out to educate people about cephs and such with the way you caaaaaarrrrry on !
Oh yeah. You are.

Kat's capable hands??? Where is sir Um ??? My neck is already sore!

:)

:angel:

Not fooled.

I'm afraid that it is neither squid nor octopus work that is keeping me preoccupied. In light of today's unforeseen events things are going to be even more challenging.

I think it is time for me to trundle on home (early) and open a :wine: , turn the television on and flick through channels until I find a Tom & Jerry cartoon .... if this fun old stuff still plays.

You watch that? :lol:

Everyone loves cartoons, silly!

Melissa

I :heart: cartoons.

I'll make an announcement soon enough as to why I've been offline so long; we just have another couple of rather tough weeks to go before things are set in stone.

If you question the power of cartoons young chrono, i would advise you to seek out 'octosimpsons' in culture & entertainment....

there you can see......well the meandering nature of TONMO, but also the good parts of cartoons.....

i never cared much for tom and jerry mainly since i thought jerry was a bit of a **** (havent decided which 4 letter word that is so dont ask).... but then again i'm a fan of the old school Daffy Duck (back before he became Bugs Buuny's comic foil)

Wooo Hoo Woo Hooo Hooo Hooo Hoooo

first of all, maybe it's a *** (3) instead of a **** (4) (I know what I will add if I were you :twisted: ) Now Bugs Bunny was also quite a big jerk in my opinion.

Just a wee note to the effect that Kat and I am off for a week; ve vill veturn vif intrastin stories to tell, maybe.