The Wall Street Journal and Fox News are often difficult to take, but I've been trying to Aude Alterum Partum, to hear the other side. Often, there is not much worth hearing, but every once in a while, the folks at one of these places reveal they do have a glimmer of humanity lurking in there somewhere.
This weekend, the WSJ ran an article about the phenomenon of sloth frenzy. Apparently, zoos around the country have been having trouble dealing with the swarms of people at the sloth houses, who have overwhelmed the sloth capacities at these places.
There was the usual journalistic stuff, inquiring with experts to explain what sloths appeal to in the human psyche, but above it all floated the clear bewilderment of the WSJ editors as to what on earth this all could mean. In the frenetic, push, push world of Wall Street, it seems inconceivable to these New Yorkers that people are drawn to animals who can take ten minutes to eat a grape.
They did recognize the role played by "Zootopia's" scene at the Department of Motor Vehicles, where all the employees were sloths, which has to rival even Roger Rabbit in the pantheon of movie greatness.
Some love coyotes, some red tail hawks; some love whales, and otters have their fans. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration even has a division called "Charismatic Mammals"--I kid you not. You cannot make this stuff up.
But sloths have now come into the spotlight.
What did it for me was learning that they come down from their tree perches every three days to poop on the ground, which of course takes a while. Then they re-ascend. They could poop from the branches above your head, but they are considerate. They poop on the ground. Only if they scooped up their poop in little plastic bags could they be any more considerate, but then they would not be fertilizing the trees in which they hang out.
Sloths rock.
Of course, these are not the only animals we watch, which enrich our lives.
My neighbor described the wild turkeys who took off from her neighbor's yard, trying to reach the trees behind her house. "I've seen them take off from the yard across the street and really expected some of them to be splattered against my house---they just didn't seem capable of clearing it--although they did and they were incredibly loud and awkward. They hit the branches like flying pigs. Certainly not the most dignified of birds, not like the red tails, masters at soaring majestically."
For the lucky few who live in New Hampshire, just sitting on our back porches is a front row seat at the nature show. Flying pigs and soaring red tails: what more can you ask?
This weekend, the WSJ ran an article about the phenomenon of sloth frenzy. Apparently, zoos around the country have been having trouble dealing with the swarms of people at the sloth houses, who have overwhelmed the sloth capacities at these places.
 |
| A star is born |
There was the usual journalistic stuff, inquiring with experts to explain what sloths appeal to in the human psyche, but above it all floated the clear bewilderment of the WSJ editors as to what on earth this all could mean. In the frenetic, push, push world of Wall Street, it seems inconceivable to these New Yorkers that people are drawn to animals who can take ten minutes to eat a grape.
They did recognize the role played by "Zootopia's" scene at the Department of Motor Vehicles, where all the employees were sloths, which has to rival even Roger Rabbit in the pantheon of movie greatness.
Some love coyotes, some red tail hawks; some love whales, and otters have their fans. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration even has a division called "Charismatic Mammals"--I kid you not. You cannot make this stuff up.
 |
| I have charisma |
But sloths have now come into the spotlight.
What did it for me was learning that they come down from their tree perches every three days to poop on the ground, which of course takes a while. Then they re-ascend. They could poop from the branches above your head, but they are considerate. They poop on the ground. Only if they scooped up their poop in little plastic bags could they be any more considerate, but then they would not be fertilizing the trees in which they hang out.
 |
| I'm a fan. Some of my best friends are sloths. |
Sloths rock.
Of course, these are not the only animals we watch, which enrich our lives.
My neighbor described the wild turkeys who took off from her neighbor's yard, trying to reach the trees behind her house. "I've seen them take off from the yard across the street and really expected some of them to be splattered against my house---they just didn't seem capable of clearing it--although they did and they were incredibly loud and awkward. They hit the branches like flying pigs. Certainly not the most dignified of birds, not like the red tails, masters at soaring majestically."
For the lucky few who live in New Hampshire, just sitting on our back porches is a front row seat at the nature show. Flying pigs and soaring red tails: what more can you ask?
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