Monday, December 2, 2013

Eric Shackle's Column

Community Singing

By Eric Shackle 

Eric Shackle suggests that we should entertain ourselves by singing together.
Community singing, popular during the Great Depression (1939) should be revived. It was good clean fun. And it cost nothing. Admission was free, and I don’t think the musicians, theatre management and staff, or anyone else were paid.

Remember the words of old favourite songs such as Daisy, Daisy, Home Sweet Home, Coming Round the Mountain, Oh Susannah and dozens of others?
I say again: Bring back community singing!
LINKS:
    Soundsense Org Show
    Sing up article:My Community Sings

Written by Eric Shackle - Published on October 27, 2013 08:20 AM | Permalink
Shown in the English webzine "Open Writing"

Sexy Lobsters

Eric Shackle reveals the dangerous sex lives of lobsters.
Lobsters are strange creatures in the sea - and a delight to eat!
They have complicated sex lives.
It takes less than 10 seconds for a pair of American lobsters to mate, but it takes a lot longer for them to get into the right mood. The female makes the first move by selecting a male that suits her fancy.
Once she identifies him, she hangs around his hiding place in the reef for several days. The male responds by being aloof at times, and at other times he seems to do his best to ward her off by nipping and swiping at her with his claws.
But she is a determined seductress, and when the time is right she disrobes by moulting and shedding her shell.
To increase her chances of success, shortly after moulting the female secretes a powerful pheromone intended to serve as an aphrodisiac. If the combination of her charm, body and “perfume” work their magic, the male will soon begin to caress her body with his antennae.
At this point the shell-less female is at risk, as the male’s sharp claws could easily deliver a fatal wound. The male will soon embrace the female and deposit his sperm packet inside her seminal receptacle near her tail where the sperm can be stored for months.
After mating, both the male and female often take a few bites from her discarded shell.
When the female finally produces eggs, they are fertilized by the stored sperm and then cemented to her swimmerets where they appear as a gelatinous cluster.
Lobster parties at Thiemsville, Wisconsin: http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/dining/get-cracking-at-lobsterfest-in-thiensville-b9992420z1-223826481.html
Do lobsters hold the key to eternal life?: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2418252/Do-lobsters-hold-key-eternal-life-Forget-gastronomic-indulgence-crustacean-defy-ageing-process.html
Six ways to control animals: http://www.cracked.com/article_19236_6-tricks-that-let-you-control-animals-like-beast-master_p2.html

Written by Eric Shackle - Published on September 22, 2013 08:38 AM | Permalink
Shown in the English webzine "Open Writing"
©2013 Eric Shackle

Click on Eric Shackle for bio and list of other works published by Pencil Stubs Online.

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