The animals other than man live by appearances and memories, and have but little of connected experience; but the human race lives also by art and reasonings. Now from memory experience is produced in men; for the several memories of the same thing produce finally the capacity for a single experience. - Artistotle

We presuppose labour in a form that stamps it as exclusively human. A spider conducts operations that resemble those of a weaver, and a bee puts to shame many an architect in the construction of her cells. But what distinguishes the worst architect from the best of bees is this, that the architect raises his structure in imagination before he erects it in reality. - Marx & Engels

Men can be distinguished from animals by consciousness, by religion or anything else you like. They themselves begin to distinguish themselves from animals as soon as they begin to produce their means of subsistence, a step which is conditioned by their physical organisation. - Marx & Engels

No single trait, not even tool-making, is sufficient to identify man. What is specially and uniquely human is man's capacity to combine a wide variety of animal propensities into an emergent cultural entity: a human personality. - Lewis Mumford

It is highly unlikely that we, who can know, determine, and define the natural essences of all things surrounding us, which we are not, should ever be able to do the same for ourselves — this would be like jumping over our own shadows. Moreover, nothing entitles us to assume that man has a nature or essence in the same sense as other things. In other words, if we have a nature or essence, then surely only a god could know and define it, and the first prerequisite would be that he be able to speak about a "who" as though it where a "what." - Hannah Arendt

woof woof woof. woof woofwoof woof woof. woof woof woof woofwoof woof woofwoof woof woofwoof woof woof woof woof woofwoof. woofwoofwoof woofwoofwoof woofwoofwoof woofwoofwoof woofwoofwoof woofwoofwoof woofwoofwoof woofwoofwoof woofwoofwoof woof woofwoof woof woofwoof woofwoofwoof woof woof woof woof woof!
- Rex (guest) 9-15-2008 4:12 pm

Meow, meow, meeeeeeoooow. MEOW! meow meow.
ahem, meow.
- sylvester (guest) 9-15-2008 4:15 pm

Companion Species Manifesto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA0nTr-6Sbc
- joester (guest) 9-16-2008 12:57 am

I. A nun asked a class of which I was a member to define the difference between animals and humans. Turns out that humans have a soul. The correct answer is "a soul." At some point I insisted that humans are mammals, and ergo, animals. "I don't know about you, but I'm not an animal." "Well then, what are you a plant?" Cue hilarity.

II. The human brain is the only self-contemplative object we know of.

- mark 9-16-2008 7:03 am

I just can just imagine how much that nun laughed. (Do you still have the scars, mark?)
- L.M. 9-16-2008 7:23 am

Only the mental ones.
- mark 9-16-2008 7:33 am

Polley want a cracker Polley wants a cracker good bird hello rickity bagity brugity garrr garrr garr
- anonymous (guest) 9-17-2008 3:22 am

A good parrot is a dead parrot.

Nice birdy, say "cook me".

I'm enjoying the Companion Species Manifesto. In spite of my fascination with feline cruelty, it's the dogs I truly love. (and it doesn't matter whether the dogs love me back or are just displaying submissive behaviour, all that matters is that I love them)



- L.M. 9-17-2008 4:41 am

I tend to be in the camp that Lewis Mumford quote...landscape. I think we are so very very close to animals and we think depending on our upbringing that we might be superior.

Anyone who has had a pet knows they are superior to us heh heh!

Your big black beast has got it all going on!
- Candy Minx (guest) 9-17-2008 8:03 pm

Crow intelligence
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/09/17/crows-use-causal-rea.html

- joester (guest) 9-18-2008 4:10 am

But they are crappy strikers so they always end up playing goal. I am so fucking easily distracted, just write crow and I'm there.
- L.M. 9-18-2008 4:29 am

Causal, yes, but what about casual (said the cryptics fanatic)? Trains of thought just for the hell of it? In short, Art?
- M.Jean 9-18-2008 1:37 pm

Art? don't put all of humanity on art, it's not our fault.
http://montereybay.com/creagrus/bowerbirds.html
- joester (guest) 9-18-2008 5:31 pm

- sally mckay 9-18-2008 5:53 pm

Great Christ! I'm temporarily silenced.
- M.Jean 9-18-2008 9:10 pm

Mr Dressup had a trunk, and could draw really well too. I tried to find of clip of that, but instead found one of a kitten fighting with a parrot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gECAimqmAQI

- rob (guest) 9-19-2008 12:58 am

From Rob's link: Mr. Dressup vs. Smudge



GO KITTY! KILL THAT ASSHOLE PARROT!


- L.M. 9-19-2008 2:06 am