Internet Stress Relief...

jsmatos

jsmatos

Joined
Apr 6, 2002
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I have this website that I like to look at on and off throughout the day. I only look at it for a couple of seconds here and there, but it sure does make me happy. Here it is: http://www.sandiegozoo.com/zoo/polarcam.html

I was thinking about it today when this girl in my office was having an especially stressful day. One of the other attorneys in the office was treating her terribly. :rolleyes: Unfortunately, there wasn't anything I could do to help her. So, I brought her into my office and showed her this site. At the time there was a big, fat polar bear doing somersaults over and over again in the water in real time. I said, "I'm really sorry that you're having such a rough time today. I was hoping that it might make you feel better to see that somewhere in San Diego there is a polar bear fooling around and having a blast in the water." She stopped and looked at it for a minute or two and, after saying "awwwww" and "how adorable" ten or twelve times, she replied, "Yeah, that does make me feel better. What's the website address?"

Anyhow, that got me thinking. As crazy as it sounds, it really does make me feel happy to see the polar bear having such a good time with himself (or herself). To me, there's actually something special in knowing that, somewhere else in the world, something really wonderful is happening. It's really awesome to be able to steal a moment of it for yourself. :) You guys and gals should really check it out tomorrow. How much more uplifting can it get than a big, fat, furry polar bear doing backwards somersaults in the drink. I was wondering if anyone else has a site like this one that they look at to brighten their day? (Remember, this isn't the pirate's cove or whine and cheese ;) ). What's the site? If not, maybe you should look at mine or find one that suits your tastes.
 
I LOVE watching fish. That would be really cool. Great idea.

I know. I'm a dork. :D
 
The Central Park Zoo was always fun for kids. Then they shut it down for a few years and reopened even better, as a small animal zoo. No more bears and big cats and elephants in cramped quarters.

There was a new polar bear exhibit. A large hillside with overlooks for crowds to watch the bears from above or face to face, and one underwater. Same sort of view, a polar bear a few feet away, tumbling through a school of fish.

Those bears are BIG, and very graceful in the water.
 
What a nice post. :) I'll have to check it out tomorrow, since it said it was off for the night.

~ashes
 
Cool!!! I'll just have to settle for looking out my window till it comes back on, but thanks for sharing :cool:
 
Esav Benyamin said:
The Central Park Zoo was always fun for kids. Then they shut it down for a few years and reopened even better, as a small animal zoo. No more bears and big cats and elephants in cramped quarters.

There was a new polar bear exhibit. A large hillside with overlooks for crowds to watch the bears from above or face to face, and one underwater. Same sort of view, a polar bear a few feet away, tumbling through a school of fish.

Those bears are BIG, and very graceful in the water.
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A few years ago, my mother and I agreed to meet in Orlando one Saturday so we could spend the day at Sea World together. The primary incentive for the trip was the polar bear exhibit. When we arrived at Sea World, we ran through the park, headed straight to the exhibit. There we found sleeping polar bears with their backs facing us. There we stood with 10 feet of glass (just a little exaggeration) between us and the bears. They slept the entire day. :( Of course, we got to feed the dolphins :), watch the penguins frollick around :), and watch walruses and manatees swimming :), so it was certainly a wonderful day. But, I still haven't recovered from the sleeping polar bears. :( Didn't they know we were there to see them? GET UP. GET UP. PLAY, PLAY... Oh, the torment... I'm gonna have to go back to Sea World to see if they're awake yet. :D

BTW, did you know that polar bears retain all of their heat. If you had some sort of heat sensor camera (or whatever they call it), it wouldn't pick a polar bear up because they don't give off any heat. I also read someehere that a polar bear's fur isn't really white. I think it said that it's transparent, the white is just a scattered reflection from the sun. They look white to me. :)
 
I would suggest you go back to Sea World to see the polar bears when the temperature drops to about 10 degrees or so and they feel more invigorated.

I used to see them in the Bronx Zoo swimming around their pool with chunks of winter ice all around, and very few of us visitors there in those cold winter months. :)
 
10 degrees in Florida? When is that? :(

Okay guys, keep rubbing it in. Between Esav and the "Alaskan," I'm beginning to feel a bit jealous. :( ;)
 
There was a PBS special on a guy raising polar bear cubs just the other night. You think the big ones a cute, man the lttle ones where the cutest!
 
DaveH said:
There was a PBS special on a guy raising polar bear cubs just the other night. You think the big ones a cute, man the lttle ones where the cutest!
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I watched a BBC Natural World documentary last night about an Innuit man teaching his young son the old ways of hunting, igloo building, etc. He was explaining how there was much to learn from the polar bear about hunting. There was plenty of polar bear footage.
Recommended viewing.

Andrew.
 
Whenever I am cooped up at work, and can't get out, I always check out traffic cams for beach resorts, sometimes some nice scenery :D decides to take a walk. There is a boardwalk cam for OC, MD that always has some great scenery in the summer time. I also like to check out wildlife cams along major waterways, especially those on the eastern shore, or Delmarva peninsula. I'll post some links when I find them...
 
jsmatos said:
...
BTW, did you know that polar bears retain all of their heat. If you had some sort of heat sensor camera (or whatever they call it), it wouldn't pick a polar bear up because they don't give off any heat. I also read someehere that a polar bear's fur isn't really white. I think it said that it's transparent, the white is just a scattered reflection from the sun. They look white to me. :)
Click to expand...

Their outer fur is hollow, to let in light. Their skin is dark, so the light gets in and heats them up. BUT the hollow fur keeps them white against the snow.
They don't retain _all_ heat, but they are very well insulated by huge amounts of fat and, of course, the fur.
 
Yeah, you guys are right, they do give off some heat. Here's where I read about it: http://www.polarbearsalive.org/facts3.php

"A polar bear is so well-insulated that it experiences almost no heat loss. In addition to its insulating fur, the bear's blubber layer can measure 4.5 inches thick.

So effective is the polar bear's insulation that adult males quickly overheat when they run.

Because polar bears give off no detectable heat, they do not show up in infrared photographs. (Infrared film measures heat.) When a scientist attempted to photograph a bear with such film, he produced a print with a single spot--the puff of air caused by the animal's breath."

I just looked at the site and the cams don't seem to be on. That's not very nice. :( :D
 
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