Dragon

They tend to have very long back legs and often have extra toes (mine has the normal compliment of toes though). There are stumpies and rumpies. Stumpies (like mine) have a little stump tail rather like a bunny. Rumpies have no tail at all and some are actually missing some of the last vertebrae which can lead to major neurological problems. In fact breeding two manx's together is discouraged because the kittens are more likely to have these problems so there aren't really 'pure-bred' manxs. In my experience they are mischievious trouble makers and entirely too smart for their own good, but they're also very sweet and loving too.

Dragon

A very long time ago I wrote a poem about my manx and put it on the Think Write Open thread. I'm not a very good poet but I'll post it here, tells you a little something about my experience with a manx in the house.

Ode To A Tail-less Cat

I oft times ponder my foolish decision to adopt a manx cat such as you
You are not a dreamer, my small orange friend, but a hunter of great renown
Known to all in the house as a wily killer of evil balls of yarn
You leave their entrails for me to find in every room
And I often wonder how my aloe vera plants have wronged you
That you feel you must be avenged upon them.

Should I interpret that sparkling gleam as intelligence
Or is it simply mischief I see there?
Do you see some feline prophecy in the glass beads you scatter about so artfully?
Or in the tidily braided embroidery thread you leave in tangles skeins?

And I think, as I listen to your strident voice
Speaking your request for supper long before your supper time
I am in mourning for the nights once filled with peaceful sleep.
Do you understand my frustration
As I tower over you with water bottle in hand?

Perhaps you harass your brother out of a deep feeling of tail-envy
Or is it just because he is such a splendid victim?
I think you cannot know the irony
That your attempts to play are what distress him so.

I think it is your very nature to be exasperating
But when you climb under the covers and snuggle into my arms
Purring so delightfully
I know why I made that decision
To take a manx cat into my life.

solosater

Way back when that was on the word list in TW I did a little research; I found these interesting...

Per Wiki:

Manx cat:

The Manx (Kayt Manninagh or Stubbin in Manx) is a breed of cat with a naturally occurring mutation of the spine. This mutation shortens the tail, resulting in a range of tail lengths from normal to tail-less. Many Manx have a small "stub" of a tail, but Manx cats are best known as being entirely tail-less; this is the distinguishing characteristic of the breed and a cat body type genetic mutation. The Manx are said to be skilled hunters, known to take down larger prey even when they are young. They are often sought by farmers with rodent problems.

The Manx breed originated before the 1700s on the Isle of Man (hence the name), where they are common. They are called stubbin in the Manx language. Tail-less cats were common on the island as long as three hundred years ago. The tail-lessness arises from a genetic mutation that became common on the island (an example of the Founder effect).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manx_(cat)

Manx language:
Manx (native name Gaelg or Gailck, pronounced [gilk] or [ɡilɡ]), also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic language spoken on the Isle of Man. The last native speaker, Ned Maddrell, died in 1974, but in recent years it has been the subject of language revival efforts, and it is now the medium of education at the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh, a primary school for four- to eleven-year-olds in St. John's, Isle of Man.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manx_language

Dragon

Certainly fits with mine, I have no doubt he'd be a fantastic hunter if were to let him out. He did actually catch a mouse in my mom's house once and he was quite young then. He's pretty ballsy and used to attack my mom's Lab.

marius

Well, since I have a major case of "med-head" and we're talking about unusual animals ... what keeps coming to mind is a most unusual specie - the human being. I've been thinking about how odd we all are (and I mean that in a most affectionate way).

The story that keeps coming to mind is making me laugh myself silly. (And, yes, the cough syrup my doc prescribed is a narcotic and I'm beginning to think it should be illegal!)

Anyway, the story: Long ago I used to attend nature conferences that were held for folks who worked in interpretation and management of outdoor places. One of my favorite parts of the conference was the place where people could post interesting things about the site where they worked. One year someone listed funny comments left by visitors at their park. It didn't take long for other folks to add to that list. I don't remember all the comments, but here are the ones that stuck in the old bean. And, the first one was left on a comment page where I worked so I swear these are the real deal!

Here's what homo sapiens had to say about their outdoor adventures:
-There is way too much mud on your trails. Please get rid of it.
-We enjoyed our campsite but the coyotes howled all night. Please do something about those annoying animals.
-We did not see a single animal on our hike. Can you make them come out so we can see them?
-The mountain top is a half mile hike. That is too far to walk. You should install an escalator.
-Bees are a serious health hazard. You should get rid of them so everyone can hike here.
-There are too many mosquitoes here. We will not be back to visit.
-We enjoyed the cave and it's worth seeing but it's too far away. Please move it closer to the parking lot.

...and the funniest comment I heard was from a park ranger. He was explaining all the things one could do if encountering a mountain lion in the wild. I have forgotten all the cautions given but two: one was to make your body seem larger than it is, (spread out the arms with a jacket, jump on your partner and both of you spread out jackets in a threatening manner), and if that doesn't work - start speaking loudly in German!

To this day I wonder how someone found out mtn. lions do not like the German language. Or, was the wool pulled over my eyes? It wouldn't be the first time.

marius

And btw - thanks to all the for the info on manx cats! It was most interesting. (Thought I'd already said thanks ... am blaming med-head ...which rhymes with bed which is where I'm going very soon.) : )

Arw65

speaking of manx cats, a While back My brother was attacked by a bobcat- in a local bar, it snuck in when the door was open my brother thought it'd be cool to take a picture of it- (not the brightest crayon in the color box)- it took a nice swipe at his face. he had to go through rabies treatment and everything, it made it on to CNN and everything.- just a random tidbit of information.

Arw65

nix the 2nd 'and everything'

marius

Dragon - I am slow to take in info sometimes, but I truly enjoyed your ode to the tail-less cat! Now sure why you think you're not a very good poet, but I would disagree. You created a nice flow around the words and a PERFECT feeling for your tail-less one. In fact, except for a few specifics (we don't have an aloe vera) ... are you sure it was not a poem about our cat? Am curious what happened to the aloe btw. Don't the leaves have spikey edges? Apparently that is no deterrent. Anyway, thanks for sharing. And, I will say prayers for your other cat, unless that cat is like ours - has figured out how to torment the tormenter and does it so slyly it took us forever to figure it out. : )

marius

Arw - wow ... a bobcat went into a bar! Was this in a rural or urban setting? Anyway, glad your brother survived and sorry he is not the brightest crayon in the box ... although bet he's a bit brighter now. : )

What happened to the bobcat? Did it escape? Have read about bobcats with rabies attacking people, but only very rarely.

Arw65

the police killed the cat, in the parking lot-
here's the story on you-tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SxVUSqh3xo

If that doesn't work, a search for bobcat bar az turns up the story.

-oh the random things that happen in small towns

marius

Gee whiz - freaky story! Your brother is lucky the cat didn't get his eye!

And, the burning question now: how did your brother's pic of the bobcat turn out? I mean, if you're gonna get wounds while taking a challenging wildlife photo, there should be SOME reward, shouldn't there? : )

Arw65

lol I don't know, i never asked.

Robindcr8l

WOW Arw! That would be an exciting story for you brother to tell his grandkids someday, but that cat actually HAD rabies, for goodness sakes! Your brother is lucky there is treatment, because rabies is fatal. That is SOME story! Thanks for sharing!

marius

Well ... gee whiz ... sometimes I do "mis-speak."

Have a friend who does not participate on TD but does look at pics, reads forums. She has informed me that I may have insulted "poor Baldur." Said my comment #1969 could easily be construed as an insult.

What???

Perhaps I am dense ... no, I actually AM dense at times. I explained that Chez Baldur has described himself in MANY ways, and that "gay, vegetarian and bear-ish" are all terms he has used himself: so I thought I was being endearing ... and funny.

But, just in case, please accept apologies if they are needed, Chez Baldur. It would never be my intent to make fun of, or otherwise disparage another human being ... not ever!

Dragon

I suppose it's probably for Baldur to say but I thought it was a fun comment well in keeping with the nature of Radio Baldur.

As for my Aloe Vera plants, I had mentioned to a friend of mine how I had always wanted one but never got around to buying one. So she took 2 cuttings off her mom's plant for me and I lovingly planted them in cactus pot with special soil just right for succulents and hoped that they would do well. Within the first day I found 1 of them on the floor. Pot and dirt were almost completly undisturbed, he simply pulled the plant right out of the soil and dropped it on the floor. No matter where I move the darn things he finds them and pulls them out of the dirt! I finally set up our SSSSCAT next to them and I'm praying they'll make a recovery. (BTW SSSSCAT is a can of compressed air with a motion sensor on top so if they get within the motion sensor's range it shoots out a burst of air. It doesn't harm them but it scares the crap out of them, it's a marvellous invention.)

I'm afraid to say my other cat, who gets tormented by the manx, is possibly the biggest wuss-puss in exsistance. His idea of fighting back is to make lots of whiny noises then run away. Oscar (the manx) starting pushing him around the moment I brought him home even though he was a tiny kitten he still became a bully rather quickly. It was funny when he was just this little tail-less kitten about a 5th of his brothers size and he would cling on and chew on Ozzy. It's less funny now that they're even in size and I try to discourage it.

Robindcr8l

Marius, I think your friend took your comment out of context. In comment 1062, Baldur described himself with those same words, so surely he is not offended. Besides, I think after all the banter on here, you have an established rapport with Baldur and are familiar with his sense of humor, so I doubt that comment would be construed in any other way than your intent.

Dragon, your kitty stories are infinitely entertaining! You have a way with story-telling, like our most popular DJ Baldur, that makes all of your anecdotes enjoyable! Thanks for sharing!

Baldur

Heavens!
Baldur goes to tend a different cauldron for a brief time and this one starts bubbling over. LOL.

First I am fascinated by the output here. Even with the Emcee AWOL the topics keep flowing
I was in no way insulted by marius' comment in #1969 or anywhere else in these Forums. Though her cough medicine must be opiate based because she recently referred to me as 'Chez Baldur'. Indeed Chez Baldur is my home. There are times that yours truly indeed feels as big as a house, but as of yet the honorific of 'Chez' hasn't stuck.


Within the gay community there is a subgroup of men identified as 'bears'.
A general description would place them as hirsute, generally with facial hair, occasionally 'beefy' or muscular, and generally quite outwardly masculine. Because of this they work as a counterbalance to the more easily identifiable effeminate gay men. A good majority of bears live without being questioned as to their sexuality by the general public.
It's a complex world and there are many exceptions to the rule.
Many local and national organizations cater to this demographic, as well as a myriad of websites. If one were to wander into those disreputable bookstores one would also encounter books and magazines marketed solely to this group.
Back in the day (1998 to be precise) Baldur was elected President of the small local group. Alas that branch is no more.

Baldur

Attached below is my profile from one of the Bear social sites.
Typically my profile is atypical.
.........

Good Day,

I'm a large, full bearded, tattooed, partnered bear living in the northern rural part of Rhode Island. I've got that elusive look of a biker bear, if biker bears existed in the 19th century.
Maybe it's that aura of Steampunk shining through.

This bear is burly (6'1", 295 lbs), with grey eyes, big paws, furry hide and an unrepentant addict of frottage.

In many ways I'm rather medieval, a technophobe (a Luddite of sorts), electronics vex me...I'm just short of being computer illiterate. I'm a vegetarian, an exbeekeeper, gardener, stone wall builder, a novice stone carver, baker, reader, eBayer, Etsyer, antique collector, artist and a damn good cook.

Been doing a lot of work on the house here with my partner Robert (Clasibear on this site). I enjoy deep saturated colors, the arts & crafts period, mission furnishings, the aesthetic period, things that look medieval, gothic or at the very least archaic.

Generally when I upgrade something here at home, it entails replacing the newer with the older. The big excitement last summer was the heirloom pumpkins taking over the garden, ya gotta love that stuff.

Similarly I love the vintage look in clothing. If you think you look best in something bought from WahMaker, you probably agree with me on many fronts. Western is great, Victorian too. There's even a bit of Scottish tweed in my closet, a few pairs of breeks and a kilt. I've taken to wearing bowties this year, along with argyle. It suits the mood of this century. Wool is my favorite, would love to live in a place cool enough to require a jacket every blessed day.

I enjoy the woods, Satyrs, stone houses, porches (don't have one here... YET), the quiet sounds of nature, the roar of a good fire in my hearth, hard cider, wearing my boots and watching the snow fall.

Despite appearances I have mastered the use of silverware and if left with no options can be civil at teatime. Tea is at 4 (LOL). Against the bear stereotype I really enjoy dressing well and become enthused over a big strapping man in a good suit.


Playing on my stereo you will likely find: the Harlem James Gang, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billy Eckstine, Gladys Knight, Martina McBride, Linda Ronstadt, Mama Cass, Natalie Cole, Bing Crosby, Leon Redbone, Riders in the Sky, Gene Autry, Michael Buble, Bix Biederbecke, Glenn Miller, early Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Patti Page, the Mavericks, Tim McGraw, the Dorsey brothers, Benny Goodman, the Cowboy Celtic discs and just about anything from the 1920s through the 1930s.

If you too have been placed in the wrong century we probably have a bit of common ground.

Baldur

so that concludes Gay Bear101.