3/14/2003: Skiing squirrel
 

http://cellar.org/2003/skiingsquirrel.jpg

Happy Friday.

I have no more information on this one. I think it's a fake, but not a Photoshopped fake; I don't *think* this squirrel is actually waterskiing, but it does appear to be an actual photo.

Wait, I found the information!

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_758192.html

Twiggy wears a red lifejacket and a pair of skis and is pulled around a 24ft pool that is just six inches deep, reports the Washington Post.

"It's kinda like training a husband," [Twiggy's trainer] says. "You have to give them a lot of love and affection and tell them the same thing over and over again."

I guess.

I think he appeared at the Philadelphia Boat Show.

I saw him on the news.

I just want to know who the hell looked at a squirrel and suddenly said, "Hey, you know what would be cool? Puttin' that critter on waterskis!"

So you're saying, wanting to subject animals to unatural acts, is wrong???

I didn't get that from what he stated. His comment seems more along the lines of someone having too much free time on their hands, or, "What in the world would possess someone to want to actually take the time to train a squirrel?"
You don't have to read between the lines.

Blowmee would be correct...I did not in any way think the squirrel was being abused. I am not an animal rights activist, nor am I an animal abuser. As in most things, I tread the middle path.

And just for the record, that picture *is* proof positive that someone had too much time on their hands.

So a recruitment drive for the Iraq conflict. Thes little buggers can be trained for anything.

No, the picture is proof either that stuffed squirrels are posable, or live squirrels are smart. Proof of excess time comes from the trainer: "You have to give them a lot of love and affection and tell them the same thing over and over again."

Love and affection helps, but it's all about the bribes. Shaping complex behavior like waterskiing in an animal that by it's nature avoids water requires a LOT of peanuts.

Man, on the other hand, needs something more than peanuts to be trained...or rather, something in addition to peanuts, namely - BEER!