May 07, 2004
A personal note
By Jim Dallas
Little kids have a strange attraction to penguins, or so it seems. I think it's because penguins are about the same size that they are, although it could just be that they are "silly-looking" animals. Or maybe it's because they're a certain juxtopositional appeal about Texas-born penguins. Or maybe kids are into Linux, which would be a good thing I guess.
I draw this observation from the six aquarium tours I guided in the last three days (and now I am about ready to slip into a sensory-deprivation tank, which I would do, if I didn't have more work tomorrow!). A lot of kids will say, "that's cool, but when do we get to see the penguins?"
Also, apparently ever marine animal is now officially recognized not by its scientific or common name, but by the relevant character's name in the feature film Finding Nemo. Which is fine by me, because I'd rather say "Dori" than "Pacific Blue Surgeonfish."
Posted by Jim Dallas at May 7, 2004 06:37 PM
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I do the same thing everytime when I go to the Zoo. Except the zoo around this area (El Paso and Albquerque) do not hold penguins, but i have not visted the Aquairum in ABQ. As well, here in the El Paso its soo bloody hot to have them, and our zoo has never build a thing to be cool for them.
They are cute, what can you say, as a kid, I even took a picture with Chilli Willy and my mom has it framed in her room. I was, in the near future, going to use a penguin in my campaign lit so that when little kids see the lit, they will show their parents, "Look Mom, vote for this guy, he has a penguin, he's cooolllll" (i'm going for the 5 year old vote) and bring one to every event during my campaign.
A childhood memory was reading over and over again, Mr. Poppers Penguins. I think I got it out of the library numerous times. I tried to convince my mom to convert our house just like Mr. Popper to hold penguins. But she didn't listen to my demands.
Someday...Someday I will have a place to hold penguins in my house.....
