Riddle Me This

What do you think about this video?

                                             http://youtu.be/q-jqMcKH4ZI

Did you see the Egyptian statue on the end turn around? Look again. The statue is ten inches high, stands in an enclosed glass case in a museum, and after three years—it’s moving. According to museum curators, it turns during the day. Time lapse photography shows the statue turning, but its movement is not visible to bystanders. A few people think the turning is caused by footstep vibrations. Do you want the truth? The statue moves because it’s part of a prank or it’s a very weird, unexplainable phenomenon. I chose prank—it’s less unsettling.

It’s more comfortable to believe that a moving statue is prank-related than to believe it’s an unexplainable mystery. Don’t we prefer clear-cut answers regardless of how we get there? If the statue is part of a prank, how does it turn and who is involved? Sometimes we only get to the heart of an issue by probing every answer with a succession of hows and whys.

Some of our beliefs lack in-depth reasoning, but we hold onto them until we hear a more convincing truth. What mystery or hotly debated topic can you settle because you know the real truth?        

 

Fish Out Of Water

Nothing gets a double-take like the sight of a big, burly bear lounging on top of a child’s playground set in your neighbor’s backyard. Bears, bears, everywhere! It’s like they’re abandoning the woods (what’s left of them) for backyards and housing developments. Check outside, there may be one at your door. They’re getting too comfortable prowling our streets and foraging through trashcans for leftovers. We’ll always pause to stare at a fish out of water. Look at this one:        

                                             http://youtu.be/4VBBjm0Iayo  

This fish actually leaves the water to walk to nearby bodies of water. But wait, there’s more. Not only has it popped up in Canada, the Snakehead fish is alive and well in New York City’s Central Park. Change is inevitable once the natural order of life gets twisted. Have you been feeling like a fish out of water? Perhaps you’re in a transitional situation, waiting to make the next step. What’s the better situation that you want to move toward?     

Talk about the Weather

 It feels like we’ve stepped back in time. Drenching rains every few days?  Welcome to April—again! If our unusual weather patterns continue, I may not have to complain about the heat in July and August. Instead of the high humidity, we might see spring-like weather with minimal sweating, less sunburn and hopefully, fewer bugs. A cooler summer might translate into less pool time, but I’m willing to make that sacrifice.  If the seasonal switches continue,  October and November could become the new summer months. The extra sunlight might force us to miss the beautiful red and orange leaf displays we love. We may have to move Thanksgiving dinner to a park and put grilled corn and turkey burgers on the menu.

 It’s interesting how changes in the weather, which might seem minor to us at first, could cause a domino effect that alters our traditions and how we live.  We aren’t the only ones to experience wonky weather. Take a look:

                                         http://youtu.be/KG5tGxC6IqA

Poor kangaroos! They didn’t know what hit them. One person in a related video mentioned that Australians should be heading to the beach during that time of the year, not shoveling snow. If we took a poll, I  wonder how many people would prefer seasonal weather shifts. Our actual question for today takes a different slant, and that is: Why do you think we’re seeing such unusual weather pattern changes?   

Cage-free Living

Ostrich on the loose! If you follow the news, you’ve probably heard the story about the ostrich that escaped and ran amok through the traffic-filled streets of China. Unfortunately, the big bird was hit twice and caused several additional vehicular accidents. Every few months we hear stories about wild animals escaping from zoos, pens and cages.  When the door opens, why do they run? The obvious answer: animals prefer freedom. What would it mean if the doors opened and creatures stayed put? In some situations, it’s scarier to be outside of a cage than inside. Take a look:

                                          http://youtu.be/74O8TA3x9r8            

The guys in the video had a choice—swim or stay. When we feel trapped in difficult work, school or family circumstances, we have choices, too. We try to minimize problems with vacations, mood and mind-altering substances, hobbies or exercise, but those choices are usually symptom band-aids instead of a long-term solutions for the primary problem. What helps keep you stress-free regardless of your situation?