wednes: (Default)
wednes ([personal profile] wednes) wrote2006-01-22 07:02 pm
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There hasn't been any cool shark news to report in quite some time. Yeah, a few people have been attacked, and more of them are "fighting back" and surviving and all. Newsflash: if sharks actually wanted to eat people, we couldn't go into the water at all. And we certainly couldn't "fight them off".

Contrary to popular beleif, the Great White Shark is a mere third in the rank of man-eaters and shark attacks on humans. Both the bull (shark) and the tiger (shark) are more aggreessive, and more likely to kill a human for the purpose of eating it.

However, these are not the scariest sharks in all the sea. Some people assert that there are still Megalodons floating or...swimming around out there. I don't think so. But I've never been to the depths of the ocean. And after seeing Open Water I don't think I ever will.





Above is a recreation of the megolodon recently reconstructed by the San Diego Natural History Museum. It's cooly cool. But Wednes, you may ask, How big were these Megolodons, REALLY?. Well, to be succinct, Pretty Goddamn Big.
groovesinorbit: ani difranco (baseball cap ani)

[personal profile] groovesinorbit 2006-01-23 01:28 am (UTC)(link)
Neato! I remember seeing a reconstruction of a megalodon jaw in a shark book I read as a kid. Always thought it would be cool if they were still swimming around out there.

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
Since I live in Michigan, nowhere near the ocean, I'd be cool with that as well. ;-)
groovesinorbit: (ani smile)

[personal profile] groovesinorbit 2006-01-23 02:13 pm (UTC)(link)
*grin* Yes, the living in Nebraska angle might have had an influence on me, as well.

Bulls, Meat?

[identity profile] kindofblue328.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
Bulls are herbivores... But having been chased by one, I know that they still are a definite threat.

Re: Bulls, Meat?

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
No, silly. Bull sharks!

and tiger sharks too, in case that was not clear.

Re: Bulls, Meat?

[identity profile] kindofblue328.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
AHAHHAHAHA! I'm such a silly goose! My bad, lol.

Re: Bulls, Meat?

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
I've edited the post to make that more clear.
I sometimes forget that not everyone records Shark Week so they can rewatch it later...

[identity profile] spun-lepton.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 06:12 am (UTC)(link)
Swear to gawd, I have an irrational fear of magalodons. I'm not kidding. I look at Photoshopped "images" of the megalodon where it's eating boats or swallowing people whole, and I actually get a little light-headed. This reconstruction at the museum would probably make me pass out.

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 07:46 am (UTC)(link)
Jaws has made an entire generation of people afraid of sharks. And the very small amount of good horror dedicated to "Meg" is quite horrifying. Even that horrible Shark Attack 3 movie is kinda creepy.

I wonder, did you hear that Jonah and the Big Fish bible story when you were a kid? That scared the shit out of me, plus I was 4 when I heard it (which was also the year Jaws came out).

People have an innate fear of being eaten alive. And shark mythos usually adds the fear that the shark came up from below and that the attackee never sees it coming. That is really, really frighteneing. So when you add to the the idea that the shark might also be large enough to kill a dinosaur...*shudder*
Not to mention, they can't really prove that megs don't exist. They just reason that they'd have a hard time finding enough food if they did. Bums have a hard time finding food, and there's a bunch of them. ;-}

Megalodon

[identity profile] thehula.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 10:52 am (UTC)(link)
Just as I read your post my coworker asked, "Who's ready for dinner?" to which I replied, "ME! I'm going to attack that line like a Megaladon, man." And for the rest of the evening, it's been megaladon this and megolodon that. Thanks!

Re: Megalodon

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 08:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Awesome.

[identity profile] uterdic.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 03:16 pm (UTC)(link)
You think that shark is big? Check out the size of a blue whale:



Inside of that mouth is a lifesize fisherman in a rowboat (seriously). Mannn, if I were a brine shrimp, I'd be terrified. Or if I were the giant squid this whale was wrestling, I'd be a little nervous too. And yes, the Jeff Daniels movie "The Whale and the Squid" is referring to this sculpture (as best I can tell).

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I've got some bad news for you.

Blue Whales are make-beleive.
You didn't really think Pinochio was a true story did you?

[identity profile] uterdic.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 08:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh yeah. Well maybe the giant squid could fight a giant jellyfish:

[identity profile] lickingtoad.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 04:35 pm (UTC)(link)
I just remembered it. Like this instant. Without IMDB. Jerry O'Connell, 'My Secret Identity.' I am t3h nyerd. (Tell [Unknown site tag])