what lies beneath

You remember Jaws. It's the movie that singlehandedly emptied the ocean, if only for a moment. Who wanted to swim out there in all that darkness? After seeing that film, it was a long time before I'd even wade. I'd venture out to knee-height in slow, inchy, trepidatious steps, but all the while, I could envision the scene underneath those waves. I was certain that like beacons, my two white legs had drawn the attention of two beady fish eyes, and any moment, I would come face to fin with a fangy predator.

The pool, though ... there I felt safe. Nothing lurked below those beautiful, fake blue waters. Just a drain.

Or at least that's what I thought ...




These incredible photos are of a White Bengal tiger named Odin who lives in a zoo in Vallejo, California. Odin is six years old and 10 feet long from tail to nose.




















(This is my favorite. It looks like he's either covering a burp or rethinking that last bite.)





Odin was hand-raised at the zoo. After he was weaned, his British trainer, Lee Munro, discovered his remarkable skill. When a lump of meat was thrown into a pool of water, Odin dived happily in after it.

"He makes a funny face. It's actually to close his nostrils to stop the water from going into his nose."

Not all big cats enjoy the water, but for tigers from the hot climate of South-East Asia it's one way to cool down.

"Plus they hunt in and around water. They're an ambush predator so they wait for prey to come down to the water," his trainer explains.

"When you actually see him dive underwater he looks so graceful. Odin loves the water and he loves food," he said. "Not all big cats will dive and swim underwater, even for meat treats."

Munro said tigers were the most powerful swimmers out of all land-dwelling animals.

White tigers--the most rare variety--get their white color from an unusual and extremely rare genetic combination. A century ago there were about 100,000 tigers in the wild. Now there are just 2,500 adults, with the Bengal variety almost extinct. None has been seen in the wild since the last white tiger was shot and killed in 1958.

the heavens declare

Dave just sent me a link to this picture from the Hubble Site news center.

The accompanying blurb says, "NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Resolves a Dark "x" Across the Nucleus of M51."

An "x"? Really? Those scientists must be walking around with their heads tilted at an odd, abnormal, uncomfortable angle.

Because I see a cross.

God's glory is on tour in the skies,
God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
Professor Night lectures each evening.

Their words aren't heard,
their voices aren't recorded,
But their silence fills the earth:
unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

~ Psalm 19:1-4 (The Message)

caught

My friend, Andy, always sends me the best forwards. Here's the latest.




Look at the picture above and you can see where this guy broke through the guardrail on the right side where the people are standing on the road pointing. The pick-up was traveling from right to left when it crashed through the guardrail. It flipped end-over-end, across the culvert outlet, and landed right side up on the left side of the culvert, facing the opposite direction from which he was traveling.

Now look at the 2nd picture below... (if you click on it, you'll get a bigger view)



If this guy didn't believe in God before, do you suppose he believes now?

in one week ...

Here's what's on the menu around the world this week. Take a good look at the family size, diet, availability and cost of what is eaten in each country.

Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07



United States: The Revis family of North Carolina
Food expenditure for one week $341.98



Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11




Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09



Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27



Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.50



Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55



Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03



Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23



Once again, here's a link to Free Rice and Gospel For Asia. I promise--it won't hurt a bit.

just for fun

God is amazing ...

My friend, Andy, just sent me this series of pictures. How vast is our God?

help my friend

A friend of mine is in desperate need of a home for his dog. He LOVES this dog and says it's well-trained and kid-friendly, but his wife insists he get rid of it. She claims that "it stares at her all day long" and says it creeps her out. Please, please, please ... just take a quick look at this puppy:




So ... will you take him?