Thursday, July 21, 2005

Crowded Schedules Strike Again

Saw March of the Penguins last night. It's amazing how a good animal documentary can convince you of one simple fact: We aren't special. I'm serious. There are no new stories. Humans are just chimps with air conditioning. (An innovation I'm very thankful for, by the way.)

For those who don't know, MotP follows the annual trek of Emperor Penguins from the "beaches" of Antarctica, where they feed, to the breeding grounds deeper in-continent, where the thicker ice prevents hapless Penguin chicks from falling into the waters. The mothers lay the eggs, and then immediately head back to the feeding grounds. The males have to meanwhile stay and guard the eggs until they hatch - between the march inland, the egg-guarding duties, and the march back to the sea, the men lose half their body weight.

It's amazing that anything manages to survive on the surface of Antarctica, much less waterfowl. If you need a really good real-life drama, go see it. If you live in Toronto, it's on at the Cumberland.

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