From: quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Quetzal)
Subject: Re: Observations regarding TLM
Organization: Monash University, Melb., Australia.
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 05:53:55 GMT

My turn . . .

In <1idmblINNo0r@network.ucsd.edu> rcook@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Robert Cook) writes:
>In article <1993Jan6.012109.20280@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Quetzal) writes:
>>In <1icflgINNr3g@network.ucsd.edu> rcook@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Robert Cook) writes:
>>>In article <1993Jan5.012910.23048@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Quetzal) writes:

>>Flounders don't really look like that, do they?

>They don't start out that way, but as they mature one of their eyes
>migrates to the other side.  Once both eyes are on one side of the
>head, they take to swimming horizontally on the sea floor.  Weird,
>eh?

Well, I knew *that*, I just meant that, aren't they just a little bit
flatter normally?  (I might be getting confused with the "Eric the
Halibut" Monty Python sketch here - hang on - "Eric". . . Woooooowwww.)
Or a different colour?  I just don't think of flounders when I think of
Flounder. :)

>>(I forgot that Flounder (capital F) has got a horizontal tail.  That
>>just adds to the question I mentioned in #3.)

>He sometimes has a horizontal tail; sometimes it is vertical. :-)  I
>haven't watched the film in a while, as I've said, but I could swear
>that his tail is vertical when he swims most of the time.  It
>becomes horizontal, for instance, when he tries to demonstrate
>"feet" for Ariel (Ariel sings "What do you call'em?").

That's exactly the bit I was thinking of.  More to add to the "animation
faults" list?

>>There are two species of monotreme in the world - the "duck-bill" platypus
>>and the "spiny anteater" echidna (the latter is the one you mention).
>>Technically they *are* mammals, for the reason given above, but they
>>certainly are an almost obsolete model.

>Okay, okay, I admit that I deliberately combined the features of
>the platypus and the echidna--it was just a little analogy.  The
>basic (and probably arguable) features that a mammal must have are
>warm-bloodedness (homoiothermal), fur, and live birth.  Everyone
>uses a different definition, and there are always exceptions (I
>consider monotremes mammals, albeit primitive ones).  Mermaids
>could easily be called mammals; I think you asked why they generally
>aren't.

Truce.

>>O.K., then why is it that she can't swim *at* *all* in human mode?
>>surely there would be *some* vestigial ability to propel herself in the
>>water.

>What if your boat motor just died and you never learned to row?  She
>probably could have swum had she tried, but there wasn't time for
>much practice.

Oh no!   Not boats!  Please, anything but boats!  (Spot the landlubber.)
I think the boat analogy would be better if you *already* knew how to
row, but just hadn't lately because there was no need (i.e. you had a
motor.)  Plus, you only had the motor for two and a half days prior to
it breaking down.  Would you have forgotten how to row?

>>WASP would pronounce it.  But how does he know?  Ariel isn't that common
>>of a name.  He doesn't know the crab is Jamaican -- in fact, he doesn't
>>even know crabs can speak.

>Actually, he didn't know that a crab was speaking to him.

That's not his point; I'm sure.  How would Eric know to turn
"aah-ree-ell" into "ehh-ree-uhhl" was his point.  Of course, that
doesn't change the fact that you are right.  Hell, if *I* found out that
crabs not only talked, but talked with a Caribbean accent, I think I'd
shoot myself. . .  No I wouldn't - I'd go scouring the seaside looking
for mermaids, that's what I'd do.  Wouldn't you?  :)

>>>And I thought that I was crazy for merely responding to this post. ;-)

>>You are, but not as crazy as me. :)

>Just let me get warmed up! :-)

I'll give it a four.

Tim Pickett