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phoenix_rising
@phoenix_rising
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We have a possum problem here. Personally I think they're cute, but everyone else hates them. They get hit by cars a lot so we have a lot of possum roadkill. It's because I live near an irrigation ditch (whatever that is, I guess farmers use it, but it's weird because I live in a subdivision, not farmland), and the possums hang out and have parties in it. Then they climb out onto the street and die.
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phoenix_rising
@phoenix_rising
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Possum Facts: (from http://home.sou.edu/~rible/wildlife/opposum.htm)...Southern Oregon University website.

Virginia Opossum

Also known as
Opossum, possum
What is the scientific name?
Didelphis virginiana
Pronounced di-DELL-fis vir-gin-ee-AAN-a
What does it mean? "Virginia two-womb." Didelphis is from two Greek words, di meaning two or double and delphys meaning womb. This refers to the opossum's fur-lined pouch (marsupium) which acts as a secondary womb. Virginiana is the Latinized form of the state of Virginia, source of the first scientifically described opossum.
Where are they located? How many subspecies are there?
Opossums are found throughout most of North America, from southern Canada to Mexico. While originally restricted to the eastern United States, they have continued to expand their range both west and north (Gardner, 1982). There are four subspecies of opossum, but only one that occurs over most of the United States: D.v. virginiana (Gardner 1982; McManus 1974).
Where do they live?
The opossum prefers deciduous woodlands near water, but can be found in a variety of habitats including marshlands, forests, farmland, and residential areas (Gardner 1982).
What do they look like?
Opossums are gray with long pointed noses and hairless ears and tail. The tail is "prehensile," which means it can be wrapped and folded around objects like a tree branch. While certain monkeys have prehensile tails and use them to hang from, opossums don't normally hang by their tails (Nowak 1991).
How big are they?
The head and body length is between 13 and 20 inches; tail length is between 10 and 21 inches (Maser et al 1981). Males can grow up to a total length of 37 inches; females to a total length of 36 inches (Hall 1981). Males can weigh between 1 and 13 pounds, but average around 5 pounds. Females weigh between one-half and 8 pounds, but average about 2 pounds (Gardner 1982).
How long do they live?
The average life expectancy is one and one-third years (Petrides 1949), but even this is thought to be a high estimate (Gardner 1982). The oldest recorded opossum in the wild was about three years old (Gardner 1982). In captivity they can live between four and five years (Gardner 1982).
What do they eat?
Mostly insects and carrion (McManus 1974), but the opossum is omnivorous, eating a variety of animal and plant matter. The diet includes: grasshoppers, slugs, caterpillars, mice, frogs, shrews, snakes, bird eggs, corn, chestnuts, acorns, blackberries, wild cherries, persimmons, grass, and carrion from such mammals as deer and rabbits (Gardner 1982).
Interesting notes: Owing to their unique marsupium, the birth of opossums is particularly fascinating. Female opossums can have up to two litters per year with sizes ranging from one to 17 newborns per litter. The young are born in an embryonic stage 12 or 13 days after conception and are only about one-half inch long and one-tenth of an inch wide. You could fit an entire litter into a teaspoon. After emerging from the uterus, the newborns have to climb one to two inches from their mother's vulva to the pouch where they attach themselves to one of 13 nipples. Not all newborns will reach a nipple and not all nipples will be functional if they arrive. Sometimes only seven to ten of the 13 nipples will produce milk. Those newborns that can't find a fucntional nipple perish. After attaching, the tiny opossums will stay attached and nurse for 50 to 65 days. They are weaned after 95 to 105 days (Gardner 1982; McManus 1974; Asdell 1964).

Opossums are probably best known for playing dead, a defense mechanism that is utilized to keep them from being eaten and is only used as a last resort. Opossums don't move very swiftly, their fastest speed was clocked at a roaring 4_ miles per hour (McManus 1970). Instead, they have developed another way to escape predators called "death feigning" (pret
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Morganofmind
@Morganofmind
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I don't like steak, and I don't like chicken... Or pork... And certainly not veil or things of that nature. The only meat I like is sour brauten (damn german heritage, although I refuse to eat anything in the shape of a sausage). And fish, although I don't really consider fish meat. And turkey's alright too, with stuffing and a lot of gravy and some cranberry sauce.
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phoenix_rising
@phoenix_rising
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who is the artful dodger?

I like steak every now and then, but I'm not a freak about it the way some people are. What is really good is pot roast. I love a very tender pot roast smothered in ketchup. Morgan I've got to try this sour brauten stuff, because I have tons of german heritage so maybe I'd really like it. That's funny that you won't eat anything shaped like a sausage. lol. I can see how it would be degrading 😛

I love fish of all kinds. Oh lord. Sweet lord. One of my nice coworkers went crabbing on the Oregon coast yesterday and tomorrow she's bringing in a bunch of crab and a garlic butter sauce for us all to eat. (She's a cancer, can you tell? But a very sweet one)... I'll be bringing my toothbrush to work. But I'm very excited about the crab. I will report on it.

Turkey, I like it, but only if it's moist and not dry. I hate really dry food, there's always got to be a sauce or marinade of some kind.
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Gwendylyn Post
@Gwendylyn Post
20 Years1,000+ PostsPisces

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1) james t. why everything tastes like chicken: watch the movie Soylent Green

2) Possom story:

My seventh grade science teacher told us a story that has scared me for life...her husband was heating up the barbecue outside and went inside for a drink and got distracted and went our with the food like an hour later and hte cover was closed. Why? because a possom fell out of the tree above the barbecue and its fall closed the lid over it. I don't know what they did with the hairy scarred remains of the creature.

We have some wild domestic animals by us. Whenever we put our leftovers oustide on our deck for our cat, we would attract raccoons or possoms. I think possoms look cute except their tail is very scally/ratty looking and when they smile back away because they have to nasty set of jaws.
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James the13th
@James the13th
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Comments: 0 · Posts: 1362 · Topics: 85
i think it was the the stupid poportiousie they love their meat to much. And someone got the bright idea to do a national cow tippen. And they got word through the Anmial Farm pigs. That's what happened. That way we raise our cows knowing that's going to happen to them.
but i do love fish. oh my God it's great speically blue gill.
uh but crab good.
this is funny my step mom was like okay u'll eat brolied crwaldad's and not eat my chili. Yeah taht's right I don't like chili. but i like crwaldad's.
it's great.

ttul.
oh big talk later on meat site. i'll post it later when i have the time. it's about the universe.
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Espernaut
@Espernaut
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Just to throw gas on the fire...
Down South, it's rice, rice, and more rice. Then there's some magical line (Mason~Dixon) where suddently all that people want is potatoes. Is that the New York/Irish potatoe famine influence?, I wonder.
Speaking of possums, ya'll..(err.. sorry, You Guys) crack me up... I'm as South as one can get, and no one eats that here. Squirrels, yes. (possums & squirrels, evolutionary buddies??)... like crabs, "you have to have a bunch".
Possums are scavengers though, not thought of as good eating. Wait a second, so are chikens. Now I'm confused.
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Espernaut
@Espernaut
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I Would like to try that..Oriental dish (Ha! dodges Morgan..) that is the poison fish. Cooked properly, the diner (dinee?) gets a warm & fuzzy after glow. (There is that down side of fatal poisoning if improperly cooked,however.) That.. or just getting to see those plates where the fish still has it's head connected, the body is steamingly hot..and the mouth is still gasping for air.
I don't wanna eat that.. just understand how it's done.
i like gim.(sea weed). The dry salty ones. Yes ppl are probably going "EWWWW WUT THE FUUUGGGG" ROFL but its tastey.. everyone should try it. Just go to some asian market, and buy some. But depends which one you buy, becoms some of them are like..not salty
~Lena
@~Lena
20 Years500+ Posts
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 22 · Posts: 551
As you know, I use the Xenadrine diet pills. Well, all week I have exercised three days this week. In conjunction, this is how I eat.

Breakfast:
1 packet of apple cinnamon oatmeal

Lunch: A Cold Cut Trio Sandwich with all the fixings
twinkee77
@twinkee77
20 YearsGemini
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 73 · Posts: 337
I want to know what your cheapest meals are... The cheapest I have is no-name brand macaroni and cheese for $1.

A real meal, howver, is tunafish casserole. SOund disgusting doesn't it... It's a family recipe. Two cans of tuna, two cans of mushr
Gwendylyn Post
@Gwendylyn Post
20 Years1,000+ PostsPisces
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 127 · Posts: 1227
Has anyone ever tried this diet? A lot of people (celebs too) swear by it. If you've tried it, would you recommed it or not?
phoenix_rising
@phoenix_rising
20 Years5,000+ Posts
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 584 · Posts: 7940
I am addicted to chocolate. I love it. I always knew it as the medicine for the heart, and now I know there are true benefits to eating chocolate. This post is for all my fellow chocohalics. Indulge:

Chocolate has exceptional nutritional qualitie
Morganofmind
@Morganofmind
20 Years1,000+ Posts
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 263 · Posts: 3286
By far, my favorite food is ice cream. All of my favorite memories are somehow connected to an ice cream cone. Ice cream, in my opinion, is the medicine of the soul, kind of like chocolate is the medicine of the heart.

So what's everyone's favori
Morganofmind
@Morganofmind
20 Years1,000+ Posts
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 263 · Posts: 3286
Does anyone have any good recipes?

Cortica
@Cortica
20 YearsGemini
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 25 · Posts: 288
Okay, now, I'm big on dips, I like dips, and I feel that basically anything is made better with a great dip. Does anyone have any easy (remember you're dealing with someone who hates spending unnecessary amounts of time in the kitchen, mainly because I'm
phoenix_rising
@phoenix_rising
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Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 584 · Posts: 7940
Ok, ive just had dinner and it was a good one. A suggestion for all those who are too lazy to cook.

Boil a spud then put it in the oven for half an hour or so.

Make some guacamale (avocado, sour cream and lemon juice), cut up a tomato a
Libragirl
@Libragirl
20 Years500+ Posts
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 55 · Posts: 813
Here is one of my fav rec.


Ingred:
1 Lg. bag of Tater Totts
2 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup
2 cans of Cream of Celery soup
1lb of ground beef, as lean as u can find
1 Lg bag of shredded mild cheddar cheese


-scorpio woman-
@-scorpio woman-
20 Years
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 9 · Posts: 216
I had to go off my pizza diet...
Not that I wasn't happy! I was extremely happy!! But, my butt and thighs were beginning to show their happiness a bit too much!! Since I went off my pizza diet, I have lost 12 pounds...huzzah!! Thing is I hate to read
Star
@Star
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Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 65 · Posts: 1975
Does anyone have a recipe for meatloaf? I have a fair few ideas on food and food prep so if anyone needs to know anything, just post away.

Also, feel free to share any tit bits of information that will make our lives easier in the kitchen. It
Libragirl
@Libragirl
20 Years500+ Posts
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 · Topics: 55 · Posts: 813