Friday, November 03, 2006

A Badger is…

After a week of strange locomotive/steel working mascots we get back to the sensible animal world as Penn State takes on Wisconsin and The Nittany Line takes on the Badger. This week’s addition… A Badger is

…an airbrush company
Badger Air-Brush, known as "America's Airbrush Company" according to the company’s website, is a manufacturer of Airbrushes and Airbrush components. They claim to be “consistently experimenting with new product ideas and designs in order to meet the changing needs and interests of airbrushers of all levels for every purpose.” Who knew the airbrushing community was such a dynamic and diverse part of modern civilization?

…a flow meter
If you have municipal drinking water or gas, chances are it’s monitored by a Badger Meter. Founded in 1905, Badger Meter, Inc. is a manufacturer of products using flow measurement and control technology, serving industrial and utility markets worldwide.

…a carferry
If you need to cross Lake Michigan from Manitowoc to Ludington then the S.S. Badger is your boat. The S.S. Badger… Big Ship, More Fun! Just remember: Don’t pay the ferryman… don’t even fix a price… Don’t pay the ferryman… till he gets you to the other side!

…a fire extinguisher
Located in Charlottesville, VA, Badger Fire Protection offers a comprehensive range of industrial fire extinguishers and dry chemical fire suppression systems. Why the name Badger? Let’s just say it’s a lot better then their former name: Figgie Fire Protection Systems. Yeah, smart move with the name change!

…a Disney movie
The Boy Who Talked to Badgers is a 1975 movie in which a young Canadian farm boy communicates better with animals then humans. Befriending a hunted badger, he heads out to locate the animal but before long finds himself being carried far from home by a rapid, raging stream. Since the movie takes place in Canada and sounds ridiculously silly, the French probably love it.

… emblematic animal
On of the four houses of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter series was Hufflepuff which had a badger as it’s emblematic animal. Known for its broad principles of acceptance, Hufflepuff has been stereotyped as the house of the unexceptional. If you would like to learn more about this sort of thing you can here, but I really don’t want to waste anymore virtual space writing about a crappy movie.

… a character in a children’s book
The Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature written in 1908 by Kenneth Grahame. The book is viewed as commentary on class dynamics in British society. One of the main characters is Mr. Badger – A kindly but solitary figure who “simply hates society”. Apparently he’s been through the Beaver Stadium parking lots after an 8:00 game.

…a member of the weasel family
Like skunks, otters, and wolverines, badgers are members of the weasel family. In addition to their ferocity in encounters with other mammals such as coyotes and domestic dogs, these stout animals are well-known for their digging abilities. The lower jaw is articulated to the upper by means of a bone firmly locked into a long cavity of the cranium, so that dislocation of the jaw is all but impossible. This enables the badger to maintain its hold with the utmost tenacity. As stated previously the Badger is the smaller cousin of the Wolverine but belongs to the same family (Mustelidae). There are 8 species of badger.

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