Goat Trivia: Goat's have rectangular pupils

How can you not love these guys?  They are the kids at Monteillet.

"Goats (and most other animals with hoofs) have horizontal slits which are nearly rectangular when dilated. This gives goats vision covering 320 - 340 degrees; this means they can see virtually all around them without having to move (humans have vision covering 160 - 210 degrees). Consequently, animals with rectangular eyes can see better at night due to having larger pupils that can be closed more tightly during the day to restrict light. Interestingly, octopuses also have rectangular pupils"

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/The_pupils_of_a_goat%27s_eyes_are_square#ixzz1TjZ9dcEl

Monday Funnies: Not so funny - the global impact of cashmere production

Why you should buy recycled cashmere - or hold on to your cashmere as if it was a precious commodity.

(it's a short video - only 3 min - watch and learn)

Did you know?

Did you know that a male goat is a billy goat, or a buck?
A female goat is a nanny goat, or a doe.
A young goat is a kid.
It has been out of fashion to say "he-goat" and "she-goat" since the 12th century.
A group of goats is a tribe or a herd.
And someone who herds goats (as a vocation) is a goatherd (not a shepherd, that is someone who herds sheep).

Got it? Just making sure.

Cashmere Facts: Kashmir Goat

Cashmere comes from a particular breed of goat (Capra hircus laniger). The goat molts in the spring, and the fine underbelly hair is collected (usually through combing). There are specific regulations as to the diameter of the hairs which can be used and labeled "cashmere". The cashmere is sorted (de-haired) to remove any coarser guard hairs, then washed and scoured before spinning & weaving or knitting. The average goat produces 4 to 9 oz. of cashmere fiber per year. It takes on average 4 goats to produce enough fiber for 1 sweater. Considering you can only harvest fiber once/year, I bet you are not surprised that cashmere is so expensive, huh?

[warning, the following may contain a political viewpoint] Now consider that there is about 1500 tons of cashmere produced per year (at 32,000 oz./ton that is 48 billion oz. or 5.33 million goats needed to produce 9 oz. of fiber per year). NOW, consider the environment - keeping in mind that when goats graze, they have the ability to strip the land...

Suddenly your cashmere just got more expensive, didn't it?