- published: 19 Mar 2009
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Sheep (Ovis aries) are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries. Numbering a little over one billion, domestic sheep are also the most numerous species of sheep.
Sheep are most likely descended from the wild mouflon of Europe and Asia. One of the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes, sheep are raised for fleece, meat (lamb, hogget or mutton) and milk. A sheep's wool is the most widely used animal fiber, and is usually harvested by shearing. Ovine meat is called lamb when from younger animals and mutton when from older ones. Sheep continue to be important for wool and meat today, and are also occasionally raised for pelts, as dairy animals, or as model organisms for science.
Sheep husbandry is practised throughout the majority of the inhabited world, and has been fundamental to many civilizations. In the modern era, Australia, New Zealand, the southern and central South American nations, and the British Isles are most closely associated with sheep production.[citation needed]
In the English language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family. The term has typically been given negative implications, implying waywardness. It derived from the atypical and unwanted presence of other black individuals in flocks of white sheep.
In psychology, the black sheep effect refers to the tendency of group members to judge likeable ingroup members more positively and deviant ingroup member more negatively than comparable outgroup members.
The term originated from the occasional black sheep which are born into a flock of white sheep due to a genetic process of recessive traits. Black wool was considered commercially undesirable because it could not be dyed. In 18th and 19th century England, the black color of the sheep was seen as the mark of the devil. In modern usage, the expression has lost some of its negative connotations, though the term is usually given to the member of a group who has certain characteristics or lack thereof deemed undesirable by that group.
The Sheep is a character, created by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll. It appeared in Dodgson's book, Through the Looking-Glass, the sequel to his book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
The Sheep is first mentioned in the fifth chapter of Through the Looking-Glass, "Wool and Water". The White Queen is talking to Alice, when she suddenly starts "baa-ing" and then seems to 'wrap herself in wool'. Alice figures out she is in a shop, and that The White Queen has turned into a sheep. The Sheep sits in her chair knitting as Alice looks around the shop. She gives Alice a pair of her knitting needles, and asks her if she can row. As Alice begins to answer, she realizes that they are in a little boat, and that the needles have turned into oars. As they glide along the water, the Sheep repeatedly shouts out "Feather," and tells Alice that they will be catching crabs. Alice's attention is then put onto some scented rushes growing in the water. She tries picking them, but they are only 'dream rushes' and melt away. She then quickly catches a crab, which she actually didn't see, and they are all suddenly in the shop again. Alice buys an egg from the Sheep (that ends up turning into Humpty Dumpty) and the two part ways.
Actors: Toni Braxton (actress), Christopher Lloyd (actor), Jaime Pressly (actress), Chazz Palminteri (actor), Cary Elwes (actor), Cloris Leachman (actress), Michael Buster (miscellaneous crew), Lee Meltzer (miscellaneous crew), Matthew Diamond (director), Timothy Martin (miscellaneous crew), Paul Isakson (miscellaneous crew), Paul Isakson (actor), Doug Kolbicz (miscellaneous crew), Girish Bhargava (editor), Maya Stange (actress),
Plot: It's Schluufy's birthday, and the Oogieloves (Goobie, Zoozie and Toofie), along with their friends J. Edgar, Windy Window and Ruffy, are organizing a party. (Shh! It's a secret.) Everything is going along just perfectly until J. Edgar trips and loses the last five magical balloons in all of Lovelyloveville--OH NO! The Oogiloves set out to find the magical balloons in time to save their friend's party. Along the way, they meet some very interesting characters indeed, including Dotty Rounder (Cloris Leachman), Bobby Wobbly (Carey Elwes), Milky Marvin (Chazz Palminteri), Rosalie Rosebud (Toni Braxton) and Lola and Lero Sombero (Christopher Lloyd and Jaime Pressly). Can these new friends help them recover the magical balloons and get back to the cottage in time to celebrate Schluufy's surprise birthday?
Keywords: based-on-film, box-office-flop, critically-bashedActors: Phil Vischer (actor), Phil Vischer (actor), Kurt Heinecke (actor), Phil Vischer (actor), Phil Vischer (actor), Phil Vischer (actor), Mike Nawrocki (actor), Kurt Heinecke (actor), Tim Hodge (actor), Kurt Heinecke (actor), Mike Nawrocki (actor), Kurt Heinecke (actor), Mike Nawrocki (actor), Phil Vischer (actor), Phil Vischer (actor),
Plot: Abe and the Amazing Promise is a Veggie-spun Bible classic that tells the story of Abraham and Sarah and their wait for a promised child. Bob the Tomato responds to a fan's letter about "waiting" by directing a Bible-times interview with Abraham, Sarah and their promised son. Bob & Junior's patience is tested by splitting camels, a confused nurse, an easily distracted film crew, and a host of other laughable filming disasters! Includes a Silly Song with Larry entitled "Sneeze If You Need To!," and the musical "misadventures" of Blunders in Boo-Boo-Ville. This episode also showcases nationally syndicated radio host "Delilah" as the voice of Sarah. Kids will learn God always keeps His promises, even if we have to wait... and wait... and wait!
Keywords: based-on-biblical-story, beauty-and-the-beast, bibical, bible-quote, bible-stories, bird, bird-cage, birdcage, catching-a-bird, fairy-tale-parodyActors: Joel Benjamin (editor), Joel Benjamin (actor), Joel Benjamin (actor), Joel Benjamin (director), Joel Benjamin (actor), Joel Benjamin (writer), Joel Benjamin (composer), Ryan Schiewe (actor), Ryan Schiewe (writer),
Genres: Animation, Short,Actors: JoAnn Fregalette Jansen (actress), Sissy Spacek (actress), Dwight Yoakam (actor), Kristin Chenoweth (actress), Carol Kane (actress), Colleen Camp (actress), Jon Voight (actor), Jon Favreau (actor), Vince Vaughn (actor), Jack Donner (actor), Robert Duvall (actor), Tim McGraw (actor), Peter Billingsley (actor), Reese Witherspoon (actress), Mary Steenburgen (actress),
Plot: Brad and Kate have been together three years, in love, having fun, doing all sorts of things together with no intention of marriage or children. Christmas morning, they're on their way to Fiji, having told their two sets of divorced parents that they're off to do charity work. Through a fluke, they have no choice but to visit each of their four idiosyncratic parents. As the day progresses, Brad and Kate remember growing up, each learns more about the other, and Kate realizes that her life may not be as good as it could be. Do they know each other well enough to weather the storms families bring?
Keywords: airline-employee, airport, airport-personnel, argument-between-couple, argument-in-car, baby, baby-vomiting, bouncy-castle, box-office-hit, boyfriend-girlfriend-relationshipActors: Craig Knowles (producer), Craig Knowles (writer), Craig Knowles (director), Craig Knowles (editor), Melanie Knowles (actor), Matt Tozer (composer), Eden Thomas (actor), Crystal Knowles (actor), Jeff Kolesnikowicz (actor), Jason Patrick (actor), Jeff Shell (actor), Cindy Knowles (actor),
Genres: Drama, Short,Actors: Craig Knowles (producer), Craig Knowles (writer), Craig Knowles (director), Craig Knowles (editor), Melanie Knowles (actor), Matt Tozer (composer), Eden Thomas (actor), Crystal Knowles (actor), Jeff Kolesnikowicz (actor), Jason Patrick (actor), Jeff Shell (actor), Cindy Knowles (actor),
Genres: Drama, Short,Actors: Elden Henson (actor), Elisa Forni (miscellaneous crew), Jillian Longnecker (producer), Natasha Alam (actress), Stark Sands (actor), Shaun Weiss (actor), Ian Kessner (writer), Ian Kessner (director), Bayard Stryker (editor), Andrew Rose (composer), Matthew St. Clair (actor), Deanne Sowter (producer), Suzy Magnin (costume designer), Tim McKay (actor),
Genres: Short,Actors: Marc Shaiman (composer), Byron A. Martin (miscellaneous crew), Roger Birnbaum (producer), Jan Hooks (actress), Randy Kennedy (miscellaneous crew), William Flower (miscellaneous crew), David Strathairn (actor), Peter MacNeill (actor), Sean McCann (actor), Jim Carrey (actor), Ashley Judd (actress), Oliver Platt (actor), Ian Doig (miscellaneous crew), Nina Saxon (miscellaneous crew), Laurence Mark (producer),
Plot: Simon Birch tells the story of Joe and Simon's heart-warming journey of friendship. Simon Birch was born with a condition that makes him much smaller than all the other kids in town. Now, due to his condition, Simon thinks God made him this way for a reason and highly believes in God. Together, Joe and Simon go on a journey of trust and friendship to find the answers to many things. Their friendship is put to the test when some unfortunate events happen.
Keywords: 1950s, 1960s, accidental-death, actor-shares-first-name-with-character, argument, armadillo, arrogance, baby-jesus, bag, baseballActors: Barbara Harris (actress), Patrika Darbo (actress), Neil Ross (actor), Daamen J. Krall (actor), Debi Derryberry (actress), Miriam Flynn (actress), Marshall Napier (actor), Danny Mann (actor), Roscoe Lee Browne (actor), Karl Lewis Miller (actor), Doug Burch (actor), Hugo Weaving (actor), James Cromwell (actor), Tina Lifford (actress), Rosanna Huffman (actress),
Plot: Farmer Hoggett wins a runt piglet at a local fair and young Babe, as the piglet decides to call himself, befriends and learns about all the other creatures on the farm. He becomes special friends with one of the sheepdogs, Fly. With Fly's help, and Farmer Hoggett's intuition, Babe embarks on a career in sheepherding with some surprising and spectacular results.
Keywords: 1990s, adopted-son, adoption, affection, animal-name-in-title, australia, barking, based-on-novel, blockbuster, border-collieActors: Robert Morse (actor), Robert Morse (actor), Robert Morse (actor), Robert Morse (actor), Joe Ross (actor), Joe Ross (actor), Joe Ross (actor), Joe Ross (actor), Denise McKenna (miscellaneous crew), Denise McKenna (miscellaneous crew), Demetre Phillips (actor), Demetre Phillips (actor), Demetre Phillips (actor), Demetre Phillips (actor), Marcia Lewis (actress),
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Family, History, Musical,