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1. - This is but an assumption so you'll have to forgive me, but I always assumed it was for better miking purposes. You want to avoid bleed from your bass drum in the rest of the mikes on the kit, and you want to avoid it bleeding into the other stage mikes, so they get the little sneeze guard.
2. No, but it sounds mighty fine.
3. best I could find...
"The male camel's penis faces backwards although during mating it faces forwards. It may be that the camel has evolved in this manner to protect the penis from sand and dirt invasion when the camel is couched. As a result, the male camel also urinates to the rear, causing much amusement to children who have never witnessed this before.
Camels, male and female, will urinate on their legs in hot weather. A dehydrated camel's urine can be up to two times saltier than sea water (see water conservation).
Camel dung, under normal conditions takes the form of oblong pellets about 2-3 cms in length. The hydration of the camel will determine the moisture content of the manure; a dehydrated camel's faeces containing noticeably less moisture. Camel manure is much sought after by gardeners.
The most identifiable phenomenon of the camel is its ability to exist in areas many other animals would perish. This is due to its amazing powers of water and heat management. The camel's process of 'thermoregulation' is incorporated into almost every aspect of its being - from the direction it faces and how it sits to what and where it urinates.
It is not true however that a camel can store water in its body for the future. When it is necessary to take camels on a trip where they will have to travel for a few days without drinking, it it important to precondition them by withholding water for progressively longer periods prior to the commencement of the trip.
The camel's water and heat management is intrinsically entwined and whilst it relies on metabolic and anatomical functions, the camel's intuitive reactions to its environment are also major contributory factors. All activity requires the expenditure of energy which in metabolic terms generally requires water usage. Inactivity, therefore, in the hottest part of the day, is one way to reduce energy output. In fact, camels will instinctively couch facing the sun thus reducing the amount of body surface exposed to the heat. This position also shades the ground underneath the camel, thereby reducing heat reflection and it allows air to circulate around the camel.
The need for metabolic energy to cool the camel internally is reduced as the camel's body temperature rises during the day and falls at night. Thus the difference in temperature between the camel and its environment is reduced. It has been shown that when water is available, the variation between a camel and its surroundings is only about 2 degrees C but when dehydrated this can increase to 6 degrees C. This difference represents a daily saving of 2,500 calories to a 600 kg camel and up to 5 litres of water!
Camels do not pant. Sweating instead saves energy and water but a camel will only sweat profusely at temperatures over 42 degrees C. And, unless it is profuse, it is difficult to detect a camel 's sweat as it evaporates at the skin's surface rather than the tip of the wool. Students of science will understand here the process of 'latent heat of vaporisation' whereby the heat is drawn from the skin rather than the atmosphere thus improving the camel's cooling efficiency and reducing its need for additional metabolic activity. The same principle is applied in hot weather when camels can be observed urinating down their legs.
In complete contrast to what might be expected, a camel's wool is also a key factor in insulation from the heat, assisting the camel in its thermoregulation and in this regard, a dehydrated camel will take longer to shed his wool than a fully hydrated one.
Another usual by-product of dehydration is loss of appetite and here the camel has adapted so that it can preserve its appetite, and thus extract every drop of water from its food, by recycling water from its blood to its stomach. At this point urea is also recycled to the stomach to be used by bacteria to synthesise its own protein. And, while it is true that the camel does not store its water in its hump, it is also true that the amount of water in a fully hydrated camels alimentary tract can represent as much as 12-20% of its entire body weight and is a vital resource available for recycling during times of dehydration. The camel's kidneys will also kick into overdrive to concentrate and reduce urine and its flow, and are capable of producing urine twice as salty as seawater. This process is needed due to the salty nature of the feed and the brackish water that camels tend to eat and drink.
In these ways, the camel effectively reduces all avenues by which water might be eliminated from its system during dehydration. Over a period of 2-3 weeks, camels can lose up to 33% of their body weight without serious consequences. Man is in trouble at 10%. Furthermore, many dehydrated animals cannot tolerate complete rehydration in one sitting. Camels will normally rehydrate to around 60% at the first drink and be completely rehydrated by day three, however, it has been known for a 600 kg camel with a deficit of 200 litres to drink that amount in 10 minutes. This is made safer by the large amount of sodium and bicarbonate found in the camel's stomach and intestines.
Surely then, the camel is king when it comes to recycling."
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eter, aka 
usty 
halk