Ah, extensive scientific input has finally created the system we shall use for interplanetary travel. That's right ladies and gentlemen, much research and labor has resulted in what appears to be a yo-yo.

So, can I just ask, if they've been developing this fabulous currency, who's been assigning it value? Is it backed by a quantifiable something? Who's controlling the quantity they make, or how secure it is? Am I going to have to lug 500 yo-yos around space to get my freeze dried ice cream? Apparently they won't be taking American Express...

New currency for space travellers

I just watched the Desperate Housewives premier.

Nathan Fillion cast as a gynecologist...

I have so many mixed emotions about that concept.

"The Mathematical Proof for Mr. T's Infinite Pity: For life to exist there must be a symmetric equation regarding the factors of pity(p) and fools(f) -> p-f=0. If any one factor rose to a level higher than the other, life as we know it would cease to exist. The fool factor can be decisively measured by dividing jibba-jabba(j) by tolerance for said jibba-jabba(t) -> f=j/t. With these two equations we can deduce: p-f=0; f=j/t ->p-(j/t) = 0 -> p = j/t. This equation leads to quite an interesting result. As we can see, if we hold jibba-jabba constant, as tolerance for said jibba-jabba approaches 0, pity approaches infinity. Now we all well know that Mr. T “ain’t got no time for the jibba-jabba.” In fact, extensive observational studies have been conducted and even with machines able to calculate with precision to the 23rd decimal place, Mr. T’s tolerance for jibba-jabba has been conclusively found to be 0, and therefore Mr. T’s pity is the literal embodiment of the concept of infinity."

Fascinating, and yet, if it is in fact actually zero, and not just incredibly small, tthen p is undefined. So zero tolerance would make pity impossible, rather than infinite. So he's actually mathematically proven that Mr. T must have an infinitely small amount of tolerance.... naw, that can't be right. I think we need a new equation.

So if f=j/t then f x t= j. so if t=0 than j=0. Which would make sense, since no matter how many fools Mr. T encounters, he still ain't got time for the jibba-jabba.  j/f=t as well. Therefore 0/f=0. And the only case which works in that sense is if f= infinity. So if f=infinity, and p-f=0, the p=f, and p must be infinite. So Mr. T has infinite pity so long as there are infinite fools. But then maybe that's just manipulating a bad equation to make sense. I'm far from a math whiz. Feel free to post and call me a fool. But at least I know I'll be pitied.

And just because it makes me laugh... A Random Fact About Vin Diesel.

Awesome. And if I ever discover a new species, I've decided to change the name from bob to Genus snorfalorpagil. But it may depend on whether or not it's polar flagellated now. Twould be too funny.

And it should probably bother me more that I'm presuming the S. must be Salmonella... since it would have to be motile and doesn't appear microscopically to be a cocci in any strep or staph configuration... not that it couldn't be a multitude of things, just that it reminds me of Salmonella. Although I wouldn't be buying that yogurt anytime soon.

I'd say Symbiobacterium... requiring the presence of Bacillus bigbirdii to grow... but I shot that down with the motility comment. Shucks.

I'm ignoring the size of the eukaryotic cell because of my love of bunny.

Thought I'd pop on and ease some worry. I'm fine. Perfectly alive and kicking. Promise. 35W isn't on my route home anymore. I wasn't anywhere near the collapse, and neither was anyone I know. Yes, work is going to be hell. Dealing with a major disaster at the Dept. of Health will not be fun, but that's why I went into public health. Thanks for the concern though. :)

I have to say, it still hasn't sunk in though. I used to live right on the corner by that bridge, and crossed it far more times than I can count. I'm not sure how to really register that it just fell.

For those going, "Wha....?"
i35W bridge collapses over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis

I had kind of a crappy day. I was really exhausted. Did a little shopping, came home, got my mail... with a letter from the IRS. Opened thinking it was them hassling me about the forgotten signature on the efile I already took care of, and read on to find that my employment information was incorrect and I owe them $2,000?!!?!

Then I turned it over and realized it was addressed to my neighbor.

I feel much better now.

So my sister just called, and invited me to come see the new Harry Potter movie. I don't read the books, not my thing, but I genuinely like the films. The twist is that apparently a couple of her friends rented a suite to view the film, so there will be loungers and hors d'oeuvres and movie fun. It sounds interesting, but I'm a pretty low-maintenance girl, and I'm not sure you can beat out the classic movie experience with a bag of popcorn. But we'll see. I hear it's a good movie, and I'm not the one splurging.

Almost as much fun as http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

After reading on Fark that Chewbacca is now a sex offender... and actually getting the joy of reading a line like "The wookie then evaded arrest, police said." I could not help but post both a link to the article and a link to a YouTube vid showing what appears to be an emerging trend Chewbacca related crime.

My favorite part of the vid:
"Chewbacca may be one of the beloved characters in Star Wars, but this Chewbacca may not be as warm and fuzzy. A cameraman from Jimmy Kimmel Live caught Chewy being cuffed by the LAPD; arrested as tourists, and Elmo, looked on. Now you may remember Elmo and Mr. Incredible were previously arrested for bothering tourists for money..."

It takes a hardcore journalist to interview Spiderman, Ghostface and Pinhead  with a straight face.

Getting ready for the traditional extended family weekend at my uncle's lake cabin. Now, based on years of experience and the constantly growing population of my breeder family... there are variables to take into account. Number one: constant abundance of water. Number two: A lot of little kids who have a disturbing fascination with me. Number three: my evil older brother. All of these things are taken into account with past experience and have resulted in the following packing list for one overnighter:

1) Swimsuit
2) Two changes of underwear
3) Two pairs of flip flops
4) One pair of sneakers and 1 pair of socks
5) Two t-shirts, besides the one I'm wearing down
6) One pair of jeans
7) One pair of quick dry shorts
8) One pair of cotton shorts
9) One zip up hoody in case of rain
10) Aspirin

I guarantee you, when I toss my stuff back into my car to head back Sunday night... the swimsuit will be the only dry thing in my bag.

The highlight of my 4th of July...

...watching my old, small, hometown fire department try to respond to, and put out, a grass fire they started with fireworks about a half a block from the fire station. It had pretty much burned itself out by the time they got water to it. Hee. By that time, of course, it had already set off the fire alarms in both the new city hall and the courthouse. A highly entertaining evening.

Now, I know I'm not the most political blogger; I generally like to avoid bandying my opinion about, and I absolutely refuse to influence other people. However, as frequency of  talk about elections increases, so too do the articles being written. I just wish there were more good news. And I'm not going to pretend I have a clue who I want as president right now. I'm rather disappointed in the whole race. How is it that a position with this level of global  importance could have so many candidates that produce, at worst, complete disgust, and, at best... "meh"? But I wanted to post a link to an article in Seed that I really support the ideas in. Because in an age where everybody wants problems solved, and wants to improve our state of life, we cannot settle for ignorance in our leaders and expect to accomplish it. And we should not request their education and comprehension of these basic concepts, but demand it. In the same way that an applicant for any job is expected to meet the minimum qualifications to perform their necessary tasks.

I'll let the interested few who catch this post read the article for themselves, but I did want to highlight one horrifying quote:

"...a public that largely rejects evolution (more than half of Americans do). But I do know that it means that our country is in trouble. As science becomes more and more important in dealing with the world's problems, Americans are falling farther and farther behind in scientific literacy. Among citizens of industrialized nations, Americans rank near the bottom in their understanding of math and science. Over half of all Americans don't know that the Earth orbits the Sun once a year, and nearly half think that humans once lived, Flintstone-like, alongside dinosaurs."

Don't Know Much BIology  by: Jerry Coyne

Does anybody besides me find the idea of swapping out the rubber duck for the rubber dodo a seriously appealing idea?  But. then... I do love my rubber duck... he has a nose ring. Perhaps they could live in harmony.

This absurd little gem was posted by lolotehe on a thread in this post... and I had to repost it. Cuz it gives me horrors in all kinds of ways.

They're willing to pay out a disturbing amount for my long hair. $4590.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth

Mingle² - Online Dating

I've been sitting around working on my collage book, and thought I'd share some of the better quotes in it. For the entertainment of those who need a good quote.

" In so far as a scientific statement speaks about reality, it must be falsifiable; and in so far as it is not falsifiable, it does not  speak about reality."
    - Karl Popper

" There are two kinds of truths: those of reasoning and those of fact. The truths of reasoning are necessary and their opposite is impossible; the truths of fact are contingent and their opposites are possible."
    - Gottfried Leibniz

" Do not be too moral. You might cheat yourself out of much life. Aim high above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something."
    - Henry David Thoreau

" There is perhaps no phenomenon which contains so much destructive feeling as 'moral indignation,' which permits envy or hate to be acted out under the guise of virtue."
    - Erich Fromm

" Either that wallpaper goes, or I do."
    -The last words of Oscar Wilde

Rare turtle hatches at Tenn. aquarium

Awwwwww... I WANT ONE.

So, to celebrate mother's day, I dragged my mom to Hot Fuzz last night, (which she loved, and was still talking about this morning), and today, bought her a nice brunch and took her to Canterbury Downs to watch the horse races. She accidentally bet on the wrong race, and put her money on the long shot, which we were laughing about until he won. Pretty cool. And they were handing out free roses, so she went home with flowers too. Great day. And I didn't have to resort to a lame card or jewelry. And I get the feeling she'll be talking about it at work all next week. So mission accomplished.

Just two things after finally getting a nice evening out:

1) Hot Fuzz was HILARIOUS. I have to have a copy. A great theater experience. They blew up more than enough shit to keep my needless and violent destruction urges sated for a good long time. A relief for the general public, I'm sure.

2) The guy at the ticket window carded me to see Hot Fuzz since it was R rated. Woohoo! Apparently I still fall under the category of "maybe 16". I can put off the Botox for a few more years. He did not respond well to my, "ID? Seriously?"

All in all, a good night.

Hmmm... not sure how that came out. And I'm not really comfortable with a bunch of priests carrying my picture and a condom...