Haystacks

The Man in the Moon

Jason is reading "1421: The Year China Discovered the World". He shared the fascinating fact with me that Japanese children do not talk of the man in the moon, but instead of the rabbit in the moon.

Wikipedia has this page about the different perspectives of what resides in the moon.

Save the world. Eat a salad.

As global demand for meat products has increased in recent years, so has awareness of the environmental damage that the industry causes. Modern meat production uses enormous amounts of energy, pollutes water supplies and creates greenhouse gases. ~Professor Roz Naylor, director of the Program on Food Security and the Environment at Stanford University.

 

Is what we eat hurting the environment? Eating meat is no way to be green. 

Industrialized farms cause transportation issues; transporting grain around the world to feed cattle, which will in turn be shipped all over the world as a meat supply. In order to feed livestock to increase the calories of meat, we are putting 50 to 60 % of our total grain production into feeding animals.

One study from the University of Chicago suggests if Americans could reduce meat consumption by 20%, it would have the same impact on the environment as driving a Prius.


Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89676010

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." ~Abraham Lincoln

Harvard psychology professor and author (Stumbling Upon Happiness), Dan Gilbert examines the human ability to synthesize happiness.

I would love to know your thoughts on this.

Visit the TED blog for more videos and fascinating talks.

Small Talk

"The mouses, they do not like the mist. It makes their whiskers droop." ~Mr. Bobo (Caroline by Neil Gaiman)

It has rained or tried to rain here for days and it doesn't seem to be clearing up anytime soon.  My whiskers are starting to droop. :(

How is the weather where you are?

Penfield Wave Transmitter 2.0

From Sky News comes a report that scientists have created a machine that magnetically stimulates the brain during sleep, allowing your body to gain the benefit of 8 hours sleep in just 3 hours. The device uses a technique called transranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to induce slow waves, produced by your body during the deepest phase of sleep. The TMS devise is worn as head gear and sends magnetic signals to the brain which activates electrical impulses.

Reading about this reminded me of  Philip K. Dick's book DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? (on which the move BLADE RUNNER was based). Soon we'll all have a Penfield mood organ and be dialing in our preferred state of conscienceness.

Making medical history...

Over a week ago I awoke with a headache. After much investigation and questioning of friends (for I rarely have headaches), I discovered I was the unfortunate bearer of a sinus headache. Nine days and countless hours in bed later, I am now sporting a killer chest cold.

I called my father-i- law and the cure is on its way. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will clear up a chest cold faster than Tennessee whiskey. My great grandmother was a strong advocate of medicinal whiskey. You either drank a shot or poured it on the afflicted area. Either way, it would fix you right up.

I don't particularly care for the taste of liquor. I imagine battery acid has a similar taste. But at this point I would probably drink battery acid if I thought it would make me feel better.

Do you have any tried and true family cures?

A scene at the vet's office

This was the scene at the vet's office today as I was leaving...

A man was picking up his cat. The yellow tabby had the cage beside Chaplin so I had seen the cat  several times. The cat had surgery on his eye and it was closed with surgical staples. I patted the tabby on the head, "I hope you feel better, buddy." The owner said, "Hey! Y'know, if you spend $250, you get this free little bag of treats. He raised the baggie and shook it in front of me with a sarcastic smile. "Well," I said, "I think I'm gonna need a buggie for all my baggies."

The tech brought Chaplin out to me. The owner of the tabby asked, "What's your cat in for?" The tech and I exchanged a look. The tech spoke up, "Her cat had a sex change operation." The tabby owner lifted his pet carrier from the floor, " I'll just take my one eyed cat and be on my way."

I love my gay cat!

Chaplin Bowie, our male, is coming home from the vet hospital today. Over the last year Chaplin has been experiencing reoccurring urinary tract infections, (not uncommon in male indoor cats). After  several emergency trips to the vet clinic and a few hundred dollars, we opted for a surgery recommended by the emergency clinic critter doctor.

The procedure is called a perineal urethrostomy. The purpose is to create a wider passage, thereby eliminating the persistent problem of blockage in the urinary tract. Sounds simple enough, right? After reading up on it, I discovered it is basically a sex change operation.

My cat is a tranny!

[Notation: This title of this post was inspired by a photograph I saw years ago. At a gay pride parade, a woman stood proudly with a sign proclaiming, "I love my gay son!". Beside her was Liza Minnelli. Wait. Now that I think of it in context, I am guessing that was her gay son.

I don't hate gays. I don't hate transexuals. I don't hate Liza. So don't send me any nasty emails about it, okay?]

It's a Christmas miracle!

I told you yesterday that Jason got an early Christmas present: Goldfish. I also told you that they would not be long for this world.

This morning, the black fish began swimming erratically and went belly up. One of the kids volunteered to dispose of the departed fish. After a brief eulogy about his short life and impact on the world, the black fish was sent to the great beyond in proper fish style, via the toilet bowl.

A bit later one of Jason's kids comes rushing into his classroom holding a makeshift fishbowl (a decapitated Mountain Dew bottle). "Mr. Ward! I found your fish swimming in the toilet!" It seems the black fish had not gone quietly into that dark night. After retrieving him from the toilet, the student had massaged the fish and put him in fresh water. He is as lively as ever.

It's a Christmas miracle!

The gift that keeps on taking

Hubby got a most unexpected gift today from his students. Goldfish! Two very lovely goldfish. Feel sorry for them, for they will soon meet their maker. According to a website I checked, goldfish need no less than five gallons of water per fish in a tank. (A tank, not a bowl, which is where they currently reside) Who will feed them on weekends and holidays?  He can't bring them home. Our cats will think the fish are Christmas presents for THEM. What about Summer vacation?

I'm thinking a contest is in order here. Name the fishes! Win the fishes!

Any keepers of goldfish out there? I need advice.