Cricket Fighting Sees Revival in China

I wonder how they would do against one of our big city roaches?

(For some reason, the video plays in Internet Explorer, but not Firefox. Here's a direct link: http://online.wsj.com/video/cricket-fighting-sees-revival-in-china/F95FC96D-F823-4749-8A9F-B5060AC2F4CC.html)

When Not To Hyphenate Your Name

There is no sound. I couldn't read a couple of those. Wang - Holder is my favorite.

OMG! Car Hit and Flipped By Wrecking-Ball in NYC!

"Dodge minivan that entered a construction zone in Manhattan was accidentally hit and flipped over by the wrecking ball as onlookers watch in horror. Driver escaped with minor injuries."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG3-ZE4sb3M

Fifty Kilowatt Tree

One of my favorite groups, the Bobs, singing about the person who lives next door to you and engages in a little excessive holiday celebration.

Dead Fly Art

Now this is having waaaaay to much time on your hands!But they are cute.

Four for Fridays

Hello Everybody! I almost forgot today is Friday! Time flies! Today's questions are about Thanksgiving.

1) Did you have fun on Thanksgiving?

2) How was your meal?

3) Whom did you spend it with?

4) Are you or did you go shopping today?

Enjoy your weekend!

Turkey Hunting's Finest

These guys have way to much time on their hands........

Thanksgiving ISS and Shuttle Pass

We had a very nice ISS and shuttle pass tonight. I got some good shots (the ISS is always on the right and the shuttle on the left...click to embiggen).

In this shot, a car pulled up and its headlights illuminated the landscape for me.

Hey, what's that orange glow between the cactus? Looks like we got a fire up there. Quick, grab the zoom lens.

And finally, let's watch them disappear.

Note how the ISS streak fades and reddens as it approaches the mountains. The ISS is passing into Earth's shadow and the astronauts are experiencing sunset.

There are only a handful of Shuttle Flights left so there are limited opportunities to get these shots. The Shuttle is scheduled to land tomorrow, so no more chances this time.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Conflicting Liberal Days! What to Do?

Okay, now we liberals love our causes and we love to celebrate them. We rail against excessive consumerism and corporate domination of our lives and like to take any opportunity to strike blows against them. Sometimes, however, things don't work out very well.
Friday is one of our favorite days of the Year, Buy Nothing Day. While the mad shoppers are out trampling each other for a few bucks off a Bluray player, we sit smugly at home saving our cash and acting all superior.

But wait! We also love favoring local businesses over big impersonal corporate chain stores. We go to the local coffee shop and spurn Starbucks and Petes, the farmer's market and organic food coop instead of Krogers. So imagine my dismay when I found out that Friday is Buy Local Day in Tucson.

So I a going to do the only logical thing...visit my favorite local stores but buy nothing.

Turkey Drop

Does anybody remember this show?

Thank you winners!

Everyone is a winner in our Big Thank You Contest. The JT Irregulars would like to thank the following:

The Troops - God Bless you!
Tex Reynolds Toys for Tots
Hunger Task Force of Wisconsin - and everyone who helps feed the people who need it most.
all our friends and family
coworkers who are helpful and friendly
you guys
Milwaukee Mayor, Tom Barrett
Law Enforcement Officers
Firefighters and EMT's

May you all be blessed with the bounties of Thanksgiving. Good Food, Good Friends and Family, Good Health and Good Times.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my lovely pumpkin pies! How are you? Are you prepared for snow on Thanksgiving? I’m not making that prediction, but the weather forecasters are. They’re wrong half of the time anyway, and still get paid well. If only Mother Nature wasn’t so cantankerous, the Zoltar Weather Service would be up and running. Knowing exactly what weather to prepare for would be like a license to print money. I wonder if there’s anything I could give her for Christmas that would soften her up?

I was so happy to see our Packers defeat the 49ers on Sunday, but so sad to see the injuries to Mr. Al Harris and Mr. Aaron Kampman. Both of them out for the season? What did we do to deserve that? I have spread a little sparkle dust in the direction of Green Bay’s defense (and a puff to the offense, too), but it may well take more than that to shore up our Packers. I’ve also spent most of my spare time sending bad vibrations to the Lions. Grrrr.

In light of tomorrow’s holiday, I cooked up a few pertinent videos for everyone’s enjoyment. First is “NYC Tavern Serves Up 100-proof Thanksgiving Bird:”



Next is a commercial that “only aired once, during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2001:”



Finally, from 1979, “Johnny Carson & Doc talk about Thanksgiving:”



I’m sorry to slough off on you this week, my dear Irregulars, with just videos and little else, but it is a holiday week and I need time to prepare for our big meal. I want to say that one of the things that I am most thankful for is the JT Irregulars. Thank you all for being who you are.

Don’t forget to forward your doodles and napkin scribblings to madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Estonia!

Through every step in life; freedom comes from within'

2012 and The Conspiracy Conspiracy

Something tells me that hale-bopp will like this.

Thoughts for Food

This weekend is the 2nd Annual Thoughts for Food Fall Harvest Benefit. I've been to many of the springtime benefits over the years and they are always a blast! So I may go this one and blog about it. I always have been a big supporter of the local music scene. I've seen many of these bands from time to time, including my fav, Mean Jake!. So come on down and join the party!

US National Anthem by the Academy Choirs

ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS..
AMERICA, LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!

Need a Chuckle, Watch this Video

Thank you of the week One Day Left!!!

Thanks to a great idea from KK, We are herby taking nominations for a Thank you of the Week, in honor of thanksgiving. I know I can get negative sometimes, but we all need to remember to say thanks for all the good we see. ( I know I dont do it enough). We already have nominations for The Troops and for Tex Reynolds Toys for Tots. I want to add the Hunger Task Force of Wisconsin.

Add yours. Name and reason please.

More Fun From Galaxy Zoo

The Galaxy Zoo people are at it again. Galaxy Zoo started a couple of years ago as a citizen science project to get people to help classify galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The first version asked pretty basic classification questions but produced a lot of interesting results. They then made Galaxy Zoo 2 which asked some more detailed questions about the galaxies you viewed.

Now we are doing mergers with Galaxy Zoo. This takes the level of interactivity up a notch. Basically, you are given a picture of a galaxy merger (two galaxies colliding). We want to know how they got that way and how they are likely to end up. You are then shown a series of galaxy merger simulations. You pick the ones that look closest to what you see.

But it doesn't end there. Once you pick the ones that look close, you can tweak the simulations by changing the mass of the galaxy, speeds they are moving, angles they collide at, number of stars, etc. and really try to produce something that looks like what you see.

Here is an example of a galaxy I tried. The simulation is the image on the left and the galaxy I am trying to match is on the right. You can see the controls you an click and drag to change your simulation. Once you get close, you can save your sim. This allows you to come back to it later if you want.

By building up a large database of simulations, they hope to better understand the processes involved in galaxy interactions and mergers. So give it a try, but here's a quick warning: The previous versions of Galaxy Zoo proved to be quite addictive!

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

The True Definition of Full

I miss Swedish Cook! Oops, Swedish Chef!

What you having for Thanksgiving Dessert??? I'm making a cranberry swirl cheesecake and pecan pie (peeCAN). Had to learn the southern pronunciation of that word.

Anyway, while I was planning dinner, I thought back to all the times Swedish would post those wonderful recipes....what's on your menu. Here's mine:

Turkey (duh) stuffed with a fruited stuffing of cranberry, apricots, pecans, stuffing cubes, celery, onion and apples.

Frozen Cranberry Salad

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (another duh)

Green Bean Casserole

Broccoli Casserole

Hot Rolls

Cranberry Sauce

and whatever else I think of.....

Have a blessed holiday and remember to give thanks for your blessings.

Amendment 28 to the Constitution

Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.

"When the people fear their government there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." ---Thomas Jefferson

Fight Organized Crime!
RE-ELECT NO ONE!!!!

What is in a pair?

msn Encarta dictionary explains it as this:

pair [ per ]

Definition

1. two similar things used together: two matching objects that are designed to be used together
a pair of socks

2. thing with two joined parts: a garment or article consisting of two matching or identical parts joined together
a pair of binoculars

3. two people together: two people who are doing something together, or who are considered together because there is some connection between them

Now let us look at the way the word ‘pair’ is used in the real world.

Thinking of a woman:

She wears a pair of earrings. One for each ear.

A pair of glasses...only one, she does not stack two on her head.

She wears a bra...one.

She also wears a pair of underwear...I do not know any woman who wears two at a time.

The same for a pair of shorts or jeans...

Moving down her body, she will wear a pair of sock and a pair of shoes, again two pieces each.

As part of her attire, she may wear a scarf (one) and a pair of gloves, again two.
Here is one to think about, the woman will wear a swimsuit whether it is a one piece or two piece, but it is not a pair of swim suits.

This all holds true for a man.

A pair of underwear but not a pair of jock straps!

A man or woman wears a wedding ring, not a pair of wedding rings. Well, then again, maybe they do in Utah.

So why does the term/word pair come into play with clothing? Is it because if you put on a pair of underwear, you have two butt cheeks to cover?

A woman has two boobies, why then is it not a pair of bras?

Then again, you can go buy some underwear and there is a pair of them, two in the package!

Looking back at #2 thing with two joined parts: a garment or article consisting of two matching or identical parts joined together. He or she owns a shirt or blouse which has two sleeves, but they are not called a pair of shirts or blouses!

Who started it and why, it does not make any sense to me. I am afraid of losing sleep pondering this question.

I am wondering if Madam Zoltar can shed some light on this dilemma I am having. I need some closure on this so I can sleep at night!

Or if any blogger out there in “blogger land” can help me out.

......SER

Thanks!

I know it's a little early, but it's Thanksgiving week, I just want to thank you all at the JTI for pulling me though some tough times.

Sweden's Got Talent, Too

OK, guys, that is what we're going to do at the next JTI shindig.

Another Tasteless Commercial? Or a Good Joke?

I just saw this commercial on television...since it was posted on Youtube five months ago, I feel behind the times.




When I googled it to find the video, I expected to see some protests. Sure enough, quickly found men complaining that they couldn't make the commercial about a clumsy woman. Funny, I thought the first protest would be about death or possibly the woman being a heartless gold digger. If guys like the three stooges, this one should be right up our alley.

Anyone remember the controversial commercial with the bungee jumpers and the Adidas Pump shoe? Or one that I enjoyed was the Suzy (Favor) Hamilton commercial with the homicidal chainsaw killer? Which are good humor and which make you want to boycott someone?

Some Classic Rock

Some words were spoken about attending a Bruce Springsteen concert last Sunday night at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Things changed before then. My friend, the Rock and Roll Guru attended this show. They play the entire Born to Run album! Here is his review on the concert. I wish I would of been there!

CramerSweeney Brand Prix Test

Dang...do I suck, 8 out of 20!


Grand Prix

Game Day

Big game here in Tucsson tomorrow...big enough that ESPNs game day is set up on the U of A Mall from 8 to 10 am MST (9 to 11am CST). Just a couple of blocks from where I work...they usually show a lot of the campus.

I don't plan on going down there for the broadcast, but I will be at the game tomorrow night. U of Arizona vs Oregon. It is the ABC Saturday night national game so this is a BFD thing for Arizona football.

Go cats!

Part 3

King Khan and the Shrines

This grows on you. There is something about this damn song that keeps it playing on my MP3. You will hate it the first time. Then come back and listen again.

Welfare Bread

New Artists Part 2

The Generationalists. Cross between 70's soul, 50's pop and 60's mowtown. Somehow it all works.

When they fight they fight:

New artists (To me anyway) that I cant get out of my head Part 1

Andrew Bird. Heard the simulcast of his Pabts Theatre show on 88.9 radio milwaukee. Simple, clean and enthralling.

This song is called Natural Disaster

Lost Video

It's been a while for this feature, but I had a lyric from this song running around in my head and forgot what the song was. I know the video is dated and very 80's but its still a great song. The lyric is "Have to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight" Great use of metaphor.

Enjoy Lovers In A Dangerous Time from the brilliant Bruce Cockburn

The Future of Modern Dance...Christmas Style

Sorry about it being a little early yet, but just had to post it.

Bird of the week will return

Sorry for missing it this week, guys. I have been under the weather, but recovering. We will take next week off as well, as it is a time to be thankful. The flipping will return after Thanksgiving.

Stu

Four for Fridays

Hi everybody! This week's questions was inspired by Lizardmom. This weeks questions are about breakfast.

1)Do you eat breakfast?

2)Eggs or cereal?

3)How you like your eggs?

4)What is your favorite cereal?

Have a good weekend folks!

Another Online Test

The Power of Observation Test

http://www.oldjoeblack.0nyx.com/thinktst.htm

A friend emailed me the link to this one. I got 21 out of 25.

The Florida wild life!

Today has been quite a day for me. First of all, I step out onto my lovely lanai to see a baby ringnecked snake...about the size of an earthworm...sorry, it is still a snake...and now it is residing in the drain system that is part of my lanai (holes for water to drain out into the yard). Icky...and eeeeeek.

Next I decide to take a little doxie for a walk only to be met by some nutcase of a woman with a large, large brown cur type dog on a retractable leash. Only she does not retract the leash. Instead, she allows the dog to wrap its leash around my legs and the cute little 12 lb doxie that I am walking does the same in an effort to get away for the monster dog. Wiener dog is scared...I'm trying to stay upright...doesn't work. Next thing I know, I am on the ground with a skinned knee and a very frightened wiener dog on my lap. The monster dog is still wrapped around me. I can't get up....I am literally hog tied by two dog leashes.

Bloodied, but still in pretty good spirits, I get us away from this nutty woman and her 'sweet' dog, who wouldn't hurt a flea. Hey, I'm not a flea, so guess I'm fair game!

Continuing around the block and almost home...the door of the house next to mine flies open, out comes a woman with two toddlers running about. Next comes a big, black dog of questionable heritage. Ah hah, it sites me with the poor little wiener dog. I see him and grab the doxie. The black cur (aren't they all curs?) comes bounding over wanting to make friends. This one at least is a nice dog. The woman grabs kids and somehow we get her dog back in the house.

At this point, I skiddaddled home. Now, I think it is time for me to tend to this wound, which is bleeding nicely....grrrrr.

I think I will stay in the house tonight....who knows what else is out there waiting for me!

Quick question

Is anybody out there into Racine
historical stuff?

My grandfather handed down an album of old postcards,
and there were a bunch of old ones from Racine.
Most dates are from 1941-1945.

Some are scenery, others are of things like
parks, the lake, rivers, etc.
Kinda cool stuff, I would love to give to
anyone who would be interested,
seems a shame to toss them, but...
I'm trying to downsize, and I'm not really into them.
Anybody??

The Big Western Fireball

I was up at Mount Lemmon watching the Leonids Tuesday night/Wednesday morning (since the peak was right in the middle of the day U.S. time, some places such as Mount Lemmon did their observing Tuesday night). It was an okay display with bit of an uptick in activity a little after midnight as was predicted as Earth passed through a denser stream of material.

One fireball stood out, however. Low in the north, this spectacular meteor lit up the sky and made the landscape easily visible for a few seconds.

Turns out this one caused quite the stir a little farther north up in Utah. It hit there at 12:07am (agreeing with the time we saw it) and caused quite a few 911 calls.

Spaceweather.com has a lot of pictures and videos of it as does ksl.com. Turns out this was not a Leonid but just happned to hit Earth at the same time as the annual shower.

The story may not be quite done yet. This meteor may have small pieces that reached the ground...possibly ranging from gravel to softball size would be the best guess. Keep a lookout for reports of people finding pieces.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Sometimes

Sometimes...
When you cry,
No one sees your tears.

Sometimes...
When you are in pain,
No one sees your hurt.

Sometimes...
When you are worried.
No one sees your stress

Sometimes...
When you are happy,
No one sees your smile ..

But FART!! Just ONE time...
And everybody knows!!

Girlie Wisdom!

1. A friend of mine confused her Valium with her birth control pills... she has 14 kids but doesn't really care…

2. One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.

3. My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

4. The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.

5. The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.

6. The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.

7. Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today…

8. Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.

9. I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my knickers'.

10. Amazing! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes!

11. Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like... 'You know sometimes I forget to eat!'... Now I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!

12. The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing and then they marry him.

13. I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day!

To put things in perspective. . .

Lots of accurate information and a logical conclusion from Monthy Python's Meaning of Life, photos courtesy of NASA. Enjoy and laugh!

The Galaxy

Happy World Toilet Day

Today is World Toilet Day. Although it may sound silly, the goal is to raise awareness of the couple of billion and some people in the world who don't have access to sanitary toilets and the disease that can be spread by bad sanitation.

So what is the appropriate celebration for World Toilet Day...participating in the Big Squat: a movement for the toilet-less of course (they do have a sense of humor about it). The Big Squat seems to be urging groups of people to squat down as if they are, well, you know, to draw attention to themselves and then hand out literature on sanitation.

I have always thought we should experience toilets of the world and what better place to do that than at Disney's Epcot World showcase. I want to see them theme the restrooms there as well. When you are in Mexico, you get a Mexican toilet. In Japan, the hi-tech Japanese toilet etc. I have written Disney several letters on the subject but have not seen one international toilet at Epcot.

So Happy World Toilet Day to all!

Newspapers Are...

Try this...go to Google and start typing "newspapers are" in the search box. Google has this feature we have all probably experienced where it attempts to fill in the rest of your search based on what others are searching, providing an interesting look at the cultural zeitgeist such as it is.

Without revealing the exact results of this little exercise, I am probably not revealing any spoilers here by saying that many of the suggestions comment on the state of the modern newspaper industry. Many people think newspapers dying and some even applaud their decline. I think this is a dangerous trend. We need good investigative reporting as an important check on powerful interests, both business and government (and particularly when the two collude). I have seen many arguments that new media and bloggers will fill the vacuum. The initial results I have seen are not promising as they mostly reprint and comment on articles from other sources doing very little to no fact checking much less reporting.

If newspapers vanish without a credible replacement, we are in for a new age of corruption the likes of which they country has never experienced.

STREET LEGAL BUMPER CARS

It's easy for a gear-head to be discouraged about the state of the world, especially in times of Carpocalypse and Cash for Clunkers. But occasionally, a bright light of awesome renews the spirit. Road-legal bumper cars do just that.

Yes, you read that right; these little beasties are street legal. Either Kawasaki or Honda motorcycle engines for power, and retired vintage bumper car bodies - transformed into the most awesome form of mini-car we've ever seen.

There's seven of these little monsters floating around California, and they're all the creation of one man, Tom Wright, a gyro-gear loose builder on the outskirts of San Diego who figured the leftovers of the Long Beach Pike amusement park needed a more dignified end than the trash heap. They were originally powered by Harley engines but rattled like heck and Tom replace them with Honda or Kawasaki 750's... and a couple have been 'measured' [not run at] theoretically as capable of 160 MPH which is terrifyingly fast in machines with such a short wheelbase.

Doesn't mean we would totally rock one should the opportunity present itself. In fact, we now have only one burning desire, to see these things running a go kart track with a clown in the drivers seat.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my cherished chestnuts! How are you? Did any of you go to the Christmas Parade in downtown Racine last Saturday? I heard it was wonderful. I so wanted to make an appearance, but I closed my eyes for just a few moments to take a catnap, and then awoke hours later. I’ve been so busy boosting supplies for the holiday rush that I tend to overwork. I stress out at this time of year. I don’t sleep enough or eat properly and get whacked out of shape. It’s important for all of us to remember what the holidays are for and why we celebrate them. Slow down and enjoy them, for soon they will be gone.

I also wanted to make an appearance at the JTI Bowling Bonanza and Demolition Derby last week, but I received a call that I could not ignore: one of my best clients had an emergency need to speak with her departed husband about an important business matter. I rushed to her side and we contacted her beloved “William,” who channeled the appropriate advice to her through me. If only President Obama knew how much influence the dead have on our economy, he might send a little stimulus to those of us who act on their behalf. Hmmm, maybe I should contact him… I am so sorry to have disappointed you, my dear Irregulars. Please forgive me. I was on a mission of financial mercy.

Hooray for our Packers in their win over the Cowboys! I must admit to a tad of a crush on Tony Romo, local boy made good. He has great moves on the field and off, and one of his best was dumping that trashy Simpson girl. Nonetheless, our Packers contained and detained him, sacked and wracked him. If only they had done the same to Mr. Favre a couple of weeks earlier. No, Ms. kk, I haven’t heard from him yet, but when (or if) I do, I’ll let him know that you’re interested. ;)

There were no yards gained, no yards lost, no penalties, and no personal fouls in this week’s email.

I thought a little public service announcement might be in order in light of the Thanksgiving holiday next week and the growing popularity of deep frying turkeys. (Mmm.)



The gentleman below uses the Archimedes principle in his expert approach:



You know, there’s nothing wrong with the traditional method of roasting turkey, either. For that matter, it doesn’t even have to be turkey. Whatever you want to share with family and/or friends to give thanks for what you have is fine. What’s important is saying thank you. We should say it to each other more.

So, thank you very much for stopping by to read my blog. I enjoy sharing with others and hope you enjoy what I have to share. Stay warm, my dear Irregulars, and watch out for the nasty flu bug.

Send your favorite recipes and secret desires to madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Ipana!

Them Crooked Vultures

I've been hearing a huge buzz about this band lately called Them Crooked Vultures. The band features Led Zeppelin's bass player John Paul Jones, Nirvana's drummer David Grohl, and the singer/guitarist from the Queens of the Stone Age, Josh Homme. I think they sound rockin'! What do you think?

Anyone Tweet?

I have an account, but am wondering would I use it? Anyone Irregulat have a twitter account? Do you use it? What do you like about it. Sell me.

THIS IS AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHY --- THINK ABOUT THE SIZE

15 amazing body shots
Almost all of the following images were captured using a scanning electron microscope,
Incredible details of 1 to 5nm (nanometer) in size can be detected


1. Red Blood Cells
They look like little cinnamon candies here, but they're actually the most common type of blood cell in the human body - red blood cells (RBCs). These biconcave-shaped cells have the tall task of carrying oxygen to our entire body; in women there are about 4 to 5 million RBCs per micro liter (cubic millimeter) of blood and about 5 to 6 million in men . People who live at higher altitudes have even more RBCs because of the low oxygen levels in their environment.


2. Split End of Human Hair
Regular trimmings to your hair and good conditioner should help to prevent this unsightly picture of a split end of a human hair.


3. Purkinje Neurons
Of the 100 billion neurons in your brain. Purkinje (pronounced purr-kin-jee) neurons are some of the largest. Among other things, these cells are the masters of motor coordination in the cerebellar cortex. Toxic exposure such as alcohol and lithium, autoimmune diseases, genetic mutations including autism and neurodegenerative diseases can negatively affect human Purkinje cells.


4. Hair Cell in the Ear
Here's what it looks like to see a close-up of human hair cell stereo cilia inside the ear. These detect mechanical movement in response to sound vibrations


5. Blood Vessels Emerging from the Optic Nerve
In this image, stained retinal blood vessels are shown to emerge from the black-colored optic disc. The optic disc is a blind spot because no light receptor cells are present in this area of the retina where the optic nerve and retinal blood vessels leave the back of the eye.


6. Tongue with Taste Bud
This colour-enhanced image depicts a taste bud on the tongue. The human tongue has about 10,000 taste buds that are involved with detecting salty, sour, bitter, sweet and savory taste perceptions.


7. Tooth Plaque
Brush your teeth often because this is what the surface of a tooth with a form of ââ'¬Å"corn-on-the-cobââ'¬ � plaque looks like.


8. Blood Clot
Remember that picture of the nice, uniform shapes of red blood cells you just looked at? Well, here's what it looks like when those same cells get caught up in the sticky web of a blood clot. The cell in the middle is a white blood cell


9. Alveoli in the Lung
This is what a colour-enhanced image of the inner surface of your lung looks like. The hollow cavities are alveoli; this is where gas exchange occurs with the blood.


10. Lung Cancer Cells
This image of warped lung cancer cells is in stark contrast to the healthy lung in the previous picture.


11. Villi of Small Intestine
Villi in the small intestine increase the surface area of the gut, which helps in the absorption of food. Look closely and you will see some food stuck in one of the crevices.


12. Human Egg with Coronal Cells
This image is of a purple, colour-enhanced human egg sitting on a pin. The egg is coated with the zona pellicuda, a glycoprotein that protects the egg but also helps to trap and bind sperm. Two coronal cells are attached to the zona pellicuda.


13. Sperm on the Surface of a Human Egg
Here's a close-up of a number of sperm trying to fertilize an egg.


14. Human Embryo and Sperm
It looks like the world at war, but it is actually five days after the fertilisation of an egg, with some remaining sperm cells still sticking around. This fluorescent image was captured using a confocal microscope. The embryo and sperm cell nuclei are stained purple while sperm tails are green. The blue areas are gap junctions, which form connections between the cells.


15. Colored Image of a 6 day old Human Embryo Implanting

Political Humor

Years ago when I sometimes used unsavory language, I often used the expression "Bull S***". As I grew up a bit and discovered it was not necessary to use such crude language, that expression became "BS".

Q. What did I really mean when I used those expressions?

A. I meant that something was ridiculous, or idiotic or a half truth or just stupid. It covered any number of negative formats. The dictionary defines it as: nonsense; especially: foolish insolent talk. I have decided that I no longer will use either of those expressions in the future. When I have a need to express such feelings, I will use the word "Pelosi".

Let me use it in a sentence. "That's just a bunch of Pelosi." I encourage you to do the same. It is such a nasty word. It really packs a lot of punch. We are no longer being vulgar. But it clearly expresses our feelings. If enough of us use it, perhaps the word could be entered into the dictionary. When on a ranch watch your step and don't step in Pelosi. It will get on the bottom of your boot and won't go away until next election. What a descriptive legacy for the Speaker of the House!

Skip The Handshake

Yep, there is a movement afoot to skip handshakes to stop the spread of swine flu. What good is a movement without a colored wristband you can wear to show people how you feel?

The good news is that you can now buy a wristband to show people you want to skip the handshakes. We might as well just buy one that says you are filthy and I don't even trust touching your hand. I wonder what would happen if you wore one on a date? Maybe a bad idea.

I think we should fight back with the Don't Worry, I Actually Wash my Hands wristband.