Where's the Aliens?

 Fair warning: if you lose sleep over scary stuff you may want to skip today's post. Brian Cox, a well known British scientist, was asked to explain why we haven't found aliens yet. With 200-400 million suns in the Milky Way it is almost certain that there are life supporting planets so where are they? One theory is self replicating robots that we don't yet recognize, which is scary when you think about where we are with AI, but again no evidence of this. Then there's the Great Filter theory where intelligent life forms have to go through a number of steps before they can make themselves known but one hurdle is impossible to get past. Here's the kicker...to get to the point of space exploration you lose focus on your home planet by abusing natural resources and ecosystems making it uninhabitable. And last with all the technology comes the risk of a war with the capacity of destroying the planet. Any of this sound familiar? 

Oyster Insomnia

 Even though oysters don't have eyes they do have circadian rhythms like most living things and those rhythms are being knocked out of whack by light pollution. It isn't exactly known how the light is "seen" by the oysters but researchers could see the difference by how they opened their shells at inappropriate times. Oysters are usually most active midday but with even dim lights their rhythm was disrupted. You're probably thinking, "so what if an oyster isn't getting enough sleep" but just like with any animal it affects their health and that is important to all of us, not just oyster lovers, as oysters play key roles in filtering water, protecting shorelines, and supplying food and jobs. 

Goose Poop Discovery

 A 13 year old girl who along with six other students were tasked with finding samples in a nearby park of things they thought my contain bacteria. While most of the group picked up leaves, water and sticks Cammaria scooped up some goose poop. After collecting their samples they were taught how to isolate the bacteria and program a robot to catalogue it. Cammaria's bacteria contained a cancer fighting compound. The program out of the University of Illinois partners with Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago with the goal of giving underserved middle and high school kids experience in biomedical sciences hoping to spark their interest in the field. 

Smell Ya Later

 A Danish archeologist recently published her findings on a study of Greco-Roman statues smelling as good as they looked. They were often perfumed with scents like rose, olive oil, and beeswax which were also symbolic and helped to preserve the statues. Some were covered with a mixture of waxes and oils known as ganosis, while others were coated with olive oil in a process known as kosmesis which helped protect them from the elements. They also often decorated them with colorful paints (which faded over time) and jewelry, fabric, flowers, garlands and ribbons. Fast forward to modern times and Bend, OR gets bent out of shape over googly eyes on the sculptures around their town! Oh well, they claimed it was ruining them and costing a lot to clean the glue off. 

If a Tree Falls in Space

Sure there are no trees in space but things work differently there and I doubt anyone would hear it. This post is more up the gun lovers alley in case they decide to go into space and want to bring their guns.  Technically a gun should be able to fire as it doesn't require oxygen to fire though there are other problems like would the extreme temperature could be problematic. Then if those things go okay the lack of gravity means that the bullets would have no limit other than something hard to stop them, and of course recoil would throw the body backwards unless it was braced on something solid like perhaps the spaceship? and never mind those bulky space suits making gun play awkward. I'm going to go out on a limb and say give the guns a pass for a space trip. 

Shooting on Earth	Shooting in Space
Gun will likely function in average temperatures	Gun could malfunction when exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures
Bullet will travel until gravity overtakes it, typically 1.5 miles depending on caliber	Bullet could travel indefinitely until striking a solid object
Recoil can be absorbed by body	Recoil could propel body backward

Move Over Wienermobile

 Volkswagen, aka The Peoples Car hasn't been doing so well selling their autos lately but they've been doing really well with their sausages. The VW Currywurst, aka component number 199 398 500 A has been serving employees and locals since 1973. Made in house by a VW employed butcher the currywurst is selling better than the cars and shows no sign of slowing down. Along with the original sausage they've also developed a vegan version plus a spicy ketchup, aka part number 00010 ZDK-259-101.The currywurst is not available in the US at this time though the ketchup can be had for free from VW dealerships. 

You Name It

 Do you ever wonder how car manufacturers decide on the names of the models they make? It actually sounds like it would be a kind of fun job. Most of you have probably heard the urban legend that the Chevy Nova didn't sell well in Spanish speaking countries because no va meant "doesn't go" but the likelihood of that happening is low. The Car companies have committees who make lists of possible names then research the names to make sure none of them are offensive in any language or already in use, then they choose the top three names and turn them over to their legal department, if none of those names make that cut they choose the next three names until they have three that will work. If they wanted to raise the difficulty level they could commit to using only one letter for the entire list, or better yet one letter of the manufacturers name like Ford for instance would have to make the list from only words beginning with the letter "F". You got to love a good puzzle! 

In the Green

 Other than the connection to St. Patrick's Day the color green has various meanings, cash, envy, jealousy and of course ecologically. The ecological-St. Patrick's Day is the focus of today's post. In 1962 the mayor of Chicago (Richard Daley) wanted to turn Lake Michigan green but soon realized the size of that task and instead directed the effort to the Chicago River. Since that time environmentalists have voiced concerns about what the harm the dye was doing to the river's fish and ecosystem. A researcher tagged 100 fish in 2023 to try to determine if the dye aggravated the fish in anyway. The fish had no reaction at all, they remained in their usual haunts, though when a rainstorm overwhelmed the sewer system and sent wastewater into the river the fish scrambled to get out of the contaminated water and there have been fish casualties from the bad water though none from the green water. In conclusion, green is good, brown not so much. 

Soak That Up

Have you ever wondered what the strip on towels is about? While some folks suggest that the embroidery like strip at the end of the towel is to shrink and therefore make you buy more towels, some suggest it is a way to keep track of which part of the towel to use on your face so you don't dry with the part of the towel used to dry your butt cheeks. They're all wrong! Not only does it have an actual use it also has a name, dobby border/weave, and it prevents fraying, reinforces the fabric, improves absorbency, and is decorative. There you have it, we now all have our own house elves! 

A Dime For Your Thoughts

 Today's title was adjusted for inflation. With that thought in mind it's time for some shower thoughts.

Who created god?

If money is the root of all evil, why do churches ask for it? 

If air and water are both clear, why can we see water and not air?

Can you daydream at night?

Did the plant or the seed come first?

Why are prisoners given food and water but homeless people aren't?

Do ghosts give us privacy in the shower?

Why does Adam have a navel?

RIP Ronald

 Regular patrons of McDonald's may already be aware of something missing. That something is Ronald McDonald and if he isn't missing yet from your local Mikey D's he will be soon. They started phasing him out in 2016 because of the killer clowns that were popping up everywhere and scaring families and children alike. The killer clowns were a marketing stunt for a horror movie but got out of hand through both social media and people dressing up and terrorizing strangers. One would think that if that was enough to make McDonald's abandon Ronald that he would have been gone sooner, like when Stephen King's "It" came out in late 1990, but again, what do I know? 

Hard to Miss

 Maybe the Pennsylvania man who was found with a 5 inch long red eared slider turtle wrapped in a blue towel down his pants at a New Jersey airport had never flown before. There doesn't seem to be any other explanation as anyone who has traveled since TSA became a fixture at airports would tell you. In this case a body scanner alarm went off which caused a TSA agent to pat down the man and retrieve the turtle. It is unknown if the man was trying something nefarious or if the turtle was a pet. 

Or Die Trying

 Sexual violence in the animal kingdom is not uncommon, there's black widow spiders (though not 100% of the time) along with several other spiders, praying mantis and other insects, and sometimes blue lined octopuses. The octopus being a clever creature has developed a work around to save themselves from the deadly mating ritual, they bite the female and a small amount of poison paralyzes her for around eight minutes, not enough to cause any lasting harm but enough to copulate without being eaten alive. So much for females being the weaker sex. 

Getting a Charge

This sounds too good to be true but with any luck it will work as the Swedish researchers planned.  A textile technology that converts body heat into electricity with special polymers that serve as a coating to silk yarn. Previous attempts at thermoelectric textiles failed as they were not stable and didn't last more than a matter of days where this new development is lasting at least 14 months and up to 3 years. It is also machine washable and non toxic. It will come in handy for charging your devices once our power grid is no longer in operation...oops! Debbie Downer paid a short visit to today's post, but she's gone now. 

Now That's Funny!

One of the UK's most famous comedy clubs, Top Secret Comedy Club, has started using Botox bouncers at the door.  They are checking both IDs and facial expressions. The problem with Botox is that it pretty much freezes the face in an expressionless mask which makes it incredibly hard for comedians to perform in front of as they need to see what's working with the crowd plus their energy feeds off the audiences reactions whether it's laughter, crying, frowns or a sneer. With any luck the Botox ban will start a trend where people are okay looking their age, if not maybe it will become material for a new comedy routine!  

Neurotic?

 Seems like it's been awhile since we had some fun quotes, so today's the day! Most people with low self esteem have earned it. George Carlin

 What's the difference between neurotic and eccentric? How much money you make. Jason Lee 

 I've always been crazy, but it's kept me from going insane. Waylon Jennings

 If you ain't crazy, there's something wrong with you. Willie Nelson

 I admit it, I'm a hypochondriac. But I manage to control it with a placebo. Dennis Miller

 When I was a little kid I had a mood swing set. Steven Wright

 I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time. Charles Schultz

 If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation? George Carlin 

The Old Blanket Trick

 Here we are again on the time change eve, this time we're springing forward which is pretty much a meaningless endeavor since no matter how you set your clock there are still 24 hours in a day and the amount of daylight remains consistent with the time of year, yet still we find it necessary to fool with the clocks twice a year. The good news is Oregon voted to get rid of the folly with the caveat that Washington and California do the same, no idea why it has to be that way since Arizona boarders other states yet they don't change their clocks. Then there's the 2 a.m. time when the change is actually acknowledged, why 2 a.m.? Because that time has the least effect on train schedules so the logical midnight hour is out on its ear!  

Playing With Your Vegetables

 The 11 piece Vegetable Orchestra recently made their way into the Guinness World Records after playing 344 concerts in 27 years. What's so special about that you ask? The instruments are carved out of vegetables before each performance as they only last about 6 hours before losing their shape...the veggies, not the musicians. It all started as a joke in 1999 when the founding four members were making soup and discussing an upcoming event in Vienna. One thing led to another and the rest is history. They make soup out of the unused veggies and serve it at the concerts, and the used instruments are organically composted.