The Zoo Bikers

While working at the library yesterday I helped out a cool dude trying to upload photos onto his blog. Library security is pretty tight so he couldn't preview what he was uploading.

Turned out him and his friends were biking across America. Last stop was Astoria, Oregon; where I lived for the last two years.

They're at the end of their journey and will be taking a train back. Sorry Heidi, they won't be heading your way ;]

So check out Zoo Across America and read their story. It's very interesting and very inspiring. Makes me want to check out the Grand Tetons at some point in my life :]

also, this:

I wish more women knew that about me. Unfortunately that bit about "Rare to Find" seems to be prevailing right now.

Life Will Find a Way

I drew this in my Basic Design class today during the lecture about how different macs are from windows. I already knew the differences so I loaded up photoshop and played with my tablet.

Someday I hope we really do clone some extinct animal. Scientists are getting closer and closer to being able to easily* clone a mammoth. However now the biggest hurdle seems to be coming up with a good enough reason to clone them. Besides studying them, there doesn't really seem to be a point.

In my nanowrimo novel, the colony on Mars has become a haven for genetic experiments that aren't allowed on Earth. The people of Mars needed a hardy animal that could survive in the harsh cold environment of Mars, be domesticated, and provide a lot of meat. They decided to bring back the Woolly Mammoth [with a few tweaks so it was better suited for the environment], and soon mammoth meat became the staple of Martian cuisine.

I think reviving Mammoths would be beneficial to the entire world. They could survive in harsh cold environments where little else grows [like Northern Canada, Alaska, or Russia] and would provide a lot of meat. They could stimulate the economy in those cold regions, provide food for the starving people of the Earth, and provide a great deal of wool. I'm sure they could probably be milked too.

Hell, we ate them into extinction too. They must taste pretty good.

*as easy as cloning an animal anyway.

New Years Predictions

Edit: Novah did one too.

Time for some new year's predictions :D

January
Obama will be sworn in. By the end of the month Republicans will already be blaming the country's problems on him.

February
Springlike weather will arrive early this year.

March
School shooting results in a federal ban on ammunition.

April
Steve Jobs will finally admit that he has declining health and may not live much longer.

May
Religious extremists bomb abortion clinics.

June
Scientists warn of drought and the hottest summer in recorded history.
Summer starts off with a "bang".

July
The LHC will be delayed due to another malfunction.
Some countries withdraw their support.

August
Severe drought will cause food and water shortages around the world.
Many die.

September
More threats of terrorism coming from some surprising sources.

October
A kid is killed in Alaska for dressing as a polar bear for Halloween.

November
Christmas decorations are put up near the beginning of the month instead of waiting until after Thanksgiving.
Even more "Black-Friday" violence that no one seems to react to.

December
Smaller holiday season this year with the economy still tanking downward.
No New Year's glasses are sold because no one can figure out where the eyes will go.

Disaster in Astoria

A building burned down Thanksgiving evening in Astoria, Oregon; where I live. There were two restaurants, a bank, and a few other stores operating from the building.
A guy died in the building too, they're guessing he lived in the building when it was closed. Doesn't surprise me. There are a lot of poor people in Astoria, and I'm sure that a few people live in their stores they manage to operate.

One of the restaurants that burned down was Tokyo Teriyaki. It's too bad, they had some really good Japanese food, and one of the few places I felt comfortable ordering food with "extra spicey" on it.

An art studio was also located in the building. Hopefully it wasn't really expensive art. That could ruin an artist's career.

poem[?]

peanut butter flavored soda
there are four lines on my orange
evenly spaced across it
they bulge out a little like keloids

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Four Philosophical Questions to Make your Brain Hurt

A great way to start the day. Start questioning reality.
This was posted on BBC this morning, check it out and expand your mind. But then again... is it even your mind to begin with?

Four Philosophical Questions to Make Your Brain Hurt.

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New Toilet?

Yesterday I read this article about the space station getting a new toilet.

Last night, however, I had a dream that I was living on the space station and we got in an argument about where the toilet would go.

Damn remodeling arguments.

Eventually NASA got fed up and told us we couldn't have a new toilet after all.

Dish of the Day

Novah reminded me of this clip from the original Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
At the 5:30 mark we meet the "Dish of the Day" a genetically engineered animal that's intelligent and actually wants to be eaten.