Bug 'o' the Day

It's not just one bug....it's not just two bugs...it's a whole bunch of bugs!!!  Chanced upon this while on Rachel's blog.  Mostly flies, but a saw a bee and a couple of damselflies in there.  These are great photos.


TODAY'S ENTOMOLOGY LESSON:

This is a dragonfly

This is a damselfly

Dragonflies and damselflies look very similar but you can tell the difference by how they hold their wings when at rest.  Dragonflies hold the wings out to the side, and damselflies hold them folded together over their backs.

Here are two damselflies in love.  See, they kind of make a heart shape when getting it on.  I bet you don't see this position in the Kama Sutra.  In case you're wondering...that's the female on top.  She grabs the male around the neck and he inserts his sperm into her.  Sounds kinda kinky, but hey.....

flying

Been listening to Terry Gross on Fresh Air today about flying (her guest is Mark Gerchick, who wrote a book about it).  Makes you want to take the bus.  I like flying a lot, but I don't do it very often anymore.

Everyone complains about legroom, but I'm short and try to get the aisle seat if I can.  Airline food used to be on the complaint list, but now you just get peanuts and a coke, so...no big deal.  Standing in long lines is a pain, but those ticket kiosks are really nice and speed up the process.  My complaint is the booking process and how the prices change on a whim.  Up one day, down the next.  Sucks.

Terry

Plane

Bus

I like Terry best....








The last time I flew, from Minnesota to Dallas, I opted out of the scanner.  At MSP they have those big full-body scanners, and I thought 'heck no,' and went for the pat-down instead.  Some people don't want to get touched by a TSA person, but frankly it doesn't bother me -- better than extra radiation -- and it didn't add to my wait time too much.

Sometimes I have to book a flight with 2 legs (with the connecting flight).  I like those.  I try not to check a bag -- carry-on, baby! -- and I want a long layover.  A nice long layover lets me enjoy a beer in a bar, despite the cost.

As Homer Simpson would say:  "mmmm...beer."

Crazy

By now you've all heard of the Hitler Tea Kettle - no, it is not a coffee pot.  Penney's sells it and it's a big seller  (click here).  Nothing like starting the day with some hot pekoe from Der Fuhrer.

What's up with the little bell?


The TEA party should get in on this trend.  They could have Michael Graves design one that looks like Reince Priebus or Ted Cruz.  The NRA could have one that looks like LaPierre (but please, no Michelle Bachmann).  Heck, there could even be a whole series of these things, complete with matching teacups or mugs.

I wonder if there'll be a toaster that looks like Stalin...

Finally, some really good TV commercials....

Most commercials on TV suck.  They get boring real quick and the worst ones come on way too many times.  Most of the songs that play on them are equally annoying.  A few of them are pretty good, like the one of the woman rock climber way the heck up on that narrow peak.

Now come the best commercials in a long time - the ATT ads with the kids in them.  I love 'em.  The kids are hilarious and the guy in these commercials has got to have the best job in the world right now.  The link is to YouTube which has all of them.  These are TV ads that definitely do not suck.

CONGRATULATIONS LAURA!!!!

My niece Laura just graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College today.  Sweet!!  Gustavus is my old alma mater - Class of '81.  Man, am I getting old.  I loved Gustavus; 4 of the best years of my life.  I had a blast, and I even learned a thing or two.  I recommend it to anybody.

For information click on this link:  Gustavus Adolphus College

Laura's great and she'll be very successful - 'cause she's a Gustie!!!

Kanji Time!!!

Today's kanji is:

             気

                 ki

Ki is the internal energy that living things possess.  In Chinese it is called 'chi.'

Rhona Mitra needs to date me...

Poor Rhona, her self-esteem seems to be lacking.  I mean, she forgot to put her shirt on.     If she were to go out with me she would be much happier...

Hey, Rhona!  I like reptiles, too.

politics

To my peeps back in Minnesota:

BACHMANN'S LEAVING?!!!!

Did anyone see this coming?  Y'all should have let us know.  Is she going to move back to Iowa, too?  Well, one miracle at a time, I guess.  As long as she doesn't move all the way here to Texas should she leave.  I'm sure some tea-bagger here would invite her and encourage her to run for something.  Well, I'll have a lot less eye-rolling to do with her NOT appearing on TV.  Even if she gets her own show on Fox (just wait for it) I'll miss that.  But, then, Lawrence O'donnell will have plenty of clips on his show, I'm pretty sure.
Anyway, it's good to see some more sanity being restored to our great state.

Self-defense Tip of the Week

I will try to have one of these simple things YOU can do to keep yourself safe every week.  Some are preventative, others are to help you in an actual attack; all of them involve plain common sense.

Tip #1:  Check your car     
 

When you park your car in a lot, or anywhere out in the open, walk completely around the vehicle before you get in, in case someone may be hiding in order to attack you when you open the door.  This is important if you have your hands full, because we often get distracted when putting items into the back seat or the trunk of the car.

ban this machine

Today I have an example of Evil Incarnate.  Not since the leaf blower has a more wasteful and unnecessary device been invented, manufactured, and then foisted upon humanity, surely to overwhelm all of Planet Earth.  Its never-ending assault upon the world has been lauded as super-convenient, and to the unsuspecting man and woman this will lead to the destruction of many ecosystems on Earth, and humans will gladly do so because it is convenient.  It is:

The Keurig - Satan's Coffee Machine

Simply by virtue of the little, wasteful, single-serve cups we humans have found a new way to overwhelm landfills and pollute as many places as possible.  I guess styrofoam cups aren't enough.  Now we get to use these, which are not recyclable nor are they biodegradable.  And they're expensive.

There is enough environmental degradation happening already without millions of K-cups being added to the mix.  Until they come up with a 100% biodegradable cup that becomes mandatory for all single-serve machines these should be BANNED!!

Whatever happened to making a pot of coffee?

natural art

These are some funky, weird clouds.  They almost don't look real.  If you ever see them, pause a little while and appreciate them; they're not all that common.

 Asperatus clouds

Mammatus clouds

Asperatus clouds are called that because they look like agitated waves.

Mammatus clouds are so-named because they look like boobs hanging down from the sky.  Every 8th grade boy's favorite cloud type.  

Bug 'o' the Day

Goliath Beetle

A big friggin' bug.  I think these were appetizers in the "Temple of Doom" dinner scene.  Goliaths are the largest of the insects (BTW that is not my hand; I found this pic on a site called indulgy.com).  Mythbusters did a show where they looked at the myth of a guy on a motorcycle that got killed after being hit by a bug.  According to them, if the myth was true, this was the killer (I have my doubts).

space chicks are so hot

I can't wait 'til we go into space if the girls look like her....

The BSA

Years ago when I was an adult leader in a Scout troop, we took some boys to the World Jamboree in Canada.  In a number of European countries (Sweden and Czechoslovakia come to mind) their scouting programs included both boys and girls.  Not that anything happened (and not that I would have known), but you can well imagine all sorts of behavior that could go on between the sexes if they had it the same way in this country.

It would be interesting to find out from the homophobes in and out of Scouting - and obviously opposed to the recent BSA descision - what they think about what I experienced at that Jamboree.  Just imagine how many adult leaders would cross the line or how many boys/girls would use a Scout troop as a dating club.

I've heard that the Girl Scouts admits members that are homosexual (not sure about the leadership), and they don't seem to have the same issues the boys do.  Well, it appears that the adults have the problems with it more than the boys do.

The Boy Scouts is a great organization, and with the right leadership it will continue to be.

they're baaaack!!!

As I was perusing Rachels blog (http://maddowblog.msnbc.com) I saw a link to a great video by Samuel Orr about cicadas that is beautifully done and awsome.  If you're not a fan of these sort-of-ugly-but-somehow-beautiful insects, you may change your mind after watching this.  Some really great video.

politics

So the other day I received an e-mail from John Cornyn, which in part read:

"Obama Administration Promotes a Culture of Intimidation

Over the last few weeks, we have learned that the IRS has systematically targeted American citizens.

I am outraged that my constituents and fellow Texans would be treated this way by their government, and I am pushing for a full investigation.  I know that Texans will not stand for these intimidation tactics, and if you have been unfairly targeted by the IRS, I invite you to share your story."

OK... as a good Democrat, I don't support Cornyn, and usually he's always wrong.  I would agree with him that the IRS screwed up.  But a few things should be addressed.

To infer that "the IRS has systematically targeted American citizens" implies that they are going after anyone, as if they pull names out of a hat and go after them.  He goes on to say that "if you have been unfairly targeted by the IRS, I invite you to share your story."  Isn't that called a tax audit?  Everybody that has been audited will think they have been unfairly targeted by the IRS.  He's going to get a lot of sob stories from a whole lot of people.

The people and groups that were scrutinized by the IRS for 501(c)(4) status were mostly ones who requested this from the agency, but really didn't have to do anything to declare exemption.  The TEA party folks, who hate the government, hate the IRS and wish to oversee their downfall then send in some permission slips?  Makes me think of someone who has gotten away with stealing something and then calls up the police daring them to come and get them.

The right wing (well, pretty much everyone who pays taxes) has been very vocal for reforming the tax code.  Hopefully, the good that will come out of this "scandal" will actually be some reform, especially that any TEA party organization will NEVER be able to get 501(c)(4) status, because - by their very nature and according to the original wording of the code - their mere existence precludes obtaining such status.

Kanji Time!!!

Today's kanji:

                    禅

                              Zen

Zen is a type of silent meditation found in Buddhism.

cool science

In another life I would have been an astronomer.

...or an astronaut

tons of cool space pictures can be seen at:  Astronomy Picture of the Day 

oh, to be a pilot...

Kanji Time!!!

Today's kanji:

柔術

Ju-jutsu

In English this means "I can kick your ass."

Bug 'o' the Day

Stalk-eyed fly

It's real, and it's real cool!  Those red 'balls' are its eyes on the end of those stalks.  Pretty neat.  There's some good info on Wikipedia about them if you want to learn more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalk-eyed_fly

I generally like Wikipedia for their pages on organisms.  They tend to be very scholarly, and at the least they are a good starting point for learning more about nature.

hot women to avoid

Guys like hot women.  Well, not all of them.  Like who?, you may ask....
Ever watch "The Five" on Fox?  Besides being a dumb name for a show, they have some so-called hot women.  Andrea Tantaros looks good, and Kimberly Guilfoyle too, I guess.  Some people may say "wow, they're hot!"  I can see that (great bodies never hurt).
But, Andrea and Kim have a problem:  Palin Syndrome (I'll come up with a better name).  Like Sarah Palin, they look great and you may want to hook up with them, until they open their mouths and start spoutin' that TEA Party/anti-Obama rhetoric.  And they love taking it to the extreme.  After about 20 seconds I get nauseous.  Palin was like that.  She became popular with lots of guys 'cause they basically fantasized about gettin' it on with her.  Eww.
If I were to go there with these ladies someone would have to pay me.
Bob Beckel is on The Five.  I think he's somewhat liberal.  Gotta hand it to him, his intestinal fortitude has to be incredible to sit with the other four.  If it was me on that show I'd be needing a drink every two minutes.  Way to go, Bob!

P.S.  If you want to see these women, Google 'em yourself.  I don't have time to waste downloading pictures of them.

Hot women NOT to avoid:  Padma Lakshmi (Salman Rushdie's ex) and Rula Jebreal.

Shark "finning"

Shark finning is the process of cutting off the fins of sharks for use in preparing shark fin soup.  Ironically, the fins have no taste, just like the people who cook and eat this stuff.  The fins merely add texture to the soup; any flavor would come from the broth and other ingredients.  The barbarity of finning is appalling. Humans kill approximately 100 million sharks every year for their fins. 

A shark died for this.  Someone will put this in some stupid soup.

Here in Texas in the legislature Senator Juan Hinojosa (D) introduced a bill banning this act in Texas, and the House approved the motion.  Troy Fraser (R) and others successfully took down the bill because they said it would be unfair and an economic hardship for fishermen.
Unfair?  Really?  The only ones treated unfairly are the sharks.
I'm tired of people using "economic hardship" as an excuse to continue desecrating the environment, killing off species and destroying the planet.  Give me a break. 
The bill will not cause hardship to fishermen; what does cause hardship to fishermen is the overfishing of nearly all species of fish, pollution of fisheries (remember BP?), climate change and the destruction of habitats such as reefs and mangroves.

Sharks are beautiful and important animals. To wipe them out for some soup is sad and it is sick. Shame on the Senate.

king for a day...

If I were King for a Day in America, there are a few things I would change (as would we all).  Here is a partial list:

1.  The TEA Party.  Much as I can't stand them (which is a whole hell of a lot), they would not be banned.  Rather, I would make them a separate political party.  They will always say that they are merely a wing of the Republican party, but as long as they use the word 'party' in their name they must be a separate political party.
If a current Republican, like Ted Cruz, wants to be identified as a member of the TEA party then he can no longer be considered a Republican, because good Republicans like Chris Christy are being run out of town by the radical baggers.  This move would rescue the Republicans from the extreme right wing.  Let them fight it out amongst themselves in the primaries, and then see how they do in a race with Democrats, Libertarians, Independents and true Republicans.

2.  501(c)(4's.  Well, isn't this a hot topic right now.  Good.  We need to put a spotlight on this issue because this tax category has fast become a major source of corruption.  If I were King I would start addressing this issue by reversing the Citizen's United ruling.  Then I would make sure the tax code allowing 501(c)(4)s was back to its original wording because it has become ambiguous (and the source of all the trouble).
If a group, liberal or conservative does anything remotely political they should not be allowed favored status.  No matter what they claim as it relates to politics, the intent of these groups IS political in nature.  By this virtue alone they should in no way have any tax-exempt status; there are too many loopholes, excuses, and lame ways around the intent of the tax code language.
For these reasons, and because these groups rake in millions of dollars, they need to be taxed and held accountable in all ways.  As your King for a Day,  I would make full disclosure the the rule of law.

More rulings later....

meet jojo

This is Jojo.  He's a bearded dragon, a native of Australia.  My friend Liz gave him to me when he was little.  Now he's big and I cater to his every whim.  Fortunately that's not a whole lot, 'cause he mostly just sits around.

Time for some science...

Oh to be out east...

The 17-year cicadas, Brood II, are emerging.  We get cicadas every year in Texas, but we have to wait until 2015 for Brood IV to emerge.  I'm already marking my calendar, 'cause who doesn't like the incessant drone of mating cicadas to brighten up your day?

I just came across a website that looks pretty cool:  www.magicicada.org  It's got lots of info and links.  Check it out.

Kanji Time!!

Today's kanji:

                沖縄

This is the kanji for Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands.  For anyone who practices Karate, like I do, this place is important, as it is the place from where all modern-day Karate comes from.  Even those who train in Japanese Karate and Tae Kwon Do owe a debt to Okinawa.

hypocrites

Isn't it curious that the same people in Congress who wanted leaks investigated vigorously, and prosecutions and jail time for offenders now criticize the Obama administration for investigating leaks, prosecuting offenders and putting people in jail.  There's always been plenty of hypocrisy to go around from all sides of the aisle,  but it's getting a bit overwhelming these days.  It sure would be nice if it all went away.

science fact of the day

An insect's nostrils are on the sides of it's body.  They are called spiracles, and there are a bunch of them.

The coolest use of the spiracles is by the Madagascar hissing cockroach, which blows air out of them to make that neat hissing sound.  Get yourself one and make it hiss!  Way cool.

Kanji Time!!!

Today's Japanese kanji (character) is:

                     手 　(te)

'te' means 'hand'

Succumbing to the Heat

Well, it's getting warm.  And, as a Minnesotan, I'm starting to give in to the warmer weather.  Had to turn on the AC.  Ugh...  Twenty years in Texas and I still don't have that acclimation thing down.  Time to strategically place the Vornado and crack open the windows at the optimal times.

The NRA is in Houston.  Hooray!!!!  Thank God it's not in Dallas.

Just when you think things couldn't get worse, the new NRA president comes along to add fuel to the fire.  I don't know a lot about Keane (the out-going president) but this guy is way out there.  Then we've got LaPierre preaching to the choir, but since they are definitely on his side he really ramps up the rhetoric, probably seeking to whip the crowd into a frenzy as he lords over them.  
Images come to mind:  Klan leaders whipping up the KKK to strike up fear of blacks and Jews, Goebbels and Hitler stirring up fears of the Jews are a couple that pop up.  They (NRA leadership and closely associated folks) are becoming a very frightening segment of our society.  They are successfully convincing a lot of people that the government and Obama are going to take away every single firearm in the country and every single bullet, when it is clearly not so.  Their propaganda machine is becoming relentless and needs to be countered.
What is sad is the level of blind ignorance and sheeplike behavior on the part of the people who have fallen prey to this sort of right-wing, fascistic bullshit.  I'm sure that many didn't actually believe this stuff in the recent past, but they must go around thinking 'well if Mr. LaPierre says it's true then it must be.'
It's getting to the point when a mob mentality will finally rise to the surface and some group of yahoos will do something heinous in the name of 'protecting the 2nd amendment' and someone will end up dead.  If and when that happens count me in as 'not surprised or shocked.'

Alex is on.  No, not Alex Jones (although I think he is on something) but Alex Wagner.  She is a cutie. Anyway, they're discussing guns, and playing clips like Ayotte's town hall.  The tea party-based comment about a gun registry came up again.

Ayotte must not do her job right and apparently did not read the Manchin-Toomey gun bill before voting 'NO,' since the bill makes it illegal to have a registry.  So why does she think there will be one?  Obviously she distrusts the government (of which she is a part), has it in for Obama, and is prone to believing crazy people (the tea party).  She must be an idiot.

Something I don't get - I need to read more - just what is so horrible about a registry?  If a guy walks into a gun shop and goes through a background check doesn't the gun shop owner look into a database that tells him to sell or not sell to the buyer?  and isn't that database a type of registry?

Maybe there's a new definition of registry.  Hmmm....oh, I get it now.  The registry is a list of American's who spout anti-government kooky talk and pose a threat to the US, and should include people like the Timothy McVeighs, the Lanza family and the Boston bombers among others.

Now, say there is list (registry).  If you're just an average 'Joe Citizen' who likes to shoot some ducks and a deer or two, then what are you worried about.  I've lived with some of them.  If you're a Ted Nugent-type screaming all kinds of radical things about the President and Hillary Clinton, then maybe we should keep an eye out.  Isn't is kind of a coincidence that when someone shoots up a school or movie theater, or blows up a building that they always are looking at their e-mails, YouTube videos and anything that may have provided a clue as to their motives or terrorist leanings, or whatever?

Maybe we should have a registry.  I personally don't care one way or another, but if (or when) another Sandy Hook or Aurora happens then that might actually come to pass.  Who knows.

Did I mention that Alex Wagner is cute?

Just saw John Barrasso on Morning Joe.  Another bagger.  He wasn't ranting (but may have as well been doing that) about Obamacare and gun legislation.  Same old crap the right is spewing to justify their blockage of the President.
At one point he stated that a full-time job is 30 hours per week.  Perhaps he misspoke, but if he didn't and he actually believes that then what happened to the 40-hour work week?  If a person puts in 35 hours then I guess they're making overtime, and employers really hate paying overtime.  They will not schedule overtime and will send employees home early when they approach that point (I know 'cause I've been there).
As much as I know about it, the health care law doesn't really kick in until 2014 (the parts that opponents hate), so it seems to me that they are projecting fears more than anything on to this.  I have a feeling that they are making a mountain out of a molehill.
I'm just curious to see how many more times the congress will bring up the repeal of Obamacare this year.
More on the other stuff later.

I'm into Rachel Maddow.  She's my favorite lesbian political commentator.  I'm not sure if there are any others, but she's great.  Yes, she's liberal.  Yes, she's smart.  And yes, she's funny.  What more could a guy want in a gal?  Oh, yeah...she's a lesbian.  Susan is very lucky.

Check out Rachel's blog, it's great:  maddowblog.msnbc.com.  Its great!

I do add comments on there now and then, look for thebugman

Anybody follow the gun issue?  It's disgusting what the NRA and the rest of the gun lobby is doing.

What's up with this crazy weather?  It could be a result of climate change, but I'm sure there are those who would disagree.  Any thoughts?  Add a comment!

Hey!  I'm Mark, welcome to my blog.  I decided to start this 'cause I was, also because I have lots to say about lots of subjects, and contributing those comment sections on other peoples blogs, or news websites, tend to get overlooked.  So...I thought let's get a blog going, then I can spout off about anything anytime.

I live in the Dallas (TX) area, have been a science educator (currently between jobs), and study martial arts.  I'm originally from Minnesota, too, so maybe I will have something to say that interests you.

....now if I can just figure out how to get this working..