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.