Own teeth and hair
The latest issue of New Scientist magazine is all about romance and the science of love and it is very interesting. One of the more interesting things I noticed is a weird trend among the personal ads, a feature of just this issue to reinforce the theme I suppose.
The weird trend is this: more than a few ads advertised that the person has or is looking for someone with his/her own teeth and hair. I … understand how that might be important but why stop there?
-SWF looking for SWM with a fun-loving attitude, good education, and own forearms.
-Attractive male, mid-40s with own earlobes, looking for attractive female, mid-20s, with open mind, into sports, enjoys movies, concerts, and plays, and likes animals.
-Young lady in search of young man. Must have big muscles, affinity for water sports, original kneecaps, and entire wardrobe made from natural fibers. Good hygiene a plus.
Why aren’t all more schools like this?
Update: Let me clarify, I don’t wish all schools were like this and was careless in my word choice. I do think more schools should be like this. It is clear that the schools we have now are designed to turn out one kind of successful student. They cater to certain learning styles and not others.
Fairhaven School in Upper Marlboro, MD
“Fairhaven students ages 5 through 19 and beyond are free to decide for themselves how to spend their days. Motivated by curiosity and the drive to become competent adults, they grow emotionally, creatively, and intellectually—through play, school governance, conversation, the arts, classes, computer activities, reading, and the exploration of nature. All kinds of learning, all types of intelligence are valued.”
School DVD trailer (found at BoingBoing)
Seriously, I would have LOVED going to a school like this.
Why scientific rigor is so important
If you don’t know about the Piltdown Man hoax, go here: www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/hoax/. This story is skullduggery (ha!) at it’s finest, but the person responsible for the hoax is still a mystery.
Even weirder is the apparent Scientology connection to Piltdown Man:
“Progressing along the genetic time-track, evolution arrived at the sloth, which ‘had bad times falling out of trees’, the ape and the famous Piltdown Man, which was the cause of a multitude of engrams, ranging from obsessions about biting to family problems. These could be traced back to the fact that ‘the Piltdown teeth were enormous and he was quite careless as to whom and what he bit.’ Indeed, so careless was the Piltdown Man, Hubbard recorded, that he was sometimes guilty of ‘eating one’s wife and other somewhat illogical activities.’ (Unfortunately for Hubbard, just twelve months after The History of Man was published, the supposed fossil remains of primitive man found in gravel on Piltdown Common in the south of England were exposed as a hoax. The Piltdown Man had never existed.)” (from Operation Clambake)
Umbral shadow cast by the Moon
This photo of the March 29 solar eclipse as seen from the Space Station is very cool … and weird.
“The International Space Station (ISS) was in position to view the umbral (ground) shadow cast by the Moon as it moved between the Sun and the Earth during the solar eclipse on March 29, 2006. This astronaut image captures the umbral shadow across southern Turkey, northern Cyprus, and the Mediterranean Sea. People living in these regions observed a total solar eclipse, in which the Moon completely covers the Sun’s disk. The astronaut photograph was taken at approximately 2:00 p.m. local time. The terminator of the eclipse—the line between the light and dark parts of the Sun’s disk— is visible as it passes across central Turkey. This total solar eclipse is the fourth to have occurred since 1999. The portion of the ISS visible at image top is the Space Station Remote Manipulator System.”
The crooked road and a stolen turn signal
As I many or may not have mentioned, I am in the mountains this weekend to harass visit family and attend a wonderful event marking the dedication of the Meadows of Dan, VA Crooked Road visitors kiosk. I thoroughly enjoyed the Crooked Road event for a whole bunch of reasons that I will share when I am better able to articulate them. I will also have to get cracking on the article I promised to write about this event for the Blue Ridge Gazette Magazine. But how, I wonder, am I going to top this?*
So what does a stolen turn signal have to do with this Crooked Road event? Nothing really. A few weeks ago, my driver’s side turn signal light fixture (whatever it is called) was busted loose and had been securely duct taped into place. Classy! On the drive from Arlington to Meadows of Dan Thursday, I stopped somewhere around Woodstock to eat and was relieved of my turn signal fixture while in the restaurant. Yes, it was still securely duct taped in place before I went inside. I suspect the same people who stole Sisiggy’s garden gnomes stole my fixture. Or, perhaps, her garden gnomes are on a crime spree through the Shenandoah Valley and took my headlamp. Only I could experience something like this. The good news is that the local mechanic is on the job and I have to stay in the mountains an extra couple of days until the parts come it. Sorry Ogre. You know I love my job but….
*Much to my chagrin, I am in the photos with Leslie’s entry. Look for the fat pasty-white chick dressed like the grim reaper at a cocktail party.
