Balding penguin's wetsuit lets him swim again - Science- msnbc.com

Awwwwww..... I love good news! I was so delighted to read the story of Pierre the balding African penguin. Of course it's sad he's losing his feathers but oh, the biologists at the California Academy of Sciences got a wonderful idea of making him a wet suit!

Pierre had lost some of his feathers and did not want to go for a swim with 19 other penguins having fun in the water. Pierre stayed ashore and shivered.

Dive gear supplier Oceanic Worldwide personnel was extatic when the order came in.

"We were really excited to do it," said Teo Tertel, company marketing specialist. "We heard most of these penguins only live to 20, and our little buddy there was already 25. Anything we could do to help them, we were all for it."

Since Pierre got his new suit, he has gained weight, grown back feathers on his hind parts and is again acting like his feisty, alpha-male self.

There are no plans to make him a matching surf board.

Read more and SEE PICTURE(!)@ Science- msnbc.com

New car in the family

Yesterday evening we bought a used car, a Volkswagen Passat Variant. As our family is growing, we need a bigger car and as a compromise we decided to buy this particular car. So, it's farewell to our Saab 9-3, which has served well these four years. The Passat has diesel engine so it should consume fuel couple of liters less than the petrol engine in Saab. The Saab gets a good home though, hubby's parents have agreed to buy it.

When we got home yesterday, hubby changed the tires and washed the whole car. It was blingblinging more than ever. Hubby wanted to show off the new car at work today :)

Doctor's appointment, week 35

We had a checkup yesterday with an obstetrician. While we waited in the lounge, three couples came to labour! The female obstetrician was running late so we waited like 20 minutes. When we were called, we noticed there was a student in the room but I soon forgot she even was there.
The doctor used the ultrasound to measure our little Peanut. LITTLE? Did I just write LITTLE? She's 2,7 kilos now!!!! My goodness! She's huge! ....were my thoughts when she told us this. As it turns out, she isn't huge. She is on the scale still. Whew. Were going on week 35 now so she's growing and fast. The nice doctor said she might be 3,9 kilos at birth. And she also told us I could handle a normal labour with her being that sized. Whew. Of course, there will be another checkup in four weeks.

It was so wonderful when the doctor said if Peanut decided to come early, even now, the staff wouldn't stop the labour but they would let her come, she's so well off already. I'm crying now... It was so wonderful to hear that.... we've almost made it now. I love this baby so much I am going Niagara falls now...Sneeze&wipe and I'm good to go again.

I asked the doctor whether Peanut still looked like a girl and she quickly looked at her crotch, showing us where her labia (the outer lips) was. Well, we didn't see it... but the doctor said it's a girl still :) Wonderful...our little girl.

We're so proud of our little daughter... Hubby was so smiley when we left for home... We both were. It took me all evening to sink it all in. I talked about it the whole evening. I even called my mom to share the news. She was horrified by the weight estimate but since the doctor said I could do it, there's no arguing.

The doctor measured her thigh bone, skull diameter and some others... also she said at first that there was a little less amniotic fluid than there should be but just after she found another "puddle" of it so there was normal amount of it left. Also, she checked the cord flow (funny noice), it was just fine. All well.

The doctor asked me whether I wanted the vaginal examination or not and at first I was "Woohoo! I get to choose! No way in HELL then!" but I heard myself saying out loud "Well, there's no harm doing it, so go ahead". When it's in the best interest of your child, you apparently do everything, even if it was awful. I hate the internal examination... it hurts everytime. Having said that, this time it didn't hurt as much as the other times! WOW! I almost thanked the doctor for the most pleasant vaginal examination I've ever had. It hurt a little and I closed my eyes during but it wasn't as hurtful as before. Different doctor, different hospital! Told hubby though.

Anyways, the doctor told us Peanut's head was down where it was supposed to be, me being a first-timer. Also she mentioned that she didn't think the baby would flip anymore. It's like Peanut knows what she's supposed to do :) Amazing...

When we left the doctor, we were escorted to see a midwife. She was overly nice. I was a bit unsure how to be around her. She wanted to confirm the details in a form I had previously filled and took my blood pressure. My pee sample was fine, nothing suspicious there (there had been some vague anomalies before) and blood pressure was 121/88.

Talking dogs on Youtube

Actually saw this a while ago in a local funniest homevideos show. I love it when dogs howl and I hate barking, especially our S-sized dog, she tends to bark loud and shrilly. Our older, M-sized dog however has learned to howl like Siberian Huskies (she actually spent her youth with Huskies) and I've couraged her to do it more than barking. To the extent unfortunately that she howls like she's being eaten when she hears our car drive onto our driveway. Oh well, she's sooooo happy when we come home... I love them both with all their quirkies.

So, the video is here:

Another man-cow sex act

I don't know what it is about these individuals that makes me curious. Considering myself as a normal average person, who happens to be a heterosexual one, I can't imagine what makes a person wanting to have sex with cows, horses, traffic signs, dead deer...
I remember watching a documentary years ago of people who were (in their own words) in a relationship with animals. I was amazed back then and I can't say I've felt any different since then.

This Robert Melia person (a cop for goodness sake) in the US, has been charged with
four counts of animal cruelty. They say he's had sex with cows. Keeps me wondering... How on earth do these people justify sex with cows? Was it consensual? How does a cow say yes to a man?

What's the word for a person who prefers animals? Is there a specific subtitle for someone who prefers cows but not other animals? What about someone who likes birds? Snakes? Hamsters??

Also, Mr. Melia has been charged with sexual assault on three girls. Does he not get any without assaulting someone? He must be a sad sad man.

Read more @ CBS

New AKC breeds

Collie + Lhasa Apso
Collapso, a dog that folds up for easy transport.

Spitz + Chow Chow
Spitz-Chow, a dog that throws up a lot.

Pointer + Setter
Poinsetter, the traditional Christmas pet.

Great Pyrenees + Dachshund
Pyradachs, a puzzling breed.

Pekingese + Lhasa Apso
Peekasso, an abstract dog.

Irish Water Spaniel + English Springer Spaniel
Irish Springer, a dog fresh and clean as mountain air.

Labrador Retriever + Curly Coated Retriever
Lab Coat Retriever, the choice of research scientists.

Terrier + Bulldog
Terribull, not a good dog.

Bloodhound + Labrador
Blabador, a dog that barks incessantly.

Malamute + Pointer
Moot Point, owned by...oh, well, it doesn't matter anyway.

Collie + Malamute
Commute, a dog that travels to work.

Deerhound + Terrier
Derriere, a dog that's true to the end.

Bull Terrier + Shitzu
You figure this one out.

via For Your Entertainment

The Blog Cuss-O-Meter - Do you cuss a lot in your blog or website?

Via Fritinancy


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No Money For Old Men

Read Scott Adams' review of No Country For Old Men. Couldn't agree more. I was also disappointed afterwards. There's another example to be sceptic of those Oscar-winning movies. I like Tommy Lee Jones and was surprised to like Javier Bardem. Never seen him before. He reminds me of some other male actor whom I can't name now. I'm pregnant, I don't have to remember, I have a husband for that. He doesn't seem to recall either... oh well...

+ Tommy Lee Jones
+ Javier Bardem
+ Couple of jokes I laughed at

- Horrible story telling
- Boring most of the time
- Can't see how it was awarded
- Ending was bad, left me waiting for the real ending
- You can't kill the leading man that way
- Dialogue was poor all the way from beginning to end (although simple people are 'funny', it was too much boring for one movie)

So, I remember this the next time there's an award-winning film to be seen...


April 25th, EDIT:
Javier Bardem reminds me of Benicio Del Toro. Took me three days...

Two die after faulty text message

There's always a possibility you could get misunderstood. These guys were splitting up and fighting through text messages. It seems you can't use all symbols and letters you have on your mobile dictionary because they don't necessarily end up the same to the recipient. At least this has happened in Turkey. This time two lost their lives and three ended up in jail.

Read more @ Gizmodo

His heart stopped beating but he's still alive

There a rarity. Nikolai Mikhalnichuk had a heart attack when his wife was leaving him and since then his heart hasn't been beating. It seems the blood vessels in his heart are extra strong elastic so they are pumping the blood as usual.
Nikolai has a condition only two other people in the world are known to have, one in Brazil and one in Japan.

Read more @ Pravda.Ru

Twenty-Five Things It Took Me Over 50 Years To Learn, by Dave Barry

Pearls of Wisdom

"Twenty-Five Things It Took Me Over
50 Years To Learn" by Dave Barry

1. The badness of a movie is directly proportional to the number of helicopters in it.


2. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight-saving time.


3. People who feel the need to tell you that they have an excellent sense of humor are telling you that they have no sense of humor.


4. The most valuable function performed by the federal government is entertainment.


5. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.


6. A penny saved is worthless.


7. They can hold all the peace talks they want, but there will never be peace in the Middle East. Billions of years from now, when Earth is hurtling toward the Sun and there is nothing left alive on the planet except a few microorganisms, the microorganisms living in the Middle East will be bitter enemies.


8. The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.


9. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers.


10. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11.


11. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."


12. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.


13. There apparently exists, somewhere in Los Angeles, a computer that generates concepts for television sitcoms. When TV executives need a new concept, they turn on this computer; after sorting through millions of possible plot premises, it spits out, "THREE QUIRKY BUT ATTRACTIVE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT," and the executives turn this concept into a show. The next time they need an idea, the computer spits out, "SIX QUIRKY BUT ATTRACTIVE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT." Then the next time, it spits out, "FOUR QUIRKY BUT ATTRACTIVE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT." And so on. We need to locate this computer and destroy it with hammers.


14. Nobody is normal.


15. At least once per year, some group of scientists will become very excited and announce that:
    
    • The universe is even bigger than they thought!
    • There are even more subatomic particles than they thought!
    • Whatever they announced last year about global warming is wrong.


16. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."


17. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.


18. The value of advertising is that it tells you the exact opposite of what the advertiser actually thinks. For example:
    
    • If the advertisement says "This is not your father's Oldsmobile," the advertiser is desperately concerned that this Oldsmobile, like all other Oldsmobiles, appeals primarily to old farts like your father.
    • If Coke and Pepsi spend billions of dollars to convince you that there are significant differences between these two products, both companies realize that Pepsi and Coke are virtually identical.
    • If the advertisement strongly suggests that Nike shoes enable athletes to perform amazing feats, Nike wants you to disregard the fact that shoe brand is unrelated to athletic ability.
    • If Budweiser runs an elaborate advertising campaign stressing the critical importance of a beer's "born-on" date, Budweiser knows this factor has virtually nothing to do with how good a beer tastes.


19. If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity, He will not use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.


20. You should not confuse your career with your life.


21. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.


22. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.


23. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.


24. Your friends love you anyway.


25. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

Originally published in Dave Barry's 1999 book, Dave Barry Turns 50

via LucidCafe

Man dropped into the St. Helens crater and survived

1500 ft? 457,2 meters! So, this chap, John Slemp and his family went on top of St. Helens with their snowmobiles. John and his son went for a closer look when a snow shelf broke and dad accidentally dropped down 150 ft. Then another snow shelf broke and dad went down the crater again, this time 1300 ft. Believe it or not, dad survived.
Rescue coordinator Tom McDowell said two things contributed to his survival; John was wearing a snowmobile suit, helmet and boots but also the fact that he fell down from one of the two possible places still under snow blanket and with less sharp edges.

So, there's a story for grandkids...

Read more @ ABC News

"Heroes never die.... They just reload."

So, Sylvester Stallone is still alive and kicking enough to continue the ridiculous saga of Rambo. Does it never end? I think he's 70? Better check...wait...oh okay, he was born 1946 so not yet 70.
Anyhoo, saw the movie Rambo IV on Sunday. My husband put it this way: "There was no plot or contents". What does it leave us with? Bad acting?
Having said that, I was amazed to see what Rambo IV had scored in IMDB, which I have used as kind of a guide line. User rating 7.6 out of 10. WHAAAAT? The audience is mostly dimwits?

Also...Sarah, played by Julie Benz from Dexter, among other Christian aid workers gets caught by the local terrorists and has been held as hostage for at least days when Rambo and a group of mercenaries come to rescue. Some aid workers have been fed to the pigs already but the terrorists haven't touched Sarah yet. One of them is just about to when Rambo rages in and rips the drunken terrorist's throat open with his bare hands. So, you want me to believe the terrorists would not have gangbanged her the minute she got into their camp? They just happened to spare her... ...right.

Going strong...week 33

Peanut's been very mobile. Last night she went on the whole evening.

Today we went to another prenatal visit at the local midwife/nurse. Heartbeat was 135-141, the same it's been every time. Peanut hasn't been very active during these prenatal examinations.

Conclusions...I need to exercise more and look at what I eat. Also I was told there has to be sugar controls every year from now on. Shit.

Well, SF measure is on the upper limit but hey...I've had a tummy before pregnancy so I'm not surprised.

Bigfoot molested a pervert

He got busted and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for molesting young boys. Or at least wanting to molest young boys. I guess he was trying to get the jury's sympathy as he alleged he was molested as a young boy himself. Where he went wrong was the bit when he said it was Bigfoot who sexually assaulted him. So, now we need to find Bigfoot and confront him, maybe lock him up as well.

Bigfoot Molests A Pervert (With Video) @ Hecklerspray

ɹǝʌo ʇxǝʇ ƃuıddılɟ

lɯʇɥ˙dılɟ/ɯoɔ˙pɐɟʌǝɹ˙ʍʍʍ//:dʇʇɥ @ uʍop ǝpısdn ʇxǝʇ ɹnoʎ ƃuıddılɟ ʎɹʇ ˙˙˙llǝʍ sɐ ʎɹʇ oʇ pɐɥ ı 'snoıɹnɔ os ɹǝʌǝ (: ɥʇıʍ ssoɹɔɐ ǝɯoɔ ǝʌ,ı sǝɔıʌɹǝs ssǝlǝsn ǝɥʇ ɟo ǝuo sı sıɥʇ

Today's Office Dare

Oh, I love this! I was bored and stumbled upon this site. I wish I was back at work =D
Check out Today's Office Dare

Man Charged With Screwing a Patio Table

Oh these pathetic cases.... I mean, it's okay if you "have sex" with something like a patio table but please don't get caught on video or caught in anyway, for that matter. At least he wasn't screwing an animal. My goodness, where do people get these ideas... Was he setting up a barbeque one day when he sized up the hole in the middle and decided to take a chance?

Read more @ Man Charged With Screwing a Patio Table in the Asylum.