Monday Blues Eleven

Today's Monday Blues is a photo taken in St. Augustine. St. Augustine is one of my favorite cities, by the way. The history is fantastic and the architecture is superb. This blue sailboat was one of my favorites while I was there. It may not look blue, but it was navy I swear! It made me really reconsider my husband's offer of living on a boat. Sure this boat may not have been in the best of shape, but it's sweeping lines and rigging really gave me the illusion of what it once was... I am a sucker for fixer-uppers I suppose. I always want to take care of the neglected and prove to people that it was better than they thought.

Anyway, happy Monday and remember, you can participate in Monday Blues as well, just leave a link in the comments to your post with the theme.

Next week SeaLaura hosts, but top by this week to see her amazing pictures of Venice, CA.

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Gift Search Help Needed

A certain person I know that may be related to me (hehehe) is graduating with her B.S. soon. This person is also incredibly difficult (or other stronger synonyms) to shop for. Since I live so far away, it is easier for me to shop online and ship direct to her so I need your help. I was browsing some of my favorite sites and this is all I could come up with. Lame. I know.

So the first thing I though was I should get her something no one else would ever get her, so I found this...



It's a clock run on water. Yes, you heard right. Water. You pour water in the back and it works. I found it at ThinkGeek.com and am really tempted to buy one. Or 5. Whatever. It's really cool AND really unique. What's NOT to like?


Okay, but thinking more like her and less like me brings me to a book I found called Entertaining Simple. It is a book about, well, how to entertain people simply. It has recipes, games, and all sorts of ideas for various get-togethers. That seems to be more her speed, but I still like the clock.


Another item I really liked are these Recycled Asian Tote Bags. They are functional, recycled, stylish, and I think she might hate them though. I don't know if she likes color. Her house is just beige.


Another thing I thought of, please don't laugh, is to get her 11 hrs of hi jinks with Stacey and Clinton. Yes, them. She is a bit of a fashionista, and let's be honest, even my husband watches What NOT to Wear. Next proposed gift:

What Not To Wear: Best Of DVD Set. Come on... I'm trying here.

Last thing I could think of was a cookbook. I know I already mentioned one book with recipes. This is actually a cookbook though.



The person I am shopping for is really into the whole "organic" thing even though I think that the term organic is a marketing ploy. I know plenty of farmers who use really amazing farming practices but aren't certified organic because they DON'T use manure. Whatever. This is a topic for another Debate! I wonder what happened to those anyway? HAHA. Anyway, prejudice aside, she likes organic things so this cookbook might make her happy.

That's all I got. Vote or give me some ideas please!

Online Surveys & Market Research

Oh yeah, some of the links, not all, are affiliates (mostly because I ACTUALLY shop there) so I get like 3 cents if you buy. Just so you know. I don't like hiding things from you guys! But I really need your help, so vote.

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Earth Hour

So I put a banner up at the top of the page. It is for the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) campaign to turn the lights out for 60 minutes. One hour your local time starting at 8:30pm. What is the point? Well, lights out always saves energy and if most of the people on a grid do this, that is a SIGNIFICANT savings. Mostly, however, it is a statement, a rally if you will, that you too want a better understanding of and solutions to climate change.

Last year there were iconic buildings like the Sydney Opera House who shut their lights out. This year entire cities are devoted. They are turning lights out in all the city buildings. Las Vegas and Hong Kong are on the list. Many high schools around the country are also participating and people are having various functions and power-free parties. There are even kids getting involved and doing their part.

The site above links to the UK WWF site. The US site didn't have as many tips but you can find it here. Even if you don't participate, it's nice to have a lights out hour anyway. Living in St. Thomas, it happens anyway as WAPA (Water and Power Authority) is not exactly reliable. The hubs and I are going to have a fancy candlelit dinner followed by a long walk with Floyd, I think. The easiest way to participate is to just go to bed early! To participate or to find out more, visit any of the websites. Are you participating in Earth Hour? What are your plans for the dark?

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Surf's up.

Two posts in one day? I must be batty. Yay mobile posting! The hubs is going surfing while I paint on hull bay... Not too bad for my day off!

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Cold Fusion is Back

This week the American Chemical Society is holding its 237th National Meeting and one of the talks is, believe it or not, about the very controversial, previously debunked topic of cold fusion. Of course, we don't call it cold fusion anymore. It is now known as low-energy nuclear reaction (LENR). Scientists working with the US Navy claim they have proof that LENR devices do produce neutrons. Previous cold fusion studies were hard to replicate and traces of neutrons were never found. These must be present to show a nuclear reaction has/is occurring. The irony of all this cold fusion talk is that Salt Lake City (where the national meeting is being held) and the state of Utah has a long and sometimes dark history with cold fusion. E. Paul Palmer of BYU coined the term in the 80's. A professor named Stanley Pons at the University of Utah was one of the leaders of the push to fund cold fusion research. When their grant proposal was turned over for peer review it was Steven E. Jones, also from BYU, who reviewed. After research, publication, and later interviews, no one could replicate their findings and they slipped into obscurity. Now it has come full circle again and people are presenting data at the national meeting being held in Salt lake City. Funny how things work out.

You can find out more here.

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Monday Blues 10

I really am blue today... today was supposed to be beach day for me, Floyd, and hubs since we don't see each other as often as one would like, but alas.... no blue skies or water. The weather fates are against me.

Remember, you can participate in Monday Blues also. This week, SeaLaura hosts so stop by and leave a comment with your link.

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Keep Up!

Okay, so I know I have been super busy as of late and not been hyper productive on my blog (although I enjoyed yesterday's post) so I figured I would let you know how else you can keep in touch with me. There aren't too many other ways but here goes.

I do monthly postings on 5 Minutes for Going Green. The articles I do there are originally for them and I don't cross post them here, so go read and leave comments.

Of course, you can also follow Potspoon! on Facebook. Fancy, I know.

That is pretty much it, but keep in touch and I promise there is more to come.

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End of Week Animal News Snippets

This has been an exciting week for animals in the news so we will just get to it:

• First off, there was that weird spider thing in Oklahoma. In the end, the body was destroyed (stupid) so we still don't know if it really was a Brazilian wandering spider or a Huntsman spider. People from the University of Tulsa and the Tulsa Zoo seem to disagree on the identification of it. Since there is no body, we may never know.
  
  

• A lizard that had not been found on mainland New Zealand for 200 years was finally found! The tuatara can grow to be up to almost 3 feet in length from nose to begining of tail. That is about the size of our giant iguanas on island. It was found by people at the Karori Sanctuary.

• Brown University led research found that all bats land differently.

• Scientists are figuring out why some birds are disappearing. Many of the factors causing the disappearance of our feathered friends include climate change, disease, invasive species and habitat loss.

• A pink elephant has been caught on camera. The super cute thing may be an albino which does not bode well for the little calf. The harsh environment of Botswana may give the calf skin problems, blindness, and more. Elephants are smart though and the little calf already only walks in the shade of it's mother.

• More proof of primates using tools has been recorded on film. Chimps in the Republic of Congo are on video making clubs out of branches and breaking open hives to reach the honey inside. If that wasn't enough, they then scoop the honey out using "dipping wands."

I hope this helps with your science fix. I know it helped mine.

Sorry I have been so absent. More hours at work has me a bit exhausted by the time I come home. There is only so much science you can teach in a day.

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Ah Wednesday! Part 2

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Ah Wednesday!

Hope you had a good one... I've picked up more shifts than normal but I haven't forgot my site. I will have a special science snippet post later! For now, enjoy a sunset with me via phone...

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Monday Blues: the number 9...

I can't believe this is already the 9th installment of Monday Blues. As always, feel free to participate on your blog and leave a link. Today you will have to leave the link on SeaLaura's site as she is hosting this week.

So now on to the picture....

One of the most exciting things I have ever done was go hang gliding one Christmas with my husband. We were in the rainforest in Puerto Rico, El Yunque. Since it was our first time, we had to go tandem (with someone more professional level) but it was still a blast. See the person in red waving (you will have to look at it bigger)? That's me! I had so much fun. It was less of an adrenaline rush and more of a Zen moment. We sailed into the blue sky with the jungle below and it was marvelous!

Now on to the Floyd update:
She is good. She was sick. I took her in on Saturday. She was already jovial by then, but I didn't want to take chances. She did have a UTI, but the antibiotics seem to work great, she is already bouncing and things seem normal elsewhere as well. Thanks for all your warm wishes!

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Self Medicating

And no, I don't mean habitual drug use.... Researchers have found that woolly bear caterpillars actually will try to medicate themselves if infected by parasites. Parasitic flies lay their eggs inside woolly bears and when the eggs hatch the woolly bears get eaten from the inside out. Gross, I know. What these researchers discovered was that woolly bears that are infected have the tendency to eat more plants that kill off the parasites than their non-infected counter parts. Sounds smart to me... well, smarter than we were giving them credit for anyway.

Ay, me... unfortunately that is all you get today. Until Floydine feels better, I have a hard time focusing. Sorry guys.

The original article was published in PLoS ONE.

Singer MS, Mace KC, Bernays EA, 2009 Self-Medication as Adaptive Plasticity: Increased Ingestion of Plant Toxins by Parasitized Caterpillars. PLoS ONE 4(3): e4796.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004796

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Doggy Depression

Today's post was inspired by my little Floyd. It appears my child is suffering a bit of doggy depression and I don't know why. She seemed out of it yesterday, but she didn't even touch her food last night. This morning she wasn't sleeping on the couch or her doggy bed (the usual places). Instead, she was curled up on a bit of carpet underneath our weight bench. This isn't normal. She looked spooked. Bad.

This isn't like her. Her tail is chronically between her legs. She isn't excited when I call her. There is no jumping when I bring out the lamb bones. I am giving it a week. If she is still mopey, she is going to the vet. She is my child and I hate to see her suffer.

Doggy depression is a real thing. Suprisingly, the symptoms are similar to a human's. They will become lethargic, seem indifferent to the world, stop eating, stop drinking water, and they whimper instead of cry. This can be triggered by many things. If your dog has a "sibling" and they die, this can trigger depression. Also, a change a scenery, severe weather, loss of a person at home, physical trauma, or illness. This is why I am giving it a week. If she isn't better I want to be sure that she isn't sick.

If your dog is depressed there are many things you can do if the options are there:

• go for a ride in the car. Floyd usually loves this but seemed uninterested this morning.
• go to a dog park
• get a new toy
• lots of snuggling
• get another dog. Dogs are pack animals so maybe Floyd feels lonely?
• sit on the floor with your dog... which I do a lot
  
• make sure your dog is healthy
• and last... antidepressants.

Dogs can feel depression too and keeping an eye on sysmptoms can let you know if something is wrong. If they go too long it may be an underlying problem. Dongs can't speak so it is their behaviors that let us know when something is amiss.

You can find out more here, here, and here.

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Have No Fear

According to a paper released in February, a team of Dutch researchers have found a way to reduce the fear response. Using propranolol, the researchers were able to weaken the fear memory in human test subjects. They started by giving all of the test subjects a similar fear using images of spiders with an associated pain. When the image of the spider associated with pain stimulus was show, the subjects acted in "fear." The subjects were then treated with either the propranolol or a placebo and the ones with the placebo still reacted in fear. The ones given the propranolol did not startle.

I think it is okay to have a healthy fear of things. I love the ocean and all sports associated. I still have a healthy fear. It is powerful and I must maintain a certain level of awareness at all times. However, this is not something that is an overpowering fear. I know there are certain people with very different and extreme phobias. This can hinder various activities in their lives. This could work great for numbing those types of extreme responses from people.

Now a confession:
I fear bugs. A lot. Odd since I love practically any other type of invertebrate like centipedes, worms, spiders, etc... but there is something about 6 legs and 2 compound eyes that really freak me out. That is why I study them. It is an irrational fear. I know this. I was terrified of the butterflies when I started at the farm. Really. Who is scared of butterflies? I was. Forcing myself to work with insects has really put an end to my phobia. I love bugs of any kind now! A lot! Ok, except for roaches... I still have an issue with them.

What's your phobia?

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Monday Blues 8

Today I feel a bit inspired by SeaLaura's post. I want a beach day. Funny considering I live on an island, but alas... Mimi has been a busy body recently with many things work related. It's ok, the butterflies have not decided to revolt as of yet!

This picture was taken at the Baths in Virgin Gorda. The boulders on shore are fantastic and make a ton of really cool windows and "caves" to hang out in and climb about. I, too, want to go sailing. Alas, no time yet. I am off to do more stuff until I need sleep again. Ay me!

Remember, you can participate in Monday Blues as well! Just leave a comment with a link to your "Monday Blues" post or just the picture. Happy New Week!

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More Fantastical Ocean Discoveries

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) found new deep sea corals. In fact, they found seven new species while on a mission at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Six of them may be entirely new genera.

The discovery is very exciting because corals of any kind have the tendency to be the basis fore any marine ecosystem. They are also the first ones affected by ocean acidification. Since these bamboo coral produce growth rings like trees, they can tell us a lot about conditions on the ocean floor and how they change.

Also among the discoveries were new coral beds and a large sponge dubbed the "cauldron sponge." It was about one meter across and tall. Other sponges were discovered as well and may also represent new genera. There were also coral graveyards found with dead coral of a variety that had never been documented in Hawaii before.

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is very studied because it is the largest preserve (US Protected) of ocean floor that is below SCUBA depth. 98% of it is "deep water" and must be reached by submersibles. This is an exciting year for deep sea discoveries and it's only March!

Photo courtesy of NOAA.

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Lack of Latino Education

Okay, I was going to do my post on fossilized fish brains, but then I saw this article and I had to post it. I don't really know what to post, but mostly I am disheartened with the fact that so many Mexican-American students have perceived barriers in their minds that stop them from pursuing a higher education. Note to all, I am an Hispanic-American, but not of Mexican descent, but this article still seems to ring true for so many. Only 57% percent of Mexican-American Students graduate high school and even fewer (a piddly 11%) go to college. The cause for this? Many students think they will not have the same opportunities as most. This is horrible, but I can't say I am not guilty of this same train of thought occasionally.

Having dealt with prejudice first hand (believe it or not, racism and prejudice are still alive in many parts of the country) I understand why you wouldn't have the self esteem to continue. When people assume you can't speak English because you have a weird first name even though you went to American schools your entire life and you have had people tell you that Hispanics are only good for digging ditches and picking tomatoes... you get a little disillusioned. Never mind the fact that until they KNEW what your first name was, you were considered so bright and so polite. It's hard being brought up to believe that just because of your name, people may not even interview you because of preconceived notions of the Hispanic populous. I'm brown and I'm female... I'm really out of luck now...

This is horrible and I cannot even believe that here we are in the 21st century and we are still bringing each other down just because of our race/ethnicity/cultural upbringing. I thought I lived in America. You know, equal opportunity for all and all those other stupid clichés. This study makes me realize that it isn't just me making a big deal out of it. This really is going on. I have so much more to say, but I am afraid I may scare off my normal readers.

Sorry about the rant. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

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Monday Blues: The Seventh

Happy New Week everyone. This Monday I am showing more BLUE water of course with one of my favorite seafaring birds: the Brown Pelican. Nick took this fantastic shot with our old fantastic digital camera that is not lost at sea somewhere. *sniff* I loved that thing.

This picture is so fantastic it makes me want to leap into the water as well. The coolest part about pelicans, as far as I'm concerned, is what a grouping of them is called. They are a squadron of pelicans. Isn't that appropriate? Takes my blues away.

SeaLaura is hosting this week so make sure you post a link in her comments to your Monday Blues link. If nothing else, you should just go check out her amazing picture of St. John. Stunning.

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