turtle sex

You may have missed the news about Lonesome George. So I, as your turtle blogger, will keep you up to snuff.

Back in the '70's some people went out hunting for wild goats on Pinta Island off the coast of South America. They found a very old tortoise instead. He was taken to the Galapagos National Park where much fuss was taken over his care. After so many years living alone, apparently without even the wild goats for company anymore, he was not the happiest of tortoises in this new environment, but as they all do, he adapted. But, the big guy was the last of his kind and other people wanted children and grandchildren. So the dating life began. He was put on a diet, given training in manners, and several female playmates. George was not particularly interested in playing. He was given a male playmate. No interest there, either. Well, no one actually ever saw anything, so maybe?.... Two other tortoises who were found to be distant cousins were brought in to share his space. Maybe he just wanted some family, someone he could relate to on a basic, primal level, the people thought. For 36 long years, the people waited and watched and hoped for a little action.

Now, George has been estimated to be somewhere between 60-90 years old. That means that perhaps for more than half his life he has lived alone, with his thoughts and his own dreams. So when this dating thing happened, well, turtles have a lot of time on their hands. One thing they know is patience. He's had a lot of time to think things through. Sure, he has his unique genes (so he's been told, he's never seen them) but what else could he offer any offspring? What was the point of it all, he probably asked himself, many times. He had his house, but none of his kids would want to be burdened with that, they would all have their own houses to take care of. He hadn't any particular interests or talents to pass on. It probably seemed to be way too much to bother with. And he'd never get to be all alone again, which he infinitely preferred. Not everyone who lives alone is lonely.

But then it seems he thought again. Perhaps to utterly shock all those annoying, gawking people, or to give the tabloids some fresh fodder. Or maybe he is just a joker afterall. For suddenly, one of the gawkers found some eggs in a nest and then a little later found more eggs in another nest. Twice! Excitement. Congratulations. New introduction cards were being made up: Papa George.

Then, nothing.

Turtles are known for laying infertile eggs. They don't need a male to help with that, either.

I know this. I have my own turtle with gender issues. Otis was a happy boy and was thoroughly shocked when he suddenly started laying eggs. To suddenly discover that one could do this, all by oneself, shook him to the core. He couldn't deal with the thought that now he'd have to wear a bow and false eyelashes a la Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck to distinguished [herself] from the other boy turtles.

No, he was so shocked, he quickly ate the evidence and hoped it would never happen again.

Perhaps, Lonesome George is chuckling to himself.
Who says he's lonely?

Monday AMuse

holiday coffee cups

I referred to some excitement at seeing some coffee cups on my next to last post and was reminded by a Butterfly that not everyone would know what I was going on about.
Here's what you need to know
Tim Hortons is a fast food restaurant, though it is primarily known as a coffee and donut shop and there are more of them in Canada than any other fast food chain. They are in stand alone stores on main streets, on corners, highways, in shopping mall food courts, gas stations, big box hardware stores, grocery stores, hospitals, schools. There are stores that are strictly drive thru and there are stores that are open 24 hours. In other words, they are inescapable. It wasn't always so, but in the last 15 years the number of stores and throwaway, disposable coffee cups has pretty much exploded.

Some people who leave the country will bemoan that the one thing they miss the most about Canada is Tim Hortons. They mean the mediocre coffee and no-longer-in-store-baked crullers. They are a sad species. Except for the ones in Kandahar where there is also an outlet on the Canadian Forces Base for the military personnel. A teensy bit of home comfort for them.

Each year from early November until the supply runs out in January, Timmy's (for that is what we affectionately call it) changes their recyclable, takeout cups from the regular boring brown and comes up with a special holiday cup. The design is always different from one year to the next but features such feel good scenes as kids playing in the snow, snowmen, skaters, and of course hockey. The original Tim Horton was a hockey player and this features prominently in the stores promotion.

If you think this is fun, then wait till you see what happens to the cups in February.

No, really, you'll have to wait. But it is good.

it's here! let's cook!

A very important paper was delivered today. Very Important. Quite possibly the most important paper of the year. For inside today's newspaper is that most anticipated, the most loved, the most "Canadian of Calendars" - The MILK CALENDAR.

Believe you me, a missing calendar will generate slightly more complaints than a missing crossword section. The Milk Calendar has been around for over 30 years linking millions of Canadians to a common nail on the kitchen wall. People collect these and save them for years. Whether they actually cook from them is another thing. A while ago, I finally tossed my 14 year collection that had been tucked away in the drawer with the tea towels (which I also rarely used) when I finally admitted that I didn't actually like most of the recipes.

Most of the recipes seem to be a little ... uninspiring. All will naturally include milk, though many to a questionable extent. Does one need to put milk in a stirfry? or with a tomato based sauce? or with italian seasonings? and wouldn't coconut milk be far better in a curry? There will always be a muffin and loaf, a pasta, a soup, a smoothie and perhaps a cereal. All of them are said to become a "favourite" of your family.

For the truly curious you can check out the online interactive version here and decide for yourself. You just won't be able to hang it on the kitchen wall nail reserved for this ultimate iconic bit of Canadiana.

But, I have extras ... let me know if you desperately need one. The squares are nice and big for writing notes in.

What a week it has been.


Vera Duckworth dies on Coronation Street.
Kay Chancellor dies on the Young & the Restless.
each is an original cast member of their respective soap - in a sea of young newcomers.
But wait..........

Genoa City is about to be challenged in a way that Weatherfield could never imagine.

I'm ready

I wish I had something funny or quirky or even annoying to tell you about this but, I don't. What I do have are four new snow tires and a working inner door handle. After a few frustrating weeks, I can now get out of my car without having to roll down the window and open the door from the outside. And yes, there was the odd time, several actually, where I forgot I could just flip the inner handle and found myself reaching over the window frame to the outside. I had to readjust my newly acquired rhythm.

And wouldn't you know it, but it was crazy warm last night. 14C!!

However, SANTA arrives this weekend. Cause for great excitement. And for the weather to turn nasty. Santa cannot be arriving with the temperature in the teens - he'll melt. Or be grouchy. Or just sweaty and ...ripe.

But, I am ready.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

and..........

The Timmy's holiday cups are here!
It takes so little to make me smile.
older version, taken from flikr.

name game

Last night on my way home, I decided to stop off at the grocery store. I happened to have the flyers still in my car, so checked out the two 24-hour stores to determine which exit I should take in case there was something else on special I should pick up at either Sobey's or Ultra Mart. Nothing stood out, so I headed for Ultra Mart. Except when I pulled into the parking lot and walked towards the entrance I was greeted with a new glaring red sign 'metro'. The flyer said nothing about watching out for a new name. Of course, the flyer also says the name of the store is Ultra Food and Drug. No-one I know has ever called it that. Unless one read the business section of the newspapers (or indeed even read the newspapers) this new ownership and name change may be a new story for many people. There are still many who refer to the store as "...you know, that A&P, or whatever it is now...", that will likely not change for them. The instore house brand names were suddenly changed a few weeks ago from Master Choice and Equality to Irresistible and Merit, which was confusing.

All these mergers and acquisitions and resulting name changes are so confusing for us average citizens. Television and radio stations that keep changing their call letters. Highways, that change numbers and for years have a small sign under the new one saying "formerly HWY 93". Sporting events, like the Molson Indy which became the Molson Grand Prix, but is now the Honda-Steelback Grand Prix. Or the Rogers or Rogers AT&T Cup which used to be known as Player's then DuMaurier Tennis before cigarette advertising was banned. It has evolved from a Championship to an Open to a Masters and a Cup. No wonder most people will just say "did you watch the tennis?", nobody but the sponsor really cares what the name is in the title. Theatres and venues that keep changing names is also confusing. Once I and a friend were on our way to see The Lion King when he turns to me and asks the best way to get to the Canon Theatre. I'd never heard of it. He assumed I knew where places were in Toronto and I used to before all the name changes. Turns out it used to be the Pantages which used to be the Imperial (which used to be a Famous Players cinema before it became a Cineplex Odeon cinema) which was originally the Pantages as a vaudeville theatre. I have no idea what the new names are for all the buildings in Exhibition Place, and will not be surprised if or when one day the CNE is taken over by a new sponsor and suddenly becomes some long cumbersome- hyphenated-made-up name that is likely too embarrassing to say. It will forever and always just be the "Ex". Which should be the most appropriate name.

postcards

Happy Landing: First images of Martian Arctic taken from Surface Stereo Imager, May 25, 2008

Beautiful Seasons on Mars: like Earth, Mars has seasons because it is tilted on its axis. Images show the seasonal changes in the Martian Arctic around NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's landing site. The polygonal (cracked surface) terrain's results from this seasonal freezing and thawing.

Phoenix Retro Robot: Growing up, many of today's scientists and engineers were inspired by sci-fi toys and the possiblities of exploring space. We commemorate NASA's 50th anniversary with the successful 2008 Phoenix Mars Lander and strive to inspire the next generation to turn science fantasy into reality.
created by James Egan

Has anyone else been following Phoenix M Lander's exploits on twitter?
It is believed that Phoenix has become frozen on Mars' North Pole where there is now little sunlight to power itself. He landed on Mars back in May and sent back 25,000 images after outliving his NASA team's expectations while exploring and analysing the red planet's surface. Maybe to combat a little loneliness, he even had a humorous and informative twitter account where he could express his excitement over finding water or answer questions, managed by a NASA employee who created a personality for the lovable little robot - and garnered quite a following.

some examples:
For everyone asking, here's a longish article on the possibility of surviving winter: http://is.gd/3KRL (um, I don't like that title). 11:32 PM Oct 8th from web

I saw this beautiful sunrise yestersol: http://tinyurl.com/55zoce Bittersweet, as it means an end to midnight sun in the Martian arctic. 3:35 PM Aug 26th from web

Are you ready to celebrate? Well, get ready: We have ICE!!!!! Yes, ICE, *WATER ICE* on Mars! w00t!!! Best day ever!! 5:14 PM Jun 19th from web



If you are reading this, then my mission is probably over.
This final entry is one that I asked be posted after my mission team announces they’ve lost contact with me. Today is that day and I must say good-bye, but I do it in triumph and not in grief.

As I’ve said before, there’s no other place I’d rather be than here. My mission lasted five months instead of three, and I’m content knowing that I worked hard and accomplished great things during that time. My work here is done, but I leave behind a legacy of images and data.
In that sense, you haven’t heard the end of me. Scientists will be releasing findings based on my data for months, possibly years, to come and today’s children will read of my discoveries in their textbooks. Engineers will use my experience during landing and surface operations to aid in designing future robotic missions.
But for now, it’s time for me to hunker down and brave what will be a long and cold autumn and winter. Temperatures should reach -199F (-128C) and a polar cap of carbon dioxide ice will envelop me in an icy tomb.
Seasons on Mars last about twice as long as seasons on Earth, so if you’re wondering when the next Martian spring in the northern hemisphere begins, it’s one Earth-year away—October 27, 2009. The next Martian summer solstice, when maximum sunlight would hit my solar arrays, falls on May 13, 2010.
That’s a long time away. And it’s one of the reasons there isn’t much hope that I’ll ever contact home again.
For my mission teams on Earth, I bid a special farewell and thank you. For the thousands of you who joined me on this journey with your correspondence, I will miss you dearly. I hope you’ll look to my kindred robotic explorers as they seek to further humankind’s quest to learn and understand our place in the universe. The rovers, Spirit and Opportunity (@MarsRovers), are still operating in their sun belt locations closer to the Martian equator; Cassini (@CassiniSaturn) is sailing around Saturn and its rings; and the Mars Science Laboratory (@MarsScienceLab)—the biggest rover ever built for launch to another planet—is being carefully pieced together for launch next year.
My mission team has promised to update my Twitter feed as more of my science discoveries are announced. If I’m lucky, perhaps one of the orbiters will snap a photo of me when spring comes around.
So long Earth. I’ll be here to greet the next explorers to arrive, be they robot or human.

It's been a great pleasure to have Mars Phoenix guest blogging for us [gizmodo], reminiscing back on a successful mission via its personality conjurer, the great Veronica McGregor at JPL—maintainer of Phoenix's famous Twitter feed. Just as Doug McCuistion from NASA said on the news conference today, it's certainly more of an Irish wake than a funeral today. We're drinking to you tonight, little buddy.

You can see all of Phoenix's previous entries and the official press release announcing the end of Phoenix's mission.

[P.S. you knew there couldn't really be new postcards today - it's a gov't holiday]

90 years on ...

Why are they selling poppies, Mummy?

Selling poppies in town today?
The poppies, child, are flowers of love.

For the men who marched away.

But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy?

Why not a beautiful rose?

Because my child, men fought and died

In the fields where the poppies grow.

But why are the poppies so red, Mummy?

Why are the poppies so red?

Red is the colour of blood, my child.

The blood that our soldiers shed.

The heart of the poppy is black, Mummy.

Why does it have to be black?

Black, my child, is the symbol of grief.

For the men who never came back.

But why, Mummy are you crying so?

Your tears are giving you pain.

My tears are my fears for you my child.

For the world is forgetting again.

The Mind of an Inquisitive Child ~ author unknown

Monday AMuse