Today was one of the worst days ever at work. One of the big coral tanks split open and poured water everywhere. (Especially in my freakin shoes) The corner split open, so there I was trying to hold the stupid thing together while the others scrambled around looking for pumps and hoses and such to drain the water into a huge tub. That's where the corals still were when I left today. They couldn't find a replacement tank any where near here. So we are rigging up a temperary tank until the new ones arrive. It took forever to clean up the mess. Then more of forever to clean up the tank. Scraping all the sand out of it was disgusting. So now the rock is everywhere, the sand is in a 44g trash can, the water and corals are on a tub on the floor. Looks like tomorrow will be another exciting day.Sunday, March 12, 2006
What a Suck Day
Today was one of the worst days ever at work. One of the big coral tanks split open and poured water everywhere. (Especially in my freakin shoes) The corner split open, so there I was trying to hold the stupid thing together while the others scrambled around looking for pumps and hoses and such to drain the water into a huge tub. That's where the corals still were when I left today. They couldn't find a replacement tank any where near here. So we are rigging up a temperary tank until the new ones arrive. It took forever to clean up the mess. Then more of forever to clean up the tank. Scraping all the sand out of it was disgusting. So now the rock is everywhere, the sand is in a 44g trash can, the water and corals are on a tub on the floor. Looks like tomorrow will be another exciting day.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Starfish Stomach
The stomach of my starfish. All the yellowish goo toward the middle of it and out by the legs is its stomach. It is eating the algae on the glass. I let the algae grow all over the front of the glass hoping for such a photo opportunity.
New Parents
The proud new parents. Daddy on the right, Mamma on the left. He is staring me down. Ready to kick ass if necessary. He knows I'm about to steal the eggs.
A better picture of the eggs. Probably around 600 there.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
New Creature
Here's my new starfish. I love it when people buy things they shouldn't. Rumor has it they were told by another pet store that this guy was reef safe. Yeah, I think not. So I got him super cheap. :) He's a hungry fella. He ate half a sand eel in about two hours. (That's quick for a starfish!)Crab News
My crab shed his exoskeleton the other day. I got some pictures of it 'cause I think it's kinda neat. He's quite a bit larger after the shed although this picture doesn't show it very well. I really had to look to find the hole in the shed. He did a great job crawling out of there and leaving it whole.Monday, January 30, 2006
Thanks Drew
A thanks to Drew for finding the ClustrMap so I could snatch the idea and put it on my Blog too. :) It is really neat. I have had visitors from Australia and New Zealand. Who knew?
Tagged!
My good quirks:
I drink coffee every morning before speaking to anyone.
I take off my shoes the second I get into the house.
I collect dolphins.
I have many saltwater aquariums.
My bad quirks:
I have NO patience for idiots.
Some of the nicest people grind my nerves.
I throw up when stressed or nervous.
Heights freak me out.
My food quirks:
I can't get through the day without
or
I eat all of one item before moving to the next. Typically, the least favorite item to the most favored. :)
I never eat "brothy" soup without crackers.
I hate tomatoes, but love tomato soup.
I don't like most beef, pork, or chicken.
Beets are not for me.
My sleep quirks:
I can't sleep unless I read for awhile.
I will sleep for nine days unless I set the alarm clock.
I can drink coffee one minute before going to sleep.
I must have a completely dark room to sleep well.
I must have something in the room making noise to drowned out all the other noises.
The cats have parties on my bed and it doesn't wake me.
Quirky people I tag (who haven't already been tagged):
Allison Quirk (this was meant for you!)
Leisa (Get a Blog!)
I drink coffee every morning before speaking to anyone.
I take off my shoes the second I get into the house.
I collect dolphins.
I have many saltwater aquariums.
My bad quirks:
I have NO patience for idiots.
Some of the nicest people grind my nerves.
I throw up when stressed or nervous.
Heights freak me out.
My food quirks:
I can't get through the day without
or
I eat all of one item before moving to the next. Typically, the least favorite item to the most favored. :)
I never eat "brothy" soup without crackers.
I hate tomatoes, but love tomato soup.
I don't like most beef, pork, or chicken.
Beets are not for me.
My sleep quirks:
I can't sleep unless I read for awhile.
I will sleep for nine days unless I set the alarm clock.
I can drink coffee one minute before going to sleep.
I must have a completely dark room to sleep well.
I must have something in the room making noise to drowned out all the other noises.
The cats have parties on my bed and it doesn't wake me.
Quirky people I tag (who haven't already been tagged):
Allison Quirk (this was meant for you!)
Leisa (Get a Blog!)
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Poetic Justice
An Midwest internet service provider was awarded an $11.2 billion judgment against a Florida man for sending millions of unsolicited e-mails advertising mortgage and debt consolidation services.
The lawsuit, filed in 2003 by Iowa's CIS Internet Services, also prompted earlier judgments against companies in Florida and Arizona worth more than $1 billion.
"This ruling sets a new standard," said CIS owner Robert Kramer III. "Gross abusers of e-mail risk exposure to public ridicule as well as the economic death penalty."
The most recent judgment was issued Dec. 23 against James McCalla of Florida, who is also barred from accessing the internet for three years.
The lawsuit claimed that McCalla sent more than 280 million illegal spam e-mails into CIS's network, which provides internet connections in Eastern Iowa and parts of Illinois.
Kramer's lawsuit initially named numerous defendants, many of whom were dropped from the lawsuit in the last couple of years. In 2004, judgments totaling more than $1 billion were issued against Cash Link Systems and the TEI Marketing Group, both of Florida, and AMP Dollar Savings of Arizona.
The lawsuit said the defendants used the cis.net domain in the e-mails as part of a false return address to disguise their source and deflect complaints to CIS.
Kramer claimed that under state law he was entitled to $10 per illegal e-mail but didn't expect to receive any of the judgment money.
According to the website for the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail, large numbers of junk e-mails have knocked out or disrupted internet provider systems belonging to large companies such as AT&T, as well as systems belonging to smaller rural providers such as CIS. Additionally, the massive numbers of spam e-mails cost businesses and individuals millions of dollars annually.
John Mozena, co-founder and vice president of CAUCE, said Kramer's lawsuit will likely not solve the spamming problem.
"There have been regulatory actions and even criminal actions against spammers, but it has not made much of a dent in the total volume of spam we see," he said. "Spam is still roughly two-thirds of all e-mail on the internet."
He said sending unsolicited commercial e-mail is not illegal in the United States. It is only illegal to send dishonest spam, which includes forging a company's domain name onto the e-mail or having a misleading subject line.
"What we need is a federal anti-spam law, such as some countries such as Australia have," he said. "Spamming is illegal in Australia."
Mother Nature and I have split up
Yes, I am breaking up with Mother Nature. Today I had to drive home with sleet pelting my Jeep. A real balmy 34 degrees at that. Wind chill below freezing. It's supposed to get colder and the sleet will turn to snow. I am not pleased. :( So, we are done, Mother Nature and I. Broke up. It's over. Don't try to change my mind. We're through. *raspberry*
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Things I've Learned This Week (That I Didn't Want to Know)
1. A really wet bird will shake like a dog regardless of my proximity.
2. A small eel will go after it's "prey" just as quickly and as fiercely as a large one.
3. My toe can take the weight of a large box falling on it without breaking.
4. The cats really are trying to kill me.
5. I am definitely allergic to Long-Tentacle Anemones.
6. Some children don't want to wear socks.
7. A Bic lighter will work one hour after it has been dropped into an aquarium of saltwater.
8. Fish are very curious about Bic lighters.
9. Large puppies can bite very hard.
10. I can keep a secret - a really good one - even though I want to POP!
11. People that shop near Christmas day, whether before or after - are very crabby.
12. A wayward shell on the floor can indeed be a former aquarium tenant.
13. I can be violently ill moments after feeling great.
14. I can't carry two 12 packs of Coke and a bag of groceries at the same time.
15. "When hillbillies come to town, they like to make a day of it". (Very odd couple, indeed)
2. A small eel will go after it's "prey" just as quickly and as fiercely as a large one.
3. My toe can take the weight of a large box falling on it without breaking.
4. The cats really are trying to kill me.
5. I am definitely allergic to Long-Tentacle Anemones.
6. Some children don't want to wear socks.
7. A Bic lighter will work one hour after it has been dropped into an aquarium of saltwater.
8. Fish are very curious about Bic lighters.
9. Large puppies can bite very hard.
10. I can keep a secret - a really good one - even though I want to POP!
11. People that shop near Christmas day, whether before or after - are very crabby.
12. A wayward shell on the floor can indeed be a former aquarium tenant.
13. I can be violently ill moments after feeling great.
14. I can't carry two 12 packs of Coke and a bag of groceries at the same time.
15. "When hillbillies come to town, they like to make a day of it". (Very odd couple, indeed)
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Winter Solstice
Yet another solstice has arrived. If you've been a regular reader, you know that my dad taught me about the Summer Solstice. Well, he didn't leave me short. He also taught me about the Winter Solstice. Here is what I learned...
The precise moment of the 2005 solstice will be December 21, 2005 at 1:35 P.M. EST (18:35 UT).
In astronomy, the solstice is either of the two times a year when the Sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator, the great circle on the celestial sphere that is on the same plane as the earth's equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs either December 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn; the summer solstice occurs either June 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Cancer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter and summer solstices are reversed.
The reason for the different seasons at opposite times of the year in the two hemispheres is that while the earth rotates about the sun, it also spins on its axis, which is tilted some 23.5 degrees towards the plane of its rotation. Because of this tilt, the Northern Hemisphere receives less direct sunlight (creating winter) while the Southern Hemisphere receives more direct sunlight (creating summer). As the Earth continues its orbit the hemisphere that is angled closest to the sun changes and the seasons are reversed
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, "sun" and -stitium, "a stoppage." Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.
I hope your day is a little richer with the knowledge of the Solstice. :)
The precise moment of the 2005 solstice will be December 21, 2005 at 1:35 P.M. EST (18:35 UT).
In astronomy, the solstice is either of the two times a year when the Sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator, the great circle on the celestial sphere that is on the same plane as the earth's equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs either December 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn; the summer solstice occurs either June 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Cancer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter and summer solstices are reversed.
Reason for the Seasons
The reason for the different seasons at opposite times of the year in the two hemispheres is that while the earth rotates about the sun, it also spins on its axis, which is tilted some 23.5 degrees towards the plane of its rotation. Because of this tilt, the Northern Hemisphere receives less direct sunlight (creating winter) while the Southern Hemisphere receives more direct sunlight (creating summer). As the Earth continues its orbit the hemisphere that is angled closest to the sun changes and the seasons are reversed
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, "sun" and -stitium, "a stoppage." Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.
I hope your day is a little richer with the knowledge of the Solstice. :)
Monday, December 19, 2005
Brrr
Today it is 22 degrees. Yep, that's the high. The temperature is expected to drop to 14 degrees tonight. The only good news is that it is sunny. No snow forecasted for a week or so. We are expecting some flurries on Christmas Eve but nothing ugly like last year.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Children
Things I Have Learned from Children A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 square foot house 4 inches deep. |
Jokes
TEXAN: "Where are you from?"
HARVARD GRAD: "I come from a place where we do not end our sentences with prepositions."
TEXAN: "OK - where are you from, jackass?"
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300o C. The Russians used a pencil.
HARVARD GRAD: "I come from a place where we do not end our sentences with prepositions."
TEXAN: "OK - where are you from, jackass?"
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300o C. The Russians used a pencil.
True Facts
True Facts
These facts are not guaranteed to be true. But they probably are. As it was really long, I've deleted those I felt weren't too interesting.
Cranberry Jell-O is the only flavor that contains real fruit flavoring. I'm surprised any of them do.
If the entire population of earth was reduced to exactly 100 people, 51% would be female, 49% male; 50% of the world's currency would be held by 6 people, one person would be nearly dead, one nearly born. I want to be one of the 6.
Topless saleswomen are legal in Liverpool, England, but only in tropical fish stores. Glad I don't work there
Toxic house plants poison more children than household chemicals. Now that is truly bizarre.
The chameleon has a tongue that is one and a half times the length of his body. Where does it fit?
A Nigerian woman was caught entering the UK with 104 kg of snails in her baggage. One has to ask "Why?"
There is a company that will (for $14,000) take your ashes, compress them into a synthetic diamond to be set in jewelry for a loved one. Would you really wear that?
Fast food provider Hardee's has recently introduced the Monster Thickburger. It has 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat. Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen.
More than 2,500 left-handed people are killed each year from using products that are made for right-handed people. Kinda made me wonder what products these are. And do I really want to be using them?
For every person on earth, there are an estimated 200 million insects. Let's hope they don't turn on us. :)
A Georgia company will mix your loved one's ashes with cement and drop it into the ocean to form an artificial reef. This is for me.
A ten year old mattress weighs double what it did when it was new, because of the -ahem- debris which is absorbed through the years. That debris includes dust mites (their droppings and their decaying bodies), mold, millions of dead skin cells, dandruff, animal and human hair, secretions, excretions, lint, pollen, dust, soil, sand and a lot of perspiration, of which the average person loses a quart per day. Good night! Note to self: Buy new mattress!
Mel Gibson has personally earned almost $400,000,000 from his movie "The Passion of the Christ". Holy Crap!
55% of Americans claim they would continue working even if they received a $10,000,000 lottery prize. Yeah, me too. Wink wink.
Each year, more people are killed by teddy bears than by grizzly bears. Somehow, that's funny.
Newest trend in the Netherlands: Tiny jewels implanted directly into the eye. OUCH
All polar bears are left handed. I hope they're not using those products.
There are only three types of snakes on the island of Tasmania and all three are deadly poisonous. Note to self: Cancel Tasmania vacation.
All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" read 4:20. There's a surprise.
A starfish can turn its stomach inside out. I have witnessed this phenomenon.
85% of the guys who cheat on their wives die while having sex. Serves them right!
In the Caribbean there are oysters that can climb trees. This I gotta see.
A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night. I'm sure this is true. Look at my yard!
Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning. That's kinda cool.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Children Are Funny
An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him, "How do you expect to get into Heaven?" The boy thought it over and said, "Well, I'll run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, "For Heaven's sake, Dylan, come in or stay out!"
One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken Little to her class. She came to the part where Chicken Little warns the farmer. She read, "...and Chicken Little went up to the farmer and said, "The sky is falling!" The teacher then asked the class, "And what do you think that farmer said?" One little girl raised her hand and said, "I think he said: Holy Shit! A talking chicken!"
Friday, December 02, 2005
Interesting Facts
Fact of the Day
In the world's oceans, there are:
58 species of sea grasses.
Less than 1,000 species of cephalopods - squids, octopi, & pearly nautiluses.
1,000 species of sea anemones.
1,500 species of brown algae.
7,000 species of echinoderms - starfishes, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and sea lilies.
13,000 species of fishes.
50,000 species of molluscs.
In the world's oceans, there are:
58 species of sea grasses.
Less than 1,000 species of cephalopods - squids, octopi, & pearly nautiluses.
1,000 species of sea anemones.
1,500 species of brown algae.
7,000 species of echinoderms - starfishes, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and sea lilies.
13,000 species of fishes.
50,000 species of molluscs.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
The Pumpkin Patch
Pumpkin Patch In summary, the police arrested Patrick Lawrence, a 22-year-old white male, resident of Dacula, GA, in a pumpkin patch at 11:38 p.m. on Friday.
Lawrence will be charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, public indecency, and public intoxication at the Gwinnett County courthouse on Monday.
The suspect explained that as he was passing a pumpkin patch he decided to stop. "You know, a pumpkin is soft and squishy inside, and there was no one around here for miles. At least I thought there wasn't," he stated in a phone interview.
Lawrence went on to say that he pulled over to the side of the road, picked out a pumpkin that he felt was appropriate to his purposes,cut a hole in it, and proceeded to satisfy his need.
"I guess I was just really into it, you know?" He commented with evident embarrassment.
In the process, Lawrence apparently failed to notice a Gwinnett County police car approaching and was unaware of his audience until officer Brenda Taylor approached him.
"It was an unusual situation, that's for sure," said officer Taylor." I walked up to (Lawrence) and he's..just working away at this pumpkin.
"Taylor went on to describe what happened when she approached Lawrence. "I just went up and said, 'Excuse me sir, but do you realize that you are screwing a pumpkin?'
"He froze and was clearly very surprised that I was there, and then looked me straight in the face and said, "A pumpkin? Damn...is it midnight already?"
Lawrence will be charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, public indecency, and public intoxication at the Gwinnett County courthouse on Monday.
The suspect explained that as he was passing a pumpkin patch he decided to stop. "You know, a pumpkin is soft and squishy inside, and there was no one around here for miles. At least I thought there wasn't," he stated in a phone interview.
Lawrence went on to say that he pulled over to the side of the road, picked out a pumpkin that he felt was appropriate to his purposes,cut a hole in it, and proceeded to satisfy his need.
"I guess I was just really into it, you know?" He commented with evident embarrassment.
In the process, Lawrence apparently failed to notice a Gwinnett County police car approaching and was unaware of his audience until officer Brenda Taylor approached him.
"It was an unusual situation, that's for sure," said officer Taylor." I walked up to (Lawrence) and he's..just working away at this pumpkin.
"Taylor went on to describe what happened when she approached Lawrence. "I just went up and said, 'Excuse me sir, but do you realize that you are screwing a pumpkin?'
"He froze and was clearly very surprised that I was there, and then looked me straight in the face and said, "A pumpkin? Damn...is it midnight already?"
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