I upgraded to an iphone over the weekend. Susan got a new 4s and so gave her old one. I can now listen to audible books as well sirius radio. So far I haven't done much with it other than look at the time. Speaking of new technology, I also got a new set of headphones so I can watch my stupid tv shows with deafening the rest of the household.
School is going alright but I find myself wondering if I will be able to cover everything by the end. I am constantly amazed at how long it takes them to take a quiz. Tonight I spent 45 minutes waiting for them to finish a 19 question quiz. So I had to race through the stages of mitosis so they could do the lab after the break. I did a diservice to them. I still suck at this teaching gig.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Fossil Horses
I can't seem to finish a book before starting another one. I have a good but long geology book, Earth by Richard Fortey, still on the stack and with only one chapter to go but I keep jumping into new tomes. Right now I am stuck in a wonderful book translated from German on fossil horses. I had assumed that all early horses were North American but the book starts out describing an oil shale quarry in Mesel Germany loaded with Eocene horses.
I knew that horses lost their side toes, elongated and flattened their teeth, and grew much larger. What I did not know that they elongated their faces to accomodate their deep rooted teeth, also reduced the size of their ulnas and fibulae. What truly amazed me was that the early horses were super fast. George Gaylord Simpson estimated that they ran at Greyhound speeds.
I also learned that eventhough modern horses are a little faster than dogs, they specialized their tendons and ligaments into elastic afterburners that reduced the energy needed to move their toes and push off. In other words, the economized their locomotory energy.
I am eaten up with paleontology. I hope this interest sticks around for a while.
I knew that horses lost their side toes, elongated and flattened their teeth, and grew much larger. What I did not know that they elongated their faces to accomodate their deep rooted teeth, also reduced the size of their ulnas and fibulae. What truly amazed me was that the early horses were super fast. George Gaylord Simpson estimated that they ran at Greyhound speeds.
I also learned that eventhough modern horses are a little faster than dogs, they specialized their tendons and ligaments into elastic afterburners that reduced the energy needed to move their toes and push off. In other words, the economized their locomotory energy.
I am eaten up with paleontology. I hope this interest sticks around for a while.
Gary's Cafe
One of my favorite places to eat is a country buffet in River Falls called Gary's Cafe. It is what they call "a meat and three" place. You can't get a more authentic south Alabama place. The food is wonderful. I usually go on Fridays for lunch. I'm not much of a chicken fan but they do make very good fried chicken. I usually get a scoop of coleslaw, a scoop of cheese-grits (leftovers from their breakfast buffet), and a dollop of baked beans. I get a big glass of sweet tea (easier to get refills) and for dessert they usually have the Southern staple, banana pudding.
The cafe is connected to a small market called Wages'. They have boiled peanuts, cane poles and local produce. I have a couple of students/former students who work there.
The cafe is connected to a small market called Wages'. They have boiled peanuts, cane poles and local produce. I have a couple of students/former students who work there.
Amber and Copal
A few months ago I went crazy on Abebooks, a wonderful used book website, and bought a ton of fossil books. They are stacked on my desk at work and in the back seat of my car. I was looking for some lunch reading this week and cracked open one on Amber. So informative!
I had no idea that amber is not found where the trees dropped resin. It has been secondarily processed, most likely eroded out of the soil and then washed down a stream or river and then deposited in sediments. Unfossilized amber is called copal. It can also have inclusions of insects and is sometimes sold as amber. One simple test is that a drop of alcohol on it will make it sticky upon evaporating. Several years ago I bought what I thought was amber at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show but after Brian and I did the alcohol test it became sticky. It wasn't amber after all, it was copal.
I learned that it is fairly common to fake amber. Sometimes people with cut open amber, hollow out one side, drop in a bug, and then sell it as amber. The big money of course is for specimens with large trapped critters. These larger critters were usually strong enough to escape. So there are lots of fakes out there with scorpions or lizards in them.
In addition, phenolic resins, caseins, and glass can all be made to look like amber. After reading the book I had an idea that this would make a great science lab. There are some simple tests you can perform (like the alcohol) to check the authenticity of the amber. The other night I went on eBay to see if I could find some amber plus some of the other materials for the lab. I became so skeptical I became discouraged. I think I will have to find a more trustworthy source than eBay for buying amber.
I had no idea that amber is not found where the trees dropped resin. It has been secondarily processed, most likely eroded out of the soil and then washed down a stream or river and then deposited in sediments. Unfossilized amber is called copal. It can also have inclusions of insects and is sometimes sold as amber. One simple test is that a drop of alcohol on it will make it sticky upon evaporating. Several years ago I bought what I thought was amber at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show but after Brian and I did the alcohol test it became sticky. It wasn't amber after all, it was copal.
I learned that it is fairly common to fake amber. Sometimes people with cut open amber, hollow out one side, drop in a bug, and then sell it as amber. The big money of course is for specimens with large trapped critters. These larger critters were usually strong enough to escape. So there are lots of fakes out there with scorpions or lizards in them.
In addition, phenolic resins, caseins, and glass can all be made to look like amber. After reading the book I had an idea that this would make a great science lab. There are some simple tests you can perform (like the alcohol) to check the authenticity of the amber. The other night I went on eBay to see if I could find some amber plus some of the other materials for the lab. I became so skeptical I became discouraged. I think I will have to find a more trustworthy source than eBay for buying amber.
Coyotes on the Nature Trail
Earlier this week, Mr. B and I hit the golf course for an evening romp. I kept hearing this strange sound coming from the woods. About every 20 seconds this loud lilting howl would sound. Basil seemed completely uninterested. I asked both Susan and John Carpenter (he's a hunter) what is could be. When Susan said it could be a wounded deer my heart sank.
Anyway, we went out again on Thursday and it began again. This time there was some barking and then the weird sound. I called Susan to see if she could hear it over the phone but it didn't work. When we got home, Susan found some examples on youtube and sure enough it was a coyote. What was remarkable was I could still hear it when I got to the car in the parking lot.
According to the internet, coyote numbers are increasing due to higher deer populations. Also, the eastern coyote is bigger because it has some wolf in it due to some hybridization that happened in Canada. I remember hearing Coyotes during campouts in California. I think I will call our local one Peter or Wiley. I haven't decided yet.
Anyway, we went out again on Thursday and it began again. This time there was some barking and then the weird sound. I called Susan to see if she could hear it over the phone but it didn't work. When we got home, Susan found some examples on youtube and sure enough it was a coyote. What was remarkable was I could still hear it when I got to the car in the parking lot.
According to the internet, coyote numbers are increasing due to higher deer populations. Also, the eastern coyote is bigger because it has some wolf in it due to some hybridization that happened in Canada. I remember hearing Coyotes during campouts in California. I think I will call our local one Peter or Wiley. I haven't decided yet.
Floored
Yesterday I awoke from my afternoon nap with a cold sore right below my philtrum. I have been slathering on the Abreva to keep it from turning into an angry lesion. My current hypothesis for the outbreak centers on my flu shot earlier in the week but I must say it is a weak hypothesis. I haven't had a fever or a sunburn but I have had a few stressors this week. Susan is busy replacing the floor in the living room so I have been living in cramped conditions.
After the loss of our beloved Emily, Susan wanted new carpeting. She put down some offwhite textured wall to wall downstairs. Well, Mr. B came along and his muddy feet turned the carpeting to a darker shade. After a few DIY attempts and a Stanley Steamer visit, she decided that the carpeting was going to remain dingy. So she decided on hardwood flooring. We began in Basil's room. It does look beautiful and it is warming to hear his nails clicker-clack on it while he pads through the room.
Well this week was the time to do the great room. Joe ripped up the carpeting for us exposing warped particle board damaged from a leaky roof way back in the mid 90's when Hurricane Opal roared through town. Joe spent two afternoons with a crowbar ripping out the particle board. Ritchey came in and put in new plywood and then the hardwood. It looks better but he does still needs to finish the patch in front of the sliding glass doors. I never realized it was such a tricky task. You've got to cut the boards to different lengths for a staggered look and you got to randomize the different colored boards to prevent anyone spot becoming a sore thumb.
All that hammering eliminated my typical nap times on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. I was a yawny, cranky mess this week. Plus I am also in TIVO withdrawals. I have missed the first two episodes of my favorite shows and this sitting through commercials is getting old. Susan moved her TV down into Basil's room and her TIVO works but she only records HGTV and Food network. She complains that my TV is blowing her ears out. I offered to close the door but she said she wanted to be close. I bought a pair of wireless headphones for the TV so my deaf ears can hear the TV and not deafen Susan.
After the loss of our beloved Emily, Susan wanted new carpeting. She put down some offwhite textured wall to wall downstairs. Well, Mr. B came along and his muddy feet turned the carpeting to a darker shade. After a few DIY attempts and a Stanley Steamer visit, she decided that the carpeting was going to remain dingy. So she decided on hardwood flooring. We began in Basil's room. It does look beautiful and it is warming to hear his nails clicker-clack on it while he pads through the room.
Well this week was the time to do the great room. Joe ripped up the carpeting for us exposing warped particle board damaged from a leaky roof way back in the mid 90's when Hurricane Opal roared through town. Joe spent two afternoons with a crowbar ripping out the particle board. Ritchey came in and put in new plywood and then the hardwood. It looks better but he does still needs to finish the patch in front of the sliding glass doors. I never realized it was such a tricky task. You've got to cut the boards to different lengths for a staggered look and you got to randomize the different colored boards to prevent anyone spot becoming a sore thumb.
All that hammering eliminated my typical nap times on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. I was a yawny, cranky mess this week. Plus I am also in TIVO withdrawals. I have missed the first two episodes of my favorite shows and this sitting through commercials is getting old. Susan moved her TV down into Basil's room and her TIVO works but she only records HGTV and Food network. She complains that my TV is blowing her ears out. I offered to close the door but she said she wanted to be close. I bought a pair of wireless headphones for the TV so my deaf ears can hear the TV and not deafen Susan.
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