GENIUS: Disco Dawgs

OMG. This video... this is just brilliant. I don't know if it's supposed to be funny but I sure laughed my ass off.

I'm not eloquent enough to describe the appeal of this video clip, but it's not to be missed. Picture dogs, slow motion, a few disco laser lights here and there, and dance music. Or better yet, experience it yourself.

FACE TRANSPLANT UPDATE

Yesterday (2/6/06) the recipient of the transplant spoke to media about her ordeal. The face is of course a bit odd but all things considered, seems to have been attached pretty successfully. It's only by viewing the before and after photos that you can see that it truly is a new face, rather than someone whose own face had been repaired. The main problem seems to be that she is not yet able to move her new mouth very well in order to speak... I'm not sure what the prognosis is there. She admitted to having taken pills (hence the reason she was unconscious enough for her dog to eat her face), and yes, sadly, she is still smoking.

VIDEO

FOR REAL?: Drinkin' Pee

After the recent post regarding Kopi Luwak coffee, I recalled an interesting fact I learned of late last year. That fact being that some people drink pee. Their pee, other peoples' pee, pee. Urine. Number One. Wee-wee.

You are thinking, "well sure, they were probably floating in the middle of the ocean or something"... but I'm not talking about survival-pee-drinking. I'm talking about "hey, I don't have to drink it, but it sounds like a Grand Idea, so I will!" pee-drinking.

So, why? Well, for tradition, rituals, and for health reasons. It's not common in the U.S. but in some parts of the world it is quite common and culturally acceptable. I've read that over 3 million Japanese citizens drink their own urine. Apparently they've gotten over the Ick Factor.

Here are some enlightening articles regarding Urine Therapy.
http://skepdic.com/urine.html
http://www.rotten.com/library/medicine/bodily-functions/pissing/drinking-pee/

And yes, just like the crap coffee, I'll admit to not being ready to jump on this bandwagon either. Kudos to those who can/will/do (ew) but I'll stick with water, tea, and not pee.


Thanks to rotten.com for the picture, above.

FUN STUFF: Root Vue Farm

UPS will be swinging by my house tomorrow... to deliver my brank spanking new Root Vue Farm.

Root Vue Farm you ask? Well, lookit the picture... it's like an Ant Farm, but for plants. See?

This is intended as an educational toy for kids. Pish posh! I say it just looks freakin' fun to grow some stuff in there and watch it progress from seed to seedling to, oh, root vegetable or whatever.

I wonder what I should grow?

PECULIAR PRODUCTS: Crap Coffee

Have you heard of Kopi Luwak coffee?

When I say "crap coffee" I mean it in literal-ish terms. I cannot vouch for the taste, never having tried the stuff, so it could possibly taste like sweet sweet ambrosia.

Luwaks are marsupials which consume ripe coffee cherries... and out come the beans which are collected to sell to discriminating (?) coffee drinkers. Oh, and we can't discuss Luwak coffee without taking a lookit this animation.

I'm sure there are endless descriptions to be found of how carefully cleaned the beans are and how they provide a unique and superior cup of coffee, but I'm just a low-class gal who thinks coffee beans that have been pooped are less appealing than the undigested kind. (Well, we all have to work within our limitations.)

If you've ever had it, (bully for you, for not being too cowardly like some of us) let me know what you thought. Yeah, the chances of anyone reading this post is small enough, but someone that's actually had this coffee is more than a little slim. It does cost oh, about $175.oo per pound, which significantly narrows the consumer base. That's a lotta dough for a cuppa jo! Guess I'm gonna have to stick with regular old coffee. Dang.

CUTENESS: Lil' Poser, Squirrel With 'Tude

This insanely cute fella can be found on Flickr in mfeil's Flora and Fauna photo set. What a great shot.

NO BRAINER: Smoking = No Face

By now most people have heard about the first official "face transplant" performed on a french woman last year. (I'll admit that I'd be more than a little curious to see a photo...)

Apparently her new lips are working well enough for her to begin smoking again. Which means her body might reject her new face.

Sweet Hay-Soos! You'd think that the threat of YOUR FACE FALLING OFF would stop a gal from smoking.

Here's a little Tissue Rejection 101 if you're interested.