Follow your bliss

In memory of

Dear friend and fellow colleague Jody Gehrig passed away today. She had a passion for books-- good books. She was energetic, smart, and funny. Sitting in a review committee meeting with her, she was often heard to say, "If it's a bad book, tell us that it's a bad book. Don't be afraid to say that it stinks." She ran ERS (Educational Resource Services) at DPS but was also an advocate for the individual employee and teaching librarians in general. She is survived by her family who I have no doubt will miss her far more sorely than shall I. Yet her loss is keenly felt.

Meet The Triops

The triops were initially a birthday gift that wound up being a science experiment in what not to do. They lived for a few weeks but the water temperatures varied, then dried up and the food was probably too sporadic so they quickly died. For Christmas, a new tank was purchased with a water heater and a plant for sustenance when a meal was skipped. Which reminds me... time to feed the triops. Excuse me... *


When they were small, they were fed every other day or so and the food had to be smashed up. Now that they have grown to a distinguishable size, they eat two pellets each, twice a day. When the fishy spheres are dropped into the water, two of the prehistoric crustacean propel themselves into the food and promptly snatch up their share (or more?). They will "grab" it with their tentacles, flip over, pass the food up from one "leg" to the next then to the mouth and nibble at it upside down-- almost otterlike. Each time I feed them, I can't help but pause to watch, amused by the acrobatic antics of the Notostraca family.

In fact they move so quickly, that it is virtually impossible to get a decent picture of their feeding habits. So here they are almost posing for the camera...



An up close gander at the triops, and you might recognize them from a sci-fi film. They look more like an alien space ship than they do their shrimp cousins, but shrimp they are! (Never fear! We won't be sauteeing these little guys!)

My son has several comic strips that he reads regularly. As a result he decided to name the Triops after the characters in the strips.

Meet: Quincy (Jason's Iguana in Foxtrot)



Peter & Jason (Foxtrot)



Calvin & Hobbes is his favorite comic strip but he already has a small stuffed tiger named Hobbes so the tadpole shrimp gets to be...

Calvin.


This is what they look like upside down. Amazing!

*Pictures taken by Aubrey Cloud on his birthday. Thanks Aubrey!!!

Don't pray for the Haitians

The hypocrisy and outright gall of Americans to send happy thoughts and prayers to the Haitians is outrageous. If any of us could solve the world's problems with "happy thoughts" or prayers, then the world would not have the problems it has. (Barbara Ehrenreich has a BRILLIANT book on this called "Bright-sided" which should be required reading- for ALL!)

But as to Haiti, the hypocrisy of now sending happy thoughts just cannot be born. In an article on Reader Supported News, James Ridgeway says this, "US policy has actually undermined Haiti's ability to be a "self-sustaining nation," especially its ability to feed itself. America's history of invasion, occupation, and intervention into Haiti's political and economic life stretches back two centuries, with plenty of help from homegrown Haitian despots. But since the 1980s, in particular, the United States has helped turn a nation of low-tech subsistence farmers into a dumping ground for American agribusiness."

You simply cannot rape a people and then wish the consequences away with prayer and support!

Read more of his article at: http://readersupportednews.org/opinion/180-natural-disaster-/770-james-ridgeway-exporting-misery-to-haiti