(The name of this ray is the Electrolux addisoni - Yes, it really was named after the vacuum cleaner!)
Wow - I Didn't Know That

If you know me at all, you know that I really enjoy etymologies.  Hey - it's a better habit than smoking or picking my nose.  So, here is a little journey down the word-origin path for you.

Just as there are electric eels, there are also aquatic creatures called electric rays.  They come from the order Torpediniformes,  from which we get our word "torpedo."  It makes sense, if you look at the shape of the fish.  But that's not my main point.  That scientific name actually comes from Latin "torpere", which means to be stiffened or paralyzed.  And torpor is a term that describes what we often think of as hibernation.  (But real hibernation is a lot deeper "sleep" than torpor.)

So, anyway.... the ancient Greeks called these electric rays "numbfish."  Sort of makes sense - if you get a good jolt of electricity, it does make you feel numb.  And these rays are part of the family known as Narkidae.  And the Greek word "narke" means numbness or stupor.  And from that, we get our English word "narcotic."

So, even though you may not have been aware of the existence of the electric ray, it has contributed some pretty interesting terms for our English language.

Lesson over.  Now go outside and play.

Today's post is brought to you by cartilage.  Rays have lots of it.

I can't find any videos of an electric ray actually stunning anything/anyone.  Kind of disappointing.  But here is a rather mundane 22 seconds of an electric ray swimming about aimlessly.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyfOSaESAkE

Hmm.. no electric ray cartoons, either.  How about a stingray cartoon?

 
Don'tcha Just Love It?

Today's DDN features an article that states:
Strip club owners in Harrison Twp. are ready to fight back if the township starts enforcing a state law regulating activities at those clubs, said Greg Flaig, executive director of The Owner's Coalition, representing strip clubs statewide.

Well, I agree with Mr. Flaig.  How dare any government infringe on my ability to obtain money in any way that I desire by enforcing a state law?  I mean, next thing you know, they'll be able to toss people in jail for using illegal drugs, for engaging in prostitution, or holding up liquor stores.  Where will it all end?????

The 2007 law, Senate Bill 16, limits contact with strippers and requires that no sexually oriented entertainment occur between midnight and 6 a.m.  I mean - come on.  The bars are all closed in the wee hours of the morning.  What else are we supposed to do for entertainment now that we're pleasantly buzzed and our inhibitions have melted away?

How else are married men going to be able to sneak out of the house once their wives are asleep to watch some hoochie undulating up and down a pole, hoping to stuff a dollar bill in her thong?  Or maybe even a five if she's really hot.

Today's post is dedicated to the type of scum that's into that sort of thing.  You know who you are.

How about a little pole dancing fail?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70KsusAI6sA

Finally, here is a cartoon that is both funny and tragically true.

Survival of the Fittest

If you know me at all, you know that I disagree with Charles Darwin on just about every point.  To his credit, Darwin was an excellent observer who painstakingly documented all his observations.  He did not originate the idea of survival of the fittest, but he certainly noted that it plays a part of daily life for all of us.

And Tennyson wrote these lines, referring to man:

Who trusted God was love indeed
And love Creation's final law
Tho' Nature, red in tooth and claw
With ravine, shriek'd against his creed.

On that rather esoteric note, I bring you the topic of today's post - Steve Irwin Day.  To give you a bit of background, I offer you this snippet from the official website.

Steve Irwin Day continues the legacy of Conservation, Family and Fun that Stevo created. KHAKI IT with us! Steve Irwin Day on November 15 – is an international and annual event to celebrate the extraordinary life of the one and only Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. 

Yep, Steve Irwin was extraordinary.  And in my opinion, he was extraordinarily stupid when it came to dealing with animals.  I have harped on this ad nauseam in other posts, so I won't bore you by rehashing those thoughts here.  But just let me say that I wasn't surprised that he met his untimely demise by being dispatched by a wild animal.  I always knew it wasn't a question of "if":  it was just a question of "when" and in what specific manner.

I will admit that I was surprised he was struck in the heart by the barb from a stingray.  I didn't see that one coming.  And I am sorry he was killed.  However, I saw his reckless behavior in countless videos with a myriad of animals.  I am sure he loved animals and that he did much to inform the public about many of God's diverse and wonderful creatures.  But I believe he set a lousy example of how to interact with them.  And in the end, it led to his death.

So I am uncertain how to respond to Steve Irwin Day.  It seems it would be best celebrated by going out into the wilderness and annoying the crap out of the wildlife.  Then, the idea would be to run. Very, very fast.  Perhaps yelling, "Crikey!" as you retreat.

And, yes, they called him "Stevo."

Today's post is dedicated to this stingray.  If you leave it alone, it won't harm you.  And believe me when I say it's incredibly easy to leave them alone.

Here is a short video of Irwin teasing a crocodile.  The man showed an utter lack of judgment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HgHhHNC92M

There don't seem to any mean-spirited Steve Irwin cartoons.  I am disappointed.  So let's just go with this one.

Right....and "Gullible" Is Written on the Ceiling

I have come across a couple of references lately to anatidaephobia.  The definition of anatidaephobia is "the fear that somehow, somewhere, a duck is watching you."

Pretty funny, right?  Sadly, it appears that some folks actually believe this is a real phobia.  Another phobia that people seem to accept as real is arachibutyrophobia, the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of one's mouth.  My guess it that, if a word sounds impressive, people will believe it is representative of an actual medical condition.

Sadly, if one bothered to do a bit of research, it can easily be determined that anatidaephobia is a term coined by Gary Larson for a Far Side comic.  Arachibutyrophobia comes from a story written in 1985 by one Peter O'Donnell.  If you don't believe me, you can look it up.  As a matter of fact, I encourage you to look it up.  A little research is good for the mind.

And if you don't, you may wind up with a medical condition that I myself have coined - ambulatory endocolonic cranial implantation.  That's pseudo-intellectual verbiage for walking around with your head up your bum.

Today's post is brought to you by the word "gullible."

For your viewing pleasure, I give you this short video on the pandemic scourge of gullibilty.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI

And finally, here is the comic that inspired this post.

From the Sublime to the Ridiculous

My last post dealt with precooled jet engines, which is a pretty impressive and cerebral topic.  So today I am going to discuss a comic strip - it is not nearly as impressive as jet engines, but it is still fairly cerebral.  The comic to which I am referring is XKCD.  I have mentioned this strip in my blog before, but it merits another look.

I will point out that this little web comic is authored by one Randall Munroe, who was a former contractor for NASA.  So basically, this guy is just my dad, only with fewer wrinkles and a more twisted sense of humor. And to be perfectly honest, I don't really know how comparatively wrinkly Mr. Munroe may be.  My family's heritage is Scottish-English, and we have skin that ages pretty well.  However, I digress.

XKCD appeals to me because it takes on a variety of topics in intriguing ways.  I freely admit that I don't understand some of the computer-related jokes, but I do understand a majority of the strips.  I have even attached one or two of them to some physics tests for my students.  If they do understand them, I get to share the humor with them.

And if they don't, I get to enjoy the way they pretend to understand them so they don't look stupid to their classmates.  It's a win-win situation for me.

Today's post is dedicated to XKCD and wrinkle-free skin.

Further illustrating that there is a niche for anything you might care to Google, I have found an XKCD song on Youtube.  Boom-de-yada, indeed.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOsylvrwo3I

Finally, here is the recent comic that inspired me to write this post.