Peep House of Horrors

So I had a graduation party for myself last Saturday, because I am so happy to be graduated, and it was a reason to invite everyone over. And we made Peep dioramas. So I thought I would post them below, since everyone decided to leave them at my house for my dog to drool over and my daughter to play with (and, given their violent content, this is no easy thing to explain to her. "Why is this one in a cage Mommy? What are these ones doing Mommy? What is this one doing Mommy?"). I would also like to note, for the record, that certain people refused to participate in this very, very fun activity. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.


This is Cheryl's happy summery peep rendition, perhaps the only non-violent one of the bunch.


Anna's peep C-section.



Jason's peep siege/battle. Chickie wanted to know what the catapult was. She thought it was some weird sort of see-saw.




This is Justin's. I think it's some sort of hunting thing. Chickie was very disturbed by the peep in the cage, and really, really wants to set it free. What can I say, like mother, like daughter.



Alicia's "Lord of the Peeps".


Chad's Pirate Peeps. Note the violent use of toothpicks in what, at first glance, seems like a nice sailboat outing.




Dana's "Peep Extinction Theories: 1) Glaciers, 2) Peep-Pox, 3) Meteors, 4) Alien Abduction"


Sean's Peeps in a boat.


This is mine, and yes, it's Peeps roasting other Peeps over a fire. See this post for explanation.

Microphobia R Us

Once upon a time I worked as a Teaching Assistant, teaching Intro to Biology Labs. One of the labs that we did with the students was to provide them agar plates (used to grow bacteria and molds). They divided it into four quadrants. We gave them 4 toothpicks, which they rubbed on any surface they wanted, and then rubbed each toothpick on a quadrant. The next week they came back to see what “grew” in each quadrant. Gross and true: the bottom of your shoe is usually cleaner than a doorknob. Good intro to Microbiology. So this lab was really good at the visual effect, and grossing students out (also, never, ever, ever eat anything off a lab bench, no matter how well you think you cleaned or disinfected it. I don’t care about the 5-second rule. It does not apply in the laboratory.). But it stopped there. I mean, it didn’t explain anything about hand-washing (getting the microbes off your hands before they get to your mouth – most infections get to you through the oral route you know). It also failed to discuss the immune system, and how exposure to microbes is how you build immunological memory and antibodies. Without exposure, you have none of that. And really, we are exposed to billions and billions of those things every single day. It’s not until we see it on that agar plate that we are grossed out.



We have become this microbophobic society. We have antimicrobial handwash, babywipes, soaps, spray, lotion, bugspray, dishsoap, pesticides, etc. We have automatic flush toilets, automatic sinks, automatic towel dispensers, automatic hand dryers, automatic soap dispensers. Okay, so who cares that we are wasting water, one of our most important resources? Personally, I do not need my bum washed while I am on the can. Also, everyone uses their foot to flush normal toilets anyway, so why not just do what everyone is already doing, and make them foot-flush toilets? It would save on water, and we wouldn’t have to worry about getting wet bums. And there’s got to be a better way to engineer sinks. Some of the ones with the long handles allow you to turn them on and off with your elbows. That, at least, makes elbows useful for something else besides hitting your sister (and hey, if she gets a few extra germs, why do you care?). Automatic hand dryers I generally avoid, unless they are those Xcelerator dryers that are super-turbo charged, to the point where they actually move your skin around and dry your hands in something like 3.5 seconds. I am fascinated by them something unnatural. But automatic soap dispensers just scare me. First of all, they are just weird. Secondly, they all make some kind of growling noise that must reach back deep into the depths and recall something primal inside of me that says, “RUN, something is trying to eat you!” Because that is what I feel like doing. Also, if there is anything in the bathroom that you should be able to touch, I would think it would be the soap dispenser, right?

There’s got to be a better solution. I propose that we take some of the engineers who work on baby stuff (have you seen some of the stuff they make? The Pack-n-Play? I mean, this stuff is amazing) and set them to work. These people are brilliant. Of course, we can't take all of them; we wouldn’t want the kids to suffer. But just a few of their minds would at least improve the situation I think.

Feminization du Monde

Rachel Carson's Silent Spring has been credited much with forcing society to take a larger look at what chemicals we are putting into the environment, and what effects that has in the long-term, for the health of the environment, ecology, other species, and ourselves. Of particular note was the use of the pesticide DDT and its effect on bird eggs, which were noticably thinner, as well as on the reproductive capacity of birds. DDT has also been found to affect alligators in Florida, effectively "feminizing" the males; build-up of the compound in the system blocks the androgens (male hormone) in their system. Interestingly, sometimes these "environmental estrogens" actually physically mimic and resemble their natural counterparts, while other times they simply use the same mechanisms (McLachlan and Arnold, American Scientist, 1996). These compounds have since been implicated in adverse health effects, ranging from increased allergies to cancer.

So, how might one come into contact with these estrogen-mimicking compounds? One way is as easy as mastication. Phytoestrogens (estrogen or estrogen-like compounds found in plants) can be found in clover, soybeans, other legumes such as rye, and some fruits and veggies. Then there are some that are due to fungal growth (mycoestrogens) which grow on grains; the grain is then fed to the cattle; or the mycoestrogen is used to create a hormonal supplement that is given to the cattle; either way it is present in small amounts in the cattle (hormonally supplemented meat). Mycoestrogens (from fungus) were also used at one time to produce a type of birth control; this was revolutionary since it was a non-steroidal source.

Okay, now onto more environmental estrogens introduced by humans (source here):
- pesticides (as mentioned previously insecticides like DDT, endosulfan, dieldrin, methoxychlor, toxaphene, chlordane; herbicides such as alachlor, atrazine and nitrofen; fungicides such as benomyl, mancozeb and tributyl tin; nematocides such as aldicarb adn dibromochloropropane)
- products associated with plastics (bisphenol A, phthalates)
- medications (drug estrogens - birth control pills, DES, cimetidine)
- ordinary household products (breakdown products of detergents and associated surfactants, including nonylphenol and octylphenol)
- industrial chemicals (polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin and benzo(a)pyrene)
- heavy metals (lead, mercury, and cadmium)


But, it does not seem to be enough that our environment, our fellow creatures, and our physiological bodies are becoming feminized. Our culture appears to be trending that direction as well. Or at least making the attempt. Maybe it just wants to 'fit in'. Maybe it's something I just haven't caught on to. But whatever it was, it bothered me throughout the entire movie. I am talking about Barnyard. The first few minutes were okay, because none of the cows were really talking. But once they starting talking, and you realized that ALL the cows had udders, even the MALES, it was disturbing! After that, I really had a hard time paying attention. And at the end of the movie, when the little calf is born, the midwife-cow says, "It's a boy!", all I could think was "How can you tell?" I mean, I'm not saying we need to be all realistic or anything, or even Barbie-prim and put fake plastic clothing on certain parts. But, really, udders on all of them? Do you think the PG-audience (check, the movie is RATED PG) will not recognize the cows if they do not all have udders? Or even that, say, those younger children whose parents are letting them watch this movie, will not realize that they are watching a bunch of cows running around? Because, really, I think we get the point. Personally, I was sold with the spots.

The Downfall of Mankind

So I was having a discussion with a guy the other day, and he said that men liking women was the Downfall of Mankind. Now, I can see this being the case, for social and power-struggle type reasons.

But look at it the other way. Men liking men could also be the Downfall of Mankind. If simply for biological reasons.

However, I would like to add this point (especially since I was having this discussion with a guy): he did not argue with me that the Downfall of Mankind was The Man's Fault.

Women in the Sciences (Or, My Week)

As part of earning my Bachelors in Biology, I was required to take a "Capstone" course in Natural Sciences. A section of this course involved learning about Women in the Sciences, and the struggles that they had gone through to make a place for current women in the sciences. The fact that early women who had chosen to have a scientific career had not also had the option to have a family; that they had been derided for their choice of career over family; that their intellect had been insulted constantly; that they often did not receive proper credit for their ideas; but that they chose to persist anyways. The idea was that, for the most part, this was not the case today, and that the current problem was convincing women to choose scientific careers rather than other available options.

So I work in a scientific discipline. Often my supervisor (also a woman) and I visit sites together, because we work well together. Often I am out alone. These days I am usually the only woman on the site.

This week:
- I was asked if I was on match.com (before you get your hopes up, no, I'm not).
- I was whistled at by a contractor before I had even finished approaching the group of men on the site.

Now, let me say this: being whistled at is not a compliment as far as I'm concerned, especially when I am there to do a job. This is at least the fourth time it's happened (although not the strangest. Once it was a mailman driving by. One expects better things from our postal servicemen.) Also, so far as I know, I have yet to be whistled at when I'm not working. And, as far as I know, none of the guys I work with have been whistled at, so it's not a Hey-Let's-Annoy-the-State-Worker kind of thing either.

So, men, what's the deal?

All Lost in the Supermarket

Okay, so I hate grocery shopping. Which means that I do my best to avoid it as much as possible, stretching it out until I absolutely run out of milk. Which is basically every two weeks, if I'm lucky. The location of my store is nice, in that I can walk to it in less than 15 minutes. But I don't know where everything is, and I am convinced that they know ahead of time, somehow, what I am going to need that week, and are determined to be out of at least one item. Or at least not stock it. On purpose. Much like one of my sisters, growing up, would intuitively know what sweater I would decide to wear the next morning, and would sneak it out of my closet the night before. I mean, I didn't even know what I was going to wear until I got up, so how did she always manage to pick that very sweater the night before?

So yesterday Chickie and I went grocery shopping, mainly because I was down to my last 1/3 cup of milk. And needed other stuff too. And I think the people in the grocery store are starting to know me a little, mainly as "that woman who rants and raves about stuff." Which is probably not good, but they haven't thrown me out yet. Yesterday there was no whole wheat raisin bread. But, they also keep this on the top shelf, so I have to stand on all the other shelves in order to find this out. So not only do I look like a nut standing on the shelf (and setting a nice example for my 4-year-old), I am also a little peeved when I find out that they are completely out of what I am looking for. Which means I start verbally railing against the shelving and the other people who took all the bread. The only solution I can think of at this point is disco shoes.

So, at other points, I have also ranted and raved, while pacing in the aisle, about:
- The lack of pure maple syrup at this store. Sorry, I do not like fake syrup.
- My inability, after much searching, to locate the rice cakes. Are they with the snack food, the cereal, the popcorn, what??? Do they just not sell rice cakes at that store?
- They have a bakery department, which sells lots of kinds of bread and bagels. They do not, however, make or sell individual donuts. What is up with that? Especially when those are used by certain of us mothers to bribe our children into behaving at the grocery store.
- This store only sells red grapes. Also, they are not out with the rest of the produce, but are hidden away in a little dark inlet, as if intended for some secret grape-sacrificing ceremony, and not for public consumption.

I think those are the only things so far, although I'm sure there will be more in the future. That's just the kind of relationship I have with this store.

Long Live the Mycophycophyta!

I bet you have no idea what that word means, but don’t worry, I’m getting there. Mycophycophyta is the phylum name for Lichens. Since I took a Fungi course last fall, I thought I would elaborate on some interesting points I learned about lichens, since they really are pretty cool. Lichens, in case you were not aware, are a mutualistic symbioses between a fungus and either an algae species or a species of cyanobacteria. The fungus brings in the water and minerals, while the algae/cyanobacteria brings home the carbon compounds. Most lichens are 95% fungus, so the fungus gets to be boss and determine the shape of the organism. There are classifications based on shape, but we won’t get into that here, since that is not interesting to most people. However, lichens do not have any roots or absorptive organs, and live without soil, so they are dependent on rain for nutrients. This makes them very sensitive to pollution; so if you see them in an area, it is a good indicator of clean air.

Now for some interesting facts:


- Usnea fillipendula (“fishbone beard lichen”) contains usnic acid, which is a natural antibiotic. It has been used since ancient times throughout the world as a remedy.
- Cladinas are the lichens you see used for shrubbery on your grandfather’s train set.
- Parmelia omphalodes and P. saxatilis have been used by the Scots, Irish, and Laplanders to make dye. However, lichens only grow 1-10 mm a year, so these species tend to quickly become rare, and synthetic dyes are more commonly used now.
- Litmus paper is made from lichen.
- Due to the slow growth rate of lichens, they have been used to date rock surfaces (such as cracks caused by faults and shifting bedrock). Lichens have also been used to date surfaces when carbon dating fails. A minimum date is determined using the diameter of the largest lichen at a site. For more, see: Armstrong, R.A. (2004). Lichens, Lichenometry and Global Warming. Microbiologist, 9: 32-35.
- Lichens are also being explored as a natural alternative for herbicides and pesticides. Usnic acid, a product of some lichens, inhibits cartenoid synthesis, which bleaches the leaves of some plants (this results in a decline in chlorophylls and carotenoids). Synthetically created versions have already been used in creating herbicides. Other lichen products, such as depsides, barbatic acid, and lecanorin, act as PSII inhibiting herbicides, through the interruption of photosynthetic electron transport in chloroplasts. For more information, see: Becker 2001 and Dayan and Romagni 2001.
- Lichens are not poisonous, and can be considered ‘edible’, if, say, you are hopelessly lost in the woods and out of food; or dropped out of a helicopter by aliens with no supplies and have no idea what any of the plants around you are (and don’t go by what the animals are eating; their digestive systems are different than ours).