I Finally Got Out

So I finally got my butt out on the lake. I think the last time I went kayaking was in January when we had a few 70 degree days. The lake was so beautiful. I didn't do the length of it because it would have been too much but I did a sort of diagonal trek that was just right. The water temp wasn't too bad either, I think if it were a little warmer out I would not have minded falling in.

Next task is to get the pool opened

Viagra helps hamsters overcome jet lag

But researchers had to turn down dosage to shrink a certain side effect...
(is that a carrot in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me???)

WASHINGTON - The male impotence drug Viagra may be useful for treating jet lag as well, according to Argentine researchers who gave it to hamsters made to feel like rodent globe-trotters.

The researchers manipulated the schedule of turning lights on and off to induce jet lag in the laboratory animals, they reported on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Adult male hamsters given Viagra, also called sildenafil, recovered from jet lag up to 50 percent faster than hamsters that were not given it, the researchers said.

The scientists stopped giving the hamsters the highest dose they had been using in the experiment due to a certain side effect.

“However, we used the intermediate dose for the rest of the experiments because at that dose animals did not manifest the effects of sildenafil-induced penile erections,” they wrote.

Flying across multiple time zones can confuse one’s sleep-wake cycle, resulting in the condition called jet lag, marked by insomnia, sleepiness and difficulty concentrating.

Researchers Patricia Agostino, Santiago Plano and Diego Golombek of the Universidad Nacional de Quilmes in Buenos Aires gave doses of Viagra to the hamsters at night, then switched on bright lights six hours early to simulate eastbound flight.

They judged how well the hamsters adjusted to the changes by observing when they began running on exercise wheels.

The drug helped the rodents cope with jet lag only when given before the equivalent of an eastbound flight, not the reverse when they delayed turning on lights to simulate westbound travel, the study found.

This article raises some questions, the first being how in God's name did they stumble on this? Did Fuzzy the hamster find Professor Limpet's viagra stash then it took a flight to meet some female hamster in Tahiti? The second, and more frightening one is what does a hamster with a hard on look like?
Yikes!

A Joke from Mom

A little boy wanted $100.00 very badly and prayed for weeks, but nothing happened. Then he decided to write God a letter requesting the $100.00

When the postal authorities received the letter to God , USA , they decided to send it to the President.

The president was so amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5.00 bill. The president thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy.

The little boy was delighted with the $5.00 bill and sat down to write a thank-you note to God, which read:

Dear God: Thank you very much for sending the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you sent it through Washington, DC., and those assholes deducted $95.00 in taxes.

Sunday in the City

We went in to NYC to celebrate my Aunt Grace's 90th birthday yesterday. She really is doing very well. So far she holds the family record of longevity. Her main health issue is that she can't hear (as opposed to my Mom who doesn't listen - but can hear). We went to a nice little Italian place in da' Bronx called Josephina's.

Afterwards, Dana, myself and the boys went down to Manhatten to visit the Museum of Nostril History as Jack calls it. They are having an exhibit on GOLD that is really very interesting. They have many old coins adn pieces that were made centuries ago. They also had a scale that tells you what you are worth in $$$ using $600 a troy ounce as the measure.
I'm worth over $1, 650, 000 :-)
Another very cool thing they had was a room that was about 12x12x12 (ft) that was lined with only 3 ounces of gold. That is a coin about the size of a Kennedy 50 cent piece. Not very big at all. It was to show how malible the metal is. They also had some Grammys, Oscars and other awards on display along with other GIANT nuggets that have been dug up. We are members of the Museum for two years but this was the first time that I was able to make it in. Dana had taken the boys there before once or twice. I'm looking forward to getting in to see more things over the summer. We also saw some of the dinosaurs and spent some time in teh bird area. the great tihing about being a member is that you can go in for 1/2 an hour if you want and it's not like you spent a lot of money and didn't get your monies worth.

Not to backtrack to Friday at work...It is so hard to come home some days and say what a rough day I had. I got an email around 9 am from a friend in the Design dept. They dictated that at 9:30 am, it would be bananna split time. A few people chipped in and bought banannas, ice cream, whipped cream, cherries, choc syrup, sprinkles, nuts and other goodies. What a company! I asked what the occasion was and there was none other than it was Friday. I said that we can do this because we are grown ups and we're allowed to eat ice cream for breakfast.
My kids couldn't believe it...
It was a good day

What a Prick this Guy Is

White House to quickly replace Wolfowitz
WASHINGTON - Trying to put a controversy behind it, the Bush administration was wasting no time finding a successor to World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, who will resign over his handling of a pay package for his girlfriend.

Wolfowitz on Thursday announced that he would step down at the end of June, his leadership undermined by a furor over the compensation he arranged in 2005 for Shaha Riza, a bank employee.

His departure ends a two-year run at the development bank that was marked by controversy from the start, given his previous role as a major architect of the Iraq war when he served as the No. 2 official at the Pentagon...

...Wolfowitz waged a vigorous battle to save his job and maintained he had acted in good faith. He was all but forced out, however, by the finding of a special bank panel that he violated conflict-of-interest rules in his handling of Riza's pay package.

This guy has been a real a-hole from day one. He was the mastermind of the Iraq war. He sure did a wonderful job on that one. We are in deeper shit than ever before with no end in sight. I just can't believe how much this administration has fucked up the world in only 6 years or so, remarkable. Then, they (Bush) appoints him to head the World Bank. They have very strict policies against nepotism and this clown gets his girlfriend a nice job and a payraise then he tries to weasle out of it. I can't wait to see where Bush puts him next...

The Perfect Sponsor - Pop Tarts

From Soup to Nuts (Part II)

Wisconsin festival sells deep-fried testicles

ELDERON, Wis. - Around here, it may be tough to pass up anything deep-fried. Wisconsinites have deep-fried cheese curds, candy bars and Twinkies. They now have deep-fried livestock testicles, too.

More than 300 people paid $5 for all-you-can-eat goat, lamb and bull testicles Saturday at the ninth annual Testicle Festival at Mama's Place Bar and Grill in Elderon in central Wisconsin.
"Once you get over the mental (aspect) of what you're eating, it's just like eating any other food, and it tastes good," Buster Hoffman said.

Festival founder Nancy Fenske said the festival grew out of her late husband Roger's birthday party 12 years ago. They decided to have "a nut fry" at Mama's Place after bringing back lamb fries from a trip to Montana.

The event grew every year and now they fry up to 100 pounds of testicles, she said.
"What else can you do in a small town?" Fenske said.

Butch Joubert, 58, likes the parts sandwiched between bread with tartar sauce. They're not so different from regular meatballs also served at the festival, he said.
"After a few beers, you can't really tell the difference,"
Joubert said.

The perfect side dish for this meal

Instant Karma's Gonna Get You...

Can't say that I'm glad or sad but talk about a bad decision...

Hitchhiker steals car, then dies in crash

OTTAWA (Reuters) - A Canadian hitchhiker, who stole an elderly man's car after he offered her a ride, died a few minutes later when she lost control of the vehicle and crashed into trees, police said.

The crash happened near the town of Hawkesbury -- about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Ottawa -- after the man stopped to pick up 20-year-old Mandy Deschambeault.

"The male driver proceeded to step out of his vehicle momentarily at which point the female jumped in the driver seat, stealing the male person's car," local police said in a statement Monday.

"She proceeded to lose control of the ... car, crossing the other lane hitting trees. The female was ejected from the vehicle and found to be without vital signs."

Deschambeault was pronounced dead in hospital

Squirt!

From Soup to Nuts

It seems that we have to be careful what we ask of our spouses. I have not mentioned this as of late, but I used to post a lot about Dana's cooking prowess or lack thereof. So look what's for dinner tonight.

What!!!! Penis soup again???

Almost There

Monday morning I was on my way to my regular Monday ritual. I stopped at the Deli that is on the lake and caught this beautiful sunrise. It's a little hard to see but there is a mist rising from the lake and also the beginnings of a sun pillar. When I stepped out of my car to take this picture, a Blue Heron flew right overhead (no, it didn't shit on me). Monday was a good day.
On my way back from NYC, I stopped in at work to get a feel for what is happening there and to give them a head's up that I was returning Tuesday (today). It was good to stop in and get many of the hello's out of the way. I started back at work today after being out since March 1st. It was a long time but it was so nice to get back in the saddle of work again. I hope to start kayaking in the next week or two. Nothing intense but I need to get out to recharge my spirit.

This shot below is of our Apple tree in bloom. They are Red Delicious Apples














click on the images for larger views

Spam and Hot Tuna

Spamalot in September


















Hot Tuna in December at the Beacon Theater in NYC, can't wait.

Spring has Sprung

Tree in Central Park NYC




This is a combo Apple and Cherry tree we have in our back yard that is just starting to bloom. It's such a cool tree.

Eye See