Visit the kelpforest....

If all has gone well, my two oldest should be at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, ogling all the pretties at the Tutankhamen exhibit. Angus was a bit upset to here there wouldn't actually be any mummies, but settled down once he heard there would probably be canopic jars - although, he would really like to see what was in them. The actual organic parts, I'm thinking, would be more the purview of the Natural History Museum. My brother took my dad to see it a couple of weeks ago, as a belated birthday present.

I'm kind of glad John's mom is willing to take the kids to these kinds of things - it would get kind of steep for us. Now, doesn't anyone want to take me? (and why thank you, yes I would like some cheese with that whine).

I have seen several articles in the papers lately pushing the idea that by pursuing big ticket exhibits like this, the museum is somehow selling out and not following their original goals, such as education, community outreach, supporting new artists and the like. But how about giving some people the opportunity to see some historical art that otherwise they might never get to see? Doesn't that figure into it somewhere? Twenty dollars is a heck of a lot cheaper than a trip to Egypt most people may never make.

I know I have a few vegetarians on my list. I think you must know by now that I am definitely not. Most of you who filled out the poll picked "Yes, I want the pure unadulterated senoritafish!" However, while I don't talk about food all that much, in case I happen to feel an urge, would you prefer I filter you out of things like that?

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Darn, just went to make a cup of coffee, and our lovely little boiling hot and refrigerated cold water taps by the sink in the breakroom are gone! Drat. Microwaved hot water just isn't the same. I may have to try it for some tea though; I need some caffeine.

At least the office seems slightly warmer this week, although I still wore my jacket most of the morning. Last week it was freezing in here all week. The building people said it was because of all of the office systems being off for the four day weekend, and it was taking awhile for the heat to get up to speed. Finally on Thursday, my boss held his hand up to the air vent and said he could feel some slight trickles of warm air coming out of it. I think what does come out the vents gets sucked straight out the floor to ceiling glass windows, because the inner rooms of the building always seem to be warmer. On a few days, it was definitely warmer outside. I know, here in southern California, that's not saying much, but damn it, it's been chilly lately. My feet weren't warm all last week.

I came in this morning to find a postcard on my desk, inviting me to donate my body for plastination. Apparently, PH had been to the Body Worlds exhibit at the California Science Center this weekend, and thought we might like to be added to the show. :p When DP asked if that's what he was planning to do when he croaked, he replied "Hell no!"

I hadn't heard this display was going on either. I saw an article in New Scientist saying the same scientist will be preserving a couple of giant squid in the same way, and forwarded it to VT. She told me some of her husband's students had been to his exhibition and taken pictures. I remember awhile ago when this exhibition was in London and hearing about protests; maybe they've been keeping this low key or something. In any case, it sounds vaguely creepy, as in several of the plasinated people are holding their brains in their hands, or balancing on top of them, but all for educational purposes. I was going to say I didn't feel any urge to go see this, but after looking at the two sites above, I'm beginning to feel curious. I have seen cadavers before, but this is a whole different thing. People report that actually seeing the real human body, how it's put together, and how it's affected by things like smoking, or where your duodenum is actually located, inspires them to take better care of their own.

According to the website, there are 300 plastinated bodies already extant, and another 6,000 willing to donate theirs after they die. However, while I do have my organ donor card filled out and nestled next to my driver's license, so I can do someone some immediate good if I'm suddenly squelched, I think I'd rather have the rest of my components just return to the natural cycle of things. Plant a tree on top of me, or scatter my ashes in the California Current and let the ocean take me where it will; maybe a foraminifer or a far off triton will use CaCO3 formed from my bones in its shell. Or you could scatter some of them here. There's a pretty little cemetery at the foot of that rock, overlooking the Tasman Sea, and I thought when I visited it in 1988 it would be a pleasant place to spend eternity.

edited: because apparently, I really like the word apparently.

So I've completely given up on the idea that this thing is just for myself. This is just for fun, mostly. But I hate offending people - if you don't ever want to see another dead fish or hear about another poopy diaper, or put up with me drooling about Jet Black...just tell me and I'll make a filter if I can.

Plus I'm curious, and I don't do polls very often. How about some of you who've seldom/never posted here?

[Poll #275463]

Edit: Feel free to answer this poll, even if you happen to run across it weeks, months, or years after it was posted. If you do, please make a comment so I know you responded.

How'd that happen? MH just strolled in my cube and handed me my wallet (somewhat embarrassing, because it's all worn out and dog-chewed) and said she had found it holding open the door downstairs. Now, my cardkey is in my wallet, which I keep in an outside pocket of my backpack. To open the door, I don't even take my wallet out, I just hold the pocket with the wallet in it up to the sensor, which I had done about 5 minutes before. When I thanked her and went to return my wallet to its proper pocket, that pocket was still zipped shut.

Mysteries, mysteries....