No respect

This post might rate a giant "Duh!"

I cannot recall the last time - and I suspect it was never - that one party (the Republicans) showed such disrespect for the other party's (Democrat's) President.  

Some people actually think that since we passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that racism is a thing of the past in this country.  Some people are truly delusional.  I can't help but wonder how much of the antipathy and disrespect shown to Obama stems from the fact that he is partly "black." 

On my lunch

For several weeks now, the wife and I have been eating a different type of lunch damn near every day. Inspired by Mark Sisson and his "Primal Blueprint," this lunch has become my all-time favorite.  A great thing about it is that it can be the same basic type of lunch every day, but changed enough from one day to another to be different every day, and it will still be awesomely delicious.

What is it called?  I guess a name for it would be a good idea .... how about ... "bowl"?  Or maybe "bowl of fruit" or "bowl of yogurt" would be more accurate.

Here is a picture of today's bowl while I was sitting inside on the 3rd floor (oh, of course, if you click on the pic, it will become a pretty large bowl):

But what does it look like in the sunlight? I'm sure you are not wondering.  Regardless, below is another picture of today's bowl, this one in natural light outside on the deck in the shade (which is another great thing about it - you can take it almost anywhere with no muss or fuss):

Too much?  

Today's ingredients were:

• yogurt (Yoplait today)
• fresh strawberries
• fresh raspberries
• fresh blueberries
• fresh blackberries
• fresh pineapple
• fresh kiwi
• tomatoes (from our garden)
• granola (Love Crunch)
• pumpkin seeds
• cinnamon sprinkled all over

Here's a close-up macro of today's bowl that I call "Macro Lunch."

Now THAT'S too much.

So in addition to the ingredients listed above, you can add in practically anything else.  Use yogurt as a base to pull everything together.  Here's a grossly incomplete list of:

Optional Ingredients:

• Apples
• Pears
• Plums
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Raisins
• Mango
• Papaya
• Guava
• Passion fruit
• Cucumber
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Onion
• Olives
• Basil
• Dill
• Garlic
• Cilantro
• Pecans
• Walnuts
• Macadamia (whole or crushed)
• Pine Nuts
• Almonds (whole or sliced)
• Sesame seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Cranberries (dried - most dried fruit, for that matter)
• Ginger (grated)
• Chocolate
• Cottage Cheese

The list is almost endless.  

A great aspect of Sisson's Primal Blueprint is Mark's "80/20 principle."  Which means, don't sweat trying to "always" adhere to the Primal "rules" 100% of the time.  If you can "exist" Primally for only 80% of the time, that's great.  20% of the time, or, "now and then" you consume or behave "non-Primally."  Hmm ... sure are a lot of "quote marks" in there.

Try it!  To your health!

Chinese Wal-Mart

Goody goody yum yum!

Welcome to a CHINESE Wal-Mart! We thought our Wal-Marts had it all. Crocodiles. Bulk Rice. Mixed meat for the choosing. (I'm sure they all washed

their hands first!!!) This is all so sanitary, isn't it? Turtles and frogs. Yum, Yum!! You guess! (It looks familiar, but

definitely not something that I've eaten, 
or going to!  Those are bull penises.

Walmart Brand Spirits Rib Cages. (From what?) (or who?) So sanitary again! Assorted Dried Reptiles. (I was actually craving that!!! Honest) Beautiful Boxes Of Liquor. Frogs. A Large Selection Of Chopsticks. Ducks on a rack (They say it tastes just like chicken!!!) Great Value Brand Beef Granules. Pig Faces. (I'm drooling all over my shirt!!!) Antibacterial Bikini Underwear For Men. Diet Water. (HMMM.) Meat Water. (Notice the flavors on the bottles) Specialty Pickles. (Just like "Cracker Jacks" a prize in every jar!) 100% Powdered Horse Milk (no ponies!). Gosh . .. . And North American Wal-Marts only Have crazily dressed people ! ! !

sea foam!!

Last week in Australia, a nearby tropical storm really churned up the ocean offshore, producing a massive amount of sea foam that....wait, what?!  Massive waves of sea foam.  Let's see, in December they had this freak gigantic red wave offshore, and in January tons of sea foam.  Just par for the course?

Here's what NOAA has to say about sea foam:

Sea foam forms when dissolved organic matter in the ocean is churned up

If you scoop up some water from the ocean in a clear glass and look at it closely, you'll see that it's chock full of tiny particles. Seawater contains dissolved salts, proteins, fats, dead algae, and a bunch of other bits and pieces of organic matter. If you shake this glass of ocean water vigorously, small bubbles will form on the surface of the liquid.

Sea foam forms in this way — but on a much grander scale — when the ocean is agitated by wind and waves. Each coastal region has differing conditions governing the formation of sea foams.

Algal blooms are one common source of thick sea foams. When large blooms of algae decay offshore, great amounts of decaying algal matter often wash ashore. Foam forms as this organic matter is churned up by the surf.

Most sea foam is not harmful to humans and is often an indication of a productive ocean ecosystem. But when large harmful algal blooms decay near shore, there are potential for impacts to human health and the environment. Along Gulf coast beaches during blooms of Karenia brevis, for example, popping sea foam bubbles are one way that algal toxins become airborne. The resulting aerosol can irritate the eyes of beach goers and poses a health risk for those with asthma or other respiratory conditions. Scientists studying the cause of a seabird die-offs off California in 2007 and in the Pacific Northwest in 2009 also found a soap-like foam from a decaying Akashiwo sanguinea algae bloom had removed the waterproofing on feathers, making it harder for birds to fly. This led to the onset of fatal hypothermia in many birds.

Stop Pebble

Stop the Pebble Mine

February stargazing

Where is the closest Observatory from where you live? 
   

Click me!!

...and from the good folks at the McDonald Observatory in West Texas...it's time to gaze upward again.  Or....outward.  

February, named for Februus, the Roman god of purification.

The cold February evenings offer some of the brightest stars in the entire night sky. Sirius, the brightest of all, climbs across the south, trailing below and behind beautiful Orion. Taurus, the bull, looks down on them. From the southern United States the second-brightest star, Canopus, huddles below Sirius. And brilliant Capella lords over them all from high overhead. Among the planets, only dazzling Jupiter puts in a good showing this month, although Mercury just peeks into view in the west for a few evenings around mid-month.

More stargazing information »

Support StarDate: Help us keep our date with the stars by making a tax-deductible donation to StarDate.

February 4-10 - Quasars: The most brilliant objects in the universe are quasars — beacons that are visible across billions of light-years. Yet they're powered by the darkest objects in the universe: black holes. Join us for quasars and more.

February 11-17 - On Guard: An asteroid as big as a building will buzz past Earth this week, and we'll have details. We'll also tell you about efforts to find more of these space rocks, and what we might do if one is on a collision course.

February 18-24 - The North Star: Despite Shakespeare's assertion to the contrary, the North Star, Polaris, is anything but steady. It pulses in and out like a beating heart, changing in brightness as it does so. Join us for the North Star and much more.

February 25-28 - Tiny Black Holes: The Big Bang may have created a profusion of tiny black holes. Unlike other black holes, some of these might be evaporating in bright explosions. Join us for tiny black holes — including some that might be made in the lab.

February program schedule »

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In our March/April issue, bone up on the different types of exploding stars called supernovae, and why they matter. Also, find out why binoculars are great for stargazing and learn how to view some of the best binocular sights in the sky.

Subscribe today »

Exocomets May be as Common as ExoplanetsComets trailing wispy tails across the night sky are a beautiful byproduct of our solar system’s formation, icy leftovers from 4.6 billion years ago when the planets coalesced from rocky rubble. The discovery by astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Clarion University in Pennsylvania of six likely comets around distant stars suggests that comets -- dubbed “exocomets” -- are just as common in other stellar systems with planets. The astronomers based their discovery on work with the Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory.

Your membership in the Friends of McDonald Observatory will help us serve thousands of K-12 students and teachers a year through engaging, inquiry-based science programs, and will extend the wonder of astronomy and space science to millions of others in the U.S. through our public education and outreach programs and StarDate Radio broadcasts.

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Hiding Places

Billowing clouds of warm interstellar dust glow bright orange in this combined visible and radio view of a part of the Orion Molecular Complex, a vast region that is giving birth to new stars.

 
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SkyTips is a publication of the University of Texas McDonald Observatory Education and Outreach Office, 2609 University Ave. A2100, Austin, TX 78712. Reproduction of SkyTips content is permitted with proper credit given to McDonald Observatory.