BUGS IN SPACE!

Okay, long story short:

You may know that Janie recently dressed up as a Ladybug for a Halloween Party. You may also know that ladybugs have varying numbers and patterns of spot which indicate thier SPECIES, not their age (although the colour of spots are an indicator of age). I came acorss this fact while looking up ladybug information for Janie's costume on the world wide web. While doing so I came across this page. Cute little page about "Ladybirds", not terribly accademic. You may notice, however, an interesting addtion on the bottum of the page.

LADYBUGS IN SPACE

For years scientists have known that ladybugs will climb a stalk to capture aphids and aphids will escape by falling off the stalk with the help of gravity. The burning question that still remained was how would the aphid's defense mechanisms work in the absence of gravity? In other words, what would the aphid do to escape the ladybug in space? Finally, in 1999 four ladybugs were sent into space on NASA's space shuttle led by Eileen Collins. Ladybugs and their favorite food, aphids, were sent to zero gravity to study how aphids would get away without the aid of gravity. After completing the mission, it was evident that ladybugs survived and did eat aphids in a microgravity environment. Seems like ladybugs could qualify being astronauts!

I simply couldn't believe what I read. Surely NASA has better things to put it's time and effort (not to mention cost?) towards than Ladybugs chasing aphids. So I decided to do a little back-checking. Detective Colvinson is out on the prowl!

NASA Quest, a resource page for children and teachers, sites a online chat session where children could ask real astronauts questions. Indeed, according to this interview with Eileen Collins, leader of the famed 1999 shuttle, Eileen says that they do plan on taking ladybugs into space.

And finally, here at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov, the ships itnerary is listed, including one Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) samples included ladybugs, aphids and caterpillars.

So the United States Government is in the habit of funding the exportation of BUGS into SPACE, in order to record any possible change in their dietary habits due to a lack of gravity. And what changes did they discover? None! Way to go, team!

Now, here is my purpose for this post. I would like to hear from you, the readers, in response to these questions: What purpose could such an experiment have? Commercial? Philosophical? Purely Recreational? And should we stop at Ladybugs? What if roaches eat differently in space? Or fireflies! And what of mammals? Purhaps bats hang rightside-up in space! May dogs can actually catch their own tails! How will we know unless we try? And Would it be unethical to put sheep into space, just to see the looks on their faces?

Respond Now! Inquiring minds need to know!
-DAve

(okay, long story short-ER. sorry.)

Halloween

I don't have much to say, but I thought it has been entire too long since one of us posted on here. So I drew a picutre of me at Janie's recent Brownies/Sparks Halloween bash. I went as a crayon, and realized that I love being chased and attacked by children.
-DAve

Free Cycling!

Dave and Sue will be especially proud of us for becoming Winnipeg Freecycle memebers. We haven't seen alot being posted that we need, or want, but we sure can't wait to get rid of stuff. Actually i have someone coming to pick something any time now! How fun!

Sue, do you guys get the "once a day" email of all the posts, or do you let all the emails go into a folder? We have a folder set up, and it sure does accumulate quickly. Any tips or tricks? Well, i have lots of things to get ready for my Brownie and Spark Halloween Party tomorrow night. I have to make jello for intestines, and spag for hair, and peel some grapes for eyes... i love scary type stories... cackle cackle... but not too scary, just silly scary.

- Janers

Snow Lion

I want to share something very special that happened this past week. It started with a dream I had. I dreamed of a giant Lion made of snow, and animals running and playing on him. The dream was soft and sweet, and when I woke up (cutting the dream short) I felt wonderful. I quickly realized that the dream was the last page of my favourite Waiting Room children's book. Doctor Garret's office always had two books that I'd get my mom to read me every time we had to wait there: Stone Soup and Snow Lion, and that second book is what my dream was about. It's a sweet little book about a lion who's too hot in the jungle and travels to the mountains. There he finds this wonderful white fluffy stuff. But when he tries to bring some home to show his friends, it disappears! Where has the fluffy stuff gone?

Oh, how I LOVED that book!

Well, a few days later, Janie and I went to Value Village looking for (what else?) ...values! Janie needed to dress up as a Lady Bug for her brownie meeting on Tuesday and so we checked out some neat stuff for a costume. We also got a red backpack for me and * *** ** ********* ******** for our friend Bre's birthday. THEN, we went to the Children's book section, and what do we find? BOTH Stone Soup AND Snow Lion! The very book I read as a child, the same book from the Doctor's office, and the same book I had the dream about? Now how cool is that!

It was an absolute JOY to read a childhood favourite again for the first time in 10/15 years. The pictures (so Wonderfully painted) and the story dug out such deep memories of times sat with mom in ugly waiting room chairs. Plus, having great books always made going to the doctor's office easier. I would absolutely recommend that if you have access to any of your childhood favourites, dig them out today and relive the wonder!

With fondness and nostalgia,
-Dave

For Abe - little lesson in History

Ha! That's great mum!

My mum made a great comment on my last post, so I thought I needed to share something with everyone. For mum's sake. For Abe's sake.

If you know someone, ANYONE, who looks like the 16th US president Abraham Lincoln, you are here-by under OBLIGATION to purchase or otherwise procure a Stove-Pipe Hat for that individual. Male or female, either way. It must be done. Mum, that especailly includes Pastor Laurie!

Furthermore, it will then be your responsiblity to start throwing "Four score and seven years ago" into any and all conversations with said individual, whenever possible.


"When was the last time we had a lunch meeting?"
"Oh, I'd say about four score, maybe seven years ago."

"Who won the game last night?"
"The Yankees. The score was four and seven years ago."
-DAve


PS> Isn't it funny how Lincoln said "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here," as part of his much-loved and oft-memorized Gettysburg Address? Then again, I think the speech only REALLY made it into the public eye when it was recited by those cute little kids in Schwarzenegger's 90's classic. Oh, the memories!

Happy

I came across an interesting quote the other day in an article about success (yes, everyone loves Quotes! But I like this one, so I thought I'd share).


"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
-Abraham Lincoln


Above is an artist's interpretaion of what Abe may have looked like at the time he said it (also presented in melodramatic greyscale). That thing in front is a podeum.

I think I would like to make up my mind to be happy. I certainly wouldn't want to make my mind up to be sad.

-Dave

Reading

Just a quote from a book i was reading this afternoon:

"My dignity as Abba's child is my most coherent sense of self. When i seek to fashion a self-image from the adulation of other and the inner voice whispers, "You've arrived; you're a player in the kingdom enterprise," there is no truth in that self-concept. When i sink into despondency and the inner voice whispers, "You are not good, a fraud, a hypocrite, and a dilettante," there is no truth in any image shaped from that message. As Gerald May has noted, "It is important to recognize these self-commentaries for the mind tricks they are. They have nothing to do with our real dignity. How we view ourselves at any given moment may have very little to do with who we really are."
- Brennan Manning, Abba's Child

Hmmm, good, truthful thoughts about being God's child. This book is like a wonderful bowl of soup; it certainly warms the inside with truth and fills you up for a long time.

-J

Growing, Growing, Grown

Hi Friends and Family,

Just a few update pictures here so you know how HOT i am still! SO we are sitting at about 28 weeks, approx. 6 mnths and a like one week along. In a little less than 3 mnths we will have this little baby of ours! Now comes the tougher part of being pregnant. My second trimester i was a blissful pregnant woman, now sleeping is getting a little harder, the baby kicks my bladder lots, my front end is actually starting to feel heavey, i can't bend over the hump like i could a few weeks ago, etc.... Nothing horrible, actually, everything quite normal i hear! I am glad the baby is growing, and still growing in me at that. Yesterday I saw a picture of a little baby born 3 mnths premature; way too tiny. Poor little baby just looked like it wanted to be back inside the womb. Somebody needed to snuggle that baby is a blankey. I have to be off to work now. Good days to all.
Janie

ornage juice

I am totaly bummed out. I am having some orange juice and checking my email and blog and such, and i totaly dumped a bunch on my WHITE shirt. Now i have to pick another shirt to wear this morning. But i picked this one cause i wanted to wear it... Janie and the horrible, terrrible, no good very bad day. Arg... hopefully things brighten up. I am off to church now, in a new shirt..
signing off,

Mad at Orange Juice

I really, REALLY wanted to blog today. But I couldn't really think of any one thing to write about. So I wrote a poem about my lunch.



My favourite bite in a bagel
Is the bite that just isn't there.
I snap my teeth tight
Yet there's nothing to bite
But deliciously-clean Bagel Air!

The bready bits 'round the outside
Are crunchy and tasty and neat.
But they cannot compare
To what's simply not there
A center so nothingly-sweet!






I think I've been reading too much Shel Silverstien. Or maybe just not enough. Anyways. Eat a bagel for me.
-DAve

Pigs are Getting Fat

In my elementary school we had to sing a song that went something like this: "Christmas is coming, Pigs are getting Fat, won't you please put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny and half a cent will do (very confusing to a young child who then tries to break her cents in half) if you haven't got a half a cent, God Bless You."
Christmas memories! You may be asking yourself why i am cherishing Christmas memories in Early October. Well today Dave and i pulled out our Christmas Decorations in preperation for our upcoming Christmas Party. This saturday anyone is invitied to attend our festivities! It will be silly to have our house all decked out for Christmas, but i think it will also be very enjoyable. Right now i have on a Christmas CD. I just love Christmas music. I have a little more baking to get done... nothing better than Christmas treats, and some cleaning to accomplish before i head off for a short day at work. Merry Ocotober to everyone! All i can think about is paper snowflakes.

Hello all. Dave here again.
I'm feelin' decidedly un-vivacious today. So I drew a little picture. It's me at my desk, in melodramatic greyscale. My favourite part is the sideburns.

One of the priest just said I look tired. But not like population tire. That's different.

This is my first ever "Blogger-break" at work (15 minute Blogger distractions). I think it's helped. Thanks for reading, everybody.
-DAve

In cog-Neato!

Greetings!

It is I, Dave Colvinson, once again returning to you through the wonders of cyber-space!

Here is a picture of me after my latest plastic surgery. The surgery part was that I trimmed the mustache. It got in my mouth and tasted funny, so I gave 'er a trimmin'.

SO!
What have I been up to lately? Well, I tried my hand at a little wood-working, as some of you know. I've recently been working my way through Megaman X for the SNES, which is challenging yet light-hearted; a bold encapsulation of the struggle between good and evil... which is to say evil robots.... which is also to say (EW! Janie is Gross! she tried to trick me into eating CELERY! Pooph!) which is also to say (EWW! Celery-flavoured kisses! Yuck!) which is also to say something else. I forget. I've also been trying to finish a board game based on my favourite online something, which, if I do say so myself, is truning out pretty darn awesome.

In closing, I loved Corpse Bride. It was so pretty and awesome. Seriously. I can't get it out of my head. I loved just about every second of it. If you liked Edward Scissor hands and The Nightmare before Christmas, then this movie is a must. If you didn't, if you thought they were too weird or something, then the story might be too creepy, I dunno. Janie was concerned that I wouldn't like it, but I was too ENTHRAWLED to note any such problems. The story was really good, the characters engaging and lovable (yes, including the dead ones), and such. But my goodness, the ART was IMPECIBLE. I saw my dreams jobs, all of them, up on screen and wrapped up so beautifully. Stop-motion abso-total-lutely rocks. I'm at a loss to describe the awesomeness. A wickedly wonderous film. Loved it. Two thumbs. Way to go Tim Burton for challenging the social stigma held by Westerns against the dead. Boo-yah.
-DAve

Cravings!

Dave and I are doing wonderful! We don't have many plans for thanksgiving weekend. We will probably go to our friends house one of the days for a group dinner, but nothing has really been planned yet. Anyone want a Dave and Janie at their dinner??? I have almost forgotten that it is Thanksgiving; the month of september has just blown by. Plus, it is snowing today! We are getting the end of a storm that apparently blew in from Colorado. The snow is not suppose to stay very long, maybe until friday. I am hoping for a sunny saturday, sunday and monday. Maybe that is greedy, but i could really use a sunny, beautiful, crisp Thanksgiving weekend! It is sorta funny to look outside and see snow, it will be even more interesting to go out in it today and wait for the bus.
This fun picture is of Dave and me eating garlic bread at 11:30 at night. A few days ago, sunday evening actually, i totaly had a craving for garlic bread, but everything is closed on Sunday evening and we didn't want to go to a resturant. Instead we waited a few days and then rushed into safeway just before closing and bought garlic bread. Dave says this is my first "late night" craving! Oh, we also bought some ice cream just in case! It was fun, so we took a picture. I feel like my tummy is getting bigger by the week, sometimes by the day. This is a good thing i know; i wouldn't want anybody to stop growing!
I have lots of things on my todo list today so i had better get going on that!

Take Care all