Fish death

Just lost another platy.  Another one of the green neon teenagers, only born last spring.  She must have just died, because the other fish hadn’t gotten to her at all.

When I scooped her out of the tank I took a closer look.  She wasn’t pregnant, like her smaller sister is currently, but she did have the bent spine I’ve seen on several of the newer platys.  I assume this is a result of the massive inbreeding that takes place to produce the distinct varieties found in the fish store.  Still, it’s not nearly as bad as what they do to dogs in Japan.

I can only hope that re-combining the different platy varieties will lead back to a stronger, more viable fish.  Also, I’m going to get my water checked on Saturday.  And possibly buy some more females (of a different variety); the male/female ratio in the tank has gotten far too skewed towards the male side and I think they’re starting to harass the poor females too much.

Current Mood: 🙁sad

The Voyage of the Mimi

Does anyone else remember the Voyage of the Mimi?  I don’t even remember what Gill and I were talking about the other day, but I asked if she had seen this series when she was in school and I was surprised that she hadn’t.

For those in the same boat (sorry, no pun intended), this was a TV program that I watched in school back in… fifth grade, I think.  Maybe sixth.  The Mimi was a sailboat and the plot concerned a young kid spending the summer with his grandfather, the boat’s captain, who had been chartered to ferry a scientific expedition out studying whales.  Along the way, they got shipwrecked on an island and had to live off the land.  Each episode had a teaching segment, talking about some scientific principle or field.

Looking it up on the internet, I discovered that the young kid was actually Ben Affleck.  Weird.

So, was I alone in this experience?

Current Mood: 😕curious

Coolest thing ever

Doctor Who Tardis 4-Way USB Hub:

The Doctor Who Tardis USB Hub boasts four ports in which to plug your various gizmos. Simply plug in and you’re away. But here’s the good bit: every time you connect or disconnect a device, the blue light on the top of the Tardis flashes and that unmistakable de-materialisation ‘vworp, vworp’ sound starts sawing away at your lugholes. Thankfully it doesn’t actually vanish into the time vortex, so you can enjoy the classic grating din again and again by plugging in more devices or pressing the demo button.

If I ever need to have a laptop for work I am so getting one of these.

Current Mood: geeky

Buffalo could’ve handled this – Erie doesn’t see it often enough

Action News 24:

* As many as 50 vehicles were involved in a deadly pile-up on Interstate 90 Thursday afternoon.
* The crash closed the highway in both directions all afternoon.
* The chain reaction crash happened on I-90 between the Wesleyville and Harborcreek Exits.
* More than a dozen motorists were injured, and there was at least one confirmed fatality.
* Miles of backed up traffic in both directions hampered emergency vehicles, paramedics, and even the coroner from reaching the scene in a timely manner.
* A multi-car accident also closed a portion on Interstate 79 South.
* Crews responded to a six car accident between McKean and Edinboro.
* Two minor injuries were reported.
* The accident brought cars to a standstill for several hours.
* I-79 re-opened at 3:30 p.m.
* All of this happened during a heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures in the teens.

Holy hell I’m glad I stayed home for the worst of this. The ride into work was certainly interesting; I more skidded into the parking lot than turned into it.

Current Mood: 😴tired