romunov’s blog et al

Took out some “gunk” from the wall and stuck it under my Flintstone microscope.
I found diatoms, dinoflagellates, rotifers, cyanobacteria, copepods, an exuvium of a copepod, nematodes, a dead carcase of a crustacean (unidentifiable by me) that has probably been eaten by cilliates and dinoflagellates.

Here are some images:

For the past few days, I’ve joined servers that have disabled trench guns (shot guns), but leave the Russian bullet spitter. I’m so ticked of at this. The Russian gun just spitts bullets, and you’re bound to get a head shot at one point. Now imagine 20:20, and the entire Allied team is using these guns. It’s insane, so I just leave. Prefer rifles only.

The US is clearly doing Israel’s bidding. It would seem that every major conflict lately, that they’ve been in, was for Israel. And now, the US is threatening Norway, because they’re admitted in supporting the boycott of Israeli goods.
I say, well, why not? The Jews did it between the wars against the Germans (hence the Kristal Nacht), why shouldn’t other do it to them? Talon law, eye for an eye.

If the Government wants to know everything about certain people (the NSA thingy), they it would be a great idea to everyone see what they’ve been doing.
It would only be fair, unless if that emboldened their enemies?

As I’m revising my notes for zoology class’ upcoming test, I’ve come across a caligoid copepod. The name sounded familiar, and I used the most handy resource at hand - wikipedia.
It turns out that Caligula was the Roman emperor that appointed his horse to the senate as a consul, although that might not be true (his reign is not very documented).
A caliga is a soldier’s boot, although I would call it a sandal, but that’s just me.

It turns out that Bush removed two of Abramoff’s prosecutors so far. What does Jack know to get so much presidential attention?

Ok, this is a mold. Care to guess which one? The dots are obviously spores, and the stringy things… Oops, I’ve already said too much.

Tip no. 1:
This is very known fungus.

Answer:
Well, time’s up. The round thingies are spores. You can see the fungi in “tufts”. That is a Penicillium characteristic. When I was scraping the fungus off the mandarin, the spores were released. I’m incubating some bigger ones to be able to show you the real deal.

Click on the picture to enlarge.

Here are a few links (2, 3) about Hamas being sponsored by Israel.

President Bush backed the compromise that Russia will manufacture nuclear fuel for Iran. That way, everybody wins. For now.

The Iranians have proposed resuming civilian flights to the US, despite the current political crisis.

In a reversal of policy, the United States on Monday backed an Iranian initiative to deny United Nations consultative status to organizations working to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

*song* lala something something land of the freeeeeee.

In its 2004 country report on Zimbabwe, the U.S. government noted President Robert Mugabe’s public denouncement of homosexuals, blaming them for “Africa’s ills.”

If I’m not mistaking, the gays were the cause of AIDS in the early 80’s in the US. Africa is so last century.

link

I was first surprised when I heard that there can be one name describing two (species) from different kingdoms. I first encountered this with genus Proteus, which is a bacterium and an amphibian (1) native to Kras here in Slovenia. They’re working on characterizing various species, one form being totally black and with eyes, compared to first discovered proteus who totally lacks pigment and has no eyes. These animals sexually matured in their larval stage.

Today, I encountered a second such example. This time - again, a bacterium Bacillus and a stick insect called Bacillus rossii.

I may be heading to Croatia’s coast in a few months, and I would need a few recommendations on various field guides for the Mediterranean or Adriatic sea in perticular. Any info appreciated.

I already have Collin’s Sea Shore, Ruppert, Barnes, Fox’s Invertebrate zoology and Mergus’ Meerwasser Atlas. I got the feeling that I won’t be needing Borneman’s Corals.

Ok, my turn to vent a bit.

In the middle of last century, there was this scientist named Jovan Hadzi who established his own system with some funky groups you probably never heard of. They are grouped together on characteristics such as number of somites. So you have ameria, polymeria and oligomeria. They no longer hold any water (for decades) but we’re still using it (for teaching purposes). A few more definitions to learn by heart. Why must we learn something that we’ll never ever use? The names (and definitions along with it) are nothing but old relics that need to be buried.

What is the most absurd thing you had to learn in college?

key words: Oligomeria, polymeria, ameria - this is the only place on the net that you’ll read these words as higher taxons. There is a genus of snails named Oligomeria, a genus of flowers called Polymeria from family Malvaceae and Dianthus armeria from Caryophyllaceae. At least that’s what I found with 2 minutes of google.

George Bush’s approval rating approaching my room temperature.

One of the best skits in the series so far. Here is a choir singing with dr. Cox.

You know, Iran accusing Britan over bombing could be a “loney” idea a few months ago.

Iran on Wednesday accused Britain of cooperating with bombers who killed eight people in the southern Iranian city of Ahvaz on Tuesday.

But not after the Iraqi police caught two British soldiers shooting at a checkpoint, and finding explosives and “hi-tech” weapons in their car. And then, the Britons rolled in their cavalry and broke them out of Iraqi prison.

It would seem that Pentagon suspended the whistleblower that made public that their contractor has been over charging them for insubordination. I guess a few bucks on every meal isn’t that much when you go missing 2,6 trillion dollars.

Well, it would seem the cold will not give in. As of this minute, this room is at not so room temperature of 13°C. I think I’ll open up my sleeping bag tonight.

Here is a study that finds US Army “stretched by frequent troop rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army has become a “thin green line” that could snap unless relief comes soon, according to a study for the Pentagon.

Today is about 20°C below zero here, which shows in my room as well. As I woke up, my thermometer showed 14°C, which is about a degree or two less than on a usual morning.

I’m off to school, have a final exam in biochemistry. I’ve been studying quite hard and want it out of my way so I can start on other things. You know you’ve had too much when you start dreaming formulas and cycles. C`est la vie.