Of Bugs (or Arachnids), Cats, Dogs

Worst Summer Job EVER

Guy I knew in udergrad school was doing research in the ag college.
He signed up for a summer research project. Paid him minimum wage and all the glory of furthering important research.
Be a part of something bigger than yourself.
Do your little bit to make the world a better place.

The research was on corn. (Taxonomy for the geeks: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090123120417AAjec2E)
His job was to catalog and count spiders living on the underside of the leaves of the stalks of corn.
This necessitated lying on his back in a corn field with a big magnifying glass in hand and scouring each leaf.
All day.
Mid-July to harvest.
The hottest time of year.
In Nebraska.

Do you know how hot it gets at ground level in the middle of a corn field, under a summer sun, with no wind, and all that moisture from plants and the mud you are lying in, while counting spiders on the underside of leaves of corn stalks, in Nebraska?
Neither do I.
But I bet it gets plenty hot.
Like a sauna only smellier.
And buggier.

But this isn't about those lazy days of youth.

This is all about what happens late at night.
When the lights are off.
And nature calls.

Falls from tripping over the family pet are responsible for around 90,000 injuries each year treated in ERs.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=pet-dogs-and-cats-a-good-way-to-bre-2009-03-26

At night, with the lights off and my chocalte-coated pointer lying in my path like some 65 pound viet cong tripwire is how I picture my neck-breaking fall.
But walking the dog is apparently a real hazard as well.

From Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, which is an awesome journal for the name alone, comes:
Nonfatal Fall-Related Injuries Associated With Dogs and Cats -- United States, 2001-2006.

Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries in this country, they say.
Highlights: dogs 7.5x more likely to trip you up than cats.
Women 2.1 times more likely to be injured than men.
Years 0-14 and 35-54 are the most dangerous.

So now you know.
A 37 year old women with a boxer doesn't stand a chance.

Just doing my lttle bit to make the world a better place.



Beyond Healthy Comments

You Tube has a vid posting under "Corn Spider".
I strongly recommend you DO NOT WATCH IT.
On the other hand, it may be instructive as to the value of youtube, and/or affirm your belief in the emminent collapse of the republic.
There is profanity.

This corn biz is serious.
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14024903

How to walk the dog. YouTube again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvYctK2ev3w