Komodo Dragon

We went to the zoo. Africa did not. I decided that my new favorite creature was the Komodo Dragon. Am I crazy? Yes, but not as crazy as the world's largest lizard. Let me tell you why I find this species of a monitor so darn fascinating.

Their size:
They weigh around 150 pounds and are 6-9 ft in length.

Their diet:
This is where it gets crazy. You know the cute little lizards you find in pet shops munching on tiny bugs or lettuce? Not these guys. They eat mostly carrion (carcass of dead animal), but they will hunt and even ambush prey including their own kind! I was so intrigued that I came home and watched a movie about the Komodo dragons that said they are so smart that they are not only clever enough to hunt out their prey, but they are able to think ahead and memorize landmarks to efficiently get their dinner.

More amazing qualities:

• They taste and smell by flicking out their tongue frequently and swaying their head from side to side. They can detect carrion 2- 6 miles away.

• The Komodo dragon has this incredibly nasty saliva that has 57 different strains of bacteria in it. This saliva quickly turns into venom for it's prey if they are bitten and able to somehow get away. With their senses they will find the animals dead 3 days later from their toxic saliva.

• The Komodo dragon is able to run up to 12 miles per hour. They can even climb trees. A visual of this fat, long, lizard running and climbing is incredibly fascinating.

So here we have a really large dinosaur-like lizard that has large claws, toxic saliva, and a craving for rotting flesh. These facts alone make me very grateful to be a human female and not a female Komodo dragon. It is no wonder parthenogenesis can occur among this critter.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Hopeful and Sleepy

In 10 days we find out if dear husband gets to keep his job as a firefighter. Thanks so much for your support!

What if Wednesday

Let's pretend we aren't friends. Forget knowing that my husband is a firefighter. Let's get real for a second.

Let's say you live in a big city like Phoenix. Let's make believe it is 2010 and the economy is still bad. Oh wait it is 2010 and the economy IS still pretty bad. If the city said they were having trouble making the budget work without serious job cuts, how would you feel about losing a significant amount of firefighters and police? How would you feel about a 2% tax raise on groceries to try save some jobs?

I am asking because obviously my husband is a new firefighter and would be the first to go and I am wondering what our chances are for his job to be saved? I am not asking for sympathy as I know many many people have been laid off already so we have been lucky so far. I am just wondering what the people of the city really think and if we have a fighting chance.

Would you be concerned if you had less of a police and fire force in your city?

Would you be upset if a tax increase was put into place to try meet the budget needs and save Fire and Police?

What solutions as citizens would you like to see happening as far as the budget crisis goes?

Thanks for pondering with me. I know how I would feel, but my vote is biased.

Wordless Wednesday

Wake me up when it's Friday!