Tegu for You?

Yesterday, my family and I took a trip to the local zoo. Seems like everyone one else in the Houston area had the same idea, but I digress . . .

We were very excited to see the new African Forest exhibit, especially the chimpanzees. They were definitely worth the visit all by themselves, coming up to the glass of their enclosure and interacting with the crowd.

But on the way through the zoo, we stopped to visit with a docent, who had a Tegu Lizard in tow. Or, rather, the Tegu Lizard had her in tow. Not being up on my lizards, I'd never heard of one before.

The docent allowed us to stroke the Tegu. It was much like petting a cowboy boot.

In honor of the tolerant lizard, here are a few randoms about his relatives:

1. They are a South American lizard.

2. They come in three basic varieties -- red, black and white, and black.

3. A fully grown male will reach three to three-and-a-half feet and weigh about eight pounds.

4. Their hides are used to make purses and wallets.

5. They are often kept as pets.

Internet Access

So, over the past two weeks, I've had issues with Internet access. In other words, for days at a time, I haven't had any.

That's made more than a few things difficult. For example, how could I write on this blog without Internet access? And, I couldn't telecommute for work. The horror. Weird how dependent I am on the Internet.

So, in honor of my little dependency, here are a few Internet Randoms:

1. In 1969, the Department of Defense commissioned ARPANET to do research on internetworking, and the first four computers were connected. ARPANET ceased to exist in 1990.

2. The first four computers on the ARPANET were: (a) a Xerox DSS 7 at UCLA Network Measurements Center; (b) a NIC - SDS940 at Stanford Research Institute; (c) an IBM 360/75 at UCSB; and (d) a DEC PDP-10 at the University of Utah.

3. Ray Tomlinson is credited with sending the world's first e-mail.

4. John Paul II was the first pope to send an e-mail.

5. Queen Elizabeth II sent the first royal e-mail in 1976.

Quotables

A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame someone else.

-- John Burroughs

Quotables

Even if it's a little thing, do something for those who need help,something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.

-- Albert Schweitzer

Allergies

Recently, I had allergy testing done. The results are in, and the answer is: Yup, you're still allergic to the world.

The good news is: Chocolate is no longer on my food allergy list.

The bad news is: Wheat, eggs, corn, and rice are on the list. That pretty much does away with anything fun to eat that isn't chocolate. Maybe I shouldn't have wished so hard for the chocolate allergy to change.

Just in case you feel a sneeze coming on, let's share a few allergy randoms:

1. Every day, people breathe in about two heaping tablespoons of particles such as pollen, dust, mold, and bacteria.

2. More people are allergic to cow's milk than any other food.

3. About 400 B.C., Hippocrates studied "asthma," which means "I gasp for breath."

4. The term "allergy" was coined by an Austrian physician named Clemons von Pirquet to indicate a "state of altered reactivity resulting from the introduction of a foreign substance or agent into the body."

5. In 1966, Drs. Kimishige and Teruko Ishizaka discovered that an immunoglobulin (now called Immunoglobulin E) in the blood causes allergic reactions.

Ah-choo. Anyone got a tissue? I think that my Immunoglobulin E count is up.

Kuk Sool Won

My daughters and my hubby are learning a Korean martial art called Kuk Sool Won. It is a very comprehensive system, and my eldest child is learning useful things like how to dislocate an elbow and how to break various body parts. Just letting any young men out there who might want to date her know this in advance. The whole family has been inspired lately by the story of Choon-Ok Jade Harmon, the highest ranking female in Kuk Sool Won. She has come a long way from her humble birth in Korea to opening her own Kuk Sool school and obtaining her ninth degree black belt. Her compelling story is told with the help Ana-Maria Rodriguez (who is also a Kuk Sool student, and if I'm not mistaken, a black belt) in THE IRON BUTTERFLY. In honor of this story of courage and determination, here are a few Kuk Sool randoms: 1. Kuk Sool Won is a blending of three traditional Korean martial arts -- SahDoh MuSool, BoolKyo MuSool, and KoongJoong MuSool -- by Grand Master In-hyuk Suh. 2. "Kuk Sa Nim" is the title for the Grand Master, who is a tenth degree black belt. 3. The world headquarters for the World Kuk Sool Association is in Tomball, Texas.

Tax Day

Tax Day is April 18th this year instead of the usual April 15th. This is a nice break for my hubby, whose birthday is April 15th.

(Mind you, April 15th is also the date Lincoln died and the Titanic sank, but we generally consider it a good day because that's the hubby's birthday.)

In honor of Tax Day, here are a few tax randoms:

1. President Abraham Lincoln created the first personal income tax to finance the Civil War.

2. The Sixteenth Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution to make personal income taxation lawful.

3. The U.S. Tax Code contains over 7 million words. The Bible has roughly 773,000 words, and the Gettysburg Address has only 269.

4. There are currently more IRS agents than there are U.S. troops in Iraq.

5. The IRS maintains its own tax trivia page.