Waiting

The dolphin show at the MN Zoo remains in abeyance after Dolphin Allie's calf didn't survive her birth on March 26. In fact, the pod was only recently re-united. The guys and gals were segregated these past few months after behavioral issues made Allie's pregnancy risky and the G-rated shows impossible. But all 4 seem to be doing well now and team building with trainers is under way.

My baby baby turned one year old herself this weekend. I love you all the way to the moon and back SJ. Our pod is healthy and beautiful. Here’s a neat pic of a couple of my zoo babies from this weekend.

Darjeeling

It's take a lot, but I was left agape today. While perusing the on-line news with a cup of joe, as is my early morning custom, I scanned a caption that immediately caused my mouse finger to twitch and my gag reflex to tickle.

This week, Republicans across the country have been hosting "Tea Parties" to protest President Obama's tax policy and bank bailouts. We had one here in St. Paul yesterday. I guess they found it cute (ironic?) to hold the event on "Tax Day", because many of them were scheduled for the 15th. Of course, these events are in reference to the infamous "Boston Tea Party" of 1773 whereat colonialists dumped shiploads of tea into Boston Harbor rather than pay the British tax on it. That protest eventually led to the American Revolution. I don't think many of the news outlets here even covered the get-together of, self-proclaimed, teabaggers on the Capitol lawn.

But I'll tell you what they're all talking about today. That snarky, not-gay, could be straight, who cares which way he goes , Anderson Hays Cooper and his potty mouth. Last night, on AC360, while talking with a panel of pundits about the Prez' Georgetown speech on the financial crisis earlier in the day, this went down:

David Gergen: "They still haven't found their voice, Anderson. This happens to a minority party after it's lost a couple of bad elections, but they're searching for their voice."

Cooper (and the headline): "It's hard to talk when you're teabagging."

!!! If I could insert one of those shocked face smileys here, I would. And he barely even smirked! Impressive. Sorry Chester, but I don't make this stuff up and this was too funny to pass on. I'll even dangle a little video out there for you. Not really appropriate for a news person on National television but, man, what a zinger!

Ominous

Bumper sticker on a silver Honda Element at Pilot Knob Rd. & 494 around 3pm:

Every Month is Zombie Awareness Month

Mii Oh My

Just when I think the Germans have the market cornered on quirkiness, something comes along that makes me remember that one country’s fetish is another country’s fun. Case in point: Japan.

Last year, Kyoto’s video game giant, Nintendo, released an “amazing virtual pee experience” for their wildly popular Wii gaming console. The game, called Super Pii Pii Brothers, requires the participant to strap-on a Wii controller and whiz their way to points by soaking targets in on-screen toilets. Players control the flow by twisting their torso and gyrating their hips. Sounds super fun! With “amazingly realistic pee fluid dynamics”, 100 different “peeing environments”, multiple toilet & urinal styles and a competitive “dueling pee stream mode”, what more could you ask for in a video game? Japanese school girls are reportedly lining up in droves to take a swing with the new thing. They say it can’t be beat.

OK, confession: that game was made up, but not by me. It was done as last year’s April Fool’s Day joke by the Internet culture web site, Think Geek. (Check out today’s “Squeeze Bacon”.) I just ran across it for the first time the other day though and totally fell for it. The Japanese put out some weird stuff, especially technology wise, so I hardly questioned it. But, when I found out it was a gag, I did feel bad for the disgruntled gals that wouldn’t get to experience the “first time pleasure of urinating while standing” that the fake Super Pii Pii Brother’s box promised.

If you were feeling the same way, don't worry! All is not lost my gal-pals! And don’t be ashamed either; urinating while standing truly is a pleasure. So, for you, I pose the P-Mate! A “portable urinating device that allows women to urinate standing up wherever and whenever they need to, without losing their dignity.” Handy.

And if poise and decorum isn’t your thing, I offer you the Shenis. Sounds like “penis” and looks like a 12 inch long, gold colored, hard plastic penis. But it's not. It's a 12 inch long, gold colored, hard plastic “urinary director” that's shaped like a penis. I only wish this was a joke. Happy April 1 nonetheless.