How’d I miss that? It’s perfect for Wacky Wednesday!

Apparently today was Earth Day.  Silly Janie, I thought I missed Earth Day back in March.

Well, Leif texted me earlier this morning to tell me to take the Google Earth Day quiz.  It just takes a couple minutes and it will tell you what kind of animal you would be if you weren’t a person.

It would seem we are both pangolins.

Happy Earth Day, indeed.

Now, if you are like me and have never really heard of a pangolin before, here’s the skinny:

According to Wikipedia, they are also known as scaly anteaters or trenggilings.

The pangolin is a mammal of the order Pholidota. The one extant family, Manidae, has one genus, Manis, which comprises eight species. These species range in size from 30 to 100 cm (12 to 39 in). A number of extinct Pangolin species are also known. The name Pangolin comes from the Malay word “pengguling”, meaning “something that rolls up.”  It is found naturally in tropical regions throughout Africa and Asia.

Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin. The pangolin is the only known mammal with this adaptation. They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites which they capture using their long, specially adapted tongues. They tend to be solitary animals, meeting only to mate and produce a litter of one to three offspring which are raised for about two years.

-Wikipedia

Other curious facts about pangolins, courtesy of Wikipedia:

1. They are the most trafficked mammal in the world.
2. The front claws are so long they are unsuited for walking, so the animal walks with its fore paws curled over to protect them.
3. It can curl up into a ball when threatened, with its overlapping scales acting as armor and its face tucked under its tail. The scales are sharp, providing extra defense.
4. Pangolins can also emit a noxious-smelling acid from glands near the anus, similar to the spray of a skunk.
5. Pangolins lack teeth and, therefore, the ability to chew, however, they ingest small stones while foraging, which accumulate in the muscular stomach and help to grind up ants.
6. The tongues of pangolins are extremely elongated, extending into the abdominal cavity and are longer than the pangolin’s entire body length.  Large pangolins can extend their tongues as much as 40 centimeters (16 in), and have a diameter of only 0.5 centimeters (0.20 in).

Want to see this bizarre critter in action?  Here’s a National Geographic Wild video on YouTube.

Well, now, that was fun, wasn’t it?  And I learned something new.  How about you?

I’m calling off Wednesday on account of blah

I did very poorly on my Microbiology lab test last week.  We got the grades back yesterday.  It was extremely disheartening.

My brain used to hurt.

*

 

Now it just feels as though it’s gone MIA.

*

 

I am so tired of feeling tired.  I’m tired of there being things I want to do and would like to do well, but feeling like my body and my brain are protesting due to over use and have forced a shut down.  I am really very interested in my microbiology class.  But the lab is not nearly long enough, has too many students and feels like you are trying to sprint through Walmart on social security day during the Christmas season.  The lecture is so late in the afternoon (by Janie Jones standards, admittedly) that no matter how hard I try, I can barely stay awake, as I’ve already been up for 11 hours and been working hard for at least 7 of them.

But here’s a microbiology test I can pass.  How about you?

Click here to visit The Oatmeal and take the test.

*These images were taken from Google Images.  I’m too tired to document them better.  Sue me.

For those of you who were dying of suspense…

The answer to yesterday’s Janie Trivial Trivia question is:

I count, photograph and weigh Impatiens capensis seeds.  Yup those little things are seeds.  Often they are quite tiny.  And to me, they always look like a pile of mouse poop.

Sorry I’m posting rather later than usual.  It was a busy day furiously catching up on homework.

And now it’s off to bed with me.

Pop Quiz #4- Just because….

If the Zombie Apocalypse was to happen today and you had just 15 minutes to evacuate, what would you do?

A. Jump in your Zombie Apocalypse Bug Out Vehicle that you have painstakingly stocked over the last 10 years with weapons, food, medical supplies and spare clothing and bedding and head for the wilderness.

B. Grab all your family photos.

C. Arm yourself with a cricket bat and your vinyl record collection.

D. Stand in the middle of your driveway like a retard watching the swarm pour down the street, and at the last second as they begin to overrun your lawn scream like a little girl for help.

***Interpret Your Score***

If you chose A, you are probably dysfunctional in society, but your special neurosis will outfit you for survival if you are practical enough not to take pity on those less prepared.

If you chose B, you’re too sentimental to survive. Seriously, we’re talking Zombie Apocalypse. Take something to make yourself useful, please, because otherwise your life will be too short to enjoy those precious baby albums.

If you chose C you’ve been watching too much Shaun of the Dead, but you might have what it takes to survive and win the girl. However, be sure you’ve split your time wisely between watching Shaun of the Dead and playing shooting video games. You don’t want to be out of practice when the time comes. Even if you don’t survive, what self respecting person wouldn’t want to die in their favorite pub. You are all right as humans go.

If you chose D, well, I really don’t think I need to explain how to interpret your score. However, if you are dumb enough to fall into this category you probably do need it spelled out for you. Zombie Apocalypse is bad. Your surprise and amazement will not hold them off no matter how strongly you believe yourself to be above the common trials of man. Get a pair and quit screaming like a little girl. No one wants to rescue you because you are too stupid to realize you are in danger. Darwin has selected you out.

Happy Thursday!

Pop Quiz # 3…and other bits of math wisdom: updated

Dear blog friends,

Janie has her first Algebra quiz tomorrow. Show your support by also taking a math quiz:

Stickittoyou University policy states that a student should expect to study 2 hours for each credit hour of class attended in a 16 week semester in addition to the number of hours required for class. College Algebra is a 5 credit hour course meeting for 5 hours per week. If the same work done in 16 weeks is instead completed in 4, how many hours per week will Janie need to devote to her College Algebra class?

Factor in 3 hours per day of commuting time and indicate how many hours per week Janie is losing to the black hole of mathematics this summer?

If Janie doesn’t do College Algebra work on Saturdays and Sundays, how many hours per day will she have left after driving and studying?

Answers will be posted July 22,2011:

The answers are: 60 hours a week, 75 hours lost per week including travel time, and 9 hours a day are left in each day for such trivial matters as sleeping, eating, bathing, noticing there’s a world beyond math class.

On the topic of College Algebra, the promised math wisdom:

All rational numbers are real, but not all real numbers are rational.

An irrational number is not a natural number, but it’s definitely real.

In fact, all numbers are real, really.

It’s probably not a good idea to try and take College Algebra 22 years after your last math class.

It’s probably not a good idea to cram 16 weeks of College Algebra into 4 weeks.

It’s probably a bad sign when it takes you and your TA working together 45 minutes to answer one polynomial long division question.

*wwhimppper*

The brain is bleeding, I’ve already spent 6 hours on math today, and I’ve got at least another 3 to go just to get the homework turned in on time. Studying for tomorrow’s quiz, that’s a whole other matter.

If you try to multiply 0 by anything, you get zero. Kinda like trying to multiply no time by I need three hours to study. Either way you end up with nothing.

Pop Quiz #2

Inquiring minds want to know: Does farts count as a playable word in scrabble?

I really need a scrabble dictionary….

Pop Quiz, an exciting new feature at Janie’s Place….

When you hear the word epidemic, what disease comes to your mind first?

Seriously, inquiring minds want to know. Janie is required to do this survey for a summer course and your help would be greatly appreciated. However, I think it makes for almost as good blog fodder as the WordPress theme of the day. I’m looking forward to seeing what the wide world comes up with. And, for you snarky butts out there, the Zombie Apocalypse is not a real disease.

Those of you who are so good to respond, please also list your age and your state/country. Thanks.

Cheerio!