Any twelve people who can't get themselves out of jury duty are not my peers.

On a related note, giraffes have tongues so long they can lick their own ears. I'm not sure why they would want to do that. I wouldn't.

This morning I took the garbage out to the curb and figured I had startled a very large jackrabbit that went running from our front "yard" across the street and into the neighbor's place. A second later I realized I wasn't responsible for the rabbit's flight. A coyote was hot on his tail! Unfortunately, I also spooked the coyote who hesitated just long enough to make sure I wasn't a threat. That was enough for the rabbit to make his escape. I apologized to the coyote for spoiling his breakfast.

This morning I had the last of the tests before seeing the surgeon on Friday. I don't know where I got the notion this was an ultrasound, because it wasn't. First they injected me with the radioactive tracer then took me back to a room with a machine that resembles an MRI tunnel. I laid on the table and she took three pics of my throat, one from the left, one from the center and one from the right. Each of the three took eight minutes. Before I left she showed me the images, and sure enough, there's a distinguishable dark spot on all three.
I went back at 12:30 for a second set of images. They compare them, but I'm not sure why. This second round also included an image that "looks inside the tissue" by rotating around my throat, again, similar to an MRI. Same thing - a dark spot on the left side.
I fell asleep during both sessions. It was the only way to shut out "Rod Stewart Sings the Classics" playing over a boom box in the room. I commented on the music and she said they were taking donations of CD's to improve their options. I'm thinking some Shaggy.

After lunch I went on my bike ride. Thirteen miles out I'm spinning down a wide two-lane asphalt road, riding the fog line - the white line on the right side. No traffic coming the opposite direction, so anyone coming up on me from behind can easily swing out and give me a wide berth, although the lane is wide enough that it isn't necessary.
So quickly that I reacted with pure instinct, a jacked-up 4x4 goes around me, pulls to the right so far that his right-side wheels are off the pavement, and SLAMS on his brakes. That fast I was almost in the bed of his truck. I jumped on my brakes, but that wasn't necessary. He did it just to scare me, and immediately got back on the gas and drove off.
Why would he do that? Did he think it was funny? Sick.

At the other end of the spectrum, a teenager here was riding his crotch rocket with his girlfriend on the back, doing in excess of 100 mph through city streets early this morning. Neither was wearing a helmet. Yeah, you know what happens next. Sad.

Go ahead; spend some time browsing some really amazing photography going back 140 years.
LIFE photo archive
Worth a bookmark.

What do you think of when you hear the term "solar energy?" When I heard those two words I thought ugly panels on the neighbor's roof. But the future of solar energy is taking place on a much larger scale. Watch this brief video:
GreenVolts
Frankly, that video doesn't do a real good job of explaining what they're doing. They're being modest. It's huge, much more efficient than other systems, and poised to revolutionize the solar energy field. I only know that because my brother runs a company that has been contracted to make the system that will clean those mirrors. Those rows of "carusols" get installed in areas with lots of land, lots of sun, and not much else. In order for peak efficiency the mirrors have to be cleaned of the dust that's typical in fairly remote locations. So Scott's company makes the system of pipes and nozzles that washes the mirrors every 24 hours, all at the command of a computer.
I am in no sense a tree hugger. I have an instinctive suspicion of people who decry the use of any fossil fuels and want me to eat nothing but carrots and brussel sprouts. And tofu. But in a market-driven economy alternative forms of energy, if sufficiently efficient, can turn a profit. A win/win situation. The family connection with this particular enterprise has me following it with interest. There's more, but I'm sworn to secrecy. So keep an eye out for this one. Could be a really big deal.

Speaking of, has anybody else seen "Whale Wars" on the Animal Planet cable network. Friday nights. Boy, does that raise some ethical questions!