What do we do with Pluto?

The loss of Pluto to the solar system planetary family has made us all stop and take notice. Maybe it's our need for soft news after weeks of daily war reports and the upcoming anniversaries of two huge American disasters (Katrina and 9/11). Yes, it is good to have balance.

For some reason, I can't stop thinking about Pluto. I've always thought of it as a potato-shaped ball of ice, with little divots in it for sledding, maybe some flatter spots for ice skating. When I did a report on the planet in the third grade, I drew a snowman shivering for the cover. Now I don't know what to do with my image. Essentially it stays the same. But would I want to take a vacation to Pluto, a dwarf planet, when I could visit a real planet?

The news has far reaching effects. Most notably, on the astrology community. Here is Astrology.com's reaction to the news.

This doesn't mean that you should disregard
Pluto's place in your charts! It hasn't left
the solar system; it's just in a new category.
Historically, astrologers have examined
events in the world at the time of a planet's
discovery for clues about what it represents.
As god of the underworld, Pluto represents
power, transformation, the cycle of death and
rebirth, and the process of breaking down and
rebuilding. And now the status of Pluto itself
is transforming -- a sure sign of its power
and influence! Time will tell if the scope of
Pluto's symbolism will decrease as a result of
its reclassification. In the meantime, Pluto
retains all its astrological significance, as
it continues to orbit our Sun.

Clearly they are worried about the destruction Pluto's demotion will bring to their industry. As they should be. Either we take the road that astrology is a bunch of balogna, an interpretation of "signs" vague enough to make everyone believe the stars are speaking to them, or we buy into the "signs" and take the interpretation further--that Pluto's demise signifies a greater downfall on the mortals. Events in the news would certainly point to this. Coincidence or Balogna? I like the balogna with the little olive pieces in it. Constellation bologna, you might call it, if you were an astrologer or an astronomer.

And the next important issue to be determined-- what about Mickey Mouse's dog? I recall Pluto being a very happy dog, but maybe those days are also numbered. It's a good thing his friends at Disney are supportive, otherwise the dog might have started slipping some tonic in his dog water, if you know what I mean. Here's what those cartoon heads had to say about the news, posted officially on the Disney website:

In reaction to news yesterday that Pluto was demoted to the status of "dwarf planet," the Seven Dwarfs issued their own short statement:

"Although we think it's DOPEY that Pluto has been downgraded to a dwarf planet, which has made some people GRUMPY and others just SLEEPY, we are not BASHFUL in saying we would be HAPPY if Disney's Pluto would join us as an 8th dwarf. We think this is just what the DOC ordered and is nothing to SNEEZE at."

As Mickey Mouse's faithful companion, Pluto made his debut in 1930, the same year that scientists discovered what they believed was a ninth planet.

Said a white-gloved, yellow-shoed source close to Disney's top dog, "I think the whole thing is goofy. Pluto has never been interested in astronomy before, other than maybe an occasional howl at the moon."

As long as Pluto continues to be walked and loved by Mickey, I think everything will be fine in this department.

And what will your reaction be? Will it inspire you to clean out your closets, to get rid of that bikini that really doesn't cover enough flesh to be considered clothing? Will you finally throw away the moldy leftover meatloaf in the back of the fridge, since technically, all the mold on it disqualifies its edible status? Or maybe you'll just sit back and watch life go on as usual. Because really, nothing has changed.


Check out this interview with the ex-planet itself.

The Salt Water Taffy Shakedown

I always feel like handing out assignments for people to go find out about, then report back to me. Well, things are changing. I'm going to tackle this one myself. I want to know more about salt water taffy.

I love grabbing a bunch of them, not knowing what flavors to expect. Then you unwrap it, peel the sticky body away from the wrapper, and pop it into your mouth for a minute of creamy and chewey heaven. That is--if you get the right flavor. I recently tried a butter popcorn flavor and felt like I had a tablespoon of artificial butter on my tongue that wouldn't melt. If you are ever uncertain about your flavor of saltwater taffy, let me make a suggestion-- try the nibble method. The method is a bit of an art, since you need to get enough to determine the flavor, and to enjoy the bite if the flavor is worthy. Don't try licking...salt water taffy is meant to be a full-mouth experience. You have to commit to biting.

Now, where did the silly name come from? I wish I had something interesting to report on this front, but apparently no one really knows. There is a charming story involving some ocean flooding, some candy, a little girl looking for a treat, and a store owner joking "all we have is salt water taffy." There is also speculation that the name comes from the ingredients. While salt and water are *sometimes* in the recipe, brine, seaweed, and fish pee are not.

Salt water taffy has been around since the late 1800s, and originated somewhere near Atlantic City, where it is now a requisite souvenir purchase. It's made with a variety of ingredients that are not very good for your teeth, including corn syrup, butter, and sugar. The mixture is boiled to a specific temperature (too hot and the candy is brittle, too cool and the candy is chewy). The thickened mixture is then slung over a hook and pulled, over and over. This forces air into the candy, and the candy is pulled until it is five to six feet long. In the old days, people with arms six feet long were employed to do this job, nowadays robots with six-foot-long arms do it. When the candy is too hard to pull any more, it is removed from the hook and put on a table to be cut and packaged.

Some fun facts:

• National Salt Water Taffy day is May 23rd
• Salt Water Taffy is also the name of a 1930s movie, and a band active in the 60s
• Interesting flavors include: Cantaloupe, Grand Mariner, Hawaiian Punch, Jalepeno, Peanut Butter Grape, Pumpkin Pie
• The most popular flavors are: Chocolate, Cinnamon (really?!), and Peppermint.

People are so boring sometimes. I say we work hard to get Jalepeno the recognition it deserves. I'm sure it's such a delightful flavor, and is the perfect compliment to any fajita, taco, or margarita.

Blaura's Blog Fear Factor

When I was younger, my biggest fear was of aliens. My dad watched so many UFO investigations, abductee interviews, and alien dissections that I was convinced it was only a matter of time before they made an appearance at the foot of my bed in the blackest night, beamed me up to their spaceship, taped my eyelids open, and forced probes through my bellybutton while brainwashing me telipathically. I've learned to convince myself that they aren't interested in my particular earthling ways, and to my knowledge, I've never taken a tour of the solar system.

Fears change. Even though I can turn out the light without worrying ET will pay me a visit, I can't get to sleep without experiencing my much more mature fear of failure. We all have it. It's what motivates us to direct our paths to the same desk and chair at work, and what makes us work so hard on our relationships. It's a matter of pride--how we see ourselves and how we perceive others see us. Mostly, it's a healthy fear. And of course, sometimes it's not.

There are many things I could be afraid of failing at, and the scenarios run through my head all the time. They will always be there, but I feel like there must be peak times in your life when they creep up the most. Maybe I'm entertaining the idea that I'm going through some sort of quarter-life crisis.

Seriously, I feel like I'm above a puppet show with all sorts of strings in my hands. Which ones do I pull? Which ones will make the show move along smoother? Are they all connected to something, or are some of them just strings with nothing on the other end? I know which ones are which, for the most part. There's the wedding string that is getting heavier and heavier by the moment. There's the school string, which right now is pulling the line pretty taut. And then there's the mysterious string of the future, that dangles casually into the deepest pit. How far down does it go? Do all strings originate from this string? And, finally, how do I keep all the strings from knotting up.

Hmm, I smell a story here. I need to face my fears. Maybe I'll write a book about aliens descending on a play and abducting the audience members, changing their lives forever. Would you buy it?

Hello! This blog is has been transplanted from my MySpace account. I think what I disliked about posting my blogs over there was that I could see the random people that were potentially looking at my blog. I suppose that's a possibility here, too, but I don't anticipate browsing through other people's blogs very often. And therefore, I will feel secure, and less like a proded, raw piece of meat.

Having said that, I don't want to give the impression that I'm too shy. I am shy, but this blog will force me to break free and share some thoughts. And who cares if no one reads this? Who cares if everyone I know reads this? Either way, this should be fun.

It's Tuesday evening, and I just finished my Monday. After taking a day off to get my dad to the airport after his visit, I feel like the week is just beginning. David is gone until Thursday, so that means I still have a couple more days to myself. Usually I spend these types of days on the couch, or occassionally catching up on my reading. Tonight I have big plans for writing a lingering assignment before school starts, and maybe busting out that yoga mat that has been in the closet for months and months.

Lately, I've noticed I have a problem. It's lack of motivation. Every now and then I notice this ailment and it really bothers me. So I'll go home, go for a run, leave the tv off all night, make a tasty dinner, get some work done, head to bed at a decent hour, and wake up the next morning feeling relaxed as a result of my productive evening. On really good nights I'll do a load of laundry and do the dishes. Very rarely, I will clean the bathroom, or put the laundry away.

I've proposed a lifestyle change for myself. It is to acheive the "productive me" I just described. Hopefully, by making my announcement public, I will feel more obligated to veer away from my nasty habit of laziness. [For those of you that don't know me, please don't place a picture in your head that I am glued to the couch with various unidentifiable crumbs wedged between my many fat rolls. My action here is actually to prevent that from ever happening.]

So, faithful readers (pretty easy title to acheive since I've only posted one blog, huh?), this is my vow to you: I hereby promise to change my ways. I will not venture out to the wastelands of sloth. I will pick myself up and trudge (however painfully it may be) to the land of productivity! Harrah!