Dogfoose.com (Michael Kline) � Infotoon

The Winter Solstice

mikey — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:28:57 +0000

Today (December 21st, 2011) is the Winter Solstice, or shortest day of the year. Because of the axial tilt of our planet as it spins around the sun, this day marks the 24-hour period in which the Northern Hemisphere receives the least amount of sunlight, and coincidentally, warmth. Though the length of days will begin to increase from here, Winter will not be shaken so easily. We will not likely see a great deal of warming until the Vernal Equinox occurs, midway through March. Stay warm! (Click the image below for a larger version.)

The seasons, with a navel orange standing in for the sun. What better to use for Old Sol than something that gains a great deal from it?

Life In a First-Aid Kit

mikey — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:40:57 +0000

Your typical first-aid kit. Lots of gags in here, but I think the best one is the box of adhesive strips that’s hitting on the moist towelettes. Enjoy!

Power Lines… Shocking!

mikey — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:42:50 +0000

Teach your children to give a very wide berth to power lines that have fallen during a storm. Without professional equipment it’s nearly impossible to tell if a line is “live” or not, and contact with a downed electrical wire can be fatal.

The Kalahari

mikey — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:59:04 +0000

The Kalahari desert in Southern Africa has to be the largest sandbox in the world, covering some 350,000 square miles. A great place to play with your Tonka trucks, but you might want to come prepared. Temperatures go from 117°F in the summer to 8°F in the winter!

Here’s to, ummm, cholera.

mikey — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:03:18 +0000

In 1850’s England, physician John Snow decided that authorities were off track when declaring that a deadly outbreak of cholera (also known as Black Death) was due to breathing foul air. Instead, he was able to track the disease to a public well near Broad Street in the Soho district of London. He also pointed out that the well was drawing its water from the much-polluted River Thames. Gross!

Creativity

mikey — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:11:10 +0000

It’s all around us. The secret is knowing what to look for…

Shaking It Up

mikey — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:46:36 +0000

Depending upon where you live in the United States, you may or may not be visited by an earthquake sometime soon. The areas of greatest concern lie along major fault lines (as in California and Alaska), but New Madrid, Missouri was known for hosting a major dish-buster in 1811-1812. (See also Plate Tectonics.)

Who’s Watching Who?

mikey — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:53:42 +0000

Usually, it watches us. Now, we are watching it. The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is expected to fall out of the sky and break into pieces as it enters Earth’s atmosphere sometime this weekend. The 6.5 ton, large-as-a-bus ozone research platform was launched in 1991 by NASA.

Gregor Mendel’s Pea Plants

mikey — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:38:24 +0000

Austrian monk and avid Gardener Gregor Mendel is credited for discovering why tall plants (in his case, pea) don’t always produce tall offspring, nor do smaller plants. (From Kids Discover Cells.) Click for a larger image…

There’s SNOW business like climate business…

mikey — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 15:26:39 +0000

Unlike humans who can travel and adapt to new environments, animals do not always have that luxury. The loss of sea ice to a polar bear can be devastating. You could liken the situation to an alligator trying to survive in the mountains of Colorado.