Taxidermy Without Representation

Every year on October 23 between 6:02 am and 6:02 pm, chemists celebrate the mole, Amadeo Avogadro's contribution to science. A mole (or Avogadro's number) is 6.02 x 1023. Get it?

Freshman year of high school, Dr. Thornburg had everyone in our Chem Honors class make a "punny" mole (as in the animal) for National Mole Day. She handed out photocopied mole patterns to help us get started and later handed out awards for the most creative moles.

I submitted "toilet mole." It was a white stuffed animal with a toilet seat and water tank on its back. I think I lost to "cosmic mole-ing" and "Manute Mole," but that's beside the point.

A "punny" mole pageant in honor of a number. This is what my chemistry teacher considered fun.

From experience, what amuses scientists and doctors usually isn't very amusing.

Last week at work, my boss assigned me a marketing project for the UCLA Health Sciences Store. I expected it to be another medical book sale or medical supply sale.

Nope.

Giant plush microbes.

Now doctors and med students can give loved ones and friends Mono and Hepatitis. Tee hee. These things are hideous.

***

I went to Disneyland on Independence Day. I rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad a bunch of times. I love that ride.

The Coca-Cola place on Main Street sells the best soda fountain Cherry Coke I've ever sipped. Perfectly mixed pop.

I saw a lot of people wearing Old Navy shirts. I didn't know those annual Old Navy famous flag shirts were so popular. Granted, they're only five dollars each, but with that money, you could fill up a family of four with Taco Bell's new Big Bell Value Menu.

And for a dollar more, you could give them The Plague!

Hoooo.