Well they've confirmed, at least with monkeys, that monkeys on a restricted calorie diet have less disease and live longer. This probably goes for humans too however living on 30% fewer calories is not too appealing. The scientists are trying to see if they can induce the same results using drugs but I wouldn't hold my breath and what are the odds that the drugs won't have side effects? See story here.

I have now watched the current 3 episodes of TW: Children of Earth and due to the fact that I read  spoilers of what happens in the finale I'm not too sure I want to see it :(

OMG I'm soo in love with YouTube - it has the first 2 episodes of "Torchwood: Children of Earth" and boy are they fantastic!!! Can't wait to find out what will happen in the final three episodes *biting my nails anxiously* or I would be if I still bit my nails *g*

My other news is that I spent the day animating my Snoopy Enterprise icon which is somenting I've wanted to do for some time.

I have several SF/Fantasy writers who post on LJ on my flist. I have now discovered The White List, a list of authors and associated people (editors, poets etc.) who are here on LJ. I'm slowly going through it and I may be adding more to my flist. I didn't realize how popular LJ was with the pro crowd.

ETA: well I added dduane  (Diane Duane author of my favorite Star Trek novels) and a feed sffnovelists plus I added Suzy McKee Charnas at DW (http://suzy-m-charnas.dreamwidth.org/) not that I'm there too often but still it's nice to have.

Well I made an animated vampire icon that will do for now. I'll fiddle with it over the next few days but at least I came up with a version that LJ will accept - phew!!

It's been a weird day of triumph (see new icon) and disaster - the New York Public Library has redone it's website catalog. I've lost two of my holds and the system is so messed up I can't place them on hold again at least until it's all straightened out which will take no-one-knows how long :(

Came across this hilarious post on Why Chicks Cry using examples from old romance comics. LOL

Finally there's this YouTube vid where a dog, watching a cat on a laptop, becomes confused and goes over to check on his cat to make sure it's still in the real world:

I don't know if it's a post-holiday letdown or the fact that this is the anniversary of my mother's death when I was 15 but I'm a bit blue. I tried to loose myself by making another animated icon - I wanted one with my 7 favorite vampires - but I kept going over the GIF limit. I guess I'll try something else...tomorrow.

ETA: I also have an icon of a "Vulcanized" Obama and one of Spock that I want to animate but I can't think up a good caption - separated at birth? philosophers of Nome? Brothers under the skin? fellow halflings?Argh!!! Any ideas?

Hope everyone has a wonderful day even if you don't celebrate today as Independence Day (have a happy Aphelion Day too *g*)

This is a gratuitous icon posting of my first animated icon!

ETA: I've already altered it a bit - I'm such a perfectionist *sigh*

I am a science aficionado. Did you know that tomorrow, in addition to being Independence Day here in the States, is also the day the Earth is farthest from the sun? It's called aphelion and at the moment the sun appears about 3% larger than at perihelion when the Earth is closest to the sun. Go here to see an actual comparison.

Out in space everything is in motion including the Earth and Mars and right now the two planets are drawing closer. If you go here you can actually see the distance decreasing. We are now about 15 1/2 light minutes from each other (meaning it takes over half an hour to communicate with the Mars rovers and to receive a reply).

New Scientist has done a poll to find out who is The Most Inspirational Woman Scientist and it's Marie Curie. There are nine other women listed most of whom I have heard of except for Sophie Germain*. In her place I would have put Barbara McClintock.

The New York Times yesterday had an article on the current mania for vampires and how they are influencing the fashion world though to be honest I don't see much difference between the Goth look which has been around for years and vampire-inspired clothes. Go look at the slideshow (which includes a photo from BtVS - from "Dirty Girls"?).

The July issue of the Smithsonian magazine has a Last Page essay titled There Oughta be a Law - Centuries hence, historians may wonder: Where exactly did Congress store all those pork barrels? LOL


* I just googled her and discovered that the heroine of the play and movie  "Proof" was inspired by her so that's probably how she came to be so well known in our time.

Gah they're dropping like flies - Mollie Sugden, star of the British sitcom "Are You Being Served?" has passed on at age 86. I only watched it occasionally but I thought her Mrs Slocumbe with her color-changing hair was a hoot. May she rest in peace.