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Funny Bone: why if we didn’t laugh, we’d cry (or, where are my hearts??)

So, just when we thought we’d ferreted out all the ways that supply could possibly be interrupted we get thrown another doozy this week.  Mr Vivi duly arrived early to work this morning and threw open the cold room door expecting boxes and boxes of lamb hearts to be waiting for him in there.

What he actually found in there was…… nothing.

So, on the phone to the supplier it was.

It turns out that the wild weather off Melbourne last week that led to a bit of a catastrophe with the Spirit of Tasmania breaking its moorings and smashing up the dock also led to a bit of a catastrophe in the world of The Meat Men.

No ships between Melbourne and Tasmania mean no Tasmanian lamb to the mainland either … or their hearts.  So here we sit, Australia Day and the first day of school almost upon us and we are lamb-less.  It’s un-Australian! #funnynotfunny

And that, Vivsters, is why if we didn’t laugh we’d cry.

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18 Jan 2016

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Funny bone: the geeks shall inherit the earth

kiahsfreezer

Photo: Kiah Krassey

Science is serious stuff, right?  WRONG!

Behold the new lab freezer in a South Australian school!  Purpose bought to hold more of our incredible specimens so they can save on delivery costs and macabrely decorated by the incredibly funny lab tech.  How brilliantly cool is that?  For those of you that don’t recognise the pop culture reference on the sign -> go and read up on Officer Friendly and his band of merry men.

I don’t know where the traditional image of the mild mannered, white coated, serious minded scientist came from.  Over the years I’ve met and worked with some of the wackiest, funniest and weirdest people you’re ever likely to meet and they’ve all been brilliant minds of science.

Make no mistake, Vivsters, the geeks shall inherit the earth.  And when they do it’s going to be one big liquid nitrogen ice-cream making party.  Woot!

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April 13, 2015

ZOMBIE FOOTER

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DIY Papercraft Skull from Skull-A-Day

papercraft skull made with free printable from skull-a-day

Despite being a bit like Penny from The Big Bang Theory when it comes to craft I do like to have a go from time to time.  As long as it is easy, doesn’t involve waiting around too much for glue or paint to dry or a special trip to the shops I’m usually up for it.

Enter the DIY Papercraft Skull with Articulated Jaw from Skull-A-Day.  TaDa!

papercraft skull made with free printable from skull-a-day
papercraft skull made with free printable from skull-a-day

It’a as easy as:

  1. Download here –> skull-a-day
  2. Print
  3. Cut out
  4. A little sticky tape here, a little there
  5. Assemble and run around the house snapping the jaws and making Unh Unh Unh noises

I reckon this has got end of year classroom activity written all over it.  Add a bit of glitter, felt and cotton wool and you’d have yourself a Snapping Santa Skull.

Send photos!

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Nov 5, 2014

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Gingerdead Genetics

While we were distracted by the Gingerdead War happening in the kitchen this week a love story has been blossoming at the other end of the bench. Nawww

Now, I don’t know a lot about Gingerdead genetics but there’s a lesson plan in here somewhere.

First a couple of Gingerdead skelemen got together and produced a couple of crumbs.  The Gingerdead family was born.

the gingerdead family of biscuits
The Gingerdead family

The little one had an itch to scratch and you can see that didn’t go too well.  He seems to like having his eye handy like that, though.  Apparently it makes watching for mummydead men a lot easier when you are hiding behind the toaster.

In a shocking turn of events the two became three and an interesting phenotype appeared.

Gingerdead men biscuits
The Gingerdead phenotype

I haven’t sat down and done the punnet squares, but I shall keep an eye on future events and keep you posted.  I’m sure there’s a lesson plan here somewhere 😉

In the meantime, if you on the lookout for a good genetics lesson then these Spongebob Squarepants Genetics classroom resources from The Science Spot have been a hit in any class I’ve seen them used in.

grrrrrr........arrrgh