Platypus Has Weird Genes, Too

This isn’t Muse-related, but it’s worth knowing:

Today, the journal Nature publishes the first map of the platypus genome. It turns out that this strange and wonderful animal is strange and wonderful on the inside, too. Google “platypus genome” to find out more (and notice how artfully news reporters avoid writing the plural of “platypus”).

Happy Birthday, Nancy Kangas!

／l、

（゜、 。 7 　
　l、 ~ヽ “Mew!”*
　じしf_, )ノ

*Kitty says “Have a happy magazine birthday!”

A flamablamablous natal anniversary to the poet, mom, and sometime chicken farmer who has given humanity Ble, Notscape, and Screamazon.eek (not to mention a much-needed sneer at birthday cards that exploit the cuteness of kittens). Hirbday, Nak! Hopegood! Youyay!

Religion and Religions, v. 2008.2

Continued from v. 2008.1.

Continued from v. 2008.1.

The List:

Muslim: FantasyFan?!?!

Jewish: Sphinx, Quintessentia, hypermoocow, FairyDragon
Reform: yellowsharpiemarker, Sobriquet, Cliff Eagle Teh Pwnage
Reconstructionist: Kiki The Great, Anata~ChinTsu
Conservative: Copper Bigfoot, Brave Sir Robin, Zyviva, The Insane Blue Sage, RainbowFish
Orthodox: Phoenix, Jessie, groundhog22
Jewish Atheist: Lizzie, emmatheduck, speller73

Christian: Vendaval, Donaldo, MontgomeryGurl, Ninja For Christ, Eccentric the Afterthought, Lady Cinnamon Moon, IBCF, muselover, jammin j
Lutheran: Queen-o-random, Capricious
Catholic: Kiara, Romana2, Ebeth, davidude, Piggy the Proud Catholic, Tumsymonster
Eastern Orthodox: Sunrunner Bramblewood, Dotty ‘Kay
Quaker: Zallie, Red Tailed HAWK, Liesolotte, Purple Panda, Taiwan Hippo Fan
Protestant: book_addict, VanZepplin, Otzi, Kagcomix
Mormon (LDS): Skwerl Overlord, Veralidaine, Zyka
Methodist: grnqween2011, bibliorose
Presbyterian: Elizabeth, gimanator, Kari
UCC:The Man For Aeiou
Catholic by birth, unsure now: Beavo
Catholic plus Jewish holidays: Gaea
Christian Science Midnight Fiddler
Presbyterian + Hannukah and Passover Nthanda the Laugher

Hindu: ♥ shriya siolashrwa jeffica ♥

Buddhist: 100% cotton

Agnostic: Sweet Melpomene, curious and questioning, SupremeMuser2000, Lady Visala of Reverie, Gwendolyn, Alice (?), POSOC

Wiccan: emogrl, FairyDragon

Mixed Bag of Random Beliefs: Pentatonikk, Unintended Pun, Gwendolyn of the Eastern Seas, Otzi, Axa, elassë~adael, curious and questioning, Musketeer Number, Sweet Melpomene, Drops of Jupiter

Druid Reconstructionist: Millie

Atheist: Skipper Nancy, johnkerry, Purple Panda, Taiwan Hippo Fan, Darth Yoda, Lizzie, penguini, violindino, Yup, Bobbyjkl, First Sorceress, Shadowkat, curious and questioning, Potato Chip, Cat’s Meow, C++darkmage, Drops of Jupiter, La Mort, nerdz_r00l, The Bookworm, Kokonilly
Spiritual Atheist: The Bev, Harmony with short red hair
Radical Atheist: Queenie J, Drops of Jupiter, dark duke of darkness, agagabagabag
Happy Atheist: philosophical.bunny, Hypatia, â–’â–’â–’â–’â–’â–’

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM): Necromancer, Vixen in the Eyes of the Moon, Kokonilly

Asatruar: Frigid Symphony

Green Cow: curious and questioning

The Church of the Carrot: emmatheduck, Unintended Pun, NerdAndProudOf It, Beatlesrockr

Very Confused: lifewithoutsuffering

Graeco-agnosticism: /gradster(1)/

Non-practicing Believer of Subwayism: Faye Beauchamp

Dumr-Sirism/Jedi (on Earth): KaiYves

Unitarian Universalist: Logogeo96

May-hem

MuseBlog’s monthly random thread gives a nod to (1) the blog’s penchant for outbreaks of chaos and (2) Muse Academy’s long-awaited May Day Ball, taking place all month long (in regular universe-time) on a thread of its own.

(Users’ Manual: Obey The Rules. Consult The Guide. Have fun!)

MuseBlog’s monthly random thread gives a nod to (1) the blog’s penchant for outbreaks of chaos and (2) Muse Academy’s long-awaited May Day Ball, taking place all month long (in regular universe-time) on a thread of its own.

(Users’ Manual: Obey The Rules. Consult The Guide. Have fun!)

May 2008 Incredible Morphing Chameleon Thread

Unlike the random thread, this discussion thread stays on topic until the topic changes.

Newcomers should read The Rules and The Guide before plunging in.

Current topic: Movies
Dance and dancing (all kinds)
The game known as football by some and soccer by others

Welcome, Neophytes! (May 2008)

If you’re new to MuseBlog, make this your first stop. The locals will greet you in our traditional way you and show you the ropes.

Please read The Rules. You might also glance at The HG2MB (Hitchhiker’s Guide to MuseBlog), which contains helpful hints regarding local customs, lingo, and other peculiarities of the blog; smiley information included.

Don’t Forget These Threads (May 2008 edition)

Closed to comments, but still readable.

Help others navigate the blog by signposting your favorite threads here. As always, we start this thread anew from scratch every month.

(Note: Please include the URL (Web address) with your requests. It also helps if you limit your requests to a few at a time, four or five at the most.)

Current categories:

ADVENTURES IN THE MUSIVERSE
Ship’s Logs (IBCF, Logogeo96)
Chronicles of Museica (IBCF)

LIFE BEYOND THE VIRTUAL DIVIDE
Religion and Religions (Logogeo96)
Vegetarians, Vegetarianism, Vegetables, Vegemite (Purple Panda)
Origins and Beginnings (to help out Hypatia)
Romance and Relationships (Karinnn Tayyy)
Advice (Karinnn Tayyy)
Just Friends (Karinnn Tayyy)
Complaints and Rants (Tumsy)

SILLY FUN
Off with their Heads! (IBCF, groundhog22)
Ble! Newlluj-No Fulst (groundhog22)
penguini’s Christmas Bunny Melée (groundhog22)
Dissing Mr. Joe, Again (groundhog22)
Bunny Apocalypse (IBCF, groundhog22)
Stupid Senseless Smiley Stories (IBCF)
Round-Robin Smileys (for Zinc the sorceress)

WRITING – RRRs
Fairy Tale (TMFA)
Sea Roc (TMFA, kiwimuncher)

WRITING – ASSORTED OTHER
Muse Fanfiction (Kokonilly)
MA RPG (Kokonilly)
Poems and Songs (Hypatia)

OTHER THINGS WE LIKE
Visual Arts (Purple Panda)
Cooking and Food (Purple Panda)
Coy Woodnesse (Hypatia)
Music (Hypatia)

USEFUL ITEMS
Suggestion Box

Muse Academy May Day Ball (Part 1)

It’s the biggest event of the academic year — a celebration of light and warmth and spring and youth and (who knows?) romance, awaited all winter, longed for, laboriously prepared for, and now, at long last, here. The decorations are up, the food is ready, the musicians are practiced, rested, and in tune.

The ball lasts just a few hours in Musiverse time but might take all month to unfold in blog time. And before it begins, we hear, a very special event is scheduled to take place.

Now, in true RPG spirit, the rest is up to you…

May 2008 “Happy Birthday!” Thread

Known Muser birthdays this month:*

05-01 Pentatonikk’s birthday (1992 – puce)
05-02 The AHHH!’s birthday (19__ – color=?)
05-02 Nora the Violist’s birthday (1993)
05-07 Nancy Kangas’s birthday
05-09 Axa’s birthday (1992 – natural blues)
05-11 Dancergirl13’s birthday (1994)
05-15 SupremeMuser2000’s birthday (1994 – aquamarine)
05-18 Midnight Fiddler’s birthday (1992 – blue/purple/green/brown)
05-23 Parmandiriel’s birthday (1989 – silver)
05-28 MemyselfandI’s birthday (1992 – blue)
05-28 MissSwann2233’s birthday (1996)
05-28 Elizabeth’s birthday (1992 – black and white “like a cow”)
05-29 Andrew’s birthday (1995)

You turn 5,000 days old this month if you were born between August 24 and September 23, 1994.
You turn 6,000 days old this month if you were born between November 28 and December 28, 1991.

*Note: Listed MBers who have been inactive for several months won’t appear on next year’s birthday calendar unless they show up again.

Alter Ego Thread, v. 2008.3

You know how it works: Post under a false name, and try to guess the identities of others doing the same.

Continued from v. 2008.2.

NOTE: Check your posts before sending them. The Administrators will not rescue you if you accidentally submit one under your “real” blogname. Many an alter ego has fallen victim to a careless “submit” click.