The Vein of a Shrimp

I was sitting in front of my computer, browsing one page after another with regard to the neural system, when a sudden thought dawned upon my collection of neurons... (Eerm, not exactly a thought, but a recollection of a previously unanswered question)

What actually is the black line down the back of a shrimp?

For years I have always thought that it's a vein or some kind of circulatory system, so I savoured all the prawns / shrimps with no qualms. Prawns are definitely one of my all-time favourite, and here in Melbourne there are times I miss prawns so much because of its exorbitant price. But whenever I have them, it's always a rewarding experience.

One day when Xuan Ni and I were in the Queen Victoria Market, we came across this label called "De-veined prawns - 16 per kg". Then there was I asking her why in the world people cared to remove the vein in prawns, when we normally cook all the bloody gory chicken or beef without caring the least about the bloods. She replied, to my surprise, that the veins are actually their, eerrr, shits.

** shock **

** disbelief **

It was a rather disconcerting piece of information, but I soon got over it (as with most things that I ever came across). But today, somehow this question popped out in my brain again when I was reading this page. I decided to take a well-deserved break and look it up using Google. And that's how I had the moment of truth.

They say the truth is ugly, but they forgot to mention that sometimes it's also disgusting. I mean, I've heard of a crab log, but a shrimp log is something entirely different. The absolute straight dope is that the black line found in most shrimp is its intestine. And yes, sometimes that puppy is so full as to threaten to practically burst, taking out the shrimp and anything within several inches of it. Not a pretty sight, but welcome to the shadowy trenches that lie between science and journalism.

To be accurate (and this is the Straight Dope, after all), the black stuff is the contents of the intestine and not the intestine itself. If you've ever spent any time preparing shrimp, you would know that after tearing off their heads, ripping off their shells, and then eviscerating their little corpses, every so often you come across one without the dreaded black tract. That's because the actual colon is a transparent tube of cells and that particular shrimp's colon was empty. More demonstrable evidence can be found in those shrimp whose intestinal contents are incomplete; sometimes that little black line looks more like a sequence of dots and dashes instead of one long continuous line. Yet, when you remove one, it all comes out, held together by a nearly-invisible strand.

And here I am, 20 years of shrimp intestines.

I guess next time I will spend the extra 2 dollars for some "deveined" prawns. :P


ps: I stumbled upon another enlightening page about the differences of prawns and shrimps. I never knew that they are actually not the same.

How is cuteness defined?

Ever wondered how Disney come out with one cute cartoon after another? How is cuteness defined? What makes something cuter than another?

This is a guideline I found on another website. Very interesting :)

Back from Brisbane!

I was back from Brisbane on 14th! The journey was fantastic overall, thanks to our great tour guide Zhi Wei who brought us to the most interesting places she could find in Brisbane and Gold Coast. The beaches, zoo, Movie World etc were simply breathtaking. I don't have time to put up the journey here yet, but I promise I will in the coming weeks, and keep your finger crossed for the sunny pictures from me! :)

The new semester is going to begin in two more days and I have yet to recompose myself for the new challenges. I have just checked the group allocations for our tutorials, and it's kinda relieving that I am in the same group with some of the nice people out there, e.g. Chong Chyn, Jing Yi etc. Also lucky is the fact that I am not together with well-known troublemakers. :P

Before I end, just thought I would share a football joke leeched shamelessly from Voon Seng's blog over here. Let's brave our new days with a smile!

A Korean football supporter asks God: When will Korea lift the World Cup?
God: 100 years.
The Korean broke into tears, because he couldn't live to witness it.

Then, a Japanese football supporter asks God: When will Japan lift the World Cup?
God: 200 years.
The Japanese broke into tears, for the same reason of not being able to live to witness
it.

Then, a Malaysian football supporter asks God: When will Malaysia lift the World Cup?
God: *Broke into tears*


(Disclaimer: the God mentioned is not religion-specific)

World Cup Madness

Zidane's last footballing act - a headbutt!!

Yesterday night I stayed up late to watch the World Cup final, and for the first time I am not regretting it. The final was simply spectacular and entertaining. Although it didn't produce many goals (of course I am not counting the penalties), the skills and the dramas actually quite summed up this World Cup - shocking, unbelievable, and lots of penalties.

As you have seen above, this is the end of Zinedine Zidane, one of the footballing legends ever alive. I couldn't even let the sight sink in me when I saw the replay! Sigh.. What a way to end his career in disgrace due to a moment of madness!

I read that it was a nip in Zidane's left nipple and then a racial slur that provoked him. But what? After having played football for 15 years, why can't he just laugh away whatever Materazzi was saying or poking? Sigh, he chose to bring ignominy to himself at the end of a scintillating career. I guess billions of TV spectators learnt yesterday that skills are only as good as your emotion when human atrocity comes into the picture. No matter what, it's unprofessional.

And to put it in a nutshell, I quote from Domenech, the coach of the French team:

"When one has to put up with what Zidane had to and the referee doesn't do anything, one understands. You can't excuse it, but you can understand it."

Raymond Domenech

Note: Brisbane is fun, but hot. :)

Full Glass of Milk

It's a story that Eric has just sent me, it's so old but nonetheless powerful. There might not be such a coincidence in this world, but I always believe that altruism is the noblest human virtue, and that kindness without asking for reward will actually do you good.

Full Glass Of Milk

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay for
his hungry stomach, decided he would ask for a meal at the next house.

On the way through school, he found he had only one thin dime left and
he was very hungry.

However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.
Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.

The woman thought he looked hungry, so brought him a large glass of milk.

He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied.

"Mother has taught us, never to accept pay for a kindness."

He said... "Then I thank you from my heart."

Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors
were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called
in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the
name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.

Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her
at once.

He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save
her life, from that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the
business office to pass the final bill to him for approval.

He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent
to her room.

The woman feared opening it, for she was sure it would take the rest of
her life to pay for it all.

Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of
the bill. She read these words... "Paid in full with one glass of milk."

Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.

Small talk: I will be off for a trip to Brisbane from tonight until 15th of July.

I am a .txt!

Italy has just won in a spectacular fashion, and I am going to sleep now... It's funny how I always have a correct guess when I am not gambling (well, only once I did bet on this World Cup).

By the way, it's interesting how they can come up with a test like this: Which file extension are you?


Which File Extension are You?

Football

In football, nothing is certain except uncertainty.


Note: That is how I feel after watching yesterday night's World Cup matches. England was beaten by Portugal in penalty shoot-out (again!) 3-1, and against all odds, France beat the defending champion Brazil 1-0 after a scintillating Zidane display. Fantastic and heart-breaking.