Cool Bug Of The Day

My fiance is finishing her second year of medical school, which means she will soon be taking the board exams in order to quantitatively announce to the world her unique ability to cram her head nearly to the bursting point with amazing facts both great and small. This ability continually astounds me, but never more so than this week.

I've been serving as the doctor-to-be's typist during the last few days. She and her study pals like to condense their mass quantities of data into clean, efficient Excel sheets carefully edited to present the necessary information as compactly and concisely as possible. Me, I get to be the hack with the laptop. She says it's because I'm so good at typing, but I know it's because of the brilliant and witty company I provide. And although it's a low paying job, the benefits are great, especially when she smiles like that...

Anyway, I'm learning all sorts of interesting information this week about parasites. You may have heard about the bugs that you can get by walking around barefoot, especially in dirty places like septic tanks and sewage treatment plants. If you haven't, let's just say it's a pretty inventive approach they've come up with. Did you know that after they burrow through the soles of your feet, they swim through your body all the way to your lungs, climb up your throat, head south toward your stomach and on to a nice warm home in your small intestine. Did you know that? I was impressed.

So, although it may be a little distasteful for those with vivid imaginations and weak stomachs, I am hereby nominating the intestinal nematode, the lowly Hookworm, for the Cool Bug of the Day award.

I found what is apparently the first grade picture of the intrepid little worm on the web here. Just look at him. His mother must be so proud.