Did you know you can extract DNA in your very own kitchen? I had no idea, and I think it's the most amazing, and coolest, thing I've learned this month. US News & World Report broke it down, PyroMD backed it up (it's right up his alley, after all), and now I'm telling you so you can play Mad Scientist this weekend.

(Of course, I'm going to quote directly from the source, since I can't explain it any better.)

DNA is all around you, and you don't need a Ph.D. to extract it. You will need a source of DNA (any living matter will do, but strawberries or bananas work well), salt (the non-iodized kind), shampoo, and 90% rubbing alcohol (chilled in the freezer).

1. Mash the DNA source. Add an equal amount of water. Throw in a couple of squirts of shampoo and a spoonful of salt. Stir gently.

2. Strain the mash through a wet paper towel or cheesecloth so you're left with a clear fluid.

3. Pour an equal amount of ice-cold alcohol into the fluid. you will see a cloud form. Take a chopstick or the handle of a spoon and twirl it inside the cloud to capture long, gooey strings of nucleic acid (DNA and RNA).

**Note: ITGoE is quite sure that this would work on humans as well, but I hope that he doesn't need to prove his theory.**

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In other news, I'm not sure how I feel about the Harry Potter/Dumbledore replacement. Michael Gambon is a nice man, but... he's no Richard Harris. (Edited because Richard Chamberlain, while a quality actor, is neither in previous Harry Potters nor dead.)

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Happy Birthday to the two cuties in my office! Welcome to your mid-twenties, ladies: it's all downhill from there. They wear their tiaras well, earning their 'princess' status in both the office and life. Many happy returns of the day!

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One week until Mardi Gras. You ready? Got your beads out of the closet and ready for some 'trading'?