Mark gets an eagle-shaped no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of a major Roman-era battlefield in Germany. The kicker? According to the article, it's too late and too far north to agree with existing histories.

As with most apocalyptic predictions, the chicken-little forecast of arctic ice disappearing completely in 2008 ended up flat wrong. The stuff actually increased during the year, for reasons scientists only puzzled out after the fact.

Now, tell me again, and slowly because I guess I'm just that retarded, why I should support inhibiting the economic growth of my country on the predictions of, presumably, these exact same scientists?

Those who think global warming is a) mostly man-made and b) a dire and immediate threat to civilization would do well to remember an axiom about science: "we love science because it can find The Ultimate Answer to any particular question. We hate science because it will change The Ultimate Answer whenever conflicting data is found."

That sound you hear is the True Believers moving the goalposts. Again.

Via No Pasaran.

Willie, the Bush's "first cat", was found dead at her home in the White House on Sunday. 18 is a pretty darned good run for a cat, but I'm sure it's still quite sad. On the other hand...

A new actor has been cast to be Dr. Who for the next set of new episodes of that series. The guy's name is Matt Smith, and no, I haven't heard of him either. The whole creative team will be new for this next season, due in 2010 in the UK at any rate, so it'll be interesting to see just how well it all turns out.

A British "expert in sound technology at Huddersfield University, West Yorks" is claiming Stonehenge was actually built as a sort of prehistoric disco. Hey, if that's what it takes to get your grant renewed, that's what it takes.

So, on the third of four trips to the downtown Air and Space museum with Olivia during the Christmas break, I made a "geeky snort" cool discovery. Somewhere, and I won't tell you exactly where, they're playing a Monty Python tune in there. To keep the suspense going, there'll be no comments on this one. Go find it!

Ron gets a no-prize with a hidden picture for bringing us the "top 10 cars and the type of women they attract". I guess you'd have to define "rare" to see if my Italian exotic qualifies, but I'm happy with what I got (in both senses).

Patricia Dare was charged Monday with the violations in a private complaint filed by a state dog warden who inspected Petz Unlimted's kennels in October. Because Dare pleaded guilty to summary charges of failing to maintain sanitary and humane conditions following a July inspection, the new charges are a misdemeanor, court documents state.

Petz Unlimited, located in the Cumberland Marketplace shopping center on the northwest corner of state Route 114 and the Carlisle Pike is owned by Dare's son, Port Dare. In 2002, Dare spent 15 days in Cumberland County Prison after being convicted on animal cruelty charges.

Township police and witnesses said Dare placed a sick kitten in a plastic bag and put in in a freezer. When that did not kill it, Dare bashed it against the side of a Dumpster.

6560 Carlisle Pike

Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

(717) 795-9099

Oh yes...the article.

Enjoy.

Makes you thinks twice where you buy your pet supplies from.

Nothing like a collection of "the sky from above" pictures to start your Sunday. What they can't show, and indeed what I've only seen a few times in IMAX movies, is how all that stuff visibly moves over time.

So, how old is your car? Or cars, as the case may be. Ours:

• '71 Alfa Romeo Spider: 51 "people years" old.
• '88 Alfa Romeo Milano: 27
• '01 Chrysler PT Cruiser: 77

Not too shabby!

Olivia loves to dance. She dances in the kitchen, in the living room, and in the bathroom. She even twirls to the car in the mornings to go to school.

Tonight was our usual night of music and dance in the living room. Pirouettes and leaps, with her toes kept busy until she shouted: "Mom! Leap with me!"

Normally I'd love to leap with her, but since I had her, certain things don't work as well when you sneeze, cough, jump etc...

"Olivia I can't jump, I'll pee in my pants!"

With a sudden a huff and a foot stomp I was told: "Then take your pants off!"

Mark gets a no-prize shaped like a banana peel for bringing us this graphic example of what can happen when you rush a delicate project so you can play with your new toy.

Something tells me this does not mean to them what it means to us. Either that, or gaydar is now a reality.

Rrm... not that there's anything wrong with that. I think.

Yeah, this is pretty much how I react to cool toys too. And Mark, and Joshua, and Ron, and... well, and pretty much every other guy I know.

OOK!

The rest of us will laugh at the main picture of best friends owl and basset. Ellen, of course, will jump straight to conure and labrador. But you knew that already.

Sometimes spam is just that... "enhancements", fellows from Nigera/Poland/the US Military sitting on pots of gold which could be yours for a modest finder's fee, lonely young ladies looking for a little companionship, that sort of thing. But once in awhile, just every once in awhile, it's something quite different:

Truth is reality. That means don't stretch reality, don't bend reality, don't poke reality -- what did reality ever do to you? Who has a strong need for the mark 'of' the wild American cashcow (mooooo!), I get plasma tv/food, but you get neg value? Can't buy/sell food or cars unless a specific collateralized mark 'of' the wild American, huh.. I get plasma tv, you get neg value seems to require an apology for rest, Forrest. Apology biggest at tithing, with smiles and frowns at tithing, as the only meter for 'did I bring wholly the tithe' while monetized debt increases debt in the house of God. You know, Noah's rainbow only promised no flood, not no destruction (John 6:66, a very big heart filled with pain; Genesis 6:6, a very big heart filled with pain).

I just love it when someone wobbles off their meds in front of a computer!