February 28, 2005
I may never sit down comfortably again...
There are plenty of things you might expect to find in your toilet, but a 6-foot python generally isn't one of them...
It was almost 9 a.m. Tuesday and Shannon Scavotto already was running late for work when he opened the toilet to throw out a tissue.Inside was a snake as thick as a child's wrist, its diamond-shaped head sticking 10 inches out of the toilet.
(Via BoingBoing and the Fortean Times)
Posted by baggers at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)
February 18, 2005
Smells like... life
The ESA Mars Express spacecraft has been using its Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (shown to the left) to scan the Martian atmosphere for various chemicals including Methane since its arrival. It has found more than would be expected in a lifeless world, and (according to press reports) NASA scientists have compared these methane signatures to those found on earth over caves filled with bacteria, and have found similarities.
To put it more simply: there may be farty bacteria on mars.
But it is perhaps a little too soon to draw too many conclusions. NASA, perhaps after being stung over the fuss over the Martian bacteria meteorite, has issued a press release saying that NASA does not have any observational data from any current Mars missions that supports this claim..
Posted by baggers at 02:18 PM | Comments (0)
Top 100 Gadgets
I'm kind of ashamed to admit how many of the Top 100 Gadgets of All Time I've owned. Some of them were a bit before my time (like number 98: PEZ DISPENSER, 1927), but I have owned a lot of the others. Needless to say, I don't own them now - the fact that they are quite likely to become collectible at some point means that I have long since lost/thrown/out/give away all of them...
Posted by baggers at 02:07 PM | Comments (0)
February 15, 2005
Cat meets Bunny, Cat runs away
My friend Andy posted this touching story on how his Cat Shiloh and his rabbit Bunbun get along. It seems that Shiloh the cat was the scaredy-cat of the two, running in fear the first time he saw Bunbun. This doesn't surprise me: most cats I've known (and, believe me, that's quite a few) are scared of anything they don't know. Rabbits, meanwhile, are a bit dim, and generally aren't scared of things unless they actually bite them. As Andy puts it:
Well, at first the cat was terrified of the rabbit. Counterintuitive as that sounds, it actually makes sense if you consider the fact that Shiloh has always been extremely cautious and Bunbun is very forthcoming and outgoing.
Posted by baggers at 02:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 10, 2005
Nuts to Cars
David Bowler couldn't figure out why his Range Rover kept loosing power. So, he took it to the garage, where mechanics discovered that a Squirrel had been using his air filter as a nut stash... (Via Fark)
Posted by baggers at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)
February 09, 2005
My New Name
Henceforth, I wish to be addressed as B.A.G.G.E.R.S.: Biomechanical Artificial Guardian Generated for Efficient Repair and Sabotage. My Dog shall henceforth be referred to as F.E.S.T.E.R.: Functional Electronic Sabotage and Terran Exploration Replicant. The Sabotage bit seems very appropriate.
Get your own personalized Cyborg name here.
Posted by baggers at 07:42 PM | Comments (0)
February 07, 2005
Hubble Trouble
I must admit to mixed feelings about this news report that NASA is now planning to send the Hubble space telescope to a fiery death in 2006. Despite lobbying from a wide range of scientists and space geeks, NASA has decided against sending a mission to upgrade the telescope so it could continue to work after the existing gyroscopes conk out.
My feelings are mixed because Hubble has been a huge success – it has produced an incredible number of pictures that are not only beautiful, but which have taught us lots of things about the nature of the universe. But the fact is that it is getting old, and I’m not convinced that the money a rescue mission would cost is worth it. The fact is that, since Hubble was launched, earth based telescopes have been getting better and better, so now they are nearly as good as Hubble. And if this continues, why bother spending money on an orbiting scope when the cheaper land-based ones are as good?
Posted by baggers at 03:06 PM | Comments (0)
Superheroes wanted for questioning
I guess even superheroes get cranky when they are hungry: these three are being sought by police in Kent (in the UK) after they were caught on CCTV after allegedly beating up someone in an argument over a shortage of food at a Burger van on Christmas Day...
Posted by baggers at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)