A blog chronicling the explorations of Squidocto & The Crushinator
I was reading an article about the flamingo, about how they tend to nest in huge colonies. So it occurred to me: can you see a flamingo colony in a satellite photo? I am geekily happy to report that yes, you can:
This is only part of the colony on Lake Nakuru in Kenya. If you scroll West along the shore you see even more.
I think you use this chart when you need legal forms delivered to your Pagan law firm.
The NYTimes has reported (why, I don’t know) that the dead body of a bigfoot has been found; and in what may be the most incredible coincidence of the century, the two men who stumbled upon it just happen to run a bigfoot tour business. Imagine that! But wait, they have independent confirmation! From a guy who sells bigfoot merchandise! Hooray, science!
Most people who read this article in the NYTimes will write about the political and racial implications of the water dispute and subsequent lawsuit. That’s all very interesting (no, really, it is) but when I read “Zanesville, mostly distinctive for its Y-shaped bridge, where the Licking River meets the Muskingum…” my attention was grabbed….
I was crossing Grove Street when a van cut me off, ignoring both me and the stop sign.
Not content with just that, he then screeched to a halt in order to have a nice friendly conversation.
Vanman: Look where you’re going!
Squidocto: Actually, pedestrians have the right of way. You almost hit me.
Vanman: What are you, from Oregon? Pedestrians can suck my dick!
Fine reviews of imaginary wines by Mr. Oswalt.
REDS BY THE GLASS
Fred Ludd’s
“Drinkable” Merlot, Gary, Indiana $2
A bunch of grapes, and they’re smooshed, and then they get kind of rotten, and we drain off the alcohol part and that’s the part you drink, and then you’re drunk. Are you going to finish that burger?
College Town Vineyards
“Freshman at Thanksgiving” Pinot Noir $11
A Nietzscheian blend of arrogant pinot grapes, half-informed with an amusing smugness. Fermented in stainless steel vats, formed from iron ore mined by exploited workers in Guatemala, which our government uses as drug mules to fund a shadow war that’s gone unreported for more than fifty years. Great when paired with Gang of Four or Fugazi CDs, Southern Hunan cuisine (not the northern provinces, which are so fucking mainstream I want to puke), and ironic T-shirts.
Cracking Crow Hill
Australian Shiraz $9
A binky wosgow of keezy plinkers, hoop-daddied for a ‘dillo’s wink and flappled in a pongo. Hints of sweet bashie, roasted wopabaggle, and frum-dipped mollys. A right chickamoo!
There are two hilarious violent jokes that can be spawned by the above question. But seriously, folks, the other week Ms. Rose (back before she became Professor Rose) and myself were discussing the new “forever” stamps and stamps in general (I have a bunch of old E and G rate stamps and don’t know what they’re worth), and she pointed me to this Slate article on investing in forever stamps (don’t) and a handy chart to find out what those letter stamps are worth and the history of US postage stamp prices
Fascinating, eh? Well the next post might just be a picture of a cat or something, so hang in there.
If I had gotten this inspiring rant, maybe I would have amounted to something. Come to think of it, I don’t know that I’ve ever been the target class for a good commencement address. Martin Scorsese was at my college graduation, picked up his honorary diploma, and sat down without a word to us. I think we got the Assistant Secretary of Education or something.
Spotted in the window of a barbershop in Multnomah Village, a neighborhood in SW Portland, OR. The shades were drawn, perhaps to block out the view of the freedom-hating hippies in the vegan sandwich shop next door.
On June 30, 1908, something big exploded in Siberia. Beyond that basic fact, there is still debate about what exactly that something was. And I’m not even counting the UFO theories and dumb stuff like that. Scientists still disagree: asteroid, comet, or earthly belch of methane? I get the feeling no one believes the “tiny black hole theory”, though it was taken seriously in 1973.
Whatever it was, it was big enough to send shockwaves around the planet (at least twice!), and the dust clouds rose so high in the atmosphere that in areas of Europe and Asia you could read by reflected sunlight in the dead of night.
The area has recovered, so unfortunately there isn’t much to see in satellite images. But, what a surprise, some creeps are cashing in on it with their Tunguska Blast nutritional supplement. (I want it to be a joke, but it just doesn’t seem to be one….)
This is a neat idea and the animation is nice, but those turbines look like they wouldn’t do a lot. And how long before the whole thing gets squeaky? Maybe really tall buildings are just a bad idea.
Of the thousands and thousands of Tetris rip-offs and variations, Chain Factor is the first one that out-does the original. (OK, sure, the graphics could be better. But as a game, it’s far more interesting.)
Another winner from the folks that brought you (the now out-of-date) john.he.is, Don’t Think of a Black Man, and 3 in the Mourning.
via radosh.net
Viewed from above, you can see why early settlers nicknamed the craters of the moon national park “the devil’s vomit.” Then again, that phrase was apparently more common then. (More C.O.T.M. maps here.)
Wiccans have a tough time sometimes. Take, for example, this 2005 lawsuit in Florida:
The lower appellate court opinion reveals the Wiccan group was exempted from paying sales tax on copies of the Bible and Quran, but forced to pay sales tax on the Satanic Bible and the Witches Bible.
(They lost, by the way.) So where to go when you need pagan legal advice? Pagan Village News? Or maybe Witch School dot com, which has a course entitled Pagans and The Law.
Perhaps it’s best to just go to The Pagan Law Firm. Judging from the solicitation they just stuck in my mail box, I think they are calling it that because it’s Spanish for “they pay.” But they may be surprised by the number of wiccans who contact them….
Extraordinary photo by Todd Heisler of 2nd Lt. James Cathey’s body being brought home. From The Rocky Mountain News’ Final Salute.
Amazing photos from Chile of erupting volcano and lightning.
From The Big Picture, a photo feature on Boston.com (?) that shows large images instead of the shrunken optimized photos we’re used to on the web.
Via Kottke.
This dumb picture has repeatedly cracked me up today.
