Odd News

[Denny]

Disaster unfolds slowly in the Gulf of Mexico

In the three weeks since the April 20th explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, and the start of the subsequent massive (and ongoing) oil leak, many attempts have been made to contain and control the scale of the environmental disaster. Oil dispersants are being sprayed, containment booms erected, protective barriers built, controlled burns undertaken, and devices are being lowered to the sea floor to try and cap the leaks, with little success to date. While tracking the volume of the continued flow of oil is difficult, an estimated 5,000 barrels of oil (possibly much more) continues to pour into the gulf every day. While visible damage to shorelines has been minimal to date as the oil has spread slowly, the scene remains, in the words of President Obama, a "potentially unprecedented environmental disaster." (40 photos total)

[A-Musing]

While man-made disasters aren't exactly "odd news," this BP mess IS odd, by virtue of it's colossal size.
It's unnerving to see these oil potentates being so impotent in their seemingly ditzy efforts to stop their massive flood of oil into our waters and coast-land.
I'm 65 years old, and this is the biggest ecological damage I can recall. Man-made, that is.
Hope BP can stop it, post haste!

[dwest]

While man-made disasters aren't exactly "odd news," this BP mess IS odd, by virtue of it's colossal size.
It's unnerving to see these oil potentates being so impotent in their seemingly ditzy efforts to stop their massive flood of oil into our waters and coast-land.
I'm 65 years old, and this is the biggest ecological damage I can recall. Man-made, that is.
Hope BP can stop it, post haste!

We fully expect it to reach the Atlantic Coast, I can't even imagine the damage. Whole coastal ecosystem collapses most likely.

[A-Musing]

This makes me really appreciate the still-clean Pacific beaches I often walk.
I can barely imagine the bizarre and hellish scene of confronting massive oil on it all.
Gotta feel for the folk living, and trying to make a living, on that whole Gulf Coast.
What a brutal reality they are facing in their lives.

May this BP gusher not spread it's toxic plume too far around our beautiful coasts.

[Denny]

New species celebrated amid warnings of biodiversity loss

(CNN) -- A flat-faced frogfish, bug-eating slug and carnivorous sea sponge are some of the top new species named by scientists.

They appear on a "top 10" list of new species released Saturday amid warnings from the United Nations that the world is not doing enough to protect vulnerable eco-systems.

"Biodiversity loss is moving ecological systems ever closer to tipping point beyond which they will no longer be able to fulfill their vital functions," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the International Day for Biological Diversity, which is being marked in 11 countries.

[Denny]

Man Falls Down Man Hole; Calls 911 From Cell Phone

ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A man had to be rescued early Friday morning after falling 10 feet down a manhole in Ross Township.

The accident happened near the McKnight Road McDonald’s restaurant and Holiday Inn. The name and condition of the victim have not been released.

[dwest]

Actually there were three new species of carnivorous sponges, I'm going to be extra careful washing the truck, never know where they are going to turn up.

New species celebrated amid warnings of biodiversity loss

(CNN) -- A flat-faced frogfish, bug-eating slug and carnivorous sea sponge are some of the top new species named by scientists.

They appear on a "top 10" list of new species released Saturday amid warnings from the United Nations that the world is not doing enough to protect vulnerable eco-systems.

"Biodiversity loss is moving ecological systems ever closer to tipping point beyond which they will no longer be able to fulfill their vital functions," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the International Day for Biological Diversity, which is being marked in 11 countries.

[Denny]

Sherlock the vulture, man's new best friend

WALSRODE, Germany — With a face like a turkey, a blood-red head, big beady eyes and large curved beak, Sherlock the vulture is no oil painting.

But police in Germany are hoping the bird could be the latest, low-tech weapon in their armoury: they want to harness Sherlock's incredible sense of smell to locate the dead bodies that sniffer dogs can't reach.

They want to attach global positioning system (GPS) tracking devices to Sherlock and get him to find the corpses of people who have disappeared in remote areas.

[Lambchop]

Sherlock is a handsome bird, but did you get a look at his trainer? I just loved the caped coat and that HAT! Looks to be in a nice forest green, too. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Why do they only have men like that in Germany?

[Denny]

bit warm in Florida for that getup innit?

[Denny]

Mark Twain's Autobiography, Finally Released

(CBS) The most celebrated American author and humorist of all time has assured his place in the 21st century.

Mark Twain's autobiography, shut inside a vault for 100 years since his death in 1910, will finally be published.

The author of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," "The Prince and the Pauper" and the iconic 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" left 5,000 pages of his memoirs at the University of California at Berkeley under orders that they not see the light of day for a century, reports the Independent.

[Denny]

Approaching space object 'artificial, not asteroid' says NASA

NASA boffins report that an unknown object approaching the Earth from deep space is almost certainly artificial in origin rather than being an asteroid.

Object 2010 KQ was detected by the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona earlier this month, and subsequently tracked by NASA's asteroid-watching service, the Near-Earth Object Program headquartered at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

[Denny]

Alaska Police Stop Bank Robbery Suspect On Bike

(AP) ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A man robbed an Anchorage bank and escaped on a bicycle but didn't get far, police said Thursday.

The suspect crashed his bike into a patrol car, slid across the hood and took off running but was detained half a block away five minutes after the robbery, Anchorage Police Lt. Dave Parker said.

Police identified the suspect as Christopher Todd Mayer, 45, of Anchorage. He was turned over to the FBI, which will conduct the investigation.

[Denny]

Man Crosses English Channel on Helium Balloons

(CBS/AP) An American adventurer has crossed the English Channel tied to a bundle of helium balloons.

Jonathan Trappe was strapped in a seat below a bright cluster of balloons when he lifted off early Friday from Kent, in southeast England.

[I.D.10-t]

What a waste of helium. With the looming helium shortage and all...