State officials said the "downlisting" to threatened from endangered would have no impact on protections afforded the massive, lumbering marine mammal often called the sea cow.

Poor sea cows. They should stay endangered. I've seen poor innocent manatees made into mailboxes, of all things!

CNN.com - Florida takes manatee off endangered list - Jun 8, 2006

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- A pride of lions has killed and devoured 20 villagers, wounded 10 others and eaten at least 70 cattle in southern Ethiopia in the past week, police said Tuesday.

Police: Lions eat 20 villagers in Ethiopia

SCIENTISTS have created a “miracle mouse” that can regenerate amputated limbs or badly damaged organs, making it able to recover from injuries that would kill or permanently disable normal animals.

The experimental animal is unique among mammals in its ability to regrow its heart, toes, joints and tail.

The researchers have also found that when cells from the test mouse are injected into ordinary mice, they too acquire the ability to regenerate.

Very important experiment.

'Miracle mouse' can grow back lost limbs

The most visible British genetic marker is red hair, he added. The writer Tacitus noted the Romans' surprise at how common it was when they arrived 2,000 years ago.

"It's something that foreign observers have often commented on," Miles said. "Recent studies have shown that there is more red hair in Scotland and Wales than anywhere else in the world. It's a mutation that probably occurred between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago."

Hooray for being a mutant!

British Have Changed Little Since Ice Age, Gene Study Says

] Thirty years ago, they were wide-eyed, first-year graduate
] students, ordered by their iconoclastic professor, Dr.
] Stanley Milgram, to venture into the New York City subway
] to conduct an unusual experiment.
]
] Their assignment: to board a crowded train and ask
] someone for a seat. Then do it again. And again.

I love Milgram. Just for fun, look up his obedience study sometime. (Can you tell I'm back in school? Psych major...)

But anyhow, this raises a very important question.. Are you tough enough to ask someone to give up their seat on the subway?
Apparently the thought scared even Milgram...

'Excuse Me. May I Have Your Seat?'

] The animals, processed September 10, were part of a
] research herd that had been sent to slaughter without the
] proper notification that they had the chips implanted,
] said Sioux-Preme Vice President Jim Malek.

What's scarier... that this was part of a RESEARCH HERD or that there could possibly be a microchip in your pork?
Oh wait, there is something scarier....

"Recipients were notified to return meat, which will either be reinspected and cleared for use or destroyed, Malek said."

MMM..... someone else's recycled pork!!!11

Is that a microchip in my meat?

] Two nice comets are currently coursing through the inner
] solar system. They will continue to be visible from
] various latitudes on Earth - with binoculars, and
] perhaps with the naked eye - for the next few weeks.

Get your butts out there and look up. :)

Sky and Telescope - The Double Comet Show of 2004

] This evening at twilight, two universal symbols of beauty
] will shine together in the western sky, creating a
] stunning sight for North and South Americans.

Unless, of course, you live in Southeastern Connecticut, in which case you will see NOTHING BUT CLOUDS.
Life in CT as usual... every time there's an interesting celestial event I'd love to observe and photograph, this state is clouded over.
Sigh....

Venus-Moon Pairing Tonight:

I couldn't make this shit up if I tried...

Normally, I'm all for Aramark trying to spice up the selections in our vending machines here at Electric Boat. But this time, they've gone too far!! I thought I was seeing things this morning when I noticed these in the machine. But apparently they're real!!! And here's a picture of the bag!!!!!!

By week's end, curiosity will probably get the best of me and I'll probably try them.

Is it just me, or do snack-food companies use office vending machines as testing grounds for new snacks? There seems to be some pretty freakin' weird stuff in there today... buffalo wing potato chips, mozzerella stick sticks, and the hot-dog chips. Are we guinea pigs??

Hot Dog and Mustard Potato Chips!!!!

6,320,430 decimal digits. Enjoy!!

Look! It's the largest prime number!