The Kudzu Files

Butterflies are free

I saw this little guy flitting around my garden while I was playing with my new camera today, and he was obliging enough to pose for a picture.

State of Michigan placed on suicide watch

Indianapolis (AP) The entire state of Michigan except for the city of East Lansing and an area extending out 10 miles from East Lansing has been placed on suicide watch following the reported defeat of the University of Michigan's football team by the Appalachian State University Mountaineers. Appalachian State is reportedly located in western North Carolina, although Michigan authorities are unable to confirm this at the present time. "We're just not sure right now", said Michigan highway patrol spokesman Marvin Joachimsen. "We weren't really paying much attention to them, so we didn't notice which direction they came from". The immediate problem is knowing where to begin intervention activities. Attempts to contact Governor Granholm and Lt. Governor Cherry were unsuccessful, and concern for their welfare rose. In the absence of coordination with the state government, federal authorities and governments of surrounding states began deploying teams of counselors into major cities and onto the campus of the University of Michigan. In addition, US Air Force and units of the Indiana Air National Guard have begun air drops of mattresses beneath all overpasses and beside all buildings over three stories tall. Meanwhile, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland strongly denied reports that he had included Dr. Jack Kevorkian on a reponse team sent to Ann Arbor.

Red Sky At Night...

sunset_clouds, originally uploaded by staryeti.

Red sky at night.... these clouds were flooding the room with a red glow late Tuesday afternoon.

Art and Architecture In The Storm Drain

From BLDGBLOG, an interesting interview with Canadian urban explorer Michael Cook. It's interesting on two levels, first for the interview itself, and second for the accompanying pictures, which definitely don't look like the storm drains in my town. Who knows, maybe if he explored the sewers of Washington DC he'd find GWB's approval ratings.

OK, This Is Ridiculous!

What, He Couldn't Find The Elevator?

Via James, here's a story about a Russian crocodile who survived a leap out of a 12th-story window. The croc has done this three times now. What the hell could be in a Russian apartment that would scare a crocodile enough to make it jump out of a window? Or this some strange step up on the evolutionary ladder? People along the Nile River think they've got it bad now, just wait for flying Nile crocodiles. Seriously nasty.

Will Mars Look As Big As The Moon?

It's BAAAAAAACK!!!! That stupid email about Mars looming in our night sky like a big ol' 'nuther Moon is making the rounds again. No! It won't happen!! It can't happen!!!

No, not at all. Or, mostly not at all. This began in 2003, when Mars really did make the closest approach in modern human history. But it still just appeared as a bright red star. The original information was meant for stargazers, not really the general public. Through a telescope, at a magnification of 35 power, Mars would appear through the telescope to be about the same size as the Moon with the naked eye (not through the telescope). Comprehendo? The first time it came around, I think it was an honest misunderstanding. Second time, in 2005, might have been another honest misunderstanding. Third time? I sorta think people are deliberately sending this around.

If Mars ever got close enough to appear naked eye as big as the Moon, like this has led some folk to believe, the gravitational disruption would end human civilization and change Earth's orbit. Bad news, worse than Bush getting a third term.

I wrote about this last year, when it didn't even have the decency to come around at the right time (Mars is on a roughly 2-year close approach cycle thing).

But we like the Moon!