Gahhh.

( whine. feel free to skip. )

The subject line is all you really need to know anyway.

Random

Tuned into an alternate Yahoo account and listening to Launchcast, the algorithm serendipitously gifted me with the song I really needed to hear this morning 'cos it sounds so much like it was written for me. For those who remember, the current US President's father once used the song in his campaign, which had people wondering if George H.W. Bush had bothered to listen to it past the title. No idea which song I'm talking about? Okay then, ( click here )

In cheery news, volunteers are to undergo torture to see if faith eases pain. This actually looks like a very interesting study, though one wonders if it still counts as torture when you volunteer for it. And then there's this statement: "Volunteers will have a gel containing chilli powder or heat-pad applied to the back of their hand to simulate pain." Simulate pain? Either that's a typo or somebody's unclear on the concept.

Cosmic ripples. Which has me thinking of potato chips with ripples. No, I haven't eaten yet--why do you ask?

Red meat strongly linked to cancer. Yes, again.

"Gigantic eagles swooping from the skies to rescue Frodo and Sam in the Lord of the Rings may not be just the stuff of legends and fairytales, according to research published in the journal PloS Biology."

"Shakespeare’s name usually inspires thoughts of kings, fairies, lovers, wars and poetic genius--not syphilis."

Saharan Dust Affects Thunderstorm Behavior in Florida. Chaos strikes again.

Light shed on black-hole masses. Yes, more black holes! What, not enough black holes for you? Even more black holes.

Masters of Deception. No, this is not about politics; this is the online appendix to the book Masters of Deception:
Escher, Dalí & the Artists of Optical Illusion. Niiifty.

Black holes again

Folks had some confusion from yesterday's story. Maybe this will help.

I will go away and stop spamming you now.

Horoscope silliness

From Jonathan Cainer, the daily horoscope for Jan. 13 for Libra, sign of my natal sun and several planets: Go into any library and you will find shelves creaking and groaning under the weight of learned tomes containing 'definitive explanations'. Endless books containing endless answers. It's hard when you encounter such a sight, to think of the world as a place full of mystery. Yet believe it or not, we really don't know how everything works. There are still many things we must learn. You are now discovering a new side to a situation you once thought you understood completely. This may be baffling, but it is very beneficial.

And for Leo, sign of my natal moon and ascendant: If you don't know what's happening, maybe it's because you don't need to. If you can't get past an obstacle, perhaps this is because no further progress is necessary. Sometimes, problems perplex us quite unnecessarily. We come across a door that won't open and we feel frustrated. We completely overlook the fact that it leads only to a cupboard full of junk. Something is now making you feel very fed up. You are, though, actually being rescued from a situation that you really don't need to have anything to do with.

( More. Unnecessary, really. )