TWS145: Hark We Now, Hear The Angles Sing! Ia, Ia, Santa Ftagn!
Bumper: Alexa Chipman of Broken Sea’s Maudelayne
Promo: Technorama
CQ: If we think of the brain as the real location of where things are "real", with the senses just feeding information, is there anything less real about well-described characters in a book and the situations they go through, then there is about your childhood friends? And when stories become interactive, can they not be said to be as real?
On the show this week:
- Tis The Season (Still)
- There’s Something In The Air..
- Disgarland
Full list of 59 articles after the jump!
- Tis The Season (Still):
- I bet the cross was the hard one to pass..: Yahoo!/AP – Texas couple say hen laid egg with cross on it
- Holy Cow! (Ok, everyone used that one..): WFSB – Cow Born With Divine Symbol
- Not every cow is divine — some just want revenge. “C’mon, Millie! Next we get the Butcher’s yard!”: The Daily Dust – Cows stampede through tranquil housing estate
- The not-so-divine cousins are acting up.. Or maybe he made a *gingerbread* house?: Kansas City.com/AP – Tenn. man says cows licked $100 in damage to house
- All the other kids in the neighbourhood are jealous, I bet..: CBS/The Early Show – Ohio Family Lives with Deer Friend
- A charity stunt in which someone holds their meals hostage for donations.. Isn’t that anonymous extortion?: The Dispatch – Animal lover lives as a dog
- More on the notion that Jesus may have partook in haggis. Or transformed haggis into scotch.. Or something..: STV – Jesus may have visited Scotland according to Scottish minister
- Is this the first schism in the Church of Jedi? Is this the birth of the Anniken Sect?: BBC – Force of Jedi church proves too much for brother
- Turns out, thousands of years of human observation actually does give those with a gift for reading people accurate information! Really? Not surprised either?: ScienceDaily – Personalities Accurately Judged by Physical Appearance Alone
- If you see teeth attached to a ring under the tree, maybe you should have been more specific..: Ananova – All I want for Christmas is …
- It’s a little confusing, but basically it can make you more aware that you are incapable of being more aware..: BBC – Drinking coffee ‘will not sober you up’ when drunk
- (EXTRA) Y-fronts, to be exact.: BBC – Art contest winner is just pants
- Home is where you hang your ghosts.: Haunted America Tours – I’ll Be Home For Christmas…
- Funny tho’: it doesn’t meantion Snoopy at *all*..: CBS/AP – Red Baron’s Death Certificate Found
- There’s Something In The Air..:
- This time, for *sure*.: UFO Digest – Extraterrestrial Life Official Disclosure Imminent
- It *would* be a rather impressive way to start, but.. no.: The Australian Herald Sun – Norway wormhole is First Contact, claim UFO watchers
- The only real question is: how long before they turn this into a service for parties?: The UK Daily Mail – Riddle of the Arctic roll solved as Russia admits ‘one of our missiles misfired’
- More detail, including some video of the mesmerizing spiral disappearing. Spine tingly, even knowing what it was!: Gizmodo – This Is How the Mysterious Giant Spiral Happened
- Mars. Needs. Haggis.: BBC – Nasa tests Aberdeenshire find for life on Mars clues
- Well, um.. they *did*.. Really, I think they just turned off the phone.: The UFO Chronicles – Can The Ministry of Defence (MoD) Really Close Down UFO Investigations?
- Idle prank, crafty weather, criminal marking or pagan prettying?: The UK Telegraph – Police force ‘consulted warlock over horse plaiting’
- I think they more suspect that it’s been stolen rather than running around like some sort of AWESOME Dr. Who moment..: Ananova – Robot dinosaur goes walkabout
- It’s like Inspecter Clouseau, only… not.: The UK Telegraph – Chinese husband allows wife to attack him once a week
- Contrary to the title (and the fact that he had an ax), he was just worried she was already dead, not ensuring that she was.: The UK Independent/PA – Student broke into mortuary to hunt woman he loved
- At least, in *women*. Men just tend to hit stuff.: CBC – Testosterone leads to fairness, not aggression: researchers
- (EXTRA) … but only if you ride through lightning storms, so most should be safe.: LiveScience – Mysterious Radiation May Strike Airline Passengers
- (EXTRA) In this economy? It seems like the more stable numbers game.: Yahoo!/Reuters – Many Americans haunted by ghosts, look to astrology
- (EXTRA) Was the result really 2 correct, 1 wrong out of 18 choices? And if your test can have an outcome that is both good *and* no better than random, your test is FAIL..: Roy Stemman’s Paranormal Review – Did Anita Ikonen really fail?
- (EXTRA) In the end, many things about this practice don’t add up. But do any?: The New York Times – Indian Soothsayers Offer Tips Using Numbers and Names
- (EXTRA) I never heard of the Houdini-turned-skeptical-inquisitor before.. It sounds remarkably like Randi..: Haunted America Tours – Margery: The Medium Who Turned the Tables on Houdini
- (EXTRA) I agree. “Are you sure?” Yes. “Are you sure you’re sure?” Yes. “Can you ask someone there to vouch for you, because I’m not sure you’re sure.” No. “No, because there isn’t anyone there?” Yes. “Oh. Sorry. Do you want me to call someone?” No. : BBC – Computer pop-ups ‘slow down work’
- (EXTRA) Hey, I know it took *me* some time to get used to the idea again.. Hey!? Where are my slippers?: Ananova – Council teaches over-50s to wear slippers
- (EXTRA) It’s like a slow-motion car-crash. We should charge admission.: The UK Telegraph – Giant iceberg heading for Australia
- (EXTRA) Blame the porcupines. (No, *really*.): Cryptomundo – Where We Should Look For Bigfoot Bones
- (EXTRA) Today’s Sun weather: sunny and hot, with a slight change of GIGANTIC MOLTEN WAVE. Commuters are advised to take other routes.: DiscoveryOn/ANI – Scientists discover tsunami on the Sun
- Pretty soon, we’ll discover that everything on Earth came from outer space — including the Earth. Then we’ll realize: oh, wait, it’s *all* outer space!: ScienceDaily – Earth’s Atmosphere Came from Outer Space, Scientists Find
- (EXTRA) Turns out, when things go BOOOOOOM, it can be pretty big.: LiveScience – Ancient Volcano’s Devastating Effects Confirmed
- Disgarland:
- (EXTRA) I wonder if they found a sign or something..: DiscoveryOn/ANI – Scientists find evidence of first human occupation in Australia
- (EXTRA) I really wish they’d stop *losing* them in the first place.: DiscoveryOn/IANS/AKI – Ancient Roman city found off Libyan coast
- (EXTRA) Well, technically it’s a whole hand..: ITN – Scientists unveil first ‘bionic fingers’
- (EXTRA) It sits in wait until the day that Cthulhu awakens, and.. : LiveScience – Humans Have Hidden Sensory System
- (EXTRA) I have a feeling this might turn out as bland pablum mass market top 40 crap..: New Scientist/CultureLab – You have the power to make music… evolve
- (EXTRA) Loopholes provide opportunities for humans to do things which are probably stupid without them.: Ananova – Village becomes ‘limo’ capital
- (EXTRA) Vegetables are out to kill you. Maybe vegetarians are on to something, not out of sympathy to meat, but out of fear of veg!: LiveScience – Killer Petunias and Murderous Potatoes Revealed
- (EXTRA) Why the quote marks? Are you ‘afraid’ of not being ‘taken seriously’ by ‘admitting possibilities’?: WOAI – Update: ‘Tracks’ found in area where ‘Bigfoot-type’ creature spotted
- (EXTRA) I believe one was popcan sized. KAWAIIIII! 😉: San Francisco Chronicle – Monkey sightings in Novato
- (EXTRA) I keep thinking someone typed something wrong..: Ananova – Disney World to be twinned – with Swindon
- (EXTRA) Probably an administrate error as well.: Ananova – Scot leaves cash to namesake towns
- (EXTRA) I suspect it was just a booking error disguised as serendipity..: The UK Telegraph – Two retired policeman with same name ended up side by side in hospital
- (EXTRA) Sometimes, to discover the past you must destroy the present. (Or something like that..): New Scientist – Ancient Amazon civilisation laid bare by felled forest
- (EXTRA) This book is *so* old, it doesn’t even *have* a name.: STV – Scotland’s oldest book to go on public display
- (EXTRA) Turns out, they were tracking the stars. Cool.: The Dispatch Online – Documenting the secrets of ancient scrolls
- (EXTRA) Unlike the Egyptians, at least they seem to have gotten something out of the bargain..: Phenomenica/ANI – Ancient birds may have lost teeth to get airborne
- (EXTRA) Frankly, all that sand had to suck for dental care..: MSNBC/Discovery News – Bad teeth tormented ancient Egyptians
- (EXTRA) I think the signs read “Fresh Enemy Stew” and “Roasted Nuts Over Open Fire”..: Wired – Controversial Signs of Mass Cannibalism
- (EXTRA) And yet, only slightly controversial.: Yahoo!/NZPA – Man devoured by his starving dog
- (EXTRA) Next, they’ll be friending them on FecesBook.: Yahoo!/HealthDay – Monkeys Recognize Their Pals in Photos
- (EXTRA) At a certain point, what does it really matter what your ancient ancestors may not have done?: BBC – Dr Crippen’s relative fails in bid to secure pardon
- (EXTRA) Are there really “male” trains and “female” trains?: Ananova – Thomas the Tank is ‘sexist’
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