CQ: Celebrations like Halloween stem from ancient beliefs and superstitions. Do you think it will be possible, in our so-called “enlightened” age, to create new traditions like that — or are we too skeptical, jaded or serious to really do it?
PROMO: Halloween Haunt – My favourite seasonal podcast!
PROMO: TekDiff – Home of the fantastic, Parsec-award winning comedy podcast (Teknical Diffikulties) and the eerie/funny audio drama, The Account.
On the show this week:
- Front Page
- Tricks
- Treats
- Extras
Full list of 75 articles after the jump!
- Front Page:
- Don’t worry: they’re always another apocalypse juuusst around the corner..: Fox News – 2012 Apocalypse — Postponed
- Is ecological horror the new Nostradamus?: India Report – ‘Humans will need two Earths by 2030’
- (EXTRA) Not the typical story of witchcraft for Halloween — normally witches are concerned with being taken seriously _enough_..: Irish Times – Call for release of ‘witchcraft’ prisoners
- No matter how deeply you examine his body, you just see the same repeated patterns of “not alive” over and over again..: New Scientist – ‘Fractalist’ Benoît Mandelbrot dies
- They’re about as useful as the old “nuclear bomb” drills they used to do, so what’s the fuss?: Dateline Zero – UK schools doing UFO crash drills
- As if aliens weren’t bad enough on their own..: Yahoo!/Space.com – U.S. Must Be Ready to Meet Asteroid Threat, White House Science Adviser Says
- How long before every cool city has one?: AOL News – New Yorker Wants Vote on Big Apple ET Affairs Commission
- Tricks:
- Um.. Homer Simpson isn’t a “true” anything..!: The UK Telegraph – Homer Simpson ‘is a true Catholic’
- Not a lot of practical use, but it’s an interesting anomoly..: AOL – Jaw of Awe: The World’s Most Elastic Mouth
- (EXTRA) So long as it does anything but actually make sound, I’m all for the re-allocation of funds and recycling..: BBC – South Africa re-invents the vuvuzela
- I hope not; that would be the most lousy way to introduce it..: News.com.au – Could ‘time traveller’ caught on film in The Circus mean Future Day has arrived?
- Fortunately, modern explanations of ancient and bizarre technology quickly stifle the notion that anything interesting really ever happens..: forgetomori – Time Traveller in Charlie Chaplin Movie?
- Suppertime is generally a good time to check for leprechauns..: The UK Telegraph – Men more likely to grant loved one’s wishes at 6pm
- “I did not sleep with that nation!”: The UK Daily Mail – Columbus cleared of importing syphilis from America after skeletons from two centuries earlier show signs of disease
- (EXTRA) There’s some sort of ribald joke to be made here, but upon reflection, I saw it coming.: The UK Telegraph – Spanish prostitutes ordered to wear reflective vests for their own safety
- “No, I’m not staring at your cleavage, I’m trying to finish that sentence!”: AOL News – Literary Tattoo Lovers Wear Books on Their Sleeves
- The happy side is: they are doing it for pure joy. However, I suspect treachery.: BBC – Dolphins learn to ‘walk on water’
- (EXTRA) The real magic is in the new math.. (Wait.. does anyone even call it “the new math” any more? Geez.. I got old..): The New York Times – Magic by Numbers
- Next: dogs and cats living together, and whales as marine park guides.: AOL News – Two monkeys appointed station masters at Japanese train station
- Also tends to look down on fellow butt-lickers. I think this is how Planet of the Apes started..: The UK Daily Mail – The diva dog Lu Lu which walks on her hind legs and carries her own handbag
- Ah, back in the old days, where fuel economy was soooo much better.. Nowadays, I can barely make it to the street corner on a full breakfast!: National Geographic – Giant Pterosaurs Could Fly 10,000 Miles Nonstop
- Perhaps inspired by the dolphins — or maybe that’s the true dolphin agenda!: South Florida Sun Sentinel – Leaping fish punctures lung of woman kayaking in Keys
- (EXTRA) Cane toads will slaughter able critters. It will get biblical..: BBC – Cane toads are evolving into super-invaders
- (EXTRA) Well, you know how it goes: his social calender is pretty full, after all..: UPI – Bigfoot no-show at his special day
- (EXTRA) Maybe she also met with the bigfoot, and they’re forming a new colony. I’m filled with hope.: The Malaysian Star – Family claim vanishing girl abducted by “bunian”
- (EXTRA) And yet, still no opposable thumbs..: Today/MSN/AP – World’s largest domestic cat stretches over 4 feet
- (EXTRA) Not since the Kraken has there been such a controversial cephalopod…: Yahoo!/Eurosport – World Cup 2010 – Conspiracy claim over Paul’s death
- (EXTRA) I blame the cane toad/rabbit/squirrel conspiracy..: The Gainesville Times – Owners may be nearing answers to cow mutilation mystery
- (EXTRA) I think the moral of the story is: if you stare long and deep enough into space, you stop seeing the world around you as “real”..: The Christian Science Monitor – Cool Astronomy
- (EXTRA) There’s a crack in the universe. The Doctor will fix it!: News Daily/Reuters – CERN scientists eye parallel universe breakthrough
- (EXTRA) Sometimes, it sounds a lot like they’re making this stuff up. “Imagine the normal psychokinetic energy of this city is the size of this twinkie.”: New Scientist – Kitchen sink experiment simulates exotic white holes
- (EXTRA) Science fiction used to predict that algae would be the ultimate food source. Phew! Dodged that bullet!: The Guardian – US navy completes successful test on boat powered by algae
- (EXTRA) That sounds a lot like finding a gene that “hears silence”..: STV – Scientists discover gene that helps plants sense dark
- (EXTRA) Somewhere, the mole men are cursing right now..: Cambridge News – Chamber of secrets at site of sewer work
- (EXTRA) Denver has its squirrels, but England’s got squirrels. Here? Vampire sasquatches..: Yahoo!/Press Association – Search for vandal unmasks squirrels
- Treats:
- (EXTRA) It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!: Metro – Heaviest pumpkin breaks world record this Halloween
- I admire their dedication, if not their timeline.. *sigh* Looks like I’ll have to sign up for the longevity trials that turn me into Captain Canada..: News.com.au – NASA preps ‘100-year spaceship’ program to boldly go where none have gone before
- Just be wary if they start saying “you wait here all night, and if you’re good, the Great Pumpkin Pie will come!”.: Metro – Halloween takeaways for free — if you wait at a graveyard
- It sounds terrible, but quite resourceful..: Metro – Students being taught to cook roadkill for dinner to stave off debts
- (EXTRA) Considering that I’ve been on planes with lobster in boxes, I don’t really find this all that outrageous..: Metro – Live crabs found in airline passenger’s suitcase
- (EXTRA) Oh well: I guess that takes the virtuous high-horse away from the Stone Age diet plan..: New Scientist – Stone Age humans liked their burgers in a bun
- (EXTRA) The question is: can they read that much literature? I hope there are pictures.. And braaaaainss…: AOL News – New Handbook Helps Newly Undead Zombies Adjust
- (EXTRA) The importance is: you’ve got blonde hair. Get over it..: Balkan Insight – Sofia Highlights Importance of Being Blonde
- Ashes to ashes, dust to art..: Toledo Blade – Life memorialized as art
- We shall soon be hearing about the reproductive rights of the undead, I think..: AOL News – NY Woman Allowed to Harvest Dead Husband’s Sperm
- (EXTRA) New tech, old eyes..: The Sydney Morning Herald – Google Street View gawkers see ‘God’
- (EXTRA) Especially if you drink lots of it..: AOL News – Corona and Lime Can Cause ‘Mexican Beer Dermatitis’
- (EXTRA) What can you say? Obviously, admiration was bread into her daughter..: The UK Telegraph – World’s largest toast mosaic dedicated to mother-in-law’s face
- (EXTRA) Also likely to cause medical issues..: AOL News – New Gunpowder Booze Puts Hair on Your Chest, Sets It on Fire
- Bravo for turning something that’s essentially worthless worm food into cash!: The Irish Times – Anatomist sells body parts online
- (EXTRA) Soon, they’ll also suggest smoking for “enhanced health, Johnnie!”.: NPR – Booze-Friendly Hospitals Aim To Ease Patient Woes
- (EXTRA) He may find aural milkshakes less entertaining, however..: The UK Daily Mail – Ex-miner freed from 33 years of pain after TOOTH is removed from his EAR
- (EXTRA) You should really be fined for mixing your mineral metaphors..: The UK Daily Mail – Scientists strike gold: ‘Silver bullet’ could finally beat common cold
- (EXTRA) Heavy thoughts and light subject matter, perhaps?: Central Jersey – PRINCETON: Local firm explores mind over matter
- (EXTRA) And now we’ll have the next round of “inception”-like films..: BBC – Dream recording device ‘possible’ researcher claims
- (EXTRA) Well, that’s… Wait, is this just a way to make new Jamed Bond movie plots sound plausible?: Discovery News – Blotting Out Sun May Soon Be Banned
- (EXTRA) It’s like a cheap, gutless, made-for-TV ripoff of a horror film..: AOL News – Alien Abductee Creates Cosmic Coffee Table Book
- (EXTRA) You can find that in the British Standard Book of Birds, Expigated Version.: STV – Aberdeen restaurant serves up gannet
- (EXTRA) Well, at least they’re *already* standing around outside..: Stuff/The Dominion Post – Wellington birds developing nicotine habit?
- (EXTRA) It’s like the target of a Poe or Lovecraft story.. Evil.. Evil! EVIL!: The Daily Mail – Bug to the future: Extraordinary silver beetle snapped in Costa Rica
- (EXTRA) I’m assuming it will take humans to do that, but I haven’t seen the coin..: BBC – Could a rusty coin re-write Chinese-African history?
- (EXTRA) I’m reminded of Lost’s “hatch”, only I bet it was far less interesting..: BBC – Stone Age door unearthed by archaeologists in Zurich
- (EXTRA) Just as predicted by [movie plot/gaming plot], the ancient swords of [MacGuffin} have turned up. Thank you, adventurers, for returning them! … What do you mean you want to keep them?: The Mainichi Daily News – 2 swords from Todaiji Temple identified as treasures that went missing 1,250 years ago
- (EXTRA) Another game plot to be used and then turned into a Hollywood action flick… (I hope!): Metro – Kung fu sisters stage combat tournament to find men to date
- (EXTRA) Well, not everyone can have a tournament..: Metro – Taiwanese woman ‘will marry herself due to social pressure’
- Extras:
- (EXTRA) Never do a crime if you’ve gotten a news label. It just comes up.: CNN – ‘Hiccup Girl’ charged with murder after allegedly luring man into trap
- (EXTRA) I was going to say something cool about this story.. but I forgot it..: The UK Daily Mail – Even bees lose their memory: Older honey bees ‘find it hard to remember where a new hive is located’
- (EXTRA) Oh, how the not-so-mighty have fallen… Or is this unnecessary and possibly cruel attention paid to someone who will feast upon it, like a vampire?: AOL News – Balloon Boy Dad Gets the Itch to Sell Back Scratchers
- (EXTRA) The ultimate clash of cultures..: India Report – Playboy’s Nude Yoga – Hindus Really Upset
- (EXTRA) Arguably better than Truck Nuts.: AOL News – Sarah Palin Has Balls — Big, Plushy, Pink Ones
- (EXTRA) Now they have to the rest of the conversion..: BBC – Man with bionic arm dies after Austria car crash
- (EXTRA) Be wary of large organizations, particularly when they use barn animals as props..: Fox News/AP – Megachurch Birthplace of ‘Hour of Power’ Files for Bankruptcy in California
- (EXTRA) Good to know that the recession isn’t affecting everyone badly. (No, wait.. It isn’t..): AOL News – Moscow’s Super-Rich Turn Out for Millionaire Fair
- (EXTRA) Just another case of celestial sighting.. Honestly: that is the *worst* communications method *evar*.: The Journal Now – Lord of the Rings?
- (EXTRA) Cause bugs: they been around.: New Scientist – Ancient bugs reveal early link from India to Asia
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