Water Boogers

The video above was taken with a sewer cam. I can honestly say that I've never laid eyes on creatures as disgusting as the ones that it captured. At first I wondered if slimy aliens might be colonizing our sewers and feeding off our . . . well, you know.

But then I learned that they MIGHT BE byrozoans, otherwise known as water boogers. (A fitting moniker if ever there was one.)

(Or it might be a hoax. Or viral advertising for a new movie. Or aliens.)

The Perfect Pet: A One Hundred-Pound Rodent

(Above: Caplin Rous.)

This post is dedicated to all of the readers who said they'd rather cuddle rodents than eat them. (Anyone who wouldn't mind giving them a nibble can skip this post and click here.)

Texan Melanie Typaldos knew she could never be satisfied with a hamster for a pet. No, Ms. Typaldos wanted all the rodent love she could get. So she adopted a South American capybara. Though the enormous beasts can weigh over a hundred pounds and are widely believed to be dumb as rocks, Ms. Typaldos insists they make perfect companions.

She claims her capybara, Caplin Rous, can perform more tricks than most dogs and likes to cuddle up on cold winter nights. He follows her around the house all day and sits in her lap nibbling treats until his bulk begins to cut off the circulation in her legs.

Aww. I never thought I'd say this, but he is kind of cute. Maybe I won't try that capybara chili after all.

Read a full interview with Melanie Typaldos (complete with photos and videos) here.

UPDATE 8-9-9: NEW VIDEO BELOW!

In Case You're Wondering

I'm on a trip at the moment. I'm sitting in a little cottage in Martha's Vineyard, looking out at the ocean (photo below). At the bottom of the hill is a little fishing village where Steven Spielberg filmed several of the key scenes in his masterpiece, Jaws. (I choose my vacation spots wisely!)

Unfortunately, it has rained every day of my trip, so I haven't been in the mood for posting. I've been too busy building roaring fires to keep out the damp and the cold.

Which brings me to the subject of today's post. The weather. Japan experienced some interesting precipitation recently. Seems fish and tadpoles were falling from the sky. (Pictures here.) Apparently, this phenomenon is called "Fafrotskies," which is short for "fall from the skies."

This sort of thing is unusual, but not as rare as one might think. Since people started keeping records, the following creatures have rained down on the earth: fish, tadpoles, jellyfish, bats, turtles, dead birds, worms, frogs, and toads.

Scientists believe that "creature rains" are caused by waterspouts, which lift the animals into the air and can deposit them miles away from home. I don't buy it. You can't tell me that extraterrestrials aren't involved in some form or fashion. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were in league with Earth's meteorologists. (Just look at your local weatherman and tell me he's not an alien!)

New York Travel Guide: The Earth Room

So I've heard that a few of you guys are planning trips to New York this summer. Well I have a recommendation for you. The Earth Room is a 140-ton "interior earth sculpture" created in 1977 by artist Walter De Maria. What's an interior earth sculpture, you ask? In this case it's an enormous room filled with dirt.

Now before you object, here are four reasons you might consider giving it a look:

1. It's really weird and wonderful in person.

2. It's worth over a million dollars. (If you can figure out a way to get it to your house.)

3. It's free to visit.

4. It's worm-free (for now, hint-hint).

Oh yeah, and while you're here you might want to drop by THE COOLEST PARK IN THE UNIVERSE.

This Is How I Spent My Sunday

I wish. Hope yours was more relaxing than mine!

German Kid Beamed By a Meteorite

Ever wonder how it feels to be hit by a pea-sized meteorite traveling 30,000 miles per hour? Now there's one person on earth who knows. Fourteen-year-old Gerrit Blank was walking to school in Essen, Germany, when a "ball of light" struck his hand--then created a (get this) FOOT-WIDE crater in the ground.

Gerrit is now being studied by scientists who believe he may soon begin to exhibit super-human powers. JK.

Read more here.

(Many thanks to Big K and S for sending me this story!)

Things I Will Have in My Yard One Day

(When I get a darn yard.) I can't imagine anything more awesome than a goat tower. (Though cleaning it sounds a bit disgusting.)

More here.

So Long, Suckas!

A little bird told me that the school year is ending for many of you this week. So . . . how was it? Share your best (or most horrifying) story of the year! Don't be shy. We want the good stuff.

(Just kidding about the suckas part. No indignant emails, please!)

Lucky Kid

(More pics here.)

Now might be a good time to introduce you to some other great stuff I've found lately . . .

An innovative way to ensure straight A's.

A little something special to amaze the guests at your next dinner party.

A cool use for old crayons.

And, of course, My Little Zombie Pony (more pics here).

I Couldn't Resist

From the same people who brought you that wonderful list of meats in a can comes 18 Delicious Rodents!

Smothered Muskrat and Onions, anyone? How about Three Bean Chipmunk Chili?

Love it!

Was the Lake Champlain Monster Caught on Film?

You guys remember Champ, right? He's the Loch Ness Monster of North America. For centuries (possibly as early as 1609), he's been scaring the pants off of visitors to Lake Champlain--and now he may have been caught on video.

On May 31, Burlington, VT resident Eric Olsen filmed a strange creature swimming across the lake. A still from his 2-minute cell phone video is shown above. The video itself can be seen here.

Is it a monster? Is it a deer? You be the judge!

Read more at Cryptomundo!

Meat in a Can

I loved this collection of canned meats from around the world. I've already gone on record as a haggis lover. I've also consumed a Vienna sausage or two. But the photo above makes me violently ill. How far would the rest of you go? Bugs? Lambs' tongues? Where do you draw the line?

Also, I've been a bit busy lately, so I've been posting a little less frequently. (And I've been slow to answer emails and post comments as well.) But I should be back up to regular speed pretty soon!