bicycle commuter news

1) The entrails of the flattened rat gradually becoming embedded in the asphalt under Highway 24 on Forest St have turned yellow.

The rat itself, believed to have been fatally injured in a road traffic incident three weeks ago, has also apparently shifted positions since last night, since I unexpectedly ran over it myself this morning, whilst following my usual (and formerly vermin-free) racing line. It is thought that crows may have been involved, although no official statements have been made.

2) Late August is here, and with it a surfeit of ill-directed children who seem intent on recreating Brownian motion in the macroscale on the UC Berkeley campus.

Several impacts have been witnessed between undergraduates who, cell phones stapled to their right ears at all times when outdoors, are displaying remarkably low levels of spatial awareness when walking to or from class. Your reporter here is amazed that he himself has only collided with these persons once, when he was broadsided on his bike by an undergraduate cyclist, who was swerving out of the way of some equally wayward peers. However, with record enrollments, and several wireless telephone companies targeting the new intake, seasoned undergraduate watchers predict that I will be involved in least five more collisions before Christmas.

New airport security procedures

I know Ryanair are always keen to reduce their costs, and that personal effects increase the weight of the plane, and therefore the amount of fuel, but this is ridiculous. The Daily Mail would never stand for it!

Whoever said the radio was crap in northern California?

[fzzzzzt] This is KPB796, 1610 AM. This information is brought to you by Redwood National and State Parks.

Elk can be seen in several of the pastures around the Orick area. However, you are advised not to stop by the side of Highway 101; elk can be safely viewed from the designated areas on Nelson B. Drury Scenic Parkway or Davison Road.

Elk can suddenly appear on the highway at night. Or in the fog.

Elk can run at up to 35 miles per hour.

In the breeding season, elk can become unpredictable. Do not approach them on foot.

[fzzzzzt] This is KPB796, 1610 AM...

Metaphotography

Pictoral evidence that I have pictoral evidence that Ved is a treehugger.



Thanks to Mei for the photo.

John Fashanu

I had no idea it was so fundamental

Geology is not just about mines, minerals and museums.

Your attitude to geology affects:

- Your family
- Your quality of life
- Your self image
- Your future

See why.

Turduckens and other massive beasts

There have been innumerable televisual tributes in the past couple of weeks to Oakland legend John Madden, the man who put the BAWL in FOOTBAWL, due to his entry into the FOOTBAWL hall of fame. One of Madden's contributions to Western society that I had been unaware of (or, more accurately, unaware of the extent of) is his championing of the turducken.

A turducken, as you may recall, is a turkey stuffed with a duck, which is itself stuffed with a chicken. The inestimable Madden has one every year for his Thanksgiving dinner. One can apparently purchase the mighty beast online; a 15 lb slab of solid poultry will set you back around $80, will take up to 7 hours to cook, and will feed 15-30 people. Hugo, of course, thinks this is tremendous and is insisting that we order one and throw a Turducken Party, perhaps for Canadian Thanksgiving, since it comes a full six weeks before the American one and we really don't want to wait until November.

John Madden is 250 lbs.

Home Shopping Bacon

Wow. A TV channel that speaks to my soul.