Man Bites Head Off of Pet Rooster

Umm... Yeah. Full article here.

Quick Summary:

• In Manhattan, a person found the body of a rooster on the fire escape near his apartment.
• His neighbor, the 52-year-old Humberto Rodriguez, explained to agents that he bit off the rooster's head because it had hurt one of his other pets, a pigeon.
• Rodriguez has been arrested.
• He faces the charge of animal cruelty. Also, possession of a rooster is illegal in New York City.
• He could have up to a year in prison if convicted.
• The rooster's head was not located.

My $0.02: Though the story in itself is interesting, I can't help but bring up the original meaning of the word 'geek'. Geeks were carnival freaks who often bit the heads off of chickens. Though the particular denotation of geek is rarely used today, I believe it applies in this case...

Ren & Stimpy: The Lost Episodes Review

Whenever a DVD starts with an introduction from Weird Al Yankovic, you know you're in for an interesting trip. Ren & Stimpy: The Lost Episodes premieres three completely new episodes that were so wild, even Spike TV couldn't air them. The box also includes a separate DVD with the three episodes of Ren & Stimpy Spike TV aired. If you missed them for the short time they were on Spike TV, then this is your chance to catch up with the hilarity.

The new episodes are completely finished. There are no half-done episodes that were cut off in the middle of production. The subject matter is very fresh and original. From Ren washing girls in the shower to Stimpy carrying his and Ren's love child, you definitely won't fail to be shocked and entertained.

The inclusion of the Spike TV episodes is also great. Since the show had such a short run on the channel, I've been looking forward to seeing the episodes again. They seem even better the second time.

However, I must issue a warning to the squeamish: These episodes are gross. Really gross, even by my twisted standards. If you can't stand snot eating and the multitude of references and uses of fecal matter, steer away from this title.

The only other possible downside I saw was some of the commentary to introduce the episodes. Though some was interesting, other interviews were just plain boring.

As a long-term fan, I really hope these DVD episodes help Ren and Stimpy to be revived like Family Guy. The fact that almost all of the copies were gone by the time I got to Best Buy gives me hope.

Summary: These episodes are the Ren & Stimpy you always wanted to see.
Final Score: 4 out of 5

Athens Gives Rise to Super Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes better at hunting are springing up in Athens. Full article here.

Quick Summary:

• In Athens, the cramped housing conditions and air pollution have led to 'super mosquitoes'.
• The mosquitoes are faster, larger, and better at finding prey.
• Normal mosquitoes can smell blood from 15-20 meters. The new ones can smell it from 25-30 meters.
• The new mosquitoes can also see in color.
• The Athens mosquitoes fly at 500 beats per seconds (bps), while normal ones have 350 bps.
• The new mosquitoes are also 0.3 micrograms bigger.
• The Athens mosquitoes have grown resistant to air pollution and insect repellent.
• The burgeoning Athens population of 4,000,000 people has given the insect lots of food.

My $0.02: If 'super mosquitoes' have developed in Athens, it seems like that the race will migrate to other high population areas. One could easily fly onto a trans-Atlantic flight or one to Asia and *boom*. We have a world wide epidemic of mosquitoes much worse than the ones we already have.

New Merriam-Webster Words

Merriam-Webster Collegiate® Dictionary is adding almost 100 new words to its 2006 edition for the fall. Below is a sampling of some of the new words:

Main Entry: sandwich generation
Function: noun
: a generation of people who are caring for their aging parents while supporting their own children

Main Entry: ag·ri·tour·ism
Pronunciation: "a-gri-'tur-"i-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: agriculture + tourism
: the practice of touring agricultural areas to see farms and often to participate in farm activities

Main Entry: uni·brow
Pronunciation: 'yü-n&-"brau
Function: noun
: a single continuous brow resulting from the growing together of eyebrows

The full sample list can be viewed here. I personally am not a fan of Merriam-Webster. I prefer Wiktionary for all of my definition needs.