Don’t miss these exotic new orchids discovered recently.  At least eight new species have been identified during an expedition into previously unexplored regions of the tropical rain forests of Papua New Guinea.

Did you know “[o]nly one of the ancient wonders of the world still survives”?  It’s true.  But now everyone is being invited to vote on a new list to fill the seven slots.  Stonehenge is a possible addition, as are 20 other locations.  Do you want to help decide what the new seven wonders should be?  Go to New 7 Wonders to see the 21 available options and to place your vote.

I call BULLSHIT!  “President Bush has signed a new National Space Policy that rejects future arms-control agreements that might limit U.S. flexibility in space and asserts a right to deny access to space to anyone ‘hostile to U.S. interests.'”  Who the fuck does he think he is?  Space doesn’t belong to America.  It sure as hell is not under King George’s jurisdiction.  The man’s a menace and insane and unworthy of such power.  How sickening…

Remember all the hype about using Tamiflu to stave off avian flu?  Well, it would seem that’s a bad idea if used en masse should there be a pandemic.  Such large-scale use of the drug would create a massive influx of it into the environment, and that would subsequently create Tamiflu-resistant flu viruses in wild birds who would be exposed to it.  You see, much of it passes through us and into waste systems, and that water ultimately ends up back in water systems exposed to nature.

Look at yesterday’s Astronomy Picture of the Day.  What does that look like?  It could be any desert on Earth, but instead it’s Mars.

And while you’re there, get a load of The Bubble.  Very cool.

I’m sorry, but a little toilet humor is always entertaining when one disregards political correctness.  So, I can’t help but point out Eric’s apology for the sub par “bowel towel” (as one commenter put it).  Very funny!

Yesterday’s Doonesbury makes a very valid point.  If 3,000 people died on 9/11 but since then 150,000 people have died from gun violence in America, why aren’t we spending billions to combat the problem like we’ve done for the War on Terror™ (which, by the way, has accomplished nothing except put us in servitude to China and reduce our bargaining position on North Korea while strengthening anti-American sentiment around the globe)?  Just askin’.