Gnome Attack!

Be afraid. Be VERY afraid. It's coming. It's coming to get you! A whole panic stricken town is crippled. It's a GNOME!?!?

Attack of the sideways walking, pint sized gnome.

Seriously, a gnome?
This is the image that launched fear into the hearts of men, women and children in a South American town. Some kids managed to get footage of the gnome in action (See video on the link). Sure enough, it moves slowly, wears a pointy hat and walks sideways. What? It walks sideways? My favorite part about the video is that the kids are screaming in terror. They can't even film it for more than a couple brief seconds before the camera cuts off to screams. They said one of them had to go to the hospital because he was too scared. Maybe I missed out on some of the experience, but too afraid of what? It's a little gnome. It's like being scared of the cute little gnome on the travelocity commercials. Does he cast spells? The kids claim other town residents have also come forward. No one wants to leave their homes. Will the gnome be caught? Who ya gonna call?

I'd Like a Half Caff. Low Fat, Double Mocha...Kidney

Now, I've befriended starbucks barista after starbucks barista.  All i've had to show for it was the occasional free cookie.  Hats off to excessive over the top giving:

Would you like a pastry, cookie or body part with your coffee?

How about the ultimate donation of friendship and kindness.  A barista offered her regular customer and friend her kidney.  A kidney?!?  She better get a really sweet ass tip for that one.  Talk about generous.  Can you imagine what it was like for the other people in line when this took place?  I know if it had been my usual manhattan bucks, then the whole line would have groaned and said, "great, get a room and let me get my coffee!"  I won't belittle the friendship of the customer and server relationship, but how did that even come up?  Who tells their barista that they're just desperate for a kidney.  Maybe, I've never had that friendly a barista or maybe I'm more private about my medical history, but I feel like in that 1 minute exhange of goods, my latest hospital trip doesn't usually come up!  Well, good luck woman getting a new kidney.  I hope you fill that tip charge to the brim every day after this!

A Monkey Match Made in Heaven

It's true.  Even monkey's can find true love.  It's a real, live monkey wedding!

I take thee, monkey, to be my lawfully wedded husband...

Earth Obliterarted by Alien Death Rays

In the past, the death star brought about only pleasant memories of Luke Skywalker using the force and saving the rebel alliance from certain destruction.  However, times have changed.

"Look how pretty that supernova is.  Hey, it's coming closer, so we can get a better view.  It's getting really close.  Too close.  Are you warm?  I'm feeling warm."  

Apparently, this star group called WR 104 is flittering around out there just waiting to one day explode.  Just feel the drama in this quote by the scientist being interviewed:

"I used to appreciate this spiral just for its beautiful form, but now I can't help a twinge of feeling that it is uncannily like looking down a rifle barrel,"

Clearly, some mad scientist failed with his experiments on the first 103 WRs, and now WR 104 is primed to destroy us.  I do prefer the other term used, "Pinwheel of Death."  When these stars go supernova, a wave of gamma radiation will shoot across the galaxy at the speed of light, which could, among other things, obliterate all life on earth.  Everyone who's ever read a comic book knows that gamma rays just turn you into the hulk or something, right?  Maybe we'll all develop super powers instead.  The way I see it, it's really a 50/50 bet here.  Instant death or super powers.  I don't know about you, but I like those odds.

Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?

Evidently, Indiana Jones did not have any character flaws.  He's scared of snakes cause he can't help it!

What is that slithering creature?  I'm not sure, but I know that I hate it!

Two researchers from the University of Virginia believe that our fear of snakes comes from an evolutionary trait and not just cause they're generally creepy.  I must confess, I am compelled by evolutionary studies, since I used to write about them myself in college, but this is one of those that I sort of scratch my head on.  Maybe our ancestors were afraid of snakes, but at the same time, they were afraid for a reason!  It could be evolution or it could be the venom and the whole killing thing.  I didn't need my ancient monkey relatives to pass along a genetic message in a bottle!  Later on, it's explained, that at least in Virginia, it's easy to identify the venomous from the non venomous snakes by looking deep into their eyes and checking out their pupils.  Um, the last thing I want to do is stare deep into a snake's eyes.  I will hopefully be long gone before that bad boy starts crawling up my face!