Archive for October 17th, 2006

A new invasive species to be on the lookout for: the Asian green mussel.

The saltwater mussel “reproduces fast and early and grows huge. It can sink navigational buoys and floating docks. It has 10 times the biomass of any other buildup on a hull. One of these mussels at 6 inches is equivalent to, I don’t know, 20 or 30 barnacles,” said David Knott, S.C. Department of Natural Resources marine biologist.

And it doesn’t take them a year to reach that size - in large numbers.

The mussels “have the potential to be the greatest concern among any marine or coastal invasive animal. People are going to have to pay to do maintenance for it,” Knott said. “An invasive species gets attention when it costs somebody money.”

Posted by Fiver on 17 October 2006 at 6:39 pm under Uncategorized.
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Why I am sanguine when it comes to the November elections.

The difference is that many conservatives, myself included, don’t think the world will end if Democrats gain control of the house (and even the senate). We’re not like the hysterical left that thinks if its opponents win that the world will be destroyed.

I don’t think we’ll see some massive tax increase, I don’t think we’ll “cut and run” from Iraq, I don’t think Bush will be impeached, I don’t think we’ll lose the war on terrorism. If the Democrats were about to get a big majority of congress, I might feel differently, but at most, the Democrats would have a tiny majority in both houses with a veto-wielding Republican in the white house.

If congressional Democrats start acting like kooks for all the American people to see, they’ll suffer in 2008 when the stakes are much higher.

Also, as I live in North Carolina’s 4th district, it doesn’t matter how I vote. This guy is headed back to Washington no matter what.

Posted by Fiver on 17 October 2006 at 5:52 pm under Uncategorized.
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The bigger the horn, the smaller the balls.

Posted by Fiver on 17 October 2006 at 5:18 pm under Uncategorized.
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Group Trip Advisor: Travel Carnival 6: Family Travel in All Its Glory

Travel Carnival number 6 is up at Trip Hub. My “Romanian Honor Roll” post is included. Check it out.

As a reminder, Carnival of the Vanities #213 will appear in this space tomorrow. If you want to submit a post, do it now!

Posted by Kehaar on 17 October 2006 at 3:09 pm under Look What I Found.
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Illegal Immigrants who Love America

The U.S. population passed 300 million this morning, and Julio Mendoza (left) was thrilled to find out that he had been named the United States’ 300 millionth resident. Mendoza plans to use the undisclosed cash prize for a cream to soothe a painful groin itch. “If there is money left over,” he said, “I will help pay for my brother’s finger surgery.”

Posted by Woundwort on 17 October 2006 at 11:07 am under Uncategorized.
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When I was young, I pulled the legs of crickets and fed them to the ants, fancying myself as a god of the insect world.

I was a piker.

Posted by Fiver on 17 October 2006 at 10:02 am under Uncategorized.
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