Wayward notes and Comments from the ether in my eyes

BBC News: "An Argentine judge has ordered the heirs to a powerful media empire to take DNA tests to establish if they are victims of a forced adoption scheme... Last month, the Congress backed a proposal from the group, allowing the forced extraction of DNA from adults who may be the children of pol ...

(Courtesy of Wired: "TSA Special Agent John Enright, left, speaks to Steven Frischling outside the blogger's home in Niantic, Connecticut, after returning Frischling's laptop Wednesday." Photo: Thomas Cain/Wired.com) On Saturday morning, following the incident in which a Nigerian man attempted to b ...

Muzorama from Muzorama Team on Vimeo. This fun video by illustrator Jean-Philippe Masson (aka Muzo) was produced in just 6 weeks. Its sense of absurdity reminds me of Betty Boop cartoons....

The flamingo tongue snail Cyphoma gibbosum appears to have a shell decorated with bright spots (top of image). Amazingly though, the spots aren't actually part of the shell, but rather the animal's flesh! When the animal retracts into its stark white shell, so do the spots (bottom of image). The Cyp ...

AbeBooks has a fantastic virtual Weird Book Room. I was thrilled to discover that I only have three of the books on the page: Mannix's The History of Torture (highly recommended!), The How And Why Wonder Book of Guns (useful!), and the Gangsta Rap Coloring Book (a gift!). Oh, how I love thee, Abe. A ...

A Calgary-based journalist became the first Canadian reporter to die in Afghanistan when she was killed today along with four Canadian soldiers by an improvised explosive device.

After more than 30 years of often bitter debate, a federal panel has thrown its support behind a proposed $16.2 billion pipeline to carry natural gas from the western Arctic along the pristine Mackenzie River valley.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is suspending Parliament until March 3, when it will reopen with a new speech from the throne setting out the Conservative government's next agenda. ...

The Crown requested the Mountie charged in the Tuesday slaying of an Ottawa police officer be placed on suicide watch during a court hearing Wednesday morning.

Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean has announced 57 new appointments to or within the Order of Canada.