connie neil: Calling billytea!

Giant mutant ant colony found in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) - A huge ant colony measuring 100 kilometres (62 miles) across has been found under the southern Australian city of Melbourne, scientists said.

Monash University researcher Elissa Suhr said the supercolony of Argentine ants was threatening native biodiversity in Australia's second largest city.

Suhr said the introduced pest's natural aggression kept numbers under control in its native country but the genetic make-up of the ants found in Australia had mutated allowing them to cooperate to build the supercolony.

Giant mutant ants. Australia needs billytea.

-t: I'm sure it's a serious problem for Melbourne, but I am finding the idea of mutant ants whose superpower is cooperation quite charming

ita: Can you imagine getting bitten by one of them and turning into a (ptui) team player?

How incredibly disappointing.

They have a sister colony under my house. (grrrr)

Continuing the antly fun:

Robin: I heard that colony of ants is beleived to be awaiting an event of some sort--that their unprecedented cooperation is geared towards one end. Scientists have decoded a series of sonar beeps from the colony and they seem to be saying "Billytea, Oh Antly Lord, all is prepared for your return"

Lilty Cash: I can't help but picture them in little ant sneakers and drinking red Kool Aid.

Natter:

Trudy: Cindy, now you have me all sniffy. I'll never hear that song again without seeing your dance.

Cindy: Trudy, when you're picturing it, please remember all my flaws. My cheekbones are just a little too high, my waist is just a little too small, and my breasts may be too pert! And when my brilliant green/blue eyes flash in anger, they still manage to convey the hidden depths of my sorrow and vulnerabilty masked in strength.

Sue: Hey we haven't had a Nilly report today. Has she gone all Hollywood and forgotten about us?

Allyson: Yes. Today she purchased go go boots and a halter top while eating a pork chop and dancing with a statue of Mary.

Or, she's doing her morning prayers and getting ready to go get some kosher bread for seder.

Gah, I hope it's the latter, her parents know where I live.

ita: Can one, in orthodoxy, drink on the sabbath?

Wolfram: Drinking, yes. Driving, no. Works out nicely.

ita: It's like someone omniscient planned the whole thing...

SailAweigh in Angel:

Comparing Angel S3 to Alias : Lauren irritated the fuck out of me. Mainly because I was a big Sydney/Vaughn shipper and she got in the way of my ship. But season 3 cured me of that. It was as bad, if not worse than, the Buffy/Angel angstfest that was season 3.

B/S: "I want you, but I can't have you. If I do, you become evil/an adulterer."

A/V: "You're right. I must repress my love...er evil/adulterous desires."

B/S/A/V: "Woe is us, for if we boink, we must go to hell/the NSA."

Audience: "Enough, already! Boink or die."

SusanW in Natter ...

DH first commented what a large team it was relative to NZ's population (something like 150 athletes and a country of 4 million), and speculated, WRT all the shout-outs at the Oscars this year, that they were the only 150 who hadn't been involved in filming LotR. I said, "Are you kidding? I bet the fencers and archers at least were extras." Which led to speculation about the coverage: "And here's Bob Smith from New Zealand competing in archery--he was the fourth elf from the left at the Battle of Helm's Deep."

Ginger in Natter, commenting on the opening ceremonies:

I can only take a certain number of sentences that contain the phrase "that symbolizes the ..." After that much symbolism, I just want to lie down.

Kalshane and other Browncoats fight the good fight at Wizard World: (From Firefly thread)

I think the best, though, was the guy who had never heard of the show and was surprised to hear it was a)cancelled and b)they're making a major motion picture out of it.

Guy:"A TV movie?" Us: "No, a full theatrical release." Guy: "So it's an independant film?" Us: "No, it's being released by Universal and filmed on their lot." Guy: "Really?" Us: "Yes." Guy: "But the show was cancelled?" Us: "Yes. Because Fox is stupid." Guy: "Oh."

snerk