The year in photographs (part 2): [link]

That link doesn't work for me.

Wait, there is a Dr. Who Xmas special...right? I saw the Children in Need teaser for it.

That link doesn't work for me.

Fixed. [link] for those of you who don't want to scroll back.

Anyone speaks Italian here?

There's some fin about that Christmasmelody…

SCIENTISTS are to test whether sharks enjoy listening to Christmas pop songs, it was revealed yesterday.

They will also find out whether the fish prefer Slade's Merry Christmas Everyone to Cliff Richard's Mistletoe and Wine.

The songs and other festive hits will be played to the sharks and rays at Loch Lomond Sea Life Centre in Balloch, Dunbartonshir.

The tests were devised after US research showed fish could recognise melody.

Chris Brown, senior marine biologist at the Loch Lomond aquarium, said seasonal chartbusters would be piped through walkthrough underwater tunnels where they can be heard by dozens of nurse sharks, black-tip reef sharks, and ray species.

Experts will then monitor the sharks' reactions to different hits.

Mr Brown said outward signs such as them lowering their fin tips, swimming faster and making sudden tight turns would indicate excitement or aggression.

He said: "We'll play everything from Kim Wilde and Mel Smith's Rocking Around the Christmas Tree and Merry Christmas Everybody by Slade to Wham's Last Christmas.

"We may find they prefer something softer like White Christmas by Bing Crosby.

"But we will be answering the question – do rays know it's Christmas?"

Mr Brown said nurse sharks and other species of carpet shark which spend most of their time lying on the bed of the tanks, could be the best barometers for the impact of those pop tunes. Their reactions will tell the researchers whether the sharks are enjoying the music or whether it turns them off.

Just as long as they don't test Christmas music on sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads. Because the sharks might get mad and go looking for the Baby Jesus.

Silver foxes: Keith Olbermann is my favorite(Duh) although I second the Slattery love. Calli, weird, I had a dream with Biden in it. I don't remember what else happened, but he was nice though. Hec: Pork Store sent me to a Satriale's place...you didn't plot anything in the back, did you?

Wait, there is a Dr. Who Xmas special...right? I saw the Children in Need teaser for it.

Sorry, I should have added an "on your US cable package" disclaimer to my post.

Shawano's not that far from here, either. Yikes. Crazy.

I saw the story about Shawano on last night's news. Reminded me of Posse Comitatus, which was big in that part of the state (I grew up along the Illinois state line) when I was a kid.

Eisenberg freaked me out the most. "There's nothing to it. Now let me talk about how evil CBS is."

Heh--Two Lumps is up to six geese a-laying.