The Linkage for Jan. 9th

Here’s a quick look at what I was reading online from Jan. 2nd to Jan. 9th:

Video: It’s raining cats
A wayward kitty cat makes its way onto a live German TV weathercast.
Tags: funny germany animals video television

Venomous mammal caught on camera
Rare footage of one of the world's most strange and elusive animals – the Hispaniolan solenodon – has been captured by scientists in the Dominican Republic. The odd little creatures and its closely related cousins in Cuba are the only mammals in existence capable of delivering venom through a bite.
Tags: animals nature dominican_republic

Local Little League board backs down in face of angry mob
The leadership of our local Little League had planned to break away from LL and move to Nations Baseball – a for-profit program geared towards uber-competitive parents and hand-selected teams of their allegedly gifted children. Fortunately, when their plans became public, concerned parents who just want their kids to have fun and learn the game spoke up and got the board to back away from their plan.
Tags: baseball college_station

Mosquitoes make sweet love music
More than you could ever want to know about the mating habits of mosquitoes. Plus, apparently scientists are neutering mosquitoes now.
Tags: animals science

Citi Field looks to be a pitchers’ park
With deeper dimensions and higher walls, it looks like the Mets' new home is going to be an extreme pitcher's park. The guy in this article estimates that home runs could fall off as much as 29% from last year at Shea.
Tags: baseball stadiums mets

Dig on through to the other side
Find out what's on the exact opposite side of the globe from you using this nifty Google Maps mashup. Unfortunately, its appears that Texas is very unsatisfactorily directly opposite of the Indian Ocean. That's no fun.
Tags: technology government travel earth

Joe the Plumber still willing to do anything for a little face time
What's the only thing that could make an already bad situation in Gaza worse? That's right – Joe the Attention Whore is coming to town.
Tags: stupid 2008_election media republicans israel

Child elopers’ Africa plan foiled
Two German children, ages 5 and 6, packed their swimming trunks and passports and attempted to sneak away to Africa so they could elope. And they even thought to bring along a 7-year old witness. Too cute.
Tags: funny germany

Mariachi classes spreading in high schools
Mariachi education programs, long popular in parts of South Texas and California, are springing up in schools across the country as an alternative to traditional band, orchestra or choir for students.
Tags: texas music education

TxDOT confirms Trans Texas Corridor is dead
Gov. Perry's controversial plan to radically revamp the I-35 and I-69 corridors has finally been officially nixed by TxDOT. I never really made up my mind about the project, but I am against the proliferation of private toll roads – something that the TTC would have used extensively.
Tags: government texas

Legislator seeks end to straight-ticket voting in Texas
Once again, a proposal to eliminate straight ticket voting will be put before the Texas Legislature. Texas is only one of 16 states that still allow straight-ticket voting. For the record, I agree with eliminating the practice – I think it encourages laziness on the part of voters and turns elections into red-blue arguments that generally make the individual candidates mere afterthoughts.
Tags: texas government

Fence may be last hope for Tasmanian Devils
Australian scientists say they want to build a fence to prevent the spread of a cancer that threatens the Tasmanian Devil with extinction. The scientists say there is no cure for the contagious disease which has already infected two-thirds of Tasmania's devil population and warn that unless action is taken to protect the remaining healthy population, the world's largest marsupial carnivore could be extinct within 20 years.
Tags: animals australia

A strange but true year in baseball
A look back at why 2008 proved that baseball is never short of interesting oddities.
Tags: baseball mlb

Yellowstone seismic activity on the upswing
Since the day after Christmas, Yellowstone National Park has been experiencing an increase in seismic activity that scientists are calling an "energetic earthquake swarm". None of the tremors have been major, but it is the first such swarm since 1985.
Tags: geology earth wyoming yellowstone

Haven’t read enough? Click here to check out all of my del.icio.us bookmarks.