It sounds like the plot of a 1950s sci-fi movie, but it’s real: A giant blob has been spotted floating in the Chukchi Sea off the coast of Alaska, killing marine life and turning the ice black.
Scientists say they aren’t sure yet what the gooey blob is, but it’s definitely not an oil spill and they don’t think it’s manmade. Perhaps it’s a giant algae bloom. But we’re talking GIANT. One strand of the blob is at least 15 miles long.
The Coast Guard has collected samples and scientists are studying them, but residents of the Barrow and Wainwright areas say they’ve never seen anything like the mystery blob before. Where’s Steve McQueen when we need him?
To read more about the blob, click here.
- Lots of hype surrounding the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, but Buzz Aldrin takes the cake. Aldrin revealed that, while he was the second man to walk on the moon (behind Neil Armstrong), he was the first man to pee there. In a special bag. Inside his spacesuit. On the ladder of the lunar ladder. The 79-year-old astronaut also tells National Geographic that he’s embraced Twitter and has over 111,000 followers. Full story here.
- Did you see that Pope Benedict XVI fell down and broke his wrist? The AP reports that the 82-year-old pontiff is recovering and even celebrated Mass before going to the hospital. Hey, I thought he was in-fall-ible. Heh-heh. Sorry, bad pun. Whew.
- Headline of the Day: This one comes from the consumer news section of America Online — One-Piece Swimsuits Under $15. What they don’t tell you is that the one piece is the top.
- DVD I Watched on the Dreadmill: “Le Deuxieme Souffle,” which is not a food movie, but a gangster film. (The title translates to “Second Breath” or “Second Wind.”) This 1966 gem by director Jean-Pierre Melville stars anvil-jawed Lino Ventura as a prison escapee who joins some pals in stealing a truckload of platinum.
Tips appreciated: Send news tidbits to steveb.anewscafe@gmail.com.
