Assorted

The Space Elevator takes a step forward.

Scientists at the Institute for Genomic Research have concluded we will never map the genomes of some of our most common bacterial and viral pals (including Strep B, influenza, chlamydia, and certain GI infections) because their genomes are effectively infinite.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are goin' to Gitmo!

The Pentagon wants to buy large amounts of anthrax, but they won't say why.

Yes, but see after we broke their arms and legs, we gave them lemon chicken so it isn't torture and Dick Durbin is a big commie traitor.

Several galleries of pictures from inside Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's abandoned theme park, Heritage USA. I found myself even more captivated by some of the other older and lesser-known abandoned theme parks in Ohio, where nature is reclaiming the still standing remains of rollercoasters and rides, like here and here.

Sixth International has great photos of the most spiderrific non-spiders you're likely to encounter.

A teenager tells the story of getting badly bitten by a rattlesnake and the treatment of the wound. The story itself is interesting, but the star of the show is the link at the top of the page to pictures of the operations he had to go through as a result, including splitting open his arm from the wrist to the bicep. I'm just linking to the story, because if you're even a little squeamish, you'll really, really want to skip the pictures. The rest of you freaks, have at it but it will make your skin crawl.