Houston residents: lock up your electrical equipment. That’s the advice inhabitants in Houston, Texas would be wise to heed, following an invasion of millions of ferocious, swarming ants. Inexplicably attracted to electrical apparatus, the “crazy raspberry ants” (named in part due to their unregimented marching habits) have so far destroyed computers, ruined pumps at sewage plants and caused fire alarms to malfunction.
There’s no stopping ‘em
Believed to have accidentally arrived in a cargo shipment, the ants appear to be resistant to over-the-counter ant killers. Those that do die are piled up and used as a bridge for the rest to cross pesticide-covered areas.
The ants have reportedly been spotted at NASA's Johnson Space Center, although have yet to cause any major problems there yet.
Bush emails to enter public domain
In other news this week, George W. Bush has admitted that he is looking forward to being allowed to send emails again, in a confession that’s likely to strike fear through the White House administration.
The celebrated president of the United States was sensibly banned from doing so during his term in office, with officials citing security concerns. The Oval office reportedly does not even have a computer in it. But with his presidency drawing to a close, Bush told Yahoo News on Tuesday that he is eagerly anticipating “firing off e-mails at all times of the day to stay in touch with my pals” again.
We’re looking forward to it too. Stay tuned for a “steady stream of ‘You know you're a redneck when’ forwards, links to GodTube videos, and the like,” as predicted by Valleywag.
Cheating wife for sale
When a 44-year-old MOT inspector from Bucks suspected his wife of having an affair, he did what any devastated husband would do. He put her for sale on eBay. Bids for the “cheating, lying, adulterous slag of a wife” reached £500,000 before the ad was pulled by the man, who admits it was not the right thing to do, Newslite reported this week.
Demolition derby
And here’s one for you country folk. Every year the small town of Lind, Washington opens its rodeo weekend with a demolition derby: a bizarre kind of extreme dodgems; a dance to the death – except with combine harvesters.
Traditionally starting with a ‘beauty parade’, the event soon accelerates into a spectacular display of absurdist theatre starring engines, destruction and fire. This year’s date falls in June – so if you’re in the area, book your seat now.
And finally…
Google Earth isn’t (ahem!) horsing around when it comes to privacy issues. Updated Street View images for Manhattan were made live this week, with a major change seeing the faces of people caught in scenes being blurred out – including, in one frame, that of a horse. If the man pictured next to the horse is reading this: don’t be offended, Google probably just forgot to blur out your face, nothing personal…
(NB Perhaps someone should tell the girl flashing the Google van in Illinois that face-blurring is so far only happening in Manhattan.)
