Send out the clowns

Conditions: Raining


This week whatever job you might have, be glad you're not a clown in Columbia:

BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) -- Two clowns were shot and killed by an unidentified gunman during their performance at a traveling circus in the eastern Colombian town of Cucuta, police said Wednesday.

The gunman burst into the Circo del Sol de Cali on Monday night and shot the clowns in front of an audience of 20 to 50 people, local police chief Jose Humberto Henao told Reuters.

One of the clowns was killed instantly, and the second died the next day in hospital.

Yes, although the chief said the killing had nothing to do with the performance, how many of us have watched some guy dressed up as a clown prancing around and involuntary thought about falling anvils, or cheese wire?


Worst bike thief ever

My bike should have been stolen on Wednesday. I should have exited the supermarket, walked to the bike rack, and been confronted with an empty space, instead of my bike. Should have, but was not thanks to the inaction of a local bike thief, who instead of taking my bike decided to sit around, smoking cigarettes and looking generally seedy, and wait for myself to return. Upon which he then proceeded to tell me how easy it would have been to steal my bike. Not content with a verbal lesson, he then proceeded to show me just how crappy my bike lock is by picking it, right before my eyes.

Needless to say, I thanked him profusely for the lesson before kneeing him in the groin. Take that, non stealing thief! Stop messing with my head!



We don't need another hero.

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (AP) -- A man says he broke into an apartment with a cavalry sword because he thought he heard a woman being raped, but the sound actually was from a pornographic movie his upstairs neighbor was watching.

"Now I feel stupid," said James Van Iveren, who has been charged in the case. "This really is nothing, nothing but a mistake."
[...]

Van Iveren, 39, of Oconomowoc, was charged with criminal trespass, criminal damage and disorderly conduct, all while using a dangerous weapon, and is due in court March 5. Together, the misdemeanor counts carry a maximum sentence of 33 months in jail.
[...]

Van Iveren, who lives with his mother in the downstairs apartment, said he did not call police when he heard the noises because he does not have a telephone. He said he barely knew the upstairs tenant.

Police seized Van Iveren's sword, which he said was a family heirloom.

Well, this is nice. A guy goes out of his way to rescue a woman, and faces 33 months in jail for his trouble. Yes, he should pay for damages, but come on. What kind of moron plays a movie like that loud enough so people on another floor can hear? What did he expect? So this weeks lesson, kids, is if you hear anyone screaming for help, lock your doors and stay low to the ground. Or risk going to jail for trying to help.


Technical corner: making your car run faster.

A group of technicians at a drag strip carried out a series of exercises in order to speed up their car. The results were impressive, in every sense of the word. Photo essay here.


Wall art.

Most houses these days have walls. These walls are mostly blank, or covered in tiny flowers. Well suffer no more. Link to a program that will spit out an enormous image of your choice from your printer, in A4 pages. I'm so going to do this.


End transmission.