This day in history & FLAMING Squirrels

Too good not to share, from one of my fave news sites, was the history of today, July 19th, 1952:

During a series of UFO sightings in Washington, D.C. occurring over July 13-29, unidentified objects are picked up on D.C.'s National Airport radar system. Sightings in the region are so extensive the Air Force is prompted to hold a press conference. Conveniently, these are all "radar mirages" resulting from "temperature inversions."

See? They HAVE been trying to reach us! Pfft, silly government, visits are good. (Heh.)

* * *

And another shameless theft from other sources. My dear friend WhippedBoy sent me an email saying, "It's a goddamned tragedy we don't get more coverage of this sort of thing," and then enclosed the following news--but first, the necessary preamble--

I live in British Columbia, Canada, home to the last virgin temperate rainforest in North America, the most significant Alpine rainforest in North America (where this story below takes place). Forests litter this province, and every year, forest fires are a very real threat. Two years ago in July and August, we had more than 1,000 fires burning at ONE TIME in this province (which is about the size of Washington, Oregon, and California combined).

We always hear about the arsons and about broken glass bottles left behind by hikers (smarten the fuck up, people) that create a magnifying effect when the sun shines through, causing our forests to burn to the ground...

But you never hear these stories (thanks, JT):

"Once again, a flaming squirrel started a small bush fire. At about 9:10 a.m. Monday, firefighters were called to the area behind a local fruit-packing operation on Highway 97, five kilometres north of Osoyoos.

A squirrel on Fortis B.C.'s high-voltage main transmission lines caught fire and fell into the brush, sparking the fire.

"This identical incident has happened on the same pole one or two times a year for the past several years," said Osoyoos fire Chief Ross Driver.

A squirrel is always found at the base of the pole, dead and burnt. Nearby residents had put the fire out before firefighters arrived."

* * *What you need to know is STEFF DESPISES SQUIRRELS.

Yes, cute though they may be, the fuckers are ruthless! They've devoured all manner of prized patio possessions, from my killer hammock right throught to padded chairs, Christmas lights three years running (I'm as persistent as those fuckers, it seems), and more than 70 tomatoes from one bountiful patio garden year.

All told? Running total's well over $600. Unfortunately, I'm not into animal cruelty so the fuckers still live. The particular RODENTS in question have always been a pair, one black and one grey.

If I was an American and I owned a gun and I had the right to fire to protect my property... I might be able to pull that trigger.

But no. I live in Peacenik land (and love it), the birthplace of Greenpeace, the haven of dopesmokers west of Amsterdam, and so forth.

I know that Michael Moore, in Bowling for Columbine, seems to assert that all Canadians own more weapons than Americans, and while that may statistically be true, I can honestly say I have consciously known ONE person in my life who's owned a gun.

Maybe I should borrow it.