Thousands of sheep died one night in 1968 in Skull Valley, Utah. Army officials got busy drafting a denial. They had been testing Cold War chemical and biological weapons, one of which was called VX.

VX was a triumph among the biological warfare community. Odorless and tasteless, it's three times as toxic as Sarin. In initial trials, this over-acheiving compound was also found to be highly stable, enabling long shelf life and environmental persistence. VX works by blocking chemicals in the victim's body from functioning. It prevents the enzyme acetylcholinesterase from allowing muscles to relax, resulting in the contraction of every muscle in the body. Exposure to a minute or diluted dose of VX will cause muscle twitching, drooling, excessive sweating, and involuntary defecation, among other unpleasantries. Exposure to a lethal dose — about ten milligrams — will cause convulsions, paralysis, and eventually asphyxiation due to sustained contraction of the diaphragm muscle. Unless the affected skin is cleaned and an antidote is administered immediately, a single drop of liquid VX will kill a person in around ten minutes

The sheep were not the only animals who died near the Dugway Proving Grounds. Read the rest of the story at Damn Interesting. Link

The Lunchtime Quiz today at mental_floss is entitled Medieval Torture Device or Bed Bath and Beyond Gadget? I didn’t score very well at all, since they all seemed to be medieval torture devices to me. http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/13284

(YouTube link)
One owl has a repertoire of responses to different threats. He can make himself big, make himself small, or just ignore the enemy. Although he was in no real danger, I felt sorry for the little guy. -via Everlasting Blort

(YouTube link)
The YouTube entry says “Clearly the three best singers the Muppets have ever had to offer, together at last.” The Leprechaun Brothers perform Danny Boy in honor of St. Patrick's Day. -via Boing Boing

(YouTube link)
Jerry doesn’t have to wait for anyone to throw the ball. He has a computerized ball-launcher he can reload himself! -via Digg

Questionaut is a beautiful click game where you answer and collect elementary-level questions. From the picture, you may have guessed it’s from Amanita Designs (yes, the Samorost people). I wish I had all day to play! Link -via Metafilter

The theme of this Worth 1000 contest is to insert modern products into vintage advertising. Computers, game consoles, vehicles, and even Viagra get the treatment. I especially loved this Nokia flyer. http://www.worth1000.com/contest.asp?contest_id=18731&display=photoshop&page=1 -via Dark Roasted Blend

Peter Kelly reponded to the post about rattlesnake vodka with this photograph he took in Vietnam. The caption reads

These are artistically arranges snakes in bottles of liquor. People drink this. Really.

Link -Thanks, Peter!

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission seized an unusual cache of vodka at a rattlesnake farm in Palo Pinto County. The 411 bottles each contained not only vodka, but also a ten-inch rattlesnake! Sgt. Charlie Cloud said he’s never seen anything like it.

TABC officials said alcohol containing snakes or scorpions is popular in Asian cultures. An Internet search found operations selling Thai scorpion vodka, cobra whiskey, giant centipede whiskey, herbal gecko lizard wine and Mekong River eel wine.

"It's very bizarre," Cloud said. "We learned that these are believed to contain aphrodisiac properties. We heard that some people believe having a venomous animal creates hallucinations."

TABC agents received a tip several weeks ago and sent an undercover agent to the rattlesnake ranch to purchase the vodka. It wasn't on display.

"We had to go in and ask for it," Cloud said.

Bob Popplewell, the owner of Bayou Bob's Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch, is expected to face charges of selling alcohol without a permit. http://www.star-telegram.com/275/story/530369.html -via Arbroath

(image credit: TABC)

Member of Parliament Tommy Tabermann has proposed that the four weeks of annual vacation in Finland be expanded to include a 7-day “love vacation” to strengthen relationships.

According to Tabermann, the purpose of such vacations would be to prevent relations from disintegrating and the spouses from drifting apart.
During the seven days, couples could devote themselves to each other ”both at an erotic and emotional level” and ”find their way back to the path of love in order to find the wellspring of love again”.
Some MPs suspected that the proposal might discriminate against single persons, but others said that a love vacation would be the privilege of all, even the singles and the single parents.

The proposal was sent to committee for study. http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Finnish+Parliament+debates+proposal+for+love+vacations+/1135234799696 -via Boing Boing

Lacey Henderson’s right leg was amputated when she was nine years old due to a tumor in her kneecap. But at her mother’s suggestion, she tried out to become a cheerleader in high school. Not only did she make the team, but she worked her way up to captain! Now she’s 18 and cheers for the University of Denver.

She says sometimes she blends in and people don't even notice her leg. Of course, the stickers on the side usually give it away.

"Sometimes you just have to own having one leg and you can't be afraid to show it," she said. "My parents would get so mad at me and say 'Lacey, it looks just like a tattoo!'"

Link (with video) -via Digg

Get Irish Now from Irish Spring lets you put yourself into an Irish scene and send it out for a holiday greeting. Customize your look and add a message. See the one I made here. Then make your own! Link

(YouTube link)
In honor of Pi Day (every year on 3/14), here is Hard N Phirm with their song Pi. The lyrics are here. If you just want to hear the recitation of pi digits again, YTMND has that. -via Reddit

Previously at Neatorama: Pi Day 2007.

Cyanobacteria {wiki} could one day be grown in moon soil, which is inhospitable to other plants because its nutrients are locked up in minerals that are tough to break down. Igor Brown of NASA's Johnson Space Center says cyanobacteria are tough enough to survive and thrive in a lunar environment as long as they have water, air, and sunlight.

Brown says he envisions growth chambers for cyanobacteria being set up on the Moon, as part of a multi-step process for making use of the resources bound in the lunar soil. The chambers would be supplied with water, sunlight and lunar soil to allow the cyanobacteria to grow.

Cyanobacteria harvested from the chambers could then be further processed to make use of the elements they extract from the lunar soil. For example, they could be broken down by other bacteria, resulting in a nutrient-rich soup that could be used as fertiliser for food plants grown in hydroponic greenhouses. Methane given off by the breakdown of the cyanobacteria could be used as rocket fuel.

The tough cyanobacteria used in the experiment was taken from hot springs at Yellowstone National Park. Link -via Digg

(image credit: NSF)

Why use a dustmop when you can just clean the floor by walking on it? Microfiber fingers on the soles of these slippers grab dust, dirt, and hair as you walk around. The sole is detachable for cleaning. The drawback is that they only come in a size to fit women’s sizes 6-9, so children, most men, and women with larger feet are exempt from using them. Link -via the Presurfer