Blast Off

Okay, I confess. I’m jealous.

I was not the angkasawan that flew off into space yesterday night en route to the International Space Station.

I may have his qualification but I didn’t have the looks, the bachelorhood, the fortune and a host of things that our rep in space has (which I probably won’t have in a million years).

And yeah, I have serious issues about spending more than 100 million ringgit to send a ’space passenger’ into orbit! And now they want to send the other guy too!! Good grief!

Still, as I watched the rocket blast off last night on TV, my heart felt some emotions.

One was of immense pride! After all, how many countries can boast of having one of its sons in space, even if it’s just to make teh tarik in zero gravity?

The other was of immense concern. Like my wife, the last time I watched a space craft blast off, we were horrified to see it explode in a ball of fire, killing everyone on board including a teacher.

I am glad my colleague is safe in space.

I pray and hope he (and the others) return safely too. I want to know what space teh tarik tastes like.

Thurs, 111007 @ 0803

Mousetrap 2

When you have a good thing going, ALWAYS have a sequel (or even a trilogy), hence I have written Mousetrap 2!

So, thanks guys for sending in your suggestions on how to dispose off the mouse I caught recently.

As it turned out, they were unnecessary.

The mouse died in custody.

By the time I got home, the little critter was a stiff critter (rigor mortis has set in but not ‘thawed’ out giving the time of death less than 6 hours before discovery, if my forensic science teacher taught me correctly).

I reckon the cause of death would most likely be one of these:

1. heat stroke from being exposed to the really hot sun yesterday.

2. an acute coronary event after being terrorized by the neighbourhood cats for more than 12 hours. It’s little murine heart can only take so much.

3. old age (though it didn’t look very old).

Anyway, I have taken the trouble to compile a list of the methods for mouse-termination as suggested by you guys, in case anyone of us needs it for future reference (there are a LOT of mice out there!). The methods ranged from compassionate (letting the mouse go, which technically does not qualify as a killing method) to incredulous to downright bizarre!

Here is the list (number of people suggesting it in parentheses):

1. Release it (8)

2. Lethal injection (2)

3. Warfarin/ rat poison (3)

4. Throw in a big drain wrapped in a plastic bag (1)

5. Slow death by starvation/dehydration/heat stroke (4)

6. Boiling it (1)

7. Burn it on a stove! (2)

8. Give it to the landlord (1)

9. Feed it with poisoned wan tan (1)

10. Feed it with poisoned sandwich (1)

11. Drown it (1)

12. Expose it to the car exhaust gas (2)

13. Break the neck ~ the lab way (1)

14. Let the cats have it (3)

15. LM’s patented method of mouse-killing – wrap in rag and wring it (1)

16. Keep a pet python! (1)

17. Throw it away, mouse + cage and annoy the local garbage collector! (1)

There! Sixteen ways (excluding letting the fella go) to kill a mouse!

Mark this post. You will need it some day. Trust me.

Thurs, 111007 @ 0716