From Across the Pond

Skeleton in the Closet

Usually when we use this phrase we mean it figuratively - just as Rev Wright has been a rather noisy skeleton in Obama's closet. Unfortunately, between the news this week from Austria of a man who imprisoned his own daughter in a cellar for 24 years, where he forced her to bear him seven children, one of whom died, and three of whom had never seen daylight until this week; and the slow and still worse discoveries coming to light from Jersey; and of course remembering that other girl who a couple of years back escaped after being imprisoned for eight years, makes me wonder just what other skeletons are lurking in our collective closets. To this list it makes sense to add the abuse scandal that the Catholic Church has been involved in too.

It is amazing how easy it is for people to look the other way. Amazing, but it should not be surprising.

One big eye

Scientists in New Zealand have been thawing out the specimen of a colossal squid that was captured and frozen last year. Among the early discoveries - that these creatures have the largest eyes known to science, measuring in at about 11 inches. That is some eye.