I watched this really cool BBC program on Lake Vostok today. Apparently they have found that life has survived for millions of years in microbial form, not by photosynthesis, but chemosynthesis (hydrogen sulfide more specifically) that is usually given off from heat vents that well up inner earth gases. They also talked about a cave system that was teaming with insect life (all brand new species) that had been shut off from any contact from the surface (no light, or rain water or anything) for millions of years. The whole ecosystem fed off of microbes that used chemosynthesis. What makes me mention all this is the fact that I am totally consumed with astrobiology these days or at least the prospects of it. Europa with it's deep water oceans under 4 miles of ice could be teaming with life. Thank goodness there are dedicated scientists to do all the dirty work while I can just sit down for 30 minutes and watch a video about it.

By the way, I've put little pictures with colored splotches (not a very artistic way of doing it, but it works) next to the stories on the main drunkenfish page. At the moment, all the pictures have red ovals which means that the newest chapter of that particular story is old. Yellow means less than six months and green means that they have been created less than one month ago. Maybe somehow I will be inspired to see some more green splotches... we'll see.

As always, I would be extremely eager to get the first chapter of a story from anyone.

My mom sent me an email thanking me for my contribution to her burgundy flowering plant for Mother's Day. Ummm.... I suppose I should call each of my brothers to find and thank the responsible party. In my defense, Mother's Day is celebrated on a different day here in England... I still don't think that would fly with my mom though.