news you really don't see every day

scientists discover a new family of mammals in Laos.

now, that's just fucking cool. although i guess technically they didn't "discover" it, because the Laotians were already eating them. i'm considerably disappointed that the scientists in question didn't bother to taste them. (like chicken, i'm guessing.)

either way, let's give a shout out to our new cousin Laonastes aenigmamus, otherwise known as the kha-nyou or Laotian rock rat.

i was going to mention some other news, but it got too depressing. i hereby declare this "LiveJournal Post Good News Day." find something positive in the news and post it in your LJ. pssst, pass it on.

state of the merde

let's recap:

• the IRS has frozen my bank account and i have about $45 in my wallet, which won't cover the doctor visits i have lined up today, tomorrow, and monday. chances are good they will also garnish my wages. probably have done already and i just haven't got the notice.
  
• i did not sleep last night. at all. i spent the entire night lying there staring at the inside of my eyelids hoping i'd eventually drop off. i never did.
  
• i'm running low on medication, which isn't really working for me anymore anyway and needs to be changed. at one of those doctor visits i can't afford.
  
• my friend died a horrible painful death of cancer and i didn't find out for nearly three months.
  
• my car has a broken motor mount that needs to be fixed ASAP. and an oil change. and it's running on fumes.
  
• my check-by-phone payment to PG&E may bounce, in which case my electricity will probably be turned off by the time i get home.
  
• my cable is already turned off.
  
• if this doesn't get fixed, a bunch of checks are going to bounce.
  
• my employer is fucking me over.
  
• my apartment is infested with flies. two kinds! although my special fruit fly killing cocktail nailed most of the little ones. (believe it or not -- red wine, sugar syrup, and a couple of drops of dish detergent. put it in a bowl, leave it on the counter. wait a few days. it's disgusting, but the results will amaze you. the population has dropped by 90%.)
  
• this morning, Daddy-O wouldn't hang out and console me because all he wanted was for his half-full food dish to be topped up. don't ever let anyone tell you a cat cares about anything but where its next meal is coming from.
  

so. anyone want to lay bets on what happens next?