Feedlot Alley

Feedlot Alley is the nickname of an area in Alberta, Canada, where more than 500,000 cattle and 180,000 hogs live. That's a lot of livestock.

Apparently, the area around Feedlot Alley has some of the highest rates of gastrointestinal illness in the entire province of Alberta. The theory is that the waste from such huge numbers of livestock contaminates the local water supply, making the humans in the area sick.

So here's how it breaks down:

The local humans sit down to eat bacon cheeseburgers washed down by tall glasses of water. Little do they know that their water is filled with microscopic bits of cow poo and pig pee. They innocently drink the water with the cow poo and pig pee, and they eat the ground cow topped with sliced pig. Then all that ground cow and sliced pig and cow poo and pig pee mixes up in the humans' stomachs, and about ten minutes later, all the humans go poo and pee it all back into a toilet. It's the circle of life.


She'll give you diarrhea without thinking twice.
Photo: ILIKEITSIMPLE via Flickr (CC)

Disused railway stations (Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway)

Disused railway stations (Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway) is a compilation of closed stations on a cross-country train line in England. There are 16 of these stations. Some of them have funny British names. Each has its own special history.

Railway stations are special places. People get on. People get off. People say goodbye. People say hello. People run away. People return home. People go to the bathroom. People read books. People take trains. People, take trains.

Take trains, people.

Much of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton line is still intact.

Photo: Brianfit via Flickr (CC)

Out of Tune (band)

Out of Tune (band) is a Polish indie rock band. Their name is being ironic. At least I assume it is. I assume they are mostly in tune. Music that's out of tune is grating on the brain. No one really knows why. At least I don't think they do. There's something about human brains that was made to like certain combinations of rhythms and sounds, but not others.

There must be a purpose behind this, but hell if I know what it is. Hell if anyone does.


This man is out of tune.
Photo: Arty Smokes via Flickr (CC)

Split Mountain (Sierra Nevada)

Split Mountain (Sierra Nevada) is a 14,064-foot mountain in the Sierra Nevada range in California. It has twin summits. That's why people call it Split Mountain.

Sierra Nevada is also a beer. I don't really like it. But I do like beer in general.


Everything's blue and fake from the top of Split Mountain.
Photo: pellaea via Flickr (CC)

Jo-Ann Stores

Jo-Ann Stores is a retail chain that sells crafts and fabrics. It is based in Hudson, Ohio.

Wikipedia doesn't say who Jo-Ann is or was, but that's okay. I respect the store, because fabrics are important. Without them, nothing would be made out of anything.


Skin. The fabric of our lives.
Photo: angel_shark via Flickr (CC)

Louisiana House of Representatives

Louisiana House of Representatives is the Lower House in the Louisiana State Legislature. It convenes in Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge is the answer to a trivia question that Cindy Brady can't answer on the Brady Bunch when she is a contestant on a kids' game show and she panics and freezes and just looks at the red light on the camera and Marsha watching on TV back home says "Baton Rouge, Cindy. Baton Rouge."

I always think of that when I hear Baton Rouge.

What do you think of when you hear Baton Rouge?


The Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge looks like a big penis.
Photo: jimmywayne via Flickr (CC)

Rómulo Gallegos Center for Latin American Studies

Rómulo Gallegos Center for Latin American Studies is a foundation of the Venezuelan government whose purpose is to promote Latin American culture, especially the work of Rómulo Gallegos. Rómulo Gallegos was a Venezuelan novelist and politician.

No relation to former Oakland A's second baseman Mike Gallego.


Mike Gallego.
Photo: ztil301 via Flickr (CC)