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Huge Unidentified Organic Blob Floating Around Alaska

Z80xxc! writes "The Anchorage Daily News reports that a 15 mile-long blob of unknown, 'gooey,' probably organic material is floating past communities on Alaska's North Slope. The US Coast Guard sent pollution experts to investigate, who determined that it was not an oil spill or other type of pollution, but were unable to determine what it is. A sample is currently being analyzed by experts in Anchorage, while the blob is following the current northwards."

50 of 424 comments (clear)

  1. Well Shit... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's probably a shoggoth.

    1. Re:Well Shit... by WetCat · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well, shoggoth,
      It's probably a shit.

    2. Re:Well Shit... by wisty · · Score: 5, Interesting

      It could be the 1997 bloop that the Navy picked up on their sonar equipment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloop). It looked like a biological entity, but was far to big to be any known creature.

      Which wouldn't rule out it being a shoggoth.

    3. Re:Well Shit... by Chris+Burke · · Score: 4, Funny

      Ia Ia Cthulhu nal fatang!!!!!

      Sounds like what the Knights of Ni would say if they became Mythos fans.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    4. Re:Well Shit... by interkin3tic · · Score: 4, Funny

      A 15 mile gooey organic blob floating off the Alaska coast? What a coincidence I just heard that Brittney Spears was vacationing someplace north... oh wait, I think I just solved the mystery...

    5. Re:Well Shit... by Canazza · · Score: 5, Funny

      O R'lyeh?
      Ya. R'lyeh.

      --
      It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
    6. Re:Well Shit... by jorgevillalobos · · Score: 3, Funny

      Que?

  2. Oh no! by pHus10n · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's that thing that killed Tasha Yar!

    1. Re:Oh no! by Sockatume · · Score: 5, Funny

      I didn't realise that the fear of typecasting had become a physical entity yet. Mind you, that explains why it's off the west coast.

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    2. Re:Oh no! by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Well, the foolishness of quitting a hit show early on with people whispering in your ear how awesome you are, followed by a permatanked career, most definitely was a well-established physical entity by that time. Just ask Suzanne Somers, Farrah Fawcett, or McClean Stevenson.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  3. Look I'm sorry OK? by jayhawk88 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I took this job on a crab boat, I was on there for like 2 months, there wasn't any internet, I forgot to pack any Playboys, I finally found an old SI Swimsuit issue in the galley....I didn't know there would much!

    - Randy Marsh

    1. Re:Look I'm sorry OK? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 4, Funny

      And in a case of the punishment fitting the crime, this seaman was given a dishonorable discharge.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
  4. Re:Its the blob! by snowraver1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Quick, someone give it a jellybean!

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    Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. This comment may not be copied in any way including, but not limited to caching.
  5. Algal Bloom by ZackSchil · · Score: 4, Informative

    It looks like a bunch of seaweed and an algal bloom.

    1. Re:Algal Bloom by evil_aar0n · · Score: 4, Funny

      Just as an experiment, why don't we throw a few Congress-people on it and see what happens. Worst that can happen? They come out just fine.

      --
      Truth, Justice. Or the American Way.
    2. Re:Algal Bloom by Reziac · · Score: 4, Funny

      Gods, no -- what if it makes them GROW??!!!

      --
      ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
    3. Re:Algal Bloom by pjabardo · · Score: 3, Funny

      Or they might get mutant super-powers. The we would be in trouble.

  6. Alien Jism by Tau+Neutrino · · Score: 3, Funny

    Alaska's fucked.

    --
    Lemmings are silly; dinosaurs are extinct.
  7. To quote Arnold J. Rimmer.. by apodyopsis · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...."ALIENS!"

    1. Re:To quote Arnold J. Rimmer.. by mdm-adph · · Score: 3, Funny

      Aye, it's obviously the gooey remains of a thousand QUAGAAARRR warriors.

      --
      It is by my will alone my thoughts acquire motion; it is by the juice of the coffee bean that the thoughts acquire speed
  8. It's the smog monster! by BlueKitties · · Score: 4, Funny

    Al-Gore warned you all that global warming would awaken man-bear-smogmonster, and now his dire warning has come to pass! Take shelter people of Earth, only Godzilla can save us now (assuming the Japanese don't kill the giant lizard who always saves them, God(zilla) knows why the hell they always try to kill the lizard who always saves their ass.)

    --
    "Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad." [Ecclesiastes 7:3]
  9. Nevermind Creepshow 2 by Critical+Facilities · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why am I suddenly reminded of Caddyshack?

  10. What's all the fuss about? by Seth+Kriticos · · Score: 4, Funny

    So you see there is a big, slimy thing floating in the water and you don't like it.. What do you do?

    a, Take probes, issue some press reports and analyse it while letting in float around.
    b, No nothing, let someone else deal with it.
    c, Clean up the god damn ugly slime before it starts to eat Alaska, and analyse it later.
    d, Make a documentary on how the big unidentified slimy thing ate Alaska and make profit with it.

    1. Re:What's all the fuss about? by swb · · Score: 5, Funny

      e. I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

    2. Re:What's all the fuss about? by cyphercell · · Score: 3, Funny

      A-glass-ka?

      --
      Under the influence of Post-Cyberpunk Gonzo Journalism
  11. Palin's report by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can see it from my back porch!

  12. Reading is FUNdamental! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Let's see. RingTFA says "A mysterious glob of unknown material up to 12 miles long has appeared off Alaska's northern coast." Later, "spotted a long strand of the stuff and followed it for about 15 miles, shooting video from the air." Slashdot headline says "a 15 mile-long blob of unknown, "gooey", probably organic material"

    Reading is FUNdamental!

  13. Re:I for one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well I'm sure Gabe Newell appreciates the sentiment, but what about the crap floating off Alaska?

  14. Re:I for one... by SQLGuru · · Score: 4, Funny

    There's a reason they are called Sperm Whales..........I'm just saying.

  15. Slight Correction by jjleard · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The article stated it was "up to 12 miles long" and that a team "followed it [by helicopter] for about 15 miles." Granted, the average digestee probably does not care if the blob devouring him is 12 or 15 miles long.

  16. Whale sneezed by Shadow+of+Eternity · · Score: 3, Funny

    We're done here.

    --
    A bullet may have your name on it but splash damage is addressed "To whom it may concern."
  17. Palin knew! by narrowhouse · · Score: 5, Funny

    She knew she couldn't do what had to be done as the Governor so she resigned in order to put together a rag tag group of misfits with the skills necessary to save the world.

    One Family, One helicopter, One Mission.

    Coming this summer! The Palins Hunt in...

    Die Nature Die!

    --


    Insert pithy comment here.
    1. Re:Palin knew! by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

      So it's her or the blob... hmm... is this kinda like "Alien vs. Predator in Bizarro world"? Whoever loses, we win?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  18. Palin's Blog by Sylvak · · Score: 5, Funny

    She was advised to create a Blog, but heard blob

  19. Power vacuum by gksmith · · Score: 5, Funny

    The power vacuum left by Palin is attracting all kinds of scum.

  20. Re:palin power by Nick+Number · · Score: 3, Funny

    Is this true?

    --
    Promote proofreading. Don't mod up sloppy posts.
  21. Re:palin power by sydney094 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yes it's true. The EPA guy man has no dick.

    --
    "If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research." - Einstein
  22. Re:palin power by GogglesPisano · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is this true?

    Yes it's true. This man has no dick.

  23. Re:Do algal blooms eat geese???? by ZackSchil · · Score: 3, Informative

    No, but they sometimes kill geese with the toxins they emit. And organisms not affected by the toxins would probably enjoy eating a dead goose.

  24. The Raft by lymond01 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Short story/short film in Stephen King's Creepshow 2. These campers swim out to a fixed raft in the middle of a lake and some goop, not unlike the goop in the article, follows them. One person touches it, and it leeches up her arm and pulls her in. This sort of continues for the next 10 minutes or so until there hero and heroine make out. It's Stephen King so it doesn't end well.

    My point? Don't touch it. And don't let it touch you.

  25. Re:palin power by LWATCDR · · Score: 4, Funny

    Right President Obama will offer to meet with the blob in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
    Okay now that we have done both sides of the stupid poltical comments we can move one.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  26. Re:palin power by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You know the conservative attention whore

    Is she really, or does she just get mentioned by everyone, everywhere pointlessly, such as in a thread discussing something weird in the ocean?

    You might be *part* of the problem, sir.

  27. Re:Creepshow 2, anyone? by Migraineman · · Score: 4, Informative

    The young-uhns don't appear to know what you're talking about.

  28. Organic ... by Cinderbunny · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is it certified?

  29. Re:palin power by Chris+Burke · · Score: 3, Funny

    *runs up, panting*

    Guys, check it out, I got a great topical Ron Paul joke!

    What, we're done with the political jokes? Aw man, late to the party again...

    --

    The enemies of Democracy are
  30. Re:Looks like whale blood to me by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 3, Informative

    Then again, I'm in Philadelphia and have no idea what whale blood looks like

    Now you know.

    --
    Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
  31. Re:palin power by MoldySpore · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's her daughters placenta.

    --

    "I hope you know how very lucky you are to know me, because I am so incredibly incredible."

  32. 15 miles long? by PPH · · Score: 4, Funny

    They sure are cute when they're little.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  33. I don't remember this exactly, but ... by J.R.BOFH · · Score: 5, Informative

    Around 10-15 years ago, the same thing happened off the Icelandic Westfjords, which is the north-west part of Iceland. At first, it was believed to be a spill of the waste matter from fish oil production, but then scientists determined it was caused by a mass death of some species of plankton, which are really small, almost microscopic crustaceans or similar. This particular species was quite oily and died off en masse because of increased sea temperatures or some such.
    As I said, I can't remember any useful details, but that's more or less what happened back then, sometime near the end of last century off the coast of North-West Iceland.

    --
    J. Random BOFH
  34. In a big port city somewhere... by cmacb · · Score: 3, Funny

    is a container ship captain trying to figure out what happened to those five containers full of Jello mix he was supposed to deliver.