Off the Chatham Islands near Wellington, NZ, the waves were almost 50-ft high as the disabled yacht struggled to stay afloat. From his Orion aircraft, a pilot watched yesterday as a merchant ship sent to rescue was unable to retrieve the injured, two-person crew in such rough seas.

The Orion dropped a life raft and survival kits, which the crew managed to get. Seas were expected to calm today, and another large ship will attempt a rescue.

When the boys were little, we always tried to grow a few pumpkins. Once we had one roomy enough for a 2 -yr old and a 3-yr old to stand in. I bought Atlantic Giant seeds, but they didn’t work their magic in our yard.

Some growers strive for the big time - the Half Moon Bay/Safeway World Champ Pumpkin Weigh-Off. Entries roll up on special trucks, and look almost big enough to carry Cinderella and her fairy godmother.

Some species of shark have been observed ’sleeping’ in undersea caves. Some are alone. Some lie stacked on top of one another in groups. Divers say they are not sleeping, because their eyes follow the movements of the humans.

Other sharks don’t bother with caves, but just lie on the bottom, also stacked for long periods of time. None seem to be injured.

There are many guesses regarding this behavior. It could be that the sharks seek out caves because the water there is more oxygenated. Maybe the gathering together is a pre-mating ritual. Or they are letting the remoras (parasite cleaners) do their job in peace.

Someone to Watch Over Me.

I may have to wander over to iTunes tonight, and make some purchases. Lately, I’ve only been buying things for other people. I agree that it’s a noble thing to give, but my work day collapsed in tatters, and I didn’t panic, so I get a reward.

In a new study, it has been found that eating fish just once a week will help keep you sharper as you reach old age.

The omega-3 fatty acids in fish will slow the rate of cognitive decline by 10 percent per year.

Tasmanian researchers find that a diet that includes daily chiles improved the sleep of volunteers in the study.

Instead of that glass of warm milk, perhaps a couple of hot chiles will send you off to the Land of Nod.

The definition of the terms, and the apparent difference in moon images.

Declaring that Taser has had a monopoly on stun guns too long, Stinger Systems will debut its own weapon upon completion of reliability tests.

It will have a longer range, fire four darts as opposed to Taser’s two, and will cost less.

No, it will not be sold to ordinary citizens.

I still think we’d all be better off if the only weapons were Nerf ones.

Since the ban on crocodile hunting in 1971, the population in Northern Territory has grown from 5,000 to 60,000. Recently, two snorkelers were killed by crocs.

A proposal to let hunters shoot crocodiles has been rejected on grounds that recreational hunting is not humane.

They carry ticks that can transmit Lyme disease, cause traffic accidents, and eat their way into suburban gardens. In the forest, their numbers force other animals out by diminishing the food supply.

Wildlife biologists are turning to birth control methods in an attempt to limit the exploding population.

Or so we thought. The last vocal hints were from the corner near the garage door, where sacks of concrete mix are kept, along with plastic bags full of aquarium supplies.

A son was home, and armed himself with a golf club just in case. The door was opened, and the promise of a crisp fall night beckoned to the rat which has decided that part of our home is also its home.

After all the material was removed from the corner, there was no rat. There is a refrigerator next to this area, and the area underneath probed with the golf club. Still no rat.

Today, I may decide the garage needs vacuuming. Larger animals have quailed before the power of a vacuum cleaner.

The frog is native to Australia, and a compound in its skin blocks the transmission of HIV particles in human immune system cells without harming the immune cells themselves.

The American Academy of Pediatricians recommended today that babies have pacifiers and their own space at bedtime. Studies show that infants who sleep with parents are not as safe as parents would believe.

The numbers of babies who die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has fallen, but each year, 2,500 still die.

Lately, it seems we are getting one catastrophic event after another, and this year seems so much worse than previous ones. No sooner than relief services arrive at one disaster site when another occurs.

Researchers who specialize in disaster reduction report that natural events have two categories: earthquakes and volcanoes, which are geological, and floods, typhoons and hurricanes, which are hydro-meteorological. We are getting more of the latter, but not the former.

These experts tend to play down the notion that global warming is contributing to these events. Instead, they underline the necessity to relocate the huge populations who settle in dangerous seismic zones and other areas that bear the full force of disastrous occurrences.