At least that’s what we think they are, tossing up big mounds of dirt throughout the yard. From time to time, we try flooding, and it works for awhile. Then the mounds appear again.

Some time ago, I heard that they hate the prickliness of cut human hair and morning urine. I don’t have one at the moment, but the hair, a big plastic bag of it, is kept for times when the varmints annoy me. There’s also last night’s pot of crab water.

A son helped me put both down a couple of openings. He said it was as if we were toilet-papering their dwelling, so to speak. If I thought it would help, I’d throw some of that down there too.

A gallery of her work can be seen here, and in the section on research, she discusses the intriguing process through which she arrives at a finished piece.

It’s the sharpest picture ever of the nebula. Not only that, but you can zoom in for closer views, which is an excellent use of time, since some of us have a three-day weekend.

Readers have asked how to buy one of the puzzles. Mr. Daniel can only produce a few each week, and the price is still $400 plus $10 shipping. His website is at http://www.waynedaniel.net where you can see some of his other puzzles as well.

There are 171 people on the waiting list.

After two risings, they are just about right. The icing is mostly butter, powdered sugar with a touch of vanilla.

Do you know the correct way to kill a lobster or crab?

Is tossing a crustacean into a pot of boiling water akin to torture?

An article in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology reports that the antibiotic metronidazole is given when a pregnant woman is deemed at risk for a premature delivery. However, a study shows that these women have a higher risk of delivering a pre-term baby than those not taking the drug.

America’s favorite seafood is shrimp. Not too long ago, it was tuna, whose image is now somewhat mercury-tainted.

From Ross Murray at McSweeney’s.

Encase your iPod in the iGuy, Coach, or, if you just made a bundle in the recent market rally, a gem-encrusted sheath.

Noh theater has been around since the 14th century. When the masked actors tilt their heads in different ways, they bring about the illusion that the expressions are changing.

The floating world is not well-populated, since most girls are reluctant to enter into the profession. But if you happen to find a real geisha, it’s best to have deep pockets.