Can I have some cullots with that Platypus, Archbishop?

Yesterday was a good day. The day before wasn't so much. My throat hurts, I don't know if I have some bug or whether I did twisted the wrong way and strained something. Maybe I just yelled too loud and strained my voice.

Overheard at a function:
Student 1: pork with a red wine sauce and shallots.
Student 2: what are shallots?
Student 1: I don't know. I always thought they were them things half way between a skirt and a pair of shorts.
(much nervous laughter)
Student 1: I guess they aren't.

Read on the RSC website: "Chemists measure chilli sauce hotness with nanotubes"
And of course that sort of research gets more publicity than something sensible/useful/remarkable! Does anyone honestly look at themselves in the mirror and say 'when I grow up I want to be a chemist who uses some kind of weird nanotechnology to analyse how much Friday night's Vindaloo is going to burn me mount'? Of course not.

I'm sure we are all much relieved to know that the platypus was in fact assembled from many other bits of other animals.
"one of nature's oddest creatures, seemingly assembled from the spare parts of other animals" (Nature)
Perhaps creationists will be using it as evidence that god doesn't waste anything so once all the other animals were made, he used the bits left over to make the platypus.

Of course, while we're on the subject, I'm sure we're all relieved to know that The Archbishop of Westminster has called for Atheists to be treated with respect because ' a "hidden God" was active in everyone's life'. Ah OK, so I'm quoting selectively from the article. More respect and tolerance can never be a bad thing but the qualifying hidden god bit sort of spoiled the moment!