[WT Sharpe]

Scientists have tried to allay our fears about the Large Hadron Collider by pointing out that cosmic rays routinely enter the earth’s upper atmosphere with far more energy that CERN could ever dream about producing.

They can't fool me. Cosmic rays striking the stratosphere are an even graver concern.

Ask yourself this question: When’s the last time you saw the stratosphere?

Was it last night? last week? last month? I’ll bet you can’t even remember the last time you looked up at the night sky, and said, “Well, hello! Doesn’t the stratosphere look particularly lovely this evening?” The fact is, no one I know can remember the last time they saw the stratosphere, and the reason why is obvious! The stratosphere has clearly fallen down a black hole!

In a related story, scientists speculate that Swedish citizens may soon begin asking each other, “Doesn’t the stratosphere look particularly lovely this evening?”