Yes, THAT Philippine Sea, the place where MEG: Hell's Aquarium takes place, the sea that holds the Mariana Trench. Thanks to MEG fan Adam Whisler for sharing this:

The beast from the deep is so badly decayed it cannot be identified. But according to local reports from Guangdong, in the south-east of the country, it weighed at least 4.5 TONS. One fisherman, known only as Hwang, 66, said he was astonished by the find. People have flocked to see the creature - despite the rotting corpse's foul stench. It was found tangled in ropes and one theory is fisherman caught it but could not land it as it was so big.

Baby back ribs are easy to make simply because it is difficult to falter in preparing them. All you need is a flavorful dry rub, some slow cooking, and a sweet and tangy glaze to finish. This recipe features ginger notes using apricot jam and ginger ale. If you are planning in advance, the ribs are best marinated for up to 24 hours with the dry rub, tightly sealed in plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil. But if you have only a few hours, they are still utterly delicious when rubbed and thrown right in the oven.

Ingredients

Half cup brown sugar, half cup paprika, third cup garlic powder, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 2 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons powdered ginger, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 slabs baby back ribs (membrane removed), 2 cans ginger ale, half cup liquid smoke.

GLAZE

1/4 cup apricot jam, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, one tablespoon cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon powdered ginger, 1/2 teaspoon red flakes (optional).

DIRECTIONS

Gather these tools: cutting board, knife, dry measuring cups, measuring spoons, large mixing bowl, fork, grill or grill pan, small saucepan, wooden spoon, saute pan, offset spatula. Preheat the oven to 300 F. In a large bowl, combine the dry rub and mix well. Generously apply rub onto the front and back sides of ribs, gently patting so that the rub adheres. Place the ribs meat-side up on a sheet pan line with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Combine the ginger ale and liquid smoke in a quart-sized container or cup. Set aside. Prepare the glaze by melting the apricot jam in a small saucepan over medium heat, then adding the remaining ingredients and simmering over low heat for 5 minutes. Set aside. Remove the ribs from oven and gently place the two slabs on a cutting board. Prepare two large aluminum foil shallow vessels on the sheet pan, each large enough to hold a slab completely. Place each slab meat-side down on its foil vessel, then pour 11/4 cups of the ginger ale mixture over each slab. At the same time wrap and seal each rib tight. Return to the oven for 1 hour. Remove the wrapped ribs from oven and from the foil. Increase the oven temperature to 350F. Discard the braising liquid and return the slabs to the sheet pan meat-side up. Brush the apricot glaze on top of the ribs. Place ribs in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce carmalizes. Serve!

IF YOU HAVE A RECIPE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, please e-mail to me at [email protected] Put RECIPE in the subject line.

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

During the police response to a fire at the George Washington Hotel in Washington, PA, firefighters stumbled on a grisly murder scene. How bad was it? According to WTAE, "Washington Police Chief J.R. Blythe thought Sunday's discovery was the most grisly murder scene in his 35 years in law enforcement": "I had no idea what was going on -- blood on the floor, the mattress, the pillows, piece of a scalp with hair still attached in the center of the bed," said Blythe. Half a dozen investigators and eight hours of overtime later, the Washington PD finally realized what they had found: an abandoned movie set for an upcoming straight-to-DVD film starring Corey Haim. The film, entitle NEW TERMINAL CITY had shot a bloody murder at the hotel then left the set standing in case they needed to return for reshoots.

Have you read a story that borders on the ridiculous? Send it to Steve Alten at [email protected]

August 30, 2011: GRIM REAPER: End of Days. (mass market paperback, revised edition - Tor)

October 2011: PHOBOS: Mayan Fear (hardback - Tor/Forge)

NOW WRITING: The OMEGA PROJECT

When MEG MOVIE moves officially into production, I will write MEG 5: Night Stalkers.

A newlywed couple moves into their new house. One day the husband comes home from work and his wife says, "Honey, you know, in the upstairs bathroom one of the pipes is leaking, could you fix it?" The husband says, "What do I look like, Mr. Plumber?" A few days go by, and he comes home from work and his wife says, "Honey, the car won't start. I think it needs a new battery. Could you change it for me?" He says: "What do I look like, Mr. Goodwrench?" Another few days go by, and it's raining pretty hard. The wife finds a leak in the roof. She says, "Honey, there's a leak on the roof! Can you please fix it?" He says, "What do I look like, Bob Vila?" The next day the husband comes home, and the roof is fixed. So is the plumbing. So is the car. He asks his wife what happened. "Oh, I had a handyman come in and fix them," she says. "Great! How much is that going to cost me?" he snarls. Wife says: "Nothing. He said he'd do it for free if I either baked him a cake or slept with him." "Uh, well, what kind of cake did you make?" asks the husband. "What do I look like," she says, "Betty Crocker?"

*IF YOU HAVE A JOKE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, please e-mail to me at [email protected] Put JOKE in the subject line.