Internal Monologue

I've seen several of these already (where someone tries to summarize the plot of the Star Wars movies and gets it gleefully wrong), but they don't fail to amuse: Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo . Via Sullivan .

I was happy to hear that according to Obama, I get to be included too. Amanda Marcotte on Pandagon had a similar reaction: Hey, I can’t be the only person who had a “holy shit” moment when Obama recognized non-believers in his inaugural speech. Nor can I be the only one bracing myself for the wingnut outrage, since there’s so much effort dedicated to vilifying atheists as the ultimate cancer eating away at our supposedly secular nation. Or maybe not. Perhaps even the most hardened wingnuts will realize that Obama included non-believers in the spirit of inclusiveness he’s been trying to foster in his speeches for awhile now. There was quite of bit of God talk, too. But I'm pretty used to translating that kind of ceremonial deism into something that makes me feel included. So it didn't bother me all that much.

In observance of the day, let us remember that, along with issues of race, MLK was deeply concerned with economic justice and peace. Here's a quote that reminds us of that: “I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.” We like to pat ourselves on the back for electing a black president. Which is fine, but let's not spend too much time congratulating ourselves. Those "giant triplets" are still there, and there is still so much to overcome.

Johnson's Gravel Hauling & Auto Glass Repair (I just made that up. It doesn't exist as far as I know.)

This is the best solution to the notorious fourth arm problem* that I've seen: Finally, an answer to this age-old predicament has arrived! Winner of the red dot design concept award in 2007, the idea of the Love Mattress is simple: A solid unit makes up the middle portion of the bed, with several adjoining strips of foam connected at either end. Between these slats one can drop their shoulder or arm, allowing for a much more comfortable sleeping position while remaining all snuggled up. Each polyurethane-injected foam strip is covered with a smooth fabric which allows for easy sliding, and after assembly the whole mattress can be covered with a standard bed linen. Not only is it good for sharing with another, but it also works for other positions, like stomach sleeping, where you can let your foot dip into the gaps. So, say goodbye to that slack arm. Right now it’s still only a concept, but if the Love Mattress hits production mode you’ll be good to go for hours of fine spoonin

It's not a baby. It's a " Reborn Doll ". Via Auguste at Pandagon , who is a bit more freaked out by this than I am: Look what you did. You clicked on the link. And now you know about ” reborn babies .” And now you’ll have to browse the site, marveling at how these things first prove the uncanny valley , then flood, scar, shatter the uncanny valley with a series of unnatural disasters. But that’s not even the bad part of all this. No, the bad part is Rush Limbaugh, as it forever will be : Would it be—would it be over the top, ladies and gentlemen, to suggest maybe a charitable donation of a bunch of these dolls to the Planned Parenthood? As gifts to their customers and clients...Yeah, so you go into Planned Parenthood as a customer, you walk out after the deed is done; they give you one of these Reborns. Leave it to Rush to actually up the baby-fetishism factor on this whole thing. My definition of the uncanny valley .

This guy claims a lot of people working for Homeland Security (what a hideous name!) take the show 24 very seriously : In my work I interact and assist folks from TSA, Homeland Security or other consultants supporting them. On a couple of occasions I have been in meetings with such folks and have made the mistake of making a joke about the absurdity of 24 . I was met with unamused stares which communicated that I was no longer to be taken as a serious person. Something one often hears from these folks is "if you knew what I know....." -- they take 24 quite seriously. I find that pretty frightening. From what I hear, in the world of 24 , torture is often a good idea. That is not a concept I want brought into our world.