Get your ride anime'd

Your have not reached the ultimate in anime fan coolness until you have slamwrapped your car with a cartoon character.

Taco Bell struggles to capture Hispanic market

Via DoL: "Advertising Age reports that Taco Bell is having a hard time convincing Hispanics, particularly Mexicans, to eat at their restaurants:

"'Taco Bell's fast-food version of Mexican food isn't playing very well with Hispanics, who contributed just a half-percent to the company's same-store-sales gain of 7% in 2005, despite making up 20% of Taco Bell's core 18-to-34-year-old target market.'

"If native Mexicans choose not to eat at TB is it because of the advertising or because the food isn't really Mexican food? According to one Carl Kravetz, who handles advertising for El Pollo Loco, it's the food:

"'If they say they deliver good Mexican food to [Hispanics] they won't be believed. If they say they have good, filling, cheap American food, they may have a chance.'"

Alien grape for sale

Via The Presurfer: "I was minding my own business shopping at the QwikyMart, when I picked up some grapes. On my way home I heard some wrestling in my bag. When I got home I pulled out the grapes and they were SOUR! The grapes were not just Sour but Scared too. They began to wine!

"'HELP, HELP, HELP' they screamed! So I asked the Plump one, what's the problem? And he told me, 'My name is Alexander and all I know is, a man ain't supposed to cry, but these tears I can't hold inside. You see I heard it through the Grapevine!' Then he pointed, and then I saw it!!! It was terrible! It was Horrifying!! It Was Alien Grape."

Moroccan-Tibetan Look?

Cher is clearing her Malibu home of its Gothic contents and reshaping her life in a giant garage sale...She is redecorating her home, going for a Moroccan-Tibetan look...

I guess the "Moroccan-Tibetan" look is a sly way of saying "Armenian" since Hayastan is equidistant from the two--plus she is currently the Most Powerful Armenian in All the World. Whichever of the three, it would seem that the only thing these cultures could have in common is that if you're going to Ms. Sarkisian's house, it's BYOC (chair).

Soda Pop Has Bloody Borders

While a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly is the latest to rehash the red fish blue fish-debate, current analysts would do well to pay attention to the true balkanization that is occuring in America. "Bleeding New Mexico" should be the new battle cry!



Once during my wild times as a geography major, I examined the various terms used for a pancake and how they were distributed in America. More near and dear to all of us though is the soda vs. pop national divide. If history is any guide, the South (and their indiscrimate use of the word "coke" for everything) is the pivot on which the majority could be decided. As a recent post suggests, sometimes soft drinks aren't so soft.



Reflecting on my youth spent growing up in the hate free zones of Seattle and Santa Cruz, I prefer the term "soda pop" and this uniter-not-a-divider attitude is why I am taking this opportunity to announce my candidacy for the 2040 presidency (of which country, I have not yet decided). In the meantime, please make checks payable to "Friends of Nick" (or FONies for short). Please include your name, address, occupation, rank, and serial number (which might be needed depending on which country becomes the New Ecotopia).

German panda music

Super Smart - The name says it all.

Who Better to Ethicate than the Political Class?

Commenting on a move by some to block the introduction of a Christian-based ethics program in Ukrainian state schools, the Kyiv Post reports:

"There is a path of good and a path of evil, and wherever God acts, the devil also appears," Deputy Mayor Vitaliy Zhuravsky said. "Whoever opposes introducing Christian ethics - for me, that's devilry."

Why good moralists would want to dirty their hands with ethics (the technique of justifying anything you might ever conceive of doing) is beyond me--it's not even an election year.

Authorities Cracking Down on the Handi-capable

Cops step up efforts against militant retards.


Credit: Alex Konrad (Ada, OH)

You Go Girl--or don't.

Credit: Toothpaste for Dinner

Rollerblade bottle tune guy

And that First Year Anniversary Gift is Covered Too..

Cheap Chic's Toilet Paper Wedding Contest (credit to John)

Drew on libertarians

Now that we're talking about Toothpaste for Dinner, here's some political commentary by TfD artist Drew:

"Seriously, though, the cost of living goes up every day, because the interest all the banks make has to go somewhere. Look at me, I'm a libertarian! I'm making up my own imaginary rules about how society works!

"No, I'm kidding. I'm not a libertarian. These dudes are generally smart, though. Nobody watches television and is like 'Huh, so I guess I'm a libertarian.' You have to either read books or get on the internet and learn about politics. And yeah, I said dudes, and yeah you know some lady libertarian, but on the real: The Libertarian Party is a sausage party.

"I guess in some high schools they might teach you about what a libertarian is. The lecture just consists of a picture of a dude in a golf shirt, with a goatee, standing in his doorway. With six guns.

"This blog has made a lot of jokes about libertarians. The truth about libertarians is that they are awesome, and please don't shoot me libertarians."

PoF gets guest cartoon spot on Mr. Miro's site

Recently, Mr. Miro sent me the following Toothpaste for Dinner cartoon, suggesting that it summed up the life of a PoF blogger:



I responded by suggesting that while that may be true, someone should draw up a cartoon about his own hobbies. Mr. Miro then said that I'd have to start my own. Here is the result, which you can now view as a "fan art" entry on his site:

Commercials bring us together

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal contained an article by Amy Chozick on Japan's effort to drum up support for television commercials. As with any marketing promotion in Japan, a cute cartoon figure is obligatory:

"The campaign mascot is a monkey named 'Coma-saru' -- a play on the words 'commercial' and 'saru,' Japanese for monkey -- with a face shaped like a TV. Networks are hoping that getting viewers excited about watching commercials will result in marketers buying more advertising time.

"Dentsu, Japan's largest advertising agency by revenue, made a spot called 'Family With No Conversation.' In this ad, a father is trying to talk to his teenage daughter, but she ignores him, playing with her cellphone instead. Then, a funny commercial comes on the TV. They look at each other, smile and begin to laugh. At the end a voice-over asks, 'What is a television commercial?' The ad implies the answer sometimes is: shared ground that can bridge awkward generational gaps and bring families together."

Marc and Matt Movie Review: City of Industry

Remember pre-drunken Mel Gibson in Payback? Unlike in Braveheart or The Patriot, in that movie audience members were supposed to root for the bad guy. You may or may not be familiar with the genre, but there is a class of movies that cater to this concept in particular – “film noir.” Old school classics like Double Indemnity (1944) and The Big Sleep (1946), and later films like Chinatown (1974) are excellent examples.

This entire genre, however, has been flooded in more recent years by Quentin Tarantino, Elmore Leonard, and a multiplicity of lesser knockoffs of their work. Unfortunately, the hip cultural references and dialogue of this new grouping most often fall short of the days when William Faulkner and Raymond Chandler scripted for the big screen.

Read more...

An example of one of the better attempts to come along in a while, though, is director John Irvin’s (Hamburger Hill) 1997 City of Industry. In fact, it is nice to see a film noir movie that is not infected with slick cynicism or a sense of its own importance (see Two Days in the Valley for an example of this deplorable trend).

The film sports a respectable cast, including Harvey Keitel, Stephen Dorff, Timothy Hutton, Elliot Gould and the always enjoyable Famke Janssen. The plot revolves around an experienced crew of thugs whose plans for a jewel heist go wrong.

The nod to Keitel’s work in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992) is most definitely apparent. The heist actually goes off much smoother here than in Reservoir Dogs, but the dissension among the ranks following the theft is a now-familiar theme.

Ultimately, though, the film’s greatest tension results from its two central characters – Roy Egan and Skip Kovich, played by Keitel and Dorff respectively. This is perhaps where City of Industry transcends much of what one might expect from simply another “film noir-esque” action flick.

Keitel’s performance recalls the character he played years ago in Scorcese’s Mean Streets (1973) – a young street punk trying to make his way in the underworld. It is as if that character has grown wiser and more mature, though, with Dorff taking on more of the characteristics of the sociopath played by Robert DeNiro in Mean Streets.

What becomes apparent through this view of the characters’ interaction is the contrast between what Kovich and Egan represent. If Kovich symbolizes the new, hip, amoral and out-of-control component of the post-Tarantino film world, then Egan stands opposing him. Egan represents the older tradition of antiheroes, both here and in Mean Streets – the solitary man who pays his debts and exhibits self-restraint.

There is a depth to this type of character, whose actions involve moral struggle, that makes him infinitely more interesting and capable of eliciting a sympathetic response from an audience than the newer characters in which this substance is wholly absent. The lines are drawn, then, and the question of who survives is left for the viewer to discover.

This is not to say, however, that the film is without its flaws. At times the direction seems sophomoric and the dialogue questionable. Character development is lacking in most of the actors besides Keitel and Dorff.

Furthermore, the thug who dies and leaves Miss Janssen without a husband is nearly as wooden an actor as Nicolas Cage (he’s also freakish enough in appearance to lend validity to the “X-Files” claim of alien-human cross breeding). And finally the ending, justifiably or not, is so lollipops and gumdrops that one is left with the suspicious cynicism evoked by the ending of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986). Something just doesn’t ring true. A closure more along the lines of Brian De Palma’s Carlito’s Way (1993) might have been more satisfying or appropriate.

Still, the film is certainly worth a viewing, and a consideration of its implications seems in order. Enjoyable for everyone from the action fan to the film buff, City of Industry pays off.

Gervais Update

Microsoft didn't want you to see those Ricky Gervais training videos.

Whet your appetite

In the tradition of The Gallery of Regrettable Food, Wendy McClure released The Amazing Mackerel Pudding Plan: Classic Diet Recipe Cards from the 1970s earlier this year. Check out more of her tasty recipe finds here.

Christ-centered remote vibrating panties now available

"Book22 is owned and operated by Kevin and Joy Wilson. We are a Christian couple who have been married for over 11 years now. We have prayed every step of the way for guidance on what products to offer on this site."

One big hurdle, though, is the lack of instructions, especially when you remove all of the objectionable packaging:

"I get emails all the time asking how products work. I really wish these things came with directions! The truth is they hardly ever do. The Screaming O and The Big O are the best so far for actually giving us a clue of how to use and care for the product."

Credit: Klevay.

Attn: Wal-Mart Haters (yes, you with the PhD)

I don't like Wal-Mart because I hate China.

Having said that, an interesting piece written by the head of FLOW (what an awful name), writes:

Is it heroic to raise one person up out of poverty each month, but merely a statistic to raise a million up?

Incidentally, organic granola lover Whole Paycheck funds FLOW, not the usual pro-Sam Walton crowd is it?

Fun with exchange students

Someone out there has surely thought of this before, but a great social experiment just occurred to me for those in the teaching profession. First, get all of your students (minus the foreign exchange student) to act as though everything is normal. Then, proceed to speak in gibberish for an indefinite period of time. Finally, observe and record your results in the PoF comment section.

Be careful what you wish for

"You asked for glitter...and so we are giving you tons of it!"

Who gets the best parking spaces at college?

Via DoL: "Richard Vedder blogs (hat tip to E. Frank): 'When asked why [university faculty] teach so little, we reply "teaching is only a small part of our duties." But who decided that? The donors to universities? State legislatures? No. The universities themselves have decided to downplay instruction in order to do what the faculty wants.'

"As my former colleague Dwight Lee has been known to say, if you want to know for whose benefit the universities are run, observe who gets the best parking spaces. (Not the students but the administrators and faculty.) At Wal-Mart, by contrast, they ask the employees to park away from the building."

Everyone wins!

"Everyone Wins is exactly that. EVERY time you enter our contest you'll win a prize! It's that easy! It could be $10 off a John Tesh CD, $100 worth of merchandise in the Everyone Wins Online Store or the Grand Prize; a 7-day Cruise for 2 with John Tesh in the Mexican Riviera! Everyone Wins!"

Astro-Equity

The People's Cube on Pluto.

You Think You Have Problems

I have a friend who is half-Armenian, half-Turkish.

Today he got engaged to a woman who is half-Serbian, half-Croatian.

Hmm.

Demolish Capitalist Lies

PoF, you are a genocidal talk radio devotee because you work with non-union people!

The People's Research Institute (PRI) has found a way of stopping right-wing ideology in America and ending our losses at the ballot box: we need to face our opponent's "facts" and "logic" by learning how to frame the debate. The Progressive Truth Generator™ will help you to set the terms of debate on issues in your favor and quickly terminate all discussion!

* * *

Also, be sure to shop at Che-Mart to get great deals on merchandise like:

Overexposed

Thank you for your interest. We hope you are not part of Borat conspiracy against Kazakhstan. We will not become a William Hung for the international community!

Like Monty Python, Borat is best when not imitated by adoring fans. Just enjoyed privately.

Boo Hoo

Just can't get enough of that Hurricane Katrina coverage.

"People in Utah don't know how to act toward black people."

But then again, maybe they do.

They say economic opportunity and lower crime rates there are offset by subtle racism the black family encounters.

How dare we not be robbed and then given jobs. Those are some crafty racists.

One evacuee, who is evidently well over 200 years of age, reflects:

"We used to live in Africa and we were moved to New Orleans and we had to adapt there," he said. "Now we are in Utah and we have to adapt here. We're tired of adapting."

Sometimes I think I should thank Stalin for his Holodomor and the "encouragement" it gave my forebearers to move to the Cleveland ghettos (next to lots of black people who'd already gotten the best slums). I sure as hell prefer being a Ukrainian-American to being a Ukrainian-Ukrainian. And if my time in Nigeria and Rwanda tells me anything, Salt Lake City is not a bad consolation prize.

In any case, it could be worse. They could be from Detroit and still be in Detroit.

LikeBetter

Via M&C: "Keep choosing which photos you like better, when the brain turns pink, it knows something about you. Click on it to find out what."

Further testing

It seems that others are more open to Coke made with sugar than myself. In addition, however, it seems that for the most part people wouldn't have any idea what cola products they put in their mouths if it were not for helpful labels.

Action philosophers!

"ACTION PHILOSOPHERS is a comic book series detailing the lives and thoughts of history's A-list brain trust in a hip and humorous way that proves that philosophy is not just the province of boring tweed-enveloped college professors."

Credit: Klevay.

Paris Hilton Parody

Brought to use by SpicySprouts.com." There's another great parody featuring a hefty hairy guy here.

Nerds on nerds

Newsarama points out a new resource: "Comic fans looking for scholarly criticism of their favorite comics and graphic novels can check out the University of Florida’s peer-reviewed, open access journal ImageTexT, which is 'dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of comics and related media.'"

Improv Everywhere takes it slow at Home Depot

Via M&C: "225 people walk in slow motion at Home Depot, then they all freeze for 5 minutes."

Marc and Matt Movie Review: Gummo

The rural agrarian ideal of Jefferson and Crevecoeur is shown for what it really is in the 1997 film Gummo. For those of you who have seen Harmony Korine’s first film, Kids (1995), his follow-up takes adolescent depravity to a whole new level.

Perhaps this new level was exactly what Korine was shooting for, in an effort to show that childhood hooliganism is not just a big city phenomenon. At least the kids in Kids appeared to have no serious screw-ups in their gene pools. Of course, there is always the possibility that the director is merely out to shock and disturb his audience. If that was the case, he most certainly lived up to the task.

Read more...

The movie begins with the nearly unintelligible murmuring of Jacob Sewell (The Road to Wellville) as Gummo and then moves to a nice shot of a dirty near-naked adolescent taking a leak off a highway overpass. Things go downhill from there. Featuring young transvestites, Ritalin-popping tennis star-wannabes, homosexual dwarves, prostitutes with down’s syndrome and an assortment of other oddities – there is no comparison on the market today for this kind of insanity on film.

The action takes place in the tornado-ravaged town of Xenia, Ohio (self-proclaimed "Bicycle Capital of the Midwest"). While perhaps the characters and landscape depicted do not represent the entirety of that “fair” state, from all other accounts these characteristics are definitely the norm.

Gummo’s profession is that of a cat-killer, and he shares his responsibilities with Tummler (Nick Sutton of Underground). Both engage in this activity to make a buck by selling the corpses to the local Chinese restaurant. Again, this depiction may not accurately represent all those currently in operation.

Shot in the familiar documentary style of Kids, this movie faced similar allegations of engaging in shock tactics and blatant “tardsploitation.” We found, however, that as members of the MTV generation, the material was all in all not nearly as shocking as, say, Jerry Falwell’s predictions that the Jewish Anti-Christ walks among us. And, in all honesty, while there were several scenes where mentally-challenged individuals are shown in a less than appealing light, this seems to be little more than an attempt of Korine’s to depict small town life as we all know it really is.

It ought to be notes here that while we were not overly shocked with the images presented in Gummo, this is not to say that there isn’t plenty of potentially offensive material. Nonetheless, no other film gets to the heart of what it is to be a kid in small town America as well as Gummo. Any who have a thirst for knowledge about this subject would be foolish to deprive themselves of the experience of a film that is at the same time both truly depraved and inspired.

Fast Food Rockers

Every time I try to think of a way to describe this, so many adjectives and comparisons come to mind that I think it officially passes the "it's a new genre" threshold.

Interrobang Alert

Spotted in a Mary Worth strip by Comics Curmudgeon.

Teachers Count!

The NEA, the AFT, Marvel, OfficeMax, and Teachers Count have teamed up to provide kids (and kids at heart!) with "Brain Drain," an action-packed tale featuring Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, and a bunch of teachers. Readers learn that teachers "always find a way to succeed," and that "teachers count," especially when one of them saves the day by flinging a ball of OfficeMax-brand rubber bands. Run, don't walk, to your nearest OfficeMax store and pick up your FREE copy today!

Defining bullshit

Princeton Professor of Philosophy Emeritus Harry G. Frankfurt created a lot of buzz last year with the release of his treatise On Bullshit, in which he claims "to give a rough account of what bullshit is and how it differs from what it is not." Sure, Penn & Teller's "Bullshit" is an entertaining program, but if you want to hear the topic discussed in a dry academic manner with an interviewer that's clearly uncomfortable, then this video is for you.

Barkitecture

If your pup's a fan of modern art and design, then the Pawpidou Center is a must-have. See this and other hound homes at the annual Barkitecture Event and Gala Auction.

Weeniecello

Via Cynical-C: "Over the years, I've tried various sorts of infusions, with vodka and other liquors. Fruit and herb-infused are the best known, and are often wonderful. But what I like is meat. Where's the infusion for people like me? I felt disenfranchised, and alone, especially after some research on the interwebs revealed a real lack of meat-based liqueurs. It would be up to me to blaze the trail.

"I decided that a hot dog based infusion would work best. Not as assertive as chorizo, but bolder than pork chops or steak; in addition, the preservatives in the dogs would lend themselves to prolonged infusion."

Free air conditioning

Via DoL: "I came across this 'how to' tip describing how to air condition your home for free. Well, not really. It basically comes down to digging a large hole, insulating it very well, and then filling it with snow/ice over the course of the winter. It's an interesting concept - one that was used in the very beginning of air conditioning (Biltmore or some other 'estate' had a similar setup in the late 1800s) - but doesn't seem worth the trouble.

"I haven't checked all the math, but assuming it is correct, the author suggests about 1 million pounds of snow/ice would do the trick (for three months worth of air conditioning)."

Ferret Clothes

Because ferrets need fashion too.

Union bees launch pre-emptive strike to prevent South from rising again

Via Boing Boing: "Massive yellow jacket nests are being found in barns, abandoned cars, and empty houses in southern Alabama. Entomologists say that the reason for the large nests is something of a mystery.

"'The largest nest (entomologist Dr. Charles) Ray has inspected this year filled the interior of a weathered 1955 Chevrolet parked in a rural Elmore County barn. That nest was about the size of a tire in the rear floor seven weeks ago, but quickly spread to fill the entire vehicle, the property owner, Harry Coker, said. Four satellite nests around it have gotten into the eaves of the barn, about 300 yards from his home.'"

Football and babies

Canton, Ohio - home of The Pro Football Hall of Fame, Marilyn Manson, and a whole lot of pregnant teens:

"This may seem impossible to you, but it’s true. Sixty-five — again, 65 — of Timken High School’s 490 girl students are pregnant.

"According to the Canton Health Department, through July, 104 of 586 babies born to Canton residents in Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center — the county’s largest hospitals — had mothers between 11 and 19. That’s nearly 18 percent, or three times the total number of babies born at the same hospitals to teen parents living elsewhere in Stark County and beyond."

Haiku Cinema - Late August Edition

No pressure to contribute (but feel free), I just thought I'd share some haiku about movies I've seen in the last two weeks.
Spoilers below the fold.



A Scanner Darkly

Never has Downey
- Ok, so Keanu too -
Been so rightly cast.


The Matador

Pierce in kinky boots
Lonely assassin panics
Kinnear will save him!


Little Miss Sunshine

Penultimate scene:
My Friedrich Nietzsche Brings All
The Boys to the Yard


The Descent

Lost with cave crawlers
Greek tragedy meets horror
Gotta stab a ho.

Labor Negotiations, Russian Sports Edition

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has declared an all-out war on the National Hockey League (NHL), accusing the North Americans of stealing its best players.
...
"We can't just sit around and do nothing while the NHL takes our best players," Tretyak told local media. But the NHL said it would not negotiate compensation packages with any Russian club after the European nation refused to sign a transfer agreement with the North American league. Russia remains the only major hockey power not to join the deal, approved by the International Ice Hockey Federation in 2005.

Under the agreement Metallurg would have received a basic $200,000 fee for Malkin. The Russian club reportedly wanted at least 10 times more. Tretyak said the Malkin case was the main reason behind their decision not to sign the agreement while the Metallurg boss slammed the offer as "disgraceful."

Malkin has faxed a letter to Metallurg, asking them to annul his contract, which he said he had signed under pressure. Velichkin denying putting any pressure on Malkin.

"He talks about pressure. What pressure?" Velichkin said. You can ask militia (Russian police) about pressure. Pressure is when they bang your head against a wall radiator.

"As far as the letter he faxed to us, it wasn't written by Malkin so I think it's a pure fabrication. I just threw it in the garbage can." Asked about the sum he was seeking for Malkin, Velichkin said: "Before his disappearance I was asking for $2 million from Pittsburgh but now I want more, a lot more."

Rollerblading in ATL WaterPark

MIT Engineers Test Tinfoil Hat Efficacy

Among a fringe community of paranoids, aluminum helmets serve as the protective measure of choice against invasive radio signals. We investigate the efficacy of three aluminum helmet designs on a sample group of four individuals. Using a $250,000 network analyser, we find that although on average all helmets attenuate invasive radio frequencies in either directions (either emanating from an outside source, or emanating from the cranium of the subject), certain frequencies are in fact greatly amplified. These amplified frequencies coincide with radio bands reserved for government use according to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). Statistical evidence suggests the use of helmets may in fact enhance the government's invasive abilities. We speculate that the government may in fact have started the helmet craze for this reason.

Get them a MacArthur grant, stat.

Worship at every meal

Via Cakehead: "Put the Image of Jesus RIGHT ON FOOD!"

"Imagine serving heavenly hotcakes at the next church breakfast. Worship at every meal with JesusPan."

Beatitudo

Hot on the heels of the incredibly successful television series concept "The Littlest Lawnmower," here's another sure-fire hit for studio execs (probably at the WB).

The year is 1985. Boy band Menudo will face their inevitable decline all too soon, but for the moment they are at the height of their fame. "Menuditis" is spreading in epidemic proportions, and the Christian rock industry needs something to counter the hysteria. Petra and Stryper just can't offer youth group teens the infectious beats that they're craving. What's the answer?

Enter Beatitudo. In the dramedy tradition of "7th Heaven," the series will follow the ups and downs, highs and lows of a family trying to stay together in the topsy-turvy world of Christian boy band fame. This one can't miss.

Ricky Gervais: Office Values

Ricky Gervais reprises his role as David Brent to offer his consulting advice to Microsoft. Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Armor of God PJ's

via Presurfer

What would Keats think?

Researchers at Akishima Laboratories (Mitsui Zosen), working in conjunction with professor Shigeru Naito of Osaka University, have developed a device that uses waves to draw text and pictures on the surface of water.

The device, called AMOEBA (Advanced Multiple Organized Experimental Basin), consists of 50 water wave generators encircling a cylindrical tank 1.6 meters in diameter and 30 cm deep (about the size of a backyard kiddie pool). The wave generators move up and down in controlled motions to simultaneously produce a number of cylindrical waves that act as pixels. The pixels, which measure 10 cm in diameter and 4 cm in height, are combined to form lines and shapes. AMOEBA is capable of spelling out the entire roman alphabet, as well as some simple kanji characters. Each letter or picture remains on the water surface only for a moment, but they can be produced in succession on the surface every 3 seconds.

In a similar vein, Bruce Shapiro explores the art of motion control with the use of "Art Machines" which he uses to create some amazing public art works.


(latter via Neatorama)

Mark Your Calendars

Coming Soon: Whores of Warcraft
(not to be confused with World of Whorecraft)

(via BoingBoing)

WSJ author misrepresents Torodes

Today's Wall Street Journal contains an article by Christine Gardner in which she claims that Sam and Bethany Torode are "at the center of the movement" of evangelicals against contraception. Gardner bases this statement on the position laid out in the Torodes' 2002 book Open Embrace. A quick visit to Amazon's listing for this book reveals that the Torodes have since converted to Greek Orthodoxy and no longer advocate natural family planning. Gardner merely mentions that their position has mellowed slightly.

One of the reviewers at Amazon has this to say: "From a slightly more cynical perspective, I can't help but wonder why the Torodes are still allowing the book to be sold if they no longer agree with what they've written in it. While they might be embarassed with the book's contents, I'm sure they're not embarassed about spending the royalties."

The Torodes' explanation for their change of heart is available here.

Thanks for the heads up, Klevay.