Their usage statistics are a little surprising. Or not.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Their usage statistics are a little surprising. Or not.
Instead of getting a couch, that guy who draws xkcd got a ball pit. This sounds like a good idea, since you can control who gets to use it.
Surely I’m not the only parent who has had the delightful experience of discovering a disposable diaper in the public ball pit? Personally, it kind of turned me off on the whole idea.
In weird medical news, researchers have discovered that an extract made from shellfish reduces scarring after certain medical procedures. It’s a gel-like polysaccharide called chitosan, and it’s injected up the nose after sinus operations.
I don’t know what this means for my daily fix of squid goo — either my supply is about to be commodified, or the price is going to go up.
I used to live on this stuff in the good ol’ days.
Now you can get it on a t-shirt through the University of Texas at Austin School of Biological Sciences. Although, you know, “Texas flavor” does sound like it’s setting up the punchline for a joke.
It’s the week before Thanksgiving. Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?
Deep Sea News recommends a lovely poster. It’s one of those black light posters, so you can have the gaping jaws and needle-like teeth of abyssal predatory fish glowing at you.
Street Anatomy has a list of ten anatomy related gifts…and it’s not the traditional bucket of offal under the tree. Anatomically correct chocolates, brains for cuff links, and the body bags and plush body parts are nice…but the $100 million diamond encrusted skull is a bit over the top. Leave off the superfluous diamonds and just give the gift of bones.
It’s awfully hard to get into the spirit of the War on Christmas when Christians are so danged tacky. I mean, really…the Jesus loves you sucker is only one comma away from perfect honesty, while the Jesus Tree Topper with the silk gown, gold crown, nail prints in the hands, and built-in light is pure cheese. He really needs a complement, though: Naked Tormented Jesus with Stigmata Squirting Action. Then the kids could battle it out between ascetism and the prosperity gospel right there on the Christmas tree.
I’m only linking to this horror because I’m a militant atheist and I want you to lose your faith in a beneficent god.
You have to see the mascot for Orangina, some fruity drink, to believe it. She’s kind of hot in a peculiarly cephalopod/tetrapod hybrid way, but then…the video. Oh. My. Non-existent. God. Sex and furries. She gives a lap-dance to a bear-man and squeezes orange juice out of her mammaries.
My brain is scarred. I don’t think I could ever drink Orangina without thoughts of bestiality frolicking unbidden through my head.
(No thanks to Jim Lippard for contaminating my brain with this stuff.)
How strange: Antony Flew was, and maybe is, a eugenics sympathizer. This is really going to mess up the great story of his conversion.
The War on Christmas starts earlier every year. The first salvo: an advent calendar in Hanover, Germany includes a small, cartoonish portrayal of famous local son, Fritz Haarmann. He was a serial killer who lived over 80 years ago.
I think the wounds of the monster’s actions are healed over and largely forgotten now, so while not entirely in good taste, I don’t think Christianity should be too outraged at the inclusion of a wicked fellow who killed 24 people. There are other mostly forgotten characters who could be put on a Christmas calendar without causing this kind of misplaced outrage, like Athanasius or Savanarola or Arnaud-Amaury or more than a few popes, who were responsible for many more deaths. I guess it just isn’t the holiday season without something for the right wing to rage over, and it’s better that they’re howling at Fritz Haarmann than some bewildered greeter at Wal-Mart.
But while you’re scowling at the reminder of the holiday season, I’ll mention that this is a good time to order your secular season cards. I fear the “Stop the Lies” card might give Aunt Tillie a heart attack when she opens it, but the Darwin as St Nick cards are nice.
