I thought at first that this was some subtle photoshop humor — no one would seriously write a book with that title and that cover, and putting George Reker‘s name on it is just hilarious.

But what do you know…it’s a real book, wide stance and all that wood and all.

He’s a funny guy, but I’m still completely baffled by Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity. He supposedly addressed his many critics last night; somebody tell me what it means, other than that it was an amusing self-deprecating schtick.

It still doesn’t answer the question! He is aware that there’s a problem of perception here:

I do think the rally was about something, just not necessarily what they wanted it to be about or what they think it was about…

Excellent, I could have just missed it. I’m sure Jon Stewart will now take this opportunity to clarify. And here it comes, here it is, the ultimate meaning and message of the rally:

“be more judicious in our blanket slandering”

Insert trademark Stewart double-take, followed by disbelieving stare into the camera.

That’s…nice. Who would have thought that that could be a cause that would draw a few hundred thousand people together in a mass event? It really doesn’t address the complaint that it was an exercise in false equivalence, though, since gathering a mob of cheerful liberal/progressive folk and telling them to stop the blanket slandering of the right wing does sound like he’s complaining about the wrong people here.

He does mention that now he and his fellow liberal pundits can spend the next ten years debating the point of the rally, which is probably true if the primary instigator is going to be that reluctant to state his goals.

In Australia, it’s Movember, when all the real Australians grow moustaches. I’ve never before heard “moustache” abbreviated as “mo”, but I guess there are things I have yet to learn about Antipodean accents.

Anyway, it’s all for a manly cause, too, to support research into prostate cancer and other men’s health issues, by gathering donations to reward gentlemen for doing what ought to come naturally to them, sprout hair on their upper lip. I’ve receive a couple of requests to endorse individuals cultivating lady ticklers, befborstels, and fanny dusters, but I’m just going to encourage every Australian to get out there and do what’s right for both your face and your prostate.

It’s a feature of the language, OK?

(via Making Light)

Of all the disciplines to use for science-based pick-up lines, why would you pick chemistry?

This is one of the many virtues of biology: an authoritative knowledge of anatomy and physiology is much more persuasive.

I have been sent a copy of the cover of the official Pharyngulista passport, produced by MinnieTheFinn.

I don’t know about this “People’s Republic” stuff. This is clearly a brutal, oppressive dicatatorship.

Oh, wait, is this like calling a small dog “Goliath”?

Warning: Using this passport can get you in big trouble with security agencies. Take special care not to visit the Vatican with it.