The Church of Obama

It was only a matter of time.

Blanket repeal bill

The single most brilliant legislative idea I've heard in thirteen years.

And Jeremy Clarkson suggested it first

Enough to drive one to drink

The British government plans to lower the drink drive limit to less than a pint of beer.

You can, however, have as much Soma as you like.

Update: The Great Police Terror.

Update: More than meets the eye.

Beyond the Peter Principle

A classic example of Feminism trumping common sense. I have extreme doubts about this woman holding a commission, much less being in charge of a ship of the line. But that's what happens when you are more afraid of a bad political rating from the Commissar than of losing a ship.

Peter Graves 1926-2010

A reminder for our American readers

The Foundation Trilogy Part 3

Radar Men From The Moon: Chapter 7

I Was a Teenage Werewolf

JakPak

A jacket that turns into a sleeping bag and tent.

I don't know about camping, but I could have used one on a couple of pub crawls back in the '80s.

Beware of the blob

It's been bucketing down here at Chez Szondy and as I was walking through the garden yesterday I came across these blobs of clear jelly all over the front lawn. Partly out of curiosity and mainly out of fear that these were the vanguard of an alien invasion force, I inspected the watery little interlopers more closely.

At first I thought that the dogs had somehow got their hands on a cold pack and torn it to shreds, but I couldn't find any fragments of plastic bags and the dogs weren't acting the slightest bit guilty (I can always tell when Little Ann has got into the rubbish or raided the bread bin, because she's nowhere to be found). I soon ruled out the jelly falling from the trees or being thrown from the road. I was about to get in the car and flee for the hills before the onslaught of the Martians when I realised that all the jelly was sitting on the thinned-out lawn patches that I'd reseeded last week. A compartment opened in that lumber room I call a brain and recalled a tidbit of information I'd skimmed across.

Five minutes later, a quick googling and I had the answer. It seems that the grass seed that I'd planted not only included fertilizer, but something called polyacrylamide gel, better known as "water crystals." They're a kind of polymer crystal that absorb an insane amount of water and basically act as little canteens for the grass seeds. Very clever, that.

Of course, I could be wrong. In which case, I'm living the first ten minutes of a Hammer sci fi epic.

Take it with a grain of... something

A New York City Assemblyman wants to ban all salt from all cooking and food preparation in all New York restaurants. Not surprisingly, this has resulted in howls of anger from cooks and bakers about how the honourable member has no understanding of how food chemistry works.

This episode should be preserved for all time (in brine, preferably) as a perfect example of a nanny-state politician who knows absolutely nothing about real life, yet regards himself competent to micromanage every aspect of society because he is convinced that the people are so stupid that they'd forget to breathe if the government didn't tell them to.

Staying classy

Mr Sean Penn says that people who call President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela a dictator should be thrown in prison.

Oddly, I thought that sort of thing was what defined a dictatorship.

On the other hand, Mr Penn prefers that his critics die "screaming of rectal cancer."

Such a gentleman.

For sale

What is billed as "the world's oldest flying car" (though I suspect that depends on your definition) is up for sale.

Mind you, there's no indication that the thing has ever actually flown, nor that this 21-foot long, seven-foot wide conveyance would have made it past the first hedgerow, so both "flying" and "car" are more theoretical than actual.

ODEX-1

I remember this one from my days studying robotics at university. I always felt that what it really needed was one of these:

Today, it would even be able to spot door knobs, which is not as fun as blowing the door open, but can be used to heighten suspense.

Iron Man 2

The new Iron Man trailer. I don't know if this will be any good, but at least the writers were smart and Tony Stark is still a jerk.

Guaranteed Oscar trailer

Unfortunately, it works just like this.

Hit 'em with your handbag

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi calls for Jihad against Switzerland. America jumps into action in defence of civilisation–and apologises to Gaddafi.

That's what I love about Mr Barack Hussein Obama; his steely resolve in the face of the enemy.

Retreat, Earthmen! Horror awaits you!

The most accurate account of a First Contact scenario ever made.

Didums

Baroness Ashton shows what a political powerhouse she is by telling all those nasty people to stop picking on her.