Here’s one of the lessons I plan on imparting, someday, to my kids: stay away from Lovecraft! Or at least until they’re 13. Should children below that age really be entertaining thoughts of an Old One invasion? Well, animator Zachary Murray says “yes” (or whatever passes for an affirmative on Vhoorl). His following short (approved, mind you, by the department of child-developmental psychology at Miskatonic University) seeks to awaken the wee ones to Cthulhu‘s call:
(via Laughing Squid)
Fascinating research from the University of Delaware reveals that plants recognize their siblings, but “fight” with strangers. Who knew?
Back in 2007, Canadian researchers discovered that a common seashore plant, called a sea rocket, can recognize its siblings ?
Interesting murmurs are emanating from Cupertino this week about Apple’s alleged plans to offer an all-you-can-watch television buffet for the princely sum of $30 a month. It’s about time. The days of the public buying a single song or downloading a single show for $2.99 are waning; they’d prefer to buy digital media the way they buy pens or Twizzlers from Staples, in bulk. With savvy senior citizens figuring out how to illegally download movies and music, it can be said with some confidence that iTunes has served for many as the “training wheels” for illegal Bit Torrent downloads. (It’s not a great leap—first step: download stuff from iTunes; a year later: download the same stuff for free). This alleged reasonably-priced Apple service would probably keep these folks within the paying fold. Why? Because the price is right and it’s convenient, and for no other reason.
2009 is the year when many cable customers (I’m one of them) cut the wire for good. With it being so easy to get the things they want for free online, why should consumers be obliged to spend $90 a month for 500 channels, 490 of them that are never, ever watched? Paying just $30 for the things you do want to watch is a no-brainer. You won’t need the DVR either, saving you an additional $12 a month.
And then there is what could be called the “Hulu problem” which should theoretically make this service more attractive for the networks (although it might take a while to get them there): Hulu execs make a big deal about selling out the advertising inventory for Hulu, but as CBS’s outgoing digital CEO Quincy Smith stated bluntly to All Things D, “You and I can say all day long, ‘We?
From the Etsy store that brought you Vegan Vulva Lip Balm and the Frida Kahlo Uterus Plushie:
Worried that your uterus is too small? Wow them the next time you go to the gynecologist, be the envy of all of your peers. Why is this Spanish woman so happy? Just look at the size of her uterus! Order now and see instant results! All that and a money back guarantee! This pillow is 20” tall, 29” wide and has a wing span of 69”! (Basically she is really really big). Made with super soft fleece and flannel ovaries she makes a great cuddle buddy.
@ Etsy: VulvaLoveLovely’s Utera Maxima
Previously on Dangerous Minds: Dodge Trucks Exposed!
As everyone probably knows by now, Marge Simpson appears on the current cover of Playboy. In order to capitalize, I suppose, on this pop-cultural moment, The Huffington Post launched a “Who’s Hotter?” slide show contest whereby its readers could rank their favorite, “celebrity models—from actresses to TV personalities to still-hot supermodels-turned moms.”
Well, as the eagle-eyed folk at Sociological Images note: “Ironically, the slide show did not contain the Playboy cover that inspired the Simpson drawing. Behold Darine Stern (above), the first black woman on the cover of Playboy (1971). “
And, for those of you keeping score, other than Marge’s “yellow,” the HuffPo’s slide show was composed exclusively of white women.
From Good:
The ongoing battle between medical marijuana advocates and law enforcement has begotten some tricky legality, which has lead to all sorts of uncertainty regarding growth and distribution, and, ultimately, prosecution (or non-prosecution) of distributors. Meanwhile, in places like Northern California?
Dangerous Minds pal Charles Hugh Smith announces the publication of his new book Survival+ at his Of Two Minds blog. You can buy Survival + as a physical book, as an Amazon Kindle file, 
“
I’ve been a big fan of Charles Hugh Smith’s insights since the day I first stumbled across his Of Two Minds blog. In Survival+, he sets out a thoughtful and provocative vision of our future that should not be missed.” Michael J. Panzner, author of When Giants Fall and Financial Armageddon
“Charles Hugh Smith is the savviest blogger in the USA these strange days. Nobody puts out a consistently wiser, truer, better-written message, day after day, than CHS. His views on surviving the hardships we face in economy and society are of the highest value and could not be more timely or astute.” James Howard Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency and World Made by Hand
“Charles Smith provides a balanced, thoughtful, and prescient view regarding the dilemmas facing our fragile economy. From the collapse in the housing market to the growing power of the banking sector, our economic landscape is changing. Mr. Smith?
A picture of the artificial hymen Photograph: Mohamed Al Rahhal
“Mohamed Al Rahhal,” the pseudonym of a blogger for the Guardian who lives in Egypt, writes of the furor caused in that country around the topic of… an artificial hymen:
Recently, news of a $15 Chinese-made artificial hymen sent ripples across the Egyptian media and blogosphere. China has been manufacturing this very same product for years, but it was an advertisement for a Chinese company offering shipping into the Middle East that started the discussion here in Cairo.
Conservative MPs took the debate into parliament, requesting a ban on imports of the product ?
