Potpourri for a Monday afternoon

SEE? LINKS OF STUFF THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH SARAH PALIN (WELL, MOSTLY)

1. Squid beaks and materials science – How do super-hard squid beaks work with a very squishy squid body?
2. Skimpy Peanut Butter — Part 2 – I linked to Part 1 last week. Rather than lambaste Skippy for its faux ersatz PB, this article notes how they’ve cunningly shaved an ounce or two off the jar.
3. Umbrella Today? Answers That Question [Weather] – This is very cool. I have turned it on for me.
4. How to be a con man – Con men are fascinating. On a broader scale, it ties into every caper movie ever made (not to mention the Mission: Impossible TV show, which was all about capers).
5. Road runner rules – Does a little “Help me” sign count as dialogue?
6. Update to Google Chrome’s terms of service – I figured it was the attack of the mad boiler plate when folks were complaining about the Chrome ToS. It’s been fixed now.
7. Weapons-Grade Lasers by the End of ’08? – I know it only means pain and death, but it’s still cool.
8. Bringing history online, one newspaper at a time – Google is now scanning newspapers. That so rocks.
9. Nerrrdddd fiiiggghhht! – Ha! I did just this thing for the characters in my home D&D game.
10. The McDonald’s theory of war – Which theory says that no two countries with McDonald’s in them would go to war. Except Russia and Georgia now disprove that. Where’s Officer Big Mac when you need him?
11. Palin’s Kids’ Names – Okay, this one mentions Palin and her odd kid names (but that’s not a criticism, per se) (but … Trig?!). The article is more about regional (and other demographic) kid-naming trends, as illustrated by the Governor. Interesting.

SEE? EVEN SOME POLITICAL STUFF THAT DOESN’T GET INTO PALIN

1. Public Service Announcement – When does voter registration end? In less than a month in most places.
2. Voter Registration by Students Raises Cloud of Consequences… – While it doesn’t seem to have been an explicit GOP conspiracy, it’s certainly a bit suspicious that Virginia registrars have been raising all sorts of fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the legality and status of students at Virginia colleges who register to vote using that address. Never mind that the Supreme Court long ago deemed that legal.
3. What I hear when creationists speak – Okay, this is more religion than politics — except that with all the Creationists running for office (including, apparently Sarah Palin), it’s hard to tell the difference.
4. Newt Gingrich Defends Marriage. Seriously. – And nobody knows how much marriage needs defending than Newt “I make John McCain look like Ward Cleaver” Gingrich.
5. Oh, Please. – Of course I’m not questioning his patriotism, just whether he loves his country!
6. TSA worker claims he’s a “Federal Agent” to police…. – Fascinating how a TSA agent gets so defensive over someone wanting to look at his ID.
7. Anti-Scientology YouTube videos censored by the thousands – Thank heavens for the DMCA, which allows anyone to shoot a threatening note to YouTube claiming (without any proof) that something there is a copyright violation and must be taken down immediately, due process be damned. It makes me feel soooo secure …

SEE? SARAH PALIN IS STILL DRIVING ME INSANE

1. More Of The Same – Because, remember, folks, she’s a fiscal conservative. It says, right here, under her name.
2. Sarah Palin, predator control, shooting wolves | Salon and Which Animals Would Jesus Pay You to Shoot from Airplanes?… – Disturbing in part for what some folks consider to be “hunting,” or what extents to go to to “guarantee” good hunting — but moreso for, yet again, a GOP executive being selective about the science they want to see and dismissive of anything that doesn’t meet their predetermined course.
3. Oops! She Did It Again – The whole “I was against the Bridge to Nowhere [after I was for it]” lie is such a good line, she just can’t let it go.