- Sperm - The Next Antidepressant - If ytou are a man or know one you have likely already heard the story that exposure to semen reduced symptoms of depression in women. I can't explain it, but it's my duty as a man to pass the info along.

The Age Of Synthetic Viruses - Scientists have been able to re-create the polio virus completely from scratch in the laboratory. Polio virus is one of the more simple viruses, but this can only be the beginning of some really nasty possibilities. More and more it looks as though a missile defense system is the exact wrong way to spend our defense money. Perhaps more medical research to combat these threats would be a better application of our defense dollars.
We've been able to extend our fists with bullets, bombs and missiles. Perhaps it's time we extended our immune systems.

Put that thing away - I'm sure it's frustrating, all the searches taking place in airports today. However, people should really try to get through it with a bit of their dignity intact. One fellow who did not follow this philosophy got fed up when asked to remove his belt and gave the security staff the full monty instead. Dropping trou may be synonymous with cooperation in France, but that stuff doesn't fly in Miami. Irate traveler drops pants at Miami airport

Can Ender's Game be far behind? - Uncle Sam Wants You to Play This Game writes a NYT article. The army is now using online multiplayer videogames as recruitment tools. The technology already exists for them to be used as more than that. Life imitates art once again.

Arm the felons - I had to check the map this morning. Am I still living in Massachusetts. Check out this story in the Boston Globe: House votes to loosen gun laws. The state legislature who must be smoking some pretty good ganja. Time to look at how your rep voted and drop him or her a little note, no? Perhaps you also would like to check with your state senator and make sure he's not on crack.

Imagine:

Currently, anyone convicted of a felony or violent misdemeanor, including child rape and breaking and entering at night, is barred from buying a gun. But the House bill would eliminate the lifetime ban. It keeps the ban in place for domestic violence offenders.

To quote Will Ferrell as Jacobim Mugatu in Zoolander - "Am I on crazy pills?"

Pickpockets - I don't think I've had a link to a Ruben Bolling cartoon on the blog before, so it's high time I had one. Lookee here: Tom the Dancing Bug.

If you like his stuff, take a look at The Funny Times. A subscription brings you the best cartoons of the month in newspaper form. An excellent tonic for today's lousy news.

Born on third base... acting like he hit a triple. - Yeah, another post about Bush. I'm kinda sorry that so many of my posts are political. I'm not sorry because it isn't relevant (it is). Rather, I'm sorry because there is so much that is interesting in the world today, and Bush is a distraction from all that.

Unfortunately, he's a distraction that has been installed as the leader of our country.

Maureen Dowd once again has an editorial that gets to the heart of what grates on people who don't like Bush. It's his unconvincing put-on of the everyman. A bunch of verbal flubs doesn't make you likeable. It doesn't erase the fact that you're a well-funded failure. How can Mr. Bush crack the whip on Big Business when he's a wholly owned subsidiary of it?

I promise to try to get some more personal, interesting and thought-provoking posts on here.

- Joke of the day -
A Boston Red Sox fan, a Chicago Cubs fan and an NY Yankee fan were all in Saudi Arabia, sharing a smuggled crate of booze. All of the sudden Saudi police rushed in and arrested them. The mere possession of alcohol is a severe offense in Saudi Arabia, so for the terrible crime of actually being caught consuming the booze, they were sentenced to death!

However, after many months and with the help of very good lawyers, they were able to successfully appeal their sentence down to life imprisonment.

By a stroke of luck, it was a Saudi national holiday the day their trial finished, and the extremely benevolent Sheik decided they could be released after receiving just 20 lashes each of the whip.

As they were preparing for their punishment, the Sheik suddenly said, "It's my first wife's birthday today, and she has asked me to allow each of you one wish before your whipping."

The Cubs fan was first in line (he had drunk the least), so he thought about this for a while and then said, "Please tie a pillow to my back." This was done, but the pillow only lasted 10 lashes before the whip went through. The Cubs fan had to be carried away bleeding and crying with pain when the punishment was done.

The Yankee fan was next up (he almost finished an entire fifth by himself), and after watching the scene, said "All Right! Please fix two pillows on my back." But even two pillows could only take 15 lashes before the whip went through again, sending the Yankee fan out crying like a little girl.

The Red Sox fan was the last one up (he had finished off the crate), but before he could say anything, the Sheik turned to him and said, "You support the greatest baseball team in the world, your supporters are the best and most loyal baseball fans in all the world. For this, you may have two wishes!"

"Thanks, your most Royal Highness," the Red Sox fan replies. "In recognition of your kindness, my first wish is that you give me not 20, but 100 lashes."

"Not only are you an honorable, handsome and powerful man, you are also very brave," the Sheik says with an admiring look on his face. "If 100 lashes is what you desire, then so be it. And your second wish? What is it to be?" the Sheik asks.

"Tie the Yankee fan to my back."

(Author unkown, but probably a Sox fan)

A Bird Story from Cyberspace sent our way by Glenn Barlow - If you haven't seen this, it's pretty funny. A bird who's learned to beat the coin machine.

Blog Problems - There have been some problems publishing my blog over the last few days. If you missed the post-fourth entry, check it out.