Exciting news (via Neatorama):

Science has produced lots of amazing things -- the hydrogen bomb, gene sequencing -- and now, an artificial mouse sphincter grown from human cells.

And by "sphincter," of course, they mean anus.  This topic could supply a lifetime's worth of jokes. #science

Jon Ronson, in his book The Men Who Stare At Goats, mentioned a little about how the soldiers involved in the Abu Ghraib fiasco explained their behavior by saying they were just following orders.  Technically this is a true statement, which makes it seem like a legitimate excuse.  But Ronson points to a movie about the life of Martin Luther and his struggle against the hypocrisy of the Catholic church:  "The moral of Martin Luther is that the individual cannot hide behind the institution."  This reminded me of a haunting scene from an X-Men movie where Magneto dismisses Charles Xavier's explanation for humanity's violence toward mutants as "they're just following orders" with a flashback to his childhood in a Nazi concentration camp where the soldiers used the same excuse.  Ouch.  Personal responsibility trumps following orders. #psychology

The Ford Transit Connect is that small white truck/van concoction that seems to be all the rage for small businesses and tradespeople.  Quite simply, it's butt ugly.  It doesn't look like it has much storage space, gets mediocre gas mileage, and its triangular design makes it look like it teleported from 1974.  What I don't understand is how car companies intentionally make ugly vehicles, and how they convince people to buy them.  Some vehicles are ugly but acceptable, like the Honda Element (which could be described as "unique") or the Scion xB (which could be described as "cute").  But the Transit Connect is just plain ugly.  You can't put it another way.  There must be some sort of financial incentive or tax break involved, because otherwise this vehicle shouldn't even exist. #travel

A somewhat recent study showed that more than 25% of people who receive food stamps don't believe they receive any assistance from the government.  Almost 40% of Medicare recipients are in the same boat, as well as almost 30% with Social Security. 

Lumped into those statistics are people who don't believe their mortgage interest tax deduction is a government benefit (60%) and people who receive federally-backed student loans (53%).  I don't think real-cash-money from the government in the form of food stamps and health care should be in the same category as paying lower taxes and receiving low interest rates.  Here's a good take on that: 

A 529 program is not a government program like food stamps, it is the absence of a government tax ... People who use 529 programs and who think that they have not used a government social program are not willfully ignorant, they are demonstrating a healthy if fading appreciation of the distinction between civil society and government.  What Rampell et al. implicitly imagine is that the natural state is slavery and any departure from that state a government benefit. Thus, if the government taxes your saving for a college education less than your other savings, you should be grateful for how government has benefited you and your children. And if the government doesn’t jail you today, you should be grateful for how government has granted you the benefit of liberty. This is the attitude of a serf not an American.

#money

I rented a car last week, and as always, I was surprised by how long it took to actually get a car.  It's not like I walked in off the street.  I had a reservation.  I provided a credit card when I made the reservation.  The only thing that really needed to happen when I showed up in person was for someone to verify my identity.  Why that always takes 20 minutes is beyond me.  (Yes, I realize all you Hertz Double Extra Gold Sprinkles Members just show up and drive off, but I'm not eligible for their elitist group.)  When I checked into my hotel later, it took approximately 45 seconds for the receptionist to verify my identity and hand me my key.  Even checking in for my flight was faster and easier than getting a rental car.  That's sad. #travel

Walmart sells these frosted "oatmeal" cookies that are pretty amazing and cost like a dollar for a package.  I say "oatmeal" because I doubt there's even a single oat-related ingredient in them, but I digress.  I found out by accident that if you let them sit out for a day or two after you open the package, they quickly become stale and mushy, thus making them taste even better.  Now I buy these cookies and intentionally "age" them because they're that much better when they're stale.  It's the same with mint Life Savers (though sometimes they come "pre-staled") and of course Peeps (which get harder instead of softer).  There's probably some health concerns regarding eating stale foods, but as I say for a growing number of questionable activities, I've done it before, and I'm not dead yet. #food

I keep seeing ads and new product announcements for add-on keyboards for tablet devices, and I can't help but think that a tablet with a keyboard is simply a laptop.  We already have those. #technology

It seems like all hotels, regardless of rating or price, have the same white, scratchy towels.  I'm always annoyed when I start drying myself off after a shower, thinking "Can't these idiots afford nicer towels or at least use fabric softener?"  But then I scratch that itch on the middle of my back, and all is well.  I like scratchy hotel towels. #travel

Level 3, a company that installs and maintains fiber optic cables, says that "squirrel chews" account for 17% of the damage done to their cables, down from 28% the year before.  A company spokesman said, "I don't understand what the big attraction is or why they feel compelled to gnaw through cables."  I have an opinion:  Squirrels are jerks.  That is all.  (via Consumerist) #technology

Here are two pictures of baby rabbits found on the internet. 



#nature