Found in the recycle bin: an announcement for a series of classes on “Contemplative Clowning: Buddhist-Inspired Performance”- the teacher is a “contemplative clown and new vaudevillian” and “her performances evoke life’s bitter-sweet adventures.” Ugh. Is that like those paintings of crying clowns?

They’re not closing up shop or anything, but AT&T’s announcement that they’re no longer going to compete for customers in seven states (including Washington) is also an announcement that you can get local and/or long distance cheaper elsewhere, usually from the folks who own the wire running to your house.

While I love getting traffic, I don’t think I want the kind of traffic we’d get if I were to name the product, its best-known male counterpart, or the conditions they respectively treat. I must, nevertheless, link to this press release announcing the completion of Phase II trials for a promising product, just because of this phrase: "The primary data (frequency of satisfying sexual events)".

I try to avoid linking to New York Times articles, because I disapprove of compulsory bullshit "registration", but I found this article about the pitfalls of happiness too apt and interesting to skip. Turns out being happy makes people assholes.

Every so often, something from The Grauniad will hit Blogdex, and many times (as in this case), it’s something by Python Alumnus Terry Jones. Since he’s a bright, funny guy, they’re entertaining and insightful, though he’s clearly put out by the present unpleasantness.

I could not with a clear conscience suggest that I believe prayer, qua prayer, is likely to be an effective tool in ridding the country of the current plague of plutocrats disguising themselves as theocrats and implementing a disastrous foreign policy; but this essay nevertheless reminds us of a number of chilling facts.

The other person in my car was just last night speculating about when we’d be able to order fast food without human intervention.

Clearly a kindred spirit in thrifting and research, Roger Jacob recounts the history of a venerable drugstore after seeing it depicted in a charity shop painting. Especially interesting is the list of common products in the store back in the day!

I probably wouldn’t even bother with this story about the BBC making available some of its enormous archive of material, were it not for the Phrase of the Day: "shagging marmots".

Holy crap: first a photon; now, (almost exactly, hmm…) two years later, an atom. That’s some damned spooky action at a distance. Of course, with only .75 fidelity, it’ll be a while before Dr McCoy is willing to use it.