Bad Dudes, the movie (link roundup)

Movie posters for Bad Dudes and Pro Wrestling - - both from this week's edition of Photoshop Phriday.

And a few more links:

1. The FTC's new rules on disclosures of conflicts of interest seem like nothing more than a weapon to go after people they don't like - - apparently they're not going to go after Gwyneth Paltrow because she's famous and thus assumed to be a shill. Via.

2. Meanwhile an expert who has repeatedly been quoted as supporting health care reform was paid $300,000 by the Obama administration. Neither he nor the White House saw a reason to mention the payment. More here, here, and here.

3. A history of Gilbert Arenas' cruel private jokes. In a bit of foreshadowing, when Javaris Crittenton was traded to the Wizards, he was asked about Arenas' history of practical jokes, and said, "I've heard about Gil, but I don't think he'll do that."

*Previously: Pro Wrestling tribute by Jim Rugg.

*Buy wrestling belts at eBay.

Pharaoh Vader t-shirt (link roundup)

Today's Tee Fury t-shirt is Pharaoh Vader by Jimiyo.

And a few more links:

1. Allegation that Liberty Media, who owns the Atlanta Braves, also owns a company that sells steroids. Via.

2. Photos from the Portland Cake Wrecks book signing. The cupcakes (at the bottom) are incredible.

3. Chad Johnson/Ochocinco was able to make a Lambeau leap earlier this season because he bought tickets for fans to sit in the stadium and catch him.

*Previously: Chinese Vader's lightsaber makes people's clothing disappear.

*Buy wind-up mummys at eBay.

Hubba Bubba Gum Billboard (link roundup)

Billboard wrapped in Hubba Bubba gum by Gitam BBDO.

And a few more links:

1. Westlaw (online research tool for lawyers) advertisement mocks people who ask librarians for help.

2. Sounds like D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty was caught pulling strings to get his kids into a more desirable public school.

3. Fox news anchors "tart it up" on the cover a magazine.

*Previously: Transforming Decepticon billboard.

*Buy Wacky Packages trading cards at Amazon.

Drudge takes a shot at Obama (link roundup

Photo and headline by Drudge - - linking to this article, which includes the following line: "Unlike recent presidents, Obama has two young children, and the first couple is adamant that the girls be left alone." (Except when they make useful props.)

And a few more links:

1. A cautionary tale about just how miserable practicing law can be.

2. U.S.'s Most Over-Rated Tourist Attractions. The description of the Queen Mary as a Ramada Inn crossed with a rusty old ship is dead-on. Via.

3. Just maybe, all that alarmist nonsense about highly developed countries failing to reproduce enough is nonsense. Via.

*Previously: Papercraft Obama.

*Buy Obama toys at eBay.

The United Kingdom is facing a sperm shortage and other links of the day

That's right, in this tough economy, you might want to consider taking on a second job as a sperm donor. The U.K. is looking.

Here's a few more links of the day:


Supposedly anti-gambling NBA allows the New Orleans Hornets to post casino ads throughout arena, including visitor's locker room. Noticing the hypocrisy, Phil Jackson shows he's the master of backhanded compliments.




Design for a lit crosswalk called the Air Crosswalk.



Four of Europe's 10 best selling cars are made by American companies.





Download this Star Trek Enterprise desktop wallpaper here.





Okay, I'll never enjoy another American Idol casting episode again. The poor woman mocked in this segment killed herself outside of Paula Abdul's house. Via.

*Previously: Condom wrapper design contest.

*Buy condoms at Amazon.

Do Indians have to live on reservations?

I visited my folks today, looked through some of the books I had as a kid, and found one called The Answer Book. The initial copyright is from 1959, but this copy was printed in 1977 (although the creators didn't bother updating it for the new printing - - it mentions that one day man will walk on the moon.)



The book promises to answer 300 common questions asked by kids, such as explaining where lightning comes from. I found a few gems hidden inside.

This page explains that the pyramids were built by laying down a layer of stones, and then building a sloping road to drag stones up to the next level. Which sort of begs the question: How did they build the giant road?



This page confidently describes ice caps at the poles on Mars (and plant life).



And this page helpfully explains that "Indians" don't have to live on reservations. They just like to.



But best of all, this page warns of the danger of global warming.



The text says:

Perhaps you've heard somebody's grandmother say, "Winters aren't as cold as they used to be when I was a girl." Scientists are beginning to think Grandma is right, if she lives in the northeastern part of the United States. That part of the world is warmer than it was fifty years ago. But along the Pacific coast the weather seems to have grown a little colder. Alaska is warming up, and glaciers are melting in other parts of the world. Why? Scientists have made many guesses, but they admit they don't really know. At any rate, if all the ice in the world melted, the oceans would rise at least 200 feet.

The more things change...

A timely find as Al Gore was on Meet The Press this morning. Here's part of the exchange:

MR. BROKAW: Let me ask you about your personal lifestyle, because it's been the subject of a lot of dialogue on the blogs, as you know . . . . Why was it necessary for you to have a 10,000 square foot home? Because that is going to be more energy intensive than a smaller home for just the two of you.

VICE PRES. GORE: Well, there--I don't claim to be perfect, and all of us who care about this issue are, are trying to do our part, but I, I will say this. We buy green energy. The issue is carbon. The issue is carbon, and we have, essentially, a carbon-free home. We buy from wind energy and solar energy. Our roof is covered with solar electric panels, a geothermal system with all these deep wells, and we cut our natural gas bill by 90 percent, and I'm, I'm--we're, we're walking the walk and not just talking the talk. There are always people who are going to try to aim at the messenger if they don't like the message, and I don't claim to be perfect, but we are walking the walk.

MR. BROKAW: How often do you fly on a private jet?

VICE PRES. GORE: I've--much more frequently on public transportation. I'm flying on Southwest Airlines again today. But sometimes the schedule requires that, and sometimes I do that.

Add the Pope to the list of jetsetters...

living opulent lifestyles that think everyone less important should cut back - - specifically that mankind's "'insatiable consumption' has scarred the Earth and squandered its resources."

Ninth Circuit Judge maintained a website of deviant pornography

(The circuit courts are the second most prestigious courts in the United States. The Ninth Circuit controls California and other nearby states. Judge Kozinski was appointed to the Ninth Circuit by Ronald Reagan.)

Alex Kozinski, chief judge of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, maintained a website with deviant pornography including a photo of naked women on all fours painted to look like cows, a video of a half-dressed man cavorting with a sexually aroused farm animal. When exposed, Kozinski acknowledged that some of the material was inappropriate, but defended other sexually explicit content as "funny."

Scott Glover for the LA Times describes the site's contents:

The sexually explicit material on Kozinski's site earlier this week was extensive, including images of masturbation, public sex and contortionist sex. There was a slide show striptease featuring a transsexual, and a folder that contained a series of photos of women's crotches as seen through snug fitting clothing or underwear. There were also themes of defecation and urination, though they are not presented in a sexual context.

Kozinski didn't realize the site was accessible by the public, claimed he uploaded some of the material accidentally, and has since blocked public access to the site.

Here's the real kicker - - he's presiding over an obscenity trial right now.

Sir Paul McCartney is said to be "horrified" that his new eco-friendly car was flown 7,000 miles from Japan.

Horrified. Right.

Here's the best part of the article: "Paul was offered a Lexus as a gift and ordered the hybrid limo because it helps to reduce emissions." Because everyone knows, the environmentally conscious choice is to ride in a limo.

California Attorney General advocates dense housing (except for himself)

What kind of housing should California build?

Will it be a resumption of the horizontal development that California has traditionally embraced, with new single-family subdivisions creeping outward from core cities and reached by automobile? Or will it be higher-density vertical development like that of Eastern cities (and San Francisco), served by mass transit?

The debate is not new but has gained volume because the advocates of vertical development – what Attorney General Jerry Brown describes as "elegant density" – have a new political lever in global warming.

Brown is waging a crusade for his development vision, something of a throwback to the "small is beautiful" credo he sometimes espoused as governor three decades ago – although his personal commitment is somewhat suspect since he and his wife, citing crime fears, moved from an urban loft in Oakland to a comfortable home in the Oakland hills after he took office last year.

Link.

Hypocrisy: PETA President hurts herself, says "thank goodness for IV drips"

Ingrid Newkirk has said she's against animal testing even if it results in a cure for AIDS. Of course, both IV drips and the painkillers typically administered through them have been extensively tested on animals.

Comic book character ok for kid's cartoon, but too mature to be made into a toy

Lobo then appeared in a Season 2 episode of the Justice League cartoon.

However, while pretty much EVERY character who showed up on the cartoon ended up with their own toy, Lobo was not, even though there was a rumor that DC actually had made a mold of him, before determining not to produce him. The rumor was that the character was determined to be a bit too “mature” for a toy.

I checked with Cheryl Rubin, DC Comics’ Senior Vice President in charge of Brand Management, and she confirmed it. According to Rubin:

Because the JLU animated series and products are primarily for kids, even though we know and appreciate how much our older fans enjoy both, we thought it best not to include a character as violent as Lobo in the JLU line.

Link

Buy Lobo toys at eBay.