Star One Smart Blog's

Saw this up at Theo Spark's and had to put it in here.

A strange sort of fantastic movie, Heavy Metal, released in 1981. Wiki remarks dryly "the film has an unusual amount of bloody violence, nudity and sexuality for an animated film."

From the screenplay...

An ominous note is struck as the girl notices the glowing
ball, and is drawn to it. Picking the sphere up, she looks
at it. Something inside her warns her of its danger, but,
unable to resist, she puts it in her basket and continues on.

This bit of 'metal' is "[the Loc-Nar], the sum of all evils." The thing gets around; several mini-episodes make up this lightweight flick, all adapted from the 'Heavy Metal' magazine.

I think the only episode I recall as hilarious featured the robotic stoner crewmen of a starship snorting "Plutonium Nyborg" and flying into an asteroid. Or something.

Heh. Loved it.

Out there in blogworld, we've seen lots of strangeness. This, sadness and strangeness, and a good example of our American culture going south.

We have a young girl on a 90-day countdown to suicide...

"I am going to kill myself in 90 days. What else should i say? This blog is not a cry for help or even to get attention. It's simply a public record of my last 90 days in existence. I'm not depressed and nothing extremely horrible has lead me to this decision. But, does it really have to? I mean, as an atheist I feel life has no greater purpose. My generation has had no great depression, no great war and our biggest obstacle is beating Halo 3. So, if I feel like saying "game over", why can't I? Anyway, I hope you enjoy my thoughts as the clock runs out. Also, if blogspot takes this down before i'm gone just go to www.90dayjane.com. Please don't attempt to "help" me. If you want to truly help, please send me ideas on how to do the deed. thx-Jane"

I think she lacks the nervitude to do it. Kids, nowadays and all that.

If she does, well, my second points. Selected just for this post.

Today, Darwin is 199 years old. Happy birthday, ya old coot!

From a post discussing Darwin's contribution to Hitler, I found a better scapegoat...

"But what about artificial selection for superior genotypes? Darwin’s cousin Galton was the first to suggest that by proper selection one could and should improve mankind even further. Galton coined the term “eugenics.” People from the far Left to the far Right at first readily endorsed this ideal, conceiving of eugenics as a way to lift the human species toward greater perfection. It is sadly ironic that this noble original objective eventually led to some of the most heinous crimes that humankind has ever seen. When it was interpreted typologically, it became racism, and eventually led to Hitler’s horrors."

Ernst Mayr, Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology, Emeritus, at Harvard University. From his book “This is Biology”, p. 246.

We've completely run away from selection in the human race. There's no more progress towards betterment...

"Modern humans, by contrast, constitute a mass society, and there is no indication of any natural selection for superior genotypes that would permit the rise of the human species above its present capacities. Indeed, many authors claim that we are currently experiencing a deterioration of the human gene pool. Considering the high variablity of the human gene pool, genetic deterioration of the species is not an immediate danger. What is far more frightening and threatening to the future of humankind is the deterioration of the value systems of most human societies..."

Ibid, and there is no more truth spoken than the last sentence.

So, young lady, if you must, then do so with the knowledge that you probably would make Galton a happy man.

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h/t SondraK, and SondraK

Captain Dan the Demon Dwarf. The object of much scorn in the blogosphere, and hilarity on the news circuit, as many are amazed that such a story is making the rounds. I think this is the first photoshop (hopefully the last) that the little guy will have to endure.

Code Words: Super Glue, Penis, Hoover, On Stage, Weirdness...you get the picture. No, I got the picture.



h/t to Jim in KC (PW Pub, first stop on my Google Reader.)

Also seen at: Ace, SondraK