Timmyson

I really wasn't expecting it to turn around at the sides. The soundtrack is awesome too.

via jwz

Effects of coffee (in blurb below). I enjoy reading about skepticism of things, and evidence against common knowledge.

via Sci-ence

Article claiming gamers are more likely to be able to lucid dream (be aware one is dreaming, and take control). Okay, fine, I don't play games as much as some other people (nor as much as I would like), and it's got the weasely "more likely", but the fifth one is what lets me know not to take it too seriously: "Your sleep position reveals your personality". Good for a laugh anyway. Maybe there's some kernel of truth in there, but when you see something like this, you just know the effect is a)small, b)very specific, and c)very possibly a false positive. You know, right up there with, "Did European scientists break the speed of light?".

Small side note: thanks to jwz that I came across this: Betteridge's Law of Headlines: Any headline which ends in a question mark can be answered by the word 'no'. It just works so well.

via Wil Wheaton

Apparently Mayim Bialik, who plays Amy Farrah-Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, does not vaccinate her kids. That article fairly summarizes my negative feelings on the issue.

Also of interest in that article is a short essay from Roald Dahl about the tragic death of his daughter from measles.

I don't think any description can improve the experience, just allow your mind to be blown. Direct YouTube link.

via jwz

Good article, though long, debunking racial profiling, and arguing for behavioural profiling. I don't know if that's such a good idea either, because the idea of the things the TSA wants to do to me make me actively nervous.

via Pharyngula in response to Sam Harris demonstrating that Atheists too, are not immune to racism. (Not the first time I've disagreed with him.)

Free to die of preventable illness to maintain student loan rates, free to starve to fund the world's police. I don't know if I could live in the States and pay less taxes, tolerating those sorts of messed up priorities (with the higher taxes option completely off the table).

I don't know if this is going to come out right. It's the Colbert Report from April 23rd.

http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/Shows/TheColbertReport?videoPackage=112638

It features an interview (near the end) with the former chair of the Texas school board, an avowed creationist and general idiot. Colbert gets in a few good digs, and you can see from time to time that he gets really angry. It's delicious.