"A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies." - Oscar Wilde

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Australia's Chinese entanglement | The Economist - "When Mr Rudd spoke of zhengyou last year, he used it in the dictionary definition of the term, as a “friend who will give forthright admonition”, as over China’s handling of Tibet. China prefers lao pengyou, “old friends”, preferably sycophantic ones."

Japan bra maker offers support for husband hunters - "Triumph's latest novelty bra features an electronic nuptial timepiece, putting women seeking spouses literally on the clock. If an engagement ring is inserted into the mechanism, the countdown stops and the bra plays Felix Mendelssohn's "The Wedding March.""
Damn Japs.

The Great Ethanol Scam - "Not only is ethanol proving to be a dud as a fuel substitute but there is increasing evidence that it is destroying engines in large numbers"

Helen Keller (Helen_Keller) on Twitter - "Whaaaaaarrrnnnph... Noooorrrrmmnuh... Plaaaaarrrrnnn."

The Unabomber Was Right - "The ultimate problem is that the paradise the Kaczynski is offering, the solution to civilization so to speak, is the tiny, smoky, dingy, smelly wooden prison cell that absolutely nobody else wants to dwell in. It is a paradise billions are fleeing from. Civilization has its problems but in almost every way it is better than the Unabomber’s shack."

British Military Fitness - "We are the UK's leading outdoor fitness provider. Operating in parks across the UK, we offer the best way to get fit and lose weight whilst having great fun with other people. Our military fitness classes are run by serving or former members of the armed forces with recognised fitness training qualifications. They will help motivate and encourage you back into fitness!"
Brother in law: "when i first saw these guys at 7am in hyde park (part of my cycling route) i thot it was some military unit because the person running in front was in shirt and camo slacks. now i find out pple pay for the privilege of having 5BX..."
I assume they don't scream vulgarities at you and call you a wanker if you can't keep up

mass media funk 42 - "Rump reading (aka rumpology) threatens to replace the chupacabra as the number one item of interest among viewers of the raunchy late-night talk show... "I can't imagine anyone wasting their time and money on someone like this when there are so many legitimate psychics out there," said Sheree Silver, a local spiritual leader. Miranda learned his trade from Jaqueline Stallone, rumpologist to the stars, who seem to have re-invented rump reading while changing son Sylvester's diaper. She says the ancient Greeks and Romans read rumps to learn about fidelity and potential talent. (No comment.) "The left cheek is the cheek of the future," Miranda said. "The right cheek is the cheek of the present. Your love life, your money, your career, everything is there. It's no different than reading a palm or someone's eyes.""
This is better than the Christian, complaining about the atheist buses, "People don't like being preached at"

Japanese Marriage Bra Gently Nudges Men Toward Nuptials, With Boobs - Marriage hunting bra - "The garment's described objective is to allow marriage-minded women to essentially wear their ambitions, with a chest-mounted countdown clock (to what?) , pen and seal holster (for signing marriage contracts), and a ring receptacle that beeps "The Wedding March" when filled. The whole assemblage looks like it would attract more unsolicited boob-touches than marriage proposals, but boob-touching is a known precursor to matrimony."

Opposition to Siew Kum Hong’s re-nomination as NMP: Another “astroturfing” in process? - "“Astroturfing” refers to the creation of a fake grassroots or “people power” movement. The term for fake “grassroots” organising originates from a product called Astroturf, which is a plastic fake grass carpet-like product commonly used in baseball and football. The capitulation of MOE to demands of the Christian right to suspend AWARE’s CSE is an example of “astroturfing” where numerous feedback from a well-organized lobby group with a hidden agenda was misconstrued by the authorities as a representative of a larger public sentiment."
Funny how no one calls the AWARE EGM astroturfing.

Sad Trombone - I remember this sound effect.

Left 4 Godot - "Left 4 Dead is George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead as told by Samuel Beckett."

Women 'fight off disease better' - "A Canadian study indicates that the female sex hormone oestrogen gives women's immune systems added bite at fighting off infection... The researchers believe women may have evolved a more robust immune system because of their key role in producing and nurturing young."

first known "celeb" victim of swine flu. and we know who's the source.