Found via Greg Laden’s Blog.

Found over at the Atheist Media Blog.

... then I’m going to start paying a lot more attention.

Found via Way of the Woo.

The scary part is I’ve had more than one of those techniques used on me in the past. Turns out Laci has a whole bunch of YouTube videos that I’m going to have to take the time to dig through. If the rest are half as amusing as this one is I’ll have to subscribe. And not just because she’s cute.

Found via Friendly Atheist.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula secedes from the United States out of sheer boredom. - Alligators In The Sewer

The Upper Peninsula, or “U.P.” as it has been called by locals, so-called “Yoopers,” will become a sovereign commonwealth nation of the United States, the first of its kind. The new nation-state will be self-ruling, with its own constitution and political leadership, but will remain closely tied to the U.S., borrowing some federal government services as needed and sending truckloads of logs in return.

“It just seemed like the thing to do,” said Terry Urbanski, director of regional promotions for the U.P. “This should put us back on the map and get us some media attention for a while. And hopefully, some more tourist money.”

I’ve spent some time in the U.P. and it’s quite beautiful up there… and incredibly boring if you stay too long. There’s only so much logging industry history you can take before it gets a little repetitive. Still, it’s worth checking out at least once for the views.

...though some would say I’m biased living in Michigan and all.

Found over at BD’s blog.

I so have to get Pat Robertson one of those.

Found over at What Would Jack Do?.

I promise to spend it only on things I need rather than things I really, really want. Stuff like furniture. We’re a tad short on furniture since we moved into the townhouse and a nice sectional is a practical necessity so I can use the futon we’re currently sitting on as a guest bed. At the very least we could use an armchair or two. A coffee table would be nice as well as some end tables. I’ve got no place to put any lamps at the moment. For that matter I could use a few more lamps. We definitely need a dining room table and the chairs that go with it. A nightstand to sit my alarm clock on. Some whatnot shelves. We’ve got plenty of bookcases, but a couple more wouldn’t hurt. But not a Grandfather Clock. That’s something I’ve wanted for a long time, but don’t really need.

A new car comes to mind. I don’t actually need need it yet, but I probably will soon. Though I could argue that a more efficient car could be considered a need. I need some new clothes too. Especially socks. I’m picky about my socks and the brand I prefer are not carried in very many stores. Shoes. I need new shoes. New boots will soon be a necessity. I need some dental work done so that’s another area I could help stimulate. Stocks. I need some stocks so I’d even be helping out Wall Street in my own way. Food. Always needing food. Seems like we have to pick up more food every damned week.

You get the picture. There’s literally thousands of industries I could help to stimulate if I had a few extra million dollars to work with. Compared to what it’s going to cost to bail out Wall Street giving me a couple of million is dirt cheap. And I’d work extra hard at making sure I do my part to stimulate the economy by spending that money. I think it’s a great plan and I hope Congress will give it the serious consideration it deserves.