Having the wrong expression on your face is now a reason for (il)legal search and seizure from the TSA. According to this article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (side note: is that the weirdest newspaper name in America? I wonder what kind of a bar fight it would get into with the Cleveland Plain Dealer), screeners are now being trained to watch for specific facial movements when travelers are asked simple questions like, "How are you," and, "Where are you going today?"

One hopes 'annoyance' is not an attitude they're on the lookout for, because I have a hard time maintaining any other expression when being frisked and debased by these illogical jackboots. In other news: it's okay to bring a cigarette lighter on the plane now (but only one -- two or more could really start a fire!), but spare lithium ion batteries for your cell phone, digital camera, or Palm Pilot are deemed dangerous. There are no public explanations available for why batteries are suddenly the weapons of choice in Terrorismland, but there you go. Enjoy your flight. And smile: you're on Closed Circuit Camera. 

Raise your hand if you think the Motion Picture Association of America is a valuable service for parents. Really? Good enough to warrant egregious examples of censorship?

According to Variety , the poster for Taxi to the Dark Side, a documentary about torture abuses in Afghanistan and Guantanamo, is inappropriate for public consumption because it features a hooded figure being escorted by two U.S. soldiers.

Posters that have not been stopped by the MPAA: a muscle-bound, half-naked masked man gripping a chainsaw suggestively ;  a figure sitting in a torture device wearing the severed head of a boar and stiletto boots ;  or a nearly-naked woman crouched in a frightened position in a corner, filthy, with a bandage blindfolding her as blood seeps from her eye sockets . No obscene torture there. 

If those posters weren't censored (and I'm not arguing they should have been), then can the MPAA really be looking out for the sensitive, God-fearing parents of the mythical American heartland? And if they're not protecting the children, who are they protecting? Who needs the most protection from widely-distributed public images of hooded prisoners in the care of American troops?

Is it November yet? 

Sesame Street teaches us so many things. For example, why censoring words can sometimes make relatively harmless statements seem even more obscene. Take it away, Count. 

Next time you're at the farmer's market, consider picking up a few extra pieces of produce so you can start your own vegetable orchestra.

 

I'm utterly terrified by these Japanese toys! Why? I don't know. Perhaps the slinky would have freaked me out in the 1950s. But there's something unnerving about a pig that won't die.

 

Want to change minds about climate activism in 10 minutes? Try this science teacher's approach. You know he's right. He's a member of the League of Awesome.

 

Lately, people have asked about this blog's name. I don't understand why it seems to puzzle everyone. I learned everything I need to know about the blogs from Gabe & Max.

 

Unlike Gene Simmons , rap artist 50 Cent, who is also the owner of a music label, understands the true effect file sharing has had on the music industry . Is it deletrious to a certain aspect of the bottom line? Yes. But does it really hurt musicians? Only if labels decide to put the punitive costs there. In terms of fame, musicians are the second-biggest winners in the file sharing revolution. (Second only to music fans, naturally.)

Says fitty,

The concerts are crowded and the industry must understand that they have to manage all the 360 degrees around an artist. They, (the industry), have to maximize their income from concerts and merchandise. It is the only way they can get their marketing money back. The main problem is that the artists are not getting as much help developing as before file-sharing. They are now learning to peddle ringtones, not records. They don’t understand the value of a perfect piece of art.That's one of the most beautiful and articulate descriptions of the current state of the music industry I've yet to come across.