Philip Larkin
They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.
But they were fucked up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another's throats.
Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don't have any kids yourself.
This short-film made by a 17-year old film-maker Kiri Davis (NYC) is winning awards and stirring up a storm of controversy across the United States.
At parties, people often ask me what I do. Normally I answer that I simulate molecules on a computer. Most people seem satisfied with that answer, after all, it's only an ice-breaking question (people are secretly hoping you answer something along the lines of "sex-worker" or "published novelist").
But once in a while, I'll actually get someone who really wants to know. Then, I'll give an impromptu explanation, complete with flying arms and sound effects.
But really, the best way to understand what I do, is to look at the results of a simulation. And here is one of the simplest simulations using the techniques of molecular dynamics, the neuro-peptide enkephalin in a box of water molecules:
A stiff Vice President campaigns on his administration's legacy of unprecedented prosperity. Looks terrible on TV. Bows out, following a disputed vote count. Then, two terms later, with no incumbent in the race, he re-enters the fray. Promises to change the course of a disastrous war founded on lies. And charges to victory. I'm referring, of course, to the 1968 campaign of Richard Milhous Nixon. But four decades later, history has a chance to repeat itself for Albert Arnold Gore. .... [more]
My intentions are pure
But my gaze begins to wander
As the voice drones on and on
It is the nature of the Speaker
to Speak
And his words pour forth like raindrops
But try as I might I can only
Focus on the space between the words
The voice drones on and on
He pulls out a handkerchief
Dabbing one round silvery bead of sweat
That has appeared on his high shiny Brow
All the meanwhile
The voice drones on and on
My concentration is my friend
But my friend is weak
I wish it were made of steel
Instead of one-ply toilet paper
My mind is easily scattered into the eight corners of the room
The voice drones on and on
My mind drops my body
But not in a good way
The voice drones on and on
Looking up at the scorching white of the overhead
An errant pointer scurries across my eyes
The screen flickers
The power is cut
A universe dies
But the voice drones on and on
I look into my cup of tea
And see some people swimming
I swirl my cup
Making waves and minor storms
I look carefully and see
That they are mostly accountants
Treading tea in pin-striped suits
Some are frightened, others just smile
And wave
I wave back
If they could they would advise me
Of fantastic opportunities
I could invest in the toaster
For example
After a time my thirst takes hold
I raise the cup to my lips
Surprised, I see that some
Are hanging onto the rim
But undeterred I take a sip
The liquid swirls around the accountants
As they wash down my throat and
I barely notice them
Like the 37th decimal place of π
I feel the tea slide
Some of the accountants no doubt will try to
Abseil back up my windpipes
But that would be as futile
As filling in a tax return
Maddox's page of Unintentionally Sexual Comic Book Covers. Here's one example to the left (can you see anything vaguely sexual?). 
And while we're at it, here's Pop Culture Addict's Top Ten Lamest Superheroes of All Time, including Matter Eater Lad, with his power of (you guessed it) "super eating":
I read 49 books, 3 short of a book a week, which in my books, is close enough. This year, I got to read some contemporary poetry. I also revisited some old friends. I also spent an ungodly amount of time wiping Proust and Pynchon off my classics reading-list.
On people who like Joanna Newsom:
"It's like people who say they love nature but you can't imagine them camping because their haircuts are too complicated."
~Brianna Toth (new flatmate)
I live in California, ergo, I must do some kind of exercise. My chosen sport (or anti-death activity) is football, or as they call it here, soccer. For convenience, I play it indoors. Some people I play indoor soccer with are very good, some are average. And then, there's Zinedine Zidane:
"Make injections and decapitations quicker and easier with Braintree's DecapiCones®.
...injections can be made directly through the film!
...DecapiCones® restrain post-decapitation kicking and prevent personal contact with feces and urine.
...Animals enter readily, heading for the breathing hole at the small end. Then you simply roll and squeeze the large end closed.
...For decapitation, hold at the rear and insert the small end into the decapitator."
Get it quick before it goes, for mice (or gerbil) fetishists:
Comes with everything you see: Complete small-mouse, double-section, fixed Racks with Hepa Filter/Blower Module; Cages; Wire Screens; Water Bottles; Cage Filters; and Identification Tags. 11 cages high, 7 cages on each side of shelf.
wefeelfine.org is one of the most unusual websites I've come across. It's a trippy animation. It's a social network. It's a place to tell the world how you feel.
Why do I love les chantueses françaises so much? See following, this girl sings from her id:
