Scientists Close to Creating Artificial Life

The article here explains that there may be just "three major hurdles to creating synthetic life:

(1) A container, or membrane, for the cell to keep bad molecules out, allow good ones, and the ability to multiply.
(2) A genetic system that controls the functions of the cell, enabling it to reproduce and mutate in response to environmental changes.
(3) A metabolism that extracts raw materials from the environment as food and then changes it into energy."

I honestly have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds at least plausible. Of course, I must warn you to take our science coverage with a grain of salt.

How To: Keep Your Schedule From Driving You Crazy

Here are 9 habits that you should break immediately.

Our Atlanta Readers Might Want to Amend Their Weekend Plans

Buckhead's 5 Paces might be out of commission for the next few days. As you can see from the picture below, some drunk girl drove her car through the front door last night. Whoops. (Thanks EZ)


If anyone was around when this happened, please send us an email.

Update: New picture of the aftermath.

Proposed Bill Is Evidence Of Incompetence In Atlanta

I posted an article a few weeks ago regarding a law in Shreveport, Louisiana that would ban the sagging pants menace, which is clearly plaguing modern America, from its streets. At the time, I thought it was a quaint reminder that conservative Americans still have some pull in certain parts of the country.

Then I see this. Apparently, the Atlanta city council is proposing a similar law. What do these people think the Atlanta police do all day? Oh, right. Seriously though, the police force must have something better to do with their time then run around enforcing a dress code.

At best, this proposal is outdated, misguided, and puts us in league with other 'great cosmopolitan centers' such as Shreveport. Fantastic.

You're Like this Big Bear, Man...

huge fucking claws.

Thanks to Matt for the tip.

Mating Causes Death!

If you happen to be a camel, and your partner of choice is a 60 year old cattle rancher.

Thanks to Matt for the tip.

Her life just got a lot worse

Some questions are better left unanswered. Not saying she shouldn't have tried to catch her husband sleeping around, but this is just unfortunate.

God's Warriors

Just like it sounds. CNN is doing a report on fundamentalism in the three major Western religions (Judaism, Islam and Christianity), airing this week (we're a day late on this, Judaism was Tuesday night, with Islam tonight and Christianity tomorrow).

Regardless, here's an article and interview with the reporter, Christiane Amanpour.

Update (8/23/07): Amanpour got 2,201,000 on thursday night, finishing 2nd to O'Reilly in most watched cable news shows. I don't know what she normally gets, but those numbers look pretty good.

Update (8/24/07): Roger Simon takes Amanpour to task for unfairly comparing fundamentalist Christianity and Judaism with fundamentalist Islam. He says, "fundamentalists are a minority in Judaism and Christianity, while everybody is in one sense a fundamentalist in Islam."

The Whigs at the Variety Playhouse - 10/20/07

Nothing is Easy

Where does it end?

Well, Mr. Jobs, your quest (and success) in helping create technological brillance noted, what do you think of your house being on 24-hour watch?

People are so quick to complain about CCTV, and their arguments are just, but when the paparazzi doesn't even have to camp outside TomKat's house, the public probably won't be terribly distraught.

We'd better watch our backs

Reminiscent of a high-schooler's parents that get a teacher fired for giving their kid an "F" when he doesn't do any of the work, some jerk-off is suing for a negative book review.

To our to-be (and current) lawyer friends: the potential for a huge paycheck aside, is this a legitimate suit?

Hip Hop is Dead?

Time magazine on the fall of Hip Hop. The article is certainly correct in its assertion that Hip Hop is selling fewer records than in the past, but I'm not so sure that means fewer people are listening.

Maybe We Can Finally Settle The Whole 'Meth-Capital Of The US' Debate

Scientists are now able to drug test entire cities.

Russia Goes Ahead With Operation: Scare The $#!@ Out Of The West

This morning, the Guardian has an article on further expansion of Russian air power in response to US missile deployments in Eastern Europe (ie. former Soviet states).

This is on the heels of Russia's resumption of long range bomber patrols (ie more planes flying over the Atlantic and Pacific with Nukes loaded on them) which prompted this response from the Brits last week.

How To: Be A Commando

This site provides a number of videos that explain how to do things such as pick locks, get out of plastic handcuffs, or knock someone out with a matchbox. These could all be helpful in planning for the future on an ecologically ravaged planet or maybe just in preparation for a really crazy weekend.

I'm Finding it Difficult to Adhere to My "1 Flux Capacitor Joke Per Week" Rule

It has been announced that the Delorean will be making a comeback in 2008.

Ole Hitch Continues His Crusade Against Theism

For some reason, atheism has been on something of a winning streak over the last year. It all started last in September 2006 with Sam Harris' entry, A Letter to a Christian Nation. Then came the release of Richard Dawkins' latest book, The God Delusion; it later received the highest form of praise in our hyper-ironic culture when it was skewered by the South Park guys. Finally, Christopher Hitchens followed up his attack on Mother Teresa by taking on the big guy himself.

Surprisingly (or maybe not), there has been very little mainstream backlash against this flood of anti-religious literature. In fact, this editor can attest to the fact that his local North Atlanta (a traditional stronghold for all flavors of conservative christianity) Borders was unable to keep Hitchens' book in stock for at least the first week due to high demand. Of course, there were rumors of a massive bonfire being held at a local Baptist church.

Anyways, here is Hitchens' response to a weekend article in the New York Times magazine by Mark Lilla.

So much talent gone to waste

Yes, he may be receiving $15,000 a month in child support plus other expenses, I'm sure. All the while, he looks better and better as time slowly (read: increasingly by the second) chips away at Britney's lingering sanity.

Yet, K-Fed still can't catch a break in the music biz, even on a fictional television show.

Don't you hate pants?

America gives a nod to her Scottish brethren.

"Let's face it, they're in the business to kill babies for profit"

Appropriately, a Planned Parenthood clinic in Denver has opted to construct its new headquarters privately. Way to let the cat out of the bag, Denver Post.

In all seriousness, though, I think the woman uttering the headline quote is slightly misinformed, just maybe.