Staggering around

While American college presidents call for a debate on lowering the drinking age back to 18, the Russians have changed their zero-tolerance laws on drunken driving:

According to news sources, as of last month, motorists in Russia will be allowed to have a small drink before taking the wheel. Previously, even one drink was a serious infraction of the law. This alteration is surprising, especially considering that Russia has one of world’s worst driving safety records. According to government figures, more than 33,000 Russians died in traffic accidents in 2007, and drunken driving caused at least 15,000 road accidents.

"One for the road," as the Inventorspot article puts it.

Next up: Russia changes its law to allow it to invade one neighboring country. (At a time.)

Also on the general subject of driving, I really liked this Mets car. A serious fan painted his car blue and orange, with decals and slogans on it. Click here for a larger photo. The only trouble with the car is that it runs out of gas by the seventh inning.

Click here to read more . . .

Gone with the Wind?

If you're as immature as I am, when you heard that Russia had invaded Georgia, which is actually an extremely serious situation, you began to make stupid jokes about Atlanta.

And if you're Sky News, you made those jokes without realizing it. I expect that this link won't continue to work, so I've taken a screen shot for posterity. [UPDATE: The relevant section is already edited out.]



A big thank you to HotAir commenter TheBigOldDog, who pointed this out.

Click here for a screencap of a larger portion of the page.

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The Million Mile High Club?

You adventurers who are planning your first space mission have probably got a few questions.

* How long does the training take?

* What's it like to be weightless?

* Can I have sex in space?

I don't know the answers to the first two questions, but if you believe this article in Pravda, the answer to the third question is Yes.

Now, I know that those of us who grew up in the Cold War were trained not to believe Pravda. There was an old saying among the dissidents that "Pravda (Truth) has no news, and Izvestia (News) has no truth."

But that article is too good to check.

“While a lot of scientists all over the world are busy searching for extraterrestrial civilizations, astronauts plan a more earthly contact, that is conceiving a human baby at the orbital station,” Rostislav Beleda, a Candidate of Medical Sciences said. Mr. Beleda worked as the chief sexologist at the Central Aviation Hospital for 14 years. “The biggest problem is how to conceive, because liquid cannot be spilt under the condition of weightlessness,” he added.

“But they do not need a bed in space. They can love each other in the air.”

“And what will come out of that? As soon as he touches her, she will fly away in the opposite direction. A bed or at least some fastening device on a wall is more likely to be used.”

“Is astronauts’ sexual need taken into consideration during long-term flights?”

“Certainly. In space men exercise on treadmills. In addition, they can theoretically masturbate too. But they should not forget about condoms or other containers, otherwise drop of sperm will be flying chaotically in the cabin and they will have to collect it. As a matter of fact, humans are not eager to make love in space. ***”

I hear you thinking very loudly right now: "Too much information!" But you asked for it, and I provided it.

As for the answers to your other questions, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Click here to read more . . .

Your Wednesday linkest

1. An amazing column about anti-American propaganda, written by Ion Mihai Pacepa, "the highest-ranking intelligence official ever to have defected from the Soviet bloc," in yesterday's Wall Street Journal.

An excerpt:

During the Vietnam War we spread vitriolic stories around the world, pretending that America's presidents sent Genghis Khan-style barbarian soldiers to Vietnam who raped at random, taped electrical wires to human genitals, cut off limbs, blew up bodies and razed entire villages. Those weren't facts. They were our tales, but some seven million Americans ended up being convinced their own president, not communism, was the enemy. As Yuri Andropov, who conceived this dezinformatsiya war against the U.S., used to tell me, people are more willing to believe smut than holiness.

Of local interest, another excerpt:

Unfortunately, partisans today have taken a page from the old Soviet playbook. At the 2004 Democratic National Convention, for example, Bush critics continued our mud-slinging at America's commander in chief. One speaker, Martin O'Malley, now governor of Maryland, had earlier in the summer stated he was more worried about the actions of the Bush administration than about al Qaeda.

2. Huge story at HotAir about jihadis linking up with Mexican drug gangs to finance terror. For those of us who are moderately pro-immigration, national security is the big elephant sitting in the corner. Unless you close down the borders to stop these people first, you can't be generous about immigration for the law-abiding.

3. Out: Don't Ask, Don't Tell. In: Make 'Em All Gay. The best comment there is "Armed and fabulous?"

Click here to read more . . .

Bush and Putin make a deal

For links to other photo comics, click here and check the sidebar.

Or start with these:

Bill Clinton grabs some contributions for Hillary

Hillary responds to Kate Michelman

Hillary begins a conversation

When Harry dissed Nancy

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