Blue Steel In The Hour of Chaos

Although this stuff doesn't drive me as wild as it does, say, The Biz, I'm still an aesthete at heart.

It's the Gaultier and Valentino spring summer '09 haute couture show from Paris.

When Making Assumptions Goes Wrong

This is a really interesting article on 'reforming' jihadists, but I think the concept of rehabilitating someone's faith is problematic. Can we even apply our western concept of the guilt-contrition-penance-rebirth process to something like this?

Once admitted to the center, the jihadis are put through a rigorous program of religious discussion — designed to wean them from misconceptions about what the Koran does and doesn't permit — and sessions with psychologists and sociologists. Some receive vocational training to prepare them for a "normal" life. The center is guarded by Saudi police, but it doesn't look or feel anything like a prison. TIME's Scott Macleod, who visited the center in fall 2007, says it's akin to a college campus or country club, where the detainees play Ping-Pong and sip Pepsi.

Hmm....

Ye Olde New York Subway Map

Me, Tek and BVP were just talking about when we were all hanging out in NYC last night. Can't wait to go back.

Johnny Mnemonic

Every wondered what, as Seinfeld would say, is the deal with memories?

Newly born brain cells, thousands of which are generated each day, help "time stamp" memories, according to a computer simulation by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, and the University of Queensland in Australia. The research was published in the journal Neuron.

These cells do not record an exact, absolute date -- such as January 28, 2009 -- but instead encode memories that occur around the same time similarly. In this way, the mind knows whether a memory happened before, after or alongside something else.

Neuroscientists believe that if the same neurons are active during two events, a memory linking the two may be formed.

It's Hotter Than Ricky Roma's Hot Streak

Shaq Likes Men

Ever the prankster, Shaq has been throwing around a bit of man love after potentially ending the life of a fellow baller with a 'hard get' foul.

Caron Butler drove hard to the cup, and Shaq being the lone defender between Caron and the cup fouled him hard. To be sure there were no hard feelings between him and Caron, Shaq followed through on the foul by grabbing Caron, pulling him in close for a big hug, then kissed Caron on the top of his head.

Check the video at the link.

Warning: Eat Testicles At Your Own Risk

Timely advice that we all need to heed every now and then, but never more so than when dudes are at death's door after chowing down on some love nuggets:

The group ate raw meat and baked testes of blowfish - known in Japan as fugu - at an upscale restaurant on Monday in Tsuruoka, an old castle town 350 kilometres north of Tokyo.

They were treated at a hospital for numbness in the hands and legs and other symptoms. One of them was in a critical condition yesterday.

Next time you're in Japan, have the Sukiyaki. Speaking of baked testes (I would have spelt it 'testies' personally), how freakin' hot was it in MEL today?