No accounting for taste...

Apparently "The Pink Panther" has beaten "V for Vendetta" in the UK box office. The clarity, the sheer economy of the message is beautiful. "Steve Martin is making fun of the French. Come quickly--a cyclist is being flattened by a giant globe!" I love the English. Where would we be without their level-headed devotion to physical comedy?

Huh...

And in a related story, New Zealand is recruiting cops from all over, possibly to deal with their unruly Santa problem.

Another technology of dubious value...

I'm guessing you don't want to put them in the dishwasher.

No, no. Seriously. I admit that I appreciate the ongoing quest to design technology that enables interaction rather than mediating it. And this is an elegant expression of that mission, in a concept-car kind of way.

It sure as hell beats watching granny's casket on the web.

When Long-Distance Relationships Go Too Far

I work on a daily basis with people all over the world, many of whom I've never seen. I have forged happy working partnerships and friendships with people that have lasted years before a face-to-face meeting (and years afterwards, thank you very much). So far be it from me to denigrate the power of technology to help people perform the most intimate social dances with each other across a great, great distance. But I say there are some things that should be done in person.

Optimism is Good for Your Heart

Still no word on what happens to optimists who disguise themselves carefully as pessimists to avoid the retribution of a God they no longer believe in. Science is so slow to tackle the issues that really matter.