Get your nostalgia back

A catalog of memes. This is a huge time sink. You have been warned.

Better Living Through Chemistry? Starting 2010 Off Right

Here's your PHIL 101 question for the day: What if there are chemicals out there (or yet to be invented) that enhance normal cognitive function, promote well-being, and alleviate suffering through things like promotion of social bonding experiences? What if these changes are sustainable and not subject to the principle of adaptation?

Does it somehow just feel wrong to entertain the idea of using these drugs? To think about using money to develop them? If so, why do you think you feel that way?

Here's a brief but surprisingly thorough discussion of pretty much every current and potential psychiatric medication (sans the meds for psychotic disorders). The angle here is what chemicals might we use to enhance well-being, not necessarily which drugs have the potential to treat "genuine" illnesses. Of course, psychiatric illnesses aren't as easily classifiable as genuine vs. not yada yada yada.

Considering what relatively little I know about neurochemistry (a hard fact for me to admit, but one that I must in order to engender my personal progress), this site seems to me like a thoroughly scientific, well-researched summary and springboard from which you might form opinions about chemical mood-boosting. Your mileage may vary.

I wish I knew who to credit the picture too because it's beautiful, but I don't.

Humanimals

In this day and age of ubiquitous ennui, with the internet making every tidbit of info you ever wanted to know immediately available, I'm beginning to think that the only things that will surprise and amaze me are the crazy shit that humans themselves will come up with. I was actually wrong, see previous entry. Have you spent much time thinking what the term "post-Furry" means?* You don't have to anymore. Andrew Hussie has taken this to the next level.

Shit just got real.

Is this NSFW? I don't think it is, technically, but you'd have a really hard time explaining it to your boss.

This one's the best.

There's actually only 20 of these comics but I think that's probably enough.

*beyond the Mechie

Nature's most bizarre creations

This website is exactly why I started this blog.

From a collection of Lovecraftian creatures to traumatic insemination, this site features creatures so strange you'll want to siphon SETI's budget to deep sea exploration.

Can you believe this??? I'm so happy to live in a world where Mother Nature can still shock me.

Here's a sample:

Despite looking like a Japanese tentacle rape about to happen, that is a Glaucus Nudibranch; a sea slug that swims the ocean like a fish, and eats the tentacles off of Portuguese Man Of Wars. I'll let that sink it; the deadly siphonophores mentioned earlier in the list? These things eat them. And what's better? They store the nematocysts; the stinging cells, to use for their own defense. Imagine you could eat bullets and shoot them out later without a gun; it's kind of like that.

P.S. I am totally terrified of that naked chimp. Uncanny Valley!

Just in time for the holidays!

Please buy me this for Christmas. Then I will truly become self-actualized.

There is an area of Scotland where the life expectancy is 54.

I wouldn't have believed this if I hadn't seen The Acid House.

BBWW: Big Beautiful Wonder Woman

Fan fiction/artwork/slash has always held a special place for me as one of the most bizarre yet unproductive and (mostly) uninspired human expressions, pure perversion neatly packaged into others' original creations. However I do still enjoy a good trainwreck.

Thanks again Pierre!