Giving "septic tank" a whole new meaning

It's not unusual for an ape or monkey that feels threatened to fling its poo at an attacker. Now one researcher has patented a similar tactic for humans.

Aleksandr Georgievich Semenov came up with a rather disgustingly unique way for soldiers manning a tank to kill two birds with one stone. Since such cramped quarters can make for poor sanitary conditions, why not weaponize the human waste and make it someone else's problem?

The concept is rather simple. Basically, a soldier relieves himself into an explosive artillery shell and then fires it at the enemy. The idea is to inflict physical and psychological damage.

I can think of one major problem: this may fall under the Geneva Convention's prohibition of the use of chemical and biological weapons.

We'll always remember 9/11...thanks to the TSA

(from White Noise)

Captain Kirk knows how to treat a lady

(via Reddit)

No tickets for city employees caught by red light cameras

If you're driving through Rochester, New York, and your vehicle happens to get tagged by a red light camera, you are expected to pay the $50 fine. Only city employees are allowed to ignore traffic signals.

Over the last year-and-a-half, government employees driving city vehicles committed at least 119 red light violations. A third of those involved police department vehicles, one of which belongs to the chief of police. No matter. According to official city policy, "payment of the related fine will not be required."

This is rather odd, considering the RPD's devotion to "Policing in the Spirit of Service":

Embracing a philosophy of Policing in the Spirit of Service represents the Rochester Police Department's commitment to consistently provide excellent police services to all of the Rochester community. This commitment requires every employee to strive for excellence, while demonstrating courtesy, professionalism and ethics. It is important to acknowledge that every interaction with the community has an impact not only on each individual employee's reputation, but on the reputation of the entire Rochester Police Department as well.

But seriously, traffic regulations apply only to mundane citizens. If you have a problem with that, then you just don't understand how things work.

OK, maybe the line doesn't have to be THAT straight

(from Go Comics)

New Google Doodle in honor of Star Trek's 46th anniversary

The latest Doodle to be featured on Google's home page is a cute, interactive homage to the original Star Trek series, which celebrates its 46th anniversary today.

For more info on how to play, click here.

Watch a man age 12.5 years in 8 minutes

Photographer Noah Kalina has been taking a picture of himself every day for the last 12-and-a-half years.

Mark Twain's amazing insight into human nature

Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world after all. He had discovered the great law of human action, without knowing it -- namely that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. If he had been a great and wise philosopher, like the writer of this book, he would now have comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.

(via Facebook)

A history of New York in 50 objects

The New York Times called upon historians and museum curators to come up with 50 objects that could be used to tell the history of New York. Among the items collected: a mastodon tusk, a bagel, an audio track from the Tonight Show, and a jar of dust from 9/11.

See the entire collection here.

(via Kottke)

Artist responsible for Obama "Hope" poster facing prison

Shepard Fairey, the artist responsible for creating the iconic Obama "Hope" poster, will be spending time in prison if federal prosecutors get their way. Fairey was convicted of a misdemeanor when he admitted to destroying and fabricating documents in connection with a civil lawsuit over the image that was based on an AP photo.

Does anyone else see the irony in this story?