Fido- A Heartfelt Undead Movie

At the end of "Shaun of the Dead," all of the zombies were tamed, rounded up, and put to work in low wage jobs. The new movie "Fido" addresses the social impact of such a strange world. This horror-comedy starring Carrie-Anne Moss of "The Matrix" fame and Billy Connolly in his first silent role. Here is a plot summary from IMBD:

Timmy Robinson's best friend in the whole wide world is a six-foot tall rotting zombie named Fido. But when FIDO eats the next-door neighbor, Mom and Dad hit the roof, and Timmy has to go to the ends of the earth to keep Fido a part of the family. A boy-and-his-dog movie for grown ups, "FIDO" will rip your heart out.

I haven't seen it yet so I can't write a review at the moment. However, the trailer did make me laugh, in a creeped out kinda way. I plan to see it once it comes to my local theater. The release date in the U.S. is June 15.

Osaka Scientists Invent Robot Child

Scientists at Osaka University created this humanoid, a super-sized toddler, so that they can study its development, teach it to walk and even talk. This is a bit creepy to me, but that might be because I just watched a Dr. Who episode involving Cybermen. You can read all about it and see the Japanese news reports on the website "Pink Tentacle."

Wooden Towels and Natural Pools

Yes, I realize that their is real news out there. Turkish troops are chasing Kurds into Iraq. Some 6,000 people are protesting the latest G8 summit in Germany. Thousands are fleeing a cyclone in the Persian Gulf. The popemobile was attacked by a lone loony. But you should be on top of that stuff already. I'm this is exactly why it is my job to bring you news of towels and pools.

So first, towels made from wood! How crazy is that? The towels are made of something called beechwood microfiber and the company claims that the towels feel as soft as cashmere. You can buy them online at where the site also explains:

"These towels are a great alternative to those made of conventionally grown cotton, a crop whose production takes an enormous toll on the air, water, and soil, not to mention the health of people living and working in cotton country. (For example, nearly 2/3 of all pesticides used worldwide are applied to cotton crops.)"

I cannot keep up with green/sustainable/environmentally friendly/eco-safe products. Is cotton really that bad or is this just a great new marketing strategy and useful way to sell more beech wood?

Our towel discussion naturally leads me to another related topic of summer—pools! You know how the Germans are leading the world in green living? That might not be true, who knows? But, a German company called Held Teichsysteme has developed a more natural way to enjoy pool life. They design natural pools and swimming ponds that use micro-organisms and living plant roots to filter the crystal clear water. Check it out at http://www.teichmeister.de A highly reliable engineer is investigating just how eco-friendly these pools can be so expect some more news on this soon.

Snake Explodes after Swallowing Alligator

This reminds me of those conversations I used to have with my roommates back in college. We would pick out two unlikely animals and guess who would win in a fight. In this case, the python and alligator were equally matched. You can read about it here.

Who would win in a fight?

Cougar vs. jaguar
Octopus vs. wolf
Orangutan vs. gorilla
Shark vs. lion
Moose vs. hyena
Alpaca vs. sheep
Astronaut vs. caveman (got that one from an Angel episode)

A Day In The Life Of An MC Escher Drawing (Short Film)

For a little chuckle.