Wearing adult diapers is one of the few medication-free ways that incontinent people can feel comfortable going out in public. Adult diapers are exactly what they sound like—padded, disposable cotton briefs similar to those worn by infants. There are two layers to most well-made adult diapers. The inside is composed of hydrophilic material that attracts liquid, while the outside is composed of hydrophobic material, which prevents the liquid from seeping through. "You don't want that clamminess on your skin," said Gary Evans, owner of incontinence supply house XP Medical.

A couple of months ago, Slate asked me to field-test various adult diapers for its "Geezers" issue. In many ways, I was an unlikely choice—I am a 27-year-old male, and incontinence primarily afflicts women and the elderly. Then again, I am prone to back pain, influenza, sinusitis, digestive malfunctions, and swollen fingertips; I eat poorly, exercise infrequently, drink heavily, and never sit if I can slouch. If there is anybody who is due for a painful and unhappy old age, it is me.

Journalistic hazing at its best.

In search of the best adult diaper. - By Justin Peters - Slate Magazine

(We weren't in costume, of course, but the character actors at Quark's seemed to appreciate having trained improvisationalists to riff off of.)

This is the geek equivalent of "I think that stripper likes me"

Vegas Star Trek Experience Closing Down

Adam & Jamie draw a MONA LISA in 80 milliseconds! at NVIDIA's Show

YouTube - Adam & Jamie draw a MONA LISA in 80 milliseconds! at NVIDIA's Show

Wave of Hope

Sopo Bicycle Coop Party, August 23.

this_bike_could_be_your_life2.jpg (JPEG Image, 663x1024 pixels)

My mother's sweet tea was not the best. Perhaps this is because she was from West Virginia, a place where people drink sweet tea with some ambivalence. Or maybe because in Jacksonville, Florida, where I was raised, delicious sweet tea could be found for $1.99 at the local supermarket in sweaty gallon jugs with nothing but the word sweet and the date stamped on the plastic.

She still made sweet tea, of course, being a Southern woman of whom having iced tea on hand is expected. But instead of sugar, my mother used Sweet'N Low, which is kind of like making chocolate cake with dirt. She insisted no one could tell the difference: "They're both sweet."

Garden & Gun? Hahahaha

Garden & Gun Magazine: 21st Century Southern America - Stories & Media - Sweet Tea

The debate about what counts as a living thing is fuelled today by the discovery of the first virus that is able to fall "ill" by being infected with another virus.

Viruses can catch colds, says study that redefines life itself - Telegraph

Knocks his block clean off.

YouTube - Killer Clowns From Outer Space

Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who exposed Stalin's prison system in his novels and spent 20 years in exile, has died near Moscow at the age of 89.

a legend - from samizdat to history -- read Solzhenitsyn and know that the hammer and sickle is no different from the swastika

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Alexander Solzhenitsyn dies at 89

Undeterred, the firm simply dumped what seemed to work in America into this country. When Starbucks opened an outlet in Lygon Street — a store that has since sat empty surrounded by bustling cafes — it became an amazing example of just how comprehensively a company could fail to understand its target market.

The inability of Starbucks to adjust its product to local conditions is illustrated even more clearly when we compare it to the international strategy of that other evil American behemoth — McDonald's. Where Starbucks offers almost the same products around the world, McDonald's varies its menu depending on local culture and local tastes. In India, they sell the McCurry Pan. In Japan, the "Ebi Filet-O" is available — a shrimp burger. In Turkey, McDonald's offers kebabs. Some of these products may sound stupid — and Canada's "McLobster" sounds filthy — but their existence shows that McDonald's understands the importance of understanding its regional markets, and tries to understand the peculiarities of local culture.

The failure of Starbucks in Australia tells us a lot about globalisation too. It isn't enough — as some anti-globalisation activists seem to assume — for an American company just to blanket a foreign market with a mediocre product.nullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnullnull

Memo Starbucks: next time try selling ice to Eskimos | theage.com.au