Japan's 71-year-old health minister Hakuo Yanagisawa gave a speech in which he called Japanese women "birth-giving machines" and called on them to "do their best per head."

The number of women aged between 15 and 50 is fixed. Because the number of birth-giving machines and devices is fixed, all we can ask for is for them to do their best per head, although it may not be so appropriate to call them machines.

Link

John sez, "I just spent a bunch of money on a new TV with an HDMI input and a Slingbox so I can enjoy my cable TV when I'm on the road. Check out the photos. Maybe I won't be able to after all. The title of the photo set is I Hate DRM. What a crock." Link (Thanks, John!)

Update: Larry sez, "The Slingbox Pro doesn't have an HDMI input; it has a connector that looks exactly like HDMI, even fits an HDMI cable, but it's not HDMI. It's a connector for Sling's optional HD dongle, which accepts only component video, not HDMI. Component video is DRM-proof, more or less, although some video source devices may limit the resolution on component output, or make it impossible to view output on both component (for the Slingbox) and HDMI (for the TV) simultaneously. The TiVo series 3 doesn't have this limitation... you can hook up the TV via HDMI, the Slingbox via Sling's component video dongle, and watch until your eyes fall out of your head."

Update 2: John responds, "Larry's comment doesn't really apply to my situation, but I should have been clearer. My original email didn't go into the details of my Slingbox set-up, but here it is if you'd like to add it.

"I've got the original Slingbox (now called Classic). I've got a Series 3 Tivo and a Samsung TV with an HDMI input. The Tivo connects to the TV with an HDMI cable. In addition, the Tivo also connects to the Slingbox via the S-Video cable. When the TV is on, the Slingbox will play all video. When the TV is off, the video on my Slingbox is disabled on most (but not every) channel. Sorry, the details are boring, but the situation is annoying none the less."

Google founder Sergey Brin told an interviewer that censoring China's search-results at the behest of the totalitarian government in Beijing was a "net negative" for Google. Before this, Google's position on China was the a kind of Orwellian doublespeak: "We have to censor China because they have lots of money and we can't have any without participating in censorship" and "If we censor China but tell Chinese people when they're being censored, they'll clamor for democracy." (Um... yeah... What about if you just send uncensored web-results to China about democracy? Wouldn't that aid the cause of democracy more?)

Since moving into China, Google has been compared to Microsoft because of its dominant position and power. "We are very sensitive to people talking about us in that way," said Mr Brin. Mr Page described the differences between the two technology companies by saying "we have very open partnerships, we are very clear about being fair with revenues."

Link (via Slashdot)

See also:
Exiled Tibetans in Dharamsala protest Google censorship in China
Google in China: The Big Disconnect
Censorship: Comparisons of Google China and Google
Hacktivists parody Google logo for protest, China human rights fundraiser
Report: China blocking Google.com; censored Google.cn to be only option?
Not just in China: Google localized, censored in Azerbaijan?
Update: reports China is blocking Google.com, censored Google.cn becoming only option
Record companies: Google should censor the US, same as China
Okay, *do* be evil: Google launches censored google.cn in China
Google.cn: Tibetans protest, misspellers evade, updates. Harsh words for US tech firms from House at China 'net hearings
Tech firms blasted over China policies on Capitol Hill
Proposed law targets tech-China cooperation
China 'net censorship: not one big brother, but many
Report: Online news of protest deaths blocked by China authorities
Google logo redesigned by Students for Free Tibet
Bloggers in China break silence on violent suppression of protest
China official: What 'net censorship? What jailed journalists
Tibetan poet's blogs shut down in China censorship wave
Net censorship: HOWTO bypass China's Great Firewall
China Communist party official: our net censorship modeled on West

ReasonableAgreement.org - the anti-EULA (Cory)

Autistic person translates from her language (Cory)

Ray Harryhausen tribute site with lots of good clips (Mark)

Faux cocaine seduces the ladies: creepy '80s TV (Xeni)

Terrorist sympathizer Andy Griffith rails against Patriot Act (Xeni)

Mongolian death worm documentary online (Mark)

HOWTO isolate stem cells from a placenta at home (Pesco)

HOWTO photograph smoke (Pesco)

Mike Love's Geneaology of Influence (Pesco)

Big factory pig farms are some of America's worst polluters (Xeni)

There are reports today that Sweden plans to open the first officially sanctioned embassy inside Second Life. Embassy officials won't be issuing visas or passports there, but they may just be wear rainbow codpieces when they offer you a Cyberian Angel Exotic Massage.

Link to Notes from Sweden blog post, here's a news article: Link. (thanks, Gabriel)

destinations
dolls
dating
portraits
text files
the anticraft

Web Zen Home, Store (Thanks Frank!)

Here's a gross but brilliant anti-coke PSA from the government of Colombia, which features one particularly desperate addict. Link (thanks, Nebe Barnett)

Previously on BoingBoing:

Faux cocaine seduces the ladies: creepy '80s TV ad

By popular demand (apparently the Mongolian death worm's eye sting is long-lasting): happy rainbow rooftop unicorn on an Indiana farm, spotted in google maps: Link. (thanks, Dave Shpritz)

BoingBoing reader ~~Pocky~~ points us to an anime fan tribute dance craze in Japan.

"In America you have the Numa Numa Dance. In Japan, we have the Haruhi Suzumiya Dance. The dance is from a popular anime . But now everyone recreates their own version it." Link to a YouTube video montage of some examples. Here is the original dance: Link. Japan's TV star "Hard Gay" did a version too: Link. And here's a Gundam version: Link.

WARNING: The Haruhi theme song will stick in your head and wriggle there like a Texas Brain Worm.

Reader comment: Agent86 says,

If you want to learn how to do the dance yourself, you can try the step-by-step instructions at the SOS-dan website: Link. But please note, "The dance uses quite a lot of muscles not normally used... aching might result." There is also a companion video, slowed down and mirrored horizontally for your learning pleasure at: AVI Link