The Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert is a virtually rainless plateau in South America, extending 966 km (600 mi) between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean....

Atacama is one of the driest places on Earth, and is virtually sterile because it is blocked from moisture on both sides by the Andes mountains and by the Chilean Coast Range. The cold Humboldt Current and the anticyclone of the Pacific are essential to keep the dry climate of Atacama Desert. The average rainfall in the Chilean region of Antofagasta is just 1 mm per year. Some weather stations in the Atacama have never received rain. Evidence suggests that the Atacama may not have had any significant rainfall from 1570 to 1971.

File under: places tiki might move next if this frakkin weather doesn't improve.

tiki has a lot of crap

We really do, ya know.

Besides a literal mound of Stitch plushies of various sorts, including Stitch dressed up as a leather guy and Stitch posing as the Three Monkeys, we also have a number of so-big-they're-kind-of-ridiculous things, like surfboards, and just plain weird stuff like Stitch toilet brushes.

And every day, we get up thinking, well, that's it, you know, it can't possibly get any sillier than that.

And then we open up Yahoo Japan auctions....

OMG we want one that's Stitch!!!!!

Via Pink tentacle....

Robot teddy bear car navigation system

On June 3, engineers at iXs Research Corporation unveiled a robotic teddy bear designed to work as a talking car navigation system. The prototype robot stands 30 centimeters (1 ft) tall and has 6 joints in its arms and neck, which it uses to make gestures while providing spoken directions.

The robot bear is also equipped with functions to improve auto safety, such as an alcohol detection sensor embedded in its neck. If it smells booze, the robot confronts the driver, saying, “You haven’t been drinking, have you?” Other sensors detect wreckless driving, so if the driver suddenly accelerates or slams on the brakes, the robot says, “Watch out!”

....

The company hopes to make the robot commercially available next year. “We want to make it more compact,” says CEO Fuminori Yamasaki, “and we’d like to offer a variety of shapes, including other characters and a plain mechanical version.”

We want the Stitch one to offer directions an Tantalog! So then we can get really lost!!!

Freakin' ... dog-like thingie

What if we got her...

And then deboxed her?

That wouldn't count, right? Towards our "stuff karma" we mean?

OMG Children of the Corn Dolliehz!!!!!!

OK, OK, so it's actually "Sweetheart of the Corn", but still we don't like the way she's wielding that giant, giant spoon!!!

And, why are the "Hello Kitty Punker" dolliez filed under "Americana?" And, why does the Asian one have to wear green? Green isn't terribly punk at all. Although, neither is pink gingham we guess. Also, why does "Wendy Plays Doctor" have a face like a blow-up doll? And why does "Mommy's Makeup" remind us of Jon Benet?? Does "Bee Keeper Wendy" have something to do with the current mysterious plague that is affecting European Bee colonies?

We await answers.


(This is all avalonjones'z fault for sending us that horrible Angelic Dreamz linkieh. MORE LIKE AMERICAN NIGHTMAREZ, eh, Avalon!!!)

Tiki ♥ Obama

Via the splendiferous Warren Ellis, who, god help him, looooooves our politics....

Obama Bullies Stupid Joe Lieberman On Senate Floor

The worst U.S. Senator, “Grampa” Joe Lieberman, has been needling (overtly mocking) Obama a little bit too much recently, it seems, leading to this fantastic confrontation today: “Obama dragged Lieberman by the hand to a far corner of the Senate chamber and engaged in what appeared to reporters in the gallery as an intense, three-minute conversation.” Obama’s stance was “intimidating,” according to the reporter, who is most likely a white person. Look at how Obama really stuck it to that frumpy fuck: “Using forceful, but not angry, hand gestures, Obama literally backed up Lieberman against the wall, leaned in very close at times, and appeared to be trying to dominate the conversation, as the two talked over each other in a few instances.” Then some Irish cops arrested Obama and put him on death row for attempted murder, without a hearing. [Roll Call via TPM]

EVEN THOUGH we caucused for Hillary, we just sent Barry another $25, with a note, "Next time, SLAP HIM SILLY!!!!" Obama = favorite person in this whole gosh darned world!!