More on the sexbot:

An engineer, Hines said he was inspired to create the robot after a friend died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. That got him thinking about preserving his friend's personality, to give his children a chance to interact with him as they're growing up. Looking around for commercial applications for artificial personalities, he initially thought he might create a home health care aide for the elderly.

"But there was tremendous regulatory and bureaucratic paperwork to get through. We were stuck," Hines said. "So I looked at other markets."

The broader goal of the company is still to take artificial personalities into the mainstream, beyond sex toys, Hines said.

"The sex robot thing is marketing – it's really about making a companion," he said.

Well OK then.

IOW, Blah blah blah 9-11 blah blah sexbot.

Roxxxy Sex Robot (PHOTOS): World's First Sex Robot Can Do More Than Chat

Okay, even freakier is that she looks like a sexed-up Julie Kavner.

travelling question for the hivemind-

My boss is taking a NYC-Boston shuttle and thinks he can make the 3pm flight, but it will be tight. Would it be better for him to book the 3pm flight and if he misses it, he gets on the 4pm, or book him for the 4pm, and if he gets there early, he can get on the 3? I'd be booking a refundable ticket, so changes would be OK and not incur fees.

Hines, a not so subtle lustful obsession with his friend.

IOW, Blah blah blah 9-11 blah blah sexbot.

That sounds like something Giuliani would say.

Would it be better for him to book the 3pm flight and if he misses it, he gets on the 4pm, or book him for the 4pm, and if he gets there early, he can get on the 3? I'd be booking a refundable ticket, so changes would be OK and not incur fees.

I would book the 4. I feel like missing a flight causes issues, but what do I really know? meara would know.

Nora, I'd say book the 4, that way he's guaranteed a seat. If he books the 3 and misses it, he may or may not be able to get a seat on the 4. If he gets there early and the 3 is full, he's still okay. Bitter at waiting in the airport for an hour, but okay.

Star Wars successories (sort of) [link]

More Star Wars - this time a horrible video:

Hello, Xenophobia: French Star Wars Disco Dance Party

I initially had some difficulty deciding which to blame for the most lazy piece of choreography you’ve ever seen performed (poorly) by spandexed C-3POs and Darth Vaders in this disco-themed Star Wars video: France, or the atrocious pop culture trends of the late 1970s.

I settled on France.

NO! BAD, FRANCE! BAD!

Star Wars successories (sort of) [link]

That made me laugh an embarassing amount.