My favorite phrase in recent memory

has to be this one:

"with a baby's head hidden inside mounted on a pneumatic arm."

Wow. I've written some sick stuff, but that's way out there.

Actually, of course, it's not. Context is everything. The phrase appears in this New Scientist article about a French robotic childbirth simulator that helps physicians practice using forceps during births.

Can't you just imagine, though, the robot going wrong and the doctor, bent over and focused on grabbing the baby, suddenly being pelted into unconsciousness by a baby head thrusted pneumatically into his skull?

Or maybe that's just me.

In other news of the strange, tonight at C&C we watched Karaoke Terror, a particularly odd bit of Japanese film strangeness. I can't say I recommend it, but several scenes, notably the scooter-riding thirty-something woman attacking a young man with a lance she made from a kitchen knife and a broom, really worked well. If you're really into violent Japanese sick video, I recommend this DVD with reservations, mostly because it's not sick or violent enough to cross the weird barrier into the truly amazing. If you're not into that sort of movie, give this one a wide pass.