The last episode of “Law & Order,” written and directed by the show’s longtime executive producer Rene Balcer, was finished before the series’s cancellation was announced this month. Yet it managed to be an entirely appropriate send-off, and its low-key last moments were more moving and honestly emotional than the endings of “Lost” and “24,” shows whose finales received much more attention.

I hadn't heard the series was canceled. I'm going to really miss it.

-janelane

A ‘Law & Order’ Farewell: These Were Their Stories - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com

After eight long years, all five seasons of Daria are now available on DVD.

As evidenced by my handle, I LOVED Daria. Long live skirts and combat boots!

-janelane

Daria: It got the misfits right, but it got the popular kids right, too. - By Reihan Salam - Slate Magazine

Welcome to Doodle 4 Google, a competition where we invite K-12 students to work their artistic will upon our homepage logo.

These are fantastic. Check out the finalist below from GA:

Doodle 4 Google

Op-Ed Contributor
Why I’m Leaving the Senate

By EVAN BAYH
Published: February 20, 2010

BASEBALL may be our national pastime, but the age-old tradition of taking a swing at Congress is a sport with even deeper historical roots in the American experience. Since the founding of our country, citizens from Ben Franklin to David Letterman have made fun of their elected officials. Milton Berle famously joked: “You can lead a man to Congress, but you can’t make him think.” These days, though, the institutional inertia gripping Congress is no laughing matter.

We're not the only ones dismayed by the dysfunction of Congress.

-janelane

P.S. I'm also dismayed by the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch, but that's for another day.

Op-Ed Contributor - Why I’m Leaving the Senate - NYTimes.com

Since I am a city boy and a bit soft, I also looked for qualities that would satisfy my friend and former colleague at Adventure, the hardy Paul Rouse. Rouse joined me for two afternoons of testing/troublemaking and provided sage commentary of the sort one would expect from a man who has thought more about survival than most and whose neighbor owns a semi so he can, in Rouse's words, "head West when it all goes down."

Great timing! I'm halfway through The Road and wondering what would go in my cart.

-janelane

The best survival guides. - By Ryan Bradley - Slate Magazine

But here’s my question: When will David Jaffe be receiving his royalty checks?

And that is because Dante’s Inferno is nothing less than a studied, rigorously shameless high-definition knockoff of God of War, the 2005 action masterpiece created by Mr. Jaffe for Sony, and God of War II, the more-than-worthy sequel published in 2007. (God of War II was essentially the swan song for big-budget production on the PlayStation 2, the best-selling game console yet.)

Imitating God of War is no travesty. The God of War series, which depicts the adventures of a swashbuckling antihero through a dark rendition of Greek mythology, is rightfully one of the most influential game franchises of the last decade. And Inferno, which depicts Dante as a swashbuckling antihero blasting his way through the nine circles of hell to rescue Beatrice, is the best God of War pretender yet.

Bring on the knock offs. GOW was awesome (...when I watched Billy play it).

-janelane

Video Game Review - Dante’s Inferno - A Virtual World Inspired by Dante - NYTimes.com

This is another reason why I love living in South Carolina. There is no shortage of ingenuity, adaptibility, and perseverance. Bring on climate change. As long as there is some muddy water left and a little carbon to burn, we are fine.

This spurred me into making a motivation poster.

Actually, that's a good reason to love living in the South. There's no shortage of rednecks being nominated for a Darwin award. :-)

-janelane

watercrunch

The brake override systems allow a driver to stop a car with the footbrake even if the accelerator is depressed and the vehicle is running at full throttle. The systems are an outgrowth of new electronics in cars, specifically in engine control.

Apparently these systems aren't required. Shocking and tragic.

Yet another thing to consider when buying a car. Unbelievable.

-janelane

Toyota did not install brake override systems despite complaints - washingtonpost.com

I hadn't visited the Oatmeal in a while. I'm crying from laughing so hard.

-janelane

Why I'd rather be punched in the testicles than call customer service - The Oatmeal

If you’ve ever worried about not being naturally maternal—as you awkwardly pat cranky babies that other women seem to cradle and soothe effortlessly—a new study might provide some reassurance. Researchers found that virgin female rats that took care of foster pups grew new brain cells that are believed to be associated with nurturing.

Well, that's a relief.

-janelane

How taking care of babies can change your brain