McCain's daughter Meghan has written an 'inspirational'

children's picture book about her father's life

It'll hit the shops in time for the Republican National

Convention in September. No doubt the book

will will have "Bomb Iran" coloring pages

John McCain: A Children's Book Hero?

John McCain needs a new PR strategy

for his presidential campaign.

Luckily, his daughter Meghan has made him

the star of a children's picture book

After the embarrassment of having to re-think Johnny B Goode as his choice of campaign song when Chuck Berry turned out to be firmly in the Obama camp, John "Johnny B" McCain will now be looking to other PR strategies to rack up his appeal in the US presidential race.

Lucky for him that his daughter Meghan has written an inspiring children's picture book about her father's life. It's due to hit the shops in time for the Republican party's National Convention in September.

On her "McCain blogette" the aspiring First Daughter, a recent art history graduate, kindly "shares" the press release.

This promises to "offer children the unique opportunity to see the character-building events that happened over his lifetime, experiences that led up to his current bid to become the future President of the United States."

Children's eyes across the land of the free will no doubt be lighting up already at this prospect.

No information yet about whether the book will be age-banded, or how campaign managers expect the story to play in the polls.

Are campaign managers now seeking to deploy "pester power" to get the vote out?

Sex with Robots [Source]

There have been a lot of stories about how we're going to be having sex with robots by 2050, and now a Japanese firm has now produced a miniature robotic girlfriend that kisses on command.

She'll go on sale in September and retail for around £90. Reuters said of the robot:

"Using her infrared sensors and battery power, the diminutive damsel named 'EMA' (for Eternal Maiden Actualization) puckers up for nearby human heads, entering what designers call its "love mode."

I still think that Brave New World-style robot sex is pretty creepy, and it's a sad day for society when we have to get our companionship from inanimate objects.

Then again, some people clearly prefer it that way: Like the man who claims to have made love to over 30 cars. On the plus side, at least he'll never have to hear the car say that it just wants to be friends.

Viagra: The Hard Facts? [Source]

Today's Daily Mail weighs in yet again on Viagra, this time saying that ever-younger men are taking the drug in an attempt to keep up with the so-called "Sex and the City generation", illustrated by Carrie Bradshaw wearing a man-eating flower.

Isn't this 'trend' story about ten years too late? Men have been taking Viagra recreationally since it was introduced a decade ago for a variety of reasons: they wanted to have multiple orgasms, stay hard for hours or perform long after their erections should have wilted due to alcohol or drug use.

I suggest that Dr John Tomlinson, who says: "Men may feel emasculated by modern women and feminism has taken its toll", look a bit deeper.

I'm not saying that men are immune from performance anxiety, but I think that selfishness is driving the Viagra craze. The mentality of I wanted to go four times in one night but had already had twelve pints and done a few lines, more than any desire for intimacy.

All of my female friends whose partners did not have a genuine medical need have insisted that they stop taking the drug, and though I've experimented with Viagra a couple of times myself I would never want someone I cared about to risk their health.

What is sad is that men seem to think that most women want porn star-style sex, when so much of it is about what looks good on camera rather than what actually gets women off. Forget the Viagra, if this were really about pleasing women we would have a national epidemic of cunnilingus.

Bike Crash TV [Source]

I was horrified to glance at Sky News yesterday and see this crash, which took place during the Tour of Switzerland on Wednesday.

The footage shows Luxembourg rider Frank Schleck overshooting a tight bend. He unclips his shoes before he's catapulted over the crash barrier.

The end of his career? His life? His race, surely? Not so - watch to the end. No wonder he's kissing that crucifix as he crosses the line.

Laughable Republican Campaign Ad [Source]

You might recall this week's Republican state convention in Dallas as the place where those delightful Barack Obama badges were sold. A keynote speech at the convention by Texan Senator John Cornyn grabbed fewer headlines but it was notable for a rather stunning introductory video.

It even moved political gossip site Wonkette to pen this touching ode in tribute.

The clip is so silly, full of self parody and ripe for ridicule that it has got the people at Gawker thinking perhaps it might be a deliberate ploy of self flagellating viral marketing.

Are folksy Republicans that savvy with the ways of the web? Either that or Cornyn is just a nutbar. Judge for yourself...