M.I.A.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama seems to think that the world of politics would be better if someone like John McCain were running for the White House.The Democratic incumbent and his re-election advisers are waxing nostalgic about the Republican senator from Arizona who lost to Obama in the 2008 presidential race. They're embracing McCain as a reasonable voice on climate change and immigration, someone who took on extremism in his own party.It's all a way of drawing a contrast with Obama's current GOP rival, Mitt Romney, and trying to convince crucial independent voters that the former Massachusetts governor is outside the mainstream.But Obama's flattering memories of McCain conflict with their campaign clashes of 2008. Back then, Obama hammered his rival as 'out of touch' with many of the problems facing people in the United States.Today's platitudes also conceal the reality of Obama's current dynamic with McCain. The senator is one of the president's staunchest critics on everything from health care to foreign policy, and he's a vocal Romney supporter.To hear Obama tell it now, the McCain who ran against him in 2008 was an example of a principled Republican who knew how to reach across the aisle. The implication from Obama is that those qualities simply don't apply to Romney.'John McCain believed in climate change,' Obama told supporters at a fundraiser in Minneapolis Friday. 'John believed in campaign finance reform. He believed in immigration reform. I mean, there were some areas where you saw some overlap. In this election, the Republican Party has moved in a fundamentally different direction.'Obama's take on McCain has become a standard part of his fundraising appeal to donors. As the general election heats up, the Obama campaign is relishing more opportunities to try to turn its former foe into an asset.When Romney didn't condemn his supporter Donald Trump for raising m

I m sure there are massive repercussions to being able to transform anything from Play-Doh to water into a touchpad or video game controller, but the creators of the Makey Makey nail down the best one in their Kickstarter video: it can transform bananas into a piano. This is like that spankable robot butt, but for good ideas. Their Kickstarter is open until June 12, but considering they ve already made over $315,000, you better eat your bananas before people start composing with them. (IHeartChaos)

I feel like the kid in this new post surgery video is like the modern day equivalent of Phineas Gage. Instead of getting a tamping iron wedged into his skull thus revealing some important underlying concepts behind neurology and psychology, however, he got anesthesia for his arm and exposed the the biological origin of broing out. And/or the origin of Pauly Shore. I guess what I m trying to get across is, he just farted. You know what I m saying? Come on, science! (VVV via Jezebel)

Oct. 13: By telling friends or followers where you are right now via social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, you're creating an open invitation for opportunists and thieves. NBC s Amy Robach reports.

Nov. 10: Msnbc s Chris Jansing is joined by a panel to discuss former President George Bush s reaction to a message from Kanye West.

Comedy sensation Mike Myers stars with Nancy Travis in this hatchet-driven romantic comedy about a wedlock-shy coffee house poet who finally meets the perfect woman. When it comes to love, Charlie Mackenzie (Myers) has had his share of bad luck: Sherrie was a klepto-Charlie still can't find his cat. Jill was unemployed-but Charlie knew she really worked for the Mafia. Pam smelled like soup-beef vegetable soup. Good thing for Charlie these shortcomings became apparent, if only to him. Good thing for Charlie he discovered the truth before things went too far-before he stumbled into MARRIAGE! Because to Charlie the M word is just one step away from the fate foretold in that chilling phrase: Till death do us part. When Charlie meets Harriet Michaels (Travis) everything changes. Harriet's not like the others. She's smart, sexy, and crazy about Charlie. This time Charlie is determined to overcome the fears that sabotaged his past relationships. This time, he's ready for some commitment. Sure, Harriet may have her shortcomings-but so what? After all those other women, what's the worst she could be? An axe murderer?

Hard working Houston rapper Trae Tha Truth is out with the new video for I m On 2.0.

The internet seems to be aflush with kid-ized Gotye videos these days (if aflush isn t a word, then pretend I said fullerino ), where parents keep filming their kids singing or dancing to Somebody That I Used To Know in the hopes of sharing their hilariously spontaneous love of synthy breakup songs for the internet s welcoming amusement. It s basically at the point now where I m preeetty sure Gotye only ever existed to give kids an opportunity to be filmed dancing to Gotye, marking the most forward-thinking viral-marketing moment in music history (or at least, ever since Rick Astley foresaw the internet existing eventually and recording that hilarious psyche-out in the late 80s and being like, You ll understand this in 20 years ) My point is, let s all watch this adorable and great video of a baby dancing to Gotye: Check out two more videos proving the above thesis over at Strollerderby.

Here s the trailer for Baz Luhrmann s The Great Gatsby, starring Leo DiCaprio and Care-o Mullgs (I m on nickname terms with both). Remember when you first heard that Baz Luhrmann was directing a Great Gatsby movie, and you immediately pictured in your head an exaggerated version of what that would look like? Well, the movie is that. BEST LINE: You always look so cool. The man in the cool beautiful suits. SECOND-BEST LINE: You just think you re so great GATSBY. Finally, this landmark achievement in American literature can be experienced THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE: (via Internet)

I already hate going to the airport, and now this condescending avatar is going to tell me about the shuttle bus? I swear to god, if that place didn t have the only Auntie Anne s I know about, I would just take the train. Listen to this customer service avatar revealed by New York s Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye this week: I never take a break, don t charge overtime, hardly ever take sick leave, and I don t need a background check. Oh wow, so impressive. I don t have a complex network of highly-evolved organs. I don t have squishy meat needs and emotions. I m just an image projected on a piece of glass. You know what? I m just going to make my own almond pretzels if I have to. Do you hear me? I will make my own almond pretzels. On the other hand, the humans loudly talking over her presentation make me wish Airport Avatar Lady well in replacing us all. Think of how fast the line at security will be when everyone is just a perky digital image! (Jezebel via Village Voice)

Look, I m sorry that a kid got felled on by a heavy metal pole, but which do you think will have audiences riveted to their nightly news: heavy metal poles, or shirtless men falling from the sky for no logical reason whatsoever? The questions that immediately came to my mind include: did that guy jump out of the window, or was he pushed? Is he picking up his keys from the lawn? Did someone toss his keys out of the window, and if so, why didn t he just walk around to the door to retrieve them? As he jumped, did he think to himself, Oh good lord, all those bright lights were a news team and now I, shirtless as I am, will be seen leaping out of this window by the entire planet! These are queries that a seasoned journalist should be posing, not an attentive viewer! Watch the background, sir! (ViralViralVideos)

May 24: Sakia David, the mother of the toddler who was locked inside a spinning washing machine, tells TODAY s Ann Curry that she plans to press charges against the man and woman responsible for the incident that was captured on video.