so we all knew that the nih challenge grants are just the new alphabet soup, but it's only today that i realized that they don't actually want to hear about science in them. as in, the instructions are literally: make a huge parade float with pyrotechnics and a chorus line of nubile parisians in petticoats singing your research topic in eight-part harmony. and! create as many jobs as possible while you're at it, preferably jobs for hispanics, or lesbians, or people with no legs. sigh.

oh, and for those of you who get the rss feed and want to see the picture again: