Barbie, trying to learn math, complains to Ken "Math Is Hard" (MathIsHard).  This particular toy drew the ire of feminists, who thought that Mattel was engaging in sexist stereotyping of women.  (What?  Barbie sexist?  Who woulda thunk it?)

Yup. Sometimes it is. It just Is.

Some things are just plain hard.

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Someone at my last office had posted an article on their cube wall about the difficulties of voice processing. Unfortunately I don't remember the magazine or the author, -- nor who made the following brilliant quote: <g>

"If it was easy, MicroSoft would have already done it." -- BillBarnett

''(GavinLambert points at http://www.microsoft.com/speech/)''

When things get sucky, I yell to myself, ''Show some adaptability.'' I got this from Bobby Shaftoe in NealStephenson's CryptoNomicon.

''Ummm...but look what happened to Bobby in the end!''

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Rumor has it, Mattel will offer a new doll, called "InterNet Barbie", that is in fact a fat guy claiming to be a hot blonde.

''It's probably Ken, who went a little cuckoo after Barbie dumped him.''

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I suspect filtering is going on. If Ken had said the same thing, nobody would ever complain. 

''One of my favorite hacks was the Barbie <-> GI Joe voice chip transplant (http://www.sniggle.net/barbie.php).  Militant Barbie: "Vengance is mine!"  Pacifist GI Joe: "Let's go shopping!" ''