Librarian's Rant

From Bob S. on Library Underground:

http://www.stampandshout.com/shop/window-decals/frodo-failed.php

"Frodo Failed. Bush Has the Ring."

Want!

Peter the Pirate has just reminded me that today be Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Arrr!

I just found this...disturbing...to my concept of the universe:

For Now, Pluto Holds Its Place in Solar System

Pluto dodged a bullet today.

In the hope of ending years of wrangling, a committee of astronomers and historians has proposed a new definition of the word “planet� that would expand at a stroke the family of planets from 9 to 12 and leave textbooks and charts in thousands of classrooms out of date.

Update: someone responded with this, and it got me thinking: "Not to mention thousands of years of astrology down the tubes!"

Yeah, I mean, I know what happens when Mercury is in retrograde, but what do you do when Xena is on the rise?! (besides duck)

I seriously have this vision of all these astronomers in Prague next week skulking around cobblestoned corners, having secret meetings in coffee houses, taking sides for the Planet Revolution. Viva Le Pluto!

Via someone in my HP book club at church:

Potter No. 6 claims Thanksgiving '08

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment of the lucrative franchise, will come out in theaters on November 21, 2008. Now, Warner Bros. just needs to hire a director and confirm the cast. The fifth installment, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," bows in July. The "Prince" date will mark a return to the Thanksgiving period for the sorcerer series. Of the four "Potter" films to date, only the third installment, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," has been released during the summer.

Last night on The Daily Show, John Hodgman once again made the sticky world of politics a weirder and more wonderful place to be with his dead-on explanation of the Net Neutrality controversy. Oh, his pudgy wonderfulness! My favorite bit: "oh, a pneu mail!" Image is from YouTube.com

Via LISNews, this little gem from Weird Tech News Hub: Top 10 Worst URL Flops

I've taken to watching The Daily Show with pen in hand, as lately there have been more than a few zingers worth noting. A sampler:

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: In the Clinton administration, we served snacks.
Jon Stewart: Chocolate chip cookies--that's the way to do diplomacy! (May 2, 2006)

Stewart: "There's no 'magic wand'. There's no 'silver bullet'. It's like our President is just a Level Three Wizard." (May 3, 2006)

I can't explain why this sort of stuff excites me, but when I hear that scientists have found a missing fish-to-tetrapod link, I get all giggly. Not because it puts paid to some Creationists claims (though that has its charms), but because it increases our overall knowledge...and it's just cool! (link is to NY Times, requires signin)

In their report, the scientists concluded that Tiktaalik was an intermediate between the fishes Eusthenopteron and Panderichthys, which lived 385 million years ago, and early tetrapods. The known early tetrapods are Acanthostega and Ichthyostega, about 365 million years ago.

Tiktaalik, Dr. Shubin said, is "both fish and tetrapod, which we sometimes call a fishapod."

A friend's boyfriend pointed this out today...

On Wednesday of this week at 2 minutes and 3 seconds after one in the morning the time will be:

01:02:03 04/05/06

I pointed out that in Europe it will be 05/04/06 (they list the day first, month second), so it's slightly less impressive...but still. It's fun with numbers!

Turns out today is National Pi Day. Who knew?

Tracey did. Thanks!

http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/2006/01/shouldnt_it_be_.html


Does this mean I'll finally get to see Veronica Mars? We don't have a UPN affiliate here--not enough market. But we have a WB affiliate. Hmmm...

Thanks to Chris Z. on LU for the link.

From the talented folks at Penny Arcade web comic, a charity for (us) geeky types to feel good about: Child's Play:

For the past three years, gamers and geeks around the world have raised nearly a million dollars in toys, games and cash for sick kids in Children's Hospitals across the globe through a grassroots charity called Child's Play.

Created by Penny Arcade, no "Administrative Fees" or other nonsense is collected; all gifts and donations go directly to the hospitals for distribution to sick kids.

This year Child's Play is expanding worldwide to help Children's Hospitals across the globe. Below is a list of Children's Hospitals that need your help. Selecting one will direct you to that particular hospitals Amazon wish list. Any items you purchase from that list will be delivered directly to the hospital you select. Also be sure to choose the shipping address to the hospital instead of your own!

...Some of the stuff the hospital will give away for kids to keep, while other gifts (like consoles) will be kept by the hospital for patients to use throughout the year.

Penny Arcade has a readership of something like four and a half million gamers across the world. We are arguably the largest community of gamers on the internet. The important word there being community. We are not a faceless corporation and you are not just a number tracked by a database and then relayed to hungry advertisers. You guys have proven yourselves to be a powerful force when stirred into action. Here is your opportunity to use that power to do some real good.

What can I say? It's the chin.

Seems they're finally going to release Brisco County on DVD. Hello? Cult following!

The high prophet of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is writing a book. The FSM Bible, if you will.

The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, which will codify Pastafarianism, is set to come out on Valentine’s Day. “My hope is that readers won’t know if I’m trying to make a point about pseudoscience or if I’m a complete nut,� says Henderson. “I’ll be really disappointed if it doesn’t spawn a cult.�

Are you Pastafarian? Well, look! Now you have head gear.

Bless the noodly appendage.