Libris Vermis

Collecting, organizing, and storing books in the ancient world. It's really nice to know that, as a bookworm, I actually have an ancient and august pedigree.

(Via PhDiva)

Size Queens

Spider and fish females love a large endowment. Who doesn't, though, really?

Karma, Karma, Karma, Karma, Karma, Karma... Ophidian?!?

Chameleon snake discovered in Borneo.

As My Mother Always Complains, "It's Always The Mother's Fault!"

Conditions in the mother's womb seem to influence a son's sexual orientation. In particular, the more older brothers one has, the more likely one is to be homosexual. But what about lesbian daughters and homosexual sons without older brothers (such as myself)? There must be other factors (which I don't think any scientist, including the ones who did this study would disagree with).

Forgive Me, Father, For I Have Sinned (By Coveting Your Hot Clerical Ass!)

I'm a total heathen, but I must admit to feeling slightly sacrilegous by even looking at hot priests who look like celebrities. (Slightly. Those Irish-Catholic genes are powerful, but so are the gay ones!) Hopefully, the God-who-I'm-not-sure-I-believe-in, certainly-not-in-the-orthodox-form won't smite me.

(Via Gawker)

Such Is The Power Of The Oprah...

...that she can get the notoriously reclusive Harper Lee to write for her magazine. Is there nothing The Big O can't do?

(Via Bookninja)

Sie Werden Mich Nicht Lebendig Nehmen!

Bruno The Bavarian Bear went out in a blaze of glory.

(Via Books, Inq.)

Work? What Is This "Work" You Speak Of???

Well, I finally join the working world next Monday. Don't worry, though, it's only part-time and mostly in the afternoon/early evening, so I'll still be able to stay up till all-hours of the night writing the witty and insightful blog posts you've all come to rely on. Hopefully, not being in my house for weeks at a time will furnish me with more interesting stories to relate, as well.

In Another Life...

...I would be a dermatologist. I just find skin and hair fascinating. (Frankly, I sometimes think I find skin conditions and disorders a little too fascinating. But that's another post entirely.)

What about you guys? What would you be in another existence?

Go Fuck Yourself!

If you were an orchid, you actually could!

It Ain't Tiffany's, But It's A Start

So were nautilus shells a cavegirl's best friend? Apparently so.

New Moon(s)

You may or may not know that Pluto was recently found to have two satellites other than Charon. Well, those two moons have now been named: Nix and Hydra. Very appropriate, I think.

(Via Bad Astronomy Blog)

RIP

Harriet, a tortoise considered one of the world's oldest animals and possibly an observational subject of Charles Darwin's, has died at the ripe old age of 176. In March, the oldest tortoise in the world (at approximately 250 years old) died. These things come in threes, you know, so watch out, tortoises; you might be next!

(Via Pharyngula)

A Jaundiced Eye

Dr. Nokes thinks that plagiarism story I linked to yesterday is a bunch of BS.

That Throeau Feller Sure Had A Way With Words

"[Y]our truest poetical sentence is as free and lawless as a lamb's bleat." BAAAAAAAAAH!

(Via Books, Inq.)

Mac Ads

You know those new Mac ads? The ones with The Daily Show's John Hogeman as a "PC" and some other actor guy I've never heard of as a "Mac"? Well, I'm happy to say I'm not the only who thinks the PC comes off better than the Mac actually being advertised in those ads. John Hogeman is just so adorkable! That other guy comes across as a total dick.But I thought maybe it was just my anti-Mac cult prejudice talking; nice to have my opinions confirmed.

(Via Television Without Pity Daily Show Forum)

Apparently, Gay Men Can't Sleep

Tylenol PM sees the gay community as a bunch of insomniacs, apparently, and thus a logical advertising-target. Silly Tylenol! Don't they know that our non-stop dancing, fucking, and traditional-family-destroying tuckers us out and allows us to sleep the sleep of the damned every night?

BTW, "Heritage of Pride"??? How can a product that's like a few years old have a heritage of anything? What, was Mr. Tylenol some pioneering gay activist I've never heard of or something?

These Kids Today

According to the LA Times, "about 30% of papers are plagiarized, either totally or in part." Wow. That is a hell of a log of cheating.

(Via Bookninja)

It's About Time That Goldilocks Bitch Got A Taste Of Her Own Medicine!

Health-conscious bear enters house, eats oatmeal, and leaves. (And of course it's a Canadian bear; American bears would probably be more attracted to potato chips and pizza and they certainly wouldn't be as polite as this bear was.)

(Via Angry Black Bitch)

A Jaunt Through The Animal Kingdom

Wild panda numbers may be larger than previously thought.

Modern birds seem to have evolved from ancient water fowl.

Fossils come alive!

Did you know cats get acne?

Would YOU Pay $135 Million?

Well, would you?

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I

Can A Linguist Get Some Love?

"It's hard out there for a linguist," y'all! So give the next linguist you meet a hug instead of an "Oh, I have to watch what I say around you!"

(Via Bookninja)

2015

2015 is the year when we as a species touch The Infinite and become One with God. Or just get infinitely-bladed razors. Or something.

(Via Pharyngula)

The Blogger's Tale

An interview with Geoffrey Chaucer. Very funny, if you take the time to decipher the Middle English (though it really is suprising how not difficult that is most of the time).

(Via Books, Inq.)

For The Bardiacs Among Us

Google Shakespeare

Shakespeare in the Bush

Shakespeare porn

(Via Bookninja; Maud Newton)

The Yawning Pond

Not only can't the British and Americans understand each other, they can't write each other, either.

(Via Bookninja)

Careful, English Majors!

Literature can drive you mad.

(Via Bookninja)

Finally, A Magazine For Pubescent Boys!

Sementeen

(Via Gawker)

Damnit, Jim, I'm A Doctor, Not A Homosexual!

A group of fans have broken the rainbow barrier in Star Trek with Star Trek: Hidden Frontier. Kudos, I say! As a gay Trekker, I've always been miffed at the lack of homo-ness in the various series (George Takei and one lesbo episode with Terry Farrell kissing a girl do not count). It's like, "Yes, we have a tolerant, peaceful Federation of worlds, represented by a Starfleet filled with a politically correct diversity of races, species, and genders, but certainly no fags! Nope, got rid of all them in the Eugenics Wars or something. Can't have those kind of people in space."

One peeve, though. Look at the tagline at the bottom of the poster shown: "A Frontier Beyond The Rest"? Really? Is that the best they could come up with?

(Oh, and in other gay nerdiness, Spider Man comes out.)

It's Hard Out There For A Nerd

Are New York knife-ists targetting nerds? I doubt it, but one can't be too careful. Stay safe, New York nerds and nerds from elsewhere visiting New York!

Okay, So Who Was The Invisible Woman...

in the Scottish Fantastic Four?

Funny that they're all (if I recall correctly) "asexual." To my mind, that screams, "Queeeeeeeeeeeeen!" But what do I know?

Homosexuality and Evolution

Seed Magazine has a fascinating article about the problem of homosexuality and Darwinian sexual selection in this month's issue. (Make sure you look at the list of over four hundred animal species known to engage in homosexual behavior.) Then, read PZ Myers' response. His listing of different possible mechanisms for the prevalance of homosexuality in animal populations is very interesting.

Reassessment

I watched Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith last night on cable. It's only the second time I've seen it, the first since seeing it in the theater. On second viewing, it wasn't really as bad as I remembered. I really think that if Lucas had picked a better Anakin, the prequel trilogy would have gotten a better fanboy/critical rap than it has. Haydn Christensen just doesn't cut it. He can do petulant and entitled, but not the angst and internal conflict.

If a better Anakin had been chosen, the dialogue (never Lucas' strong suit) might not have been as laughable as it was. I mean, Ewan McGregor didn't get anything Shakespearean to work with, but he managed to sell it. Christensen just didn't have the chops. And I think a different Anakin, one with more chemistry with Natalie Portman -- 'cause her and Hayden Christensen had noooooooooo chemistry whatsoever -- would have elicited a better performance from her. Let's face it, she just gave up by the third movie. It also may have made the "romantic" dialogue a bit more palatable. ("Hold me, Anakin! Hold like you did by the lake on Naboo!" Doesn't send your heart fluttering, does it? More like sends your eyes rolling...)

In the end, then, I think if George Lucas had been a bit better of a casting director, he wouldn't have left such a bad and bitter taste in everyone's mouth.

Freeeeedooooooooooom!

You scored as William Wallace. The great Scottish warrior William Wallace led his people against their English oppressors in a campaign that won independence for Scotland and immortalized him in the hearts of his countrymen. With his warrior's heart, tactician's mind, and poet's soul, Wallace was a brilliant leader. He just wanted to live a simple life on his farm, but he gave it up to help his country in its time of need. Batman, the Dark Knight 67% William Wallace 67% Lara Croft 50% Maximus 50% Neo, the "One" 46% The Terminator 42% The Amazing Spider-Man 38% James Bond, Agent 007 29% Captain Jack Sparrow 29% Indiana Jones 29% El Zorro 25% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

(Via So, Here's The Thing....)

Wot's All This Then?

Brits to Americans: Why can't you speak English?

(Via Books, Inq.)

AWOL

So I was watching BookTV and caught an interview with the co-author of AWOL. His basic premise is that the upper classes of American society no longer contribute to military service due to a holdover of the Vietnam protests and self-interest dressed up as moral objections to Iraq, gays in the military, etc. In short, they feel that "their kind" no longer fight wars and that they can leave it to others to do so and that this is having a detrimental effect on our civic society.

I have to admit, this struck a nerve with me. Believe it or not, every now and again I get the notion in my head of joining the military. I'm a lazy middle-class kid who's never worked a day in his life. America has been good to me and I've given back practically nothing. Joining the military would help me redress this balance. Plus, maybe it would "make a man" out of me.

The truth is, though, I'm too gay and too sensitive and too soft to be in the military. I'd never make it out of boot camp. But I have to admit to feeling a little guilty about that. While thousands of my contemporaries bravely and ably serve their country (many dying in the process), I'm too chicken to join them.

Literary Bits

Some upcoming (waaaaaaay upcoming) books. I, personally, can't wait for 2- and 3-Brane Quantum Geometry for Dummies; The Idiot's Guide to 2- and 3-Brane Quantum Geometry is crap.

Is the NYT losing its touch with book coverage? I don't know, though I must say I don't enjoy reading it as much as I used to.

(Via Bookninja)

Oh MY!

I'll leave the filthy thoughts this picture elicits to your imagination.

(Via Proceed At Your Own Risk)

What The &%^@?

The astonishingly long history of typographical bleeping.

(Via Books, Inq.)

Happy Discoveries

The world may be smaller than ever, but she sure can still throw surprises at us. Both the leggiest millipede and the wild okapi have been found after decades MIA. Meanwhile, in Australia, ancient microbes built rocks.

That's More Like It

The evolution of the breast and the vulva are interesting and all, but the evolution of the penis is more up my alley.

What A Crazy World

At about 4 AM a few days ago, I was flipping around before going to sleep and turned on C-SPAN (as I think I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of C-SPAN, though I'm not dorky enough to actually watch the Senate hearings or anything). Anyway, sometimes they film radio shows, which isn't terribly interesting in and of itself, except that the host of this particular show was Jerry Doyle, known to sci-fi geeks everywhere as Garibaldi from Babylon 5! Apparently, he's now a right-leaning talk radio host! How weird.

I Should'nt Laugh, But I Must

I'm sorry, George, but I can't help but laugh at a headline like Poetry Poised To Be Ignored On iPods, Too. It's just so bitchily funny. And, sadly, probably true.

Paleontological Cuteness

Awwwwwwwwwwww: little dinosaurs!

The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire

So I've been slogging through The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon. Excellent, if exhausting, read. It goes on forever (and I'm reading an abridged edition)! After about three weeks, I'm still not even half through it. Frankly, it has sort of kicked my ass. Usually, I'm a very fast reader, but you can't go that fast with Gibbon; you have to take it in easily digested bites. I do, at least.

The fact that I'm not finished doesn't mean I can't comment on it, though. Gibbon's prejudices, including classism, racism, sexism, heterosexism, Orientalism, anti-clericalism, anti-Paganism, and alternating anti-Christianity/Christian triumphalism, are blatant. His scholarship and accuracy have been totally superceded by modern research in many areas. It is his prose, however, that makes this a great work. It is an absolute pleasure, arch and witty and erudite. I highly recommend it.

On an odd, but totally in-character for me, note, the paper of the edition I have is wonderful: smooth and silky, with a pleasing odor. (I know, I'm a freak; I totally sniff paper!)

Looking For A Word

Does anyone know a word that means something like "the quality of beauty in a poem or a piece of prose" or "the sheer beauty of the way the words are put together in a piece of writing"? I think there is such a word, but I can't for the life of me think of what it is. Any help would be appreciated.