Tricks 'n' Treats

Spooky space photos.

The best Halloween specials.

That's no moon!

Siberian vampire moths. Eek!

Happy Halloween!

Star Leopard

This amazing picture of a snow leopard won its photographer the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008 award.

More Glade Lady

Though I don't do it as often and obsessively as I used to, perusing the old SiteMeter is always enlightening. Apparently, I'm #1 on the Google search for Glade Lady, from which I've gotten a surprising number of hits. That Google search, BTW, shows that I'm hardly alone in my diagnosis and concern for her.

Funnily enough, I just saw a new holiday commercial with the Glade Lady. She sets a new gingerbread cookie candle ("in new decorative glass jars!") alight, dumps a bag of store-bought gingerbread men on a platter, and serves them to a just-arrived (they always JUST miss seeing her do her sad little Glade tricks) group of friends who admire the aroma. Of course, she claims it's from her "homemade" cookies. Then, get this, one of the gingerbread men starts to talk, revealing her big secret. She hurriedly eats it to keep it from talking. Three things: 1) Geez, ad people, let Halloween end before putting the holiday stuff on! It's only a few days! 2) The woman is starting to hallucinate talking gingerbread men. Somebody help her! 3) Finally, her friends, instead of laughing at Glade Lady like everyone else has, look properly horrified and confused by her eating-the-gingerbread-man stunt. I think for the holidays, she should get a nice, long vacation with some nice people in white clothes.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Phillies won the World Series!!!!!!!!!1111!!!!!Eleventy!!!!1111! As a native of the Philadelphia area, with strong Philly roots, someone who was one the last time there was a championship in this town, I never thought I'd see the day! Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Kitteh And Puppeh National Committee

You know we've reached the point of "Jesus Christ, when is this election going to end?!?" when Cute Overload! of all places is getting in on the act.

What Have I Become?!?

I participated in a survey about elections today, and, as I checked off the demographic information about me and then my feelings about the candidates, it hit me: I'm totally one of the "librul eleet"! And... I have no problem with that. It's fun to be better than others! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to buy a monocle and then have an abortion, all while sipping on lattes, reading the NYT, getting gay-married, and persecuting Christians!

Dewey Deathimal System

Talk about overdue books: library ghosts! This brings back how that Ghostbusters opening with the librarian lady freaked. me. OUT. as a kid.

(Via Maud Newton)

Melancholy

As I've said any number of times, autumn is my favorite time of year. Partly it is because of where I live; we have our best weather, IMHO, during the fall, with lots of sunshine, clear blue skies, warm sun, and cool air. Partly it is because fall is so pretty, with the colors of the leaves shining in the sunshine and earthy in the rain. Partly it is because it's when my birthday falls. But it is also partly because there is a melancholy aspect to autumn that speaks to me. The falling leaves, the animals preparing for winter, the chilling air, the shortening days, the chirping of straggler frogs and toads and crickets in the chilly night, all lend an air of wistfulness to this time of year. I don't think of myself as a sad or morose person -- I'm far too neurotic -- but a bit of melancholy does appeal. I think it's the Irish in me. You know, drunken poets and all that.

Jay-Z, What Have You Done To Your Wife?

Beyonce done gone lost her crazy-ass mind. Solange, slap your sister, please, until she snaps out of it.

(Via Towleroad)

Penguin Porn

I was terribly disappointed when I followed this link and it was about Penguin bookcovers instead of sweet sphenisciformine-on-sphenisciformine lovin'. I'm a sad, sad man. But, anyway, the covers are cool, too.

(Via Books, Inq.)

Those With Too Much Time And Money On Their Hands...

...do stuff like this. And, yet, for all that, it is AWESOME!

Skimpy Sunday

(Via Roids and Rants [NSFW]; Vincent Lambert [NSFW]; Towleroad; Fleshbot [NSFW]; Bill in Exile [NSFW])

Sign Of The Season

As I mentioned yesterday, the holidays fast approach, and the strongest sign of that fact yet: the Hickory Farms booth is up (though not yet stocked) at the mall. We'll be breaking up the tinsel before you know it!

X-Rays

When you're wrapping presents over the holidays (which, BTW, are astoundingly near), you might want to wear your lead-lined apron. Safety first!

Biblioburro?

Biblioburro. *hehehehehehe* It sounds like a superhero. "Here he comes to save the daaaaaaaaaaaay... Biblioburro's on his waaaaaaaaaaaay..."

(Via Books, Inq.)

It's Time For A...

...cuddle huddle, lion style!

Meta

Books in English about English.

(Via Cephalogenic)

Happy Birthday... TO ME!

Oh, you shouldn't have, really!

Skimpy Sunday

(Via The Sword [NSFW]; Jason Curious [NSFW]; Queerty; Vince Lambert [NSFW])

Playing In The Sandbox

This sand art simulator is weirdly entertaining. There are worse ways to mindlessly kill a few minutes. And it makes pretty pictures!

F*ck The Pain Away

Gives the words "layoff" and "downturn" a whole new meaning.

(Via Gay Fleshbot [NSFW])

Distinguished Company

I find I have something in common with a Nobel Prize-winner. I feel so special.

(Via Books, Inq.)

In Xanadu, Did Kulbai Khan A Stately...

A pleasure-dome for book geeks.

Monday Merriment

Lightbulb... Mice

How many mice does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Two, if they're small enough.

(Via Comedy Central Jokes)

Skimpy Sunday

(Via The Sword [NSFW]; Bill in Exile [NSFW])

Faces Of Depression

So the international financial system is melting down before all our eyes, but the poor traders on the floor have ring-side seats to the dissolution of modern finance, and they, unsurprisingly, has a sad about it. It does seem a bit cruel to be laughing at the traders, who actually have little to do with the problem and who are as effected by it as anyone, but by the same token I don't think we're really laughing AT them, you know what I mean? It's really a commentary on media creative bankruptcy that they can't come up with any other way to illustrate their stories. Or something. Anyway, all I know is we could all use a good chuckle, and they're really good pictures, and they are funny, especially with the captions.

Also, I have to admit, a number of those men (and they are mostly men, because apparently stock trading is still in the 1950s) are actually rather cute. It always comes back to sex with me, doesn't it? I'm disgusting.

Hark, A New Messiah Is Born...

...to a virgin shark mother. Sadly, both mother and pup died. I think some Polynesian shark-god is really trying to tell us something, but it just isn't working out. The last shark pup born of a virgin was almost immediately killed.

Bold Traveller

A new species of bacteria lives alone in a goldmine, lives off radioactive decay, and could give us a glimpse of how extraterrestrial life might live. How cool is that?!?

All Kinds Of Wrong

Hollywood is messing with yet another British classic. This is a travesty, sweetie-darlings!

Skimpy Sunday

(Via The Sword [NSFW]; Admire [NSFW]; Bill in Exile [NSFW])

Viking Mice

Mice hopped a ride with the Vikings to spread through Europe. I picture little tiny longships with axe-wielding, horn-helmet wearing rodents come to rape, pillage, and burn the native mice villages.

The Collapse Of The English Language

It's frightening how far the English language has fallen! It's a comfort that there are still those who uphold the standards.

(Via Languagehat)

Always Proofread Your Work!

World's Most Expensive Typos

(Via Bookninja)