If being an inflatable T-Rex isn’t your thing, perhaps you’d prefer being an inflatable velociraptor, triceratops, or pterodactyl?
Aw, bummer. Harry Anderson — Night Court‘s Judge Harold T. “Harry” Stone — has died. Night Court was one of the formative sitcoms of my youth.
Excellent: Not only is Dick’s Sporting Goods no longer selling assault-style weapons, but rather than returning their unsold inventory, they’re destroying and recycling it.
Linkdump for April 12th through April 15th
Sometime between April 12th and April 15th, I thought this stuff was interesting. You might think so too!
- GrayKey iPhone unlocker poses serious security concerns: “The existence of the GrayKey isn’t hugely surprising, nor is it a sign that the sky is falling. However, it does mean that an iPhone’s security cannot be ensured if it falls into a third party’s hands.”
- While TOS is my home fandom, I’m of the belief that as a whole, DS9 is the best of the various Star Trek series.: "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was not a perfect show but its treatment of imperialism, war crimes, and genocide was light-years ahead of some of the stuff coming out today (looking at you, Star Wars)."
- A short history ~700 years of “they” as an English gender-neutral singular pronoun:: “Bath ware made sun and mon, / Aiþer wit þer ouen light [Both were made sun and moon / Either with their own light]” —Cursor Mundi (~1325)
- poor people deserve things they want, too.: "These tiny luxuries you give yourself are not sins as dictated from on high by some divine economist who decided you must earn your freedom through oppressive sorrow. These luxuries are the handholds you need to climb out of that pit, to have stamina, to keep focus, to remember that there is another type of life. It can be had, and by you too."
- Charities/organisations to avoid (with links to reasons):: PETA, FCKH8, Autism Speaks, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The Salvation Army, Wounded Warrior (I knew all of these already, but it's good to have a handy reference)
The Transformers version of this Valkyrie mech was one of the coolest toys I ever had. I will always be disappointed that it disappeared at some point and I don’t have it anymore.
I’m in a Fred Meyer in Vancouver (WA), and they’re playing “Walk Away” by The Sisters of Mercy on the musak system. I’m simultaneously amused and appalled.
Family visits mean we aren’t marching today, but we’re with the #marchforscience in spirit!
I’ve joked about this for years, and am really excited that it will soon be a real thing: Contact Lenses That Darken in Sunlight Are Going to Give You Some Creepy Alien Eyes.
Hey friends (and interested acquaintances)! Do you have a blog (or more than one)? Do you have an online presence outside of the Facebook/Twitter social media ecosystem? Tell me about it and where to find you! Help me rediscover the web outside of Facebook!
Linkdump for February 27th through April 12th
Sometime between February 27th and April 12th, I thought this stuff was interesting. You might think so too!
- poor people deserve things they want, too.: "These tiny luxuries you give yourself are not sins as dictated from on high by some divine economist who decided you must earn your freedom through oppressive sorrow. These luxuries are the handholds you need to climb out of that pit, to have stamina, to keep focus, to remember that there is another type of life. It can be had, and by you too."
- Charities/organisations to avoid (with links to reasons):: PETA, FCKH8, Autism Speaks, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The Salvation Army, Wounded Warrior (I knew all of these already, but it's good to have a handy reference)
- ‘The Simpsons’ To ‘The Problem With Apu’: Drop Dead: "In other words: We have heard how we have hurt people, and we honestly don't care."
- Molly Ringwald Revisits “The Breakfast Club” in the Age of #MeToo: “Erasing history is a dangerous road when it comes to art—change is essential, but so, too, is remembering the past, in all of its transgression and barbarism, so that we may properly gauge how far we have come, and also how far we still need to go.”
- Gun injuries go down by 20% during NRA conventions: “When the NRA holds its annual convention, the national rate of gun injuries goes down temporarily by 20%."
- If You Want To Be An Effective Ally, Be Quiet And Know Your Place: "The lesson of 'Black Panther' for white allies is this: They must learn to be the sidekick, to be at the fringe, to give up power, to have people of color in their ears directing them on how to be useful in fighting for the cause of justice." [SPOILERS]