- Orson Scott Card on the Harry Potter Lexicon Brouhaha
“Can you believe that J.K. Rowling is suing a small publisher because she claims their 10,000-copy edition of Harry Potter Lexicon, a book about Rowling’s hugely successful novel series, is just a ‘rearrangement’ of her own material. Rowling ‘feels like her words were stolen,’ said lawyer Dan Shallman. Well, heck, I feel like the plot of my novel Ender’s Game was stolen by J.K. Rowling.
“A young kid growing up in an oppressive family situation suddenly learns that he is one of a special class of children with special abilities, who are to be educated in a remote training facility where student life is dominated by an intense game played by teams flying in midair, at which this kid turns out to be exceptionally talented and a natural leader. He trains other kids in unauthorized extra sessions, which enrages his enemies, who attack him with the intention of killing him; but he is protected by his loyal, brilliant friends and gains strength from the love of some of his family members. He is given special guidance by an older man of legendary accomplishments who previously kept the enemy at bay. He goes on to become the crucial figure in a struggle against an unseen enemy who threatens the whole world…”
- Pet (and Non-Pet) Sounds
- mæh, mè mè, naa, mää, bêê, maehh, maehh, maehehe, meh meh, mek-mek, bee, me-e me-e, me-e-e, beee, määk määk, me-e-e me-e-e, me
- Hairstyles for the New Male
- “Because pointing and grunting makes it so much easier. I’ll take a #25 in the front, a #13 in the middle and a #27 in the rear because it’s ladies’ night…”
- Ollie Johnston 1912-2008
- “Ollie Johnston, one of the greatest animators/directing animators in animation history and the last surviving member of Walt Disney’s elite group of animation pioneers known affectionately as the ‘Nine Old Men,’ passed away from natural causes at a long term care facility in Sequim, Washington on Monday April 14th. He was 95 years old…”
- Blue Jeans Cable Strikes Back
“Dear Monster Lawyers…Let me begin by stating, without equivocation, that I have no interest whatsoever in infringing upon any intellectual property belonging to Monster Cable. Indeed, the less my customers think my products resemble Monster’s, in form or in function, the better…”
- How Children Lost the Right to Roam in Four Generations
“When George Thomas was eight he walked everywhere.
“It was 1926 and his parents were unable to afford the fare for a tram, let alone the cost of a bike and he regularly walked six miles to his favourite fishing haunt without adult supervision.
“Fast forward to 2007 and Mr Thomas’s eight-year-old great-grandson Edward enjoys none of that freedom. He is driven the few minutes to school, is taken by car to a safe place to ride his bike and can roam no more than 300 yards from home…”
- Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone
“So on that sunny Sunday I gave him a subway map, a MetroCard, a $20 bill, and several quarters, just in case he had to make a call.
“No, I did not give him a cell phone. Didn’t want to lose it. And no, I didn’t trail him, like a mommy private eye. I trusted him to figure out that he should take the Lexington Avenue subway down, and the 34th Street crosstown bus home. If he couldn’t do that, I trusted him to ask a stranger. And then I even trusted that stranger not to think, ‘Gee, I was about to catch my train home, but now I think I’ll abduct this adorable child instead.’
Long story short: My son got home, ecstatic with independence…”
[via Schneier on Security]
- Sir Digby Chicken Caesar’s Theme Song
- At last, I know the lyrics! Now, if I could just figure out the rules to Numberwang… [via kung fu grippe]
- Pineapple Paper Furniture by Yothaka
- “The firm that pioneered the use of water hyacinth and Yan Lipao (a fern-like vine found in the South of Thailand) in furniture making has introduced a Pineapple Paper collection made from locally produced pineapple paper fiber. Pineapple leaf fibers are pressed, dyed and made into eco-friendly chairs, stools and benches…” [via Barbus]
- Wii Video Games Blamed For Rise In Effeminate Violence
- “The incident—the sixth of its kind in as many months—has left parents searching for answers and struggling to comprehend the dainty assault, which left the necks of two sweaters severely stretched out…” [via Barbus]
- In Wal-Mart We Trust
- “Who did the most to help victims of Hurricane Katrina? According to a new study, it was the company everyone loves to hate…”
