Fresh when it gets here from
Julie Barrett
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Time to kill some browser windows!
First, a public service announcement from Nathan Fillion:
(The video has been removed from YouTube, so the link here has been axed.)
Author Leslie Parrish shares
a letter to Barnes & Noble about a recent experience in her local store. She also has an
update with B&N's response. I agree that this shouldn't have happened in the first place, but I applaud B&N for their swift response and apology.
I was shocked when I heard the details of the
Family Leader Pledge that two candidates have already signed. Frankly, I thought some of the articles were a bit over the top - until I read the pledge. Along with the usual far right "family" policies was this:
Slavery had a disastrous impact on African-American families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in a two-parent household than was an African-American baby born after the election of the USA's first African-American President.
xkcd on how Strunk and White might address certain points of fanfiction style. Be sure to mouse over the cartoon for more.
House to vote to ban rules on new light bulbs. Again, I find myself apologizing for a Texas politician. I should note that the law was signed by George W. Bush in 2007, so the current administration is not responsible for this law, even though some folks would like to paint it otherwise. Also, you can get CFL bulbs for as low as $2.50 each at Walmart or Home Depot in a two-pack. Less, if you buy a 4 or 12-pack. They last longer, they give off less heat, and use less electricity. And this is based on my own observations, not anyone's talking points. Last summer I replaced a bulb in a floor lamp in the living room. It's in a cozy spot where we like to curl up and read. In the summer, the heat from the bulb made the spot uncomfortable. I replaced it with a CFL bulb, and it hardly gives off any heat. In Texas, that makes a difference.
But Mr. Barton, I'll let you ban the rules if you and your party will get out of my reproductive system. How's that for freedom of choice?