Hard to say what exactly where he’s going with it, but I’ve been running Monday’s xkcd comic in the background since yesterday.

To see if I’d missed anything, I popped over to the xkcd forums, and the commentary there is just as wonderful and fascinating as the comic.

I especially liked this:

“I love this comic. It makes everyone just stop and take their time. It’s contemplative. And it’s interesting how many people’s thoughts turn dark when faced with a quiet moment of contemplation.”

Lovely.

There are live updating gifs posted–it looks like this is going to go on awhile, since they last frames in the live updating gifs match what I’m seeing in the live frame.

Like I said before: lovely.

ADDENDUM the First:
Here’s the link to the auto updating animated gif.

Yesterday we walked to town (and back) for dinner, and discovered that the Sunnyside deconstruction is now going full scale.

For those not familiar with Morgantown, Sunnyside is an older residential area that transitioned to student housing years ago.

Any by transitioned to student housing, I mean, turned into an utter slum.

Houses were divided into multiple apartments (in the cheapest manner possible), yards were turned into trash heaps, and the whole place looked like hell.

Which is really too bad, because many of those houses were almost certainly gorgeous at one point. Unfortunately, they’d been neglected to the point of no return, and there was no saving them. So whole swaths of Sunnyside are now being knocked down to create a new apartment / shopping center complex.

What I’d LIKE to see from this is a revitalization of the remaining houses–that they be bought up and returned to single-family homes, but I think that’s blindly optimistic, so I’ll just have to hope that maybe the remaining landlords will clean up their properties.

I’m not holding my breath.

(more…)

And it’s time for the weekly roundup of geek wear.

Weather was lousy, so no shorter skirts–even with leggings.

Monday saw rain, and me wearing my dressy boots. I’ve been trying to get over my reluctance to wear these, because not only are they white and prone to scuffing, but the first time I wore them was to a funeral.

(more…)

This week’s game starts with one of my favorite things: my Dr Martens: boots

So, I think Jeri won the second contest, with her recommendation of Ada Lovelace.

Which, if I continue the theme, means I should have a second scientist name.

Here’s a list of possibilities, which do you like best?

Florence Nightingale
Jane Goodall
Rosalind Franklin
Marie Curie
Shirley Ann Jackson
Wang Zhenyi
Barbara McClintock
Lise Meitner
Emilie du Chatelet
Emily Warren Roebling

I’m leaning towards Rosalind Franklin or Emily Roebling.

And a wrap up of this weeks Geek Wear (and from whence it came)!

Victorian House tights from Carousel Ink on Etsy

(more…)

For some reason, everyone seems to think Ricky Martin the Metal Chicken’s siblings are boys, because everyone is suggesting boy names.

That’s silly.

They’re obviously chicks. Awesome chicks.

Names I’ve been considering:
Lady Day
Rosemary Clooney
Ella Fitzgerald
Dinah Washington
Aretha Franklin
Mae West

Today’s word association will start with my favorite name so far for the new baby metal chicken: Dean Martin

So, as those of you who’ve been around here for awhile may know, we’ve been taking Ricky Martin the Metal Chicken with us when we travel. (Ricky Martin the Metal Chicken also enjoys visitors.)

The problem is that Ricky Martin is somewhat large and definitely unwieldy, and not easy to take places.

I decided I wanted a smaller metal chicken we could more easily take places. As in, something that might fit in my camera bag.

Thus, I found Yardbirds. And placed an order for siblings for Ricky Martin the Metal Chicken.

Yes, siblings, plural.

One of these adorable hatchlings will travel with us for our weekend trips, and when we walk and see things of interest. (Never fear, Ricky Martin the Metal Chicken will still travel on the trips where we visit people.)

The other one, will go to someone else. Maybe you!

Here’s what you have to do.

You must comment (here!) about what you would do with one of Ricky Martin the Metal Chicken’s siblings.

The winner will be chosen by me (and perhaps Michael), and go where we think this teeny metal chicken will have the best home.

Additionally, I am lousy and giving things names. (Which is why his furriness is named Kat.) So, some other random (as yet to be determined) prize will be given to the person who comes up with the best name for Ricky Martin’s younger sibling.

This contest will remain open until I decide it is closed.

And remember: I am completely and totally open to bribery.

I’d forgotten I’d taken these pictures of house down the block from us being demolished. I won’t say I was sorry to see those houses go. They–like many houses in Sunnyside–are beyond recovery.

Mind you, the building in the background is another brand new apartment complex, but I guess we really can’t have too much new housing around here.

(more…)

Temperatures got into the 70s today(!) so Michael and I took a short hike around the Arboretum.

Looks like the plants have recognized it’s warm as well–won’t they be sadly surprised when it snows on Wednesday.

(more…)

Yes, it’s the 10th of March, but I just today decided to start doing this: a monthly digest of what I’ve been reading.

Fantasy

Midnight Riot (2011) Ben Aaronovitch (Rating: 8/10)
Moon Over Soho (2011) Ben Aaronovitch (Rating: 8/10)
Thomas the Rhymer (1990) Ellen Kushner (Rating: 9/10)
Swordspoint (1987/2003) Ellen Kushner (Rating: 10/10)
Fair Game (2012) Patricia Briggs (Rating: 8.5/10)

Young Adult

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne (2011) Kady Cross (Rating: 7/10)
The Girl in the Steel Corset (2012) Kady Cross (Rating: 5/10)
Heaven’s Net is Wide (2007) Lian Hearn (Rating: 10/10)
Across the Nightingale Floor (2002) Lian Hearn (Rating: 9/10)

Mystery

The Sleeping Partner (2012) Madeleine E. Robins (Rating: 8/10)
The Dance of the Seagull (2013) Andrea Camilleri (Rating: 8.5/10)

Comic / Graphic Novel

Madame Mirage (2008) Paul Dini and Kenneth Rocafort (Rating: 9/10)

Anthology / Short Story

Teeth: Vampire Tales (2011) edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling (Rating: 8/10)
Companions to the Moon (2007) Charles de Lint (Rating: 9/10)
In Sea-Salt Tears (2012) Seanan McGuire (Rating: 8/10)
The Kidnapping () Charles Todd

Links are to my review for that book. Within the review, the title link will take you to Amazon, and the author link will take you to my compilation of all the books I’ve reviewed by that author (listed in series order, if applicable.)

Random Reading Statistics
Anthology: 1
Comic: 1
Fantasy: 12
Mystery: 6
Romance: 3
YA: 4

Paperback: 1
Trade Paperback: 4
eBook: 11
Hardback: 0
Re-read: 3

Yay! Snow! Probably the last storm of the season, so I should enjoy it while it lasts.

Today’s word is: flake

In addition to some skirts and leggings, I’ve also gotten myself some jewelry.

Here is this week’s geek wear:

These are Golden Ratio earrings. (See also fibonacci sequence)

Next up:

Cephalopod Sweater. This one was problematic, since it ran small in the… tracts of land area of the body.

Last up was this:

From the bookshelves of doom Etsy shop. I follow the Bookshelves of Doom blog, so I especially enjoyed this one.

I’ve got more lined up, but it was a little to cold this week for shorter skirts and leggings, so those are waiting a bit.

But most importantly, I’m enjoying this, very much.