RIP superlative NZ writer Margaret Mahy. I’m looking forward to discovering/rediscovering her work with the Wee Beastie. Here’s a great essay she wrote on the role of the fantastic, on science, on myth, on childhood, on storytelling, and many other things besides. Contains Tolkien, Vonnegut, Hoban and more. (The availability of this essay is thanks to the wonderful NZ Electronic Text Centre!)
Forest & Bird’s Nicola Toki, in her regular blog at Stuff.co.nz, covers the case of the elusive New Zealand moose. MOOOOOOOOSE.
The 11 most unintentionally hilarious religious paintings. This is amazing. AMAZING.
Norvig vs. Chomsky: an argument about language & AI, but really about different approaches to science. Comments are very worthwhile.
Harry Potter, ten years later – a sardonic new web series. (via Amanda Lyons)
And – The Lizzie Bennet diaries: adaptation of Pride & Prejudice to video diary form
I keep coming across this and it is still perfect. Comic strip where Freddie Mercury meets Wolverine.
Pantone skin tones. (Yeah, mostly the white end of the spectrum so far, still a work in progress)
Little girl writes why being a woman is wonderful.
A defense of Stephen King, and genre writing in general. This is a good example of the form, articulating nicely the relationship between “literary” and “genre” writing, and making room for the (rapidly increasing) overlap between the two categories.
– As an aside, I haven’t read any King for a really really really long time, but I have a hankering. Anyone in easy reach want to loan me one of his early ones?
Ladies, prepare yourselves: Alan Rickman reads Shakespeare’s sonnet 130.
Lovely public artwork: the non-sign
Despite teaching the bystander effect numerous times, I never knew of its potential application in surviving a simulated zombie apocalypse. Some textbooks need revision, I’d say. (via Allen Varney)
Wikipedia has an eye-opening timeline of the far future. Not kidding about “far” – we’re not talking hoverboards here.
The physics of clown cars. And of Batman. Physicists being all whimsical right now it seems. Maybe as a coping mechanism because they get ignored when they say stuff like this?
Speaking of science – a transgendered scientist offers some insight into the gender imbalance in the sciences. (via Gemma Moncrieff)
Lego The Wire (via Mark Williams)
How to name your pet, computer security edition (via Myles Corcoran)
The 1993 live-action film of Lord of the Rings (via Craig Oxbrow). I had no idea this existed, did you? Did PJ? Did the Tolkien estate?
Now *this* is how you do a copyright takedown request. (via Chris Elder)
And finally… the Daddy Saddle.