Bittersweet

I'd been at the magazine for five years before my name made it into the masthead.   May 2009.   My Dad carefully cut out the page - and every masthead page that came after - and saved them.

This month, I got my first byline.

I like to think wherever he is, Dad is adding an extra page to his scrapbook.

Check out the full "The Moment" here.

It's British Friday! Royal Wedding edition!

I got up at dawn to watch Charles and Diana's wedding.  I even watched Fergie and Andrew's wedding.  So believe I was up at 5:00 am in my formal jammies, hat, and gloves ready for Wills and Kate.
 
LET'S DO THIS!

From the Virginia Philippy vintage millinery collection.

Speaking of Fergie, though not invited, she was there in spirit ...

What.  The.  HELL?  Did Beatrice rip a piece of plasterwork off a palace wall??

I went with PBS's feed of BBC America's coverage.  The US networks' yammering anchors would have made me go Elvis on my TV.   Based on @TubularTV's feed, Barbara Walters was drunk and in rare form.  Thanks for taking that hit for me, T.   The Beeb kept the blather to a 10 minute discussion of what exact shade of blue Mrs. Middleton was wearing.

It's blue.

There was no debate about what color the Queen was wearing.

Contents of the Queen's purse: lozenges, kleenex, keys to palace, 75 effing carat diamond

 Also, awkward ... Immediately after the ceremony, the Archbishop was executed. 

I only noticed two questionable elitist comments, either one of which would have caused TortieGirl's head to explode had she been watching.  There was the obligatory reference to a commoner marrying into royalty ... as though being the daughter of self-made millionaires is common.  The second was when Kate and her father pulled up the Abbey.  The observation was made that the son of an airline pilot must be so proud that his daughter was about to become a princess.  Because following in the family footsteps of hard work and entrepreneurship  would have been such a disappointment.

*end rant*

Ooh, look!  PRETTY!!

Waitie Katie my arse.  SUCK IT, BITCHES!

I wasn't immediately wowed by her gown, but as soon as someone on twitter compared it to Fraulein Maria's dress from The Sound of Music, I was in love.

I wonder if Wills and Kate will honeymoon in the Alps?

I also got a distinct Princess Margaret vibe from Kate's dress, and I've also seen lots of comparison's to Princess Grace.  Basically designer Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen knocked it out, and Kate wore the hell out it.

William didn't turn around until Kate got to him, which tradition?  Who knows.  Harry did though, and apparently said, "Wait until you see her."

How much do we love Harry?

In the royal equivalent of the kids' table

Not as much as I love 3-year-old bridesmaid Grace Van Cutsem

Bloody hell it's two hours past my nap and I'm still waiting for the footman to bring me my juice box.  Will you lot just SHUT UP!

MAZEL TOV!

Toon Tuesday - Home Movies "Mortgages And Marbles"

DON'T BUT MARBLES IN YOUR NOSE - PUT THEM IN THERE!

British Friday - National Library Week edition

As a general rule, librarians are a kick in the pants socially, often full of good humor, progressive, and naturally, well read.  They tend to be generalists who know so much about so many things that they are quite the opposite of the boring old poops they have been made out to be. Most of them are full of life, some even full of the devil.

-- Bill Hall, editorial page editor, Lewiston (Idaho) Tribune, Sept. 9, 2001.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REV. AL GREEN

credit: Kansas City Pitch

He'll never be untrue.



Preach it Rev.

National Library Week - Conan the Librarian

National Library Week - "Party Girl"

".. one of the hidden masters of the world — a librarian. They control information. Don't ever piss one off." - Spider Robinson, The Callahan Touch

National Library Week - Doctor Who "Silence in the Library"

The Library.  So big it doesn't need a name.  Just a great big 'The'.

Etsy buy of the week: Octopus Ring

How much do I love this ring?

I purchased it from etsy seller Ayansi, but she has since closed her shop.  She can now be found at ArtFire, and has a bridal store on etsy - crystaldust - but unfortunately both seem to be cephalopod free.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILLY DEE WILLIAMS

According to imdb, he originally auditioned for the role of Han Solo.   I don't know if the franchise could have withstood cool of that magnitude.

Not that Billy Dee needs any help.  For the rest of you mere mortal men, there's Lando.  Welcome to the cool side of the pillow.

Via Glark

Waterproof mascara my ass!

I don't know what this is from, but I kind of want to make it my new avatar ...

via where i pause

It's British Friday! It's British Friday!

Inspired by a very silly comment I received that seemed to imply that Brit Pop star Robbie Williams is, in fact, a robot.

Right up your kilt!

Happy St. Patrick's Day amateurs!

POW! POW! Take that robots!

via Reddit

Come on scientists! Are you trying to accelerate the singularity?   I don't think I would stand much of a chance with Watson, but based on these results, I can hold my own when rock-paper-scissors becomes the coin of the robot-realm.

Computers mimic human reasoning by building on simple rules and statistical averages. Test your strategy against the computer in this rock-paper-scissors game illustrating basic artificial intelligence. Choose from two different modes: novice, where the computer learns to play from scratch, and veteran, where the computer pits over 200,000 rounds of previous experience against you.

I opened with scissors, on general principle.



Although I do think in addition to novice and veteran there should be a Sheldon level of game play.



Rock-Paper-Scissors: You vs. the Computer - NYTimes.com via Laughing Squid

Musical Pi

For Pi Day, a musical interpretation to 31 decimal places by Michael John Blake.



I wonder what would happen if you keyed this into an FTL drive?



Previously: wax | wendy: Happy Pi(e) Day! 2010

via Laughing Squid

Have you met my husband, Fantastico McAwesomesauce?

via The Mary Sue

#Musicmonday: "Don't Think Twice", twice

A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care

Caldwell Tanner created covers for four classic childrens books reimagined as sci-fi.  Artist Julia Yu took one of those covers and filled it with AWESOME!

Goodnight Dune ...

Her version of Dune is perhaps a better introduction to the story than the coloring and activity books that were published as tie-ins to David Lynch's 1984 movie version.

Duke Leto and Piter die.

 You CAN color THEM!

What better way to teach 4th and 5th graders about political intrigue, messianic breeding programs, assassination, revenge, walking without rhythm, and drugs!  Don't forget the drugs!

The no bake spice cookies must flow!  Paul eats delicious spice cookies. They allow him to shorten the way, be many places at once, and see all possible futures. You can make some cookies that will show you the Golden Path too ... if you survive.

Be sure to ask a grown-up to melt the butter for you.

The Dune activity books also have an important Green message. Water is life.  Conserve.  Recycle. Reuse.

Coilhouse has a spice blows worth of scans from the activity books.  Perfect for the whole gom jabbar family.

io9: Goodnight Dune, a children's book straight from Arrakis

Dune Coloring Books | The Mary Sue

Coilhouse Blog Archiveb | Franchised Goodies for the Children of Dune

What you call Shrove Tuesday ...

IHOP calls National Pancake Day.  So they're a week early.

FREE PANCAKES AT IHOP!  WHO WANTS TO GO TO COLUMBIA HEIGHTS?  FREE PANCAKES AT IHOP!


Join IHOP on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 7 a.m. - 10 p.m., for National Pancake Day and receive one complimentary short stack! In return for the free flapjacks, we ask you to consider leaving a little something behind for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other designated local charities. Thanks to our guests' generosity, IHOP raised more than $2.1 million last year. IHOP began its National Pancake Day in 2006, and since then, has raised $5.35 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities and given away more than 10.1 million buttermilk pancakes.

#Musicmonday: Dirty Dozen Brass Band "Ain't Nothing But a Party"

It's Mardi Gras tomorrow.

"Do the right thing and have a breakfast cocktail."