Random Thoughts

So everyone is taking the Super IQ Test at emode, and I figured I would try it too.

"Laura, your Super IQ score is 147. The way you think about things makes you an Intuitive Investigator. This means you have multiple talents and can do anything you set your mind to. You're able to detect numerical patterns easily and are able to grasp the true complexity of the world, both in its details and in a more abstract form. You've got a sharp logical mind and are adept at using words to get even a difficult point across. The combination of all these things makes you truly brilliant. ...Only 6 out of 1,000 people have this rare combination of abilities." Uh-huh.

In the last IQ test I took, I only scored 136. Am I getting smarter, or just testing better?

Somebody actually agrees with me about the new coin designs. Ok, he doesn't specifically say "no apples" on the Washington coin, but at least he has the same idea as me: the coins should be beautiful, not crowded.

Hey, it's Licensable Bear^TM! Check out the "They Should've Licensed Me" section for a fun bit about a snack that somehow contains more fat than its weight.

The comic book press is finally picking up on the new Michigan law that attempts to protect children, but outlaws lots of things that most people would consider harmless... and doesn't stop the display of magazines that objectify women (or men). Worse, the law doesn't just apply to the display of materials that have something that might be objectionable on the cover, it applies to the display of anything that has any objectionable material inside the book. So retailers must be familiar with the contents of every book they sell. And all nudity is outlawed, so Atlantis Chronicles is now porn in Michigan. And many issues of National Geographic. For the record, Dirk scooped the rest of the comic book press on this story, which he got from Todd VerBeek.

I shouldn't even have to say that I completely disagree with David Fiore's laughable attempt to link Alex Ross to Leni Riefenstahl, and I take exception to his "rational adult" comment, too. A rational adult doesn't compare a comic book artist to Nazis just because he doesn't like the style. Sheesh.

You can now download free music lessons from the Berklee College of Music. Very cool! I need to check out this site more thoroughly. via The Modulator

Ah, finally! A dramatic picture of the lunar eclipse.

Boing Boing links to this terrifying article written in 1997 about the folklore of homeless children. An excerpt: The homeless children's chief ally is a beautiful angel they have nicknamed the Blue Lady. She has pale blue skin and lives in the ocean, but she is hobbled by a spell. "The demons made it so she only has power if you know her secret name," says Andre, whose mother has been through three rehabilitation programs for crack addiction. "If you and your friends on a corner on a street when a car comes shooting bullets and only one child yells out her true name, all will be safe. Even if bullets tearing your skin, the Blue Lady makes them fall on the ground. She can talk to us, even without her name. She says: 'Hold on.'" Wow. Read the whole thing. Amazing.

If you haven't heard about the disgusting raid that took place at a South Carolina High School, first read this. And look at that picture. There's a whole video of the event, though my computer can't play any of the videos on sites I've found. I think that Instapundit has this one exactly right.