In case you need to explain to someone exactly where they are a pain in your ass, a helpful set of diagrams.

Flick a switch, and your windows become mirrors.

This BBC story of a once-vegetarian resuming eating meat had some familiar echoes.

While examining options for renewing a domain, I discovered that one of my existing registrars has a “Name your phone” option. So if anybody needs to get an SMS message to me without knowing my phone number, just point your browser here.

Every so often, I have occasion to see parking lots near Meydenbauer Center, and when they’re especially full, I wonder what’s going on. Today’s event makes me want to register and attend, if only because who doesn’t love convenience stores?

The book awards have been announced at ALA’s Midwinter Meeting. The big ceremonies aren’t until the main conference in June or so, but we can start complaining now. I read American Born Chinese, the winner of this year’s Printz award, and it wasn’t even notable enough for me to put it in my monthly reading roundup. Yeah, it’s ok, but it really didn’t strike me as the best of the year. Feh.

Of course you’re reading Jane Espenson’s blog on a regular basis, but let me underscore one of my favorite bits in yesterday’s entry: “And I love the fact that [Rome] pretty much assumes their audience is familiar with Shakespeare. Amazing. After all, there are shows that don’t even assume we’re familiar with the contents of the previous scene.”

In anticipation of the library awards season (middle of this month), here’s my favorite reads from the past year.

Teen:
Peeps
Outbreak: Plagues that Changed History
A Certain Slant of Light
Mummies: the newest, coolest & creepiest from around the world

Adult:
Assassination Vacation (on audio)
Extraordinary exhibitions: the wonderful remains of an enormous head, the whimsiphusicon & death to the savage Unitarians: broadsides from the collection of Ricky Jay
The Areas of My Expertise
Psycho Ex Game
Walking In Circles Before Lying Down
World War Z
Kampung Boy