Ban Comic Sans?

I never realized people felt so strongly about their fonts. But apparently they do, and apparently, inoffensive and cheery little Comic Sans--long favored by elementary school teachers and amateur desktop publishers alike--has overstayed its welcome, at least according to the folks at Ban Comic Sans. Who knew? Anyway, for extra amusement be sure to click on their link that takes you to appropriate usage of Comic Sans.

Help with Good Causes--for Free

The Breast Cancer Site has the admirable aim of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. All you have to do to help is go to their site and click on the pink "donating a mammogram" button. It costs nothing--corporate sponsors and advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate a mammogram in exchange for advertising. There are also a few other great causes you can donate to from their website (tab menu at top of their page): the Hunger Site, the Child Health Site, the Rainforest Site, and the Animal Rescue Site.

There's no excuse not to do it!

New Suite101 Article on Welsh Mss.

The latest article on my Suite101 Welsh Language website is now available: Early Welsh Manuscripts, Part I. Read all about the Black Book of Carmarthen and its connection to tales of Arthur, Merlin, and other Welsh heroes.

Cool People Named Graham Besides Jess's Dad

A fellow graduate student brought in a couple of books by Graham Rawle for me to look at. I think he's one of the funniest cartoonist-type people I've encountered in quite a while. Check out his Lost Consonants series in particular. I covet the books! Even more, I wish I'd thought of it first.

Also quite amusing is this interview with Rawle.

"Low Cost Health Care"

Fumi sent me this link and said: "Here's something that I learned in med school. It's called low cost health care."

Top doc backs picking your nose and eating it

Bush-stravaganza

Actually, I don't know if two items count as an extravaganza, but they're two really funny items, so why not? Damn I love this blogging thing.

Anyway, check out the new and improved George W. Bush or Chimpanzee? website at its latest location. I highly recommend playing the game.

And don't miss the highly amusing (unless you like GWB) bleeding-heart raging liberal stickers at the George W. Bush Store. A couple of choice examples:

"Democracy was getting old anyway."
"Bush-n-Sons Inc. (formerly the United States of America)"

Lastly, if you want to take a ride in the way-back machine, you can read my original IGN Weird Wild Web article on Bush or Chimp.

Who's Writing this Garbage?

Seems appropriate that my very first blog post will be a mini-rant, in light of my past rant writing. My topic of choice for today is a disturbing piece of information passed on to me by Rob's colleague (and our temporary houseguest) David.

After being in our kitchen and seeing our City-of-Modesto-approved recycling setup, David informed us that a friend of his had recently asked his garbage collector whether they really do separate out the blue bags and send them away to be recycled. Regrettably, the guy said no.

I'll admit that I was already having doubts as to whether my blue bags--sitting there in the black can with all the regular trash bags--were being appropriately attended to. But, after going out of my way (well, across the street from my regular supermarket) to the slightly scary New Deal grocery store and picking up the official bags, after dutifully checking my plastics for the right number in the triangle and rinsing out all my bottles and cans, after wrestling with the box cutter to subdue various forms of cardboard, I liked to think that my efforts were in fact being rewarded. I was already feeling a slightly elevated level of self-worth at my contribution to the planet's health and my minor curtailment of wasteful habits.

Now, I feel naive for believing City of Modesto propaganda (though they're probably not responsible for the people sorting the garbage). I feel sheepish at being too lazy to take my recyclables down to a depot of some sort to ensure their re-use. And I wonder if I should write a letter to the editor, or propose a shocking exposé of Waste Management. But probably I won't. I was guiltily throwing away my glass and paper before finding out about the blue bags, so I'll probably take the path of least resistance.