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Hopefully your year was better than this fellow's. And may next year be better.

A post like this would be more appropriate for Banned Books Week, but seeing as book banning and yes, book burning is a 24/7/365 (+1 for leap year) proposition, I figure anytime is a good time for this. There’s a significance to this particular book–in Francois Truffaut’s movie adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, this appears in the scene where the Firemen arrive at Montag’s house to burn all his books. It gets consumed in the flames along with works by Nabokov, Salinger, Miller, Twain, Melville–there’s even a book of crossword puzzles burned to ashes. I think that scene makes a really great point–that it’s not just the works of literary significance that deserve protection; the supposedly “lowbrow” works of fiction are equally deserving. The author Theodore Sturgeon once famously said, “Ninety percent of everything is crap.” I believe that to be true, and I believe this corollary to also be true–”The ten percent that isn’t (crap) is worth fighting and dying for.” I further believe that you cannot protect the ten percent without protecting the other ninety percent. The reason this book and many like it are more easily banned is that they are considered less worthy of protection than works of literary or artistic significance–simply because they supposedly lack that significance, that merit. But again, if you’re going to protect the works that have merit, then you have to protect the works that are supposedly without merit. So anyway–the humor in this book may be dated, but it’s still a pretty decent read. If you decide to get your own copy, I hope you enjoy it–I hope you cherish it–but most of all, I hope you keep it safe from the Firemen. Keep all your books safe from the Firemen. Take care, everyone--and have a Happy New Year.

So I picked this up today at Walmart-- What really sold me on this was that for the first time to my knowledge, a phaser replica has an overload setting. Now you, too, can pretend to blow everything up Star Trek style.

Happy Boxing Day, Everyone!

So in the next panel, was Batman listening from behind?

+1 for Rogue Heroes. This would be an excellent premise for an RPG campaign.

As if any reminder were needed--Drive Safely this holiday weekend.

Angry Librarian Tells Off Right-Wing Pro-Censors

Do NOT eff with the Claus. Just don't. The Boy Who Laughed At Santa Claus By Ogden Nash In Baltimore there lived a boy. He wasn't anybody's joy. Although his name was Jabez Dawes, His character was full of flaws. In school he never led his classes, He hid old ladies' reading glasses, His mouth was open when he chewed, And elbows to the table glued. He stole the milk of hungry kittens, And walked through doors marked No Admittance. He said he acted thus because There wasn't any Santa Claus. Another trick that tickled Jabez Was crying 'Boo' at little babies. He brushed his teeth, they said in town, Sideways instead of up and down. Yet people pardoned every sin, And viewed his antics with a grin, Till they were told by Jabez Dawes, "There isn't any Santa Claus!" Deploring how he did behave, His parents swiftly sought their grave. They hurried through the portals pearly, And Jabez left the funeral early. Like whooping cough, from child to child, He sped to spread the rumor wild: "Sure as my name is Jabez Dawes There isn't any Santa Claus!" Slunk like a weasel of a marten Through nursery and kindergarten, Whispering low to every tot, "There isn't any, no there's not!" The children wept all Christmas eve And Jabez chortled up his sleeve. No infant dared hang up his stocking For fear of Jabez' ribald mocking. He sprawled on his untidy bed, Fresh malice dancing in his head, When presently with scalp-a-tingling, Jabez heard a distant jingling He heard the crunch of sleigh and hoof Crisply alighting on the roof. What good to rise and bar the door? A shower of soot was on the floor. What was beheld by Jabez Dawes? The fireplace full of Santa Claus! Then Jabez fell upon his knees With cries of "Don't," and "Pretty Please." He howled, "I don't know where you read it, But anyhow, I never said it!" "Jabez," replied the angry saint, "It isn't I, it's you that ain't. Although there is a Santa Claus, There isn't any Jabez Dawes!" Said Jabez then with impudent vim, "Oh, yes there is, and I am him! Your magic don't scare me, it doesn't" And suddenly he found he wasn't! From grimy feet to grimy locks, Jabez became a Jack-in-the-box, An ugly toy with springs unsprung, Forever sticking out his tongue. The neighbors heard his mournful squeal; They searched for him, but not with zeal. No trace was found of Jabez Dawes, Which led to thunderous applause, And people drank a loving cup And went and hung their stockings up. All you who sneer at Santa Claus, Beware the fate of Jabez Dawes. The saucy boy who mocked the saint. Donner and Blitzen licked off his paint.

This is quite relevant, I think.

The Story At Media Chomp Saw this while on Facebook and thought I'd pass it along. Good feels good.

Valentine's Day got a couple of mentions in the last Winter Holiday thread--I posted about the over-emphasis on jewelry, and there was another post about the lack of good candy. The thread itself didn't make it out of January--but if you want to celebrate Valentine's Day, go right ahead.

Happy Wright Brothers Day, Everyone.

And while everyone's fixated on Musk, porn becomes a target. Again.

You think that's nifty? Check these out.

The worst part of that picture is the other frog that's running for his life, leaving his friend to a cruel and agonizing fate. The miserable coward. May the screams of his friend haunt him until the end of his days.

"I can’t believe I'm going to jail for an NFT salesman"

So are those black & white flags with a blue or red stripe in the center. Or those flags that are half US flag and half Confederate battle flag. Or nearly all the super-patriot costumes, like The Shield, or Captain America, or--ughh--Homelander. True patriotic Americans honor and respect the United States flag, but realize that the First Amendment is paramount over any code of conduct. But we can scowl in disgust and disappointment at those who dishonor and disrespect the flag. Like so-- We're looking at you, Trump. We're all looking at you.

That one could go in the Creepy thread just as easily.