Scheherazade in Blue Jeans

Administration
Happy birthday to hughcasey and off_coloratura!

Medical
Pain continues. I'm popping ibuprofen and hoping it doesn't set off another ulcer.

Link Soup
* Hey, jenphalian! I found your Halloween costume! Now get lbitw to dress up as Mario, and zarhooie like Yoshi, and you're good to go.

* Veronica Mars: The Comic Series(?)

* A new wardrobe source for pimps. Who want to glow in the dark.

* Hebrew typeface art. Shiny!

Daily Science
Male seed beetles have spectacularly harmful penises covered in sharp spikes. These help the male's chances of fertilizing the eggs by providing an anchor, but can also pierce the female during sex, causing injury.

For seed beetles – a group of insects consisting of many species that infest beans or seeds – the battle of the sexes is not a psychological game played out in the home, it's a deadly serious evolutionary arms race, according to a new study.

Ow. Just - ow.

Daily BPAL
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Plans
Once again, I need to try to stay off my feet - after I run to the library and post office. *sigh*
Date with the Craftsman tonight!

Morning view One of the pics you guys asked of me - my morning view as I type this stuff. Not pictured - big mug of coffee. Barely pictured: laptop. ...yes, that's Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm in the middle of our table. Adam won him.

I have freakin' awesome news.

Like, lifechanging amazing awesome news.

...that I can't post about yet. Aaaagh!

But. Still. ZOMG. *bounce*

Unofficially-adopted child known now as Coyote-chan, picking up a stray imp: "What is this? Hermia? That's a Shakespeare character!"
Me, from the other room: "Yep - Midsummer Night's Dream."
Coyote-chan: "What are these?"
Elayna: "Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab! Those are imps. Samples. Their stuff smells really good!"

I uncap Selkie and pass it to Elayna: "Smell this."
Elayna gasps: "Ohhhh."
Me: "Yeah, seriously."
Coyote-chan, sniffing: "Omygawd that's great."
I pass them Thunder Moon.
Elayna: "What the hamster?!? That Actually, Really smells like a thunderstorm!"
Coyote-chan: "It does! Holy crap! How do they do that?"

Elayna's brain makes a connection between Selkie and Shroud from catvalente's The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden, and -

Elayna: "Oh, Mommy, we *have* to play s00j's music for her!"

So yes. Enabling children on both BPAL and s00j. I just brought down Cat's book, and will read it to them while they're waiting for the doctor.

Back from the doctor! Thanks to ysabel's warning, we were aware of the little problem of the rising of the undead, but we really had to get Miss Kid to the doctor - that hacking cough worried us. :(

I plotted a route that avoided the major local cemeteries and armed the girls with lighters and cans of hairspray. I know, pretty makeshift. I wasn't really prepared. (Should've been, though. No excuse. Must order flamethrowers from Amazon.com. Unless the UPS guy's already been turned. I don't think zombies drive well.) We saw a few zombies on the way to the doctor... zombies or people who've not had their morning coffee. Hard to tell. I think zombies move faster. Coast was totally clear around the doctor's office, though, and we got in and out with minimal fuss. They had the radio on in the office... apparently the undead were mostly congregating in Harvard Square. Jonathan Coulton concert, maybe? So there wasn't too much concern out here in the suburbs. The doctor listened to Elayna's chest, checked her for zombie bites, and prescribed a few hits of albuterol. And now we're back home. Elayna's doing her science homework, and Coyote-chan's drawing zombies... her zombies are saying "braaaaains", although none of the zombies we saw actually seemed to be seeking brains. I think organ meats are more nutritious for them anyway. But, y'know, stereotypes. Must sit down and talk to the kids about stereotyping.

Now I shall take my nap. The kids have been instructed not to answer the door, just in case it's one of the shambling undead. Be careful out there, guys!

To distract the girls from the groans and thumps outside, I'm coming up with an appropriate playlist. I figure Adam'll be home by the time they learn all of the lyrics to REM's "End of the World".

So it's that, Jonathan Coulton's "Re: Your Brains"... any other recommendations?