Drink me! Linktasty!

Have a handful of links, because I have got to close some of these tabs:

• My love of New Orleans and my career as a librarian caused me to get a flood of well-meaning notices about how NOPL wants used books donated. This seemed dubious to me, because I know that they have little staff for processing right now and many of their branches are closed indefinitely so they likely are short on space as well (and I won’t even talk about what sort of collection you could build from other people’s discards, anyway). Finally, Snopes has weighed in. The New Orleans Public Library doesn’t want your (or my) ratty old books, though they’ll take them. What they really need is money, as I suspected.
• Is it possible that whiny, insecure kids turn into conservatives when they grow up? This research says so. Yet another reason to provide a positive environment for children. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could fix the world by making sure all our preschoolers were well-adjusted and self-confident? [hat tip to Legomancer.]
• I just missed They Might Be Giants in our town. Alas. Thank goodness I can still take the internet quiz to see which part of Fingertips I am. I suspect I will be “I hear the wind blow. I hear the wind blow. It seems to say, ‘Hello! Hello! I’m the one who loves you so.'” though I could also be “Hey now everybody, now hey now everybody, hey now everybody now.” From the fiendish mind of my friend Legomancer, of course.
• For all my writer friends, this hysterical dramatization of the editing process. Had me snorting and laughing. [hat tip to Elizabeth Bear.]
• Also, this is my kind of Communist Party.
• Moving from funny to frightening, discover that paying down your credit card is potentially unAmerican. Really. Your money could be held up as a threat alert while your creditors notify Homeland Security. Feeling safer, yet? [hat tip to Legomancer.]
• If kids get unstructured playtime in a natural environment, then they’re more likely to grow up to be environmentalists.
• The incredible torn-up credit card application. At our house, we routinely get credit card applications for Rorschach. Of all the pets, I expect that Rorschach would be the least able to responsibly manage his credit. [hat tip to Legomancer.]
• In case, like me, you’ve wondered if all conservatives lack a sense of humor, here’s proof that at least one can still locate his funny bone. Read Results of New In-Depth Study Revealed: Bush May Actually Be Hitler! The guy may have read The Onion once or twice. [hat tip to Transylvanian Dutch.]
• I’m not actually going to inflict my version of the “10 writing things” meme that Elizabeth Bear started, but I am going to link her entry, because it’s worth looking at.
• Ever read Terry Bisson’s story “They’re made out of meat”? It’s cute. And brief. And when you’re done you can watch this video of it, which is like that story made into an Outer Limits episode. Good old sci-fi. [hat tip to Elizabeth Bear.]
• Predictably, I’m pro-immigrant, and I think building a fence between the Mexican and American borders is a stupid idea. I also think a lot of the talk about the illegal immigrant “invasion” is fear-mongering of a most irresponsible nature. Read Queen Sucia’s sensible commentary on media foolishness in this regard, then Real Live Preacher‘s description of a humanitarian, border-living friend. If you asked me whether I wanted to build a fence or leave some cans and ask people to close the door behind them when they leave, I’d definitely choose the latter. I just wish my government would listen to me on this.
• I try to be good to service people because working in a service job can be really tiring and stressful, and usually pays not nearly enough. Also, when people are willing to cut my hair or serve me food or clean my hotel room or look after my kid or bring pizza to my house because I’m too lazy to fetch it, I am generally grateful. I’m not saying I’ve never been infuriated by a service person, nor that I am willing to return to places where I get bad service, but I try to apply the benefit of the doubt, if you know what I mean. Apparently, CEOs believe that observing how potential employees treat waiters is a good gauge of what sort of human beings those potential employees are. I am not surprised. [hat tip to Waiter Rant.]
• Interesting neuro-scientific explanations as to why hanging out with negative people can be a real downer. [hat tip to Merrie.]
• I love this word : psychoceramics.