Whee! I was looking through Tim Goodman's blog at SFGate and in the comments from readers I came across this recommendation:

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As to reference books, Erin McKean, who writes dictionaries and stuff (and is a stone cold fox in a reference booksish sort of way... okay, so I got kind of a crush on her since seeing her speak at Clean Well-Lighted Place a couple years ago) blogged about interesting reference books a couple months ago... even better are the books mentioned in the comments section:

>[link]

Posted By: curiousfool | August 02 2006 at 10:10 AM

"French Canadian bean soup"

From the last words of Dutch Schultz. And yeah, from the Illuminatus trilogy. Uncle Bob had Dutch's last words as some kinda dada-esque/Joycean code for all the wacky conspiracy stuff Dutch was into. I forget what that bit corresponded to, if he ever specified.

In Illuminatus!, Dutch's problem was that he was having a conversation across time with someone else. These things always cause confusion.

I knew someone here would know. I just ran across it in another book, but I think it was in there as a Dutch ref, not as an Illuminatus ref.

Of course, everything's connected to the Loomers somehow.

Update on Robert Jordan's health -- apparently, he's just back from the Mayo Clinic.

Here's a movie summarizing 12 volumes of A Series of Unfortunate Events in 120 seconds. Narrated by Tim Curry.

That was fun! I rather disliked the first book - the style bugged - but I find the concept amusing. And I always like Tim Curry talking at me.

Plus, -The End- is the best book title EVER.

Naguib Mahfouz died. [link]

Excellent link, Strega! Also, what Gris said.

OK, is it a serial post if it's days later?

I don't know why this surprises me, but I just discovered that people are getting the Phaedre's tattoo from the Kushiel series: [link]

(except for one person who randomly got a happy drow goddess from D&D with the motto from the book)

Wow, those are some big, expensive tattoos.