I think it best if we just don't use the phrase.

So is this the last stand of our last stand discussion?

I think of a last stand as the last option, in which if you're defeated, you have no more moves to make. In a battle, you might die or be taken prisoner.

Some people are trying to disqualify Gandalf...

Gandalf the Grey's Last Stand...leaving Gandalf the White to have more Stands...?

So, in reading about Miley Cyrus and the littler Hemsworth getting engaged, I learned that the bigger Hems is married to a 35 year old! Which...gives me hope?

The Hemsworths just had a little girl about a month ago, too.

Today's Google widget is nifty, it's about drive-in movies.

IO9 linked to a distressing article on a dangerous "treatment" for autism. I don't understand why you have to make your snake oil so highly dangerous. Aren't there plenty of things that won't harm that you could bilk people with instead?

I asked for five months worth of data, and the guy came back to me saying (generous term for his tone) "That's a *lot*. You really want *all* that?" "Yup. I can't get a good sense of the traffic with less." "But it's a *lot*." "Mmm hmm." "A lot?"

Seriously, motherfucker, cut it up into usable chunks AND GIVE ME THE DAMNED DATA.

Okay, lunch.

Jesse, I share your appreciation for the awesomeness of Jay Smooth. I don't wish to marry him, but if I could be his friend and han out a bunch, that would be cool.

On a random other note: so, one of the possible questions you can answer on OKCupid (to help them match you) is "do you have a problem with racist jokes". I figure anytime I see a white person answer no", they aren't on my date-able list anymore. But I'm a bit puzzled/conflicted about the women of color who answer no. I mean...huh? Are you the "friend" all the republicans have? Are you just thaaaat chill? Trying to be nice? Ok with it if it's from people in your own group? (that I get, though I wouldn't necessarily classify in-group jokes as racist anymore than if classify queers talking about lesbian second dates as homophobic). Help?

Also, that autism "treatment" sounds awful, though her shock at diluted bleach baths is a bit weird. I mean, diluted, not straight-up, it's been recommended lately by mainstream doctors to treat eczema. But thats external, not internal!!

Just need to brag for a minute. I am a genealogy genius. One of my sister's friends recently discovered that she had some Jewish ancestry, but was hitting a dead end with trying to research anything further, so she asked me for help. Based on a name, a few dates, and a misspelled place name, I was able to figure out that her ancestor had changed his name after coming to the US, and found records from Moldova listing his father's and grandfather's names. (She can't use the usual method of finding other relatives and asking them, since this whole convoluted thing involves a baby born out of wedlock, and it's the father's family she's researching, and she doesn't really want to surprise her half-cousins with, "Hey, your grandfather had an affair and they had a baby.")