Saturday Night Links

I'm doing the lazy Saturday thing, hence the not posting earlier. And really, this isn't much of a post now, just a few links to keep you amused.

1. God love Vicky, for posting up this link to the National Research Council's Sunrise/Sunset Calculator. It's a pretty nifty way to find out not just when the sun rises and sets, but also how much daylight we're getting.

So for January 28, we will get 8.72 hours of daylight, by the time you take in civil daylight hours. Not great, but certainly better than a month ago. I can already feel the difference. Pity you can only do it from certain locations. I bet other people in Nunavut would find this useful.

2. This has been making the rounds for a bit, but I'm only getting around to posting it now. It's tremendous fun for geeks, especially those of the Star Wars variety. This is basically a reworking of what Star Wars IV means in light of the events of the prequel. And according to this guy, R2D2 and Chewbacca are the secret leaders of the rebellion.

Feel free to be horrified that someone took the time to work this out or at how often you'll nod your head in agreement at what he's writing.

3. Free Comic Book day is still more than three months away, but they've already announced what's available. I'm a big supporter of this day. Take a look at the list, especially if you have kids. There are several really good books for kids there. In St. John's both Downtown Comics and Timemasters participate.

Oh, and do me a favour, if you go and grab some of these books, don't just bring your kid in, grab some free comics and leave. I've seen some parents do this, with a look of barely tolerated patience at having to be in a comic book store. Let the kids take a look around. And remember, just because the comics are free doesn't mean the store owner didn't have to pay for bringing them in.

I highly recommend Amelia Rules, which I discovered myself at a Free Comic Book day several years ago.

Also, I have no idea if the comic will be any good, but "Last Blood" certainly caught my eye. Clever enough idea. Here's the blurb: "After zombies take over the Earth, vampires must protect the last surviving humans so they can live off their blood. This ongoing horror series begins with a thrill-packed free first issue virtually guaranteed to hook you on the zombie vs. vampire action of Last Blood. Good to the last drop!"

I admit, I wouldn't mind reading that issue, just to see if it's as fun as what it should be.