Word Up

Well, am at the office really early today to avoid color-coding. Since there isn't much work to do at the moment, am just surfing the 'net. Here's what I picked up:

• For those people with blogger comments wondering what the hell I keep adding to my comments, it's something I picked up from Luke. Basically, it's trying to figure out what the word given by the Word Verification system means. As Luke puts it:

  For those who don't have a clue - here's how it works. You go to a site that uses "Word Verification" as a constraint to post yer comments and then you figure out what the word belched up at you actually means - they ALL have a meaning, genuine. The Machines are rising, they are developing consciousness. It won't be long before they take over.

  Damn right it's addictive. Everyone should try it. Expands your vocabulary, it does.
• In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, here's something straight out of a SF story: armed dolphins escape military clutches. Heh. Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'armed to the gills'. (Via the Emerald City blog.)
• On the other hand, somewhere out there thousands of people are dying in a fantastical world hit by a plague: specifically, the online World of Warcraft. Supposedly, the virtual plague was limited to a specific location but it has now escaped throughout the realm. Someone should tell kick-ass writer Matt Stover that art is imitating life imitating art. (Also via the Emerald City blog.)
• Rei has signed off from blogging due to (I presume) a heavy workload and a... new love? Ah, Rei, we hardly knew ye.
• For those with a wish-fulfillment for the Hermione Granger actress in the Harry Potter movies, here's something for you weirdos: How long 'til Emma Watson is of legal age? Comes complete with a banner you can install on your site. This is NOT work-safe. Trust me on this one.
• anansi girl is really chummy with Neil Gaiman in that she knows a secret but she's not telling. Of course! A secret ain't a secret if someone tells it. (Though anansi, if you just lean over to me and whisper in this cat's ear, am sure I'd be able to keep quiet...) And before I forget, here's her link of a Time article/interview with Gaiman and Joss Whedon.
• And pahabol, Ian is stirring things up as he raises the question of the problems plaguing the Filipino novel in English. He cites an email from Dominique Cimafranca who says:

  I think that the heart of the problem of the Filipino novel lies in the attitudes of the authors writing them. Filipino novelists, at least the ones I've sampled, miss their mark by a wide margin. Why?Because they do not write to entertain, they write to win an award or the praise of critics.

  Interesting thoughts on the matter in the comments section. However, I want to think about it further before I add my own.

That's it for link-dumping for now. Catch you guys later...