Woot, besides being an awesome library that understands how people utilize libraries in the 21st century, the main branch of the Houston Public Library does it right when it comes to Occult/Pagan books. Sure, there’s Pagan books you can take out of the library in the religion section. But then there’s also books and huge occult encyclopedias you can look at up on the research level. Granted, this stuff can’t leave the library - but it is still publicly accessible. Plus, you can read the book in the library (yay lots of seating), in case your parents/roommates would be less than sympathetic to such things. The place is so huge, it would also be difficult to attempt to spy on someone. This goes above and beyond our recommendations for libraries in several of our episodes and major kudos goes out to to the folks who maintain the library for providing an atmosphere conducive to learning.

If you’re in the Houston area, be sure to check out the main branch downtown (it’s not hard to find) if you’re in search of occult information. Sure, it isn’t as great a selection as your big box or online bookstore - but there’s a respectable selection beyond the Wicca 101 crap, even stuff written back pre-90s if you want a different perspective on things. I say that since the 90s seems to be when Wicca started seriously experiencing the growing pains referred to as “the rise of fluffdom.”

If you’re running a library, definitely check out what these folks do. If you have better recommendations or more input, leave them in a comment :). I know rural areas can’t implement some of these things given their small budgets and small floorplans. Nevertheless, something worth looking into.

“You can go a long way with a smile. You can go a lot farther with a smile and a gun.”
- Al Capone

Flemington, NJ, July 10, 2008 -Jeremy Hall, a 23-year-old US soldier is suing the Department of Defense for allegedly discriminating against him because of his religious beliefs.

Hall asserts that there is a pattern of discrimination against non-Christians in the military. CNN said Hall filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Defense in March, claiming his rights to religious freedom under the First Amendment were violated.

Weinstein claims that he has been contacted by more than 8,000 members of the military and many of them complaining about pressure to embrace evangelical Christianity.

While viewing the CNN segment, participants indicated their levels of believability by moving their mouse from left to right on a continuum. The responses were recorded in quarter-second intervals and reported in the form of curves.

To view believability curves and detailed results go to: www.mediacurves.com

….Brought to you by Hugh Laurie!

There is an actual Mazinger Z (a giant robot of the Go Nagi variety) statue in some park in Spain.  I need to go to Spain now, if anything just to hump Mazinger Z’s giant robot leg.

Someone has finally outdone Jason’s lego structure:

http://www.villiard.com/porte-avions-lego.html