"No, that's not a hallucination. That pear tree is wearing a sweater"

So. Massive catch-up linkspam. Watched the Eliot Spitzer resignation press conference (well, "conference"; he didn't take any questions. Didn't actually seem contrite, either); nearly finished with the prostitution section of Mayhew's London Underworld. Watched American Idol and its 2000 mentions of Horton Hears a Who; did not think Jim Carrey had any dignity left to lose, but was proven wrong. Lexicon saga still ongoing. Also, my poor grandmother has come down with shingles, woe.

Scientology Seeks Restraining Order Against Anonymous. Just a note: the next wave of protests is scheduled for Saturday. Keep your eyes open and be safe, guys, if they're really trying to set you up the firebomb.

From Fandom Lounge and a few of y'all as well: "Melissa Kern, a very well-known organizer in the Lord of the Rings fandom in Atlanta has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS. Her husband has started a petition to have her cast in the upcoming Hobbit movies as an extra, since the typical ALS survival rate beyond a few years is very low. Information can be found here. There are already 1,000 signatures on the petition, including some people very well-known in Tolkien fandom, such as Ted Nasmith, Daniel Falconer, and Peter S. Beagle. Thanks everyone for looking."

ETA: No new free (i.e., ad-free) LJ accounts. More in the 6A Cornfield post discussing the actual LJ News post, which neglected to mention this fact.

( Moar linkspam )