Ray Bradbury, 1920-2012

The gentlest and most poetic of the classic science-fiction writers lived in the October Country:

“That country where it is always turning late in the year. That country where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and midnights stay. That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the sun. That country whose people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts. Whose people passing at night on the empty walks sound like rain.”

Staving Off February

KaiYves has asked us to repost this piece of classic MuseBlogiana. Great idea, Kai!

Back in April 2008, UberMuser Grant O. sent us some sound files of narration for a proposed slideshow about ways to survive winter. He called it “Staving Off January.”

Before we knew it, Midnight Fiddler had drawn up some storyboards, and a New Zealand MBer named Zoe (who then went by Treble_Cone_Freeskier) turned them into a real multimedia presentation.

Here it is, to help you get through the rest of the winter:

Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

You’d probably do it anyway. But just to make sure, we’ve activated a plug-in that will make you talk like a pirate whether you want to or not.

In case your piratese needs a little brushing up, this handy how-to video will get you talking the lingo in no time. Yar!