Girl Genius heads up

The cast lists have been updated, and has information not yet revealed in story. Dr. Sun in particular, and mention of the Geisters' connection to Lucrezia. Also Faustus and the Castle, yet another spelling variation on "Mekkhan", and in the big list clarification of various student statuses -- actually, that bit might be 'old'.

Busy pope

Urges pharmacists to claim and use a right of conscientious objection regarding Plan B. Assures that martyrdom is a realistic possibility for the entire Catholic people. This in the wake of the beatification of 498 martyrs from the Spanish Civil War -- something I hadn't known about, to be honest, the Republicans killing a bunch of priests and nuns. One of them has been indicted for torture in the Phillipines, and I'd bet some more of the priests had dirty hands relative to social conditions, but I won't try defending what plausibly sounds like expectable mass murder of clerics by revolutionary leftists. OTOH, the Church defended Franco's dictatorship for forty years, and that still has defenders.

Who's Afraid of Nuclear Power?

Not the public.

Comments include someone claiming the Scandinavian countries -- a bunch of highly similar and adjacent countries -- are in something of a coolness race with each other, possibly driving their progressivism. Perhaps like Australia, imitating US torture policies, and unlike the US, which pays attention to no one.

Weighing your food

Bought a combo from Lucky's -- sweet and sour chicken, curry chicken, lo mein. $4.97. Weighed in at 900 grams, including styrofoam container. I'm not sure of the calories per gram, but since it's not a weight-loss product, 2-3 seems a reasonable guess. Not something you want to eat all of in one sitting...