I love the Little Free Library movement, which started in 2009 when Todd H. Bol built the first Little Free Library in Hudson, Wisconsin, as a tribute to his mother.

We're covered Little Free Libraries here at Boing Boing since at least 2012, and I'm happy to report that the movement is still going strong and is bigger and better than ever. — Read the rest

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This week, there will be a great planetary alignment, also known colloquially as a planetary parade, where all the planets in our solar system will be visible simultaneously in the night sky. Weather permitting, just after sunset, all seven planets will be visible in a line called an ecliptic. — Read the rest

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The AI-generated video depicts President Donald Trump writhing as he licks and sucks at Elon Musk's feet. Superimposed are the words "LONG LIVE THE REAL KING." Government employees returning to the office enjoyed (?) this remarkable presentation Monday morning, as it was playing on TVs throughout the building on a loop. — Read the rest

The post TVs in the Dept of Housing and Urban Development played AI video of Trump sucking Elon's feet appeared first on Boing Boing.

First, look, here’s the cover to the UK edition of The Shattering Peace, the seventh book in the Old Man’s War series. The UK cover is very orange! And why not. I like it.

Second, if you are interested in a signed/personalized copy of the US version of The Shattering Peace, Subterranean Press will have some for you when the book comes out in September. When you order from them, you can tell them how you want it personalized (if indeed you want it personalized rather than just signed), and I will drive up and sign to your specifications, within reason, you know, don’t ask for an original sonnet or anything, come on.

Note the number here will be somewhat limited (signing takes time), so if this looks interesting to you, the sooner you get on this, the better. I believe that SubPress will also ship internationally, but please check with them about that. Here is the link to put in your order.

— JS

Specifically, the latest COVID vaccine, and the first half of the two-part shingles vaccine. Both in the same arm, which I know some people do not feel is wise, but then I am was not planning to do anything strenuous with my left arm today anyway, and also, Krissy and my Valentine’s plan for the evening is to curl up on the couch and watch a movie together, just, you know, romantically.

Why get these vaccinations now? As I noted yesterday on Bluesky, for several reasons:

1. Got COVID in August so now is appropriate time;
2. Going on a cruise in two weeks so will be at max efficiency;
3. Then going on a book tour, will be in front of literally thousands of people;
4. Re: Shingles, because shingles sucks;
5. Fuck RFK jr, that’s why.

The first three are specific to me personally, the fourth one for people over 50, and the fifth one is for all of us. Kennedy in his new role as Secretary of Health and Human Services is a clear and present danger to the health of everyone in the United States, specifically for his well-known and ruinous anti-vaccine nonsense, but for other reasons as well. Because of that, I really do urge everyone to get any vaccines they need, as soon as they can. We can no longer rely on the US government being sensible about these things.

While I was out, I also got myself gummy unicorns. Because I deserve them for getting my vaccines.

— JS

There’s a post in r/startrek collecting some of the more memorable stories we have told, and fans have remembered, over the decades.

I added one of my own, which I know I’ve written about before, but not here, I don’t think.

It’s about Patrick Stewart tugging on his tunic top, which always wanted to ride up when he (or anyone wearing the uniform) sat down. Because Patrick can’t do anything halfway, he made it very dramatic. Over time, he began to use it as a little bit of business in appropriate moments.

This is a story about that.

We were filming on the bridge. The scene started with Wesley standing, and after half a page or so, he sits down at the conn and I think plots a course or something.

Whenever Wesley sat down, he pulled his jacket tight, just like Picard always did. If you look, you’ll see that we all do that. That’s an important bit of context: we all did that.

So it was like take four of the scene. After we cut on take three, this producer came into the set and stood off camera, just to the right of the viewscreen, as we were looking at it. We do take four, and while we are resetting for take five, this producer comes over to me, leans down so nobody can hear him, and says, “You can’t pull your tunic down like that. That’s the Picard Maneuver, and only Picard can do that.”

So, first of all: this guy is so far out of his lane, he isn’t on the map. If anyone is ever going to talk to an actor, especially in between takes, it always goes through the First Assistant Director, and the Director. It’s a matter of professional respect, and it’s important for our work. If anyone can come up and give us notes or whatever, we will end up with all these conflicting notes, unsure which one to actually listen to.

I’m just 17 or so, and even I know all of this, but I don’t want to get in trouble, so I just say, “…okay. How am I supposed to stop it from riding up to my tits when I sit down? Because that’s what happens.”

He looks so annoyed at me, and sort of bark-whispers, “Just don’t touch it.” And he scurries away into the darkness of the stage.

I am so tired of being treated differently than these same people treat the adults, and I still haven’t learned how to speak up for myself, directly. But I am about to engage in a bit of malicious compliance, the only form of resistance I know how to employ.

We reset, they roll, and when Wesley sits down, his tunic comes all the way up, just like I said it would. It exposes my fake muscle suit, my bracers holding up my trousers, and absolutely ruins the take.

“Cut!” The director calls from offstage.

“Wil, you have to pull your tunic down,” he says, with this tone of utter confusion. Like, obviously.

“Yeah, I know,” I say, looking straight at the guy who is about to wish he’d stayed in his lane, “but [his name] told me that I wasn’t allowed to do the Picard Maneuver, so…” and I shrug, the tunic still bunched up.

That guy turned so bright red, he lit up in the darkness. Everyone on the entire crew looked at him. He sputtered something, and quickly fled the stage.

I made eye contact with Brent and with Frakes. They both looked back at me, communicating their approval. It felt great.

I can’t say for sure that we printed the next take and moved on, but it’s a great way to end the story so let’s go with that.

That guy never gave me a note again. If I recall correctly, my little tunic tug (similar to, yet legally distinctly different from the Picard Maneuver) is in the final cut of the episode