Deadheads Boycott Dead

Grateful Dead fans, perhaps rock's most dedicated bunch, are taking a stand against the band they love. Until recently, Deadheads could download countless live recordings of the band for free from third-party sites, including the popular Live Music Archive (archive.org), which once hosted nearly 3,000 Grateful Dead shows. All of the downloads were pulled last week at the request of Grateful Dead Merchandising (GDM), the group that handles official products for the band and is overseen by its surviving members.

Deadheads have answered in protest. In an online petition, fans have pledged to boycott GDM -- including CDs and concert tickets -- until the decision is reversed.

John Perry Barlow, Grateful Dead lyricist and internet gadfly, does not agree with the decision:

You have no idea how sad I am about this. I fought it hammer and tong, but the drummers had inoperable bricks in their head about it.

Catholic World News : Pope declares plenary indulgence for December 8

Vatican, Nov. 29 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) has declared a plenary indulgence for Catholics who honor the Virgin Mary on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8.

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The indulgence declared by Pope Benedict may be obtained by those who "participate in a sacred function in honor of the Virgin, or at least offer open testimony of Marian devotion before an image of Mary Immaculate exposed for public veneration, adding the recitation of the Our Father and of the Creed, and some invocation to the Virgin."

Reminder:If you would like to make a novena in honor of the Immaculate Conception, tomorrow (Wednesday December 30) would be the first day.

Scientists Develop Working Air Guitar

The Virtual Air Guitar project, developed at the Helsinki University of Technology, adds genuine electric guitar sounds to the passionately played air guitar.

Using a computer to monitor the hand movements of a "player", the system adds riffs and licks to match frantic mid-air finger work. By responding instantly to a wide variety of gestures it promises to turn even the least musically gifted air guitarist to a virtual fret board virtuoso.

Aki Kanerva, Juha Laitinen and Teemu Mäki-Patola came up with the idea after being invited to develop a virtual instrument as part of their coursework. "The first thing that came to mind was an air guitar," Kanerva told New Scientist.

Chronicles of Narnia Action Figure: Aslan

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not suitable for children under 3 years.

Do hear that?

It's the sound of C.S. Lewis rolling over in his grave.

Presbyterian Publicity Hound Pastor Throws Hissy Fit

Traditional marriages are out. "Celebrations of commitment" are in.

To protest Virginia's laws banning same-sex marriage, Ensign and the church's governing council decided recently that Clarendon Presbyterian will no longer have any weddings, and Ensign will renounce his state authority to marry couples.

Further down in the article, we learn "The church, founded in 1924, has fewer than 100 members..."

Big surprise.

All Your (Star)Base Are Belong to Us

This 212-disc behemoth encompasses five broadcast series and 10 feature films and is, with a few exceptions, all the Trek a Trekker could want.

The scary thing is that you can bet there are flamewars going on right now as to what is missing from this and how essentials those things are.