Monthly Archives: December 2005

Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil (James Luceno)

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[Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil (James Luceno)]Labyrinth of Evil is the bridge between Episodes 2 and 3 of the Star Wars movie saga. Unfortunately, the book merely connects the dots between the movies and doesn’t add much to the overall Star Wars plotline. In contrast, Shadows of the Empire, which takes place between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, actually develops the familiar characters. Furthermore, the story is exciting even though we know where everyone will end up. For the non-hardcore Star Wars fan, I recommend the Han Solo trilogy, which chronicles the youth and smuggler days of the pilot and his association with Chewbacca.

Why is “lb” the abbreviation for pound?

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The commonly held belief is that pound is abbreviated “lb” is that when one picks up something heavy, i.e. weighs many pounds, the person groans, “lllllbbbbbb.” However, I have learned that, in fact, “lb” stands for libra, a Latin word that describes a Roman measure of weight similar to a pound. The symbol for the British currency (£ or ₤) is actually a crossed out letter “L” also representing libra. The term “pound” comes from the Latin word pendere which means “to weigh.”

Thanks Melissa for inventing the mythological origin and Wikipedia for setting the record straight.

I want coal for Christmas!

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When Zephyr was younger, we used to tease him that he would get coal in his stocking if he did something we didn’t like. This kept him on good behavior for a time. Eventually, however, he learned that the country was facing an energy crisis and realized that coal would be quite valuable in such an environment. He then began asking for coal for Christmas.

I love that kid.