[links] Link salad is an effective dentrifice when used under proper supervision

My Convention Harassment Policy Co-Sign Thread — Mr. Scalzi asserts leadership. I co-sign.

Steampunk Watch Part Sculptures by Sue Beatrice — Ooooh. lillypond (a/k/a my sister) would love the tiny carousel horse. (Via threeoutside.)

11 Harsh Realities About The World Of Harry Potter — We’re blowing the lid off this totalitarian regime! Once you peel back the layers of child-like wonder, it kind of sucks to be a wizard. (Snurched from Steve Buchheit.)

Pacific Ocean Floor Is a Huge Underwater Garbage Dump — Sigh. (Via David Goldman.)

GALEX decommissioned: What happens to abandoned space probes? — NASA's earth-orbiting GALEX was shut down Friday, meaning that the spacecraft will join a long line of space probes sacrificed to the universe. This is a surprisingly poignant piece. (Via David Goldman.)

Optical transistor switches states by trapping a single photon — When switched off, the gate photon can be retrieved, too.

Leaving Las Vegas: How a tiny Chinese enclave is remaking the gambling world and Sin City

Faith-Healing Parents Denied Free Exercise of Religion in Death of Child — That's the persecution narrative of contemporary American Christians in a nutshell. Profoundly immoral self-valorization.

Cyanide and Happiness recaps the arguments against gay marriage — They make more sense that what I read and hear in the media. Which is to say, not much at all.

How Do You Tell When a Politician is Lying? — I do not find this terribly surprising.

In Oregon, a Demand for Safety, but Not on Their Dime — This is what happens in low-revenue, low-tax jurisdictions. (Via Dad.)

NYT: IRS Scrutiny More Complicated Than Previously Thought — What do you know? Like almost every other conservative outrage, the great Obama IRS scandal turns out to be a nothingburger once the details are scrutinized objectively.

QotD?: Did you brush your teeth this morning?

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7/6/2013
Writing time yesterday: 0.0 hours (vacation)
Hours slept: 6.25 hours (badly interrupted)
Body movement: 0.0 hours (away from home)
Weight: n/a (away from home)
Number of FEMA troops on my block building mandatory gay marriage halls: 0
Currently reading: Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program by Sharon Salzberg; Snuff by Terry Pratchett