sad internet day

[salixbabylon]

I'm apaprently a Wikipedia addict. Here is the list of highly important things I WROTE DOWN TO LOOK UP LATER:

Is Trent Reznor married?
What is abseiling?
Is kryptonite a real element?
What is the symbolic "meaning" of moonstones? And what actually are they?
Who is Kal-El?

How can I survive without answers to important questions like this???

However -

The comments in fandomsecrets's SOPA/PIPA post today are just BRILLIANT. I think I hurt a muscle in my chest laughing so hard. :)

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/tesserae_/]

Moonstones are potassium feldspars. The moonstone effect is caused by light scattering off the intergrown crystal structure of the stone (scattering of light off water vapor in the upper atmosphere is why the sky looks blue; similar effect.) The best moonstones come from Sri Lanka; rainbow moonstone, which comes from Madagascar, is actually a plagioclase feldspar - slightly different chemical composition.

Sadly, I can't help with the symbolic element, although the moonstone effect is named after Mt Adularia, from the look of the mist over its snow-capped peaks.

(Also, thanks for the link to FS - brilliant, seriously. And I have writtem my congresspersons...

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Wow, full of info! Thanks. :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/tesserae_/]

I actually teach this stuff...

[hammil77.livejournal.com]

Sadly the only one I know is that Kal-El is Superman's actual name. The one his parents back on Krypton gave him. Also it's the name of Nicholas Cage's son. Seriously.

I discovered my Wiki addiction today too. Twice or three times I tried looking things up only to remember that it was down. :S

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

*snort* The children of famous people suffer so... ;)

I know, it was tragic, wasn't it?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Yes
Using ropes and harnesses to go down cliffs and gullies, also known as repelling, LOADS of fun!
No
They are meant to convey spiritual wisdom and were believed to make the wearer invisible, better explanation of what they are than I could manage given above.
So glad the other commenter clarified this one as I can never recall if it's Superman's name or his dad's.

See, you don't need Wikipedia, you just need a varied peer group with retentive memories! (Admittedly I've probably missed dozens of alternative moonstone meanings, that sort of New Agey stuff is never concrete!)

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

I'm surrounded by smart people! :)

Thanks for the info!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I'm not so much smart as old, adventurous when it comes to cliffs and possessed of hippy parents and a partner who is keen on Nine Inch Nails ;-)

[sarka.livejournal.com]

Kryptonite is not a real element, no, and it used to be an entirely made-up substance. However, in 2007, scientists discovered a mineral in a mine in Serbia, that matches the fictional chemical composition of the invented Kryptonite almost to a T (though it's white, not green...) much to the amusement of the scientists that discovered it.

However, under international chemistry naming rules, the new material can't be called Kryptonite, because it has nothing to do with Krypton - which IS a real element, one of the noble gases.

That's the one I can clear up, at least :)

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Ah, krypton, -ite. No wonder I had doubt. :)

[dissonant-dream.livejournal.com]

I love you for this, just so you know. ;D And thank you so much for the link.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

It's hard to remember how I survived before the internet. I'm ready for my brain-stem implant now, thanks. :)