Holy Marie Drake! Now some astrophysicists have gone and changed the star count on the Alaska flag. We're talking sacred stuff here, Betsteroids. As every good school kid knows, it's "eight stars of gold on a field of blue" in the Alaska Flag Song.

Not anymore.

First of all, Benny Benson got it wrong when he put seven stars for the Big Dipper on his flag design. If you have really sharp eyes, right above Mizar, the star in the bend of the Dipper's handle, is Alcor. That makes eight stars in the constellation. But wait! There's more! Mizar is a pair of binary stars, or four stars. That's 11 Dipper stars.

Project 1640, a team of astrophysicists, recently discovered a red dwarf star about 80 light years away hidden in the glow of Alcor. The astrophysicists figured out that the red dwarf, Alcor B, orbits Alcor A like a lovesick couple in an eternal contra dance. So, actually the Big Dipper has an even dozen stars. With the North Star, that's 13 stars that should be on our flag.

Does this mean we'll have to take gold markers to the Alaska flags and seals and add a few more dots? Will Marie Drake's lyrics be changed to "thirteen stars of gold on a field of blue?" Or will we just keep it simple and make Mizar smudgy?

Like the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, "The world is in flux." The more we think we know, the less we really know. The more we think the world is the same, the more it changes. There's one thing that never changes, though, and that's all the great things happening in Homer, like these Best Bets:

BEST ROLL 'EM BET: Once again the Homer Theatre holds a film festival. This time it's the Second Annual Winter Backcountry Film Festival at 7 p.m. today. Sponsored by Kachemak Nordic Ski Club, the fest shows people havin' a rippin' and gnarly time on the snow. Admission is $8 adults, $5 youth.

BEST IT'S A WRAP BET: Frantic with all your shopping? Need some help? Like the veterans they support, the elves of the American Legion Auxiliary have your back. Take your presents to Ulmer's from noon-5 p.m. Friday-Wednesday and they'll wrap for ya. Donations accepted. Last-minute wrapping is 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Christmas Eve.

BEST BACKSTAGE BET: It's a holiday tradition: enjoy fine desserts and tea and listen to the beautiful voices of the Homer High School Concert Choir. The show is 7 p.m. today at the Mariner Theatre backstage. Admission is $10.

BEST COUNT 'EM BET: Now we're talking traditions. Since the 19th century citizen scientists have been braving cold and snow to count winter birds. Homer has only been doing the bird count since the 1960s. Join local birders starting at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center for this year's big count.