In a terrifying story that sounds like it comes from Hookland (it doesn’t, which is even MORE terrifying), spiders are to blame for some creepy dead-of-night nursery rhyme music. 

In news that is probably unconnected, another sphinx has been discovered in Egypt!

And lo, it is Monday once more…

Inspired by the Ashmolean’s current exhibit “Spellbound,” Philip Pullman talks about magic and imagination. 

What’s it like costuming Shakespeare in the Park (and other outdoor performances)? In the summer, it means a lot of ice packs and fake blood which doesn’t attract insects. 

Just for fun: Writers and their cats.

And it is Friday!

From Julie: Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell explain, in an illustrated manner, why libraries are important. 

Also from Julie: What exactly happened on the International Space Station last week? My theory: invisible aliens. Also, this just in from Gizmodo: A solar observatory has been shut down – temporarily? – by the FBI! Probably due to hacking or satellite discovery, but still.

From Cassandra: Ninnoc, a documentary exploring how it feels to be “different.”

From Satori: Kitten rescued from drainpipe! (She wasn’t actually stuck in the drainpipe, just hiding out. She’s looking much better now and in the capable hands of the Zazoo & Satori team!)

Have a safe and spiffy weekend, everyone. See you next week.

It's Thursday and you know what that means: no time to post! But here is a lovely page of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Award finalists (check out that squirrel) and we will return tomorrow with LOTS of links from others, happily.

Did you know that there is a Sorriest Bus Stops tournament? I didn’t, until I found out that my city is in the running for the championship. (I know this stop, actually! The bus route is…not great there.) 

Meanwhile, Reuben Wu takes amazing photos of the world around us, including a cross-country trip across America.

Looking to the past: The Cortlandt WTC subway station reopens. 

Looking to the future: Two hurricanes and a tropical storm are swirling across the Atlantic. 

Stay safe, everyone.

And we are back for another whirl on this bizarre merry-go-round of current events!

Paper dolls have been around a long time, and they have also had an interesting underground gay history.

Tedium investigates the history of sound design (more specifically, the sounds of Indiana Jones), and via that, I found the Soundkeeper website, which is really interesting.

Via Zazoo: An interview with Cyndi Lauper, and how “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” has evolved through the years!