Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Bruce Sterling and Jon Lebowsky talk about future change as we start 2012. It sounds sort of ominous.




Speaking of, the Victorians had some ideas about the apocalypse. (A related link that’s just as interesting is io9’s “Victorian Hugos.”)



Lovecraft always manages to creep into steampunk conversations. Now Clockwork and Cthulhu make it more overt!



Blade Runner also creeps in a bit, and here’s a fantastic sketchbook of the production.



Want to race a dirigible? Sure you do! If you’re near Ohio this year, consider becoming part of the fun.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Arty stuff all around the world!




In Norfolk, England, a “winged” structure built in Roman times has been rediscovered.



You never know what you’ll find in a junk shop – maybe a scrapbook of Soviet memorabilia!



In Montreal, En Masse is taking over the streets with art.



If you’ve gone to a concert – ever – it might be listed in Metafilter’s mega-post on gigographies.



And hooray for Madeleine L’Engle, who took us out of this world through her stories.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Well, this has been a week. Fortunately, it’s almost over! Many thanks to everyone who sent in links to make this Friday post possible.




From Holly: The Ramones? No, Small Potatoes, singing about being an individual. I think. This broke my brain a little.



From Cassandra: Look out for the asteroid today! Also, in June, we can (weather permitting) watch Venus cross the sun.



Also from Cassandra: Ubuweb, keeping you up to date on minimalist music. (Delia Derbyshire rocks. Minimally speaking, that is.)



From Julie: Invisibility cloaks are coming soon! Yay!



From Bunny: Alex Gross gives old photographs a fresh coat of color, with added superhero abilities. Hee.



Have a spiffy weekend, everyone! See you next week.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

What are your plans for the weekend? There's a wide range of possibilities. You could run a marathon in Egypt, or watch a hill go up in flames in Japan, or go yeti-hunting…er, snowshoe racing in Canada.




If the yeti-hunting idea intrigues you, you may be glad to know there’s a weblog devoted entirely to another cryptozoological creature, the Loch Ness monster. And if you’d like to get involved in the paranormal and/or you like Hellboy, good news! The B.P.R.D. is holding a summer camp!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

I start today off with something decidedly unVictorian, but bear with me. In 1964, the World’s Fair was held in New York City. Not only is the fair’s site now the host of the (annual?) New York Maker Faire , it was also the site for the 1939 World’s Fair. More than that, however, it showed Americans not only sights and sounds, but also tastes of the world, due to a set of circumstances which led Asian and African countries to hold a prominent spot in the culinary offerings and which led to an influx of wonderful cuisine in the United States.


And speaking of fairs and broadening’s one travel (and mind), it may be winter but that means it’s prime planning time for steampunk conventions! The Steampunk World’s Fair is preparing to knock one’s silk stockings off in May; if you’re near the East Coast this spring, try to visit it. (Thanks to Haley for the information!) If you’re impatient, the incomparable Shien Lee is putting on another extravaganza next month – live the life Parisienne without leaving New York.



Meanwhile, here in Ohio, of all places, plans are afoot for great stuff this year. The Steampunk Empire Symposium is taking over the city in April; if you’re part of the Steampunk Empire, you should attend (and if you’re not, you should join the fun anyway!). Later on in the year, PandoraCon lurks, full of geeky goodness for all.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Poets may feel as if they’re cursed by the gods, but it's not just them; sometimes droids have bad days, too, you know.



And what of conductors? Conducting an orchestra is harder than it looks!



To make up for today’s brevity, here’s a great challenge: go look at Steven Wildish's amazing film alphabets of the last few decades and see if you can name them all. This, too, is harder than it looks!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Happy Friday! Many thanks to everyone who sent in links. Here we go!




From both Zazoo and Cassandra: Kings Island has supposedly been haunted since its opening by a little girl in a blue dress. Neither I nor anyone else I know who worked there (and this was the place to work when we were in high school) ever saw a little girl in a blue dress haunting anything. I call shenanigans!



From Bunny: The apocalypse in 14 days, as depicted by social media. Good stuff.



Also from Bunny, who likes me despite my being an introvert: Stop putting us in teams! We like working alone!



From Cassandra: January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month.



Also from Cassandra: Many doctors have a view of death which might be unexpected.



From Julie: Should we eliminate the leap second? Time travelers are on edge, waiting to find out!



From Zazoo: a steampunk laptop for gaming. Wow.



Also from Zazoo: Think Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” sounds suspiciously like Madonna’s “Express Yourself”? Someone has done an experiment and, uh, I think Madonna may have a case here.



Have a spiffy weekend, everyone! See you Monday.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Yesterday’s protests against SOPA and PIPA seem to have had an effect!



The entrants for the 2011 National Film Registry have been announced. Among them are Bambi and Silence of the Lambs. You can’t say they don’t have variety.



What to do with all those books in the face of e-readers/the apocalypse/downsizing? Consider making them into furniture.



Alternatively, you could use them as scenery – my alma mater’s library is holding a miniature golf tournament in the stacks this weekend!



I always miss the Library Day in the Life project until it’s over. This year, however, there’s time to plan; it begins January 30th.



And finally, unrelated to anything except the fact I had a birthday earlier in the week, the New York Times says that one’s forties are the best decade for making decisions.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

I was, perhaps, a bit optimistic about starting Folderol the day after coming back from vacation! Regular posts resume soon.

Friday, January 06, 2012

Right, then. Here's the deal: the Spooky Librarians are taking a week off to run amok and get the year started off properly. Woot! For you, the reader, this most likely means no updates until the 17th. However, I am leaving you with a wonderful, hour-long program -- Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra -- which is funny, educational, and chock-full of great music. Have a safe and spiffy week, and we'll be back with regularly scheduled posts in no time!


Thursday, January 05, 2012

Hi there! We are having exciting library times (read: construction), but here are some quick links.




The Library of Congress has a Flickr account, and posts great stuff like this WPA poster.



The year 2011, as told by LEGOs.



My undergrad alma mater’s library is running an online exhibit in which you can follow the senior year of the university’s first female graduate. (Note to OU alumni: she’s the namesake for Boyd Hall!)



And finally, crossword puzzles light up our brains in mysterious ways.

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Well, the year is starting off with an avalanche of stuff to do. Updates soon!

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Looking for something to read in 2012? Dark Faerie Tales is holding a steampunk reading challenge, and everyone’s invited!




The man behind the machinations of the Steampunk Tribune has created a site listing all steampunk-themed Facebook pages. You can explore for hours.



If it’s nice weather where you are, consider storming the castle in an armored quadricycle (yikes) or just plowing into random people on velocipedes and other old-fashioned bicycle creations.



For those of us in cold weather places, take a look at the amazing Chromatic Typewriter, fashioned from a 1937 Underwood, and soak up the gorgeous colors.  (If you've got an iPhone, you can vote for this entry, too, and support further creations!)