Friday, April 28, 2017

The chaos and absurdity of Fyre Festival seems to fit right in with the world today. My favorite detail so far is the dinner, which was two slices of bread, two slices of cheese, and some burger toppings. High cuisine!

From Julie: O noes, ebooks are no longer cool! (Um…were they supposed to be?)

 From Zazoo: Excellent news – Bananarama are reuniting! Siobhan is an essential part of the group. (Hey, some of us have very strong feelings about our ‘80s pop.)

 

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

Thursday, April 27, 2017

If you’re in New York City today, check out the High Line, where there’s an installation regarding Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. (And you can get a copy of the book there for free!)

A second “doomsday vault” is underway, and this one is for data. 

Speaking of, USA Facts is a new site (created by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer) full of data on the government. It looks like it might be a great resource.

Did you know that “themself” is an actual usable word? (My autocorrect doesn’t, and keeps trying to fix it.)

I missed National Indexing Day (it was March 30) but it’s not too late to read this article celebrating this oft-overlooked profession!

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Today’s Google Doodle honors the Cassini spacecraft before it dies in the name of science. You go, little spacecraft.

Bog bodies are slowly giving up their secrets, thanks to modern technology.

I can’t believe I haven’t found Strange Remains before now! They’re also on Twitter. 

If you’re into both paper and Halloween, you’re in luck – here are haunted houses you can print out and create, all free!

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

It’s World Penguin Day! Help support a penguin. They’re much more awesome than us humans.

Also today: the anniversary of Portugal's Carnation Revolution. My mom told me about this years ago, as she knew some people who were there when it happened, and the radio message has stuck in my mind.

Yesterday marked the Sechseläuten holiday in Zurich, which looks like all sorts of fun.

O’Reilly Auto Parts has a flux capacitor for sale! Well, not really. It’s always out of stock (due to time travelers, most likely).

Monday, April 24, 2017

Happy Monday!

Art: Will Christo’s Mastaba project come to life in the UAE, after forty years of planning?

Media: What happens to old TVs? It’s a complicated story. 

Performance: Cuba’s drag kings and queens are known as “transformistas,” which seems like the perfect word.

History/Audio: Today’s Optimistic Almanac tells the story of Shackleton’s daring rescue operation. Get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton, indeed.

Friday, April 21, 2017

We have made it to another Friday, hooray!

From Julie: This art machine traps your arm until someone comes along to free you. I think I would panic and probably break the machine. Or my arm. Possibly both.

From Cassandra: Psychedelics might indeed take your mind to a higher state of consciousness

Also from Cassandra: The myth of “making a superbaby” and one mother’s experience.

From the Awl: Eleanor Roosevelt is inspiring, so they created the EleanorBot to Tweet quotes from her every few hours. I was obsessed with Eleanor when I was young, so of course I think this is awesome.

From FiveThirtyEight: what’s the mortality rate like in your U.S. county? This is a fascinating interactive chart which shows the trends from 1980 to 2014. You can even narrow it down by type of cancer.

From Twitter: The Redneck Revolt is a bunch of good ol’ boys and girls who actually care about their fellow boys and girls, regardless of sexual orientation, place of birth, color of skin, etc. It’s kind of amazing and inspiring.

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

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Today is busy. (Oh, that’s right, it’s Thursday. Thursdays are always busy.)

What’s it like to be a lexicographer? Let’s find out what they do at Merriam-Webster! 

Archaeologists have discovered new Egyptian statues and also, possibly, the site of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Whoa.

Bad news, librarians – apparently the robot replacements are on the way, starting in Dubai. Maybe. We’ll see.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Google Earth is new and improved! Now we just have to work on the actual planet…as the icebergs are heading our way, literally and metaphorically.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Are you a Render Ghost? Do you know someone who is? (These are people who are in stock images, often unbeknownst to them.)

Where are the space hotels of the future we were promised? Amazingly, there are still plans afoot!

Monday, April 17, 2017

It is Monday once more. A long, detailed interview with Margaret Atwood is a good way to start the week.

Also, here’s an essay on Julio Cortazar’s Berkeley lectures. (I read Blow-Up and Other Stories at an impressionable age.)

Politics has seeped into Eurovision. Is nothing sacred?

Friday, April 14, 2017

Happy Good Friday. (That always sounds weird.)

Here’s a lovely tribute to Carrie Fisher. Try not to cry.

Behold the winners of the 2017 Peeps diorama contest! 

From Matt S. via Twitter: Modern art was used as torture during the Spanish Civil War. Yes, really. It’s kind of amazing.

I took this quiz and got “Older Female Executive in Male-Dominated Workspace,” which…I guess? Sort of?

Balm for the soul: You can watch a live feed of kittens in Iceland. There are usually at least two kittens awake and trying to cause trouble. Also, there’s tiny mod furniture around them!

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

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Wow, the news just keeps getting worse and worse (and weirder and weirder).

So: Birding! It’s nice and relaxing and might save your sanity.

On the other hand: Medieval Yorkshire villagers mutilated the dead to make sure they wouldn’t rise up and, well, you know.

Monday, April 10, 2017

I am somewhat back in action, finally. Happily, it's just in time for Squirrel Week! More soon.

Wednesday, April 05, 2017

Currently fighting off my annual bronchial/sinus infection, which is my own personal sign that spring is here. Grrrr. Back soon.

Monday, April 03, 2017

It’s Opening Day, which is kind of a big deal here. (Although it’s raining. Oh well.)

Here’s a Friday link for Monday! From Julie: A Shakespearean-era notebook has been discovered. This is every historian’s dream.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Revival Initiative intends to do just what it says, and bring Wright’s buildings back to life. 

You’ve seen Brutalist London, now see Brutalist Paris!