Friday, August 31, 2018

Happy Friday! And happy Labor Day Weekend.

The pink Cadillacs are gathering in Detroit for Aretha Franklin’s funeral, to send her off in style. 

Remember Alison Moyet’s laugh from “Situation”? It’s become iconic, and here’s the story behind it.

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

Monday, August 27, 2018

Hello and happy Monday. We’re off for a few days and will be back at the end of the week. In the meantime, consider the (much more than fifty) shades of gray in the color spectrum, won’t you? Back soon!

Friday, August 24, 2018

Happy Friday!

If you’re interested in keeping up with the maelstrom that is American politics, Popular Information is an emailed newsletter which dives into the issues.

Meanwhile, in Egypt, they’re delving further into that weird sarcophagus and its contents. 

In Scotland, the hot weather has revealed an ancient Pictish symbol stone! 

Ronnie James Dio has sung his way off this mortal coil, but his belongings are part of an upcoming auction, and the variety of stuff there is amazing.

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

Thursday, August 23, 2018

The prison strike has been overshadowed by, well, everything else going on this week, but it needs some attention.

For those interested in solving mysteries of the past: Consider becoming a Civil War Sleuth!

In work-related news, I am officially going to Internet Librarian this year. If you’re also going to be there in October, let me know!

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

One British man is spelling out “STOP BREXIT” across Europe with the help of his GPS tracker. (Found via Strange Maps!) 

In other map news, here’s a brilliant world map showing where to live for optimum temperatures. (Once again, it shows me I am living on the wrong continent, unless I move to San Diego.)

And fear not, Halloween is coming sooner than you think! Here’s a fantastic way to make skull forms from milk jugs.

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Today is a long day, and one in which hitting each other with sticks (but with dignity!) sounds inviting.

Automobiles were almost called…a variety of alternatives, as it turns out. (I’m sort of partial to “diamote.”)

Monday, August 20, 2018

Hello, and welcome to another Monday.

World War I transformed artist and their art, for better or worse. 

Little Women still resonates today, and it’s not because it’s “all sweetness and light.” 

Labyrinths! Writers love them! Why, exactly?

Friday, August 17, 2018

Happy Friday. Wow. It’s been one of those weeks.

From a left-handed co-worker (I work with a lot of left-handed people): two articles on the joys and perils of being a lefty. 

Did you know Aretha Franklin has an asteroid named for her? NASA, along with the rest of the planet, mourns the Queen of Soul.

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

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Today’s Tedium looks back at the history of Sears, including their catalogs. I was more into the Service Merchandise catalogs as a youngster. (I wish I’d kept some of those!)

Speaking of being a youngster, it is a little disconcerting to find out that Madonna turns 60 today. 

And now, for your library-related link, here are ten animals who just wanted to borrow some books. At least the owl got its own library card.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Today is really busy. So! Here are two links, both of which are worth some time.

1. Hospitals are TOO LOUD. How is anyone supposed to rest and recuperate? Here are some brilliant ideas on how to change the system. 

2. This world map shows cultures which recognize diverse genders. It’s really fascinating and I recommend it highly.

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Greetings!

If you remember the wonderful works of Webomator (including, but not limited to, the Pulp-O-Mizer), its creator could use a little financial help. Why not purchase some art, or join the Patreon? 

How We Get to Next takes a look at the future we were once promised, and what happened to it. 

We Make Money, Not Art takes a look at the international airport, and what happened to it (and how bizarre it is now).

Monday, August 13, 2018

Happy Monday, and happy Left Handers Day! 

We have tremendous respect for Fred, the escapee goat who returned to free his fellow stockyard prisoners. (Thanks, Holly!)

The World Architecture Festival’s shortlist for 2018 is out, and it looks like angles are popular this year.

You may have read the recent story about McDonald’s and the Monopoly contest which went sideways, but did you know it was written in such a way as to create a bidding war for movie options? It’s true!

Friday, August 10, 2018

Happy Friday! The Perseid meteor shower happens this weekend. Unfortunately, it’s supposed to rain here. But if you happen to have clear skies where you are, go out and take a look.

For those of us not watching the skies, there’s always psychogeography to study. 

And now, your moment of moo: Cows help police capture a suspect on the run.

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

Thursday, August 09, 2018

Today ended up being about writing, plus a fun story about a traveling cat.

Business journalists should think like librarians. Or appreciate librarians, at least.

Once upon a time, someone stole some of William Butler Yeats’s letters, and now the letters have been found again! 

Vonnegut did not like semicolons, apparently. Vonnegut was WRONG, man. 

Richard Kadrey talks about his Sandman Slim series, plus some new work which sounds super interesting.

And now, here’s the story of Kiddo the Cat, who unintentionally became the first cat to (try to) cross the Atlantic by airship.

Wednesday, August 08, 2018

Today, we bring you a variety of links.

For the spooky fans: The weird and wonderful art of Olga Cornacchia. 

For the Muppet fans: Rita Moreno talks about singing “Fever” with Animal.

For the US map fans: The oldest building in each state (with a very white western focus, be warned – nothing before the 1600s!).

For the UK map fans: The bestselling musical artist from each English county. I am off to learn about some of these.

Tuesday, August 07, 2018

Hello. It’s a pretty dreary day here, so why not read some spooky stories?

Ralph Adams Cram was a respected architect, but wrote some “weird fiction” on the side, and here are two creepy tales from the 1880s and 1890s, I think. (If you like this sort of thing, I also just read The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley, which is from the 1930s and gets extremely weird indeed.)

If spookiness is not your thing this Tuesday, fear not! You can purchase your own Tilt-A-Whirl carnival ride! (Thanks, Holly!)

Monday, August 06, 2018

Happy Monday. We seem to be focusing on architecture this morning.

Did you know Mumbai is full of Art Deco buildings? I didn’t, but UNESCO has recognized them as World Heritage Site worthy! 

Meanwhile, Brutalist buildings in eastern Europe are falling apart, and Birou pentru Artă ÅŸi Cercetare Urbană (BACU) wants to preserve them. They’re also writing up some guides to buildings, such as this list of Moldovian cinemas. 

And now, for something completely different. Smash Hits! Here’s a look at what it was like behind the scenes! (I still wish I could have worked here. I wanted to write the Get Smart column, i.e. Linda Duff’s gig!).

Friday, August 03, 2018

Happy Friday!

In order to prepare for the uncertain future, I’m reading up on granny witches and also getting Ryan North’s book on how to invent everything. It’s good to be ready, just in case.

From Cassandra: Should we automate politicians? I mean, it certainly can’t be any worse…

From Julie: Cities are making animals evolve in unforeseen ways. 

Have a safe and spiffy weekend, everyone. We’re going to be exploring the World’s Longest Yard Sale! See you next week.

Thursday, August 02, 2018

And we're back! While we get caught up with everything, you can either find out other people's all-time favorite novels (there's a surprising amount of love for Moby Dick and The Great Gatsby), or you can gaze upon the fantastic library photos of Thomas Guignard, himself a librarian.