Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Happy end of 2019! Here are a few last links.

From Cassandra: Here’s what happened to that recreation of the Simpsons house in Nevada. 

Via the interwebs: Behold, the 4K remastered version of “Take On Me!” 

And finally, tomorrow is not only New Year’s Day, but also Public Domain Day. Here’s to 2020 and 1924! 

Have a safe and spiffy New Year’s, everyone. See you next year!

Monday, December 30, 2019

Monday, December 23, 2019

Hello! If you're online today, please check out and vote for your favorite gingerbread house over at Lainey's website. They do this every year and the details are amazing. Happy holidays!

Friday, December 20, 2019

Happy Friday and happy almost-Solstice, everyone!

From Nicole: Behold, the first vegan burrito restaurant for squirrels! 

From Zazoo: Sesame Street characters doing impressions of each other! (The impressions of Bert and Ernie are wonderful.)

Via the interwebs: The most Boston story ever, involving a lobster heist. 

From Cassandra: Leo Tolstoy’s search for meaning in the world. 

Slightly related: Duende, the dark spirit of inspiration. (This was mentioned in passing in an article I read and I then went down the rabbit hole. Lorca and Nick Cave go into detail here.)

Have a spiffy and safe weekend and holiday, everyone. We’ll be here on and off through the end of the year, but no real set schedule until 2020!

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The top ten (or top 50 or top 100 or…) lists are continuing to roll in as we near the end of 2019. The Verge goes through the best gadgets of the decade (and this decade had a LOT of gadgets), while the Social Security Administration has tallied up the most popular names of the 2010s in the U.S.. (If you do anything with names in crafting, I recommend stocking up on, or practicing, the letter A.)

The Library of Congress tells the story of the first Christmas card, which includes a small child drinking a lot of wine. Or cider. But probably wine.

The last film of the Star Wars saga is almost out, but let’s take a moment and observe this kabuki version. I think Yoda would like it.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Hola! Today is unexpectedly busy (crunch time before the end of the year, I suppose) so here’s a mini Links from Others.

From Bill Lucey: Which news stories generated the more online traffic? 

From Zazoo: Here comes Baby Yoda with his “iconic” broth bowl (?!?)…

Via work: How many workers are involved in holiday deliveries?

Monday, December 16, 2019

Hello and welcome to another week!

Literature: Was Albert Camus murdered by the KGB? It’s possible! 

Film: Open Memory Box is the site for over 400 hours of East German home movie footage. Amazing.

Art 1: The Wowhaus creates some gorgeous works, like this spark mosaic in an old planetarium. 

Art 2: When conducting an art heist at a medieval cathedral, why not use medieval methods? (We do not condone art heists, obviously, but these people get some grudging respect for creativity.) 

Architecture: The world of underground bunkers done up for post-apocalyptic living is strange and fascinating, and led me to the discovery of a community somewhat near us!

Friday, December 13, 2019

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone. Last night was a Cold Moon indeed. At least Lord Buckethead and Count Binface are still around. 

From Cassandra: The science of stress and burnout. 

From Zazoo: Meet Baby Yoda, the cat! 

The Year in 5 – about the world today, social media, and more. 5, indeed.

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

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Today is the UK general election. More importantly, however, it is the day of Dogs At Polling Stations! There are also Cats at Polling Stations, and the BBC even shows some horses, foxes, raccoons, and more getting involved in political matters on their live updates.

The Library of Congress has another mystery photo question. Do you recognize this actress?

If you’re looking for the archive photos of the New York Post, they’re in Arkansas. Really!

Wikiview is a new offering from Wikicommons, letting you search images in a number of ways.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Today, we’re all about weird things!

Are you ready for the Christmas season? How about the weird Christmas season? Weird Christmas is here for all your needs, whether it be weird old cards, podcasts, ornaments, or whatever else you need.

Via the Cult of Weird: Dan Aykroyd has some ghostly and/or spiritualist leanings. (From here, I found some more information courtesy of Today I Found Out! Of course Egon would be the nonbeliever.)

And lastly: The Catholic Church made westerners weird. It’s true!

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Greetings! Some bad news: Our advent calendar videos aren’t going to be up this year. (For what it’s worth, the Hot Wheels advent calendar, while featuring some fun cars, has also featured days where we open a door to find a ramp or a traffic cone, so it may not have made for the most thrilling viewing experience.)

However, here’s something fun: Behold, Russians recreating famous artworks. Come for the gorgeous models, stay for the unexpected goats and babies!

Also: Someone in Vegas is putting tiny cowboy hats on pigeons. While we at Spooky Librarians HQ do not condone imposing headwear on wildlife*, we have to admit this is hilarious.

*A Reddit poster asked “how would you feel if someone glued a whimsical hat to your head?”

Friday, December 06, 2019

Happy Friday / St. Nicholas Day / Krampus, everyone!

From Zazoo: “The Dark Crystal game is being released…and the announcement was made by a group of Fizzgigs!

From Cassandra: An amazing story about David Bowie’s last creative works. 

Via Springwise: Sheep Inc. sells sweaters that last a lifetime, and if you buy one, you also “adopt” a sheep and get updates on its life. 

There’s lots of horrible news in the world these days. But there is also some beauty and some good news to be found. Here’s a site for when you’re feeling overwhelmed. 

Have a safe and spiffy weekend, everyone. We’re taking Monday off but will be back Tuesday! (Also, our Advent calendar posts will return. We’re going to do a week at a time this year, I think.)

Thursday, December 05, 2019

It’s that time of year again, when everyone compiles “best of” lists. But it’s also the end of a decade, or nearly the end of a decade, depending on how you chart time. In any case, bring on the lists of the decade! 

By the way, next year’s color will be Classic Blue. Pantone says so, anyway.

Also next year: Libraries2020 is a new site from EveryLibrary , dedicated to getting the word out about public libraries during the 2020 election campaign and beyond.

Did you know that sites ending in .org are facing an astronomical price hike if the Internet Society sells the domain name off? SaveDotOrg is asking for your help.

And now, for something fun: The true tale of John Scalzi and The Case of the Felonious Bread, featuring 4,500-year-old yeast and an intrepid hound!

Tuesday, December 03, 2019

Finally, the future is edging closer, with the advent of flying motorcycles! Keep watching the skies! 

(Speaking of advents, our advent calendar posting will be a bit delayed due to some technical complications. Keep watching for that, too.)

Benjamin Sack creates intricate impossible cityscapes, and if you’re in Berlin, you can see them firsthand at an exhibit. 

I had not heard of Ira Cohen before, but his Mylar Chamber images are trippy and wonderful.

Monday, December 02, 2019

Hello and happy December! This means it’s time for another Advent calendar. This year, we’re opening up Hot Wheels. See below for Day 1!

The Apostrophe Protection Society is admitting defeat in its valiant attempt to preserve good grammar. (The website, fortunately, will stay up for the foreseeable future.)

AI Weirdness is back to suggest some lovely(?) holiday pie flavors for you! 

And Grant Snider has a beautiful little comic about iridescence.