Thursday, December 31, 2020

 I just put up a post on Instagram, and I think it sums up the year for me. So I'm linking to it here, and wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year's Eve. Here's to 2021. See you next year!

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

 We're almost to the end of the year! On January 1st, works from 1925 will enter the public domain, including The Great Gatsby amid a plethora of great literature and music. Take a look.

Also, for the end of the year, here's a list of the books I read in 2020, more or less chronologically. I'm not sure if this is complete (this year was, er, a little erratic, shall we say?) but it's close enough. I'm happy to share my thoughts on any of the below!


The Season - Kristen Richardson

The Invisible Library - Genevieve Cogman

The Cartiers - Francesca Cartier Brickell

The Masked City - Genevieve Cogman

The Long Weekend - Adrian Tinniswood

The Bones of Paris - Laurie R. King

The Ghosts of Eden Park - Karen Abbott

The Ohio Gang - Charles L. Mee Jr,

Wicked Newport - Dr. Thomas Barker

Accidental Presidents - Jared Cohen

A Madness of Angels - Kate Griffin

The Midnight Mayor - Kate Griffin

The Neon Court - Kate Griffin

The Minority Council - Kate Griffin

The History of the Ancient World - Susan Wise Bauer (re-read)

The History of the Medieval World - Susan Wise Bauer (re-read)

The History of the Renaissance World - Susan Wise Bauer

Full Service - Scotty Bowers

Scandals of Classic Hollywood - Anne Helen Petersen

Red Land, Black Land - Barbara Mertz

The Mitfords - Charlotte Mosley

Forced Perspectives - Tim Powers

The Big Sleep - Raymond Chandler

The Vapors - David Hill

Damoren - Seth Skorkowsky

Farewell, My Lovely - Raymond Chandler

Curiocity (in progress) - Henry Eliot and Matt Lloyd-Rose

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Hello and happy fifth/sixth/seventh day of Christmas! (I can never figure out when it starts, exactly.)


Just one link today: Christian Schloe's art. It's beautiful and surreal and just my speed. Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Happy day before Christmas Eve! Our schedule will be a bit erratic through the rest of the year, in keeping with the erratic theme of 2020 in general. 

A follow-up from yesterday: Zazoo sent along this interview with the man behind the Snoopy and Red Baron song!

Have a safe and spiffy holiday and/or weekend, everyone!

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Last night we drove around and looked at houses done up for the holidays. We found one in particular that has quite the website!  (Also, I discovered the "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" Christmas song, which is over fifty years old, but new to me.)

In other seasonal news, why not add a raccoon to your Christmas tree? It's fun! (Well, maybe not.) Thanks to Cassandra for sending this along!

Monday, December 21, 2020

 Hello, and Happy Solstice and Great Conjunction!

From Cassandra: Generation X is finally getting some respect for handling this particular set of circumstances. (We've been in training for this all our lives!)

For seasonal viewing: The University of Dayton has one of the largest creche/Nativity scene collections, and you can see it online this year. 

And also, for fun, here's one of my alter egos!


Friday, December 18, 2020

Hello and happy Friday! 

This weekend brings the winter solstice. SpaceX is broadcasting live from Stonehenge on Facebook. Surprising but true! Check it out if you can. 

Meet Cleaver Theatre's Christmas specials continue! I missed Emergo's guest spot on Monday, but today brings the Paranoid Neighbor's recommendation: 


   


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

Thursday, December 17, 2020

 How bad has 2020 been? So bad that YouTube won't present its annual "Rewind" retrospective! Yikes.


If you're feeling investigative, the Library of Congress put up some more mystery photos to identify. I always feel like I should recognize the '80s shots, but never do. Maybe you'll have more luck.

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

 If you need some gift inspiration, fear not - Sanctuary has you covered, with ideas for each astrological sign! (Once again, my rising sign seems to fit better than my sun sign).

Without even watching it yet, I know I am going to love the Geography King YouTube channel.

Here at Spooky Librarians HQ, we are big fans of Mort Garson and his Moog masterpieces. We were delighted to hear of a new discovery!

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

 Hello and happy Tuesday! It's time for a surprise Links from Others day!

From Nicole: COVID street art! This is via the Omeka website, which has more great stuff like the Lomax, Kentucky recordings.

From Cassandra: Here comes the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, which is possibly the same phenomenon that was seen in Bethlehem's night sky about two thousand years ago. Will this conjunction herald something new? Stay tuned to find out!

Janelle Shane has a list of AI-generated 2020 headlines, and most of them seem plausible, frighteningly enough. I especially like the mysterious rock that looks like a plane ticket.

I have sung the praises of Room Rater before, and through them I discovered the Lockdown Book Detective, investigating the books on people's shelves!

Monday, December 14, 2020

Can you believe it's already time for the "best of" lists? This year's offerings have certainly been a little different. Springwise, always a great source of information, has listed the top apps of 2020, and I'm completely enthralled by the concept of Randonautica. I think I'm going to try it out soon and will report back!


Also from Springwise: Sustainable architecture ideas! I recommend following each of the links; they'll take you to some amazing places.

Friday, December 11, 2020

Happy Friday! Hopefully you are safe and healthy as we head into the weekend.

For Advent, some gamers have devised a calendar of RPG goodness.

Meanwhile, if you'd like a portrait of your pet drawn by someone with little artistic ability (but a lot of goodwill and humor!), consider this charity drive, won't you?

However, the pandemic continues unabated, and here's one story from Paris.


Also from Cassandra: There's a meteor shower coming up! Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain here, but you might be luckier, depending on where you live.

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

Thursday, December 10, 2020

 Last week, my mom sent a great email of street art. I went searching for more info and found that a lot of it is done by TomBob, a street artist working in NYC and New England (see some highlights here!). I also found some nice examples of Parisian street art. (We are big fans of street art here at Spooky Librarians, especially if it has some added culture jamming flavor!)


On the other side of the spectrum, Rich Frishman explores the past of America by photographing the sites of former segregation, slavery, and oppression. Ghosts of Segregation is well worth a visit, and may make you see some theater side entrances in a whole new light.

Wednesday, December 09, 2020

Hello! Where do you stand in the line to get vaccinated? This is a nifty little interactive tool which told me I was basically at the end of the line (which is fine with me, other people need it much more). 

Tis the season, and Make Magazine has an “in-vent” calendar with daily projects! 

Good news for fans of ventriloquism: The Vent Haven Museum is getting an upgrade! While it’s closed right now, you can take a (truly amazing) panoramic tour of the museum. Go and explore!

Tuesday, December 08, 2020

Greetings! As we get caught up, here's some fun news. Meet Cleaver Theatre is celebrating the holidays by bringing back some of the old cast members to talk about their favorite films. Check out our announcement! More soon.



Friday, December 04, 2020

 Friday at last! It's been a long week here. We're taking a long weekend to recover!

From Zazoo: A koala tried eating a Christmas tree - in someone's house! Unfortunately, it was a fake tree. Fortunately, the koala is fine, has been named Daphne, and is now eating eucalyptus leaves outside.

Also from Zazoo: "'Not Wanted' posters of Ivanka are popping up around the city. We will be on the lookout..."

Now that winter is here, we've taken to feeding the birds, and we've been getting a lot of new visitors. Bunny sent me this link to birdwatching; check out your own region if you'd like to get to know your feathery neighbors!

Have a safe and spiffy weekend, everyone. We'll be back on Tuesday. 

Thursday, December 03, 2020

 Greetings! It's Thursday. You know the drill. It's busy! But here's a quick link for Cincinnati-area people, about the latest Simpsons episode and those terrible depictions of our chili. Hee.

Wednesday, December 02, 2020

 For Wednesday, we often post spooky links, but the nation's COVID stats are scary enough these days. 

In chirpier news, Google is celebrating the many, many December holidays in their Doodles. (I've been agitating recently for a generic "winter lights" holiday season for December and January.)

Something random: George Rhoads makes "ball sculpture" kinetic pieces, many of which are located in shopping centers and parks. A Reddit user posted this as a nostalgia piece for one of our local malls (Forest Fair, for the Cincinnatians in the reading audience!). 

Tuesday, December 01, 2020

 Hi all. It's Giving Tuesday, but it's also World AIDS Day. (And it's also a snow-filled day here, to welcome December.) Back tomorrow with more links!

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone! If you're home (and who isn't these days) and want to experiment with some baking and/or cooking, the Cincinnati Public Library has a great post featuring links to vintage cookbooks. It being Cincinnati, there's a lot of German-influenced dishes, like pfeffernusse!

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

Friday, November 20, 2020

 Happy Friday! Or happy Frida Day, as we've taken to calling it around here after a typo I made in email a few weeks ago.



From Reddit: A calendar of baseball players' birthdays. See who you share a birthday with!


Have a safe and spiffy weekend, everyone. We're off next Monday, which is part of a shortened week anyway, so posts may be a bit erratic through the end of the month. See you soon!  

Thursday, November 19, 2020

 

Hello and welcome to yet another busy Thursday. In place of links, here's another fun video. Enjoy! Back  soon.



Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Greetings! News from Cassandra: If the weather cooperates, you can see every planet in the solar system this week. Keep watching the skies.

Down on Earth, it's the end of an era, as a well-loved map company shuts its doors.

For a completely random link, here are 30 unique beds around the world. Right now, I'm leaning toward the ones with the built in desk capabilities.

And finally, here's an OK Go video that I had not seen before, even though it came out years ago. I think everyone could use a bit of fun and whimsy these days. Enjoy!


Tuesday, November 17, 2020

 Are you old enough to remember Usenet? (Are you old enough to miss Usenet?) Good news - early posts have now been archived at the Usenet Archives! It's not complete, but it's a start. (There are no posts from alt.gothic; I checked.)

Steampunk is still alive and well and the Steampunk Explorer even has a weekly news digest!

If you're in Kent, or just wish you were in Kent these days, there are online maps which can guide you through the world of various Dickens characters.

Monday, November 16, 2020

 Happy Monday! And happy belated Diwali.

Here's an update on the auction of the Rudolph and Santa figures - they were very popular!

Here's a list of offbeat museums around the world. One day, we'll hopefully be able to travel again...

Here's an updated "which fictional character are you most like?" quiz. Evidently I am most like Vanya from The Umbrella Academy. Others in the top ten were Bella from Twilight and Elliot from Mr. Robot. Wow. I guess what I'm saying here is watch out, I'm a ticking time bomb, apparently!

Friday, November 13, 2020

 Happy Friday the 13th! We're hoping for some good luck, just to keep with the upside-down world of 2020. 

Dave Brubeck's mid-century home is for sale in Connecticut, if anyone has a few spare million lying around. (It looks absolutely gorgeous.)

From Bunny: The News Literacy Project is more important than ever these days. You can educate yourself about disinformation and misinformation with all sorts of neat apps, like Checkology. (Also, a shout out to First Draft, a related organization which is similarly fantastic.)

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

Thursday, November 12, 2020

 Once again, it is Thursday! And once again, it's a super busy day. Also, we are literally burning bridges here in my hometown and it's a right mess trying to get anywhere. 

Having said all that, I recommend a peaceful virtual walk through Green-Wood Cemetery's blog. The cemetery itself is wonderful, and the blog (plus their Instagram!) is full of interesting information.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

 Continuing with our treasure theme: Some states are hosting a “Blackbeard Treasure” search. I find the idea of Blackbeard hiding treasure in landlocked states hilarious, but I’m all for treasure hunts.

 If scavenger hunts are more your thing, there are hundreds to choose from! 

The BBC has a great story on maps showing alternate histories. 

Via Propnomicon: The Propology company makes all sorts of technical gizmos for productions, and there’s a gallery showing off many of them.

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

 Hello! Today is a mixed bag of links that have been accumulating over the past week or so, when everything was too stressful or busy to post much. Here we go!

Continuing on the treasure hunt theme: Cincinnati is having a treasure hunt this weekend, for $25,000 of "Longworth" treasure. I appreciate the time they took to give this some historical context.

Is it possible to really vanish these days? I'd say no, but the lack of information on this mysterious hiker, known only as "Mostly Harmless," makes me think. (Unless he was really Ford Prefect, in which case, wow.)

If you've had a craving for frozen treats from McDonald's, only to be disappointed when the machine is broken, fear not, McBroken is here for you! You can find exactly which machines are broken anywhere you are.


Art from others: If you know anyone who likes Pokemon and also likes medieval manuscripts, this is the perfect gift. Behold, the Codex Pokemonus!

Monday, November 09, 2020

Happy Monday! Let’s all breathe a big sigh of relief, and then get back to work.

One last election-related link, however: Remember the 1992 election? It was the first one to really make use of the internet, as new as it was back then!

Flowerdown is a new concept – down made from dried flowers. Does it work? Dunno, but the explanation website makes it looks extremely cool.

While browsing houses for sale, one often finds strange rooms. But this house in Louisville is highly out of the ordinary!

Suddenly, treasure hunts and scavenger hunts are all the rage again. We’ll have more later this week, but for now, check out Johnny’s Treasure Quest, featuring jewelry from a recently closed store!

Friday, November 06, 2020

 Happy Friday. Wow, it's been quite the week, hasn't it?

As we continue waiting for some sort of resolution, here's a fun oral history of "Marge vs. the Monorail," one of my favorite Simpsons episodes. Musical numbers! Leonard Nimoy! Who could ask for more?

Have a safe and spiffy weekend, everyone. Back next week, hopefully with more regular posting in a (slightly?) more regular world.

Thursday, November 05, 2020

It’s Thursday, which is busy as ever, which leads to yet another abbreviated post. Sorry, all, I’ll get it together soon! 

However, here’s something very French indeed: Do Rimbaud and Verlaine belong in the Pantheon? (Literally? As in, their remains?) 

Also French: Intermarche, a supermarket, is supporting local booksellers and telling Amazon to get bent. Hee.

Wednesday, November 04, 2020

 Hello! It's going to be one of those weeks, isn't it?

Here's a link in the meantime: Clandestine photos of people on the NYC subway circa 1940. It was a different world back then. Back soon.

Tuesday, November 03, 2020

 Hi there. It's Election Day. Go vote, if you haven't already!

(We will be back to normal programming schedule soon, honest.)

Monday, November 02, 2020

 Hello and happy November! We're back and catching up. In the meantime, check out our Instagram for some Halloween fun. See you soon!

Friday, October 23, 2020

 Hello and happy Friday! The Spooky Librarians are taking next week off to properly celebrate Halloween (as well as our anniversary), so posts may be slim or nonexistent until November. If we don’t post again, here’s wishing you a wonderful, safe, spooky Samhain/Halloween! 

Before that, however, here are some links… 

Room Rater continues to be my favorite new Twitter account, and as a bonus, it’s led to some artists! Check out Ernesto Ybarra’s work. 

Over in the music world, Tom Lehrer has released all his lyrics into the public domain. 

At Green-Wood Cemetery, an altar for Dia de los Muertos has been set up for visitors. 

And finally, someone asked people if they would rather be hot or cold, and then made a map of the results. (Those of you who would rather be hot are very strange creatures.) 

Have a safe and spiffy weekend, week, and holiday! See you soon.

Thursday, October 22, 2020

Reclaim the Records has been mentioned here before as an amazing organization, fighting for free public access to data (and helping many a genealogist in the process). Now they’re taking on NARA! 

The AP’s Fact Check is a fairly balanced look at the false claims ricocheting around media at warp speed. Check out the weekly roundup, in particular. 

Today I learned that China is mad about Sherlock Holmes. Who knew? (Well, probably most Chinese.) 

The National Library of Luxembourg has, perhaps, the most amazing (analog!) sign system of any library.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

 The Queen of Halloween herself, Elvira, has made a video about Halloween 2020. It’s definitely worth your time.

 One silver lining about all this has been the extra time spent on Halloween décor! We’ve got a lot going on outside our house, but EPBOT has some ideas for inside the home, too.

 I love that, along with the Egyptian discoveries mentioned in an earlier post, we’re still discovering “new” Nazca lines in Peru. As William Faulkner said, “the past is never dead. It's not even past.”

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

 Hello! Today’s rabbit hole subject: Kaspar Hauser.

 If you’re interested in bizarre stories about mysterious people, Kaspar Hauser is a good one. Was he a savant? An imposter? The truth is out there, somewhere. Aside from that, he was a fairly good artist, which I didn’t know until I saw this Public Domain Review’s post. (Also, Kaspar has inspired many songs, like Suzanne Vega’s “Wooden Horse.”

As a spinoff, Hauser’s Wikipedia entry links to a List of Unsolved Deaths throughout history, which is also fascinating stuff.

Monday, October 19, 2020

 Hello and happy Monday! Here are your arty links. 

Film/TV: The puppets from the old Rankin-Bass Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer are up for auction! The catalog is online and it’s wonderful. 

Architecture: Roof tiles that absorb energy and changecolor! What a neat concept. 

Visual Art: Thanks to Satori for sending a link to Michael Demeng’s website. If you like assemblage art, you will love this (I do!). 

Music: Vinyl is having a true resurgence, and Tedium explores the whys and wherefores. (Also, check out The Burning Ear for new vinyl releases.)

Friday, October 16, 2020

 

Happy Friday, everyone! Why not start the weekend with a discussion of the best horror movies of all time? Cassandra sent this in and I find it hilarious that #151 is Deep Blue Sea, put on the list only for this scene:

 


It’s also baseball playoff season, and one of the teams in the mix is the Houston Astros, known mainly these days for their cheating scandal. To that end, someone has made a great comic book cover!

 

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

Thursday, October 15, 2020

Back in the early days of the pandemic, the Smithsonian offered some escapism via digital puzzles. Now there’s a fall edition for us!

Also from the Smithsonian: There are still more coffins and secrets being unearthed in Egypt. It’s unbelievable how much is buried out there. I’ve been reading up about ancient Egypt lately and this is a really fascinating article about why some statues and artwork were defaced or broken.

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

 Hello! Ready for some spooky links? 

Final Girl is counting down 951(!) scary movies this October! 

The Halloween Shirt Company has not only shirts, but also patches and buttons for your Halloween needs. 

Here are materials describing an amazing Lovecraftian adventure, done in a perfectly aged manner. 

Meanwhile, a 17th century ship has been found in the Baltic Sea, in good condition. Who knows what secrets it holds? 

And, also meanwhile, the pandemic is changing our dreams. I’ve had several people mention this recently.

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

 

Hello! Here’s today's rabbit hole: are Pompeii artifacts truly cursed? A viral news story tells about a recent return by someone who believes taking objects from the site caused a whole raft of problems in her life, including cancer(?!?). At the end of the story, it mentions that the site has received “hundreds” of similar items with stories. Really? Well, here are some 2015 stories about the same thing, plus an interview that suggests that this is possibly a brilliant method of getting items returned to the location. Explore and see what you think!

Monday, October 12, 2020

 Happy Monday. What color are you? No, really? Let an AI tell you! (Several of these are wonderful.)

 More later, possibly. It’s a little hectic at SpookyLibrarians HQ today.

Friday, October 09, 2020

 Happy Friday, everyone! 

From Cassandra: What was the most popular horror movie the year you were born? 

Also from Cassandra: The genetics of left-handedness! 

From Satori: An exhibition of Jean Duffet’s “heroic size” work is opening in NYC. 

From a local library: Need to sign up for something, but don’t want followup emails? Behold, 10 Minute Mail is here to solve your problems (for ten minutes at a time)! 

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

Thursday, October 08, 2020

 Banned Books Week slid by without much notice this year. In fairness, there’s a lot going on! However, the Guardian had an article on the books banned most often in the US, and the ALA breaks it down further by the top ten banned books each year since 2001. 

In other book news, our local book festival has been canceled this year, but the writing contest is still happening.

How mindful are you these days? I took this quiz and it told me, and I quote, “You’re in the middle.”  I’m fine with middling mindfulness right now!

Wednesday, October 07, 2020

 Hello! Today’s a bit hectic, so there's just one link today, and it's something which relates back to Monday’s post. This time it’s not the forests, but instead the sounds of lockdown during a pandemic. Judging from the news, it looks as if several new lockdowns may be imminent, so perhaps there will be more additions. This is a very strange timeline.

Tuesday, October 06, 2020

 Today's post is the story of going down a rabbit hole...

When I was a kid, there was a board game that I loved called Music Maestro all about musical instruments. (Incidentally, when searching for a link to the game, I found that there was a sequel – Music Maestro II! – and that the original game is considered “vintage” as it came out in 1982. Sheesh.) The game included cassette tapes so that you could hear what the instruments sounded like. There were the usual suspects – piano, violin, trumpet – but also some odd historical instruments, like the rebec and the serpent. It turns out that there’s an entire website dedicated to the serpent, which I found thanks to Wormwoodiana  and their recent post. Despite all its faults, Isn’t the internet amazing?


Monday, October 05, 2020

Hello and happy Monday!

Sights, part 1: Have you heard of sapeurs? They’re Africans who follow the philosophy of La Sape, or the “Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégante.” They’re amazing and a sight for sore eyes in these crazy times!

Sights, part 2: If you’d rather view more disjointed and jarring images, might I recommend the collage portraits of John Stezaker?

Sounds: Close your eyes (after clicking) and listen to the sounds of various forests around the world! It’s immediately calming. At least, it was for me.

Friday, October 02, 2020

Happy Friday! And, as I said in an email to friends this morning, happy October Surprise to the COVID positive White House inhabitants! Schadenfreude aside, I'm hoping that perhaps more people will take the pandemic seriously now. Have a safe and spiffy weekend, everyone. See you next week.

Thursday, October 01, 2020

Happy October. Wouldn't we all rather be on the moon right now? We can imagine it, along with ten bands who are imagining a festival on the moon today. (Sure, why not, it's 2020 and anything goes right now.)

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

It’s almost October! And while the real world is doing its best to terrify us all, let’s have some spooky fun.

The HP Lovecraft Film Festival is going virtual this year, as so many other festivals are, and begins tomorrow. 

Grave gardening has always been a thing (at least, to me), but it’s getting some renewed attention.

Curl up with some spooky reads this autumn! But skip the one containing arsenic wallpaper samples. (Yes, it’s a real book!)

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

The past: I read a reference to Marie Bashkirtseff once in a book and never knew who she was. Public Domain Review has provided the details!

The present: Drone footage of California’s orange skies meshes with the Blade Runner soundtrack just a bit too well for comfort.

The future (sort of): What will the neural net make of warning signs? Evidently they’re going to make it sound incredibly exciting and tempting!

Monday, September 28, 2020

 Hello and happy Monday!

The European Heritage Days festival took place last weekend, and one of the highlights was showing the medieval techniques used to build (and now rebuild) Notre Dame Cathedral.

Meanwhile, in the US, a Cincinnati hotel was designated one of the most endangered historic places in America. The Cincinnati Preservation organization has a very cool virtual guided tour that was a bit too cool for my standard laptop, but hopefully works on newer screens!

And finally, if you want to explore technology a bit further, check out AI Dungeon, where a neural net determines your fate. Usually.

Friday, September 25, 2020

Happy Friday! Hope everyone is safe and healthy. 

From Cassandra: Noam Chomsky surveys the current landscape. 

Also from Cassandra: Check out the secret life of a ghost hunter! I like his down-to-earth approach.

From the BBC: An oral history of Prince’s Sign o’the Times album (and all the music surrounding it).

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

Thursday, September 24, 2020

 History news: Vikings were not 100% Scandinavian? You don’t say!

 Preservation news: The Michelson Library is an amazing film research library, and it needs a new home. Help out, won’t you?

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

And now, a report on spookiness 2020 style. 

We would normally be planning our Halloween theme around now, but (general gesture at everything around us) this won’t be Halloween as usual. The CDC is currently discouraging trick-or-treating, but who knows, they may change their minds in a few days or weeks. The Halloween 2020 site is a great resource – you can look up your county, see what color it is on the risk chart, and then look at suggestions for Halloween shenanigans. (My county is currently yellow, and I am loving the “Yeet the Treats” suggestion.) 

The candy industry, meanwhile, is gearing up for its own virtual celebration this Halloween. Watch that space to see what they propose on Oct. 1st

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Monday, September 21, 2020

 Hello and happy Monday. Here’s a tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg that’s well done. RIP, RBG.

New York’s High Line wants some input on its next art installation. I think that nearly all the proposals are amazing; the absurdist in me loves the giant pigeon, but I could easily be persuaded to vote for something else!

The Virtual Online Museum of Art, or VOMA, is here for everyone who can’t/won’t go to the brick and mortar museums of the world right now.

Friday, September 18, 2020

 Happy Friday! Just one link today, and it’s for the name nerds: The Social Security Baby Names rankings are out. Olivia and Liam are the #1 names for 2019, but the website is so much fun for looking at different states, how name popularity changes over time, and more. (Evelyn is getting super popular, which I find interesting. Also surging in popularity is Theodora, which is fantastic!)

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

Thursday, September 17, 2020

If you work in a library and want to freak yourself out, read NYU’s studies on contagion rates of various printed materials. (I saw this after going through about two book carts full of stuff. Aieee!) 

If you excel at grammar and know others equally as persnickety, get yourself (safely) together for a few rounds of Stet! It’s a game which would be a perfect warmup to a proofreading test (and I just agonized over whether it should be “that” or “which” before deciding it didn’t matter that much). 

Fun futuristic news: Holographic menus are here! No word on whether proofreaders are necessary.

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

I think I’ve found a new hobby – phenology, the art (and science) of studying one’s own environment to chronicle the changing of seasons,and the changing of the climate.

Dorothy Parker’s ashes have gone on a literal journey sinceher death – from a filing cabinet to Baltimore and now to Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx! (I’ve been to Woodlawn and it’s beautiful. Can’t wait to go back and see Dorothy at some point.)

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Tuesdays used to be all about steampunk here on Folderol. We’ve moved away from that a bit, but did you know that a new concept in physics is known as “quantum steampunk?” It’s true! Jules Verne would be proud, I think. 

A brand new penny arcade game (yes, really!) lets you take aim at John Wilkes Booth before he takes aim at Abraham Lincoln. 

Con artists have been around for ages, but the recent story of Anna Delvey has prompted a look back at some other women in history who convinced others of their (nonexistent) fortune.

Monday, September 14, 2020

 Hello and happy Monday!

 In the midst of all this climate catastrophe, the Factum Foundation is working to preserve Venice, among many other artistic treasures

Those of us who are a certain age may remember the Ben Is Dead zine. Here’s a (slightly NSFW, some of those images were racy) look back. 

Behold John Malkovich, transforming himself in homage to several iconic photographs with the help of Sandro Miller!

Friday, September 11, 2020

 Happy Friday!

 It’s a little strange to consider Patriot Day this year, as we’re in the midst of a pandemic which has killed so many more Americans.

Major League Baseball has opened up its Film Room to the public – you can watch games of the past, make your own highlight reels, and more. 

And lastly, RIP to Dame Diana Rigg, who will forever be Mrs. Peel to me. Here’s a highlight reel of her own, from the fourth season of the Avengers.

 

 

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

Thursday, September 10, 2020

 

Have you ever wondered what Roman emperors really looked like? Well, wonder no more – Daniel Voshart has created photorealistic portraits. (As always, I like Marcus Aurelius in particular.)

 Have you ever wanted to create your own supervillain? Well, get to it, because AI is coming! Janelle Shane’s latest post shows some, er, interesting candidates. I do like the idea of a supervillain who has a toaster for a head.

Wednesday, September 09, 2020

 Forrest Fenn, the man who buried treasure for explorers to find, has passed on into the next level of treasure hunting.

 My hometown made the cryptozoological Monster Map! We’re very proud. (I think.) 

I have not been keeping up with the goth world and hadn’t thought about Voltaire in some time. Evidently he’s started a “gothic homemaking” YouTube series!

Tuesday, September 08, 2020

Friday, September 04, 2020

 Hello and happy Friday! It’s the Labor Day weekend here, which usually means a big fireworks show on the river. This year, the show is cancelled. Sort of. Instead, there will be fireworks from a secret location. It’s all very weird. I suppose that makes sense for 2020.

 I leave you with the best use of big data I’ve seen in a while – the Central Park Squirrel Census!

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

Thursday, September 03, 2020

Did you know that “knowledge workers” are more productive when they work from home? A new study proves it! 

2020 has been one strange year (so far), and archivists are aware of how important it is to document this while we’re living through it. 

Hilary Mantel is done with historical fiction for a while after finishing her Thomas Cromwell trilogy. I think that’s understandable. 

Speaking of Britain, the English National Opera is puttingon La Boheme as a drive-in performance. Flash your headlights to show your appreciation!

Wednesday, September 02, 2020

 A short but link-filled post today!

 There is something unaccountably cruel about the fact that Halloween 2020 falls on a Saturday AND a night with a full moon…and yet, from Salem to New Orleans, events have been canceled or severely curtailed. One silver lining is the avalanche of fun masks. I particularly like the Silence of the Lambs mask.  

Tuesday, September 01, 2020

 Happy Tuesday, and happy September. I agree that the arrival of fall always feels like the start of a new year.

 Imagine a weapon of mass…germination? Behold the seed bomb! 

Meanwhile, this wearable air purifier is probably very effective, but looks sort of uncomfortable.

Monday, August 31, 2020

 Good morning and happy Monday. It’s been difficult to wake up and get going today, so here’s something for the eyes and something for the ears. 

Eyes: Travel may be constrained these days, but you can still take sightseeing flights over Antarctica!This looks amazing. 

Ears: The remake of “Tower of Strength” is out, featuring artists like Gary Numan, Martin Gore, Gene Loves Jezebel and more. Have a listen!


Friday, August 28, 2020

 Happy Friday! 

Google is honoring Alexandre Dumas today, and focusing on one of my favorite books, The Count of Monte Cristo. 

Satori sent a followup on yesterday’s post about the new statute in Central Park. Let’s get some more women in there, please. 

Also from Satori: Lewis Miller Design is freshening up NYC streets with huge flower installations. 

And finally, the long read for the weekend: How do you gaze into the abyss during dark times such as these? 

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

Thursday, August 27, 2020

 It’s Thursday! And that means I’m busy. But here are two fun links. 

The most popular baby names in England and Wales for 2019 have been released. Kylo Ren is still inspiring names, regardless of your feelings toward the latest Star Wars movies!

 A new statue in Central Park honors Sojourner Truth, Susan B.Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. I hope to see it sooner rather than later.

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

 I just found out that most of the goth/alternative artists of my youth have united to remake "Tower of Strength" for COVID-related charity reasons. As "Tower of Strength" is one of my favorite songs, I am absolutely giddy.

Via Propnomicon: Zachary Zeydh has created the amazing Journal de Z, a journal of a Lovecraftian exploration that has to be one of the most detailed projects of this kind that I've seen.

Tarot decks are so numerous these days that you could probably find one with any theme you imagine. However, let's take a look at the Egyptian Tarot Deck(s), which began as far back as the 1780s.


Tuesday, August 25, 2020

 Have you seen the Melbourne Monolith? Microsoft Flight Simulator has a few bugs, but some of them are pretty great. Janelle Shane shows you some examples!

The Library Time Machine observed the surreality of a deserted London amidst the lockdown. Now, with things opening up somewhat, there are other issues...like this ban on restaurant background music in Scotland. (Who would have foreseen that?!?)

Leonardo Ulian creates art using circuitry and other electronic materials, and it's absolutely gorgeous. 

Monday, August 24, 2020

 Happy Monday. In these times of ever-increasing doomscrolling, you may be pleased to know that Miskatonic University is working to provide a safe campus for its faculty and students. Sort of.

The amazing John Coulthart has revamped his website. Take a look, it's incredible.

Brutalism is enjoying a comeback of sorts (probably because life right now is rather brutal). 

And lastly, here's another story of antique book theft...from the inside.

Friday, August 21, 2020

 Happy Friday!

 Have you heard of the Simulmatics Corporation? They basically created the future in 1960. It’s a little eerie.

 Indoor activities may be limited for the near (and far?) future, but there are still farms, and Food and Wine lists their best in each state. (For Ohioans, good news – Young’s Dairy Farm made the cut!) 

Kevyn Aucoin was a brilliant makeup artist. Now, the Makeup Museum is digitizing his equally brilliant journals. 

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

Thursday, August 20, 2020

 Whether or not you (or someone you know) is going back to school physically or virtually, there’s probably something in this mega-list of research resources for you. There’s an unbelievable amount of information here! 

For those of you interested in following the money: The COVID Money Tracker. 

For those of you interested in search engines, there are some very specific alternatives to Google. (I’m delighted to see engines like Command-E!) 

And finally, as if the pandemic wasn’t enough, the people of Iowa are in a really bad way after the derecho last week. Many still don’t have power. Donate if you’re able, won’t you?

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

 Hello! It’s a busy week here, but let’s think back to a time when we could go to concerts like Lollapalooza and Coachella and Glastonbury. This ‘90s festival generator comes up with lineups; then you click on each band and you’re taken to a live performance! Good times. I just watched World Party and Saint Etienne.

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

 

Have you heard of the American Society for the Protection of Magical Creatures? No? Well, you should take a look. There’s a plethora of material to investigate, and even the “NonMagical About” page has dozens of links to explore! 

On this date one hundred years ago, Tennessee ratified the 19th amendment, giving American women the right to vote. It was not an easy battle! To commemorate the day, here’s a Schoolhouse Rock song I used to know by heart. 

 

Monday, August 17, 2020

 Hello and happy Monday! 

I believe I may have linked to Tatsuya Tanaka’s miniature calendar before, but the calendar is still going, with something new every single day! It should be a regular stop on everyone’s daily web browsing schedule. 

Vladimir McCrary has had a career as wide-ranging as his name. Basketball player, model, poet…he’s a fount of energy. 

From Zazoo: "Enough is Enough" by Babs and Donna Summer is the theme song for a new LGBTQ+ campaign in the Trump era.”

Friday, August 14, 2020

 Hello and happy Friday! No links today, except this reminder that the Perseids meteor shower is still going on up in the sky (provided there are no clouds in the way). Have a safe and spiffy weekend, everyone. See you next week.

Thursday, August 13, 2020

 It’s Thursday, and you know what that means – not much time to post links! But here are a few. 

The COVID-19 Law Lab is an effort to gather all the legal documentation worldwide on the pandemic. North America isn’t represented very well (yet?), but other parts of the world have a lot there.

 IFAR is the International Foundation for Art Research, and their website has all sorts of neat information. There’s even a page for stolen art.

 Tedium has a great, detailed post about the history of online news. It was a different world back then, you young’uns!

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

 Happy Wednesday. Here are some random bits and pieces to enjoy! 

We are big fans of Meow Wolf, and are delighted to find out that they’re opening an “immersive supermarket” in Las Vegas next year. Many thanks to Satori for sending this. (Satori also said, “I bet they didn’t plan how important grocery stores would be when they were in concept phase.” Ha.) 

The Mysterious Package Company has also added to their repertoire, with the spinoff Curious Correspondence. If you sign up, you get a mystery package/puzzle each month. 

From Cassandra:  A recent Netflix horror movie was filmed in an abandoned (and haunted, of course!) Kentucky mansion. Lots of secrets there, I bet. 

And finally, just for fun: Due to all the recent baseball shenanigans, New York governor Andrew Cuomo suggested that the MLB play in a New York “bubble.” Someone on Reddit took the idea and renamed all the teams tomake them more NY-friendly. My personal favorite is the Brooklyn Bagels, but I also like the Greenwich Stonewallers.

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

 Hello. Remember when we used to travel about and look at things? Those were good times. 

Anyway! Here’s a look at modern Singapore, and how it’s become a futurist dystopia of sorts. (Thanks to Cassandra for sending this!) 

The motorcycle gets a fabulous-looking reinvention here. I miss Art Deco. Maybe we can have a 21st-century revival.

After World War II, French fashion came back to life with the help of the tiny mannequins of the Théâtre de la Mode!

Culturespaces creates a different kind of immersive exhibit, where you’re surrounded by the art in a space. It looks incredible. They have a page of their venues, and each one is worth seeing – here’s just one example.

Monday, August 10, 2020

 We’re back! Well, sort of. While we get caught up on everything, here are two links from others! 

From Bill Lucey: Irregardless is now a perfectly cromulent word, even if my spellcheck doesn’t think so. (It does think cromulent is a valid word, though. Hm.)

 From Nicole: Behold, the Women of Science Tarot Deck!

Friday, July 24, 2020

Hello and happy Friday! 

The Spooky Librarians are going to be on staycation for the next two weeks. Updates may happen, but may not, depending on when we get up in the morning. We may go to the World’s Longest Yard Sale, depending on weather and COVID numbers, but other than that, we don’t have much planned. 2020 is so strange. 

Anyway! On to links from others! 

From Cassandra: A new group, ReImagine Appalachia, is working to bring jobs and sustainability to the region. There’s much more on the organization here. Looks fantastic. 

From Satori: The “battles” among museums on Twitter have been providing much-needed culture and humor each week! The most recent competition, for “best bum,” is especially good. 

The Swedish island of Gotland is using medieval knights to encourage social distancing. I already wanted to visit Gotland; this is an added incentive!

 Have a safe and spiffy weekend/week, everyone. See you in August!


Thursday, July 23, 2020

I’ve been waiting to post a link to Baseball Theater for MONTHS now. It’s new and looks like it’s going to be an amazing resource for baseball fans, especially during this weird abbreviated season.

If you’re going to protests, be aware that tech companies may be following you via your phone, and then using your demographic information. 

Drive-in movies are having a renaissance in this pandemic-stricken world! You can search for drive-ins near you, or just soak up the nostalgia.


Wednesday, July 22, 2020

For those of you who love maps and technology (like me), you may also love these real-time transit maps on circuit boards! (Found via The Map Room, which always has very cool map-related info.) 

For those of you who love space (like Cassandra), you may also love this simulation of sunsets as seen from other planets and moons. Phys.org has a bit more information on how this came together. 

And for those of you who love David LaChappelle (like Zazoo and Satori), he’s back with a new installation in London! (Also, he has become a farmer in Hawaii. Like you do.)

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Greetings! 

There’s a website now dedicated to COVID innovations. The mother of necessity strikes again!  One fun new idea is LUSH’s mini-soap which dissolves in thirty seconds of handwashing. Good idea for kids! 

A yoga studio in Toronto doesn’t have to worry about such things – they were already socially distant, thanks to these tiny geodesic domes they use for hot yoga! (This is probably the only way I would do hot yoga. I could pretend it’s some utopian future.) 

Meanwhile, in Barcelona, the Gran Teatre del Liceu has reopened with a concert livestreamed to humans and with a theater filled with plants as an audience. I’m betting the plants enjoyed it a great deal.


Monday, July 20, 2020

Happy Monday! I've been spending part of my morning playing with Boil The Frog, a site that does a sort of "six degrees" connecting to musical artists. It's great for finding similar music to explore (although it doesn't have many of the more obscure artists, be warned.) Many thanks to Bunny for sending it!

Friday, July 17, 2020

Hi there. It's been a long week and I have no links left at the end of it all! So I'm taking today off. Back next week with more content. Have a safe and spiffy weekend, everyone.

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Here’s something to distract a bit from current events: learn hieroglyphs! Google has a new project that teaches about hieroglyphs, shows you a way to send messages, and even offers a crowdsourcing project to help AI recognize damaged hieroglyphs for archaeologists and historians. Neat!


Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Hello! It’s a busy day behind the scenes, so here’s something short and goofy. In Rapid City, South Dakota, there are statues of every U.S. president in the downtown area. It’s like the Presidential Grove in my city, but a bit more…monumental. Enjoy!


Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Hi and happy Bastille Day. 

Followup from yesterday: My family has heard about the Berkshire UFOs, but has no additional information. (Also, there was a plaque to mark the alien arrival! But now it’s gone. Oops.) 

So many people have died this year, but Grant Imahara’s sudden death seems especially unexpected and unfair. 

Janelle Shane has some interesting facts about whales, many of which are completely false as she’s asked AI for the interesting facts. (There’s a good Darth Vader dialogue at the end, though.) 

As the pandemic seems to be zooming along quite happily through the summer heat, I think this is my socializing plan for the foreseeable future.