Friday, January 31, 2020

Happy Friday! And happy(?) Brexit day, if you’re interested in such things. The BBC has a liveblog going on to observe the event. 

News alert: Be on the lookout for “a large boulder the size of a small boulder” in the road. My favorite comment: “Look at the sizes of that thing!”

From Zazoo: No, the coronavirus is not connected to Corona beer. (Hee.)

For Zazoo and Satori: A bodhisattva cat, who lives at a Buddhist temple and won’t eat meat. Maybe reincarnation is real after all!

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

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Hello! Today’s a bit of a catching-up day.

In archaeology news, an ancient Mayan palace has been discovered. In spookier news, here’s the grave of a vampire. Really! (Well, those who buried the person thought they might be a vampire, at least.)

In modern-day unnerving news, you can watch a constantly-updated dashboard of coronavirus cases worldwide from Johns Hopkins University. (Found via Reddit’s coronavirus megathread, which links to some good sources.)

For fictional horror, check out Sublime Horror for some excellent reading material.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Hi there. Unexpected day off today (more dental fun in the family). Back tomorrow!

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Who really killed Jimmy Hoffa? It’s still a topic of discussion.

Creating an alternate identity on Twitter can lead to all sorts of self-discoveries. 

The Library Time Machine has a wonderful post on paintings, houses of mystery, library findings, and so much more.

From the Public Domain Review: Behold Francois de Nome’s ruins of imaginary places!

Monday, January 27, 2020

Hello and happy Monday!

I just finished a book about the Cartier family and jewelry business, and it was fascinating, both from artsy and genealogical perspectives.

Why do we love how-to videos? Well, there’s a plethora of reasons.

The Chapel of Sound, currently being constructed in Beijing, is an amazing structure which looks like layered rock.

Friday, January 24, 2020

Hooray for Friday!

From Holly: “Here's some comic relief that looks suspiciously a lot like stuff we'd do on a mix tape.” It’s true! It’s every episode of the Muppet Show…distilled down to one second each. Brilliant.

From Zazoo: The documentary on Michael Hutchence is finally out, and looks great.

From Bunny: “Here's a link for Folderol for ya :You can now explore every MoMA exhibit since 1929 online.”

From Cassandra: Resistance is futile! 

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

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Most of you know the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. But now, Berkeley has an exhibit showing the Six Degrees of Mark Twain! 

Interacting with a corporate chatbot can be…frustrating. Apparently this bot’s days are numbered. 

Speaking of numbers...The Numbers is a website all about movies. One neat feature is this ever-updating release schedule for the year and beyond!

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

The Freethought Trail is a very cool website which tracks the various social reform movements in New York during the 1840s and 1850s. There were a lot of different groups, ranging from the wacky to the profound, and this is a great way to learn about them.

Looking for the right word in one or more European languages? Try this handy European translator! (Found via Strange Maps.)

Have you ever heard voices? Good news, you’re not going mad. Probably, anyway. (I’ve heard my name called once or twice. It’s disorienting, to say the least.)

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Friday, January 17, 2020

Happy Friday!

The Women’s March is tomorrow, with hundreds of “sister marches” happening worldwide. The organization behind the march has had some issues, but they’re trying to regain their footing.

On the heels of yesterday’s link to reading challenges, my hometown library is having a Winter Checkout Challenge! Even if you’re not local, you can peruse the challenge list and make up your own if you like.

From Cassandra: First generation university students are more likely to experience imposter syndrome. Makes sense.

Also from Cassandra: What did Cincinnatians of the past predict for the Cincinnati of the future? Some weren’t that far off!

Have a safe and spiffy long weekend, everyone. We’re taking Monday off and will be back next week.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

If you’re looking for a reading challenge in the new year, fear not – here are oodles of them! Pick one (or more) and have fun.

I am not a William Faulkner fan, but I do love a line he wrote in Requiem for a Nun: "The past is never dead. It's not even past." With that in mind, check out Earth in the Past for amazing photos of everyday life, and read this story about artwork from the Holocaust’s “lost girls.”

Wednesday, January 15, 2020



Hello! This is me, as designed by Bunny via HeroForge. You can make your own customized miniatures there, and there’s currently a Kickstarter to make them in color, even. (This is indeed pretty much me, all about books and small animals and long skirts.)

In other customized creations, why not create your own fully operational Death Star display shelf? 

You can also own your own Tillinghast Device, although I wouldn’t really recommend it for sanity purposes.

Behold, all the world’s music charts! Well, most of them, anyway. I looked at the biggest songs of the year in recent history and concluded that I apparently stopped paying attention to popular music in 2002, because the songs after that are mostly mysteries to me.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

I just started reading Genevieve Cogman’s Invisible Library series (excellent for steampunk library types!), and the real-life scandal about the Oxyrhynchus collection at Oxford sounds like it’s straight out of one of the books.

Meanwhile, near my hometown, there’s a real-life treasure hunt for gold-filled chests! 

Remember those stories a few years ago about a mysterious hum? The good news is that the answer’s been found. The bad news is that it’s a new volcano.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Apparently, the new year is going to be extremely busy…or at least January is going to be busy. In the meantime, however, here’s a lovely deep dive on John Williams’s work with the Star Wars films. If you’re a musician, this will be a wonderful walk through leitmotifs and whatnot; if you’re not, it’s a great exploration of how to create a soundtrack.

Via Warren Ellis: Divisionism, an overlooked offshoot of Impressionism. It’s…awfully light-colored for my taste, but I like the general concept.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Happy Friday!

Elizabeth Wurtzel died earlier this week. Her last year was a tough one, and her description of what she went through has been published. Whether you loved or hated her, there’s no denying the gorgeousness of her writing.

From Cassandra: The story of a Scottish woman who doesn’t feel physical or emotional pain due to a genetic quirk. Wow. Can you imagine?

From Zazoo: “Janelle Monae is the host of a new Netflix TV series called Sex Explained! And her upcoming movie Antebellum looks good too.”

At CES this week, Toyota unveiled plans for a City of the Future. Woven City reminds me of the earliest EPCOT plans.

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

Wednesday, January 08, 2020

Hello and welcome to another crazy day. Stay safe out there, everyone.

Via Propnomicon: Some amazing history of medical containers, courtesy of the Pirate Surgeon’s website, which may suck you in for hours if you’re not careful!

In other news, consider the magic hat throughout history.

Tuesday, January 07, 2020

The holiday season may be over, but the 2019 Advent Calendar of Curiosities is still online, and the previous years are as well! Go and be informed about strange happenings throughout history, among other fascinating tidbits.

The NY Times has an interactive feature showing how the city’s subway was designed. It’s very well done – just keep clicking the arrow on the right and go on a ride through the town.

Bellingcat puts reverse images search engines to the test and compares the results. Also from this post, I discovered Flag ID, a great site for figuring out which country has which flag.

Monday, January 06, 2020

Hello and happy Monday!

Here are some mindblowing facts for you, courtesy of Reddit. Among the facts: redheads feel more pain. I am going to consult with my redheaded spouse on this.

Buried Treasure finds wonderful indie games, and reminded me that my Conceptis account is still active!

Shoegaze is alive and well, evidently; enough so that there’s a best-of list for 2019.

Friday, January 03, 2020

Hello and happy Friday!

Once again, it’s time for the annual Moby Dick Marathon. It’s true! It starts today, so get thee to the whaling museum.

Sabaton brings history to life via power metal. As Schoolhouse Rock could tell you, it’s easier to learn with music!

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

Thursday, January 02, 2020

Hello and Happy New Year!

The new year brings a treasure trove for T.S. Eliot researchers – his letters to Emily Hale can finally be opened, fifty years after her death. 

The Mandalorian’s first season is over (and was really good), but did you know the man behind the armor for much of the series was the grandson of John Wayne? 

Why so many bird mummies? A hatchery theory is pondered (and eventually discarded), thanks to avian DNA. 

Lorenz Stoer is not famous like M.C. Escher, but his geometric art is just as wild (and much more colorful).