Friday, May 28, 2021

 Hello and happy Friday! Here are a few links to send you off for the holiday weekend, courtesy of Cassandra:

Cats like to sit in squares. Even squares that are just made of corners! Decca, the current cat at Spooky Librarians HQ, is indifferent to squares, but I may try this to see what happens.

Vox is taking a look back at the stories of the late 1990s-early 2000s - particularly the way young women were treated. It was, as they say, a different time.

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

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Happy Thursday! It's busy as usual, but this article about diaries during the smallpox inoculation of the 1700s led me to the Congregational Library website, which has all sorts of fascinating information. You can also transcribe documents if you'd like to help.

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

 As things begin to return to something resembling the Before Times, here are two examples: 

Baseball Theater is up and running, for all your baseball statistics needs! 

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade will not be happening on the scheduled date, but may occur later in the summer. Flexibility is going to be one of the keywords for 2021, I think.

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Greetings! I've been going through my RSS feeds (I still wholeheartedly believe in RSS feeds, even if much of the world has moved on) and here are a few history-related sites to share. Enjoy!






Not history related: Metabunk, working on debunking (when necessary) and illuminating (when possible). 

Monday, May 24, 2021

 When life gives you lemons (or quarantine), why not make...banana art?


The list of words Shakespeare invented is always contentious, but here's a list which tries to be as accurate as possible. (He invented the word anchovy?!?)

Many of us know Switched-On Bach and the followup albums. But did you know there are many, many other "Switched-On" releases out there?  Like, for instance, Switched-On Country? The mind reels!

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Thursdays continue to be ridiculously busy. More soon! 

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Hello! It looks like many summer staples are set to return this year, even if in a modified format. (My beloved Northside 4th of July parade is switching up format to feature "house floats" and mini-block parties.) Can state fairs be far behind? And, if so, will the haunted state fair of Minnesota welcome back the ghosts of its past?

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

 Hello! Today's rabbit hole is this Aesthetics Wiki. I've been having fun looking through the "Punk Suffix"  category. Although I love Decopunk, I think my real aesthetic may be "Darkest Academia."

While the centennial observations of World War I are mostly over, remnants from the war echoed for several years after the armistice. The return of the Wheaton, carrying U.S. dead, reached American shores in 1921, and a website honors the fallen.

Monday, May 17, 2021

 Monday! Here are some sights to see:

- Amazing daily "doodles" (more like detailed sketches) by an 88-year-old during lockdown.

- Trick photography in the early days of the craft!

- Yayoi Kusama's exhibition in the New York Botanical Garden!

- Mama Rabbit's amazing decor!

- Secrets of alchemy revealed! (Well, sort of.)

Friday, May 14, 2021

 Hello and happy Friday!

Here in the U.S., fully vaccinated people may be starting to get back to "normal" living? Maybe?

Also in the U.S., the baby names list for 2020 is out! It looks like the 1700s is back, with Oliver and Emma and Henry all being near the top. You can also track a name's popularity from 1900 on.  Apparently my name hasn't been in the top 1000 since 1990. The most popular year for my name was 1946. If you are a name nerd like me, this stuff is great.

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

Thursday, May 13, 2021

 Thursday has once again struck with a vengeance. Back soon with links!

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Psst! Wanna get vaccinated at Dracula's castle? Sounds like an excellent opportunity for vampires!

Ghost signs are the faded remnants you see in cities (usually on brick walls). You can read about a whole slew of British ghost signs, and there's also a San Francisco-based website.

Victor Vasarely was a great op-art artist, and did you know he made some jewelry as well?

What did the pioneering astronauts eat? Well, most of it came from "Bea's Diner."

Monday, May 10, 2021

 Hello and happy Monday!

Photography, once considered beneath museums, is now a recognized art form. A collection of photos from 1970s NYC, taken by a taxi driver, is now a book and it looks fantastic.


Have you ever wanted to explore the Bayeux Tapestry in detail? Now you can do so online!

Friday, May 07, 2021

Good news, everyone! We have new windows, we're being vaccinated, everything is getting back in order (albeit slowly). Regular posts with actual links should resume next week! Thanks for your patience.

Wednesday, May 05, 2021

 Hello! Our windows adventures are continuing, but here are a few quick links.

Janelle Shane asked some neural networks to come up with new Disney villains, and they obliged. I really want to know what "second-hand telepathy" entails.

At Green-Wood Cemetery, they're having "A Night of Victorian Tragedy" next week, and I so wish I could be there.

If you're looking for a crowdsourcing project, the Library of Congress is digitizing a slew of reports and needs some help.

Tuesday, May 04, 2021

 Greetings! It's a bit of a hectic week here, as we are getting new windows (very exciting). Updates soon.