Thursday, July 29, 2021

 Hi there! Here's a quick link of interest: Did you know tuberculosis patients were once quarantined in Kentucky's Mammoth Cave? It's true! (Spoiler: it didn't work very well.) Maybe we could revive this practice for the non-vaccinated among us.

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

 Hello!

We've been to NYC in the past week! It was a little different than the NYC of the past, but just as fascinating and fun. A few places we visited:


The Museum of the City of New York, to see the NYC early '80s music exhibit!

The Neue Galerie, which is dedicated to early 20th century Austrian and German art, and is absolutely amazing. The exhibit on the Wiener Werskstatte collective sent me down a rabbit hole of early 20th century design goodness, with information from the MAK museum in Vienna and the history of the Vienna Secession. So much gorgeous design came out of those years. Also, check out the Neue Galerie's bookstore, which is packed full of amazing reading material!

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Hello and happy Wednesday. We're taking a few days off for traveling (travel? what's that? this is a foreign concept!), but we leave you with two links:

Anti-Waste takes discarded umbrellas and refashions them into desk lamps!

UAV Geography pinpoints unmanned aircraft sightings (mostly drones, but a few "mysterious objects") around the U.S. 

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

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

 Today, a quick fly-by post. Did you know Edward Gorey made his own stuffed toys? It's true!

Monday, July 19, 2021

Greetings! Earlier this year, MAKE Magazine held a "May the Fourth" contest for makers. The winners have been announced! Creativity abounds. 

On the other end of the spectrum, here's a candid take on job burnout that makes a lot of sense.

Friday, July 16, 2021

Hello and happy Friday!

As you may have been able to tell, we've been stupidly busy this summer. Posts until the end of the month are going to be very hit and miss; I'll try to put up some links occasionally, but it's been hectic here! Look for a return to more regularity at the beginning of August.  Have a safe and spiffy weekend/month!

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

 This just in: What do Edgar Allan Poe, John Cleves Symmes, and the Mountains of Madness have in common? Come along and explore the strange tale of Arthur Gordon Pym!

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Hello! Today's task, should you choose to accept it, is to make some delicious cuneiform cookies. There's a recipe, an instructional sheet, and a blog post about it, all courtesy of the Getty Institute!

Monday, July 12, 2021

Happy Monday. Would you rather be in a different reality? Apparently "shifting" is a thing among the youth of today. It sounds like lucid dreaming, but with an added layer of weirdness.

The Society for Gentlemen Explorers is a bit less weird (and also open to females, despite the name), but seeks adventure and intrigue around the world. If you like this sort of thing, you'll probably also love Oddball University!

And, lastly, we have a collection of illegible autographs. You can, perhaps, map your own reality onto these, if you like.

Friday, July 09, 2021

 Greetings! No links today, just a wish for a safe and spiffy weekend. More soon.

Wednesday, July 07, 2021

Just one link today, but it's one that leads to various rabbit holes on the internet: Parrot astrology. Yes! It's a thing!

Tuesday, July 06, 2021

 Hello there! Let's jump right in with some weird links.

Once upon a time, it was thought that Mars was crisscrossed with canals, created by another civilization. This turned out to be untrue, but it's still fascinating. (Also, check out the odd life of Percival Lowell, brother of poet Amy Lowell.)

The uncanny valley has many components. Where do zombies fit in, for instance?

If ventriloquist dummies give you the heebie jeebies, you will probably not be interested in the Vent Haven convention, happening soon near me. For those of us who love puppets and ventriloquism, however, check it out!

And now, for something less uncanny and more tangible: The Radical Gardeners of Brooklyn and how they seed bombed the neighborhoods back in the day.