Quote: “One of the most refreshing parts of prison friendships was how men would form bonds with guys they never would have even encountered in normal life. I remember walking by a former drug dealer, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent, a former mobster and a former preacher all sitting around a table together in…
A Little Freeze Library in Petoskey, Michigan. (h/t Laughing Squid) “You’ve heard of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault – did you know Chile has one too?In the Atacama Desert, one of the world’s driest regions, the Initihuasi Seed Bank is freezing thousands of native plant species to safeguard them against climate change, extinction and disaster.…
Seriously? And they don’t recognize grayling or milt, either. Humph. (NYT Spelling Bee, to which I am addicted.) I’ve only seen Hadrian’s Wall from a viewpoint near Carlisle. Be fun to drive it or hike it, if only to send someone a postcard from a place called Haltwhistle. (Brilliant Maps) Route 66 stamps in 2026!…
“A roofer’s personal politics comes into play heavily when choosing jobs.” One of the best written scenes in film history. (h/t Smoke Signals, in a terrific post that makes me think I was born into the wrong generation.) Heh. (h/t Laughing Squid) “It’s the Internet, Stupid.” Post by Francis Fukuyama on how we got here.…
One of many 3D printed house designs by Icon. Look at more designed for Earth and the Moon, and read about the guy who started the company here. More videos here. Trés cool. (h/t NYT) “1927 Paramount Studio Map Of California Filming Locations That Look Like Foreign Countries & Regions.” Heh. (Brilliant Maps) Quote: “If…
Colors of the Moon. Gorgeousnous. (h/t APOD.) “Said they were looking for the Super Bowl. This was in July.” (You’re welcome.) Quote: “Solar is taking off across Africa. In the 12 months through June 2025, over 15GW worth of solar panels were imported. This wave is happening across the continent: 20 countries have set new import…
Heh. (h/t Laughing Squid) Great story about one jury doing their civic duty. Quote: “It felt good erasing the slight taste of bitter irony I had coming from the knowledge that while 12 ordinary citizens did their civic duty, our nation’s “highest leaders” demonstrate daily that they do not give a goddamn about breaking the…
Anything you ever wanted to know about shoelaces, including many, many, many ways to tie them. (Ian’s Shoelace Site) I didn’t know that Frances Perkins had personally witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. (“Letters from an American” newsletter, August 13, 2025. See also here.) I’ve never seen a more accurate map of any European city…
Just the best story about Auburn University students answering the phone at the James E. Foy Information Desk in the Melton Student Center. Quote: “He told me that, one night, “this old woman called, and this is the only time I ever talked to her, but she talked for about an hour. She honestly wasn’t…
Best interview Terry Gross ever did. Mostly because Manzarek barely let her get a word in edgewise. (h/t WayneR, I think) Quote: “A sparkling and dusty scene from the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the Milky Way’s satellite galaxies, about 160 000 light-years away.” Right next door, in fact. More images commemorating Hubble’s 35 Anniversary…
