I'm not as late as I was last week, which is a good thing, I reckon. We now have stacks of new shingles and other goodies sitting on the driveway, so Casa Kittling's makeover is looming in the headlights. The only really "exciting" thing I saw occurred today in our back garden over the swimming pool. A pair of hummingbirds was chasing each other all over the place. A pair of dragonflies was doing the same thing. Both pairs forgot about the other and SMACKDOWN! One hummingbird and one dragonfly collided over the pool. The hummingbird looked stunned and confused and went off to perch in the oleanders for a couple of minutes. The dragonfly fortunately landed on the hose of the pool cleaner and rested there for a while. I could swear I saw five or six constellations of stars revolving above its head. Those creatures are always so beautiful and graceful that it was nice to see that they, too, have their ungainly moments!
Enough of this! I have a ton of links this week. You may look at the sheer numbers of them, but I did prune before posting!
Bookish News & Other Fun Stuff
- Send a message (and a book) to an American Hero with the help of Penguin.
- 18 Iconic Products that America Doesn't Make Anymore.
- How to make a birdhouse out of children's books. The results are cute and a good way to recycle those Little Golden Books that may be too chewed, slobbered upon or just plain raggedy to keep.
- The bookseller who doesn't read novels.
- 40 beautiful coffee table books for foodies.
- The five best books on book collecting.
- 18 Unspoiled Coasts Around the World. (drool)
- Johnny Depp + Tim Burton = Dark Shadows? YES!
- "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Director Niels Arden Oplev Knows What Women Want (to be): Lisbeth Salander.
- 5 reasons you don't need an e-book reader.
- 10 essential books from the last 25 years.
- Have you seen the trailer for the Jane Eyre movie due out next year?
- What happens when the libraries die?
- Trying to avoid getting stuck in a bad job? Don't apply for the position as book censor in Iran.
- Next year The New York Times will rank e-book best sellers.
- You'd better watch out: Amazon patents a "bad gift" converter.
- The many covers of Anna Karenina.
- Scientists have designed a Harry Potter-style invisibility cloak.
- The Smithsonian has an article about a murder in Salem that inspired Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
- I wish I had one of these vases lying about Casa Kittling....
Blogging & Social Media Tips
- The importance of images within a blog.
- 11 Twitter and Social Media Tools to Try in 2011.
- Company accused of firing employee over a Facebook post.
- Site Jabber's mission: to help people avoid fraudulent websites.
- The 10 riskiest places to give your Social Security number.
- Read Twitter as a daily newspaper.
Around the Water Cooler in the Book Blogosphere
- The Bumbles Blog: What does your desktop say about you?
- The Betty and Boo Chronicles: Happy Thanksforspending!
- Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?: Things I Don't Understand in Books #1.
- The Book Smugglers: Crossing a Line: Is Banning Books Ever OK?
New to My Google Reader
Take a big sip of whatever you're drinking and give yourself a pat on the back. You've made it all the way to the end. I certainly hope you found a thing or two that tickled your fancy. Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll have a fresh batch of links for your surfing pleasure. See you then!
OMG the hummingbird / dragonfly story is too funny. Thanks so much for sharing that.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, you found several great posts that I missed.
Good luck on the construction.
Cathy - I just love your links round-up. There is always so much I miss throughout the week. Thanks. And I wish you well on your construction project.
ReplyDeleteGreat list of links, as always! I'm amazed at the places you get to! :--)
ReplyDeleteI always wondered how fast flyers keep from smashing into each other. Now I know - they occasionally do! Very funny. Well, not for the bird and the dragonfly I guess.
ReplyDeleteBeth-- I thought I wouldn't be the only one who'd enjoy the mid-air collision. We need all the luck we can get on the construction. The children who live on either side of us have already started trying to haul off the construction materials.
ReplyDeleteMargot-- Thanks!
Jill-- Stealth mode helps! ;)
Barbara-- No, they did look a bit embarrassed! LOL
I love that list of unspoiled coasts... especially because my own home of Prince Edward Island has made the list, as well as 2 other coasts that are close to me, and a total of 4 for Canada in total! Love it!
ReplyDeleteI like this whole idea very much, Cathy. I'm going to be sure to check back every Friday - if not sooner. P.S. LOVE the paintins of Deborah DeWit. I have an old calendar of hers and I've been meaning to frame some of the pictures. It's amazing to me that she does not appear to have a bigger presence online.
ReplyDeleteAmy-- I was thinking of you when I saw those particular photos!
ReplyDeleteYvette-- It amazes me as well. When I emailed her about featuring her art on my blog, I found her to be so friendly and gracious. I had to buy a second copy of In the Presence of Books because the pages began to fall out of the first. (I've begun to frame them.) I've also purchased several of her notecards, but I've been loathe to use them!