The Times Are Changin' Weekly Link Round-Up

 

I suppose it was to be expected that Denis's death would bring about personal changes in my life. My reading has slowed almost to a crawl compared to what it's been the rest of my life. What I do read is exclusively on my Kindle. Why? Arthritic hands, no towering piles of physical books, the convenience of being able to change the font size and highlight a word to learn its definition. 

I am finding myself wanting to spend more time knitting and doing needlepoint, and when I find myself in need of an item for a project, I get it online so I'll stay out of nearby craft stores. Why? Because, if I go in a craft store, I think my will power would turn tail and run. A reduced income means I have to be smart about what I do and how much I spend. (Not that I wasn't careful before.) What a pain!

From all the hummingbird activity, I think there is a lot of nesting going on, which means there will be plenty of baby hummers learning how to take advantage of my feeders (which I just finished cleaning and refilling).

Here's another photo of my family room to show the Mexican floral designs I've introduced as well as some African handmade items that are bright, cheerful, and make me smile.

I hear the Polar Vortex is gearing up for another blast. If you are in its path, please stay safe and warm--and make sure you have plenty of reading material. Virtual hugs to you all!

Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Concerns about AI-made images have deep roots in the earliest years of filmmaking.
• Many Americans read 0 books in 2025. A new reading challenge wants to change that.
• AI's memorization crisis.
• Audio is "no longer an afterthought" as publishers snap up a raft of audio-first acquisitions.
• Neuroscientists studied more than 80,000 people and found that speaking multiple languages might slow down brain aging.
• An Alabama board has voted to remove books about being transgender from public library youth sections.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• 1,700-year-old Roman marching camps have been discovered in Germany-- along with a multitude of artifacts like coins and remnants of shoes.
• Archaeologists say they've detected the largest stand-alone ancient Roman villa ever unearthed in Wales.
• A 2,400-year-old Hercules shrine and elite tombs were discovered outside ancient Rome's walls.
• In a new documentary, famed archaeologist Zahi Hawaas claims Nefertiti's tomb is close to discovery.
• Remnants of spills on a Renaissance-era textbook reveal recipes for "curing" ailments.
• A DNA study has revealed that one of the last Siberian shamans was an 18th-century woman whose parents were related.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• During the 1918 flu epidemic, pet parents put masks on their cats.
• Pumas returned to Patagonia-- and met penguins. What happened next surprised scientists.
• A cow named Veronika can scratch her back with a broom. Watch the video that scientists are calling the first documented evidence of cattle using tools.
• A coyote scrambled onto Alcatraz Island after a perilous, never-before-seen swim.
• This mama polar bear adopted a young cub-- and you can track the family as they wander around Hudson Bay.
• These male hummingbirds evolved straighter, sharper bills so they could better joust for mates.

►The Wanderer◄

• You can see a swirling sculpture made of 8,000 books at a library in Prague.
• This tiny French archipelago became America's alcohol warehouse during Prohibition.
• Crime and the City: Santo Domingo.
• From historic houses to scenic salt marshes, these 15 photographs capture the charm of Charleston, South Carolina.
• Triple Divide Peak: Montana's unique liquid "crossroads" where water can flow into three oceans.
• Hungary's oldest library races to rescue books from hungry beetles.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Oscar Wilde's portraits, poems, letters, and manuscripts head to auction 125 years after his death.
• George R.R. Martin on his triumphs and torments.
• Vicki Delany on writing what you want to learn: the joy of real-world research when crafting a novel.
• Aina Cederblom, the Swedish female adventurer who sailed solo around the world.
• Elaine Yoneda, a Jewish woman in a Japanese American concentration camp.
• Meet Cristhian Conde-Saldaña who discovered a new genus of curious catfish hiding in Colombia's mot endangered river. 

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Crime on the high seas: 8 historical mysteries with pirates and smugglers.
• 7 weird punctuation marks we should bring back.
• BookBub's best mysteries and thrillers of 2026.
• 16 biographies and memoirs coming this year.
• The best crime TV series of 2025.
• 45 terrific slang terms from the last century.

That's all for this week! No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!