An Interesting Times Weekly Link Round-Up

 

This has been a week I could've done without. Total disruption of my sleep patterns, meal times, and on and on. Why? Because I had to have a new electrical panel installed. Then the gas and water lines had to be relocated. Then the power outlets in the house needed to be brought up to code. Then a new water heater. And now something's wrong with the pool filter. I even thought my router had given up the ghost. But the coup de grâce? The air conditioner did give up the ghost, and it was only 110°F/44°C. 

Have I been having fun? You bet! Am I ever sarcastic? Never!

Now for something completely different. Remember the photos I posted of Suzanne and Daisy's visit where we'd set up an assembly line to make felt-lined needlepoint star baskets? I've shown you photos of two of the five baskets, and now I finally have a third done. Here it is--

When I first met my niece, Karen, who lives in the Manchester, UK area, she had two black and white cats named Bonnie and Clyde. When I saw those buttons on Etsy, I had to have them for this basket. The felt lining inside I'd had for years because I knew I'd do something with it eventually. The light pink yarn is left over from the afghan I made Karen. What do you think? Think she'll like it?

The electricians are at the other end of the house working on those outlets, so I'm going to head to the corral. Virtual hugs to you all, and enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• This man thinks we don't need hardback books.
• Huntington Beach (California) ordered to pay $1 million in legal fees after a library censorship defeat.
• A man has pled guilty to a $48 million national book publishing scam.
• Is learning to read in New York City schools getting in the way of reading whole books?
• Did you know there's an independent bookstore revival underway?
• How Substack became the new book tour.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• The Athena Bowl: A silver and gold vessel of the goddess and her owl, buried in a German forest 2,000 years ago.
• A 500-year-old dental bridge is the earliest known oral care of its kind in Scotland-- and it likely held a fake tooth.
• Here's what underwater robots are finding at France's deepest shipwreck, a 16th-century merchant vessel resting at the bottom of the Mediterranean.
• In the ancient world, this pigment was worth more than gold. Archaeologists discovered it buried with babies in Roman coffins.
• Archaeologists didn't expect to find anything at this site in England. Then they stumbled upon a Roman villa and a bronze artifact dubbed "Norfolk Nessie."
• This Vincent van Gogh painting was found wrapped in an Ikea bag and a blood-stained pillow. Now, the artwork has been restored to its former glory.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• The 15 deadliest animals on Earth.
• See 15 images that won the German Society for Nature Photography's annual contest.
• Atlantic puffins are returning to shore. Here's how to see the fleeting spring spectacle.
• A devoted dog walker converted an old school bus into the perfect vehicle to ferry canine clients to the park.
• One of the American West's most iconic birds-- the greater sage grouse-- is attempting to mate near a dangerous airport. Could robo-birds help save them?
• Octopus sex just got weirder. In addition to depositing sperm, males' specialized mating arm can "taste" female hormones. (This reminded me of the video taken of a female octopus throwing rocks at a male.)

►The Wanderer◄

• The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague has around 100,000 bodies buried below medieval headstones, many of which mark graves with multiple bodies stacked up to 12 deep.
• This person visited the real-life homes behind beloved childhood books-- and found a new way to read them.
• Crime and the City: Ottawa, Canada.
• East Africa might break off from the continent sooner than scientists thought-- and a new ocean may fill the gap.
• 17 of the most charming small towns in the U.S.
• Five mountains that are totally off-limits-- and why.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• History remembers Mary Boleyn as the scandalous "other Boleyn girl." New research debunks the myths surrounding the Tudor mistress.
• High schooler Edward Kang developed an AI tool to diagnose autism and ADHD using the retina.
• A heartfelt tribute honoring Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday. (He's one of my heroes.)
• How Jane Austen influenced modern detective fiction.
• Meet Meenakshi Amma, the sword-wielding grandmother bringing women back to Indian martial arts.
• Anthony Horowitz says he uses ChatGPT in writing.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• These 27 new history books are enthralling.
• We need more geriatric heroines.
• 8 of the weirdest mystery and thriller movies of all time.
• 17 thrillers with unreliable narrators.
• These 14 books are perfect for Andy Weir fans.
• Explore Ireland  in these 22 books.

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!