Squandrous

A trumpeter during World War II tells his story of how his music...

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:29:02 -0400

A trumpeter during World War II tells his story of how his music made an impact on the battlefield. (via)

"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the..."

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:28:56 -0400

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind; not with it.”

- Henry Ford (via)

From Newsweek’s gallery of Accidental Inventions, via the Newsweek Tumblr: Sometimes, in...

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:48:58 -0400

From Newsweek’s gallery of Accidental Inventions, via the Newsweek Tumblr:

Sometimes, in the pursuit of scientific endeavors, scientists become famous for reasons that don’t seem entirely scientific. Take the chemist William Perkin. His big dream was to find a cure for malaria. In 1856 the young Englishman was working on an artificial form of quinine when his experiments yielded a dark sludge. It was a disappointing result, but instead of chucking the mess, Perkin noticed the color. It was a particular shade of purple, which happened to be a hot color among the fashionable folks of the time. He was able to isolate the compound that produced the color—mauve—and realized it worked well as a dye. Within a year, Perkin patented his synthetic dye, the first synthetic dye ever made, and opened a company to make and sell it.

Not quite a cure for malaria, but hey: I do like mauve.

Today is the first day of September. In a few weeks, children...

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:13:17 -0400

Today is the first day of September. In a few weeks, children will be heading back to school, the leaves are going to start changing color, and the air will become crisper, more redolent. The nights will be chilly, air conditioning units will be put to rest for the year.

The fall is my favorite season for many reasons, and in the weeks to come, I’m sure I’ll be writing more, posting more about just why the autumn succeeds in making me so happy.

But today? Today is the first day of September, it is over 90 degrees outside and the sun is pouring through my windows at work. People on the street down below are walking, riding their bikes in shorts and enjoying what may be the last vestiges of true heat for the season. Children are still playing in the park with no cares in the world, and there is an ice cream truck parked at the corner of the intersection.

Today may be the first day of September, but the summer is refusing to go away. And today, I’m okay with that.

(photo via ffffine)

Via Melt In Your Mouth: A chief is talking to his tribe about two dogs inside his mind: one a...

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:40:28 -0400

Via Melt In Your Mouth:

A chief is talking to his tribe about two dogs inside his mind: one a white dog that is good and courageous, the other a black dog that is vengeful and angry. Both dogs are fighting to the death. A young brave, unable to wait for the end of the story, asks, “Which one will win?” The chief responds, “The one I feed.”

Which one are you feeding?

Growing up, this was one of my favorite songs, and I...

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:35:40 -0400

Growing up, this was one of my favorite songs, and I didn’t even really like cookies all that much.

"I could spend an online lifetime trying to mold myself in the image of da Vinci, Lincoln and..."

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:29:24 -0400

“I could spend an online lifetime trying to mold myself in the image of da Vinci, Lincoln and Springsteen and — after a few selective cuts and creative pastes — I could still come out looking like Snooki doing a keg stand.”

- Dave Pell, I’ve Seen Your Future and It’s Been Edited

Fractal Fantasy is exactly what the title sells: a dream-like,...

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:26:18 -0400

Fractal Fantasy is exactly what the title sells: a dream-like, trippy, animated journey into a world of fractals. (via gizmodo)

Via The Beautiful and the Ordinary, taken from an out-of-print USGS pamphlet: Dinosaurs went...

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:11:46 -0400

Via The Beautiful and the Ordinary, taken from an out-of-print USGS pamphlet:

Dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago (at the end of the Cretaceous Period), after living on Earth for about 165 million years. If all of Earth time from the very beginning of the dinosaurs to today were compressed into 365 days (1 calendar year), the dinosaurs appeared January 1 and became extinct the third week of September. (Using this same time scale, the Earth would have formed approximately 18.5 years earlier.) By comparison, people (Homo sapiens) have been on earth only since December 31 (New Year’s eve). The dinosaurs’ long period of dominance certainly makes them unqualified successes in the history of life on Earth.

Unqualified successes in the history of life. I like that.

Improv Everywhere goes to the beach. In black tie attire. I...

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:09:21 -0400

Improv Everywhere goes to the beach. In black tie attire.

I spent the entire video ruing the destruction of those beautiful dresses, tuxedos, and shoes. But it seemed like good fun, nonetheless.

Apart from the “Eat ice cream” item, I pretty much...

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:20:02 -0400

Apart from the “Eat ice cream” item, I pretty much accomplish every single item on this to-do list (via), every single day. And the ice cream bit? Probably cross that off three times a week, too.

Life is much better when it spent smiling, laughing, learning, hoping, singing, and loving. And of course, eating ice cream.

"When I say, “I love you”, it’s not because I want you or because I can’t have you. It has nothing to..."

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:19:51 -0400

“When I say, “I love you”, it’s not because I want you or because I can’t have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I’ve seen your kindness and strength. I’ve seen the best and worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what and who you are.”

- Joss Whedon (via)

Yes, as you can expect, I am seriously tempted to do exactly...

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:19:35 -0400

Yes, as you can expect, I am seriously tempted to do exactly this (via) sometime this fall in a busy park in Toronto. Anyone want to help me paint a sign?

"Love is being stupid together,” said French poet Paul Valery. While there’s a grain of truth to..."

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:48:32 -0400

““Love is being stupid together,” said French poet Paul Valery. While there’s a grain of truth to that, it’s too corny and decadent for my tastes. I prefer to focus on a more interesting truth, which is this: Real love is being smart together. If you weave your destiny together with another’s, he or she should catalyze your sleeping potentials, sharpen your perceptions, and boost both your emotional and analytical intelligence. Your relationship becomes a crucible in which you deepen your understanding of the way the world works.”

- Rob Brezsny (via)

I agree, wholeheartedly with SB Nation: The best ref call...

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:40:20 -0400

I agree, wholeheartedly with SB Nation:

The best ref call since “Givin’ him the Business”.

You know, with something extra at the end of the play.

It’s official: I can’t get enough of Cookie Monster....

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:28:32 -0400

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

It’s official: I can’t get enough of Cookie Monster. Today, our favorite blue monster shares some poetry.

"A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the least care of all to..."

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:21:14 -0400

“A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the least care of all to acquire”

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld (via)

A lovely find on Bobulate, today: Located in the grounds of...

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:18:40 -0400

A lovely find on Bobulate, today:

Located in the grounds of Hay Castle, Wales is the Honesty Bookshop, a 24-hour open air bookshop where people select books and post the money for them through a small letterbox. Hardbacks at 50p and paperbacks at 30p. The Castle is at Hay-on-Wye, the “town of books,” so much so that according to my guidebook, “if you don’t like books, you should certainly avoid Hay-on-Wye.” If you’re of the sort who does, however, be sure to make it out for the Hay Festival of Literature and Arts.

I would very much like to visit Hay-on-Wye, soon.

"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never..."

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:17:55 -0400

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”

- Albert Camus (via)

I remember attending Rock the Bells a couple of years ago. It...

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:01:41 -0400

I remember attending Rock the Bells a couple of years ago. It was at the International Centre in Mississauga, and the place was a mess, with horrible organization and customer service. The acts were late, the venue was poorly ventilated, there wasn’t enough water being sold, and all in all, it had all the makings of a horrible show.

But it wasn’t. It was amazing. It was amazing because we spent 6 hours listening to some of the greatest hip hop acts in history prove why they were so great. It was amazing because A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Ghostface and Raekwon, MF Doom, Rakim, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jay Electronica, De La Soul, Method Man & Redman, Little Brother and so many more took the stage and entertained us, despite the dreariness of the venue.

This year, Rock the Bells didn’t come to Toronto, but I’ve been re-living the experience by looking at photos of the Governers Island show.

Looking at them, I wish I could have been there, but most of all, I’m glad that, a few years ago, I was.

(photo via)