Cosmo’s jobs and roving librarians

Whew, it’s been a tough push at work lately, but thankfully, the term is now on the downslope, and I’m anticipating a slightly eased-up schedule. So! That means more time for interesting things on the interwebs….

♥ … like these etymological origins of words related to insults. Did you know the word cretin is related to the word Christian? Now you do! Go forth and learn more.

♥ … and these authors’ handwritten outlines of great literary works. I am FASCINATED by J.K. Rowling’s handwritten spreadsheet for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

♥ … and this rundown of all of Cosmo Kramer’s jobs on Seinfeld. This is what the Internet is for, y’all!

♥ … and finally, I’m looking forward to this new site, The Roving Librarian:  A Library-themed Travel Blog. The home page states that the first post will be up and running in a month or two, so fingers crossed! I think I would like to contribute to it, as Sam and I have made a point of visiting a library in every new country we visit. Check out the “Library Photos” link above for photographic evidence.

One-of-a-kind collections

And now for something completely different…

♥ … like this collection of incredible, one-of-a-kind bindings for classic works. They’re all quite clever, so it’s hard to pick a favorite. I smiled the most at the cover for Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

♥ … like this list of banned baby names in New Zealand. I get why certain names, like Lucifer or 89 or Mafia No Fear, would be on the list. But what’s wrong with Honour and A.J.?

♥ … like this project re-imagining historical figures as they would look today. A modern-day Elizabeth I reminds me of SWINTON… which is really cool, actually. Screenwriters, get on that.

♥ … like this other art project of graphing color schemes of classic novels according to their color references. The artist is willing to take requests… might I suggest some Jane Austen?

Can you guess which book this is?

Life lessons and awesome librarians

How is it almost May?!! Maybe April turned the corner and sped up into May while I was…

♥ … getting misty over this obituary of E. L. Konigsburg and these 10 life lessons from the book From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I loved almost everything Konigsburg wrote, and even as a kid reading From the Mixed-Up Files…, I said to myself, “THIS is what writing is.”

♥ … gasping out loud at this collection of lunch sandwich bags this dad (and graphic designer) has decorated for his kids since 2008. And at these amazing portraits drawn on maps. Art is so cool. Especially when you find it in unexpected places.

♥ … agreeing (or not) at this extensive ranking of 76 guest stars on “The Good Wife” TV show. My personal faves are Carrie Preston, Michael J. Fox, and Mamie Gummer. And Denis O’Hare and David Fonteno. Oh, and Linda Emond. Well, just watch the show and then we’ll talk some more.

♥ … chuckling my way through this Flavorwire gallery of 25 vintage photos of librarians being awesome, sent my way from another librarian friend and colleague. HiLARious. Especially the hairdo on slide #6, and the general future-forward awesomeness of #25. I was also quite impressed at the range of featured librarians (gender, age, and ethnicity), as well as the range of featured libraries (medical, legal, public, school, bookmobiles, and more!). Now THAT’S being awesome.

Male librarian at the turn of the century

Although he’s not a librarian, my husband Sam also looks pretty cute good cleaning the bookcases at my mother’s school library, ca. 2001.

Judging books by their odors

♥ Last week, Dr. Seuss’s crazy hat collection. This week, exploring Jessica Fletcher’s closet. You’re welcome.

♥ What causes “old book smell”? You know you want to know.

You can’t judge books by their covers, but the researchers think you can learn a lot from their odor.

♥ My husband sent this wind map of the United States my way. It is hypnotic.

♥ Jon Hamm teaching kids about sculpture? LOVE.

Crazy hats and grumpy cats

♥ Eternal teen icon Molly Ringwald dishes about Duckie and her daughter’s reaction to Pretty in Pink.  Team Duckie!

♥ A peek inside Dr. Seuss’s crazy hat collection? Yes, please!

♥ Did you know the first superhero in comics was a woman?! You go, Girl (with the X-Ray Eyes)! Also, here’s an interesting look at the history of Wonder Woman.

♥ Memes as mediums for cultural messages and archive collections? I don’t know how Grumpy Cat would feel about that…