- Birch Bark Biting - "...an Indigenous artform made by Anishinaabeg, including Ojibwe people, Potawatomi, and Odawa, as well as Cree and other Algonquian peoples of the Subarctic and Great Lakes regions of Canada and the United States. Artists bite on small pieces of folded birch bark to form intricate designs". I had never heard about this form of art! There is both a video and a couple of examples of birchbark biting at the link.
- This Paris Apartment Could Change Urban Living Forever - This is an episode from the channel Living Big in a Tiny House. This is a bit different from the usual tiny homes they feature. From the episode description, "This innovative space grows its own food—including crickets!—and integrates sustainable, low-tech solutions to reduce waste, conserve energy, and create a self-sustaining ecosystem in the middle of the city. From ingenious water-saving methods to growing food and natural climate control, the Urban Biosphere is redefining what’s possible in small-space urban design." Fascinating!
A couple years ago I made a page for one of the 32-Bit Cafe events, Government Cats and Riot Dogs. Out of all the pages on my site, this is one of my favorites! When I originally created it, most of the cats had a presence on Twitter. We all know what happened with that. I ended up on Bluesky and, to my delight, so did Larry. Just recently, Gladstone was mentioned on Larry's feed and *he* mentioned Palmerston (who doesn't have social media but has apparently moved to Jamaica and is now a "government consultant")! So I am geekily thrilled that I found out about these cats whereabouts. I have updated their cards on the page and, of course, I am now following Larry and Gladstone on Bluesky.
Listening
Some recent podcasts I've listened to:
- Click Here - Knights of Old and a Ransomware Joust
- Click Here - Red Badge of Courage
- ArchaeoEd - Origins of the Inca
- The Moth Radio Hour - Rites of Passage
Reading
So last week I was debating whether or not to DNF a book. I finally decided to do that even though I had read quite a chunk of it. It just wasn't worth trying to slog through the rest of it. So I ditched it and decided to look through my Libby wishlist. (If you aren't familiar with Libby, it's an app which allows you to access your library's digital collections.) I chose a Georgette Heyer Regency mystery/romance from my list, The Reluctant Widow, and I read it in just a few days. It was such a fun romp! So fun that after that I chose another Heyer book, The Corinthian, which I just finished today.
I really liked these particular books because of the farcical elements and also because they are light on sex. I used to be big into the historical romances in the 80s and 90s that had gorgeous covers of women in lush gowns and bronzed muscled men who seemed to have lost their shirts. The stories usually followed a pattern and at about 2/3 of the way through, the tension that had been building between the main characters broke and all the body parts started heaving and throbbing. I am not ashamed to admit, I quite enjoyed those novels back in the day. Now though? That crap just gets in the way of a good story. Not that there isn't some kind of romance in the Regencies but it's very brief and understated. In the last book I read, the main characters didn't kiss until the last page!
What's next? I'm not sure. I almost want another Regency. We'll see!
Watching
Not too much to say here. This past week I've been reading more than watching TV. I have started watching PBS Newshour in the evenings. I wanted to get more news other than what I read in the daily newspaper. I also like to watch France 24 occasionally to see what's going on in the rest of the world or to find a different perspective on events.
Technology Connections had a great video this past week, Algorithms are breaking how we think. It's really worth a watch because Alec has a lot of interesting observations on how people are letting the algorithms think for them. In fact, he feels that many people these days prefer that! I think he's right and it's very troubling.
Underground Cities: Surviving DUNE'S Deadliest Planet - The synopsis from the video page is, "The Fremen, shaped by displacement, thrive on Arrakis through nomadic traditions, bayt al-shar tents, sietches, and troglodyte engineering. They master moisture collection, wind traps, partitioning, observation, and surveillance, enforcing discipline through architecture. Their cave psychology, functional sites, and stimulus hunger create both spiritual experiences and control, ensuring collective survival." But this isn't just about Dune. She talks about how Frank Herbert was inspired by real life architecture (underground cities like Derinkuyu) and the Bedouin. She also discusses how architecture can reinforce societal traditions.
That's all I've got for this week. Til next time!