This is a little less cohesive than usual . . . but so am I.
That counts as a theme, right?
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Diagram Your Title
Those of you who hail from the UK probably know about the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year, but I didn’t until my friend Cha Cha sent me a link.
This year’s winner is above—the competition was fierce:
Was Hitler Ill?
Lofts of North America: Pigeon Lofts
How to Sharpen Pencils: A Practical & Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening for Writers, Artists, Contractors, Flange Turners, Anglesmiths, & Civil Servants*
God’s Doodle: The Life and Times of the Penis
How Tea Cosies Changed the World
A gallery of former winners is here—I’m particularly tickled by The Anger of Aubergines and Tattooed Mountain Women and Spoon Boxes of Daghestan, but Rats: for those who care is tough to resist.
And after agonizing over my own titles, I find the weirdness oddly comforting.
Anyone else have a contender for next year’s prize?
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Paper—2, Digital—0
My husband sent me this in response to the video I posted last Thursday.
Sure, it works, but you can’t void the warranty on a rolled up copy of the New York Times.
Right, Emma?
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A Concise Explanation and Some Sound Advice
John Cleese explains the brain.
Or points to one while talking.
The auto-caption feature was completely befuddled by this—it offered different interpretations each time I played it, and didn’t match what I think he’s actually saying.
But befuddlement is John Cleese’s superpower, so it’s all good.
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A Papery Aftertaste . . .
I honestly thought this was a Photoshop joke, but when I tried to link back, I found an actual promotion for a beer created for Powell’s Books anniversary—brewed with actual pages from Moby Dick.
Then, I thought it was an April Fool’s joke, but the announcement was posted in November.
I’m not a beer drinker, so if it is true, I think I’ll pass.
But I’m looking forward to trying the Crime and Punishment Russian Standard.
Or a Chekhov cherry liqueur.
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Sheer Starship Awesome
Watson hates the song, but I love everything about this fanvid, from the beat to the clips to the way it’s all put together.
Because that’s how I geek.
How many of the clips do you recognize?
(Psst: I’m putting a parental warning on this for language—it’s barely radio-safe,** so listen first, please)
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*The celebrity quotes on this book are hilarious. There’s a sample of them on Amazon.
**I was going to make a “pun intended” joke, but realized being bare is generally safe for radio, Howard Stern notwithstanding, so never mind.
Earful of Cider 