My Amazon review of [William] _Morris_ by Charlotte & Peter Fiell

5 stars
#cosobookclub

Excellent overview of a complex, creative man https://amzn.to/2SsueNa

"By 1720, as demand shaped the local economy for medicinal liquorice... the castle was rented out and roots were stored in the castle dungeons instead of weapons, gunpowder and prisoners." http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20190710-the-strange-story-of-britains-oldest-sweet

It turns out it's not just gratitude that makes rain smell so appealing after a long period of dry weather. There's actually some chemistry involved too. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-44904298

"Critics like these readily acknowledged that Picasso did harm to those around him, but their feeling was that genius ultimately justified transgression." https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/22/how-picassos-muse-became-a-master

Disruption has come for toilet paper. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/7/17/20688093/toilet-paper-no-2-tushy-who-gives-a-crap-charmin

@karen_meep: TLDR;Anakin was successful yet not promoted at work. Not given proper feedback,he was acquired by competition offering mentorship & growth.

David Warren: Inventor of the flight voice and data recorder https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-49012771

After raising £180,000, the Charles Dickens Museum in London has purchased a portrait of the young author that had been lost for more than 130 years. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/18/charles-dickens-museum-buys-lost-portrait-130-years-after-it-went-missing

"The BeerMaps interface allows users to search for breweries, brewpubs, taprooms, taverns, and other beer businesses based on their GPS location so users can discover new places everywhere they go." https://finance.yahoo.com/news/beermaps-llc-announces-launch-interactive-123100779.html

What It's Like to Read 1950s Science Fiction https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/golden-age

They used to be a social statement. Matthew Sweet doffs his cap to the best-dressed heads of the past #fashionhistory https://www.1843magazine.com/style/the-line-of-beauty/the-secret-language-of-hats

My Amazon review of _Weber's Ultimate Grilling: A Step-by-Step Guide to Barbecue Genius_ By Jamie Purviance

3 stars
#cosobookclub #cooking

It's perfectly fine. It's just not _wonderful_. https://amzn.to/2JPBLBv

Who better to offer marriage advice? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSOZ4wqgDdk

I"m always surprised when I learn how few people realize Daphne du Maurier wrote the story that Hitchcock turned into a movie.

>> Of all the many short stories she wrote, "The Birds" is the masterpiece, in part, at least, because it provides no real explanation for the apocalyptic violence it depicts. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/may/05/fiction.daphnedumaurier

A message-in-a-bottle finally found a reader. The 50-year-old note was found off the South Australian coast by a local boy, who has since sent a reply to the original author. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-18/paul-gilmore-found-50-years-after-message-thrown-overboard/11319962

Discovery reveals secrets of ghost orchid reproduction

Incredible photos show multiple species pollinate the rare and enigmatic flower, which is good news for the endangered species. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/07/ghost-orchids-florida-surprising-pollinators-moths

The open world game is all about you taking on the role of a cat to solve mysteries and uncover the secrets of the missing humans https://www.unilad.co.uk/gaming/solve-mysteries-as-a-gang-of-cats-in-this-open-world-game/

A trombone you play by resizing a popup window https://matthewrayfield.com/goodies/popup-trombone/

For anyone who has sought the perfect stock footage... #funny https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZuzudfcsek&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1g8yVoZU5sbU2VvFeGPtUjuCOIFH-Dv60jm58Qk_3BJsjV_VJDJa-xN3Y

Foam could be the key to life on Mars. Nicknamed “solid smoke,” silica aerogel could help warm the planet’s frozen soil enough to grow plants. https://www.wired.com/story/headed-to-mars-pack-some-aerogelyou-know-for-terraforming/