The bible exhorts us to demonstrate special sensitivity toward the stranger because we were oppressed and cheated strangers in Egypt. It goes so far as to warn us in no less than 23 (or even 46) places not to behave insensitively toward the stranger. https://www.jpost.com/jewish-world/judaism/parashat-mishpatim-stranger-in-a-strange-land

I didn't learn anything from Scalzi's book about writing, "You're Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop to a Coffee Shop."

It's still worth 5 stars. Because I laughed. And I nodded. And then I laughed some more.

https://amzn.to/3uYrhWb

As the saying goes, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ Whatever the reason, for many scientists, keeping their old computers ticking over is of paramount concern — and a labour of love. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01431-y

Dorodango: the Japanese art of making shiny mud balls https://www.laurenceking.com/blog/2019/09/26/dorodango-blog/

Only around 10% of America’s original fire towers still survive today, but if you’re itching for a Kerouac truth-seeking adventure, you might be interested to know that you can actually stay overnight in one of the surviving towers. https://www.messynessychic.com/2017/05/31/secret-summer-cabins-in-the-sky-for-the-great-american-road-trip/

Awww https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bg67GmTVXY

"Le Stryge," a grotesque in Notre Dame Cathedral that was damaged in the fire, will be fully restored thanks to a new fundraiser https://hyperallergic.com/647418/help-rebuild-notre-dame-by-sponsoring-a-statue/

She’s spent her career grappling with ethereal questions like what precisely makes pear taste like pear, so as to infuse a cookie or an ice cream with it, and with nitty-gritty issues like how to take a shake built for its micronutrients and make it palatable. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210602-a-day-in-the-life-of-a-flavour-inventor

When offered a tortilla chip, they found, an elephant will use its trunk to deftly suction the salty treat into its grip. The chip stays intact (at least until it’s deposited into the elephant’s mouth). https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/06/elephant-trunks-suck/619067/

Someone on Twitter asked for suggestions on "worst rom-com" (the Plan 9 of Outer Space of Rom-Coms) and _Love Actually_ is the clear winner.

This older article does such a good job of explaining why.
https://jezebel.com/i-rewatched-love-actually-and-am-here-to-ruin-it-for-al-1485136388

Bovet used artwork through history as a guide to study the idealised female body. She found that women's waist-to-hip ratios were largely fixed around 0.75 (meaning the waist is 75% as wide as the hips) from 500BCE to the 15th Century. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210528-why-quirky-people-are-attractive

Condom sales jumped 23.4% to $37 million during the four weeks ending April 18 compared year-over-year. I guess that's one metric for watching "return to normal." https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/22/yes-its-going-to-be-a-hot-vax-summer.html

"Until the advent of modern vaccines, no medical product had been more widely traded throughout world history than aphrodisiacs (the herbal or animal extracts purported to arouse sexual desire, stimulate genitalia or enhance erotic pleasure)." https://psyche.co/ideas/a-long-history-of-aphrodisiacs-from-health-tonic-to-sexual-aid

Learn how to fingerspell with American sign language. https://fingerspelling.xyz
(Note, doesn't work in safari)

Would being publicly corrected reduce a user’s tendency to share fake news? Maybe prompt them to tweet with a little more civility? The results were not encouraging. https://www.niemanlab.org/2021/05/someone-wrong-on-the-internet-correcting-them-publicly-may-make-them-act-like-a-bigger-jerk/

Surely I'm not the only one to remember "Cicada Serenade"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJCSGiHelLI

In pandemic times, fast food’s quaintly defining features — the low contact, the familiar menu items, the ability to feast in the comfort of your car — suddenly became assets. https://expmag.com/2021/05/the-pandemic-saved-the-fast-food-industry/

HIVE MIND: I'm proposing a "mini case study" roundup, about what goes right and wrong with document automation. (That is, computerizing the paperwork.)

So tell me your horror stories and "yay life is simpler now" successes. I don't need to quote you, which I hope makes you more willing to confide in me. (Private messages are OK. I'm more interested in storytelling and lessons-learned than in finger-pointing.)

Some 800,000 teenagers a year can now look forward to downloading an app and getting €300 (£260; $365). The pass can be used for tickets to the cinema, museum and theatre, or to buy books, art materials, dance courses and instruments or an online subscription. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57198737