The difference between note-taking and note-making https://nesslabs.com/from-note-taking-to-note-making

The U.S. Postal Service announced a new series of Star Wars stamps, all devoted to our favorite galactic droids https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-droid-stamps

Chaotic good
#cosobookclub

A Hamilton-inspired tribute to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen https://www.scarymommy.com/janet-yellen-hamilton-song-dessa/

I really enjoyed the Bridgerton series on Netflix -- purely as a bit of romantic fantasy. So I figured I'd give the original novel a try.

Nope nope nope.

I did read the novel all the way through, but primarily to see how much the filmmaker had changed the story -- beyond casting people of color as main characters, that is. And my conclusion is that this is among the exceptions to the rule, "The book is better." (Jaws is also on that list.)

https://amzn.to/3a7UYf5

The most disastrous biopics ever made
This sounds like a listicle, but it's a thoughtful analysis. Also, lots of movies I had never heard of.
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210114-why-biopics-go-so-wrong

Stolen from Twitter

Approximately 2,780 pages of CIA documents detailing the government entity’s findings on unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are now available for anyone to read and download. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-now-explore-cias-entire-collection-ufo-related-documents-180976756/

Passports only became truly widespread after the First World War. In 1914, passports were re-introduced in order to increase domestic security. They were made compulsory in order to know who was moving in and out of countries, to keep an eye out for spies, and to keep skilled nationals at home.
https://www.messynessychic.com/2021/01/22/a-curious-journey-through-the-story-of-the-passport

A Strange History of Murderous Medieval Bunnies https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2016/05/violent-rabbit-illustrations-found-in-the-margins-of-medieval-manuscripts/#:~:text=The%20typical%20depiction%20of%20a,at%20which%20the%20species%20copulates.

The Museum of London has acquired a large balloon depicting an unflattering caricature of Donald Trump as a giant baby.
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/1937805-1937805

Has Thomas Becket's "treasured little book" been found?
Even if it hasn't... gosh what pretty photos.
https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-55370722

Patrick Leahy is now third in America's line of succession. He's also been in five Batman movies.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/23/us/senator-patrick-leahy-batman-trnd/index.html

So I got another assignment from Prestigious News Outlet. Yay me.
Bad news: It's for only 500 words, and paid based on that short word count.
We all know I'm going to spend three days on it, right...?

"The psychological significance of the cape lies in its protective measure – it is a way of creating a cocoon for yourself and your energy that makes you strong, powerful." https://weareshowstoppers.com/2020/11/03/cape-chronicles-of-saints-superheroes-and-more/

Cat sitting on keyboard crashes lightdm https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/1463112

The Silicon Valley quest to preserve Stephen Hawking’s voice https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/The-Silicon-Valley-quest-to-preserve-Stephen-12759775.php

"Twenty thousand fireworks is a lot of fireworks, Biscow admits."

In case you're interested in the logistics of the inauguration show.
(This is apolitical... purely about what it took to pull off the complex presentation.) https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/inauguration-fireworks-concert-tom-hanks/2021/01/22/d75cadd4-5c14-11eb-a976-bad6431e03e2_story.html

So it turns out that presidents have their choice of six Oval Office desks. This is fun reading about their history. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/from-roosevelt-to-resolute-the-secrets-of-all-6-oval-office-desks

I re-read Tomorrow's Heritage, a 1981 SF novel by Juanita Coulson. Its future history holds up fairly well. #cosobookclub

https://amzn.to/2MgvYtI