Do syllables exist? “Although nearly everyone can identify syllables, almost nobody can...

Do syllables exist? “Although nearly everyone can identify syllables, almost nobody can define them.” 💬 Join the discu

How We Turned the Tide in the Roach Wars. “Forty years ago,...

How We Turned the Tide in the Roach Wars. “Forty years ago, scientists did the impossible. Why doesn’t anyone remember?

A single serving site that answers the question “Was the Civil War...

A single serving site that answers the question “Was the Civil War about slavery?” YES — and it included receipts. 💬 J

My Recent Media Diet, the End of 2023 Edition

Over the past few months, I’ve had some time away from the computer and have taken several very long plane trips and so

Wes Anderson and his production company have launched a digital film club...

Wes Anderson and his production company have launched a digital film club called Galerie. They call it “your guided jou

From the science, tech, and health editors of The Atlantic: 81 Things...

From the science, tech, and health editors of The Atlantic: 81 Things That Blew Our Minds in 2023. Like: “You have two

Whoa, Eddie Murphy is coming back for a 4th Beverly Hills Cop...

Whoa, Eddie Murphy is coming back for a 4th Beverly Hills Cop movie?! And Judge Reinhold too. (Sorry, I’m catching up o

“January 1, 2024 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1928 are open...

“January 1, 2024 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1928 are open to all, as are sound recordings from 1923!” Includes St

Bloomberg Businessweek’s Jealousy List for 2023 of the stories they wish they’d...

Bloomberg Businessweek’s Jealousy List for 2023 of the stories they wish they’d written/published. Unsurprisingly, some

The 25 Best Podcasts of 2023. “These shows premiered fresh frameworks, experimented...

The 25 Best Podcasts of 2023. “These shows premiered fresh frameworks, experimented with sound design, and elevated und

Substack Turns On Its ‘Nazis Welcome!’ Sign. “The key point: your reputation...

Substack Turns On Its ‘Nazis Welcome!’ Sign. “The key point: your reputation as a private site is what you allow. If yo

52 Interesting Things I Learned in 2023

Inspired by Tom Whitwell’s annual list, I kept track of some things I learned this year, one for each week. Here we go:

How Big is YouTube? The methodology used to answer this question (in...

How Big is YouTube? The methodology used to answer this question (in lieu of an official API mechanism) is pretty inter

Trailer for Captains of the World, a 6-episode Netflix docuseries about the...

Trailer for Captains of the World, a 6-episode Netflix docuseries about the 2022 Men’s World Cup. It’s sanctioned by FI

The 10 Best TV Episodes of 2023, including Forks from The Bear,...

The 10 Best TV Episodes of 2023, including Forks from The Bear, The Last of Us’s Long Long Time, and Escape from Shit M

An Artist Creates the Family Xmas Card, From Age 3 to 36

Since he was a toddler, artist C.W. Moss has made the artwork for his family’s Christmas card. Here are some early inst

Watch the Newly Remastered Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special (1988) on YouTube

The entire episode of Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special (1988) is on YouTube, fully remastered in 1080p HD. Specia

Hey everyone. Just a quick holiday note to let you know that...

Hey everyone. Just a quick holiday note to let you know that recent guest editor Edith Zimmerman had her baby! Edith wa

Cute food art: butter sleigh rides down foods like pancakes and potatoes....

Cute food art: butter sleigh rides down foods like pancakes and potatoes. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org → from

After the Jan 6 attack on Congress, a woman went on Bumble...

After the Jan 6 attack on Congress, a woman went on Bumble to help the FBI identify rioters. “Her strategy…was saying ‘

Substack explains why they are paying Nazis to publish on their platform....

Substack explains why they are paying Nazis to publish on their platform. Friends who publish on Substack, are you ok w

The Best Film Scores & Soundtracks of 2023, including those for The...

The Best Film Scores & Soundtracks of 2023, including those for The Boy and the Heron, Poor Things, Asteroid City,

The Drawings of Virginia Frances Sterrett

I love these drawings by Virginia Frances Sterrett. At fourteen, unthoughtful of achievement and ambition, friends p

From the Depths of Wikipedia: none of the phrasing from the 2003...

From the Depths of Wikipedia: none of the phrasing from the 2003 “Ship of Theseus” page on Wikipedia remains in the cur

The Paris Metró is set to expand in a big way with...

The Paris Metró is set to expand in a big way with “a new 200-kilometer (120-mile) system that will add four lines and

Prompt-Brush is a non-generative AI model. If you suggest an image prompt,...

Prompt-Brush is a non-generative AI model. If you suggest an image prompt, Pablo Delcan will make you a drawing with bl

The Fruit Shaped Bus Stops in Nagasaki, Japan

The small town of Konagai in Nagasaki Prefecture has a number of whimsical bus stops shaped like fruits. Today, the

The Pudding announces its picks for the best visual and data-driven stories...

The Pudding announces its picks for the best visual and data-driven stories of 2023. Lots of great work here. 💬 Join t

A typology of eggnog cartons. “The peculiarities of the packaging range from...

A typology of eggnog cartons. “The peculiarities of the packaging range from festive to banal, minimal to ornate, and m

Archaeomagnetism is the study of the changes in the Earth’s magnetic field...

Archaeomagnetism is the study of the changes in the Earth’s magnetic field from markers in archaeological items, e.g. t

Last week, Halley’s comet reached its farthest point away from the Sun...

Last week, Halley’s comet reached its farthest point away from the Sun and has begun its journey back towards the cente

World of Goo 2!

{Hyperventilating slightly} They’re making a World of Goo 2 15 years after the original one was released?! Holy smokes

This is the lowest price I’ve seen on SAF’s Aranet4 CO2 monitor...

This is the lowest price I’ve seen on SAF’s Aranet4 CO2 monitor (for measuring indoor air quality for Covid safety): $1

“When I feel irreparably tacky, I remind myself that the artists I...

“When I feel irreparably tacky, I remind myself that the artists I admire probably weren’t respected by their elders, e

XKCD: label as many US states as you can on this blank...

XKCD: label as many US states as you can on this blank map. Lol, this is evil. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →

Liz Danzico with a lovely write-up of the walk and talk we...

Liz Danzico with a lovely write-up of the walk and talk we participated in last week in Thailand. “Empathy means that y

Do Elephants Have Souls? “However, given their mental and emotional chops and...

Do Elephants Have Souls? “However, given their mental and emotional chops and awareness of mortality especially, who is

Popular Dystopian Fiction If It Were Describing 2023. “The Children of Men...

Popular Dystopian Fiction If It Were Describing 2023. “The Children of Men — The global birth rate craters not because

A lovely holiday gift guide from Jodi Ettenberg, which includes this adorable...

A lovely holiday gift guide from Jodi Ettenberg, which includes this adorable spagetti monster colander. 💬 Join the di

Thanks to YouTube’s algorithmic elves for serving up this mini-GBBO episode with...

Thanks to YouTube’s algorithmic elves for serving up this mini-GBBO episode with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Declan Rice, K

The National Lyrics or Things My Dad Says While Refusing to Check...

The National Lyrics or Things My Dad Says While Refusing to Check Google Maps? “I’d rather walk all the way home right

From Alexandra Lange, Mark Lamster, and Carolina A. Miranda, it’s the always...

From Alexandra Lange, Mark Lamster, and Carolina A. Miranda, it’s the always entertaining 2023 Architecture and Design

Hey, just wanted to re-up the 2023 Kottke Holiday Gift Guide —...

Hey, just wanted to re-up the 2023 Kottke Holiday Gift Guide — I think most things will still ship before Xmas. from k

Diary Comics, Nov. 13-15

Final installment of this sampling from my journal! I’m not sure if it was a success, but it was interesting for me. Th

“Five sweaters to knit for a little girl.” My faves are Nos....

“Five sweaters to knit for a little girl.” My faves are Nos. 1 and 2. I’d also recommend Mae (for babies). And the Mari

This is perhaps a little specific, but since I’m expecting Baby No....

This is perhaps a little specific, but since I’m expecting Baby No. 2 in about two weeks, and we have a two-year-old at

Diary Comics, Nov. 10-12

Tags: comics 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org → from kottke.org https://ift.tt/dMcOywN via IFTTT

Single-Item Gift Guide

Every year my mom sends us a box of grapefruit for the holidays (and beyond), and I can’t think of a gift I’ve enjoyed

“Better to ask directly and be refused than to wish endlessly for...

“Better to ask directly and be refused than to wish endlessly for help.” Dang, Philip Galanes! Filing away for personal

Jogging Stroller (Comic)

From 2022. Tags: comics 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org → from kottke.org https://ift.tt/qedRTGl via IFTTT

ASMR Recommendations: Ecuador Live & Moonlight Cottage

I’m hesitant to write much about ASMR videos, because the experience feels so personal, but I usually watch (or, liste

Diary Comics, Nov. 9

(Previously: Oct. 28 & 29, Oct. 30 & 31, Nov. 1 & 2, Nov. 3 & 4, Nov. 5 & 6, Nov. 7 & 8) Tags:

Basement Sign (Comic)

From 2021. Tags: comics 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org → from kottke.org https://ift.tt/wHj5Kl1 via IFTTT

Out Today

My daughter is home sick, so there will be fewer posts from me today. But I will be back tomorrow, I hope! PS: Please f

Owl (Comic)

From 2022, when my husband had facial hair. Tags: comics 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org → from kottke.org http

Millennial Mom-hood

“I know some women who have decided to forgo motherhood altogether — not out of an empowered certainty that they want t

Victorian seaweed-themed Christmas cards, why not? The rhymes could be a little...

Victorian seaweed-themed Christmas cards, why not? The rhymes could be a little sharper, though, in my opinion. 💬 Join

Great Kids’ Book: Little Witch Hazel

Yesterday at our library’s Story Time, the reader chose a book that knocked my socks off: Little Witch Hazel: A Year i

Yesterday I learned that there’s a newsletter dedicated to reviewing New Yorker...

Yesterday I learned that there’s a newsletter dedicated to reviewing New Yorker issues, categorizing stories from “Must

Tricycle Magazine and an Essay About Stuttering

I’m not a Buddhist or a meditator, but I’ve subscribed to Buddhist magazine Tricycle for the past few years. They send

Mermaid Entrepreneur (Comic)

From earlier this year. Tags: comics · dollhouses · mermaids 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org → from kottke.org

I Drink Water and Mind My Business

Cool “old” songs, part two? This 2021 jam was used as background music in a TikTok or Instagram reel I came across las

The “Sunday Long Read” newsletter linked to two parenting-adjacent stories yesterday, on...

The “Sunday Long Read” newsletter linked to two parenting-adjacent stories yesterday, on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Reading NYT book critic Dwight Garner’s memories of the books that he...

Reading NYT book critic Dwight Garner’s memories of the books that he read/reviewed this past year (“I … remember makin

Searching for a Wedding Dress Accessory (Comic)

From 2021. Tags: comics · sweating · weddings 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org → from kottke.org https://ift.tt/

How to Cook Turkey With Just Chicken and Cinnamon

Right on time for all upcoming feasts, it’s “Holiday Recipes Dictated by Kindergarteners,” in the newsletter Bright Spo

Lana Del Rey Covering “Take Me Home, Country Roads”

As one YouTube commenter says: “The melancholy in her voice should be preserved in a nostalgic museum.” Tags: lana del

“Why’d I Take Speed for 20 Years?” … asks former Reply All...

“Why’d I Take Speed for 20 Years?” … asks former Reply All host PJ Vogt, in his new podcast Search Engine. “Dexedrine w

“She has set her ego aside in exchange for something bigger and...

“She has set her ego aside in exchange for something bigger and better.” This is maybe a little out there, but a couple

Trying Out ‘The Crown,’ Season One (Comic)

From 2021. Tags: comics · the crown · tv 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org → from kottke.org https://ift.tt/e

How to Clean Mold From Bath Toys. In case anyone is in...

How to Clean Mold From Bath Toys. In case anyone is in a similar boat, I tried the “put toys in the dishwasher” suggest

Alex Tomlinson’s Bird Art

I came across Alex Tomlinson’s work on Instagram one day in 2022 (it was featured on Audubon Society merch, which I bou

Running Pregnant

A comic from 2021. Tags: comics · pregnancy · running 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org → from kottke.org https:

“I woke up one morning and realized that all I wanted to...

“I woke up one morning and realized that all I wanted to do was drink.” That’s from the “Ask a Sober Oldster” Q&A s

Knitting Traditional Maine Mittens

Shortly after I learned to knit, a friend suggested I find the 1983 book Fox & Geese & Fences: A Collection of

Dolly Parton on “Jolene”: “…to have someone love a man so much...

Dolly Parton on “Jolene”: “…to have someone love a man so much that she would, rather than giving him up and being mad

Hello! And a Comic About a Bear

Hello, I’m Edith! I love this site, and I’m excited to be here. (Thanks, Jason!) I haven’t blogged like this for more t

Please Welcome Edith Zimmerman to the Site

Hello everyone. I’m going to be traveling for a few weeks and have invited my friend Edith Zimmerman to guest edit kott

Brickception: a Breakout-style game for desktop browsers in which a popup window...

Brickception: a Breakout-style game for desktop browsers in which a popup window acts as the paddle for the main window

Phil Plait on How to Buy Your First Telescope. “If you just...

Phil Plait on How to Buy Your First Telescope. “If you just want to see the moon, the bright planets and the occasional

The opposite of the straw man argument: the steel man technique. “Put...

The opposite of the straw man argument: the steel man technique. “Put simply, it’s building the best form of the other

Three Palestinian students were shot in Burlington, VT on Saturday evening. The...

Three Palestinian students were shot in Burlington, VT on Saturday evening. The alleged shooter was a middle-aged white

Whoa, the 2nd-gen Apple AirPods Pro are on sale at Amazon for...

Whoa, the 2nd-gen Apple AirPods Pro are on sale at Amazon for $190…that’s $60 off and $10 cheaper than I’ve ever seen t

A trailer for a documentary called A Disturbance in the Force: How...

A trailer for a documentary called A Disturbance in the Force: How the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened. 💬 Join the

A new version of Rasmus Andersson’s Inter typeface has been released. “Inter...

A new version of Rasmus Andersson’s Inter typeface has been released. “Inter is a free and open source font family. You

Patricia Lockwood Meets the Pope

This entire article is a delight from start to finish, full of laugh-out-loud moments. I couldn’t decide which part to

Sam Altman to return as CEO of OpenAI. All but one of...

Sam Altman to return as CEO of OpenAI. All but one of the old board members are gone (including both women). New board

Lego Sets of Famous Moments in Psychology

I love these depictions of famous moments in psychology and cognitive science via @tomerullman. From top to bottom:

Transanta is an online secret Santa program to “deliver gifts to trans...

Transanta is an online secret Santa program to “deliver gifts to trans youth in need, safely and anonymously”. 💬 Join

Why Aren’t More People Marrying? Ask Women What Dating Is Like. “It...

Why Aren’t More People Marrying? Ask Women What Dating Is Like. “It seems that by the time men begin dating, they are r

The staff of Lapham’s Quarterly has been “furloughed indefinitely” after the magazine...

The staff of Lapham’s Quarterly has been “furloughed indefinitely” after the magazine announced that it was temporarily

Monaspace is a mix-n-match “superfamily” of monospaced fonts designed by Github for...

Monaspace is a mix-n-match “superfamily” of monospaced fonts designed by Github for coding. 💬 Join the discussion on k

The Man Who Ran 365 Marathons in 365 Days

Wow, what a lovely, inspiring story this is: in 2022, Gary McKee ran a marathon every single day. On weekdays, he got

Meanwhile, 100s of OpenAI employees are threatening to quit and join Altman...

Meanwhile, 100s of OpenAI employees are threatening to quit and join Altman at Microsoft unless the remaining board mem

After OpenAI tried all weekend to hire former CEO Sam Altman back,...

After OpenAI tried all weekend to hire former CEO Sam Altman back, Microsoft hired him and fellow co-founder Greg Brock

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Passes Away at Age 96. President Carter:...

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Passes Away at Age 96. President Carter: “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything

The Washington Post has published crime scene photos from 11 mass shootings...

The Washington Post has published crime scene photos from 11 mass shootings from 2012 to 2023 that show just how destru

Remember Batkid? 10 years ago, the Make-A-Wish Foundation transformed San Francisco into...

Remember Batkid? 10 years ago, the Make-A-Wish Foundation transformed San Francisco into Gotham City so cancer patient

Astronauts accidentally dropped a tool bag on a spacewalk, and you can...

Astronauts accidentally dropped a tool bag on a spacewalk, and you can see it with binoculars. “This isn’t even the fir

I’d Knit That: Kendall Ross’s Knitted Wearable Artworks

I love these busy, wordy, and brightly colored sweaters from Kendall Ross. From her about page: Kendall Ross, aka