Advice From a Cartoon Princess

Occupation envy: My Kushy New Job embeds reporter in Amsterdam coffee shop where he discovers that selling weed is actually just as shitty as every other service industry job.

Miniature pencil carvings.

A brief history of the origins of writing.

Fun fact: the German family that owns Trader Joe's also owns Aldi's. The backstory on your favorite gourmet grocer, with  bonus appearance by Barry Schwartz touting the paradox of choice (again).

Image: pictures of people reading

"Because of the program's failure to focus on high-level offenders, critics say it's causing fewer immigrants to share information with police that can help solve cases or prevent future crimes." Why cracking down on illegal immigrants may actually be worse for public safety.

Umm

A new species of micro-frog has been discovered in Borneo (raising the important question of how many old species of micro-frogs we already know about. Also the question of why no one's ever told me about micro-frogs before today, especially if they consider themselves to be my friends). How could something so small blow my mind so hard? Seriously, I'm having a tough time accepting or conceptualizing the bittiness of this little booger.

P.S. Micro Frogz would make an awesome animated kids series. Internet, make it so.

nobody

"Even the most famous poet is still a nobody to most people."

--wish this article by Brian Spears were longer. Good links tho.

Cold War

Janelle Monae.

Man hitchhikes across America, creates short video about it. (Spoiler alert: He doesn't get axe murdered even once.)

Never thought I would say it: this home birth video is absolutely beautiful.

"We believe we are hurt when we don’t receive love. But that is not what hurts us. Our pain comes when we do not give love. We were born to love. You might say that we are divinely created love machines. We function most powerfully when we are giving love. The world has led us to believe that our wellbeing is dependent on other people loving us. But this is the kind of upside down thinking that has caused so many of our problems. The truth is our well being is dependent on our giving love. It is not about what comes back; it is about what goes out!" — Alan Cohen

Image: obsessions make my life worse and my work better.

Back

Hopefully to resume regular-ish posting over the next couple of days.

Tonight I board a plane for the jungles of the southern hemisphere. Panthers and zip lines and dolphins, oh my! As if this larger-than-life magical fantasy trip isn't enough, my return from Peru finds me thrown into a car headed for the Great Taste of the Midwest, the region's largest beer festival. Then, if I'm lucky, a quick side-trip to the House on the Rock. Summer 2010, here I come!

See you soon,
Tianasaurus

Love this Lady