davidgagne

Our full humanity is contingent on our hospitality; we can be complete only when we are giving something away; when we sit at the table and pass the peas to the person next to us we see that person in a whole new way. – Alice Waters Continue reading Pass the Peas

The life of man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster. David Hume

Because he was baptized on April 26, today is traditionally considered the birthday of William Shakespeare. The Oxford English Dictionary credits him with coining 3,000 new words, and he created so many idioms that you likely use at least one each day without even realizing it. Here are just a few of his phrases that have lasted more than 450 years now: a fool’s paradise a sorry sight dead as a…

Awesome news: Researchers have developed a method of making french fries that results in a healthier bite without sacrificing crispiness. In the running for most awesome job posting I’ve seen: Observatory Manager It’s hard to believe it’s already been a decade since we lost Prince. Italy Implements a New Labor Leave that Allows Workers to Care for Sick Pets Man Charged in LEGO Theft Scheme of…

This was a surprisingly fun read: A complete guide to juggling, from zero to siteswap notation, by someone who juggles in nightclubs. Far too few people understand this crucial statement from this article from The Handbasket on the future of artificial intelligence in journalism: Telling a machine that can’t perceive that it can’t perceive won’t make it perceive that it can’t perceive. A New…

Never play cards with a man called Doc. Never eat at a place called Mom’s. Never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own. Nelson Algren, A Walk on the Wild Side (1956)

I love these Big Tuskers! – via johansiggesson.com Why Apple's Move to Video Could Endanger Podcasting’s Greatest Power I haven’t been able to play the best video game ever made — Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter (1997) — in over a quarter of a century, though I still have my old Microsoft Sidewinder in storage somewhere for it. Could the DOS Retro-Emulation Arena for Maniac Mansion™ (DREAMM)…

It was on this day in 1954 that the first mass inoculation of children for polio began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The vaccine was developed by Jonas Salk, a doctor at the University of Pittsburgh. Continue reading When America Was Great

This essay had me literally laughing out loud. “Cookie Monster has operated in plain sight for over fifty years, and no one has asked the obvious question: What is he?” – via @philplait It took just seven minutes to deploy the massive and intricate set for the Bad Bunny halftime show at Super Bowl LX and you can watch an amazing time-lapse video of the process. – via hiro.report Good news:…

Italy’s famous Lovers’ Arch collapses into the sea on Valentine’s Day – via my little sister What the? There’s a species of mushroom that makes everyone who trips on it think they’re seeing dozens of tiny humans. As far as we know, it’s the only hallucinogenic that makes everyone have the same hallucinations. – via Kottke A startup called LightBar is paying everyday internet users to probe AI…

Research from dozens of clinical trials suggests that improving your sleep quality leads to meaningful reductions in depression, anxiety, and repetitive negative thinking… and the more your sleep improves, the bigger the mental health benefit. – via Arnold’s Pump Club I was pulling for the New England Patriots, but I have to admit it was cool to learn that Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and…

I’m pretty sure I’ve already linked to The Labyrinth Locator, but it’s neat enough to warrant posting again in case you haven’t seen it. What was your favorite Super Bowl LX commercial? (I thought the Sabrina Carpenter ad for Pringles was the best one.) What it was like to be a bush at Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance Rockhopper Penguins’ Athleticism Makes Them the Daredevils of the Animal…

A French hospital was reportedly forced to evacuate after medical staff discovered an unexploded World War I artillery shell stuck in a man’s rectum. – via standard.co.uk Covid was the #3 killer in 2020, but has now slipped out of the top 10; an American is more likely to die these days from cirrhosis or suicide. How to turn off only the cursed AI summary feature in Gmail. – via Laura Olin Oh,…

An Asian elephant gave birth to a calf at the Smithsonian Zoo for the first time in nearly 25 years. – via What A Day Got kids? Send them a link to Ian’s Shoelace Site! Super quick and easy way to send a message to your reps asking them to stand with the people of Minnesota against ICE: ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA NOW – via @bhay NSS: The US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they…

Banana! An Olympic figure skater from Spain will not be able to perform his normal routine due to a copyright claim from the Minions. I love that the Pope published a Holy See about the dangers of AI. A 13-year-old boy has been hailed as a hero after swimming 4 kilometres through rough waters for help after his mother and two siblings were swept out to sea off the coast of Australia. A…

Evidence is accumulating that the shingles vaccine also protects against Alzheimer’s disease and can slow biological aging. – via The Progress Network Mr. Math Blog is a great tool to keep in your back pocket if you have an elementary school student learning algebra. Reasons To Watch The Martian For The 47th Time, Ranked – via Lauren I highly recommend Night Thoughts, the new stand-up special…

Symbol Salad is a great resource for those in need of special keyboard characters, like ¢ and ½. Organ Donation & Pascal’s Wager – via mergesort.me The current administration does not want to FAFO with an organized gang of wine moms. – via @froggyb Speaking of FAFO: I can’t believe this academic admitted to losing all his AI-generated research. The Ottawa Senators are selling jerseys with…