September 15, 2021

And what have we learned today? 🤔

MOSTLY THAT SEPTEMBER 15TH SHOULD BE ASKING US FOR FORGIVENESS

Happy National Online Learning Day! Here's what I learned online today: there are LOTS of random holidays that fall on September 15th, and none* of them are particularly interesting. Linguine? Cheese Toast? School Backpack Awareness? Creme de Menthe? Felt hats? GET IT TOGETHER, SEPTEMBER 15th!

*No offense if you're observing Yom Kippur today. In fact, g’mar chatima tova if you are! But you should also probably not be on the internet today, since it's full of pictures of food and sexy people and leather shoes and ads for lotions and scented oils. The internet is basically a minefield of Leviticus-flouting temptations.

Broad City fainting GIF

Fun fact: when you search "yom kippur" on Giphy, all the results are about being hungry and asking for forgiveness. Way to go, algorithm! #NailedIt

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Before we get to this week's amusing links let's celebrate a few September 15th birthdays!

Scribes: James Fenimore Cooper (1789) and Agatha Christie (1890)

Sportsballers: Dan Marino (1961)

Scandalous Royals: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (1984)

Screenwriters: Oliver Stone (1946)

Stout POTUSes: William Howard Taft (1857)

Sapersteins: Parks And Rec actor Ben "Jean-Ralphio Saperstein" Schwartz (1981)

Alright, you've waited long enough — let's get to some fun links!

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1. Sand sculptures that are stunningly lifelike!

Artist Andoni Bastarrika makes amazing sculptures out of sand, and the level of detail (and amount of time he spends working with such an ephemeral medium) is truly remarkable.

2. Food that's fit for a hobbit, or a time lord, or a flesh-eating monster.

Austin, Texas-based freelance writer Chris-Rachael Oseland moonlights as a culinary dynamo, whipping up all sorts of fandom-themed baked goods. Enjoy!

3. Weird internet videos are kinda what the internet is all about.

This deep dive into the artistry behind the lo-fi gems the internet has given us over the last few decades is a treasure trove of weirdness that really hits the spot, creatively speaking.

4. A Freddie Mercury/Pee-wee Herman mashup? Yes, please!

If you've ever wondered what it might sound like if Freddie fronted The Champs doing their hit song 'Tequila', wonder no more!

5. "Human salsa." That is all.

Watch out for those dive-bombing donkeys!

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OK! Hopefully these little diversions helped to brighten your day! We'll be back here in your inbox on Friday with more random holidays, celebrity birthdays, and some other fun treats! Until then...

Peace, love, and learning things online,

Mat