HAPPY NATIONAL LETTER WRITING DAY!
I know we tend to think of letters as a relic of the past, but this is kind of a letter, minus the dead trees! (Or maybe with dead trees, since you can't read this letter without electricity, and all this energy use is also problematic, so maybe I should get off my high horse about saving trees.)
Alright, well here is some good news: if you did want to mail a literal letter on paper, you wouldn't have to make your own envelope like those poor schmos before the mid-nineteenth century.
Back in those days all envelopes were handmade, which made them so expensive that people would typically forgo envelopes and instead fold their letters and seal them with wax stamps (which also sounds like kind of a lot of effort, honestly).
I don't know if the mail service would appreciate wax-sealed, envelope-less letters in the 21st century. They already put a stop to people mailing children to relatives* last century, so I guess there's less of an "anything goes" atmosphere at the post office these days.
* Yes, this is a real thing people tried to do in the early 20th century, because stamps were cheaper than train tickets and there was no explicit rule against it at the time. People, amirite?
I can think of at least one guy who still gets letters. I am going to just assume he ignores *my* letters because I still do not have a Pegasus, even though a flying horse would be a fabulous commute method.
GIF via RiffTracks
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Today is also National Cotton Candy Day, but celebrate at your own risk, because too much celebrating of cotton candy will definitely result in a patronizing lecture from your dentist. Unless you are like me and refuse to listen to patronizing lectures from dentists. I accomplish this by rolling into the dental office with noise-cancelling headphones* and dark sunglasses on, and flatly refuse to take them off until I leave. Yap all you want, Dr. Ryan, I can't hear you over my sweet non-judgmental tunes.
* My husband completely disapproves of this practice, but I won't listen to HIS lectures either. He can go commiserate with Dr. Ryan about it.
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What happened on December 7ths of the past? Here are a few things:
• Singer-songwriter Tom Waits (1949) and actress Ellen Burstyn (1932) were born
• Delaware became the first state to ratify the US Constitution on this day in 1787
• The Recording Industry Association of America sued Napster for copyright infringement on this day in 1999. (Thank goodness that totally stamped out copyright infringement on the internet!)
• The Yukon set a new weather record, when temps dipped down to 87 degrees below zero Fahrenheit on this day in 1948 — if you happen to live in the Yukon, I am going to assume you are a yeti, and it's very cool that I have yetis reading my newsletter!
Alright, you've waited long enough — on to the links!
Please enjoy this funny animated short by Spacekits. (If you are an Adult Swim fan I can pretty much guarantee you will appreciate this one.)
It wouldn't be the holiday season without the Boredwalk team savaging the worst holiday music! Check it out to see which songs made the list!
Who doesn't love a new table that doubles as a puzzle!
A soothing and adorable stop motion animation with cottage-core vibes.
This cool animation has a theory about what there was to scream about.
OK! We'll be back here in your inbox on Friday with more nonsense holidays to dissect, more notable birthdays (and maybe even some notable deathdays!) to celebrate, and more witty content in general. Don't miss it! Until next time...
Peace, love, and old timey letters,
Meredith
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