LET'S GET WEIRD!

It's Wednesday! I don't know why, but I've always liked Wednesdays. Maybe it's how they bisect the work week. Maybe it's the absurd spelling, full of silent and superfluous letters. All I know is that it's here for us, and I am here for it!

We also have a few birthdays to acknowledge, so let's stuff ourselves with some cake!

• Happy birthday to Gregor Johann Mendel, born this day in 1822! For students of a certain age, the Austrian botanist's name is synonymous with stamens & pistils.

• Next up, cut a slice for Margery Williams Bianco, born this day in 1881! Ms. Bianco gifted us with the children's literary classic The Velveteen Rabbit, which is pretty much THE definitive work about a kid navigating a challenging — even deadly — contagious illness (scarlet fever). And if you've never read it AND are a fan of Disney/Pixar's Toy Story franchise, you might notice some...similarities...between the respective plots.

• Hot on her heels is painter Edward Hopper, born this day in 1882! While Mr. Hopper is most famous for his stunning Nighthawks piece, he has many other impressive works in a variety of mediums. One of the interesting things about Hopper is that he didn't really achieve his artistic "breakthrough" until his 40s, and he didn't complete Nighthawks until he was 60! It's never too late...but you've gotta put in the work.

Alright, enough of my nonsense — on to the links!

1. Apparently Leonard Cohen dabbled in standup comedy in the 1960s, and it's...well, it's about what you'd expect.

Not really my cup of poutine (Quebecois puns FTW!), but I will gladly spin Songs of Love and Hate till the Expos come home.

2. The cat trees are really bearing some luscious fruit this season!

You know they're ripe when the tongues are hanging out.

3. Coffin-shaped floats? This is very on-brand for the summer of Covid.

I know, I know — I decreed back in April that the Wednesday emails would be a Covid-free zone, but I couldn't resist. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

4. Speaking of cakes, check these spectacular sponges out!

I don't know how appetizing biting into a sugary slice of a Croc sandal is, but that aloe plant cake is rad!

5. Bored Hollywood actors have filmed separate Princess Bride scenes in their back yards and cut them together for Quibi, and we all finally have a reason to actually use Quibi.

I don't know about you, but I'm already at capacity in terms of all the various streaming content channels I can keep track of, but if anything is going to get me to sign up for a free trial of Quibi, it'd be this weird not-really-punk-rock-but-also-kinda-punk-rock art project.