THEY'RE BOTH RULERS THAT ULTIMATELY FELL TO HUBRIS

Meredith here! Matt is off working on some cool new art, so I've taken over our Wednesday email.

First up, congrats to Shannon O., winner of our monthly free t-shirt giveaway! That's right — our giveaway isn't just a cynical ploy to extract email addresses from hapless website visitors. Huzzah!

Next up, Happy National Mutt Day! If you've got a mixed breed pooch in your life, be sure to show them a little extra love today. The Boredwalk Crew also wouldn't mind if you shared your favorite pic of said mutt with us *hint hint.*

Today is also the anniversary of Napoleon Bonaparte crowning himself Emperor of the French in 1804 at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Napoleon ruled France for around 10 years, expanding the French Empire until ultimately facing defeat and exile.

Last night our cat Oliver declared himself Emperor of All The Damn Pillows in Matt and Meredith's Bed and was summarily deposed and exiled to the couch. That's what flying too close to the sun will get you. A lesson for both French rulers and overly ambitious felines everywhere.

Before we get to the links, let's all enjoy some cake!

• First up, buon compleanno to Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace, born this day in 1946! Thanks to Versace's friendships with celebs such as Madonna, Cher, Tupac Shakur, and Elton John he was one the first designers to link the fashion and music worlds. His bold, sexy designs served as a contrast to the prevailing muted colors and simplicity of the late 1970s. A rival of Giorgio Armani, Gianni once said  "Armani dresses the wife, Versace dresses the mistress."

• Next up, happy birthday to pop star Britney Spears, born this day in 1981! Spears is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop in the late 1990s and 2000s and often referred to as the Princess of Pop. She has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making her one the world's best-selling recording artists.

• Finally, birthday nods go to New York's LaGuardia Airport, which opened on this day in 1939, and The United States Environmental Protection Agency, which began operations on this day in 1970 under the Nixon administration. Republican Presidents interested in environmental protection? What a world!

OK, OK...you've waited long enough. It's link time!

1. Best 2020 pastime? Dunking on 2020.

These meme masters have made a hilarious art of comparing our Year of the Devil* to everything awful. Ever wonder what 2020 would be as a scented candle or a roll of toilet paper? Wonder no more!

(*h/t to Boredwalk customer Chloe Condon who keeps referring to 2020 as the Year of the Devil.)

2. Christina Bothwell's surreal glass sculptures explore death and the soul.

Bothwell creates fantastic and strangely compelling figurative sculptures, which range from fascinating to disturbing. She talks about her work here and you can follow her on Instagram here.

3. And if you're living in the modern era, I bet you spend more time than you ever expected trying to prove to robots that you are, in fact, NOT a robot.

Comic Stevie Martin delivers a hilarious and relatable video about the CAPTCHAs that plague our modern existence. 

4. Acts of clever and minor vandalism that will make you chuckle.

LOLs at the expense of inanimate objects from toilets to security cameras can be found in this fun collection.

5. In Norway it's Santa vs The Norwegian Postal Service.

In this funny little video promoting Posten Norge, the Norwegians take comedic aim at Santa and American-influenced absurdity.