Trivia (should have been) 1 February

Out and About: 1905
via Shorpy Historical Photo Archive – Vintage Fine Art Prints by Dave

Nov. 22, 1905
“Lake Shore Drive, Chicago”
A nice day for a carriage ride, and look out for that omnibus
8x10 inch dry plate glass negative
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Annie and girl culture
via OUP Blog by Jacqueline Warwick

The musical version of little orphan Annie – as distinct from her original, cartoon incarnation – was born a fully formed ten-year-old in 1977, and she quickly became an icon of girlhood. Since then, thousands of girls have performed songs like “Maybe” and “Tomorrow,” sometimes in service to a production of the musical, but more often in talent shows, music festivals, or pedagogical settings. The plucky orphan girl seems to combine just the right amount of softness and sass, and her musical language is beautifully suited to the female prepubescent voice. So what can Annie teach us about what girls are.
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via Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
On George Balanchine
Birth of American ballet. Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream opened up new possibilities. His motto: “Don’t think, just dance”… more

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Why Replacing Humans With These Robots Makes Sense
via MakeUseOf by Joel Lee
Robots are taking over the world. It’s a concept that’s both exciting and frightening to think about. In the past, we’ve explored jobs that robots can’t steal from humans, but what about the other side of the spectrum?
Are there any jobs where automation and precision are so valuable that robots are actually more deserving of them than humans?
Continue reading some very interesting ideas, with video.

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Druids and nature
via OUP Blog by Barry Cunliffe

What was the relationship between the Druids and nature? The excerpt below from Druids: A Very Short Introduction looks at seasonal cycles, the winter solstice, and how the Druids charted the movement of the sun, moon, and stars: continue reading

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via Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
On Bob Hope
Why was Bob Hope so successful? Mostly for the same reason people no longer find him funny: He wasn’t Jewish… more

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Long-forgotten plans for a Haunted Mansion boat-ride
via Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow

From the Long Forgotten blog, a characteristically excellent and thorough going-over of the aborted plan to build the Haunted Mansion as a boat ride-through, much like Pirates of the Caribbean (which may have cannibalized some of the aborted watery Mansion plans).
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Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin'
via 3 Quarks Daily from Delancey Place

He adored openly and gave not a damn who saw. In the middle of parties, amid any gathering, he blurted encomiums of love and appreciation: ‘Doesn't she look radiant?’, he would say of Bacall. (I remember feeling so happy,’ she said of such eruptions.) Whatever his latest elations and fancies, they were always made grandly audible: ‘No one prettier has ever been in my house!’ ‘You’re beautiful tonight!' ‘You look mah-velous!’ (That was in fact exactly how he said it.) Public proclamation did not faze him; after all, he sang the same sentiments on records and stages – legendarily making every woman feel that he sang only to her.
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via Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
Oliver Sacks and cancer
Oliver Sacks has months to live. There is no longer time for anything inessential – just himself, his work, his friends. And some silliness…. more

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You Won't Believe How Much These 80s Toys, Gadgets, And Video Games Are Worth
via MakeUseOf by Dave LeClair
Might you be sitting on a gold mine in your attic? Some gadgets and toys from the 1980s are actually worth huge amounts of money to collectors. Whether it’s crazy valuable video games, or even the Walkman, which has exploded in popularity thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy, you could be sitting on a ton of money without even knowing it.
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