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Archive: 2023

Browse through our history of obscure stories.
Browse By Year 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 December 2024: Live Another Day 2024: Live Another Day December 29, 2023 2024: Live Another Day Tedium embraces year nine with another look-ahead. No, we didn’t make our own wall calendar this year, but we’ll still complain about wall calendars anyway. The Open Letter Still Works The Open Letter Still Works December 28, 2023 The Open Letter Still Works Our final year-end Tedium award honors an open letter that hopefully encourages more creator-economy activism in 2024. Not The Name That You Call Me With Not The Name That You Call Me With December 27, 2023 Not The Name That You Call Me With The year-end Tedium awards continue with an excellent, breathtaking feature on Elliott Smith’s high-school bands. Yes, multiple. The Great YouTube Epic The Great YouTube Epic December 26, 2023 The Great YouTube Epic To kick off this year’s year-end Tedium awards, we honor a video that may have done more good for creator culture than anything created before or since. Fake Festive Vs. Real Thing Fake Festive Vs. Real Thing December 23, 2023 Fake Festive Vs. Real Thing The tale of the modern Christmas tree is a concept that constantly passes through a tale of sustainability, whether the tree is real or fake. Fall Of The Mouse House Fall Of The Mouse House December 20, 2023 Fall Of The Mouse House With less than two weeks to go before Public Domain Day 2024, signs are already emerging that creators are ready to rethink Steamboat Willie. Self-Checkout Game Theory Self-Checkout Game Theory December 19, 2023 Self-Checkout Game Theory There have been a lot of takes in recent years slagging on self-checkout as a failed experiment or an expensive waste. I may lose my cool-kid card for saying this, but: I’m actually a fan. Give Up? Gift Up Give Up? Gift Up December 16, 2023 Give Up? Gift Up A few last-minute gift ideas you aren’t really thinking about. (But really, an excuse for us to look back at 2023 in Tedium.) Waking Up The Regulators Waking Up The Regulators December 14, 2023 Waking Up The Regulators While regulators have long struggled with how to attack big tech, a landmark ruling and a big disclosure suggests that big tech is finally getting noticed. Finally. An Incomplete Picture An Incomplete Picture December 12, 2023 An Incomplete Picture A recent scandal around a popular YouTuber’s nonprofit foundation has created a lot of drama, but what it’s missing are voices that understand the nonprofit sector. Interference Wars Interference Wars December 8, 2023 Interference Wars The electric vehicle finds itself in the middle of the big debate over the future of AM radio. Could the AM dial get pushed off to the side? Diet Facebook Diet Facebook December 7, 2023 Diet Facebook A browser extension I’m using has me really surprised about how much junk Facebook feeds me. I hate that we’re stuck with it. Stealing Passages Stealing Passages December 5, 2023 Stealing Passages Plagiarism is often seen as an insignificant problem in online culture, but an epic Hbomberguy video essay proves that regular folks do in fact care about content theft. In Search Of New Lows In Search Of New Lows December 1, 2023 In Search Of New Lows Why did seven-string guitars become a nu-metal staple in the late 1990s? It turns out they nearly went forgotten—but a guitar nut in Bakersfield decided he wanted to follow a specific sound. November A Note On Note Apps A Note On Note Apps November 30, 2023 A Note On Note Apps You shouldn’t rely on a SaaS-based note-taking application, in my view, and if you buy something, buy it outright. Here’s why. Once More With Feeling Once More With Feeling November 28, 2023 Once More With Feeling That AI-generated pop song sounds terrible, but it reflects a long legacy of letting machines manipulate or even generate our musical output. Weird HTML Hacks Weird HTML Hacks November 24, 2023 Weird HTML Hacks Many of these code quirks shouldn’t work, but somehow they do. We’re highlighting 10 hacky website coding strategies—some big, some small. Bubble Busters Bubble Busters November 22, 2023 Bubble Busters The recent security drama caused by an iMessage workaround on Android shouldn’t minimize a simple fact: This is Apple’s fault. Ruminating On Replies Ruminating On Replies November 21, 2023 Ruminating On Replies The “reply guy,” the internet-native take on Florida Man, has started to cause problems in the fediverse, and it comes down to ideology. Making Magnetic Media Making Magnetic Media November 17, 2023 Making Magnetic Media Pondering the legacy of 3M as a high-profile creator of magnetic media—a memorable business for the manufacturing giant that it gave up nearly three decades ago. When Tools Unlock New Paths When Tools Unlock New Paths November 16, 2023 When Tools Unlock New Paths Don’t just keep doing the same thing hoping that something is going to change. If you want to truly be creative, try a different tool sometime. You’ll thank yourself. Slamming Into Painted Boulders Slamming Into Painted Boulders November 14, 2023 Slamming Into Painted Boulders In the wake of the near-cancellation of yet another film, the creative community calls out Warner Bros. Discovery’s warped priorities. An Innovative Lapel Pin? An Innovative Lapel Pin? November 10, 2023 An Innovative Lapel Pin? As we get ready for the launch of the first lapel pin mobile phone, let’s consider lapel pins for a second. Are they usually vessels for innovation? … And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Pink-Slipped … And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Pink-Slipped November 9, 2023 … And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Pink-Slipped On a particularly bad day for digital media, a thought about where we should go next. Hint: Let’s stop talking about scale. Jell-O In A Sack Jell-O In A Sack November 8, 2023 Jell-O In A Sack Google claims that its Core Web Vitals initiative has saved users 10,000 years of collective waiting time. The problem is, they sloughed those costs and headaches onto developers. California Nearly Killed HBO California Nearly Killed HBO November 3, 2023 California Nearly Killed HBO The surprisingly true story of how the state that has arguably benefited the most from the pay-TV industry … once voted to ban it. Blame an effective slogan. Charged Debate Charged Debate November 1, 2023 Charged Debate Is Panera playing with fire by putting so much caffeine in its fruity beverages? A new warning, spurred by a lawsuit, suggests yes. October Give ’Em Less Data Give ’Em Less Data October 30, 2023 Give ’Em Less Data What if the problems with the news ecosystem could be solved by shutting off the data pipeline to the advertisers? After all, they’ve spent the last 30 years aggressively exploiting it—and us. Spooky Database Relations Spooky Database Relations October 27, 2023 Spooky Database Relations A discussion of the least-on-brand thing to ever happen on Halloween: The Halloween problem, a database querying issue with a long legacy. Permanent Unicorn Permanent Unicorn October 26, 2023 Permanent Unicorn The reason Apple needs a cheap MacBook in its lineup right now is simple: It always needs a device in its lineup that costs less than you expect, but does more than it needs to. Enemies At The Gates Enemies At The Gates October 25, 2023 Enemies At The Gates We’re at an era of internet creation where it’s becoming increasingly clear that gatekeepers, too often, just get in the way. We need to build tools and strategies that allow creators to succeed without them. Yes, He Did That Yes, He Did That October 14, 2023 Yes, He Did That Discussing the ’90s comedy Family Matters from the context of the incredible comic persona work Jaleel White was doing as a child. Making Way For Wayland Making Way For Wayland October 12, 2023 Making Way For Wayland With recent moves made by prominent players, Wayland seems closer than ever to being the ultimate path for Linux users—but, let’s be honest, X11 will never truly die. The Post Of Revelations The Post Of Revelations October 9, 2023 The Post Of Revelations Sufjan Stevens shares a significant part of his life in a single Tumblr post—a message that powerfully reshapes his already-powerful art. Tune-In Tune-In October 6, 2023 Tune-In Laugh-In creator George Schlatter finally gives his long-lost show Turn-On the official release it deserves. He loves that the internet noticed his white whale. Your Phone Will Ring Soon Your Phone Will Ring Soon October 4, 2023 Your Phone Will Ring Soon Ahead of the high-profile EAS test taking place today, here are a bunch of fake EAS videos on YouTube to entertain you. RGB Revolution RGB Revolution October 3, 2023 RGB Revolution RGB lighting is designed to stick out like a sore thumb—and it especially does in a courtroom, it turns out. September The Science Oven The Science Oven September 29, 2023 The Science Oven A reflection on the microwave oven, perhaps the most important invention to come out of a World War that sparked a lot of them. Next-Gen Roadblock Next-Gen Roadblock September 27, 2023 Next-Gen Roadblock A patent holder successfully gets one of the biggest advocates of next-gen television to retreat, and other companies could be next. Kill It With Fire Kill It With Fire September 26, 2023 Kill It With Fire Lessons on a summer with a smartphone-enabled itch-killing device. Yes—it works, even if a smartphone is a weird vessel for the Heat-It. The Modem Tax The Modem Tax September 22, 2023 The Modem Tax How a real-life attempt to charge online services for using the phone line became an infamous internet legend. The “modem tax” was a chain-mail boogeyman. Network Lobotomy Network Lobotomy September 20, 2023 Network Lobotomy After nearly two decades as the primary broadcast channel for teens, The CW, under new ownership, wants to be something else. It may be a hint at what’s next for linear television. The Obvious Warning Sign The Obvious Warning Sign September 19, 2023 The Obvious Warning Sign The decision by Unity to screw over its developers, even if they reverse it, points at deeper unresolved issues in the digital economy. The Cash Machine Is Blue And Green The Cash Machine Is Blue And Green September 15, 2023 The Cash Machine Is Blue And Green Selling people on the idea of a machine that spits out money was obviously not easy. But then a freak weather event happened, and everything began to click. Something To Sneeze At Something To Sneeze At September 13, 2023 Something To Sneeze At The FDA may have just cancelled a whole category of over-the-counter drugs. Has anything like this ever happened before? Based On A True Interpretation Based On A True Interpretation September 12, 2023 Based On A True Interpretation How bothered should we be by the BlackBerry film fudging the truth? Honestly, I think we should embrace Jim Balsillie’s good nature about it. The Sad One The Sad One September 8, 2023 The Sad One The squonk doesn’t exactly carry itself as a particularly scary cryptid—a deeply depressed one, really—but its story has proven a lasting source of tall-tale inspiration. The Barenaked Truth The Barenaked Truth September 6, 2023 The Barenaked Truth When an artist brings up cancel culture, it’s usually because they’re super-edgy or deeply political. So why are the Barenaked Ladies doing it? Art Fights Back Art Fights Back September 5, 2023 Art Fights Back A comic artist took a journalistic dive into the knotty debates around generative AI—and found artists worried about the people even more than the tech. Dead-End Hardware Dead-End Hardware September 1, 2023 Dead-End Hardware Hardware and device concepts that seemed like good ideas, but ultimately led to nothing but tears. You probably know a few of these. August Lightning’s Lost Spark Lightning’s Lost Spark August 30, 2023 Lightning’s Lost Spark We’re near the one-cable-to-rule-them-all point, but odds are that further battles will emerge from here. Let’s consider the state of port standards in the waning days of Lightning. Not All Music Not All Music August 29, 2023 Not All Music Trying to determine exactly why Bryan Adams no longer has a presence in the all-encompassing music industry database AllMusic. Pricing Out Your Legacy Pricing Out Your Legacy August 26, 2023 Pricing Out Your Legacy The company behind WordPress decided to offer a service that promises to pay for your web hosting for a century, long after you die. Sticker shock aside, I don’t hate the idea. Pretty Darn Fascinating Pretty Darn Fascinating August 25, 2023 Pretty Darn Fascinating The story of the PDF, the portable document format that’s become one of the internet’s defining information formats. It’ll be with us after we’re long gone. The New Chart Game The New Chart Game August 24, 2023 The New Chart Game The recent emergence of an out-of-nowhere chart-topper offers a great opportunity to talk about the music industry’s new favorite trick for gaming the Hot 100. Sorry State Sorry State August 22, 2023 Sorry State SSD prices are insanely low right now—but manufacturers focused on bottom line have built computers designed to prevent consumers from leveraging this trend. Magalogs & Mailboxes Magalogs & Mailboxes August 18, 2023 Magalogs & Mailboxes Once upon a time, before the internet, there were attempts to combine magazines and catalogs together. The weird part? For a while, it worked! The Hamster Wheel Scales The Hamster Wheel Scales August 16, 2023 The Hamster Wheel Scales A YouTube controversy around one of its largest channels reflects the complexity of maintaining editorial standards, or even integrity, when you’re producing with quantity in mind. The Story Of Sixto The Story Of Sixto August 15, 2023 The Story Of Sixto The tale of the just-departed Rodriguez is a story of technology and culture shaping a musician’s life. And we’re all a little better that it did. In The Age Of Culling In The Age Of Culling August 11, 2023 In The Age Of Culling Discussing the dumb thing CNET did in an effort to please the Google Gods: Don’t cull old news content to improve your SEO ranking. That’s your history! Corporations, Share Your Patents Corporations, Share Your Patents August 9, 2023 Corporations, Share Your Patents By choosing to share a credit card skimmer detector with other retailers, Target proves that corporate altruism isn’t totally dead. Hot Dive Summer Hot Dive Summer August 8, 2023 Hot Dive Summer In praise of Dave the Diver, the video game that made me realize that harpooning sharks in the middle of the ocean, then turning them into sushi, is extremely fun. Turn-On’s Turning Point Turn-On’s Turning Point August 4, 2023 Turn-On’s Turning Point The infamous cancelled-during-the-first-episode show, a lost-media legend, is on YouTube, which makes it the perfect time to analyze its legacy. A Dylanesque Negotiating Strategy A Dylanesque Negotiating Strategy August 2, 2023 A Dylanesque Negotiating Strategy One of the news industry’s biggest, longest-standing problems is that they do not value the work they create at the level it deserves. They should take a cue from the music industry’s biggest stars. The Curator’s Code, Reconsidered The Curator’s Code, Reconsidered August 1, 2023 The Curator’s Code, Reconsidered Was building a language to properly give people credit a bad idea? If no, why did it get so much pushback? Let’s re-assess one of the most controversial ideas of the blog era. July The Lines Blur Further The Lines Blur Further July 29, 2023 The Lines Blur Further The music industry has had to navigate the choppy waters of royalties, ownership, and inspiration well before AI-generated music became the hot new thing. And not just because of sampling. Tales Of Type Tales Of Type July 26, 2023 Tales Of Type A discussion of the ways that large tech companies helped to define the evolution of computer typography. One battle made the CEO of Adobe really mad. Floppy Flop Floppy Flop July 22, 2023 Floppy Flop The company that gave the world the 5-and-a-quarter floppy was quickly acquired, and its founder quit on bad terms. But his follow-up firm became a computing giant. Tamper Evident Tamper Evident July 19, 2023 Tamper Evident Why there’s a giant button in the middle of your salsa jar, and why baby food jars had it first. Running With The Devil Running With The Devil July 15, 2023 Running With The Devil The tale of the Jersey Devil, a cryptid whose background moved from feudal byproduct to museum hoax to sports-team mascot in the span of about 250 years. Message In A Bottle Message In A Bottle July 12, 2023 Message In A Bottle The current splintering of social media across networks is creating a problem eerily reminiscent of the early battles over instant messaging. Here’s what we can learn. Let The Internet Be Grimy Let The Internet Be Grimy July 8, 2023 Let The Internet Be Grimy Meta’s take on mimicking Twitter feels like it was built for brand safety first, and you don’t get fulfilling internet experiences when you build for brand safety first. Crack One Open Crack One Open July 5, 2023 Crack One Open How the modern-day aluminum beverage can was made safer and more eco-friendly by one man’s invention—a riveted tab that opened the can, but stayed attached. The Gloss of Americana The Gloss of Americana July 1, 2023 The Gloss of Americana Our latest set of glossary entries, on the nature of American culture, aims to move well beyond the stars and stripes. American culture is way too nuanced for that. June The Squeal of Data The Squeal of Data June 28, 2023 The Squeal of Data The through line between the telegraph and the computer is more direct than you might realize. Its influence can be seen in common technologies, like the modem. A Splash of Impatience A Splash of Impatience June 24, 2023 A Splash of Impatience Discussing the legacy of splash screens, those annoying windows that appear when you’re trying to load up a giant program on your desktop machine. Freeloader Culture Freeloader Culture June 21, 2023 Freeloader Culture Reddit seems to be crumbling under the weight of a big controversy. The reason? It didn’t account for its free-riders. A Seismic Stock Shift A Seismic Stock Shift June 17, 2023 A Seismic Stock Shift Stock photo services like Shutterstock or Getty Images helped source the models used by tools like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. But stock photos are not perfect—and if the two models can’t work together, one could disrupt the other. Tuned Out Tuned Out June 14, 2023 Tuned Out Why children’s radio—a format once important enough that Disney undermined a competitor to dominate the radio dial—has largely disappeared from the airwaves. Friction, Baby Friction, Baby June 10, 2023 Friction, Baby In a world where technology is trying to make things increasingly easier, make things a little harder on yourself. You’ll get better results. Bad News Beepers Bad News Beepers June 7, 2023 Bad News Beepers Considering the reputation that pagers and beepers had as a tool for drug trafficking, especially in schools. Did it smother a legitimately useful technology? Manufactured Gloss Manufactured Gloss June 3, 2023 Manufactured Gloss Our continuing journey to write a Tedium glossary takes us through the manufacturing process—and the weird products it sometimes led to. May Social Network Drift Social Network Drift May 31, 2023 Social Network Drift Maybe the reason why social networks fade away over time is as simple as different generations wanting different experiences. Picnic, an emerging social network, exemplifies this point. Reviving a Dinosaur Reviving a Dinosaur May 27, 2023 Reviving a Dinosaur Nearly two decades after its final version, the Silicon Graphics community has deep hopes for bringing the platform’s operating system back to life—the hard way. Dress Down Dress Down May 24, 2023 Dress Down Thoughts on dressing up in a world where members of Congress are trying to get away with wearing sneakers inside the Oval Office. Hoodies in the Senate? Sure! Consider the Jackalope Consider the Jackalope May 20, 2023 Consider the Jackalope How a happy taxidermy accident created the jackalope legend. But it’s a legend that might have some real-world grounding. Jackalopes may have even helped us solve cancer. Make Digital Preservation Easier Make Digital Preservation Easier May 17, 2023 Make Digital Preservation Easier If major companies think it’s too hard or costly to leave up user-generated content, perhaps we need to change the motivations. The Artist and the Amiga The Artist and the Amiga May 13, 2023 The Artist and the Amiga Andy Warhol was enamored with the first computer he ever owned—and he didn’t seem all that worried about the risks of disruption. News of the Monoculture News of the Monoculture May 10, 2023 News of the Monoculture For those who weren’t there, a quick explanation as to why MTV News was once something worth giving a crap about. The Cover-Up The Cover-Up May 6, 2023 The Cover-Up How screen protectors became a part of our lives, and the weird reason some early cathode ray tubes needed them. Social Gloss Social Gloss May 3, 2023 Social Gloss In continuing with our long series of glossary entries, let’s take a look at some online-community-related terms hiding in the archives. April Switching Pad Switching Pad April 28, 2023 Switching Pad OnePlus’ first attempt at a tablet makes a strong case for iPad users to make the move to Android. Does it stick the landing? CISC-y RISC-ness CISC-y RISC-ness April 26, 2023 CISC-y RISC-ness An unusual type of processor from the early 2000s seemed to offer the best of all worlds—and may be the most inventive approach to the CPU ever developed. The Next Chapter The Next Chapter April 22, 2023 The Next Chapter Online culture sure feels like it’s in a transition phase, doesn’t it? In an attempt to understand what we learned this week, let’s compare it to some prior internet-era shifts. Textbooks of the Air Textbooks of the Air April 19, 2023 Textbooks of the Air Long before there were podcasts, there were attempts to use the radio as a way to distribute educational programming. Socket To Me Socket To Me April 15, 2023 Socket To Me Why the processor socket, an important part of most desktop computers, lost its upgrade path as computers became smaller and more integrated. The Whole Stack The Whole Stack April 12, 2023 The Whole Stack Substack got an unexpected wave of momentum last week that threatens to upend the game for people who just want email to be email. What should indie newsletter publishers think of that? Hiding in the Basket Hiding in the Basket April 8, 2023 Hiding in the Basket A conversation about Easter eggs hiding in software, why they’re fun, and why they might not always be seen as good things by IT admins. Mile-High Productivity Mile-High Productivity April 5, 2023 Mile-High Productivity Making room for in-flight productivity has long been a source of both consternation and electronic interference. But for some reason, it persists. A Musical War of the Worlds A Musical War of the Worlds April 1, 2023 A Musical War of the Worlds Some musicals have an enduring legacy long after the final curtain is drawn. Then there's Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds. March When the Training Wheels Decide When the Training Wheels Decide March 29, 2023 When the Training Wheels Decide Yeah, yeah, as Allen Iverson once put it, “We talking about practice!” But new tech can make athletes even more valuable during the game. It could even impact your job. A Side of Gloss A Side of Gloss March 25, 2023 A Side of Gloss Tedium continues on its long journey to fill its glossary with hundreds of entries, and today’s list takes a long, hard look at all things food-related. When Atari Was Politicized When Atari Was Politicized March 22, 2023 When Atari Was Politicized The story of how the “Atari Democrats” came to shape the way politics and technology work together, for good and bad. Appetite for Destruction Appetite for Destruction March 18, 2023 Appetite for Destruction The history of the paper shredder, a device that’s most important when you have something to hide. Not all shreds are alike. Field of Bankruptcies Field of Bankruptcies March 15, 2023 Field of Bankruptcies It’s hard out there trying to do something new, which is why we want to look back on some of the notable failed sports leagues. On “Ernie” On “Ernie” March 11, 2023 On “Ernie” Having learned that Baidu is about to steal my first name for its AI chatbot that’s launching this month, let’s talk about the name Ernie for a bit. (Can I stop them?) Point, Shoot, and Forget Point, Shoot, and Forget March 8, 2023 Point, Shoot, and Forget Before Instagram, the disposable camera helped pave the way for digital photography. But the basic idea was a century old by the time it went mainstream. Self-Host All the Things? Self-Host All the Things? March 4, 2023 Self-Host All the Things? In a world where every service wants to put you on a subscription forever, is now the time to start self-hosting your apps instead? Let’s look at the landscape. February Robot Hand is the Future Robot Hand is the Future February 28, 2023 Robot Hand is the Future What I learned about YouTube’s algorithm from creating an account that only watched videos related to Elliott Smith. I fought hard, but the algorithm won. Hobbyists for Hire Hobbyists for Hire February 25, 2023 Hobbyists for Hire We live in a world where some tasks would be impossible to do at the necessary scale if not for absurdly dedicated hobbyists. If you own a metal detector, you know what we mean. The Hayes Code The Hayes Code February 22, 2023 The Hayes Code The obscure command set that gradually helped us move past acoustic couplers and brought dial-up modems into the mainstream. For a while, at least. Old Archives, New Controversy Old Archives, New Controversy February 18, 2023 Old Archives, New Controversy The New York Times has the most robust online archives of any newspaper, but it’s proving difficult to square their handling of a recent controversy with the quality of those archives. A Layer of Gloss A Layer of Gloss February 15, 2023 A Layer of Gloss Tedium is slowly working on its glossary over the next year, taking time to develop definitions for the literally thousands of things it’s discussed since 2015. Today’s starting point? Software. AI, Minus the Hype AI, Minus the Hype February 11, 2023 AI, Minus the Hype Perhaps you’ve heard a thing or ten about generative AI stuff like ChatGPT. Should you care? Let’s have a (relatively) normal person explain it to you. Bridge To Nowhere Bridge To Nowhere February 8, 2023 Bridge To Nowhere Trying to understand why bridge is an influential enough game that the BBC felt it was deserving of its own dedicated video game console in the ’80s. One Song, Many Writers One Song, Many Writers February 4, 2023 One Song, Many Writers How modern songwriting evolved into a game of aggressive credit—even for the people who didn’t technically do the composing. ███████ Alert ███████ Alert February 1, 2023 ███████ Alert The history of everyone’s favorite attempt to keep the suspense going for just a little bit longer, the spoiler alert. People who spoil things are obviously evil. Obviously. January Films on Wheels Films on Wheels January 28, 2023 Films on Wheels Pondering the under-the-radar legacy of the TV cart on wheels, a simple object as known for its substitute-teacher value as its risk as a tip-over hazard. Mis-swiping the Point Mis-swiping the Point January 25, 2023 Mis-swiping the Point The NYC subway system—a mishmash of new and old technology—still struggles to build payment systems that work for everyone. And often, the tech often separates the haves and have-nots. The Chris Gaines Shuffle The Chris Gaines Shuffle January 21, 2023 The Chris Gaines Shuffle Discussing the evolution and popularity of alter egos, particularly those that aren’t very successful. If we don’t talk about the bad ones, how are they ever gonna learn? When Money Doesn’t Look Like Money When Money Doesn’t Look Like Money January 18, 2023 When Money Doesn’t Look Like Money A roundup of unusual types of currency, many of which don’t properly fit into a world of dollars and cents. Would you like your change in tea bricks or giant stones? So Many Itches To Scratch So Many Itches To Scratch January 14, 2023 So Many Itches To Scratch The sometimes-innovative power of things that can be scratched, one of our lesser-appreciated forms of physical interaction. Turner Tunes Turner Tunes January 11, 2023 Turner Tunes That time Ted Turner tried to compete with MTV by launching a competing music network of his own. It lasted five days longer than CNN+ did. The Year Canada Recalled Pop The Year Canada Recalled Pop January 7, 2023 The Year Canada Recalled Pop Resurfacing that time, in the summer of 1979, when the Canadian government recalled every large soda bottle on the shelf because the bottles would literally explode when shattered. The Pioneers The Pioneers January 4, 2023 The Pioneers Now that everyone seems interested in blogging again, here’s a list of early and influential bloggers that helped to shape the genre. Maybe you can borrow some pointers.