Welcome to the Wednesday Walk Around the Web, where we weave & wind through weblinks weekly. Hopefully you will find the links on offer amusing, interesting, or, occasionally, profound. Views expressed in the Wednesday Walk do not necessarily reflect those of anyone but the writer.
- This Week in Responsible Gun Owners: A US Civil War reënactor recently slipped and fell and shot himself in the arm. Showing a stunning lack of dedication to his cosplay, he did not then insist that his arm be hacked off by a surgeon covered in other people’s blood and bearing a fierce determination to never wash his hands.
- PTBN Grand Poobah Brad Hindscrooge brings word of a cuddly mascot that’s bringing awareness to a wonderful cause.
- It’s easy to get caught up in the drama happening in whatever fan community you’re in, and sometimes to think the ones you’re regularly exposed to are abnormally dysfunctional. Just remember that every single hobby community has its drama, because people are always people.
- Domino’s Pizza filling in potholes, because national corporations have more resources than local governments, is the kind of casually dystopian background note that feels like it’s ripped straight from a Paul Verhoeven movie.
- Let this serve as your regular reminder that Mister Rogers was the best human being. The absolute best way to be remembered is through stories of kindness.
- (Warning: suicide) RIP Anthony Bourdain, gastrodiplomat and food sociologist, another victim of terminal depression. Scratch any corner of the internet this week and you’ll find a story about how he touched someone’s life. Again, a legacy of kindness is a damn achievement.
- (Warning: still suicide) RIP Marco Antonio Muñoz and Zeresenay Ermias Testfatsion, victims of ongoing human rights atrocities.
- Back to kindness: Consider the generous life and amazing service of Brownie Mary.
- Often the question is asked, could we create a bottomless pit? Look folks, at least eight Star Wars movies (and counting) have gone out of their way to show how bad an idea this is.
- This tool lets you tap through a shifting visualization of continental drift over the last 750 million years, through the formation of pangea and its breakup into our current configuration. Stick your address in the search box to find your neighborhood at any point in history.
- John Williams is a man with fame and fortune. He’s been in the high echelons of his artistic community for decades, not to mention fifty-one Oscar nominations. He also, we’ve recently learned, has one of the best celebrity opening pitches.
- JT Rozzero has an update for us: In Pennsylvania, a woman caught her landlord breaking into her home to masturbate into her laundry while she wasn’t there, which one would hope people would have some way of finding out next time he tries to rent out the place.
- This Week in Burdensome Regulations: Country Time is offering legal-ade to kids busted for running unlicensed lemonade stands. You know, I bet there’s some way to maintain a standard of sanitation among real-deal restaurants and drink vendors while exempting the ten-year-olds sitting outside with one (1) pitcher.
- Sometimes I see an idea so perfect in its conception that I yearn for it to be that week’s hot new meme. Friends, I bring to you the Carvel ad with the Unsolved Mysteries music on top. Now with cat videos!
