I Think Today Is Friday -- Issue 219
June 14, 2024: Beach season, Read and Relax, too fast, Don't look down, Catch him if you can, Pasta, of course, Take cover, back to school already, Flying spiders, and .
Pictures of the Week: On the beach…
From Albania to Yemen and everywhere in between, Lonely Planet’s team has swam, snorkeled, slugged cocktails, and hiked through rainforests to create the definitive beach bible.
Here are 20 of the 100 selected as the best beaches in the world.
Related: Reading for pleasure…
Once you’ve discovered your favorite beach, why not settle down with a summer read? Here’s a list of novels, non-fiction, horror, and other genres from NPR to bring along.
Don’t blink…
As someone who has never come close to solving a Rubik’s Cube, I am always impressed by “people” who efficiently do it. I think designing a Bot to do it is cheating. I’m looking for YOU, Mitsubishi.
To become the fastest human to solve a Rubik’s cube, you must beat the 3.13-second Guinness World Record set by Max Park in June 2023. Unfortunately, you’ll need superhuman speed to outsolve the newly crowned fastest Rubik’s cube-solving robot. Earlier this month, a bot designed by Mitsubishi Electric engineers solved the iconic 3×3 block puzzle in the literal blink of an eye. At 0.305 seconds, the TOKUI Fast Accurate Synchronized Motion Testing Robot (TOKUFASTbot) was so blisteringly quick that even the cube had difficulty keeping up with the machine.
News From The Far Side…
By Gary Larson
Sports Desk: Critters at large …
This raccoon was far from the first sports-loving animal to turn up uninvited on the world’s fields of play. Indeed, it has happened many times, and the drama of a loose animal has nearly always overshadowed the game itself, at least temporarily. Here are some of the more memorable appearances.
It’s not spaghetti; it’s linguine, Oscar…
The headline above is from Broadway’s “The Odd Couple,” and the Lemon-Garlic Linguine recipe below is from The New York Times.
This bright and creamy pasta is a weeknight go-to that can be embellished with seared scallops, shrimp, or mushrooms to make it something special. Grated garlic, lemon zest, and starchy pasta water are added to create a thick sauce. A hit of lemon juice at the very end keeps it punchy. Linguine, which is less thin than spaghetti or as thick as fettuccine, works well here, but if you have another pasta shape on hand, feel free to swap it in.
Auntie Em…Auntie Em…
Powerful tornadoes are incredibly dangerous, with the biggest threat to people from broken glass and other debris flying in the wind.
The violent storms, which are most common in the central plains east of the Rocky Mountains and west of the Appalachians, have led many people online to ask about the safest places in their homes to take shelter during a tornado.
VerifyThis.com has a page explaining how to make a shelter plan based on whether you live in a home with or without a basement, an apartment, or a mobile home.
Deal me in…
If you or a family you know needs help with school supplies this year, check out Verizon Wireless Zone’s 2024 School Rocks Backpack Giveaway! Through Sunday, July 28, at 1 PM, they will give away one free backpack (with school supplies) per child while supplies last.
Why couldn’t it be butterflies? R. Weasley
You will hear a lot about the Joro spider, an eight-legged eldritch horror native to East Asia, coming to the Northeast US and other parts of the country soon, researchers predict. The invasive species can travel up to 100 miles by “ballooning,” in which they ride the wind, with their silk webs acting as parachutes. Adult females can grow up to eight inches with their legs stretched. If that sounds like nightmare fuel, don’t fret: The Joro might look like something out of a David Cronenberg movie, but it’s not dangerous. They don’t often bite humans, and when they do, it’s not deadly. The New York Times provides some educational background.
And Finally, but seriously, folks…
What award can you give to a legend with an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony? A man who wanted to title his movie “Springtime For Hitler”. As a charter member of the Delmarva Mel Brooks Appreciation and Dog Walking Society, I concur that a Peabody Career Achievement is warranted. Only three others (Barbra Streisand, Rita Moreno, and Mike Nichols) can claim to be a PEGOT; Mel is the fourth.
It's amazing how Far Side and Mel Brooks are so similar in humor. Is Gary Larsen Mel's pen name?! I was surprised USVI didn't make some of the best beaches.