It’s Wednesday! And you all get a special morning edition of Links!
This past weekend, I spent time in a couple Alpine towns. I really love looking at the mountains. I think it’s because I grew up in Florida and it’s a very flat place. Here’s me being understandably overshadowed by some beautiful, snow-capped mountains. My brother couldn’t even get a good photo on his fancy camera because they were so bright.
I’ll most likely jaunt over to Heidelberg by the time you all are reading this and then my brother and I are off to Berlin for the weekend again. Going to try and squeeze in a Paris trip next Wednesday before I leave!
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Since the creation of Wordle, there have been several word game clones out there. Now, there’s Lewdle. Where are the words are, well…lewd.
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Loving this cheeky pay gap bot, which points out the pay discrepancies for companies who posted in solidarity for International Women’s Day.
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Some people are just so talented! Also my apologies for anyone who can’t think of Up! without getting a little misty-eyed.
View this post on Instagram
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Not sure if anyone was keeping up with the Hank the Tank mischief, but it’s rumored Hank might be in cahoots with two other bears.
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Shana is back at Autostraddle, dishing up more adorable lesbian love and foodie goodness. I would personally be on board if Shana wants to write a travel/foodie memoir!
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Don’t forget to share what cool or interesting things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!
And here’s a thread of employers who deleted their International Women’s Day tweets after the pay gap bot gave them the attention they asked for!
https://twitter.com/oldenoughtosay/status/1501161363263078401
Every year, the National Park Service runs a fat bear competition. Don’t know if any of the Hanks were in the “running” but the fatter the bear, the greater the likelihood of them surviving hibernation.
You probably already know this: a trick for shooting in a situation with the foreground dark and a distant background that is bright is to use flash.
Also the UP post is soooo awesome. I love it.
Hank the Tank is either three bears in a trenchcoat, or he has a gang. I love both options.
@Todd: The fat bear contest is for the Katmai National Park in Alaska. (Check out their live bear cam at Brooks Falls.) Those bears have some pretty devoted fans. A friend of my boss goes to a tiny cabin in the area for a couple of weeks every year to bear watch in person. (I’ll stick to the occasional cam visit.)
Man, I’m so reluctant to recommend a fiction podcast before I’ve finished (I’ve been burned by cliffhanger endings and just nonendings) but I’m really enjoying
Victoriocity – a kind of screwball steampunk murder mystery with a robotic Queen Victoria overseeing it all. The voice acting is a little shaky (IMHO) but the writing is really good with lots of quips and one-liners. Reminds me a little bit of Terry Prachett, a bit snarky a bit whimsical. It’s a couple years old, so maybe they’ve had time to create a satisfying resolution?
https://www.victoriocity.com/
I love the Hanks the Tanks story, but it makes me uneasy because I never trust humans to deal with wild animals compassionately. Thankfully, the media attention seems to be protecting all the Hanks for now. May they be blessed with many bear snacks (preferably not stolen).
Anyone else remembering, Binky the polar bear? Also in Alaska – a tourist at the zoo, climbed into his cage for a picture; he, being a polar bear (basically 1,200 pounds of cranky appetite) went after her. The tourist got away with some fairly minor injuries, Binky got her shoe (red high-top). Some were calling for him to be destroyed, but more people realized that, hey, he’s a polar bear, and he lived (to die of natural causes).
Continuing my pre-Eurovision obsession, here are some of my favorite songs that should have been chosen this year but alas, There Can Only Be One.
SOA “Seule” (in French), a sibling duo rapping and belting out gorgeous harmonies. Lovely uplifting message, worth looking up the translation. https://youtu.be/Qw6zOl_zON4
Nicole Azzopardi “Into the Fire”, a dance pop number that immediately stuck in my brain in the best way. Great vocals and a retro 90s vibe. https://youtu.be/OiWGu0K88uI
This weekend is the final for Sweden’s and Portugal’s national song contests, both highly competitive with some amazing entries.