WE'RE ALL ABOUT THAT SPITE!

Here's a conversation Meredith and I just had while I was researching items for this email:

Me: "October 7th is National Kale Day. Does that please you?"

Meredith: "Well, you know how I feel about kale. I think every day should be National Kale Day."

Me: "It's also National Forgiveness & Love Day, to celebrate uncondi—"

Meredith: *wrinkles nose* "[expletive deleted] that! Let me know when it's National Spite Day; then we'll talk."

And there you have it: unvarnished insight into the Boredwalk email writing process! 

Hungry for some links? Too bad! You can't get your links until you've eaten your birthday cake!

• First up, tillykke med fødselsdagen to Nobel Prize-winning physicist Niels Henrik David Bohr, born this day in 1885! Dr. Bohr's foundational contributions to our understanding of atomic structure led to his winning of the prize, but he was also a philosopher and, during the 1930s, helped save refugees from Nazism before fleeing Denmark himself to help the Allied war effort in the development of atomic energy. Wild!

• Next, usuku lokuzalwa olumnandi to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, born this day in 1931! Mr. Tutu was an instrumental figure in South Africa's anti-apartheid movement in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and was the first black African person to hold the position of Bishop of Johannesburg (1985-1986) and Archbishop of Cape Town (1986-1996).

• Happy birthday to Daniel Keenan Savage, born this day in 1964! Dan has been writing the internationally syndicated sex & relationship advice column Savage Love for what feels like forever, but it's actually only been 29 years. His weekly podcast, the Savage Lovecast, is a still-spritely 14 years old.

• Finally, we have a quadfecta of musical birthdays today! Thomas Edward Yorke of the band Radiohead (1968), R&B icon Toni Michele Braxton (1967), and roots rock legend John J. Mellencamp (1951) are all experiencing a frosting-induced sugar coma today.

OK, link time!

1. Baker Jessica Clark-Bojin makes spooky treats that are so beautiful you almost don't want to disfigure them with a knife.

Almost.

2. Illustrators and writers Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar have created a comprehensive guide on How To Become A Cat, and it's fairly spot-on.

(Hint: it involves showing a lot of butthole.)

3. Writer and Boing Boing contributor Mark Frauenfelder recently shared pages of his grandmother's old Russian calendars on blog The Magnet, and they are a sumptuous feast of retro minimalism.

Plus there's some pretty sweet Cyrillic typography in there, too!

4. Veinity Fair is described by the artist as "a comic strip about the bizarre, gruesome, and often deadly side of Victorian science and everyday life."

Which is accurate, and the strip is hilarious. Enjoy!

5. Calling all slayers! Ever wondered what it would be like to play Buffy The Vampire Slayer trivia remotely, with a portion of proceeds from ticket sales benefitting front line workers?

Well, wonder no more! Prizing includes gift cards, free access to future events, and other treats! See you at The Bronze!