Sunday Links

Japanese Tattoo
Baron Raimund von Stillfried or Kusakabe Kimbei ca. 1881

Domain Image Archive is a curated collection of more than 10,000 out-of-copyright historical images, free for all to explore and reuse. (image above)

It’s a new year and time to get rid of words that have overstayed their welcome: 2025 Banished Words List

Saint Making: The Vatican is preparing to anoint its first millennial saint. The individual must go through a prolonged posthumous trial during which their physical and spiritual remains are assessed.

The ocean-exploration organization Deep has embarked on a multiyear quest to enable scientists to live on the seafloor at depths up to 200 meters for weeks, months, and possibly even years. IEEE Spectrum

Armpit Tattoos Apparently these are quite painful so why are people getting them? 

The Euthanasia Coaster is designed to thrill the hell out of its passengers just before it kills them. via Kottke

The New Mexico home of Walter White of Breaking Bad is for sale. (No drugs were actually cooked or sold there.)

The Kuba Komet This “sound furniture” would fit in perfectly with my MCM decor. 

via

The curious red garnets of the River Thames

What Horrible Things Did We Do To Our Penises Last Year? (In case you’re wondering, “we” does not include me) via Web Curios

17th Century Death Roulette What you might have died from in 1665.

Letter to Future You  A website to send yourself a letter that'll arrive on the next New Year's Eve. 

Tombot creates "hyper-realistic" robotic puppy for dementia patients I think I’d want one of these if I develop dementia. In fact I think I want one now.

Apparently an old guy sits on a motel balcony and just waits for people to show up. This has serial killer written all over it. It’s all very weird, but somehow, for a place specializing in putt-putt, it’s exactly what I’d expect. Princess Putt-Putt Has Arrived 

I Saw the Beginning of Hell in the California Fires

“Anybody that shoves a dessert spoon in their mouth is a maniac.” Autistic Goldilocks rejects bears’ porridge due to needing a particular spoon

“God has cleared a path for us today”  Looks like god needs a better blade for his snowplow.

52 places to go this year that you may not have considered. (NYT Gift link)