The Week: September 23, 2011

Summer is officially over. In Seattle the rain has started to fall, and I’ve already taken out my sweaters (though to be fair, I never really put them away this summer in the first place). If you find yourself shaking a fist and cursing the heavens for the grey skies above you, please stop. I can tell you from experience that does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Instead, enjoy these links, which will hopefully put a smile on your soon-to-be-tanless face.

—————

I’ve already watched this video (of a little girl whose cleft palate is repaired courtesy of Operation Smile) twice , and I still can’t get enough of it.

—————

Aww, I totally want this to happen next time I go out to eat.

—————

Brooklyn-based artist Nicole Kenney takes polaroids of subjects and ask them to write their life goals in the caption of their portraits. The resulting Before I die I want to … project is simple and powerful.

—————

I don’t even have an iPhone, but these cases kind of make me want one. Especially this one.

—————

This week, I learned about the rather amazing and rare condition that is blindsight.

—————

The artists behind the Norwegian design studio Skrekkogle photographed a giant coin next to every day objects in order to make them look miniature (I’ve done the same thing with a giant Kit-Kat bar, screaming to Rand that I was shrinking.)

—————

Coolest tradition you’ve probably never heard of: British wishing trees.

—————

A bit of literary dorkiness that had me giggling like a fool – better book titles.

—————

Aled Lewis’s Toy Stories series features clever exchanges between actions figures and toy animals. He gets bonus points for the X-Men references.

—————

Wait, wait, wait. You’re saying I could have been cleaning my entire house with a friggin garden hose for the last 11 years?!

—————

A series of behind-the-scenes photos of Jon Stewart on the set of The Daily Show. Forgive me while I take a moment to swoon.

—————

A list of hobo symbols and what they mean.