July 26 is Brave New World author Aldous Huxley’s birthday: here’s a brief bio, audio of him narrating Brave New World, a 1949 letter from Huxley to Orwell, and a Huxley vs. Orwell infographic.

Why is airport food so expensive? The reasons you pay a massive markup on a water bottle are more complex than you might think.


These Sisters will make your Evil Siblings look like Angels.

Birthdays this weekend include free-market economist Milton Friedman’s (July 27): Here are some favorite quotes and short videos; and Beatrix Potter’s (July 28): in addition to Peter Rabbit et al, she produced some gorgeous botanical drawings.

The house from The Goonies gets so many fan visits (around 1200 per day), the owner has tried to stop them coming by covering the house in a blue tarp.


Why It May Make Sense to Draw Eyes on Cows’ Butts.

ICYMI, most recent links are here, and include the Apollo 11 anniversary, early blacklisting in Hollywood, a laser that identifies people from a distance by heartbeat, and the anniversary of the 20th of July plot (the unsuccessful bomb attempt by insiders to kill Hitler in 1944).