How to use this Page

As is often the case, I woke up with the strangest image in my head... turkeys.

Despondent turkeys to be exact.

I know, it's not even November and I'm already concerned about the mental health of turkeys.

Well, truth be told, this week's challenge, "Bad Ideas" brought to mind the urban myth about turkeys being so dumb, they look up in the sky when it rains, and thereby drown. A story obviously perpetrated by the turkeys themselves to gain sympathy around Thanksgiving.

A little digging around online revealed the fact that turkeys do not have binocular vision (i.e., the ability to focus both eyes on the same object). A turkey’s eyes point sideways, so looking up into they sky to check the weather; not likely to happen.

Hopefully this news will curtail any future turkey suicide attempts, which, of course, would be a bad idea.

sketched out

While Rebecca is off eating turkey and doing whatever it is you Americans do at Thanksgiving - and I confess to having had no idea what Thanksgiving was until my American office-mate explained it to me yesterday - I have been left in charge of link love. Never having been one to shirk a challenge I am taking you on a tour of my favourite UK reads of the week. Tally ho, old chaps, etc.

In the week that Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their Diamond wedding anniversary, I had my heart cockles warmed by this interview with the UK’s oldest newly-weds. He is 93, while she is a bright young thing of 85. (more…)

Share This

The OUPblog and Link Love are taking the day off to recover from Thanksgiving. Enjoy your leftovers and be sure to come back Monday, we know you will need distraction after the holiday weekend!

Share This

Andrew Smith, editor of the Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink has written a piece for us which helps us truly understand the origins of Thanksgiving. Despite its solemn origins we hope you have a truly wonderful (and apple pie filled) holiday.

Every American knows the story of the First Thanksgiving: Seeking religious freedom, the Pilgrims established a colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Native Americans taught them how to plant corn and hunt. When the crops were harvested, the Indians joined the Pilgrims at the First Thanksgiving by jointly gobbling up turkeys, saucing cranberries, mashing corn, and squashing pumpkins to make pies. It was such a memorable event that Americans have honored this day ever since, or so goes the story.

No one would be more surprised at this modern day story than would the Pilgrims. (more…)

Share This

Tehuacán, Mexico

Coordinates: 18 27 N 97 23 W

Population: 260,923 (2006 est.)

With another Thanksgiving mere days away, and evidence of parade preparations for Macy’s annual 2.5-mile extravaganza popping up all over Manhattan, talk around the office has taken a turkey-themed turn. As I listened to debates over the best way to prepare this symbolic bird, I started to wonder about its geographical origins. (more…)

Share This

Click on image to download paper toy.

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone at Monday Artday.
If you are going on the road, travel safely.
http://www.robertabaird.com
A Mouse in the House

We've lost Jorvit, probably losing Kazuo (yep, I'm still talking baseball. What's football?) and we received a pass on a client's manuscript. I'm always just as bummed as the client when it happens. In this case, we're starting from square 1 essentially.

For the weekend fare, it's work, work, work to gear up for being out during the holidays. Trying to get two weeks of work in by the 21st. We may be closing the 21st-25th, but my work never ends. I'll be spending my holiday poring over new submissions:)

Okay... I just happen to have done a few things in the past week or so in Black and White... Here's an illustation that I created for a friend's family event. A fun and fast project!

Afyon, Turkey

Coordinates: 38 45 N 30 33 E

Elevation: 3,392 feet (1,034 m)

When speaking of edible plants (and their medicinal properties), the opium poppy tends to get a bad rap. Most likely this is because while its harmless leaves, oil, paste, and ripened seeds can be found in various Turkish, Arabian, and Persian dishes, the narcotic properties of unripe poppy seeds have made it a lucrative black market crop in recent decades. (more…)

Share This

An ideal situation for the current President?