In 1992, my brother & I saw Gorbachev at Hard Rock Chicago and made the Sun-Times front page. 32 years later I bought a commemorative pin on eBay. Now Facebook thinks I'm a Hard Rock collector and serves me ads…
Google just pulled the plug on first and second gen Nest Thermostats. It’ll still work as a standalone thermostat, but it won’t connect to or work in the Google Nest app or Google Home app starting on October 25, 2025.…
What happens when you look beyond the perfect frame of an 80s cartoon? The uncropped original animation art reveals the painterly truth hidden in the margins.
The Hot Wheels “Draggin’ Wagon” is designed to hold LEGO minifigs. The minifig’s hands clasp perfectly onto the handles. This is a standard $1.29 Hot Wheels available at any store that sells Hot Wheels. (Not one of the premium kinds.)…
The Kodak Charmera is a cute $30 digital camera by Kodak. The tiny camera even has a LCD preview screen. The Charmera requires a micro SD card to store photos. The card doesn’t come with the camera. You have to…
(This is a now page. If you have your own site, you could make one too, and be included with other cool people who have a now page) Updated September 18, 2025, from Glen Ellyn, IL USA(Wow. It’s been nearly…
Has anyone actually bought a Kodak Charmera? Because everyone I know got the same "shipping not available" error at checkout. Starting to think this is more marketing stunt than product launch.
Before phones, those awkward waiting moments were actually micro-meditation sessions. We'd stare off into space, observe our surroundings, let our minds wander. Now we scroll instead of reset. We traded mental balance for digital distraction.
My 2018 supply of “Frozen Treats” is down to five stamps. My kids LOVE them. Like, LOVE LOVE. Who doesn’t want their mail to smell like refreshing popsicles? Now is an excellent time for the US Postal Service to announce…
Hidden gem alert. Just discovered Cheap Cuts on Spotify—only 4,512 monthly listeners but their genre-blending sound is incredible. Neo soul meets UK grime meets southern gothic? Yes please.
I can't believe the super-fun postage stamps that are available in 2025. Chris Ware, Spongebob Squarepants, Goodnight Moon, baby wild animals, Keith Haring, and Hank Aaron.
Today is day 169 of 2025. That's 13² in the year of 45². There's something beautifully nerdy about living through a square year and marking all its square days. Most people stopped memorizing squares at 144, making 169 obscure.
Today I learned about Tiffany stained glass windows. What distinguishes Tiffany Studios work in stained glass is that the color is infused directly into multiple levels of glasses, which at times can number to four or five layers, as opposed…
Whenever a potato appears in famous fine art, it’s always a surprise and a delight—especially when you’ve been tracking potato art for years. After all, my blog is named Spudart. I’ve used the Spudart name for 28 years since 1997.…
I like to think that Spotify notices when I turn up the volume on certain songs, and they make note of that when recommending new songs to me. “Oh man, he really likes this song, HE TURNED UP DA VOLUME…
Chicago Magazine just reported on a newly published photography book that features everyday life in Chicago from 35 years ago. Sounds like an interesting book. The preview images look nice.
Using “Megatron” for mobile orders is all fun and games until you have to say it out loud to a sweet old lady named Martha. Plot twist: I called her “sweetie” on my way out. Megatron’s got a soft side.
Instagram's desktop site is HEAVY. Tried loading multiple profiles simultaneously and my computer nearly had a meltdown. Break those bookmarks into smaller folders.
This time of year is so lovely with the trees blooming. During my bike to Marianos, I regularly go through a park that absolutely no other humans ever walk through, given the odd location of the park. But I bike…
