Weekend linkage

"You gotta start them from seedlings."
-Jared explains how babies are made


NYT obit for Tom Tierney, who revolutionized paper dolls and "made them into an art form." (What, you don't think paper dolls are interesting? Sorry.)

A British soldier's military kit through the centuries.

Funnies: "I'm Getting Really Tired of Living In This Quaint English Village."

The shipwrecked foreign soldiers I understand. They had no choice to wash up here, and Lord knows we need something for our suspiciously young horde of rich widows with mysterious pasts to do with their time. I suppose all those babies that turn up on the church’s doorstep help with the numbers. It would be nice if they left some identifying papers or medical histories along with the child, rather than broken lockets, faded portraits, or scuffed ancient rings set with moonstone.

"Hello, Stranger On the Street, Could You Please Tell Me How to Take Care of My Baby?"

Oh nice lady, you are probably right! I should definitely cover his face always so he doesn’t get sun on it. If he is exposed to the sun for even one moment, even as I am simply walking from the mechanic to a coffee shop where I have to unexpectedly stop to feed him because my car broke down, he will probably immediately get sun disease or burst into flames.

Kids Rate Fall Fashion Campaigns. ("She’s wearing feathers because she’s a bird werewolf howling at the moon.")

"Give Me Gratitude or Give Me Debt."

In terms of parenting, marriage, home, clothes – I will not be a slave to the Tyranny of Trend any longer. I am almost 40 years old and no catalog is the Boss of Me anymore. I am free. I am not bound to spend my precious days on Earth trying to keep up with the Joneses- because the Joneses are really just a bunch of folks in conference rooms changing “trends” rapidly to create fake monthly emergencies for us.