Manhole covers don’t have to be ugly sewer lids. In Japan, they can be astoundingly intricate, colorful, museum-worthy feats of urban design.

Photographer S. Morita (Flickr name MRSY) has snapped over a thousand manhole covers around Japan over the years. In a country renowned for its attention to detail and rich artistic heritage, it’s pretty inspiring to take a bland city staple, that people literally walk all over, and morph it into eye candy.

Link: https://gizmodo.com/the-manhole-covers-in-japan-are-absolutely-beautiful-1716296346

At 12:30 on January 8th at the lovely New School Auditorium on 12th St., I’m doing a short introductory talk as part of my continuing Reasons To Be Cheerful project.

Link: https://www.wired.com/beyond-the-beyond/2018/01/david-byrnes-reasons-cheerful/

Air Force veteran Ron Villemaire, 69, was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer this year. His dying wish was to see “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and with the petition of his daughter, a community made it happen.

Link: https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/12/20/veterans-wish-star-wars-last-jedi-orig-trnd-lab.cnn

We like to bring this chestnut back from time to time. Watch it, and you’ll know why.

In 1977, just a short month before Bing Crosby died of a heart attack, the 40s crooner hosted David Bowie, the glam rocker, on his Christmas show. The awkwardness of the meeting is palpable.

Link: http://www.openculture.com/2017/12/david-bowie-bing-crosby-sing-the-little-drummer-boy-a-wonderful-christmas-chestnut-from-1977.html

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-2r8XEuCII&feature=youtu.be

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lQ8ZQbu_mU&feature=youtu.be