The Fredösphere

Lileks calls it the Gandalf-shaped bong of keyboards, which is hilarious but unfair, and yes, the word "Mellotron" has a deep and emotional resonance.  (He also links to a certain senator with a porcine reputation discussing the internet.  Wow.  This level of embarrassment is simply bracing.)

There's a claim that the Mellotron was ripped off from an instrument invented by Harry Chamberlin called the ... well, I'll let you figure it out.

The most satisfying moment of the July 4th holiday:  leading Der Drübermensch on a biking adventure through the alien landscape of the small neighborhood that sits across from ours on busy Carpenter Road.  "This is so much fun!" he exclaimed as he viewed houses that -- bizarrely -- have mature trees in their yards.  We didn't overhear any conversations, so it is impossible to say what language they speak there, but at least we noticed everything was right-side-up, which proves we had not reached the southern hemisphere.