Busker Lineup, originally uploaded by MaggieMason.

So this is where they keep Hell.

In honor of National Library Week, a few excellent images of libraries:

-Zurich
-Istanbul
-Berlin
-Portugal
-Vancouver
-New York
-Seattle
-Austria
-Holland
-1978

Links to library images and stories welcome in comments.

Derelict library in Istanbul, taken by Omaar

Also, a school library at the Chernobyl disaster site
and the East St. Louis Public Library

Favorites from Chernobyl Tragedy — Ukraine, a flickr set by axiepics:

Classroom
Bumper car
Swimming pool

Favorites from Trespassing, a flickr set by nathansnider:

Not an Exit
Library auditorium
Machine Room
Inside the smokestack

An abandoned ferris wheel from Chippewa Lake amusement park, and a photo set of the big dipper by the same photographer. And here’s a brief video with before and after shots of the same park.

happy birthday, originally uploaded by rcarver.

This is Hank looking doleful at his first birthday party. He was alarmed by the volume of birthday wishes headed his way, and confused by the flaming cake, but everything worked out in the end.

The party theme was Balls!, and one of the guests brought him two. They were wrapped next to each other in tissue paper, and were spectacularly graphic. It’s possible all of us will pay in the next lifetime, but for now we’re enjoying ourselves.

Superfly, originally uploaded by MaggieMason.

Fathers, lock up your sons.

Logan: I hope you don’t mind, I made you a “friend” on Flickr.
Bryan: I don’t know if we’re close enough yet.
Me: I don’t really use those features. The only person who can see my family-only photos is Bryan.
Melissa: So you upload a lot of personal porn.
Me: Totally. Personal porn for Bryan and the entire team at Flickr, who we have brunch with once a month or so.
Melissa: Heather’s like, “Maggie! Someone hacked your account!”
Me: Uh… No. That’s my bush. It was supposed to be private. But… I guess you can look at it, or whatever.
Melissa: And you’ve tagged it maggiesbush.
Maggie: Oh yeah, all of them are tagged and cross-referenced. Like you have a personal collection of porn so huge it needs to be easily searchable.
Melissa: There’s like 400 tags on each photo.
Me: A lot of them are in Japanese. Korean. Like, “Is that… Hindi? Huh.”