It's time for another Tuesday Turnip wherein I type a random phrase and we see what kind of interesting factoids "turn-up." Today I typed in "unprecedented record" unearthing the following The film [Seopyeonje] documented the traditional music of Korea with beautiful scenery and became one of those films that every Korean had to see. Just in Danseong Theater, the film was screened for a record-breaking 196 days, attracting 1,035,000 people and becoming the first film to bring in over one million... READ ON

There's a new book out that may make you feel better about your fierce attachment to that Petoskey stone, cocktail napkin, or bottle cap stowed away somewhere. It's called "Taking Things Seriously: 75 Objects with Unexpected Significance," brought to you by Joshua Glenn and Carol Hayes. The team has a fan in the LA Times, who breaks it down thusly: They asked artists, designers, writers and thinkers to contribute photos of their precious belongings and explain their significance. The result is a... READ ON

Unless you're a lifeguard or summer school teacher, work often slows down in July and August. Employees are on vacation. Clients and customers are on vacation. And it's too nice to be inside. Because of our school calendar, perhaps we're conditioned to mentally check out at high temperatures. Or maybe I'm just trying to rationalize laziness. Either way, navigating your way through an August workday can be as challenging as the job itself. To pass the time, I've come... READ ON

When my grandfather Mervin (who invented all kinds of hairclips back in the 1930s) was 86, he went out and bought a sewing machine and taught himself to sew. He liked to take apart shirts he already owned—ones he loved to wear all the time—and then turn them into patterns so he could make new ones. I remember thinking: who, at 86, takes on anything new on such a major level? He lived to 92, and never stopped making clothes for the family. But his story pales by comparison to Phyllis... READ ON