Story of Flowers: this gorgeous botanical animation will make your day.

I'm a huge fan of vintage botanical drawings. This is distinctly different, but also stunningly beautiful.

Watch full screen:

Per youtube:

The animation was developed for kids to show the life cycle of flowers.

Many different flowers are growing beautifully and strongly in this world. Taking their roots in the earth, sprouting, blooming, pollination by birds and insects, living on in spite of rain, wind and storms. They pass on the baton of life, rebirth and decay. Everything is so in a continuous, endless cycle. This is the story and message of this animation.

Monday links

It's Michelangelo's birthday - here's a brief bio, some art, and his illustrated grocery list.

The Forgotten Kingpins Who Conspired to Save California Wine.

How Do You Train a Dog to Sniff Bombs?

Interesting vintage video: How a manual transmission works.

Human Echolocation - Humans' Hidden Ability to Navigate the World With Tongue Clicks.

Predatory Plants.

ICYMI, Friday's links are here, and include the origins of popular insults, ways animals use poop, when bowling was for royalty only, and Churchill's Iron Curtain speech.

Friday links

This is (almost) a public service announcement: if you get a free 30 day trial of Amazon Prime, you can use the unlimited 2 day shipping (plus streaming of TV shows, movies, and music) all though the holidays, and cancel afterward if you don't want to continue!

December 2, 1823: the Monroe Doctrine, the announcement forbidding countries outside of North and South American to interfere in American affairs.

The Medical Dangers of Kissing.

A brief history of competitive eating.

Want your hoo-ha steam-cleaned but don't have a spa nearby? Here are the do-it-yourself instructions.

The Geometry of Plants.

Optical illusions.

ICYMI, Wednesday's links are here, and include Winston Churchill's birthday, the effectiveness of polygraph tests, the obscure British comedy sketch that's the most-repeated TV program, and the Museum of Bad Art.

Friday links

Lots of ugly Christmas sweaters and instructions for making your own.

In the Christmas In Other Cultures category, here's a Klingon Christmas Carol. Also, how to have a British Christmas, Sweden's bizarre tradition of watching Donald Duck (Kalle Anka) cartoons on Christmas Eve, Strange Christmas Traditions Around the World, and why Japan is Obsessed with Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas.

Some Excellent Animated Christmas Lights Displays, but the best display this year is this Santa Claus urinating on ISIS sign.

My personal favorite Christmas story: 'Twas the Overnight Before Christmas: The Merry Tale of How Air Cargo Deregulation Led To Amazon.

The Origin of the Myth of the Poisonous Poinsettia. Related, why we kiss under the mistletoe and how the plant got that strange name (spoiler - it literally means "dung twig").

15 Harsh Things Critics Said About 'The Nutcracker' After Its 1892 Premiere and 15 Fun Facts About Fruitcake.

ICYMI, Tuesday's links are here, and include some extremely awkward Christmas photos, epic movie/TV-inspired gingerbread houses the pre-Seinfeld origins of Festivus, and strange hybrid animals.