180. Do-Re-Me-Me-Me

If ”Do-Re-Mi” were written today, would it go like this?

Dough — the cash, that I live for,
Rage — the feeling when I drive.
Me — the only one who counts,
Fat — the food on which I thrive.
So? — Is that a problem, dude?!
Lots — is what I always owe,
Tee — a shirt that speaks my mind,
That will bring us back to … d’oh!

179. Search Me

Thou shalt have fun. Jumbo Word Search: Bible Edition hits newsstands Feb. 15, with a super-sized 240-page trade version coming to bookstores in March.

Eight puzzle variations and tons of themes: foods of the Bible, Mary, scrambled books, Psalms and Proverbs quotes, Bible creatures, miracles, Moses, Bible locales, Passover, words that appear just once in the Bible, even Ben-Hur.

Puzzles and interior design by Patrick Merrell. Published by Time Home Entertainment.

178. 2013 Calendar

The illustrated Mus musculus calendar is back by sufficient demand, this year with a science theme. Download a pdf in the size of your choice, or avoid future regret and download both.

5 x 7″ paper-saving size:
CLICK HERE to download

6.5 x 9″ cubicle-hanging size:
CLICK HERE to download

BONUS CHALLENGE:
Find “July 4″ in the drawing.

177. Not Much Afoot

A number of birds have little or no ability to walk.

• Hummingbirds use their feet only to perch or scratch themselves. Moving even a few feet is done by flying.
• Swifts’ legs are almost nonexistent and their tiny clawed feet are suited for little more than clinging to vertical surfaces.
• The legs of some water birds, such as grebes and loons, are set so far back for diving and swimming that walking or even taking off from land isn’t possible.

From Bird Brainteasers

176. Cycling Necklace

My sole foray into jewelry design (for my daughter). Vintage bicycle gear levers and thumb screws, Home Depot chain and hardware.

175. Try Emmy’s Symmetry

Coming in March: Ambigrams Revealed, written by Nikita Prokhorov and published by New Riders. Here’s a partial description of the book, which will include three of my ambigrams:

This small, quirky art and design book will showcase ambigrams culled from a call-for-entry to designers from around the world. The author has lined up an all-star panel of design judges to evaluate the entries and critique the best of the best for inclusion in the book.

The book also includes a section explaining how ambigrams are relevant to traditional typography and core design principles as well as a section that features several in-depth, step-by-step tutorials for creating ambigrams from start to finish.

174. Ode to a Coffee Urn

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cup by Cup

Today,
I drank my 100,000th cup of coffee.

I’ve been keeping count
for 47 years
entering one mark
for each cup
in a small spiral-bound notebook
that I keep in my pocket,
on the table,
somewhere nearby.

I drink,
I count,
I mark.

In the morning,
during the day,
as I sit wide awake long into the night.

And today,
I made the 100,000th mark.

I think I’m going to try pretzels next.

— pm