Tomorrow is Lunar New Years’ Eve, so I thought I would bump up my usual Sunday link dump to Saturday on the off chance it helps anyone get out to an event on time…

Things to see and do
At the Glendale Main Library in Glendale Arizona
http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2009/01/22/20090122gl-library0122-ON.html

A restatement of the Warren Public Library Lunar New Year festivities in New Jersey on February 7, 2009
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20090120/GETPUBLISHED/901200324/-1/newsfront

Pointers to 843 videos and animations of knots from the WonderHowTo instructional video directory site.
http://www.wonderhowto.com/search/knot/

A step by step photographic how-to for the bowline from the University of Kansas student newspaper.
http://www.kansan.com/stories/2009/jan/22/diy_bowline_knot/?jayplay

Pretty Pictures
Kids from New Zealand learning knot tying in Shandong Normal University in Jinan, capital of east China’s Shandong Province
http://beautifulpictureall.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-zealand-students-learn-weaving.html

A shoe made of chocolate, and what’s the first thing I notice? The knots decorating the shoe, unfortunately not made of chocolate. 8)
http://www.tokyomango.com/tokyo_mango/2009/01/highfashion-shoe-made-of-chocolate.html

Things to buy
Looks like 6 sided good luck knots to me
http://clinecreations.blogspot.com/2009/01/took-plunge-im-starting-to-make-jewelry.html
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19900491

Pretty crown sinnet wire jewelry
http://www.tahmi.com/products.asp?cat=32

A font made of photos of a blue rope. For the astonishing price of €70 (or is it just me that’s astonished?)
http://www.handmadefont.com/cord-blue.php

From the same people (and price) a font called “knot” which, of course, has got nothing to do with knots. Tangle or squiggle would probably be more appropriate.
http://www.handmadefont.com/knot.php

Knotty sayings
To introduce this new segment, here’s a thought: I have Google send me daily search reports on “knot” and “chinese knotting”. Overwhelmingly, most of the new links reported are about weddings. After that are business mergers, ties at sports events, and wind conditions. Also fashionable neck ties and scarves. I almost forgot about the birds, fungus, conundrums, carpet and more. Fairly close to the bottom of the list of items mentioned is actual tied with string type knots. On the bright (??) side there’s more string type knots mentioned than topological knots. 8) But every once in a while, someone is quoted, there is a turn of phrase that shows how basic to human existence knots seem to be. Let’s start here:
Premier Wen Jiabao said, “As a Chinese saying goes, the one who tied the knot should be the one who unties the knot.”
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=AP&date=20090122&id=9534688