Photo credits: Portroids, MiceChat, Flower Network, Smithsonian

Breaking news from the desert: it is now pleasantly cool enough to sit outside and enjoy some coffee in the morning! With that, now, the info for today:

♠ An interesting read about why it’s good there isn’t a woman on the GOP ticket.

♠ Tig Notaro‘s extremely personal – and extremely funny – stand up about her cancer is available on Louis CK’s site. Everyone should buy it because if anything, a portion will be donated to charities associated with fighting breast cancer, which is never a bad thing.

♠ Have you heard about Good Brews? A new site, which The Beau calls “Good Reads for Beer Lovers,” is a way to keep track of what you have been drinking, and gives suggestions based on what you are and are not interested in. Sign me up!

♠ Yes, I read florist blogs, and yes, I like the way those Craspedia look.

♠ LIFE released previously unpublished photos of The Rat Pack. I love this one of them walking through the kitchen, like bosses.

♠ I want an ID card to ride the rails with Walt Disney!

♠ The neurochemistry of storytelling.

♠ Since everyone can not stop mentioning the new book by Christopher Bonanos about Polaroid and Edwin Land, I have to go seek it out at the bookstore.

♠ Use this very cool interactive map at Epicurious to see what’s fresh in your area this month, plus find ingredient descriptions, shopping guides, recipes, and tips.

♠ If you watch Parks and Recreation, you know how important this stream of Benji’s Cool Times Summer Jamz Mix is.