A Retired Teacher Found Some Seahorses Off Long Beach. Then He Built A Secret World For Them
LA Times
This story is delightful, and the accompanying pictures are wonderful. As one professor says of the titular Rog Hanson, “[…]There’s a degree of warm obsession there, perhaps.” I love that: a “warm obsession.” 

How This One Painting Sparked the Impressionist Movement
My Modern Met
Naturally, it’s a Monet. But it may not be what you’re thinking… The author credits the artist’s 1872 exhibition of “Impression Sunrise” as the tipping point for the nascent movement which would shortly thereafter become known as Impressionism. Some of the criticism mentioned in the article is fantastic: “Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more labored than this seascape!”

The Convicted Felon Who Became the King of Roadside BBQ
Men’s Journal
I love BBQ. This last weekend’s smoked brisket turned out magnificent and already has me wanting to replicate it. Or maybe try ribs again… Warning: this article will make you hungry. And, more importantly, it will make you smile.

New Coke Didn’t Fail. It Was Murdered.
Mother Jones
Need a Coke with that BBQ? Okay, full disclosure: I haven’t seen the third season of Stranger Things yet. YET. But I’m aware that New Coke makes a cameo. And I do remember New Coke. I agree with the article… it wasn’t bad. I recall it tasted eerily similar to Pepsi with that super forward sweetness. I wasn’t sorry when they brought back Coke Classic, though I still kinda wish they kept New Coke around. But I’m the guy who kinda wishes they kept Crystal Pepsi around, so who am I to judge?

Janelle Monáe’s Ready to Burn Sh*t Down
InStyle
Janelle Monáe is amazing. I saw her last year and it was revelatory – easily one of the best shows I’ve ever been to; if you ever have a chance to see her, run, don’t walk. There are better bio articles about her, but I love the breeziness of this one plus the amazing fashion photos.

Badass of the week: 
This is a new section in FTTW celebrating someone who displayed particular badassery this week. 

This week’s Badass of the Week is the US Coast Guardsman who jumped onto the fricken’ narco subwhile it was hauling along in the water.  Holy crap. 

Previous winners (yeah, I wrote these down but neglected to publish them): 
Last week’s BAotW went to the 54-year old Canadian outdoorsman in the forests of British Columbia who KILLED A BEAR WITH A HATCHET. 

And the week before that – which I totally forgot to put in the FTTW: week 26 entry – went to 73-year old Kathy Kehoe of Fairless Hills, PA who saw a snake on her balcony… that turned out to be a FREAKIN’ COBRA! No problem, she killed it with a shovel. Boom. Badass.