My old iPod mini (in pink, of course) started to go this month, so I splurged and got myself a new iPod – the one that can handle videos. In addition to downloading a few clips from iTunes, I wandered over to the Internet Archive to see if I could download some of the Prelinger Archives films and convert them to iPod use. If you don’t know about this resource, you must go there immediately and view some classic ephemeral films which are, I’m happy to report, in the public domain.

While there are many fabulous films, some favorites of Miss Abigail are:
Are you Popular?
Everyday Courtesy
Molly Grows Up
What to do on a Date

For more fun, see this browse list by subject/keyword.

And if you want to learn more about films like these, I highly recommend author Ken Smith’s book Mental Hygiene: Classroom Films 1945-1970.

This week, I lost a wonderful friend, my dog of 9 years, Frieda. In the early days of MissAbigail.com, she was the one who would force me to take a break from the computer to take her for a long walk on Capitol Hill, or present me a loud squeak toy to interrupt my typing. She was the dog that sat on people’s heads (don’t ask), the dog who would wake me up by pawing the alarm clock and staring at me, the dog that begged with silly chewbacca sounds, the dog who had an opinion on which direction our walks took us, and the one who liked to plop down in the cool waters of Sligo Creek, for a rest. She’s the one that everyone adored.

She was the best terrier mutt a girl could have, and I miss her so. I’m betting she’s chasing squirrels, begging for treats, and getting some belly rubs in the doggy afterlife. She’d insist upon it. So long, friend.