The amazing New York Times is no longer going to be free online starting in January 2011 , and Newcorps papers including the Sunday Times are charging starting this June . I love that writers will get paid for what they produce. That usually means good things for me and my ilk. But at the moment, I'm a poor NYT junkie. I'm still not sure how much they'll charge, or if they'll work out a student deal. I really want to pay a reasonable flat subscription rate ($50-$80, yes, USD). It's incredible writing and news, and I hate not to [...]
Fair enough. People really need to back off his family now. I just wish that he made this speech back in late December/January. Tiger Woods by Maino
There's seems to be a huge to-do about Buckfast wine in Scotland : even though it tastes like crap, people load up on it, go out, and commit crimes. (It's got a load of caffeine in it, too.) The monks who make it say that it's a symptom of a problem, not the cause. I just find it amusing/disturbing that so many people drunkenly brandish the bottle as a weapon. Gin & Juice covered by The String Cheese Incident
I finally zapped an ancient stain from a favorite American Apparel sweatshirt using a good dose of Stain Devil(s). And it was a curry stain! Those are usually hopeless. I guess it works because they care about cleaning. Caxambu by Almir Guineto
I've developed a funny relationship with order and control ever since I was in my teens. I was the most disorganized and sloppy person in my high school, but I ended up being something of a hyperneatnik by the time I got to gradschool. Part of this was a deliberate decision on my part, but some of it has really spun out of my control. Namely, the parts to do with chronically counting everything and magically thinking that if I envision loved ones dying, they'll be safe. Intrusive thoughts and accelerated heartbeats are really annoying, but it's easier once you [...]
I've been alright, but I've having the darndest dreams lately. Then I downloaded this song. Then I looked in the mirror and caught myself dancing to it. In a Dream by Skybox
Lately I've been bogged down with: -living in Edinburgh Airport -writing essays about how horrible the world is -staying warm -adjusting Eple by Royksopp
I wasn't able to stay up for last night's (this morning's) speech, but I'm going to listen to if off NYT tonight. Then watch Rachel Maddow. Then hope that this all works for the best. The National Anthem by Lupe Fiasco (with some help from Radiohead)
The legalization of medical marijuana is slowly expanding throughout the US . Schools have been popping up to teach people to grow the green stuff for the booming population of patients. (That means you can stop rewinding through season two of Weeds to figure it out!) Apparently, some areas of the US are more lucrative than others... If I were still in the US and not doing the whole academic thing, I'd totally do this. Honestly. It's damn near recession proof, and if it does get shut down, I'm young enough [...]
What do you do when the mobile library's stopped coming to town and phone booth might get taken away? Smush 'em both together! Apparently, there are 30 of these library/phone booths in Somerset. BT, the company which makes the iconic phone booth, is holding a contest for new ideas for converting the boxes. You can learn about adopting a kiosk here . I love when mashups come to life. I'm Onto Something (That's What She [...]
Switzerland has passed a ban on building new minarets. There are 150 mosques in Switzerland, but only 4 have minarets, and apparently only two more were planned. (That's less than the number on this racist poster!) Apparently, four was more than enough and six was too much for the SVP (tiny religious party of ignorant people), so they went to far as to ban new structures. The majority government isn't crazy about this, and everyone seems surprised. This also smells like a breach of human rights (I certainly think it.) Why didn't the whole "can-this-legally-be carried-out" issue come up [...]
StoryCorps has come up with The National Day of Listening : the day after Thanksgiving, you record a conversation/interview between you and someone you love. This could be a friend, sibling, parents, grandparent, anybody. You'll be surprised by what they'll say. You don't have to use StoryCorps equipment (there's a handy-dandy DIY guide on the site) but the StoryKits are top of the line. And your recording will be stored in the Library of Congress. The National Day of Listening is both cheaper and way more valuable than Black Friday. NDL, dare I say, kicks BF's ass. [...]
Dear America, Happy Black Friday. Some of you on the East Coast are already wide awake, camping outside of of your local Best Buy/Victoria's Secret/Sports Authority. Don't burn your fingers on that Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts/McDonald's cup of coffee that will fuel you from 5 AM to 9. You ate a lot yesterday, so don't be surprised if your aisle run is a bit off it's game. But it's OK. The pilgrims wouldn't have wanted you any other way. Speaking of holidays centered around murders, please don't stomp anyone to death this year. The motorized [...]
Unlike a lot of music bloggers (and hypem users) I don't like Animal Collective that much. (avoids flying tomatoes) Hey, easy; just because someone says they don't like something doesn't mean they think it's bad. For whatever reason, "What do I want? Sky" works for me... after the 2:45 mark. Maybe I need my organized chaos to be wound particularly tightly. What Would I Want? Sky by Animal Collective
Here in Scotland, the sun rises at about 8, and sets at 15:30. And you start seeing long shadows at noon. Seriously . Honestly, there are moments when the seratonin just dips. I hate going into class at 15:00, leaving at 16:00, and fighting the urge to call the Scottish answer to Safe Ride. Apparently, in the summer, the sun rises at 4:00, sets at 10:00. Happy/manic medium can be achieved if you stick around long enough, I guess. I live in the hotel-like David Russell Apartments, which is apparently good [...]
I'm so excited for the annual Bad Sex Awards put out the Literary Review. The nominated passages included famous and non-famous writers. (See contending passages here) My favorite previous contender was Zadie Smith's deliberately awful sex scene on On Beauty. Leaves with that "Urgh, I wanted this to happen?" aftertaste. I think the biggest crime I've seen in these passages are the strong vein over-thinking, the sense of, "yes, I did do the reading and, in fact, decided to regurgitate it here!" That's not the place for it! Nobody feels [...]
Camilla Parker- Bowles- Windsor (?) has a deceptively easy looking job. Visiting factories, schools and other such places while wearing a big smile should be easy, but on one trip to a nursery school, the Duchess of Cornwall accidentally ass-checks a kid in the head, then she tries to turn on some Christmas lights by pulling this ancient-looking rope, and the darn thing breaks. It's OK, honey. I definitely make the third picture face on a daily basis. F**k Was [...]
No way! I thought she's be around forever! (Unrealistic, I know, but that's just how it felt.) It's just the 2009 pattern of stuff that you'd thought would go on into perpetuum ending. This is quite a long headsup, though. I hope the next year and heavy change leading up to it isn't an extended and remixed dirge. I remember when the headmistress of my high school retired after an eon there, and there was a long, celebratory funeral march to the retirement Mass. It seemed like the whole year was dedicated to the one, simple act [...]
Quick followup from yesterday: Apparently, Brook Magnanti's dad blames his own affinity for prostitutes (150 of 'em) as a factor in Brooke's decision in joining the profession. I don't know if things are as simple as all that. Maybe there is something in our minds that links personal inhibitions with parental behavior. Or, maybe, it was an arbitrary choice. I really don't know. I wonder if he'll regret making this revelation. It seems a bit attention seeking. A little Michael Lohan-ish, if you ask me. But we'll see [...]
Belle de Jour came out on Sunday! And she has a ... PhD? This is a bit unnerving for those of us who are still in school. Is this what'll I'll have to do to get funding as a student in the UK? 300 per hour sounds lovely, but I don't think this job is for everyone. (Neither does Brooke.) Besides, I only write about prostitution... I've been in love with this song from Flight of the Conchords for this past month, so this should come as [...]
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