(via The Big Picture, via The New York Times )
Showing posts with label Just a Thought.... Show all posts
Showing posts with label Just a Thought.... Show all posts
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
That's So Aughties
My friend Mike forwarded me the link to this dead on Vanity Fair web exclusive.......
"That’s So Aughties!
The 70s had shag carpets, lowriders, and lava lamps. The 80s had stonewash, Ray Bans, and Flock of Seagulls hair. The 90s had flannel shirts, Clintonisms, and heroin chic. But what will the decade that began with Y2K panic and ended with recessionistas yield in terms of funny and embarrassing nostalgia? Here are 26 possibilities.
BY HEATHER WAGNER
WEB EXCLUSIVE DECEMBER 8, 2009
1. Pete Doherty Clones (and Other Hipster Subspecies)
Brit rocker (and Kate Moss consort) Pete Doherty’s skinny jeans, propensity for fedoras, and hung-over glare set the tone for a generation of pretentious twentysomethings. Vice magazine was their lexicon, American Apparel their official uniform, and the Misshapes their house D.J. This P.B.R.-sipping, Parliament-smoking in-crowd spawned endless subspecies: the early adopters (Millennium White Belt Hipster), the blue-collar kitsch revivalists (Trucker Hat Hipster), the folksy foodies (Urban Farmer Hipster), and, by decade’s end, the prohibition-style mustachioed mixologists (Handlebar Hipster). They were all irritating for various reasons but all present ample future costume possibilities!
2. Oversharing
The 00s were one big Overshare. The rise of mobile phones turned the world into your psychiatrist’s office, while Facebook status updates, celebrity Twitter feeds, and mommy blogs enabled the relentless broadcasting of personal minutia, from the mundane (“Buying fresh fennel at Whole Foods”) to the shocking (“Just got DNA results. Jason’s the daddy!”). Another source of oversharing? Blog commenters, especially those of the hyper-religious or staunchly partisan ilk, who so often felt compelled to air the most vitriolic, illogical, and hostile opinions under the virtual cloak of “SoccerSue” or “Jimbo01.”
3. Text-Message Breakups
Breaking up has been historically hard to do, but in the aughties it was terrifyingly easy. Just have a few drinks and text, “Sorry. Not n2u.” Voilà! No drawn-out conversations about closure and emotional needs unmet—just a few keystrokes and it’s over. Also popular: the I.M. breakup, the Skype breakup, and the Google Wave breakup (currently in beta). And we’re betting somewhere, someone has broken up via emoticon.
4. Losing Your Job to the Internet
The decade began with the-Internet-as-ultimate-jackpot. Venture capital abounded and 22-year-olds in the Bay Area were making $85K a year as “key-worders” or “platform consultants.” But by decade’s end, the thing we thought would make us all rich was chomping away at profits in journalism, the record business, and beyond. If what you produce could be reduced to 1s and 0s (articles, songs, movies, best-sellers), you got royally screwed. Bleep bloop, enjoy that severance!
5. TV Shows That Are Better Than Any Movie Ever Made
Mainstream film did not exactly enter a new golden age in the early 2000s. In fact, most high-grossing blockbusters were C.G.I.-glutted behemoths of recycled ideas. The last people anyone expected to step into the quality-entertainment breach were the nation’s television producers, but—somehow—they did just that. Whether you were into the gritty urban realism of The Wire, the hypnotic narratives of Mad Men, or the epic Jersey saga of The Sopranos, it was a fantastic decade for TV—and for AMC, FX, and Showtime, networks previously known for little-seen Tommy Lee Jones films or last-resort soft-core late-night porn.
6. Gamer Culture
Behold the emergence of Red Bull–quaffing World of Warcraft players, shut-in Second Lifers, and Halo die-hards. The sheer unbridled geekery of gamer culture, where sophisticated graphics and motion-capture interfaces created a dazzling alternative to boring ol’ human existence, matured into a nationwide obsession, hastened by user-friendly innovations such as Wii Bowling or Guitar Hero, the latter of which allowed a generation of tipsy Uncle Bobs to unleash their inner Jimmy Page, to the quiet discomfort of all.
7. Celebutards
In the past, you usually had to do something significant to become famous, like act or sing or play a professional sport. But this decade, thanks to TMZ and US Weekly, the barrier to entry became absurdly low, as witnessed by the glut of “celebutards”: the young, wealthy, spray-tanned, multiple-D.U.I-receiving, brawling-outside-L.A.-nightclubs, underwear-shunning set. The world changed the day we all clicked to view Lindsey Lohan’s lady business with our morning coffee, and not, one suspects, for the better.
8. The Frat Pack
For some inexplicable reason, movie audiences in the 00s craved guilelessly stupid sex comedies with a heart of gold—a strange and sometimes unsettling combination that nonetheless raked in a ton of cash for one J. Apatow and his many imitators and second-tier collaborators. The existence of a movie tagline that reads, “From the Guy Who Brought You Knocked Up and Superbad” pretty much says it all.
9. White iPods
Whatever feelings you may have about Apple and its smug design-snob branding, it can be argued that the iPod was the innovation of the decade. It helped bring the music industry to its knees, produced an entirely new economic model via the iTunes Store, and created near-total isolation from our fellow man, as we bob along with our earbuds firmly in place. The original white iPod is already on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and one can assume it will eventually take its place in the Smithsonian alongside the telephone and the cotton gin. Which is fine—just as long as they don’t also preserve those poppin’-and-lockin’ iPod silhouette people.
10. Logo Chic
Reasonably edgy at its inception, from Ashton Kutcher’s kicked-to-the-side Von Dutch trucker hat to Lil’ Kim’s Murakami Louis Vuitton bag, logo chic was soon embraced by the public, with mixed results. Ugg boots, Seven Jeans, faux D&G sunglasses, and Juicy Couture jumpsuits were the standard uniform, until the recession (and Jon Gosselin’s Ed Hardy shirt stretched over his protruding, A.T.V.-riding belly) precipitated a crushing dénouement.
11. Food Porn
Food was so hot in the 00s. Haute cuisine went mainstream, celebrity chefs became household names, and even your lunch meat was grass-fed. There was a curious high/low synthesis: mac and cheese, fried chicken, and burgers showed up on menus of high-end eateries, while the humble cupcake became a status symbol. Food was no longer just subsistence but a lifestyle, as the farmers’ market became the new singles bar, twentysomethings expertly brined turkeys on Thanksgiving, job seekers listed molecular gastronomy as a hobby on their résumés, and everyone knew the meaning of sous vide. And yet, somehow Arby’s continued to exist.
12. Internet Acronyms
OMG, LMAO, STFU! Popular Internet acronyms will persist, and likely become even more convoluted and complex as we grow increasingly dependent on our McGoogle machines, but the idea that they don’t belong in dictionaries or in official correspondence may gradually erode. We can actually imagine a future White House document that reads, “OMG, WTF is up w/North Korea?”
13. Terrorists
This was the decade when the terrorists actually won. From 9/11 to the current mess in Afghanistan, the bad guys got the upper hand, and kept it. No American hero saved the day, and there’s no clear resolution in sight. While it may forever be “too soon” to relegate al-Qaeda to kitschy nostalgia, there will be lots of ancillary war-on-terror ridiculousness to mock in retrospect, from airport Threat Level Orange alerts (has it ever been any other color?) to the theory that if we don’t all go shopping, The Terrorists Win.
14. The Housing Bubble
The 00s was the You-Deserve-It Decade. A four-bedroom home, an S.U.V., a new flat screen … who cares if you make less than $40,000 a year? You’re an American, and you need to keep up with the Joneses—who just got a new Sub-Z fridge! You could say that the housing bubble defined the arc of the whole decade, from McMansions and Mad Money speculation, to conscious overspending with money that didn’t exist, through the complete crash of the entire global economy. A new generation of permanent renters will likely look back on this MTV Cribs culture and wonder, “[insert new Internet acronym here]?” "
"That’s So Aughties!
The 70s had shag carpets, lowriders, and lava lamps. The 80s had stonewash, Ray Bans, and Flock of Seagulls hair. The 90s had flannel shirts, Clintonisms, and heroin chic. But what will the decade that began with Y2K panic and ended with recessionistas yield in terms of funny and embarrassing nostalgia? Here are 26 possibilities.
BY HEATHER WAGNER
WEB EXCLUSIVE DECEMBER 8, 2009
1. Pete Doherty Clones (and Other Hipster Subspecies)
Brit rocker (and Kate Moss consort) Pete Doherty’s skinny jeans, propensity for fedoras, and hung-over glare set the tone for a generation of pretentious twentysomethings. Vice magazine was their lexicon, American Apparel their official uniform, and the Misshapes their house D.J. This P.B.R.-sipping, Parliament-smoking in-crowd spawned endless subspecies: the early adopters (Millennium White Belt Hipster), the blue-collar kitsch revivalists (Trucker Hat Hipster), the folksy foodies (Urban Farmer Hipster), and, by decade’s end, the prohibition-style mustachioed mixologists (Handlebar Hipster). They were all irritating for various reasons but all present ample future costume possibilities!
2. Oversharing
The 00s were one big Overshare. The rise of mobile phones turned the world into your psychiatrist’s office, while Facebook status updates, celebrity Twitter feeds, and mommy blogs enabled the relentless broadcasting of personal minutia, from the mundane (“Buying fresh fennel at Whole Foods”) to the shocking (“Just got DNA results. Jason’s the daddy!”). Another source of oversharing? Blog commenters, especially those of the hyper-religious or staunchly partisan ilk, who so often felt compelled to air the most vitriolic, illogical, and hostile opinions under the virtual cloak of “SoccerSue” or “Jimbo01.”
3. Text-Message Breakups
Breaking up has been historically hard to do, but in the aughties it was terrifyingly easy. Just have a few drinks and text, “Sorry. Not n2u.” Voilà! No drawn-out conversations about closure and emotional needs unmet—just a few keystrokes and it’s over. Also popular: the I.M. breakup, the Skype breakup, and the Google Wave breakup (currently in beta). And we’re betting somewhere, someone has broken up via emoticon.
4. Losing Your Job to the Internet
The decade began with the-Internet-as-ultimate-jackpot. Venture capital abounded and 22-year-olds in the Bay Area were making $85K a year as “key-worders” or “platform consultants.” But by decade’s end, the thing we thought would make us all rich was chomping away at profits in journalism, the record business, and beyond. If what you produce could be reduced to 1s and 0s (articles, songs, movies, best-sellers), you got royally screwed. Bleep bloop, enjoy that severance!
5. TV Shows That Are Better Than Any Movie Ever Made
Mainstream film did not exactly enter a new golden age in the early 2000s. In fact, most high-grossing blockbusters were C.G.I.-glutted behemoths of recycled ideas. The last people anyone expected to step into the quality-entertainment breach were the nation’s television producers, but—somehow—they did just that. Whether you were into the gritty urban realism of The Wire, the hypnotic narratives of Mad Men, or the epic Jersey saga of The Sopranos, it was a fantastic decade for TV—and for AMC, FX, and Showtime, networks previously known for little-seen Tommy Lee Jones films or last-resort soft-core late-night porn.
6. Gamer Culture
Behold the emergence of Red Bull–quaffing World of Warcraft players, shut-in Second Lifers, and Halo die-hards. The sheer unbridled geekery of gamer culture, where sophisticated graphics and motion-capture interfaces created a dazzling alternative to boring ol’ human existence, matured into a nationwide obsession, hastened by user-friendly innovations such as Wii Bowling or Guitar Hero, the latter of which allowed a generation of tipsy Uncle Bobs to unleash their inner Jimmy Page, to the quiet discomfort of all.
7. Celebutards
In the past, you usually had to do something significant to become famous, like act or sing or play a professional sport. But this decade, thanks to TMZ and US Weekly, the barrier to entry became absurdly low, as witnessed by the glut of “celebutards”: the young, wealthy, spray-tanned, multiple-D.U.I-receiving, brawling-outside-L.A.-nightclubs, underwear-shunning set. The world changed the day we all clicked to view Lindsey Lohan’s lady business with our morning coffee, and not, one suspects, for the better.
8. The Frat Pack
For some inexplicable reason, movie audiences in the 00s craved guilelessly stupid sex comedies with a heart of gold—a strange and sometimes unsettling combination that nonetheless raked in a ton of cash for one J. Apatow and his many imitators and second-tier collaborators. The existence of a movie tagline that reads, “From the Guy Who Brought You Knocked Up and Superbad” pretty much says it all.
9. White iPods
Whatever feelings you may have about Apple and its smug design-snob branding, it can be argued that the iPod was the innovation of the decade. It helped bring the music industry to its knees, produced an entirely new economic model via the iTunes Store, and created near-total isolation from our fellow man, as we bob along with our earbuds firmly in place. The original white iPod is already on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and one can assume it will eventually take its place in the Smithsonian alongside the telephone and the cotton gin. Which is fine—just as long as they don’t also preserve those poppin’-and-lockin’ iPod silhouette people.
10. Logo Chic
Reasonably edgy at its inception, from Ashton Kutcher’s kicked-to-the-side Von Dutch trucker hat to Lil’ Kim’s Murakami Louis Vuitton bag, logo chic was soon embraced by the public, with mixed results. Ugg boots, Seven Jeans, faux D&G sunglasses, and Juicy Couture jumpsuits were the standard uniform, until the recession (and Jon Gosselin’s Ed Hardy shirt stretched over his protruding, A.T.V.-riding belly) precipitated a crushing dénouement.
11. Food Porn
Food was so hot in the 00s. Haute cuisine went mainstream, celebrity chefs became household names, and even your lunch meat was grass-fed. There was a curious high/low synthesis: mac and cheese, fried chicken, and burgers showed up on menus of high-end eateries, while the humble cupcake became a status symbol. Food was no longer just subsistence but a lifestyle, as the farmers’ market became the new singles bar, twentysomethings expertly brined turkeys on Thanksgiving, job seekers listed molecular gastronomy as a hobby on their résumés, and everyone knew the meaning of sous vide. And yet, somehow Arby’s continued to exist.
12. Internet Acronyms
OMG, LMAO, STFU! Popular Internet acronyms will persist, and likely become even more convoluted and complex as we grow increasingly dependent on our McGoogle machines, but the idea that they don’t belong in dictionaries or in official correspondence may gradually erode. We can actually imagine a future White House document that reads, “OMG, WTF is up w/North Korea?”
13. Terrorists
This was the decade when the terrorists actually won. From 9/11 to the current mess in Afghanistan, the bad guys got the upper hand, and kept it. No American hero saved the day, and there’s no clear resolution in sight. While it may forever be “too soon” to relegate al-Qaeda to kitschy nostalgia, there will be lots of ancillary war-on-terror ridiculousness to mock in retrospect, from airport Threat Level Orange alerts (has it ever been any other color?) to the theory that if we don’t all go shopping, The Terrorists Win.
14. The Housing Bubble
The 00s was the You-Deserve-It Decade. A four-bedroom home, an S.U.V., a new flat screen … who cares if you make less than $40,000 a year? You’re an American, and you need to keep up with the Joneses—who just got a new Sub-Z fridge! You could say that the housing bubble defined the arc of the whole decade, from McMansions and Mad Money speculation, to conscious overspending with money that didn’t exist, through the complete crash of the entire global economy. A new generation of permanent renters will likely look back on this MTV Cribs culture and wonder, “[insert new Internet acronym here]?” "
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Adopt a Species
Instead of traditional gift giving this holiday season, consider adopting an endangered animal through the World Wildlife Fund's species adoption. With donations ranging from $25 - $250 you can help support and protect severely endangered animals. There are over 100 species to choose from and you can even sort by threat level (extinct in the wild, critically endangered, vulnerable etc.).
"Your donation will be used in general support of WWF's efforts around the world. 82 cents of every donated dollar goes toward conservation. WWF has been recognized by Charity Navigator as a Four Star Charity, and is a Better Business Bureau Accredited charity.World Wildlife Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization."
http://www.worldwildlife.org/ogc/index.cfm
http://www.worldwildlife.org/ogc/index.cfm
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Genetically Engineered Bacteria Reveal Landmines
This is incredible... AND it's a student-led project.
Bacteria which glow green in the presence of explosives could provide a cheap and safe way to find hidden landmines, Edinburgh scientists claim.The bugs can be mixed into a colourless solution, which forms green patches when sprayed onto ground where mines are buried.
Edinburgh University said the microbes could be dropped by air onto danger areas.
Within a few hours, they would indicate where the explosives can be found.
The scientists produced the bacteria using a new technique called BioBricking, which manipulates packages of DNA.
Alistair Elfick, from the university's school of engineering, who supervised the student-led project, said: 'This anti-mine sensor is a great example of how innovation in science can be of benefit to wider society.' "
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Whole Tree Architecture
Architect Roald Gundersen founded Whole Tree Architecture and Construction in 1991 (formerly Gundersen Design) with the philosophy of using renewable building material to create sustainable and affordable designs. Inspiring.
(via Inhabitat,)
Monday, November 2, 2009
FLOW: For Love Of Water
Just arrived from Netflix and I can't wait to watch it. Ever since I watched Blue Gold: World Water Wars, I've been fascinated by the water industry and the fight over fresh water sources.
To learn more check out http://www.flowthefilm.com/
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Parallel Parking
via: the essential man
Euphemism of the Day:
Euphemism of the Day:
To Parallel Park...
- Maneuvering your car in the space between two other cars without hitting either.
- To actively put yourself in an uncomfortable situation with the idea that you can handle it with grace. Ex. Inviting two potential love interests to the same event.
GNO: Girl's Night Out
SUSAN B. ANTHONY AND SACAGAWEA'S
GUIDE TO A BITCHIN' GIRL'S NIGHT OUT.
By Julia McCloy & James Stefen
---
GUIDE TO A BITCHIN' GIRL'S NIGHT OUT.
By Julia McCloy & James Stefen
---
1. Don't Be Afraid To Add a Twist
First of all, you have to remember that this is YOUR time. This is your time to get out and celebrate being a woman in the most important way possible: drinking Appletinis! Or if you are a real pioneer: drinking Appletinis with a twist! That is what I, Susan B. Anthony, drink. (In fact, if you want to find a kick-ass recipe for an Appletini check the latest issue of my feminist mag: Revolution, Appendix D: The International Council of Women's Guide to Getting Wasted).
2. Listen to Your Jams
Next you have to make your iPod playlist. Girl, this is no little thing either. It sets the mood. If I learned anything from the Seneca Falls Convention, it was that you have to set a mood because it lets guys know, as you drive past in your yellow Mustang with the top down, that you are in control. An essential song is "It's Raining Men." You can even make it every other song on your playlist. Sacagawea also suggests "I Will Survive"—which is good but implies some kind of heartbreak or whatevs. So I can't endorse it as hard as she does. But I will tell you anything is better than the traditional Indian rain dance type of music she puts on her pink iPod nano. After all, we want it to rain men, not rain, obvs. Another one of Sacagawea's favorites is "Suffragette City." I can only guess that she likes it because the "oooohs" and "wham bams" in the chorus remind her of her own language. However, I checked the lyrics on the Internet and discovered that the song was written by a lady named David Bowie, who isn't even a little bit Indian.
3. Follow the Leader
You will also need to designate a leader. Sacagawea always thinks she should be the group leader because she led Lewis and Clark across America carrying a baby on her back. That is ridiculous because GNO should have nothing to do with babies and weird helpless exes. Sometimes I have to remind Sacagawea that the "B" in my name stands for "Bitch, pleez" when she starts to get on my nerves about being the leader, or tries to impress me with her long brown hair (which is clearly a weave).
4. Be Sexy (in the City)
A fun thing to do is to pretend that you are all characters from Sex in the City. I am usually Carrie, because I am a better leader. Sacagawea is Charlotte because she can be dumb sometimes. For example, I have to order drinks for her because she still doesn't know the difference between an Appletini and a Mango Margarita. So I have to say, "Girl"—which is what I call her because I don't know how to pronounce her name—I say, "Girl, I will talk to the bartender. You stay over here and stroke your weave."
One note on GNO attire: You want to be sexy, not slutty. Heels = yes. Short skirt = yes. Showing a little cleavage = hell yes. But showing a little cleavage does NOT mean pulling up your cloth shirt and getting out your breast right in the middle of the club, especially if you get your breast out to feed a baby. Sacagawea has done this on more than one occasion.
5. Be Decisive
Deciding what exactly to do on a GNO can be hard. That is why I bring a coin to flip to help settle difficult decisions. I use my silver dollar rather than Sacagawea's coin. Mostly for efficiency. It is easier to yell "heads or tails" than "face with a baby that you carry on your back like a backpack" or "you bending over to plant some corn with a baby that you carry on your back like a backpack."
6. Be Discreet
Facebook makes GNO a little tricky, because you don't want your parents seeing you and your girls grinding on a guy on the dance floor. They will never understand even if you tell them how handsome and sweet the guy was and that he told you you smelled like his "balls after he went to Cancún." Facebook is not so much a problem for Sacagawea, who says her parents are not on it.
7. Stick Together ("Hos Before Bros")
You need to have some kind of buddy system on your GNO. When Sacagawea is holding my hair back while I am vomiting into a toilet in a bathroom where someone is doing blow it often occurs to me how much hanging out with her on a GNO is a lot like listening to Frederick Douglas eloquently argue. It really is almost exactly the same, except that Sacagawea is not a black man and she doesn't really speak English. Also, no one is arguing anything and I am just vomiting.
On your special GNO night you have to remember that you are a team. A fighting team. Like in the military. GNO is like the closest thing to war that is not, in fact, war. It is war, but with hot bartenders and super hot club remixes of your favorite songs. And just like in war you have to have your girls' backs. Or else shit can get real. I saw this war movie called The Deer Hunter and believe me, you better take care of your girls because no one wants a GNO to end with one of you trapped in a cage, forced to play Russian roulette until you shoot yourself in the head and your brains splatter out. I mean, come on. That would really suck.
8. Have Fun!
The biggest and most important thing to remember is to have fun. It is your chance to let your hair down or, in Sacagawea's case, let your weave down. As a woman, Girls Night Out is the most important thing you do. So do it right!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
9 Words that Don't Mean What You Think
Lets see how many people you can correct today.
via: cracked.com
1. Irregardless
People think it means:
Regardless.
7. Enormity
People think it means:
Enormous.
via: cracked.com
1. Irregardless
People think it means:
Regardless.
Actually means:
Nothing
This is not a word. Now, we have no problem with making up words (if a particular scent can only be described as "fartalicious," we reserve the right to call it so). The problem with this one is "regardless" already means something isn't worth regard (that's why the "less" is there) so adding the "ir" to it means... it's worth regarding again? Who knows.
2. Peruse
People think it means:
To skim over or browse something.
Actually means:
Almost the opposite of that.
Peruse means "to read with thoroughness or care." If you peruse a book, you leave no page unturned. This makes sense when you consider the Middle English per use, meaning "to wear out or use up." Unfortunately, if you "consider the Middle English" very often when speaking, you're probably not exactly the life of the party.
3. Ironic
People think it means:
Any kind of amusing coincidence.
Actually means:
An outcome that is the opposite of what you'd expect.
So, if a porn star moved to Virgin, Utah, that would be ironic. If the same porn star bought a house in Boner Knob, Montana that would not be ironic.
4. Pristine
People think it means:
"Spotless" or "as good as new."
Actually means:
"Ancient, primeval; in a state virtually unchanged from the original."
It's therefore perfectly possible to have a pristine mountain of fossilized brontosaurus shit, but if you were to buff that mountain to a lustrous shine, it would no longer be pristine.
5. Nonplussed
People think it means:
Unperturbed, not worried.
Actually means:
Utterly perplexed or confused. It comes from the Latin non plus (a state in which nothing more can be done).
The misunderstanding would seem to stem from people making semi-educated guesses as to the word's meaning, which kind of sounds like it means "unruffled" or something like that.
6. Bemused
People think it means:
Mildly amused.
Actually means:
Bewildered or confused.
7. Enormity
People think it means:
Enormous.
Actually means:
Outrageous or heinous on a grand scale.
War crimes are enormities. Extra-big bouncy castles are not.
8. Plethora
People think it means:
A lot of something.
Actually means:
Too much of something, an over-abundance.
It's the difference between:
"Dude, I am jonesing to go snort a plethora of medicinal-grade barbiturates right now."
And ...
"Dude, I just snorted a plethora of medicinal-grade barbiturates, and now there are hundreds of terrifying arachnids crawling out of my penis. They all have human lips."
9. Deceptively
People think it means:
Nobody is sure.
Actually means:
Nobody is sure.
Specifically, we're talking about when the word is used with some other adjective. Like if somebody says, "The turd pool is deceptively shallow," does that mean it's deeper than it appears, or not as deep?
If you're not sure, don't feel bad. The American Heritage Dictionary asked their word experts and they said they had no idea, either. So ... nobody knows.
Friday, October 23, 2009
The Baby-Sitters Club: The College Years
BY GRACE DOBUSH
- - - -
Claudia Goes to Class Wearing Sweatpants With Words On the Backside
Kristy's Softball Friends Don't Buy it That She's Dating a Dude
Dawn and the Unpaid Internship
Stacey Unsuccessfully Hides her Purging
Mary Anne and the Free Credit Card T-shirt
Dawn Gets Into a Heated Discussion On Post-structuralism
Mallory and the Trouble With Unaccepted Transfer Credits
Claudia and the RIAA Subpoena
Mary Anne Narcs On Her Roommate
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Avoiding Swine Flu
Tips For Avoiding Swine Flu
BY KRISTIN HILLERY AND JANICE CHAN
- - - -
Don't share drinks with livestock.
Disinfect your sty.
Wash your hands before and after eating garbage and dead insects.
Drink lots of fluids, but not the stuff that's been sitting in the trough for the past two weeks.
Cover your snout when you cough.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Mini video profiles of interesting New Yorkers
Check out these mini documentaries by Revel in New York
watch more here
"a look at the city through its people"
watch more here
"a look at the city through its people"
Meet the Pigeon Lady, an East Village pigeon fancier who's been stealing pigeons from prized coops for nearly a decade. From drug dealers using pigeons to carry illicit messages to bird wars and the sociopaths who fight them, the Pigeon Lady breaks down the New York City pigeon scene and explains where exactly to find it.
Nini Ordoubadi is an Iranian born New Yorker who comes from a long tradition of tea blenders. An artist and interior designer, Nini channels her artistic impulses to create unique tea blends that do more than just taste good. With a nod to the ancient tea practices of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Nini explains just about everything you’ve ever wanted to know about tea including its holistic healing benefits.
Ted Rall is the president of the Association of American Cartoonists, who's syndicated work has been featured in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, David Eggers' Might Magazine, Mad Magazine and Time. He is a two-time winner of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, whose controversies section on Wikipedia is over a page long.
How to pay for a date
one male's perspective...
via: the essential man
via: the essential man
I’m old school when it comes to dating.
Guys making the first move.
Guys making the plans.
And of course, guys pay in the beginning.
While I completely understand a woman feeling a bit uncomfortable with a man paying for dinner in this day and age, please let us act like men a little. It also lets us know this is an actual date. If you want to throw us a curve ball and make us question if you’re into us, the best thing to do is suggest you pay for yourself or, gulp, go dutch.
Of course, there are a few ways around this.
1. The Card Check - Depending on how fancy the place is, you can arrive early and leave your card with your waiter and give them instructions for tipping. If the place is a bit more casual and/or the waiter is not comfortable holding onto your card, see plan 2.
2. The Bathroom Fakeout - Near the end of the meal, excuse yourself to the bathroom and slip the waiter your card.
3. The Quick Pass - Have your card secretly in hand and flag the waiter to come by, instead of signaling for the check. This allows you to pass your card to the waiter and not give your date a chance to protest, which is easier if he were to go get the check first then plop it down at the table.
4. The Early Bird - There will be a few occasions when the waiter will bring the check to you early and unwanted. This is not ideal, but still doable.
Take out your card, slip it in the checkbook and signal the waiter.
If she protests, insist.
If she protests again, suggest she can pay for dessert.
If you two ordered dessert, suggest she can pay for coffee/after dinner drinks.
If she really insists, suggest she can pay next time. Then next time, pay. She usually forgets.
If she does that annoying thing some girls do where they slip a $20.00 in your pocket when you’re not looking, buy a lotto ticket.
Being 30
While Brooke and I have over half a decade till we reach this point, I suppose we should start fine-tuning our martini making skills... we do however have two steps completed: finishing school & going back to school
via: mcsweeny
Keep in mind that all adults reach their developmental milestones at their own pace. It is important not to compare your adult's rate of development to that of his peers. The following list is meant only as a guideline and not as a cause for alarm.
By thirty-years-old, your adult will probably be able to...
Feed and maintain a house pet
Hold down a job
Maintain eye contact while speaking
Refrain from discussing high school
Cook a meal (three-course)
Make small talk
Forgive his family
Acknowledge other viewpoints (social)
Detect and respond to ambiguity
Finish schoolYour thirty-year-old adult may be able to...
Make a martini (vodka)
Tie a half-Windsor knot
Drive a manual transmission
Refrain from discussing college
Get married
File his taxes (EZ form)
Remember 5-10 friends' birthdays
Acknowledge other viewpoints (political)
Get a flu shot
Give a toast
Install storm windows
Go back to schoolSome advanced thirty-year-olds may possibly be able to...
Make a martini (gin)
File his taxes (standard 1040)
Make and keep dental appointments
Have a baby
Finish school
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
First Kisses
newly discovered blog: the essential man
loving it.
... he's describes himself as "a single guy in my mid-20s, working and living in New York. Deciding one day to write about his experiences and thoughts so far, and share his interests with anyone that might be interested. Which, of course, includes my future son."
loving it.
... he's describes himself as "a single guy in my mid-20s, working and living in New York. Deciding one day to write about his experiences and thoughts so far, and share his interests with anyone that might be interested. Which, of course, includes my future son."
Never ask for a kiss.
It sounds like a no-brainer, but you wouldn’t believe how many guys have told me they’ve asked a girl if they could kiss her and fell flat on their face.
It’s number three on the top ten dumbest questions you can ask list, right under “Can I ask you a question?” and “Are you sleeping?”.
While I can’t forecast every dating situation you will be in to shout at you “KISS HER!”, I can tell you this.
Watch for that one tiny fraction of time that skips.
That short moment of silence in a conversation where you two stare at each other and do that half nod.
When she looks directly at your eyes and can’t lock on for more than a second.
9 out of 10 times, should you go for it, you’ll get that kiss.
And if it doesn’t work, remember it could have been worse.
You could have asked to kiss her before getting denied.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Eight Outdated Chivalrous Gestures
The following is a list of supposedly outdated gentlemanly moves that women don’t understand. One move that should never go out of style: opening the door. It's the little things that make all the difference. Any effort is appreciated.
- Ordering my meal for me. This has always struck me as bizarro, because chances are you don’t know what I want. The only time this is cool is if I have no idea how to pronounce something and you do.
- Letting me win at a game of Scrabble/pool/bowling when you are clearly better. No fun! Please give it your best shot. I want the satisfaction of really beating you.
- Using a code term for going to the bathroom. Especially retro words like “tinkle.” You can just say, “I’ll be back in a minute.” I’ll get it.
- Pulling out my chair. Someone told me this tradition started when women wore loads of crinolines and, thus, scooting in your chair was difficult. That’s no longer the case. It just makes me nervous that you won’t push it in at the right moment and I’ll land on the ground with a thud.
- Carrying my purse. Yeah, it’s heavy, but I’m pretty used to it at this point. You carrying it just looks funny. I have enough of a hard time with murses.
- Asking my dad for my hand in marriage. So outdated. Pops just shouldn’t be involved in our relationship. No one should know you want to marry them before they do.
- If you’re paying for dinner, not letting me put in for tip. Or get a round of drinks after. If I offer, it’s because I want to. I swear.
- Helping me put me coat on. This is sweet, but it’s always awkward because my hand misses the sleeve or gets stuck somewhere in there. It’s easier to just do it on my own.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
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