c u l t i t u d e

why yes, there is a two-plus year gap between the last post and the previous one. and there is a...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:09:06 -0800

why yes, there is a two-plus year gap between the last post and the previous one. and there is a two-year-old toddler going crazy on her art supplies in my dining room right now. coincidence?

plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:57:00 -0800

plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose:

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose has always meant that the constant novelty and flux of modern life is all superficial show, that the underlying essences endure unchanged. But now, suddenly, that saying has acquired an alternative and nearly opposite definition: the more certain things change for real (technology, the global political economy), the more other things (style, culture) stay the same.
+ kurt anderson, vanity fair +

"If we maintain the status quo, we will continue to see 14,000 Americans lose their health insurance..."

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:05:57 -0700

“If we maintain the status quo, we will continue to see 14,000 Americans lose their health insurance every day. Premiums will continue to skyrocket. Our deficit will continue to grow. And insurance companies will continue to profit by discriminating against sick people.”

- barack obama, why we need health care reform, in the new york times

right-wing craziness in history

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:05:20 -0700

right-wing craziness in history:

Liberal power of all sorts induces an organic and crazy-making panic in a considerable number of Americans, while people with no particular susceptibility to existential terror — powerful elites — find reason to stoke and exploit that fear. And even the most ideologically fair-minded national media will always be agents of cosmopolitanism: something provincials fear as an outside elite intent on forcing different values down their throats.

"Wormholes are to black holes as elevators are to deep wells filled with snakes and poisoned spikes."

Wed, 20 May 2009 17:10:00 -0700

“Wormholes are to black holes as elevators are to deep wells filled with snakes and poisoned spikes.”

- 10 rules for time travelers. #5: Black holes are not time machines.
+ discover magazine +

some damn fine advertising: honda insight/let it shine

Thu, 07 May 2009 21:57:55 -0700

some damn fine advertising: honda insight/let it shine

jason kottke made me cry today

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:26:31 -0700

okay, not him so much as his link to this devastating, beautiful photo essay.

the street of the future is a livable street

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:51:50 -0700

the street of the future is a livable street:

+ good +

"My administration is the only thing between you and the pitchforks."

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:01:00 -0700

“My administration is the only thing between you and the pitchforks.”

- President Obama to the CEOs of the most powerful financial institutions in the world, as quoted on politico.

problem vegetables at your doorstep (every week)

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:06:25 -0700

problem vegetables at your doorstep (every week):

One friend confessed “utter panic” at the sight of tomatillos. When I asked another what he did with his mustard greens, he responded, straight-faced, “I take them home, put them in my refrigerator, and wait until they rot.” Cabbage, kohlrabi, collards, bok choy—everyone, it seems, has their problem vegetables. And, like me, many feel guilty about it.
+ slate +

a guide to big numbers

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:00:56 -0700

a guide to big numbers:

To help Obama put the full scale of his rescue plan into perspective, one trillion seconds would take you back 31,709 years to the time of the hunter-gatherers.
+ guardian.co.uk +

i am addicted to wall blank

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:28:45 -0700

i am addicted to wall blank:

every day a new piece of inexpensive, limited edition artwork pops up in my google reader. i can’t help it — i want, want, want. expecting another trip to ikea for cheap frames in very near future…

coming soon to 1600 pennsylvania ave: a vegetable garden

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:16:29 -0700

coming soon to 1600 pennsylvania ave: a vegetable garden:

+ obama foodorama via eating liberally +

why the only joke i tell is a knock-knock joke

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:22:00 -0700

why the only joke i tell is a knock-knock joke:

A simple melody with a simple rhythm and repetition can be a tremendous mnemonic device… Really great jokes, on the other hand, punch the lights out of do re mi. They work not by conforming to pattern recognition routines but by subverting them.
+ new york times +

growing sentences with david foster wallace

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:04:14 -0700

growing sentences with david foster wallace:

9. Give it that Wallace shine. Replace common words with their oddly specific, scientific-y counterparts. (Ex: ‘curved fingers’ into ‘falcate digits’). If you can turn a noun into a brand name, do it. (Ex: ‘shoes’ into ‘Hush Puppies,’ ‘camera’ into ‘Bolex’).
+ james tanner, reprinted on kottke.org +

"Without books, we might melt into the airwaves, and be just another set of blips."

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 10:38:24 -0700

“Without books, we might melt into the airwaves, and be just another set of blips.”

- john updike, on printed books, in an essay in due considerations.

the periodic table of typefaces (full size)

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:35:27 -0700

the periodic table of typefaces (full size)

our banking woes, explained

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:20:28 -0700

the collapse of the banking system, as explained by alex blumberg & adam davidson on this american life. if you want even more, check out this interview on fresh air with simon johnso n, a former IMF official.

"The only bracing symbol of American strength right now is the image of Michelle Obama’s sculpted..."

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:59:53 -0700

“The only bracing symbol of American strength right now is the image of Michelle Obama’s sculpted biceps.”

- maureen dowd, in the new york times

tent city, sacramento, california, 2009

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:14:25 -0800

tent city, sacramento, california, 2009