smorgasboard

google map of Iraqi casualties

Rich, attractive people get more attention in online dating world
Woo! Now we have proof for something we already knew. For more obvious research studies, go here.

Sugar Ray interview effectively summed up in 4 sentences

Mark McGrath is one lucky guy.

"I'm not one of the most talented songwriters out there, obviously, and I've got an on-again, off-again relationship with key," said the 37-year-old singer/actor/TV host during a phone interview from Los Angeles. "I've now had two jobs, neither of which I do very well.

"I ask myself every day why I'm here."

So do I, Mark. So do I.

Dessert homage to Spoonbridge and Cherry Sculpture [from here]
That cake looks kinda weird, but I still want to eat it. Mmmmm.

I acted like a robotic cowboy

Interview with Craig of craigslist
"...the Internet is allowing people of goodwill to realize that most everyone is OK, means well and wants to get along."
While I optimistically agree with this statement, I think it's funny coming from the founder of craigslist, where the anonymous forum option allows people to be exceedingly snarky* and downright offensive. Rants and raves often makes me sad to be a human.

Proof that being a packrat can pay off, big time
Literally thousands upon thousands of 45s on ebay. This guy must need a separate apartment to store them all. yikes.

*Any excuse to use the word snarky is a good one.

miss me?

A bunch of dorks organize a "mass missed connection" at a grocery store in uptown (any link that has "Lund's" in it)
Oh my gosh, this is hilarious. Someone told everyone to hang around the Cliff Bars section and stare at each other so people could get missed connections about themselves on craigslist. Some quotes:
"You: Absolutely soaked to the skin and freezing in the store's A/C.
Me: Absolutely soaked to the skin and freezing in the store's A/C." [It rained tonight, like a ton.]
"It did seem like an odd kind of crowd. I've never seen anyone wear a tiara grocery shopping..."
"We should grab some hipster coffee at a hipster coffee shop and talk about indie music, or something."

and no, I didn't go.

This desert island is a bummer.

Article explaining why teachers should get paid more
As if there was anything to explain about that. Also, I refuse to take on a second job.

Some McSweeney's lists I am enjoying
"We're becoming homogenized, pasteurized robots." hahah.

A cupcake photo set!!!!!
yummmmm. Related: a cupcake blog.

I don't even own A gun, let alone many guns...

"Top" 100 Movie Quotes
Wow, I am SO GLAD I did not waste three hours watching this stupid show. I can't even read the damn list. WHY DO THEY KEEP MAKING THESE LISTS??? They just keep getting worse. And this is coming from a fan of lists! Wow.


Item!! That temp job I took ended up being the worst job EVER and made me hate life, but I managed to score a super stellar summer teaching position through pure luck. Oh, and I quadrupled my pay rate. YAY!

songs with handclaps

Sarah asked and it's really bugging me that I can't think of more.

Q and not U - a line in the sand
Mirah etc - oh! september
Rilo Kiley - the frug
Self - Pattycake
Sleater-Kinney - Turn it on
The Blow - some chocolates
The Blow - Hey boy
The Decemberists - the sporting life (am I remembering this right?)
The Postal Service - Clark Gable
The Shins - kissing the lipless

what else?

ow ow ow ow

Nerds Make Better Lovers
True, but who ever thought that Tiger Woods is a geek? Am I missing something? Adam Brody I don't really get either, but okay.

I had no idea Resusci Annie was French!
I also had no idea that when I was saying "Resusci Annie" I was speaking French, although probably horribly mispronounced.


I don't know if this will work, but I'm going to try to do crossword puzzles while lying on my back now. Chairs suck.

i'm waiting on dinner to update this, you know.

Turn your digital photos into polaroid photos
Sweet! see? [if that even works.]

Go forth! and watch the moon this week
I am so happy to be alerted to this.

But don't stay out too long, because tomorrow night you MUST watch PBS
The Education of Shelby Knox looks fascinating. The politics of sex education are just so... baffling. Hm, maybe I'll write more after I see it. [Thank you THOM for reminding me about this, I would have forgotten otherwise.]

During a female orgasm, part of the brain shuts off
“At the moment of orgasm, women do not have any emotional feelings.” INTRIGUING.

weekend update

go here for the video of "Knowing the Things That I Know [with The Blow and YACHT.]
Another video I should have seen months ago were it not for quicktime being stupid! ahhh. But anyway, this is cute, they are cute, the song is cute, everything is cute.

Edible Disney Tortilla Decals
ohhh...kay...

Possible Bill to Allow In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants
Interesting stuff, for me especially. That's all I feel like saying now.

morning news, celebrity edition

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise engaged
Yeah, really. The Eiffel tower is soooooo cliche. And I never thought I'd say it, but I feel sorry for Chris Klein. His ex-fiancee gets shitloads of publicity, and he gets a DUI. poor thing.

Paris Hilton to "retire"
This is old news, but I find it funny that an article with such eloquent quotes as, "I don't enjoy going out anymore. It's such a pain. It's everyone saying, `Let's do a deal! Can I have a picture?' I'm just, like, `These people are such losers. I can't believe I used to love doing this.'" only got a two-star rating.

Chris Noth on the subway
Mr. Big! Where's Raul???

Since I'm a celebrity as well, you should know that I got a temp job, and as such will not be able to read blogs all day. Or maybe I will. It's like a cliffhanger, but not at all exciting.

melts in your mouth

Ted Leo in studio performance/interview on The Current
I saw him last night, what a cutie. I'm amazed at how his voice is so deep and yet he sings so high!

David Sedaris interview
"Because I'm not a funny person." hah, that in itself is funny. Speaking of David Sedaris...

David Sedaris backlash
Their main critique is that Mr. Sedaris is writing about a difficult airplane seatmate, and seems to have run out of familial writing material. Possibly, but it's not like he can ONLY write about his family. My favorite Sedaris work is Me Talk Pretty One Day, which has very few stories about his family. I think Sedaris' writing is great because it's very relateable - the stories aren't so far out there that you think the situations could only happen to a few people [that was my problem with Augusten Burroughs' Running with Scissors]. Not to mention, who hasn't had an uncomfortable experience on an flight?

21 itunes sold per ipod
OH MY GOSH, do you think people might be illegally downloading music? THE HORROR!

chocolate + high fashion = yumminess in more ways than one
wow.

I'm seeing sleater-kinney tonight. Hell yes.

monday, monday.

Not the days of the week really hold much relevance when you don't have a job. Anyway.

Katie Holmes Converts to Scientology
"...the 42-year-old actor [Tom Cruise] was asked if Holmes is curious about Scientology. "Yeah, absolutely. She digs it,'' he tells the magazine."
42? Are you sure he's not like...18? egh.

Dancing Geek
I think his dance moves are just alright, but things like this fascinate me. Geeks using the internet to redeem themselves!

BCBG inspired handmade dress
Even though I doubt I would ever feel comfortable wearing this, it is awe-inspiring. I drool whenever I walk by the BCBG section at Marshall Field's, but please, can I afford designer clothing? This gives me hope. [note to self: get off internet, start sewing.]

I kinda never want to buy processed/pre-packaged food never again.
I stumbled across this looking for pictures of cupcakes, and ...yuck. Look at this picture for apple pie filling!

But yeah, to start the week off right, here you go.

yum!!

Friday! Friday! Friday!

Fortune Cookie Writer Faces Writer's Block
"...it soon became apparent that its antiquated catalogue of fortunes would have to be updated. (“Find someone as gay as you are,” one leftover from the nineteen-forties read.)" hahah.

Gay Rights Battlefields Spread to Public Schools
From a Georgia State Senator: "I just don't feel like homosexual clubs have anything to do with readin', writin' and 'rithmetic." Because football, danceteam, cheerleading, etc. are SO RELATED to the "three R's."

NYT Op-Ed about giving more recognition to the high school teachers who make a difference
Aww, it's the feel-good op-ed of the year. *sniff* I'm not being sarcastic, either! I want to be one of those teachers.

Trailer for Me and You and Everyone We Know
I really want to see this!! Also, I really want a version of quicktime that works on my sorry, old computer. Or, a nice ibook would solve the problem.

trying something new.

we'll see how this goes, eh?

Magnetic Poetry Online, with a twist
At first I didn't get why all the words were arranged in a snakey deal, or why they kept moving, but the site updates itself every 4 seconds, AND you can see what anyone else on the site is creating as well. Which means people can steal your words and rearrange stuff anonymously...FUN!

Kerry Grades Near Bush's While at Yale
"[Kerry] had four D's his freshman year - a 61 in geology, a 63 and a 68 in two history courses, and a 69 in political science. ... Mr. Bush received one D in four years, a 69 in astronomy, and his grades improved after his freshman year, the transcript showed."

At first this made me feel good about my awful 2nd semester Freshman year, because these highly successful people got some really bad grades. But then I remembered that these highly successful people also have millions of dollars. Also, does this attest to grade inflation or what?