ReadyMade - digital vs. print.

I've long been torn by the divide between reading my media sources online or in print. Usually I prefer print editions, for sometimes silly reasons: I like getting ink on my hands, I like the portability, and I like being able to write and do crossword puzzles in the paper. In practice though, I get most of my news and other information online. It's nice because I'm not wading through piles of old papers and it's free, but there are still drawbacks.

When I used to pick up the local paper, I would thumb through nearly every section. I didn't read everything of course, but I did a quick scan of headlines and knew what was in there. Editorial decisions about which stories were above the fold were only made once a day. Meanwhile, at startribune.com, headlines switch multiple times a day and the most read and e-mailed articles are prominently located on the side. Some might argue that this is perhaps more democratic, but it's hard to email articles to people when they are buried.

I'm getting away from the point here - which is to discuss that ReadyMade Magazine is now available online, for free! (Okay, and it has been since April, which is when I started this entry.) I've been a fan of this magazine for a while, but I never got around to getting a subscription. Soooo without further ado, a review of the latest online issue of ReadyMade.

One of the ingenious things about ReadyMade online is that instead of putting the article text and pictures on an entirely different looking webpage that is cluttered with side bar ads and other junk, the online version looks like the magazine. Of course, this includes everything, including the full page ads, so it's a bit annoying when pop up ads show up on top of that. The two page spread displays nicely across my browser, and the zoom navigation is pretty intuitive. There are a few drawbacks to this, of course - I had to read the up and down pages on packing tips sideways.

The other thing that the online version does well is to make good use of the tools available in the medium. You no longer have to type in the address of that site you read about, you can just click it! Want to read that article they mention in the editor's page? Don't worry about paper cuts, just click on the number!

What is it missing? The fact that it's an actual magazine, of course. For many obvious reasons that I've already touched on and more (portability, cuttability, loanability), reading a magazine online is just not as exciting as holding it in one's hands.

But is that excitement worth the $5 cover price and the hassle of storing it later? Probably not. The truth is, I really enjoy having easy access to ReadyMade once again - even when I used to buy it from the newsstands, it wasn't exactly easy to find. And though it's not quite as exciting as getting a nice colorful magazine from the store or in the mail, I will happily read it online again.

notes on history. (note: i am not a historian.)

We've been studying World War II at school, which has gotten me to thinking about victory gardens, social persuasion, and the power of propaganda for good.



Whenever I read accounts of the war effort at home, I am confounded by the fact that the government simply asked people to constrain their use of certain goods and resources, and most of them just did it. Huh? How much would political popularity plummet if we were asked to only buy three pairs of shoes a year?

Not buying as many items as usual isn't so difficult, but growing a huge plot of vegetables is work - and still, people did it. 20 million people started gardens of their own and up to 40% of the produce nationwide came from them. Michael Pollan can ask us nicely and eloquently to throw some tomato seeds in the ground, but his message will only reach a relatively small percentage of people and most of those who do read it will probably be too busy to actually act on his request.

Which makes me wonder: why DID propaganda work?



Not all of the posters were as heavy-handed as this one [see many more here], but I still look at this and laugh, wondering how anyone could buy such a thing.

Obviously, propaganda can be used for very bad things, but I don't really have a problem with it being used for positive things like recycling, growing your own food, buying less, driving less and so on. So why wouldn't it work today? Is it because we're not at war? (Even though, technically we are.) Is it because our economy is strong and we don't want to give up our niceties? (Oh wait, it's not, and we're already doing that.) I can come up with lots of theories and speculation, but I don't know the real answers. I just wonder if a little guilt with a little persuasion wouldn't have to be a terrible thing.

Alpha Beat - Fascination

I don't know much about this band, except that they're from Denmark and this video is maybe the cutest, funnest thing ever. I can't stop watching it! The colors, the dancing! It's the perfect cure for a gloomy day.

diary of a foodie.

I used to have a Saturday tradition of watching cooking shows on PBS, which has sadly fallen to the wayside in the past months. My standby favorite is America's Test Kitchen, but it's gotten a bit boring lately. Other favorites tend to get recycled in and out with no warning, which can be disappointing when they're good. (As evidenced here - I have not seen that one in months.)

But seeing as how I'm sick and sniffly today, I found myself catching an episode of my new favorite show: Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie. (warning: that link will play a video on click) I've seen it a few times, and they're often focusing on sustainable farms and eateries from around the world and it's just really fun. Today's show caught my attention because it was all about food bloggers (though none that I currently read). David Lebovitz talked about Paris and its specialty cheese shops with amazing eggs and of course, I too wanted to move there. But mostly the episode just motivated me to blog more about food, even if I'll never be featured on tv because of it.

home stretch.

On running:
The marathon is now only 18 days away. Eeek. We finished our last long run, 20 miles, on Saturday. We ran (and ran and ran and ran) and reminisced about how far we've come. Remember that awful 12 mile run way back in July? I'll spare you from going into the super cheesy bit about how proud I am of myself and yadda yadda. As crazy as it sounds, getting up early on Saturdays to run a for few hours has become pretty normal and almost addicting. That said, I'm really happy to be getting a slight break from it. Only 10-12 miles this weekend! Woo!

On reading:
I signed up for a MPR membership way back in June, partly because I had been meaning to for a while, but mostly because I wanted a subscription to The New Yorker. And FINALLY, it's here...just when I have no time to read it. Never mind that I'd go to the library specifically to page through it over the summer....but it's still lovely to have around. I'm also working on No One Belongs Here More Than You (Miranda July). It's good before bed stuff.

Other:
Fall is almost here, so I guess that means it's the perfect time to get a cold. So. Awesome.

collapse.

In case you haven't heard, a bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River.

I was at Run n' Fun (in St. Paul) when the news started to break. There was a lot of confusion and disbelief in the store, until we started realizing that this is a big effing deal.

Of course, you know how sometimes you don't realize and you make stupid jokes? It takes some time to hit.

Now all most people can do is sit, watch the news, refresh the news sites, and wait.

clicky clicky.

Today is a good day for the internet. Yes, other days are bad. Sometimes very bad. Look what I found already!

Super cute Parisian girl at the Sartorialist
Even her cigarette is stylish! How is that even possible? (and omg, the shoes. the shoes.)

The World's Best Candy Bars? English, of Course. [NYTimes]
It's so true. I would eat a cadbury milk bar nearly every day and still managed to lose weight while studying in London. (Again, how is that even possible? Answer: lots of walking and soup. And chocolate.)

Is My Hybrid Turning My Kids Into Eco-snobs? [Slate]
Funny. I don't know if it's just one of those selective observation deals or what, but I feel like I see Priuses everywhere now. While reading that I also confirmed an earlier discovery that my nytimes login, taken from bugmenot, is a New York Times SELECT ACCOUNT. Take that, New York Times! I am not thwarted by your little orange icons!

consumerisn't.

NYTimes article about freeganism.

With my recent interest in sustainability (that has not gone away), I found this article quite fascinating. In particular, I've been having pangs of guilt nearly every time I drive my car or buy bananas from Guatemala. It's hard knowing what's reasonable to cut out or change when you can't do everything. (Unless I join some commune and live off the grid completely. Yeah, not going to happen.) It's trying to find a balance and do more, knowing I can't do everything.

Anyway, some quotes!

"Not buying any new manufactured products while living in the United States is, of course, basically impossible, as is avoiding everything that requires natural resources to create, distribute or operate."

“It’s always hard to give up class privilege. But freegans would argue that the capitalist system is not sustainable. You’re exploiting resources.” She added, “Most people work 40-plus hours a week at jobs they don’t like to buy things they don’t need.”

I guess when I read this, I didn't immediately think, "I'm going to start rummaging through dumpsters!" (Although not a horrible idea, really...) To me it's just about simplifying things. Not buying things that aren't necessary. Buying used when possible. And just..having less stuff.

And of course, as I write this I'm thinking about when I should go to the Gap so I can use my reward certificate and also use my credit since I accidentally overpaid my bill. Sigh. Next step: cut up that damn thing.

well, it was a good effort.

A week ago I pledged to keep track of everything I ate in an attempt to track where it was from and see how much of my food was actually local. It only took about a day to realize that pretty much all of my food is from far away. Of course, this isn't too much of a surprise, considering that it's still relatively early in the spring in Minnesota and I am accustomed to eating bananas. But there is hope! The farmer's market is within walking distance (although not a very interesting walk - downtown St. Paul is very boring on the weekends...), and pretty soon the locally grown veggies will all be all over. Also, the co-op nicely designates which products are local. We're trying. We're also trying to get a bike, but give us time.


In other internet wanderings....some things I enjoyed reading this week.
The New Snob Appeal of Tap Water

Middle East Conflict Intensifies as Blah Blah Blah, Etc.
So true, so sad, so funny.

The Onion on This American Life

"Seeing this project through to its culmination was equally satisfying and strange," said Vowell, speaking at a book signing in Colonial Williamsburg dressed as Betsy Ross. "I feel not unlike the early Pilgrims, who, standing atop Plymouth Rock after a long and arduous sea voyage, reflected on their journey, perhaps thinking to themselves 'For God's sake—doesn't anybody have anything to eat in this settlement?'"

(Ha. I own two Sarah Vowell books now.)