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new vintage (nyt magazine)
"But 'new vintage' solved the fundamental problem of vintage itself: the dull, exhaustive search. Replicas provide idiosyncratic clothes without the hunt for them, evidence of a lifestyle without the effort involved in a life.."
Oh, Jean Baurillard, where are you when we need you to expound on simulacra?
(Saturday, November 30, 2002)
jim walrod, design guru (nyt magazine)
"[Jim] Walrod is a lanky 39-year-old with a long face, deep-set blue eyes and a healthy sense of the absurd. Ask about his old apartment in Jersey City, which he once furnished by meticulously recreating the 1943 Museum of Modern Art Good Design exhibit, and he'll tell you about the thieves who broke in and didn't think there was anything worth taking."
(Saturday, November 30, 2002)
rebranding poland (nyt magazine)
"Many countries have commercial or tourist logos. Canada has a maple leaf. Hungary has a heart. Holland has a tulip. Estonia has a yellow sun with bands of blue, black and white beneath. But no one has a kite. 'It was out there to be taken,' Gutkowski says. What's more, it was deemed an appropriate heir to the Solidarity logo. Gutkowski says, 'A dancing group of people flying a kite with Poland's colors' has taken the place of protesters carrying a bloody flag."
(Saturday, November 30, 2002)
Google = Faith Popcorn ? (nyt)
"Despite its geographic and ethnic diversity, the world is spending much of its time thinking about the same things. Country to country, region to region, day to day and even minute to minute, the same topic areas bubble to the top: celebrities, current events, products and computer downloads.
"'It's amazing how similar people are all over the world based on what they are searching for,' said Greg Rae, one of three members of Google's logs team, which is responsible for building, storing and protecting the data record."
(Thursday, November 28, 2002)
solar power in the fog (nyt)
"By mapping the sunniest and foggiest neighborhoods, officials in San Francisco are looking to increase the odds for success. So far, municipal buildings around Golden Gate Park have been ruled out, while the piers along San Francisco Bay are considered promising. The fog map and solar data are being made available on the Internet (link) for businesses and homeowners interested in installing their own solar energy systems."
...
"'Promoting renewable energy is the most patriotic act we can commit,' [Bonnie] Raitt told a cheering crowd of about 200. 'It makes our country less dependent on foreign oil and less likely to go to war.'"
This is great! A very smart response to PG&E's price gouging that coincided with California's energy crisis. And to the current global political situation, as Bonnie Raitt pointed out. It's hard to believe that all of Southern California and the Central Valley are not already lined with solar collectors.
(Sunday, November 24, 2002)
the schoolyard bully, a life (wsj)
"Eventually, Douglas moved on to other prey. We grew up. I lost track of the Milteer boys. But like many people, I never forgot my bully. Then, unlike most people, I caught up with mine. He had died, alone and destitute at age 33."
(Wednesday, November 20, 2002)
preorder a segway
Amazon's got em. Follow the link above and a nonprofit will get a chunk of cash while you'll be getting a really spectacular (in the truest sense of the word) way to get around.
(Monday, November 18, 2002)
casting for dating shows (nyt)
"Some people are freaky, but they make great television," he continued. "That's what makes it great. It's not all really smooth-talking, hot people, it's a mix of people who are just likable, that you want to get to know because they're funny or bizarre or amazing."
(Sunday, November 17, 2002)
penn v. harvard (nyt)
"One of the Ivy League's more endearing rituals will continue on Saturday between the third and fourth quarters. Fans will sing 'Drink a Highball,' and as they reach the final line, 'Here's a toast to dear old Penn,' they will hurl toasted bread onto the sidelines.
"Who will clean it up?
"'We have a toast Zamboni,' Schepis, the [Penn] football publicist, said."
(Saturday, November 16, 2002)
more youth hockey lawsuits. in canada! (nyt)
"As with many quarrels in youth sports, the heart of the dispute is unreasonable expectations. As with most lawsuits, the heart of the dispute is money. Put the two together and behold the litigious trend.
"It has unfolded in Canada for two reasons. Hockey is not only the national passion, it is also the only true money-making sport. And Canadian youth hockey is a demanding, fast-track system where 12-year-olds are scouted for the country's major junior leagues, a powerhouse feeding ground for the N.H.L. By the time the best Canadian players are 15, they are routinely forced to decide if they want to someday play college hockey or make themselves eligible for the junior league draft. When they are 17, the N.H.L. awaits with its draft."
(Friday, November 15, 2002)
losing gold status and i feel fine (wsj)
"What's more, what are us lowly gold folks really giving up? A lot less than in years past."
I'm still Gold on American, at least until February. The best perk I've gotten from that was getting bumped to first class from Cancun to Miami last month with Tugboat. I'm close to elite status on Delta, but now that I'm not flying to Atlanta every week I probably won't make it. Ah well.
(Friday, November 15, 2002)
hotel loyalty programs compared (wsj)
The Journal recommends not trading in one's Six Continents points for merchandise, as it's too expensive. The notable exception for that would be business travel; a couple of the engineers working onsite in Atlanta had racked up months of hotel stays, which makes it possible for them to get a free stereo or television for their trouble.
(Friday, November 15, 2002)
diy damien hirst spot paintings (eyestorm)
Comes in two flavors: one and two. Expensive ($3350 each) but very cool.
(Thursday, November 14, 2002)
eames leg splint (dwr)
I have one of these; if you've ever been in my apartment you've seen it. They're beautiful objects. I got mine (slightly water damaged) for $50 or so, and thought when I saw them for sale at the MoMA Store for $150 that I'd gotten a deal. Looks like I should have loaded up, even at that price. DWR is selling them for $650!
(Thursday, November 14, 2002)
66 tornados, just yesterday (nyt)
"In Van Wert, Ohio, 2 people were killed. But about 50 moviegoers, including a number of parents and children who had just seen the movie "Santa Clause 2," were spared when a theater manager heeded a tornado warning and ushered the audience to the halls and bathrooms in a sturdier part of the building. It was the only part of the multiplex left intact when the winds calmed."
I am so happy that I have never lived in tornado country. The experience, judging by this article, sounds horrific.
(Tuesday, November 12, 2002)
now, a skateboard
sanrio was already making a hello kitty snowboard. now there's a skateboard, too. (they also have a dj badtz maru board.) it looks pretty cool.
(Tuesday, November 12, 2002)
al qaeda dot com (wsj)
"Al Qaeda operatives struggled with some of the same tech headaches as ordinary people: servers that crashed, outdated software and files that wouldn't open. Their Web venture followed a classic dot-com trajectory. It began with excitement, faced a cash crunch, had trouble with accountants and ultimately fizzled."
(Monday, November 11, 2002)
hockey dad sues for mvp recount (espn)
"Michael Croteau is seeking about $200,000 in psychological and punitive damages from the [New Brunswick Amateur Hockey] Association. He also demands that the MVP trophy be taken from the winner and given to his son, Steven."
Um, maybe it's time parents were taken out of youth sports. Whaddya think?
(Monday, November 11, 2002)
lebron on ppv (espn)
"The venture will be a partnership between Time Warner and the school."
TW cable is offering all of LeBron James' high-school basketball games on pay-per-view in Ohio. Nice to see that people have been making money off of him before he gets out of high school. No wonder he'll skip college.
(Saturday, November 9, 2002)
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