June 2009
24 posts
From D.T. Max’s New Yorker story (from March) on David Foster Wallace:
On a car trip when David was four, the family agreed to substitute “3.14159” for every mention of the word “pie” in their conversation.
I feel like I’ve read this anecdote in several places, but maybe I’ve just read this particular story more than once. In any case, it sounds really irritating, like...
The most-fraught language issue we face
In high school at a summer program with kids from all over Pennsylvania, we debated soda vs. pop all the time. Some years, they even have a soda vs. pop basketball game. (Is any other state as divided on the issue as Pennsylvania, with it’s major East Coast and major-ish Rust Belt city?)
Someone from the Midwest once told me that after moving to the East Coast, he felt weird saying...
“You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of...”
–
S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford, in one of his love letters to his mistress, as obtained by The State newspaper. Thank you, I am going to vomit now, in “the faded glow of the night’s light.” (via crumbler)
The “faded glow of the night’s light” is what made you vomit? I enjoy the...
WatchDina of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” and her husband on some VH1 show a few years ago.
Who knew?
There are more than 100 private rail cars in the United States. Most owners are wealthy train buffs who buy the cars for personal travel or as business ventures. The cars meet rigorous safety standards before being hitched to Amtrak trains, which pull them along their routes. Private rail cars can offer luxurious accommodations, including lush bedrooms and baths, living rooms, kitchens and...
Bad news, brain
About 90% of drivers think they are safer than the average driver. Most people also think they are less likely than others to get divorced, have heart disease or get fired. And three our of four baby boomers think they look younger than their peers.
From The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes — and Why by Amanda Ripley.
On an annual bike race in Harlem
The lack of Jumbotrons or serious prize money seemed not to deter the approximately 240 racers, who rode hard on a course that has been nicknamed the Skinscraper because of its high incidence of accidents. But Mr. Eustice, a professional champion cyclist in his day, dismissed the idea that the race is more treacherous than any other. “Skinscraper? Some of the local guys call it that, but you...
The quirks of fatherhood
boyghost:
Owen also has a really hard time with the word “punch.” You would think that it be one of those ideal fun words that all kids can say. It has all the fun sounds that get kids excited to use that particular word in a sentence. Oh no. Not him. For him, you don’t “punch” people.
You “sponge” them.
When my sister was a toddler and would laugh uncontrollably, she would say,...
From the "Used Sex" section of the new bookstore...
If you find you have strong homosexual tendencies, it will block you from becoming an adequate husband-lover or a responsive wife. If you are handicapped with inner conflicts about your sex-identity, it will impede your ability to love.
One thing you should keep in mind, homosexuality is an acquired form of sex-sickness, resulting from psychological, rather than physical causes. You were not...
Have you all known about this and not told me?
Leslie Hall. She has a Museum of Gem Sweaters. And she’s from Iowa.
“Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always...”
– The Great Gatsby (but you knew that)
The Summer Solstice is Sunday.
“He wears like Louis Vuitton flip-flops. He dresses really good.”
– Theresa, real housewife of New Jersey
“So Mary is 19 years old, an English major at the University of Washington, and...”
– “This American Life” explores “Tales from the Net” in 1997 (Episode found via molls.)
NPR Independent Bookseller's Recommendations →
I needed this list. “The School of Essential Ingredients” looks terrible, though.
natashavc:
Lucia has impeccable, shrewd taste. She also runs one of the best independent bookstores in LA.
Best and Worst Fast Food: McDonald's Edition →
herbivorg:
To put this post together, we pored over the nutritional fact sheets for all the items at McDonald’s. The following list of healthiest and unhealthiest foods was compiled based on several factors, including total calories, fat, and sodium content.
“Healthy fast food” is an oxymoron. It’s processed deep-fried crap in a bagel full of sugar.
I’m not about to defend...
Your baby probably doesn't need a wig →
And speaking of Tony Kushner...
Some of the details in the “Vows” column (from 2003) about Tony Kushner and Mark Harris are great:
Mr. Kushner, 46, and Mr. Harris, 39, met five years ago at a party given by Michael Mayer, a stage director. Mr. Harris remembered: ”I thought Tony was cute and extremely shy. I was touched by how tentative he was.”
Later that night, the two chatted online for hours....
Yeah, why don't we read plays? →
Except for “Angel’s in America.”
Erosion closes part of Long Island beach →
Since it’s Robert Moses State Park, now might be good time to report that after months of reading I am still less than halfway through “The Power Broker,” the biography of Robert Moses. Yes, I’ve read — and even finished! — other books in that time.
Needed: Fischer Price's "My First Book"
Kurt Vonnegut is a gateway drug.
thumbwrestlinginbaltimore:
While having dinner with my friend Zach on Friday night, we got onto the subject of books (a topic, as you’ll see, we had clearly never broached before) and I told him about what I am reading and writing and wanting to read and write.
Then I asked him what he was currently reading.
“I’ve never read a book,” he replied.
A bibliophile...
Fighting to Save the Baguettes in N.H. →
That’s a lovely story, but the male half of the couple is a U.S. citizen, so why didn’t they just get married and enjoy the path to citizenship available to straight couples?
(Hey, the Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing today on giving gay couples the same rights.)
crumbler:
This story right here is why I love newspapers: A middle-aged French couple moves to rural New...
