READING MATERIAL
- I Was Raised A Fundamentalist, via The Frisky. "I was one of the hard-faced tiny warriors lined up on pews being filled with a boiling rage larger than our own small frames."
- Pretty In Pink, via The Bold Italic. On the growing Lolita community in San Francisco. "When a woman asked, 'What are you guys all dressed up for?' The girls casually said, 'A gathering,' and left it at that."
- Gorey Costumes, followed by Ballroom Blitz, via The Bold Italic (which by the way is solid. I'm still deciding if it's solid gold, but it is totally solid). The story of Annetta Black's first time attending San Francisco's Edwardian Ball, with a little bit of fashion history thrown in.
"It's a combination of my favorite things: Edward Gorey, big ridiculous period costumes, freaky people, and a sense of the macabre."
"I just pulled 88 hairpins, 5 hair extensions, a half dozen paper flowers, and two large black feathers from my hair. The only thing that could have made my giant hair any better would have been to build storage compartments into it, or add nesting ferrets to the top."
- This article is ancient now, but Asian-Americans Climb Fashion Industry Ladder, via The New York Times:
This has happened largely for the same reason that the New York fashion industry, through the ’80s, was populated most visibly by designers of Jewish heritage, like Calvin Klein, Ms. Karan, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs and Mr. Kors. Throughout the 20th century, generations of Jewish immigrants had created a thriving garment district in New York, first as laborers, then as factory owners, manufacturers, retailers and, eventually, as designers.
- #422: Hanging On, via (of course) 1000 Awesome Things. "We grow up, we grow older, some grow hotter, some grow colder."
- Friends I'll Never Meet: Anthony, an interview with a dude in a wheelchair and his sex life, via Slutever. "There are obviously limitations. Like OK, I can’t stand up, but there is so much more that can be done, ya know? I work with what I have. There have been points in my life when I wasn’t strong enough to be 'on top,' but I’ve found that women really like to be on top anyway, so it works out."
- Thankfulness: An Unexpected Group Activity, via yikes machine. In which Shilo practices daily gratitude in a notebook, which she loses and then finds again.
- If you've been hiding under a rock and haven't seen this yet, grit and glamour's Why I'm Not on Weardrobe, Chictopia, Lookbook, or Hypeed kinda hits the nail on the head.
- You should read What Actually Happens At A Bachelor Party at The Frisky because the third-to-last sentence is so unfortunately romantic and worth reading the rest of the article for. Plus, there are lines like "If he’s damaged in any way, decorated with hickies, or lobotomized by liquor, I will staple your balls to your chin."
- An interview with David Sedaris, via NY Mag's Vulture.
I notice when I read something that often what I’m laughing at is a word choice, a word that I didn’t expect to find there, and that makes me laugh.
I was reading the New York Times a couple years ago, and I learned that there is a certain kind of leech that can only live in the anus of a hippopotamus. So in another version of the story, the hippo is completely different and there wasn’t an owl in it and it took place in Africa. I opened with a quote from the New York Times, and I thought, No, the New York Times doesn’t really belong in this book. So I thought, I’m just going to have a rat convey that bit of information.
- 10 Emerging Book Genres You've Probably Never Heard Of, via Library Science Degree. I want to look into Hindi Dalit (literature from the lowest caste), Combinatorial ("Dennis G. Jerz compares it to old text-based adventure games, where the developers had to consider every possible move a player could make and create situations accordingly."), and Hmong-American (unrelated, but Hmong dialects are named after the color of their dress. And from what I know, the Hmong-American story is ... tragic).
- This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me, via Vagina Drum. (Yes, I did read an article from a blog called Vagina Drum. Is there a problem, officer?) "I participated in No Make-Up Week. Which for me is a lot like asking a fat guy to participate in 'Breathe Heavily Week.'"
- An interview with Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, via The Rumpus.
We didn’t have anything before Twitter that allowed a group of people roaming around a city to communicate instantly, in real time, and in a coordinated way, in a group. I’ve probably overused this analogy of a flock of birds moving around an object in flight, but, in reality, it’s so simple, real time communication of individuals that allow for this super organism type of organism to happen.
- An interview with Rachel Yeomans, professional blogger behind The Working Wardrobe, via IFB. "Growing up, my single career goal was to love my job as much as my father loves his, and I quickly discovered that was a very difficult goal to reach."
- Former Beauty Editor Secrets - 11 Totally Glam Pick-Me-Ups Under $11, via lemondrop.
These are sexy little BURNING PAPERS. Like paper-thin incense, lush-rose scented, that you light in a little dish or something, and they slowly burrrn away, emitting fantastic (though not cloying-smelling) smoke. Do you die? You do. I told you you would.
- Thing you've probably already seen but is still worth reposting: 32 Ways To Make Someone Happy Today, via zenhabits.
- Another you've probably already seen, but honestly, I think most people need to read So Sorry To Do This! Flakiness Epidemic Sweeps Digital New York, via The New York Observer, because THIS is why I deleted my Facebook account.
Flakiness is just not cute. It's not cute to make your friends wait for you without any kind of warning or any kind of notice... It's not like it's a quirky trait that's kind of cool and fun—you're just late all the time. It's not that cool. If you're running late, you can text someone.
- In Praise of Quitting Your Job, via Varsity Bookmarking, via Nubby Twiglet.
"I always feel like a waste of space in these situations. Part of the depression stems from being so useless. Why do I hate this job so much? What is wrong with me that I’m so entitled? People the world over have jobs they don’t like, why am I unable to stick this out?"
"I think it comes down to the fact that, for some people, work is personal. Personal in the same way that singing or playing the piano or painting is personal."
"When I am able to own a project or product, I work hard and I work well, and I like to believe it shows in the results. Not everyone can do this. Not everyone is willing to spend stupid amounts of hours on a project simply because they believe in it. This is worth recognizing."
- Look at This Article. It's One of Our Most Popular via WSJ. Three words: positive feedback loop.
- How the OAuth Security Battle Was Won, Open Web Style, via Read Write Web. In which Twitter, Yahoo, Google, other internet juggernauts, and the little guys pool their engineers' brains for the sake of the community and, as a result, are totally heroic.
- With A Little Help From His Friends, via Vanity Fair. About Sean Parker of Facebook and how he's a genius and a huge flake. (So maybe flakiness is actually a virtue...)
"We start so young, wrinkled and helpless and we end up the same. In between, life throws magic at us."
- Vote for Christina of Profresh Style to be the full-time fabulous fashion blogger for Sunglass Hut! You only need an email address, they won't spam you, and you get a coupon code after voting. C'mon, what've you got to lose?
- If you're feeling shop-happy, use fazed-girl's (!) coupon code SalGFP at eShakti to get 15% off your order, valid until the end of November!
- Chef, the programming language, via Wikipedia. Code snippet:
Method.
Put potatoes into the mixing bowl.
Put dijon mustard into the mixing bowl.
Put lard into the mixing bowl.
Put red salmon into the mixing bowl.
Put oil into the mixing bowl. - diy: bunny ears, via The YesStylist. Not your run-of-the-mill Maison Michel lace bunny ears - these are more cutesy, more versatile, and more werable.
- The kaleidoscope jellyfish is endangered. So is the sea piglet.
Above, kaleidoscope jellyfish, via BBC News.
I think this is a little bit beautiful. From here, by burdge-bug.
Cute, but really sad. From here, by mneomosyne.
VIDEOS AND MUSIC- Paper snowflakes... with silhouettes from Top Gear, Merlin, and Supernatural.
- making autumn leaves with a three-year-old, via lovelydesign. (These turned out so pretty!)
- And some Harry Potter fanart, all from THIS IS FANART:
Hilarious details! From here, and attributed to Turkmen, although I can't find this particular drawing on her DeviantArt. (This is definitely hers, though.)
ADORABLE MARAUDERS! From here, by alirodina.I think this is a little bit beautiful. From here, by burdge-bug.
Cute, but really sad. From here, by mneomosyne.
- If you still haven't seen Kanye West's "Runaway" despite or because everyone's been telling you to watch it, let me join the ranks and suggest you do so. If only for the bird girl. Because watching this made that costume designing flame I thought I had smothered flare up again like a bad case of the clap. And the ballerina sequence is beautiful, especially because they actually had the dancers hold their positions rather than using multiple cameras to get a Matrix-style rotating still shot. (I'm not saying it's really really good or anything, but it sure is interesting to look at, as in you're probably gonna wanna watch this one in HD.) Caps from YouTube:
- Bo Burnham's "Oh Bo" because the man is epic-offensive-genius. And I spot a little Latino, booty so big call it Oprah's ego. / We go to it, through it, she says, "Dios mio mi amigo!" / Pull it out, stick it in your mouth, and I bust in the back of ya. / Swallow bitch, there's people starving in Africa!
- Bo Burnham's "Words Words Words," for I'm a feminine Eminem, a slim shady lady / But nice 'cause I texted Haiti and I hate catchy choruses, and I'm a hypocrite. Hungry hungry hypocrite.
- Genki Sudo WORLD ORDER, because my brother sent me this video of men in suits who dance funny, and I don't get it.
- Bo Burnham's "Love Is..." for this:
- Alex Goot's cover of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" because he's kinda cute, and I like his voice.
- Boyce Avenue's cover of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" because despite Katy Perry's version sounding all bubbly pop, this one is actually... kinda romantic.
- The Bed Intruder Song, covered in complete seriousness by Vektor.
- The Bed Intruder Song, arranged for Tsugaru Shamisen, because for some reason, the melody really lends itself to this instrument.
- Speaking of songs that really lend themselves to instruments, this harp cover of Darren Criss's "The Muse" is very pretty.
- Justin Bieber's "That Should Be Me," live, because I have bad taste and these are the links to prove it.
- What I assume is the studio version of Justin Bieber's "That Should Be Me"
- And something you should actually click to watch: AJ Rafael and Albert Posis cover the Biebs' "That Should Be Me" (with a little Tae Yang's "Wedding Dress" mashed up in there). It sounds better than it sounds, I promise.
- This one's not music: Barton Seaver's TED talk on overfishing and sustainable seafood. Anyone who's done at least a semester of environmental science should know all this already, but this is a nice reminder.
- I first heard The Middle East's "Blood" covered by some kid on YouTube posted on someone's tumblr (I think Tyler Knott's, actually) but only saw the video recently, thanks to That [Unreliable] Girl, and it is charming:
I love you like kings love queens
Like a gay geneticist loves designer genes
I need you like New Orleans needs a drought
Like Hitler's father needed to learn to pull out
- I am only 3 years late on this one, okay? Daft Bodies - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, the original. I'd actually seen this floating around for ages, but I assumed it would be stupid until I saw the Daft Fingers version.
- Daft Bodies - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, the male version. WHOO male objectification!
- Remember that Greyson kid who covered Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi"? Here he is with "Fire" by Augustana.
- All you need to know is this is an acappella cover of Owl City's "Fireflies" involving singing men and singing kids.
- Yeah, that was the PS22 Chorus. And here is a PS22 DAMN, GIRL and a DAMN, BOY in case you were feeling too young and talented today and needed to be brought back down to Earth.
- And if you refuse to listen to anything else, Bo Burnham's "Art Is Dead" because you know this song would be funny if it didn't apply to you:
Entertainers like to seem complicated
But we're not complicated
I can explain it pretty easily
Have you ever been to a birthday party for children
And one of the children won't stop screaming
Post a Comment