Movie Time

Apparently DMX has a heart too.

Here's how Gravity was made.

Do you remember the sorority letter that made the internet rounds a few months ago?  No?  Well, this is a dramatic reading of it.  (Maybe don't play this one with the sound up and random children or old people listening.  There is some swearing.  Earmuffs!)

Yay the English language!

What a terrible idea...

What a reasonable and sadly obvious idea...

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Empathy

In honor of Tony Gonzalez's imminent retirement, here's a career retrospective on him.

It's an interesting story on the origin of the word "redskin," but one possible counter-argument is that it's like the n-word in that black people can use it but nobody else can.

This is in my neighborhood.

Here's a cartoon about empathy.

This might surprise you, but I found myself agreeing with this take in response to the Duck Dynasty (and other) kerfuffles.  (You posted the companion article from The Atlantic that I also agreed with.)

ObamaCare has gone from not working to really not working.

This was nice.  So was this.

Responses:

1. Did you notice the dim sum prices?  I imagine it's worth it.

4. Thousands of Flipper fans just unsubscribed from the Wall Street Journal in a huff.

Assorted Responses to Responses:

I think the benefit from lower-tier law schools is that they produce essentially blue-collar lawyers (e.g. DUI lawyers, divorce lawyers, etc.).  The problem is that they charge Harvard prices, but that's in part because 1) attendees get a benefit, however intangible, i.e. they can call themselves lawyers, and 2) attendees can get artificially cheap government loans to attend without any semblance of underwriting.  Remove the cheap loans and these schools will either dramatically lower their prices or go out of business.

On women and beauty, I think the valuation problem is important.  But people with healthy self-esteem don't typically suffer as a result of it.  They might experience the problem, but they're also able to work through it better.  Society right now is going through this phase where nobody can be offended or hurt or whatever, and it's clouding the issue.  There are women and girls who are hurting themselves because of unhealthily low self-esteem related to body image issues.  This is a mental health issue.  There are also people who are annoyed because they see a mom posing with a six-pack eight months after giving birth.  I don't know if their feeling of annoyance is a societal problem.

B

there is no theme here

see this is what i thought ping pong dim sum was supposed to be like

"You know it’s going to be a good party if the host is deep-frying something when you arrive.”

the funny thing is #8. there really is an app for everything.

i enjoy this kind of research made just to smackdown the intelligence of certain animals. it's like, oh yeah, and whales aren't that bright either!

this is perhaps not newsworthy to us but the fact that it's posted on theAtlantic's site makes it so

responses to children and the future
1. i do think it makes sense sometimes not to tell children what they're supposed to be learning - like when they gave those kids the toy and told them one attribute v. none. i would assume that was the only attribute as well.

responses to now featuring social commentary

1. and 4. I had heard about both the metro and chipotle pizza stories before you posted and thought about posting both to you. i couldn't get the chipotle pizza story i found to open though and i had only read the metro story in the paper or on the radio or something. in any case, more evidence that that indian chipotle guy should have totally won america's next top great best restaurant. 

2. but isn't this the way to run for president - to say - oh i'm not sacrificing my service as a congressman in a quest for the presidency and you're all, you're such a swell guy, and then you end up with obama?

3. i feel that yes, it's paternalistic to shut down the lower-tier law schools but do we/does anyone really get any benefit from them?

5. i'm not sure i can talk about the redskins until the regular season is over. just too painful.

i do think the anti-obesity and anti-idealized woman campaigns will be in tension - that's a good point on your part. but maybe you're fine just the way you are (asterik) so long as your bmi is ok? women's self esteem IS so low. i wonder why that is. i mean there are idealized pictures of men as well and that doesn't seem to have such a strong effect on them. some would say it's because women are told that they have to be beautiful to be valued but is that the whole reason? 

responses to missing in action
1. that gay rights article wasn't quite as agreeable as i thought it would be. like i don't agree with not comparing the pope to phil robertson. obviously they occupy different positions, but it's the reaction to them that is relevant. 

2. haven't been shopping at target but now i miss out on the 3 class action lawsuits being filed against them.

3. continually impressed that of all the celebrities that could have been political figures, dennis rodman somehow made it to the n korea list.

4. i'm going to miss the double down.

Missing in Action

Once again, a public figure says something negative about homosexuality, and once again people react by trying to silence him.  But happily, some gay rights supporters realize how bigoted this is.

I hope you haven't been shopping at Target.

Any document that begins "Dear Mr. Rodman" that is addressed to Dennis Rodman is already off to a bad start.  That said, I hope that someone who actually matters and who can help will take a look.

I hope you got your fill of the Double Down because it's gone.

Responses to "Whatever Happened to Kel?":

2. It's good that they're finding family-based solutions.

3. This was my childhood, especially when I was living with my dad.

4. When all else fails, you can buy anything on Amazon.  That said, Whole Foods might have them if you can't spare another moment...

6. Like every generation, the millennials have created their (our?) identity in response to their (our?) parents.  There's good and bad with that.

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Now Featuring Social Commentary

By 2040, there could be a lot more Metro stations.

In my book, Paul Ryan is good people.  Ted Cruz is still on my naughty list.

Is there some way to exchange this "cultural cachet" for money?  That said, I agree with the second paragraph.

The Chipotle model is spreading to the world of pizza.

On RG3's benching.

Responses to "The Long Awaited Return":

1. I get the cognitive dissonance thing, but I agree that it does not apply to the Redskins situation.  It is fairly pervasive, though.  One reason that I have so many liberal friends is to try to combat it.

3. It probably was from me - in any case, I've been following this for a few years.  A little while ago, there was a proposal to take facemasks off of helmets in order to discourage football players from leading with their heads.  To be sure, it would probably also lead to more bloody noses and lips, but I'd rather have a broken nose than memory loss, brain degeneration, mental problems, and early death stemming from multiple concussions.

5. No.  Ayn Rand posed a hyothetical about art that might be relevant:  If you paint a picture of a beautiful woman and represent her as flawless, you're celebrating beauty; but if you paint that same picture and feature some defect, however ordinary, then you are in effect highlighting that defect in a negative way, even if a real woman with that same defect might be viewed as beautiful.  I view magazine covers as art in this sense - the women on the cover are just idealized versions of people, whether the idealization comes from makeup, false hair, expensive clothing, or digital manipulation.

If I had a daughter, I would tell her to aspire to be better every day (whether it's doing better in school, mastering a skill, or getting in better shape), but it would be in the context of having good self-esteem, i.e. her knowing that she has innate worth as a person.  The problem isn't that Photoshopping these actresses is ruining girls' self-esteem or body image.  The problem is that girls' self-esteem and body image are in such a bad place already, and these Photoshopped actresses punctutate the problem.

After all, let's take the issue to its logical conclusion.  Presumably the initial (non-Photoshopped) picture of Jennifer Lawrence shows an attractive woman.  But to a girl with body image or self-esteem problems, doesn't the initial (non-Photoshopped) picture generate the same problem?  Lawrence is still more attractive than the average woman, and her "realistic" image (i.e. her actual image pre-Photoshop) is still unrealistic for many girls.  The solution for the anti-Photoshop crowd doesn't seem to be getting rid of Photoshop, but rather getting rid of models or aspirational images of women in general.  Just look at the Dove ads or the "regular women" campaign.

As a final note, at some point, I do think that the anti-idealized woman campaign and the anti-obesity campaign are going to be in tension.  Maybe they're doing it with kid gloves still, but the latter ("you're not fine just the way you are") is saying the opposite of the former ("you're fine just the way you are") with respect to overweight people.

B

whatever happened to kel?

lifehacker ......well hacks our lives

interesting and hopeful

what is up with the heartwarming stories today?

i'm going to keep these cures in mind. where do i buy caraway seeds?

stuff to watch at home if my wifi works

not sure i agree with everything but interesting nonetheless

i think we're in the hotbed for greed

reporting the big stories: whatever happened to kel?

the long awaited return

This cognitive dissonance thing came up today - someone saying that Redskins fans used it to negate knowing that the team name was offensive. Actually we know some people are offended, we just don't care. it's not a mental quirk.

i've heard about this goldieblox company and it seems pretty dumb to me, this coming from me, who buys everything i possibly can in pink. this doesn't make them seem much better.

i heard this idea somewhere - maybe from you. super-safe football helmets are ironically causing concussions.

good news for the rock. though i'm not sure he's the king if robert downey jr is in second place just from starring in one l'il movie.

this was making the rounds though this cover came out last year. do you think that actresses - particularly actresses who speak out about improving girls' body image - are being hypocritical if they don't do something to stop the ridiculously photoshopped images of them being put out in magazines? p.s. i hate jennifer lawrence but you knew that.

preliminary responses
2. i'm pretty sure we watched sesame street as kids though i don't know if we understood the pop culture references or if there were any. to be sure, my sister watches a fair amount of sesame street now so she should know more about pop culture than she claims to.

3. that top chef ordering service seems skeezy even as the article took great pains to say how top chef was better than the other bravo-tv schlock. but i would rent mike isabella. =D

4. why would you think i care about that jeremy lin character, eh?

5. they won't let you bring in your purse but you can bring a taser?

Something about Children and the Future

This is the Wired article I mentioned.  There's a link to the Ted Talk in the article.

Did your siblings watch Sesame Street growing up?  Maybe they should now.

You can invite your favorite a random Top Chef personality into your home.

Jeremy Lin is doing well on his new team.  Not that you'd care or anything...  (In a related story, the current Knicks point guard is doing terribly.  Maybe that wasn't the best move.)

They're adding insult to injury at FedEx Field.

Here are some great wildlife photos.

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In Case You Need Something to Read in Your Down Time

This was written during the Ender's Game lead-up: the case for hate speech.

Here are some of the highlights of the new OS X.

Arian Foster, running back for the Texans, is doing an IPO.  Football + securities law = my wheelhouse.

Technology has not been Obama's friend nearly as much as we were led to believe it would be.

Ethanol is bad for you.  Though on a more general level, this and Obamacare are two great examples of what happens when technocrats try to run a segment of the economy from the top down.

I bet they taste good.  That said... WTF, Martha?

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the women issue

AHH I  miss the old editor of cosmo

i think being a picky eater is much more intolerable but that's not usually a one-off thing

on the study that's been making the rounds that women in red are more attractive, i liked this comment: Maybe even little boys know this. When my son was 4 he got lost at the zoo. He told the man helping him look for me I was wearing a red dress. I have never in my life owned a red dress. Years later we were talking about this and my son told me he said that because he wanted the man to look for me.

why isn't there supermarket sweep in dc?

spicy chinese chicken dish to add to your repertoire? or just eat?

how perfect is this picture for this article? also you owe me about $400 for saturday. =P

the blog is alive

oh the administration is finally doing something good. oh wait, they did the bad thing first, didn't they...

cute but isn't california bankrupt?

how to get a bartender's attention scientifically

more reason to get a standing desk

now i feel bad for sleeping in

Ready or not

a real life version of house - solve the medical mystery!

google helpouts are launching - seems interesting.

your personality makes you the richest

well you won't like this article but i thought it was interesting. you can't just poor people for buying $2500 purses because you don't know what it's like to be poor. and apparently $2500 can be a worthy investment for a poor woman. or some junky ideas like that.

a bathroom in a garden

have you heard of this how i met your father?

now that ender's game is coming out: from the wiki:
In a 1998 interview, Orson Scott Card discussed the process of adapting the novel into a screenplay. "The first decision I made was not to pursue the Peter/Valentine subplot with the Internet, because that's just watching people type things into the computer. The second decision I made was to give that information about the surprise at the end from the start. In my script we know who Mazer Rackham really is and we know what is at stake as Ender plays his games. But Ender doesn't know, so I think the suspense is actually increased because the audience knows we're about the business of saving the world and that everything depends on this child not understanding that. We care all the more about whether he wins – and we worry that he might not want to. As we watch the adults struggle to get control of Ender, we pity him because of what's happening to him, but we want the adults to succeed. I think it makes for a much more complex and fascinating film than it would have been if I had tried to keep secrets."^{[11]
(however, this is not the script that made it to the movie. i still think it's interesting how he thinks about creating the novel into a movie. it would be really boring to see people typing on screen all day. it's be like watching yourself at work=P)}

also, because people think this is relevant - Card's views on gay marriage: "Ender’s Game is set more than a century in the future and has nothing to do with political issues that did not exist when the book was written in 1984. With the recent Supreme Court ruling, the gay marriage issue becomes moot. The Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution will, sooner or later, give legal force in every state to any marriage contract recognized by any other state. Now it will be interesting to see whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute." 

i feel like this solves one problem but could have solved so many more

and this solves no problems

finally, a guy with big feet designs socks. too bad that guy has really weird taste.

haven't seen the videos so i'm not sure how to feel about this but i'm inching towards ok

healthcare and other scary things

ezra klein is hit and miss with me. for this, it was a hit. (this might be old since i read it last week but didn't have anything else to post)

i thought everyone knew this about obamacare already

scarier than halloween

always wondered

dose of happy

the only knife you need

best title that summarizes article and events ever.

totally making this this weekend.

i heard about this on the radio and your freaky alarm post reminded me of it. wish i knew a shopaholic to give it to.

happy birthday!

responses

that onion article was funny. i've also started watching 'it's always sunny' so i might be slightly desensitized. also 'it's always sunny' explains so much about timpartment. so much.

then again, when they called that little actress the c-word i thought that was funny too.

that pantry is ugly. can you do something with open shelving? seems more open - though it would also attract more dust and would be hard to keep neat all the time. in any case, that pantry is ugly.

why would you consider this last place without a pool? don't you really want a pool? is there a place where you can just get a pool membership? but then again wouldnt' you want the benefit of all in one? it might be easier to has these things out over the phone or in person. it's hard getting decisions with these one-off questions.

they picked Georgia for me too, even when i tweaked the results. but when i tweaked them a lot, they gave me Utah so maybe it's not broken.

Follow-Ups

This is an interesting (and necessary) development in the growing crowdfunding industry.  Soon startups might be able to offer actual equity in their firms in exchange for small amounts of money instead of having to send you coffee mugs or write you stupid songs.  Unfortunately the framework is still a little complex from a regulatory standpoint - I wonder if there are pro bono opportunities here...

Have you taken this test?  They picked Georgia for me - hooray!

In a happy follow-up to the 91-0 "bullying" story, the school district cleared the winning team and its staff of any bullying charges.

This is what I need.

More tears.

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Whining

Where was this when I was in school???  I spent so many days bored out of my mind because I finished the assignment early or I already understood what the teacher was saying, making it hard to pay attention, that I eventually just grew to hate school.  (This made the transition to college so much harder.)  Here is a Ted Talk on the subject.

Here's the lesson to your kids, parents:  if you are struggling to compete with your peers, just complain to the authority (government, boss, etc.) and you don't have to worry about working harder!

No pictures!

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You're Not Supposed to Cry at Work

But this story will do the trick.

They say you're supposed to do it three times, but this seven-minute workout is supposed to be amazing, according to SCIENCE.

I think I'm going to buy this.  What do you think?

Do you think this Onion article went too far?  Some do.

B

revolt in an empty restaurant all hail the mother country

this was interesting to me. first, this guy is an expert because he actually read obamacare twice - but hey, I can't see any reason why he wouldn't be an expert based on that.

the beginning part about an escrow account reminded me of you. the idea of all student loan borrowers rising up seems a little silly but i like the spirit of empowerment nonetheless.

i don't know what to think about this because tlo hasn't covered it yet! for the record, i think she looks great and chic. also she still looks like herself. and i've never seen her on the cover of a magazine before.

but i still don't like eating in empty restaurants.

there was a livingsocial deal to cook with mike isabella but they had tiers so you had to pay like $300 to sit in the front row or something. i think there might be way too many people at this event and $99 (for 5th row or whatever they were offering) for a cooking demonstration seems too high.

meagan's boss really likes chinese propaganda (i don't get it) so she sent him this - which admittedly is kinda funny.

but where is the year of elizabeth?

would this be better than paypal for you?

Gym Options

When my Gold's Gym membership expires in December, I think I'm going to join a new gym.  But this could get expensive.  Here are my options:

1. Equinox - we've talked about this one.  The pros are that there are locations near my apartment and the office; it's probably the nicest gym I could reasonably afford; if I go through the corporate discount program, I think I can quit anytime; one of the locations (Upper West Side) has a pool; it's open later; Equinox is definitely the "coolest" gym, whatever that means; and my membership would grant me access to pretty much any of their locations anywhere (though I just checked - there are no locations in DC (just Tysons and Bethesda) or Atlanta).  Equinox would be $178/month with no initiation fee, and it would be automatically deducted from my paycheck (I have to check to see if it's pre-tax, which would be about a 35% discount).

2. New York Sports Club - this is another solid option.  It's not as nice as Equinox, but it also has locations near me (the one by my apartment is not as close, but it's right by the subway, so it's close enough; the one by work is right next to Equinox).  NYSC is similar to Gold's in quality, and definitely has what I need.  There are more locations, including locations in DC (though, again, not Atlanta).  And it's open as late as Equinox.  I haven't checked what the corporate discount is, but NYSC would be either 1) $99/month plus $50 joining fee for a one-year commitment or 2) $99/month plus $130 joining fee for month-to-month.

3. New York Health & Racquet Club - this is the third club that has a corporate discount.  The location near my office is closest of the three, but the one near my apartment is a longer walk in the opposite direction of the subway (76th and York - 0.6 miles away, compared to 0.2 miles for Equinox and 0.4 miles for NYSC), but it's not a huge difference.  The big plus is that both locations have pools (the one near work is undergoing renovation, but still).  There aren't as many locations, none outside Manhattan, and I think the gyms are smaller.  Also, it closes at 10 pm.  With the corporate discount, NYHRC would be $81/month with a six-month commitment.

4. Crossfit - this is less of a gym and more of a drastic change in lifestyle.  But it could be fun... right?  In any case, it would be about $200/month for an unlimited plan.  Also, I think I would have to become 84% Ormsby-er.  Other highlights: it's a class, not just open gym, so you have to go during specific times; you have to sign up for particular classes, which might be annoying for my schedule; it would be a good way to meet people since it's a much more social endeavor; I would be meeting people who do Crossfit (you decide whether that's a good thing).

In other news:

I like the Facebook takes on world events.  This one is pretty expansive.

Here is Ed Gillespie's take on what's wrong with the GOP.

Yay Obamacare!

B

thoughtful bear

how to fail

i play the games on this app all the time. makes me feel like i'm learning. the bloon game is so addictive!

mixing science and alcohol

humdrum inspiration

now yogurt is MACHO

the new apple cupertino campus

bunnies helping bunnies

highly successful creative people's behaviors - they wake up early too

i'm heartened by the comments on this article for peyton manning. people actually defend him instead of shoving it in his face that he ONLY has 1 superbowl ring. but those people probably come back out when they post an article saying peyton is great.

i heard this on the radio this morning and thought it was great 

i saw this article awhile ago about a professional cuddler but every article i've ever found about it was sad and/or creepy. but i wanted you to know it's a legitimate career option and the competition is low. you couldn't pay me to cuddle with the cuddlers-for-hire that i saw. ech.

i noticed this while on the cruise. american's can't spell worth a darn.

i will make this for you

i'm bad with my phone but at least not as bad as this woman

which one of these niche dating sites sounds like the worst? i'm thinking gluten-free-singles

buzzfeed oh buzzfeed - did you get that stupid spam about a buzzfeed article about student loan debt being too high? it was lame and not up to buzzfeed standards.

more responses

i think if new girl were on nbc, it'd be a very different kind of show, and probably not as good as what it is now. i might just say this because it is on fox but when i saw the trailer i thought, that show is probably on fox. it's kinda the weird humor of glee and raising hope. (but it's also kinda like community maybe). also mindy project went through kinda a rough patch in the beginning so again- not necessarily a win if it were on nbc.

the fitbit force seems pretty cool. though i would feel like i was wearing an id bracelet all the time.

not to be offensive

martha stewart smacks down

this would be the first tragedy of the shutdown if it happens in my opinion - well and NIH not getting funded

what do you think of this article, that i found on the billfold? for the record, the only commenter on the billfold said - kanye's crazy, that's not racist to say. i also think he's crazy but he's like a crazy artist and that's something that's usually only attributed to white people.

on ranking cities based on quality of life

responses

because of the list of things that successful people do, i woke up at 6 to work out. =D

i really liked it when that teacher won $1M. good for him.

i have no idea why they suspended that girl for driving to pick up her friend.

that malala piece was amazing.

i liked your pollack piece but i think it needs a stronger opener. or maybe a controversial title to make you really want to read it. also i don't feel resolved at the end. like what are we supposed to think about?

it worries me a little that every day now i hear something about how the redskins should change the name of their team. and they're all prefaced with "i love football" or worse "i love the team." baloney! maybe they should just change the name of their team to the "bullets." now i do wonder how that team name came about.....if the skins do change their name, i'd like to make the term "giants" into a racial slur. it's already politically incorrect - they should be "vertically unchallenged peoples." and don't get me started on cowboys. maybe we can just rename all teams into very inoffensive names like "new england rectangles" (squares might be offensive) or "san francisco beiges" "kansas city water" or "miami switzerlands."

Make it Rain

The thing about lists like these is that I think there's a consensus forming around both the general mindset of how not to suck at life and some of the general things you should do.  That's kinda reassuring (unless, of course, the list says "be born rich" and "if not, then win the lottery").

Speaking of money, I couldn't help but be happy for her, even though she's doing a pretty good job of that herself.  Has anyone ever made it rain on The Price is Right?

This is one of the dumbest decisions of all time.  It's funny because the school might argue that the driver made the dumb decision, whereas everyone else in America would clearly side with the driver.

(That last link might be the subject of another blog post.)

Have you read my David Pollack post yet?

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back from vacay

this was pretty tasty. and since i put in way too much red pepper - cleared my sinuses too. don't know why anyone would make a healthier version of guacamole. i mean, what could make guac healthier?

i bought this rice seasoning - or one very similar - at great wall - it is delicious but that price is ridiculous i think.

not that i could like sandra bullock more

this should go into our new blog somewhere

i love this picture because we have those bowls. well i think my sister and brother do. i, crazy girl, got the 'oxtail soup' one. so regretful right now.

Link-o-Rama

Our comedies are apparently showing some promise.  Also, I've watched Brooklyn Nine Nine - it's pretty good.

Here is Nate Silver's take on the government shutdown.

I had just gotten comfortable walking on these too...

Society is officially over.

Maybe we can't try all of these, but there are some in NY and DC...

I've been on this bikeway twice, though never in the dark.

Coming soon to... someplace in northern Virginia, it's Little John's!

I think we need to step our our life game.  And also never complain again.

Here is an ode to Peyton Manning.

This is a little long, but I thought it was worth it.

I was going to buy this for you.

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Pray for Atlanta

This was me on Monday.  I may have gone on a multiple-hour, late-night walk around Manhattan after it was over.

Since I have to include three links...

Sandra Bullock provides bang for the buck.

Neil de Grasse Tyson identified some scientific issues with Gravity.  I still want to see it.

Here is an article on the other (read: our, or right) side of the Redskins debate.  Money quote: “Marginalized communities are too often treated monolithically.”

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Travel Edition!

Here is a list of things to do in Halifax!

Here are some fun facts about Halifax!

Here are some "famous" people from Halifax!

In other news...

What a terrible idea, Switzerland.  Scratch that - terrible ideas.

I'm going to start referring to it as the government "shutdown."

President Obama has some opinions on the name of your beloved team.

I kinda wanted to see this movie.  Hey, Sandra Bullock's in it!

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last one before vacay

labeling yourself

I couldn't tell if this comment was serious or really dry humor:

"This is irresponsible reporting by the NYT and very disappointing. The ACA is a heroic win for democrats. This article is what the right wants to hear to justify why implementation should be delayed, in order to correct these things. With this article, you fuel the right.

Please, just report how conservatives don't care, are anarchists, and how the ACA is giving millions insurance.

To say that two-thirds of low-wage of poor blacks and single mothers and half of low-wage earners cannot get insurance could lead to some people believing that the ACA may not be all that."

some culture for you - really other cultures' take on our culture

comment

I have so many questions...

Next up in the Ingredient of the Moment series: cauliflower.  Can it displace Brussels sprouts?

What is going on in DC...?

Coincidence?  One has to wonder...

Bully the bullys?

Ted Cruz is taking it on the chin. As much as I dislike Obamacare, I'm okay with this because his strategy was doomed.

B

these chicken! literally boob job shutdown

i must be getting jaded but i wasn't offended by any of these

old people like fried chicken!

warms my heart, literally

ahh the age old question - what to say to a coworker who had a boob job

nyc restaurants are also affected by the shutdown?

Shutdown!

More changes are coming to the SmarTrip system.

I could actually get behind this - offering new stuff for more money is a lot more palatable than taking away stuff and then charging to give it back.

The housing market in DC is getting fancy.

B

on beauty

language playing mind tricks - probably why i'm not as big a saver as my parents but it doesn't really explain my sibs

to look younger, to be younger

hey your subway is in the news

to this day one of the most beautiful things i've ever seen, and it wasn't even finished yet

halloween costume ideas for me - i looked at a list and these seemed the easiest to pull off: jess from new girl, katniss everdeen from the hunger games, megan draper, stefon from snl (don't actually know how to pull this off but i think it's a cute idea), mike from magic mike, the mother from himym, uhura from star trek

i'll shop at goodwill - that way you don't have to relive your halloween nightmares. =D

the shutdown happened i think? at trivia only 1 person was nonessential. i think my mother might be nonessential. in any case, i'm at work and there are a bunch of shutdown happy hours. woot! now i have to find someone with a gov id to get me some fried chicken....

communication improvement and bathroom storage

would any of these tips help?

the very worst thing about a gov shutdown

more on that 300 sandwiches girl

i liked this though a bit cheesy

another book for us to read?:

“
If I do not want what you want, please try not to tell me that my want is wrong.
Or if I believe other than you, at least pause before you correct my view.
Or if my emotion is less than yours, or more, given the same circumstances, try not to ask me to feel more strongly or weakly.
Or yet if I act, or fail to act, in the manner of your design for action, let me be.
I do not, for the moment at least, ask you to understand me. That will come only when you are willing to give up changing me into a copy of you.”
” —David Keirsey, Please Understand Me II  (via thatkindofwoman)

showoff

Starting Things Right

This isn't depressing at all...

I've been meaning to read this Malcolm Gladwell article, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Buzzfeed continues to bring the goods.

My friend Marissa started a fitness and nutrition blog.  I figured we might find some inspiration from it.  Or it'll be like Runner's World...

B

food and politics

runners' world makes me feel less than

i've found my topic for my first conservative media post

this is the next topic

not that you have time but this would be pretty easy and yummy otherwise

good things and inspiring things

you would like this so much

interesting

ahh sleepcation - you will need this soon

way of life app - i will floss everyday!

For the Bus: Part 2

We could relate to some of these.

The next generation is going to be completely worthless.

More from Buzzfeed.

While I think this is a good thing, stories like this make me wonder just how many regulations for air travel are absolute hokum.

B

I hope there's wifi on the bus!

Here is Louis CK's take on giving kids cellphones.

And here is a preview of the new dramas this season.

Many of these photos were funny.

Oh hey, look who it is.

This argument again.  That said, here is one response, and the basic gist of it seems to be, "This is too complicated for you, ladies.  You don't want to get bogged down in all these confusing studies.  Let's leave the thinking to the doctors, and we'll get you another decaf latte.  Also, I don't understand what economists do or how studies work, which is why I think they're so complicated and should be left to the adul--I mean, doctors."

Buzzfeed strikes again.

B

judgment

preaching to the choir?

wasn't sure if i'd agree, but jitlada is on the list

everyone wants to be chipotle

you're kidding about that list, right?
"32. Guys: she may say it’s an exit only, but that’s only because she’s never given it a try. #Shocker"
"34. If you can get her into bed before date 3, then you’ll get bored with her by week 2."
kinda misogynist, no?

i hate bob peterson for pushing back finding dory!

trophy wife looks ok. i saw the ad for the goldbergs in a taxi and thought it pretty funny.

Zzzzz...

Here is a Grantland preview of some of the new fall comedies.

Nice going, Bob Peterson.

I've never understood the dates on food.  Apparently it's because they're ridiculously confusing.

I like this list better than the GSElevator list.

B

This Seems Odd

Apparently Mad Men is getting extended - not in terms of number of shows, but rather when they'll be airing.  I will miss Mad Men, but it feels as though it's never on anymore.  Also, I need closure!

Stories like this will probably be more common over the next few years, but I can't imagine how long they will last.

Now this is a go-to restaurant.

Good luck with these two.

This seems like an interesting blog.  I don't know how well I can relate, but maybe that's why I'm interested in it.  Some would say we *should* be able to relate.

What a gigantic waste of time... the investigation, I mean.  I would totally host a supper club.

I'm making all of these.

I was thinking a little more about the culture preference, and I decided that I'm actually not a big fan of it.  I thought of this posting from the NPR blog linked above.  I guess I don't think of culture as something that needs to be protected and preserved.  I think of it as something that can be shared, and something that can change.  The mom is teaching her daughter Mandarin, ostensibly to preserve her Chinese culture, but what's really going on?  Well, she married a white guy, and that guy started learning Mandarin (his efforts were not exactly successful, but that's not really the point).  Also, the daughter's culture will invariably be some blend of her heritage and her surroundings, just as her mom's was.  Culture isn't some stagnant set of notions.  But when people decide that they can only date or marry someone from their own culture, they miss one of the most important lessons - though our various cultures might seem different, we actually have far more in common than we often realize.  A Christian person might decide that he is only interested in marrying another Christian, but what he has really done is 1) reject scores of women with whom he may have much in common and 2) missed out on the potential to share his faith with someone else who may not be a Christian, which I'm pretty sure the Bible tells us to do. *dismounting from high horse*

B

musty-eyed bear

remember we did those stretches while on the cleanse? part deux

the responses to that "how to be a man" from gselevator were extremely negative. like, women reading it interpreted "license to rape" into every single advice bit ("unaccompanied women want you to talk to them? maybe they're strong independent women! and that doesn't give you a license to rape them!"). i would link the article but it's very very stupid. you get the gist anyway.

i changed my goals for the week because morning yoga is not a possibility right now. but i should have time next week for it. ah to be able to get up at 6am not panicked. what a luxury.

i wanted to send you some NY bridge news but 80% of the bridge news in NY is jumpers. you might enjoy this more. of course, that reminded me of this blog and its cool animations and graphics.

on the party list

thoughts on miss america:

i obviously don't care that miss america is indian. but i thought her answer to her question was abysmal (I always think that about pageant answers though; of course, this one hit closer to home)

"In the interview portion of Sunday's pageant, Davuluri was asked about Chinese-American journalist Julie Chen's decision to have eyelid surgery to advance her career.

"I don't agree with plastic surgery; however, I can understand that from a standpoint," Davuluri said, delivering a noncommittal, diplomatic answer. "But more importantly, I've always viewed a Miss America as the girl next door, and the girl next door is evolving as the diversity in America evolves. She's not who she was 10 years ago, and she's not going to be the same come 10 years down the road. So I wouldn't want to change someone's looks or appearance, but definitely be confident in who you are."

miss california - I don't agree with her answer but it was well-articulated and was probably the right answer for a pageant. also that's a crazy question to get at a pageant.

kinda luv the little introductions they gave themselves near the bottom of the article

this is the best dog:

also his jacket looks cozy. his outfit looks cozy. i could rock that.

responses:

i had no idea that kind of racism still exists. also i would totally quit that sorority if that happened. of course, they probably wouldn't have let me join if that happened.

hugging has always been complicated. =D not for bears and bunnies though.

Speaking of Racism...

This story brings me hope.  It's (obviously) not because of the outcome here, but rather because all the kids seem to be completely outraged by the lingering racial discrimination, in a break from the previous generation.  In a way they're going along with it, but not as quietly as they might have 20 years ago.

DC Law schools have gotten on the struggle bus.

Hugging is apparently complicated now...

I think we need some balance after the heavy stories above...

This is just too cute.

B

personal anecdotes

so she was runner-up to miss america (the first indian miss america ever apparently) but she's also my mom's friend's niece. ms. california that is.

yeah i bet eli manning is better at running <insert some kind of disparaging joke here>

i answered a question on quora.

the happiest bear:

why did that chipotle commercial make you feel bad about yourself?

Goals for the Week

You should modify this document and add your own goals under your name.  (And delete this sentence and the previous one when you do.)

Bear

1. Finish unpacking.

2. Go for one run this week after work.

3. Meet up with at least one non-work person.


Bunny

1. Do morning yoga 1 day this week.

2. Collect all things to donate to Goodwill

3. Continue POTD. =D

City Life + Movie Time!

Careful, bunny!  There's a naughty raccoon on the loose!  Speaking of which, when I was biking in Central Park yesterday, I saw a couple of raccoons.  I didn't know they had woodland creatures in Manhattan.

The first part isn't that interesting, but the second is what you've been waiting for.

This is something I may want, especially since the dry cleaners in my building have a $20 minimum for credit cards (which is against their agreement with the credit card companies, but nobody cares).

This makes me 1) feel bad about myself, 2) want Chipotle, and 3) feel better about myself for wanting Chipotle.  It's also awesome.

If you have an additional 3 minutes, I would check this one out as well.

B

now for your video watching

speaking languages

this is probably not the right response but i really liked kanye west more after reading this

i think scarlett johansson has a really good accent but her face is super weird. maybe i'm too tough on actresses. i think the mark of someone good is they have to be utterly compelling - they have to have a certain presence that makes them watchable. and i think it's important that they show different sides like a normal person- particularly if they're a bad guy and you still end up liking them. and maybe women just aren't written into those roles. like joseph gordon levitt is supposed to be a gross meathead but you can already tell that you like him, whereas she's just hot. if she was made to look ugly, it would be a chore to watch.

this girl on the other hand has the worst stage presence/acting ability ever. she was in the office and i'm like, who is this terrible girl and why was she cast? i looked her up and she's the same girl that was in those magic mike commercials where i said, wow, who is that girl that is so bad everyone should apologize to keanu reeves? daughter of  warner brothers/disney exec.

responses!

on nyc cartoons: nice!

on how to be a man: i think he clarifies at the end "Remember, “rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men.”  but there's only 1 i disagree with is: If you want a nice umbrella, bring a sh*tty one to church. what does that even mean? why can't you just bring your normal umbrella and take a nicer one? why does it have to be a bad umbrella? and :Time is too short to do your own laundry." but i actually like doing laundry as opposed to dishes. also, eww are undershirts supposed to soak up your sweat? 


on celebrity imperfections: those aren't really imperfections (they all involve their hands!) and you don't know if the celebrities are ok with it. i don't think there's any way of fixing those imperfections but maybe if there were, they would fix them. well, except seal. that's a real imperfection but again - don't think there's any way to fix it. then again, he went into a field that doesn't matter as much what he looks like - and then married heidi klum. overachiever.

gen y: yeah, that seems to explain it. but are gen y people really that unhappy?