until such time as I am gainfully employed

There’s no discernible difference on the exterior of the house. So what did the painters...

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:34:55 -0700

There’s no discernible difference on the exterior of the house. So what did the painters actually do?

house beautiful

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:56:54 -0700

I’m so in love with the house we live in. Built in 1900, it’s since been split into three flats, two on the lower level, and the entire upper level, where the owners live. Those lucky, lucky bastards bought it in 1999, for just under $700k; now it’s valued at around $4 million.

A couple weeks ago, scaffolding went up around the entire house, and workers began installing a new roof. Today the exterior gets painted, and I’m dying to see how it turns out.

My dad was years ago given a book called Painted Ladies, about the Victorians & Edwardians around the country that are painted in amazing, bright colors, and I remember paging through it pretty often. There’s one painted lady in the town in Texas where my grandparents live, and every time we visit my dad makes a point of going by to check on the house. Its owners must take extremely good care of it, because its colors are always bursting out against the Texas sun, all the more brilliant in its setting of anonymous, monochrome buildings and single-family homes.

My mother grew up in an Edwardian in New Jersey, which her parents painted this super-saturated yellow with plain white accents and a dark red roof. That yellow was the brightest color for a mile at least; I always wished they’d repaint that white with some kind of medium blue and maybe a couple darker shades in the yellow family, but what actually happened was that my grandparents died and their kids sold the house to a family who painted it white. Totally white. How disappointing.

Probably our house will stay in the same blues it was when we moved in. That wouldn’t be a real disappointment — at least the matte gold on some of the flourishy decorations will be brighter.

If it turns out all white and eggshell or similar, I promise that I will cry.

Tom Brokaw does a really good job on MtP. He asks questions that...

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:06:32 -0700

Tom Brokaw does a really good job on MtP. He asks questions that our jerky governator can’t or won’t answer. Try not snorting in derision when the governor of Wyoming says that the state “will always be proud of Dick Cheney,” a “native son” — it’s impossible.

At the end of the broadcast, NBC Political Director Chuck Todd reveals his toolishness, and obvious McCain bias. Gross little man.

'American Girl' Heads to the Big Screen : NPR

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:17:06 -0700

'American Girl' Heads to the Big Screen : NPR:

What I wanted to say is, I saved up my money for months to buy the Felicity doll, because of her red hair. To this day I have not had more than a passing interest in the details of the Revolutionary War.

I can’t believe there’s a movie about Kirsten. She was so boring! And Samantha’s life was all fantasy and easy. I liked Felicity & Molly best; they knew what it was like to go without. Man how did I get on this horse?

meganallison:

Okay I realize this is probably the least cool thing ever posted on Tumblr. But if you listen to the short podcast, you hear the reporter wax nostalgic about her own American Girl doll (Kirsten, meh) and there was something really jarring for me about hearing this grown up, adult woman my own age talking about how much this brand impacted her memory and identity and life direction and um… WHOA.

tumblr loves this meme

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:12:12 -0700

kfan:

I love this meme.
You are in a mall when the zombies attack. You have:
1. One weapon.
2. One song blasting on the speakers.
3. One famous person to fight alongside you.

Weapon can be real or fictional; you may assume endless ammo if applicable. Person can be real or fictional.

My answers:
1. big stick with sharpened (non-blood) diamond ends.
2. Wolf Parade - I’ll Believe in Anything
3. Pei-Pei Cheng as Golden Swallow

Panoramic view: 360 degrees of Sen. Obama's Detroit rally

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:30:21 -0700

Panoramic view: 360 degrees of Sen. Obama's Detroit rally: from the Detroit Free Press, via this is not a blog.

Miss Platnum - Give Me the Foodthe happy Friday smiling time!

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:51:13 -0700

Miss Platnum - Give Me the Food

the happy Friday smiling time!

kevin made a new music meme

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:42:24 -0700

kfan:

You go through a phase where you only listen to one particular song for a week, and it’s stuck on your top 20 list for the rest of your life.

It’s totally true:

iTunes top 20 most-played songs as of 10 June 08

1. Broken Social Scene - I’m Still Your Fag
2. Broken Social Scene - Lover’s Spit
3. Broken Social Scene - Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl
4. Carla Bruni - L’amour
5. Carla Bruni - La noyee
6. Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles
7. Broken Social Scene - Hotel
8. Iron & Wine - My Lady’s House
9. Magnetic Fields - The Book of Love
10. Pedro the Lion - Bad Diary Days
11. Carla Bruni - Le ciel dans une chambre (il cielo in una stanza)
12. Carla Bruni - Quelqu’un m’a dit
13. Carla Bruni - Chanson Triste
14. Iron & Wine - Passing Afternoon
15. Francoise Hardy - Soleil
16. Iron & Wine - Love and Some Verses
17. Ladytron - CMYK
18. Stephin Merritt - One April Day
19. Feist - Gatekeeper
20. Ladytron - Beauty*2

I can’t remember the last time I listened to any of these songs. They’re all from my rotating playlist of music to fall asleep to, which no longer exists. Joel needs silence to sleep more than I need to hear music, so I gave that habit up.

"If I want to go 20 miles, I have to push 20 miles."

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:37:56 -0700

““If I want to go 20 miles, I have to push 20 miles.””

- part of the fix-push revolution at Mission Mission

ericasavestheday:John McCain: Yes We Cunt. (Via Gawker)

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:26:55 -0700

ericasavestheday:

John McCain: Yes We Cunt. (Via Gawker)

what does this mean?

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:32:39 -0700

what does this mean?

Laura Marling - GhostsThis tiny little girl is just barely 18...

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:53:06 -0700

Laura Marling - Ghosts

This tiny little girl is just barely 18 and this is the music she writes and sings. I’m in awe.

Don’t worry about your personality. You don’t really have one.

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:34:31 -0700

Don’t worry about your personality. You don’t really have one.: (via homeofthevain)

Hugs for pandas shocked by quake

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:54:26 -0700

Hugs for pandas shocked by quake

The Internet Vs. The Care of Your Soul

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:48:56 -0700

kfan:

1. No laptop in bed.

2. No internet for at least 30 minutes before you got to sleep.

3. Nothing on your feed reader that posts more than X times per Y.

4. Being bored does not mean you have to check your email.

5. Don’t only read websites related to subjects you know inside and out.

6. For every X feeds that you add to your reader, remove Y.

7. Don’t read email on your phone.

8. If an email upsets you, never respond immediately.

9. Think about the motivations behind the blogs you subscribe to.

10. Don’t read the comments.

for serious

Sat, 31 May 2008 12:59:41 -0700

kfan:

The internet is way better if you never read the comments.

spam is way too personal today.

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:21:26 -0700

spam is way too personal today.

today is especially barftastic media day.

Wed, 28 May 2008 10:39:54 -0700

today is especially barftastic media day.

I’m going to puke.

Wed, 28 May 2008 10:22:30 -0700

I’m going to puke.

Santogold - You’ll Find a Way (Switch & Sinden remix)

Sat, 24 May 2008 13:32:02 -0700

Santogold - You’ll Find a Way (Switch & Sinden remix)