What would it take to overcome the cultural pull of irony? Moving away from the ironic involves saying what you mean, meaning what you say and considering seriousness and forthrightness as expressive possibilities, despite the inherent risks. It means undertaking the cultivation of sincerity, humility and self-effacement, and demoting the frivolous and the kitschy on our collective scale of values. It might also consist of an honest self-inventory.
(How to Live Without Irony, by Christy Wampole)
i have met a few of these dogs.
(Source: iraffiruse, via cautionhorses)
reidar is especially nice because it’s stackable and completely aluminum (durable and lightweight). i like the blue. a good choice for patio chairs.
ikea enholmen is larger, also made of aluminum and concrete. too bad it’s also unavailable at ikea burbank.
in search of a durable patio table. ikea garpen is made of aluminum and concrete. too bad it’s unavailable at ikea burbank.
EXCERPT:
Karl Rove couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t accept it on Election night. After all the billions and bitter critique of President Obama, Republicans had lost in their campaign to take back the White House.
And more than that. Lost ground in the Senate. Lost seats in the House. Lost on gay marriage. Lost the women’s vote. Lost Latinos. Lost the young. Lost nearly all the swing states. Lost touch, it seemed, with a bunch of the country.
(Source: onpoint.wbur.org / NPR's On Point)
Struggle For Smarts? How Eastern And Western Cultures Tackle Learning, Alix Spiegel, Morning Edition, NPR News.
EXCERPT:
The American students “worked on it less than 30 seconds on average and then they basically looked at us and said, ‘We haven’t had this,’ ” he says.
But the Japanese students worked for the entire hour on the impossible problem. “And finally we had to stop the session because the hour was up. And then we had to debrief them and say, ‘Oh, that was not a possible problem; that was an impossible problem!’ and they looked at us like, ‘What kind of animals are we?’ ” Stigler recalls.
“Sadness and ambiguity: the latest emotional fashion.”
If you can’t listen to this story on the evolution of popular music, view the online article or the transcript.
Alix Spiegel, All Things Considered, NPR News.
another favorite shoe brand. i’m bummed they quit making outlandish shoes.
pro-keds royal lo
i’ve owned numerous pairs of these—in pink, blue, and other colors. a favorite.
pf flyers center lo (reissue)
a decent choice for low-key casual shoes.
nike elite in grey
Brilliant comic. Nature will inevitably consume all humans, in one way or another.
Another heart-wrenching Syrian story.
The women stare at me. We won’t forget this, the sister of the dead man says finally. When we control Syria, we won’t forget that you forgot about us.
Please listen to this story by Kelly McEvers of NPR News, and tell me if your heart isn’t wrenched.
