Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
Enjoyable blogpost on how people interact with museum exhibits. Suggests we often look at paintings for just three seconds, and very rarely for more than 45. Fine art encourages us to walk in orderly fashion, but not so modern art
An alternative approach to parenting: "Courage and a moral compass are fascism’s bane. Dare to live a moral life, I tell my kids, the beautiful hoodlums, and sometimes what’s right wins out over what is merely prescribed"
Yes, it's a real game. Brooms and all. "'Monopolize the bludgers,' says our co-captain Josh. 'And then let the chasers do their thing,' says our top scorer, Dan. What are they talking about? I’m still not sure"
On life working as a fire dancer in northern England. The first show's on the pavement outside Klute, Europe's worst nightclub. Then on to Loveshack for round two. ("It’s more upmarket than Klute, but then so is syphilis")
Hanging out with the actor, poker player. Known as the "Unabombshell". Wears low-cut tops. Poker players don't care. "Nothing looks better to them than a pair of aces. They’re not looking at your pair. They’re looking at their pair"
On falling in love with swimming. "I don't like putting my head under water. I have never mastered the crawl or butterfly, and I swim with my head up, like a moorhen, as people of my age do, but at least I don't walk in the water"
The art and science of making cheesy video-games, mostly involving underdressed women, "for people to play at bars when they’re bored". The lone drinker must understand the game within 30 seconds—and then never get bored with it
Why reread a title? "It is in the dialogue between present and past selves, and the mapping of that dialogue on to the history of books’ own often fluctuating 'life-stories', that the critical value of rereading is so often found"
Which of us hasn't said it at some point. But what is the secret of stupid games? Why are we so susceptible to them? And how did Drop7 take over Anderson's brain, such that he was playing it in all sorts of inappropriate situations?
The answer is Swami Vivekananda, the man who introduced America to "yoga". Simplified Vedantic thought to a few catchy teachings that the West found irresistible. Even Tolstoy was awed, praising him as "the most brilliant wise man"
Slow food, slow parenting—why not a “slow books” movement? As words flash past our eyes at ever-increasing speeds, Maura Kelly reminds us to savor what we read
Beirut-based reporter sets up paintballing match with Hezbollah fighters. He didn't expect them to bring percussion grenades, or take hostages for use as human shields. But he did have a ringer, in the shape of an ex-US Army Ranger
Image by on romainguy Flickr
"A tense and busy futility is the best Americans can do by way of down time. How else to explain golf?"
