Linky Love: Cold and Dreary Edition

It is cold and dreary outside. I suspect that summer has finally given up the ghost and we're in the downhill slide into winter. It's a bit of a tricky thought - I thought I'd be much farther along on my dissertation than I am. I also thought teaching nine credits the first eight weeks of the semester would be easier than it was. Delusional, I am.

Anyway, I'm trying to get back into the swing of posting. So! Some links:

Amazon sidesteps the publishing houses: perhaps the very definition of post-modern.

I am normally suspicious of Starbucks, but I like this idea. It makes me like them more.

Hm. This is fascinating to me. Fascinating. I wonder if the gender trend will turn: men looking for woman to donate eggs and their womb.

I've been applying for jobs: apparently, I will never be a department chair.

Or, perhaps I'm not a nice guy. Hm.

Off to dissertate.

Linky Love

The mornings have been like this all week: overcast and chilly. By the noon, though, the sun comes out and it's lovely. 

A few sites that have been hanging around on my browser; time to put them here: 

I will be the first to admit to my obsession with Detroit and this tour of the River Rouge (the river, not the factory) is fascinating. 

I am constantly struggling with the putting together of colors. Kuler will pull colors form an image to create a set of colors that would work together. 

Kathryn Clark's quilts based on foreclosure patterns in cities are beautifully sad. 

There was so much about this NYT article that was fascinating: My Ex-Gay Friend. 

Back to packing. I dislike packing. 

Sleepy Sunday

I went to an acting conference yesterday and was reminded why I am someone who can run the theatre house but cannot be on stage. The primary workshop was with Javier Cordona, a theatre scholar associated with Theatre of the Oppressed. While not TotO-specific, the workshop totally stretched me, making me uncomfortable at times but giving me insight into performance and the work needed to do acting work. The primary reason for going was to help me think of how to help the kiddos I'm working with in terms of their acting. Insight. Now to think about what to do with it. 

A little linky love before I head off to get work done: 

In the Czech Republic, they've found the remains of a male who was buried surrounded by domestic goods. Of course he must be gay. The oldest gay ever. Bury me with my knitting needles, please... 

... or perhaps just a wool coffin. Can I get this in fair isle, please? 

In preparation for teaching children's literature this summer, I came across this on NPR: children's literature or another genre entirely? 

Distraction, thy name is the Internet. The New Yorker says so. 

With data collection in full swing, I'm trying to stay focused on the task at hand and not borrow trouble about the job market. 

Lastly: How to steal like an artist. Brilliant. 

Happy Sunday, y'all. 

Linky Love: Packing Edition

I'm heading to the Windy City tomorrow with the Man Friend (our first trip - a bit un-nerving) for a taping of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and a visit with my good friend Anne. I think I have everything packed and am just waiting on my sheets to dry before I can go to bed. We will not talk about the orange soda mishap that resulted in my sheets needing to dry. Anyway: links!

Embrace from Ben Sollee on Vimeo.

Ben Sollee won me over in 2008 with Learning to Bend and I found his 2010 collaboration with Daniel Martin Moore, Dear Companion, to be equally lovely. His new album Inclusions is due to hit May 10th and if Embrace is any indication, it's going to be another exquisite collection of songs.

I love it that Local Yarn Stores are making it work - 11% increase in sales last year.

OMG. I all sorts of want. I will restrain because I already have too many unfinished projects lying around, but I think this solidifies my obsession with cuckoo clocks as I want to make this as soon as I can.

I'm ignoring the gender and just declaring this inspiring. After Chicago, of course.

I didn't quite plan on retiring anyway, so this is good news.

I've been fascinated with NPR's series on cultural fragmentation and enjoyed their insights into iCarly, particularly the gendered findings re: audience.

Jesse Brown is a bit of an intellectual badass and he is raising some very interesting issues regarding technology and entertainment regulation in our neighbor to the north.

RIP, Zune. I'm not surprised.

Oh, Japan. You make my heart hurt. This is the where I've sent money, should you be interested.

Things of Interest

Valentine's Day. It's almost upon us. It's also, apparently, overwhelmingly imported from Columbia. 


The American Dream used to include owning one's house; in the increasingly global economy, is that realistic anymore? 


I find myself in this loop more than I would like. 


"Consider this a warning to new mothers: Fourteen years ago, I 'opted out' to focus on my family. Now I'm broke"


I wonder what they are planning on doing with all those soul-less Kindles? Resell them on Amazon? 

Crochet Crazy

And the crocheting continues. I pulled together a few colors at the yarn store a week ago and have been working on a square here and there while finishing holiday gifts. (Yes, still.) I will admit that I'm a bit addicted, even as I question whether that green (chartreuse, how could you go wrong?) belongs with the other colors. It will all come together, I guess. It's come together a bit more quickly thanks to the BBC shows on hulu - I'm finishing up the first series of Kingdom now and want to move to the English seaside. Now, please. 

I'm still not convinced that I will abandon all knitting for the crochet hook - doing so would fly in the face of my "both/and" attempts at navigating my own life, but there are a few bits of inspiration that tempt me: 

Attic24 is ridiculously amazing - and she lives in northern England! Her crochet tutorial for a granny stripe might make it into my list of things to make soon... The brilliant photography doesn't hurt either... 

Pinterest user marybethburrell has collected the most amazing images of crocheted items. They leave me a little antsy, not going to lie... Antsy in a good way, involving a hook and yarn... 

The Royal Sisters is also tempting me with this star granny... 

But first: the last episode in the first season of Kingdom. Then bed. I definitely will not start series 2 tonight... right? 

Linky Love: Lizard Ridge Edition

With qualifying exams behind me and proposal breathing down my neck, I've been attempting to relax at the end of the day with a little knitting. Well, not exactly knitting. More sewing than knitting as I've continued to make progress on the Lizard Ridge. All the blocks are officially seamed together. I finished it at 1:30 this morning and promptly did something of a happy dance. All that is left to do is to pick up the stitches on the edges and knit a border... after some sleep as I was wide awake at 6:30 this morning. Why does my body hate me?

Yet another project nearing completion. Not so good for my motivation today, so I leave you with links.

I want to collect every single one of these My Little Ponies For Geeks, but would totally settle for the My Little He-Man and Orko.

These photographs are testaments to creativity and Mila's ability to sleep deeply.

If only news media actually used such warning stickers.

I can't help but take some glee in these photos from Westboro Baptist Church protests.

To try and be productive now...

Linky Love

I love Detroit. I love it even more when it is written about in a positive light.

Why would you need a college degree? I bet he's got a degree, though...

This reminds me to revisit the plagiarism policies in my syllabus.

I kind of all sorts of love it: Transgender camp.

I enjoy this more than I should:

Linky Love: Gratitude, When Video Games Attack, and Quilting Crushes

Every once in a while I run across a blog that completely captivates me. Leah Dieterich's THXTHXTHX does just that. Her daily notes of gratitude often make me pause to consider my own state of life, usually accompanied by a giggle. Yes, a giggle. 


The roomies and I are selling our Wii soon but I kind of want to keep it, if only to play this game. 


Speaking of video games, when Pixels attack! 


I missed the golden age of Domino magazine, so I'm thankful some of the archives are being made public. One can never have too much aesthetically pleasing house porn to procrastinate to. 


In the midst of packing, I find myself in this very predicament. 


I could spend hours on Google Maps. Luckily, the Huffington Post has collected the most bizarre and strange photos for my, and your, entertainment. 


I really must read more about the man behind Charlie Brown. 


Everything about her is just lovely: her fabrics, her inspiration, the tools she uses. Denyse Schmidt, I think I have a little of a crush on you. 


And, lastly, chucks tend not to fit me very well as I am afflicted with the WIDE feet but I might have to suffer for a pair of these.