Kat with a K

Daily Reading (8/19/08)

The Education of John McCain

Interesting article on lace-making in Massachusetts. I have the novel it talks about out from the library, but haven't started it yet.

Ann Patchett on book publicity and touring.

An interesting look at Broadway orchestration.

It's His Party tells us about Obama's focus on building the Democratic Party.

Daily Reading (8/15/08)

Andrew Sullivan, of all people, notifies us of an iPhone (and iPod Touch) app for knitting! I downloaded it but haven't used it much yet - looks like it has potential.

Time Warp Wives - women trying to live in the past. With the benefit of the Internet. Fascinating. Hmm... none of them seem to have kids. I wonder if that's just a coincidence or what?

Heeee! The secret Obama e-mails.

Jackson Browne is suing McCain for using his song without permission.

Oh good. The Left Behind authors have decided that Obama is not the antichrist. Just in case you were worried about that.

A fun Slate piece about weird name-change legal cases.

Daily Reading (8/12/08)

Is there a secret presidential succession plan? Scary stuff.

Real Senator in new Batman movie! Hee.

Australia is getting its first saint: Mother Mary MacKillop

The Atlantic has a interesting look into the meltdown of the Clinton campaign.

An amazing duck story. I must admit that it almost made me cry. Awww.

That cute little girl singing in the opening ceremonies? Lip-synching. Just like Singin' in the Rain, or something.

Daily Reading (8/11/08)

Opus Dei in Australia brings in a kitten to keep the Pope company while he visits. Awww.

How to watch Evelyn Waugh.

Finally, someone who agrees with me and liked Breaking Dawn! In defense of Breaking Dawn. Warning - lots of spoilers.

The ten oddest travel guides ever published.

Daily Reading (8/8/08)

Emily Bazelon on class vs. race integration in schools: The Next Kind of Integration

Has the Church missed the import of science?

Here's a fascinating article about the history of children's libraries and the publication of Stuart Little. Which I must admit I've never actually read. But now I really want to.

There's a new Little House musical! I hope it comes somewhere closer.

Salon's take on the Twilight series. (Spoilers for the first three books, but not the new one.)

Daily Reading (8/1/08)

Ever wonder where they get those little plastic numbers for gas station signs? Apparently there are companies dedicated to gasoline advertising - and everyone's ordering more 4s and 5s.

In Russia, bears are an important traditional symbol - so what to do when they start eating people?

A new solution for local food in cities: vertical farms. Fascinating.

Interesting profile of E.O. Wilson.

Sesame Street is coming out with a new Web site. It sounds pretty nifty.

The Duchess of Northumberland is creating a huge public garden.

Daily Reading (7/30/08)

Cruise ship auctions: awfully shady. Um, never would have guessed!

A look at Obama as professor.

Controversy over New York's real birthdate.

Daily Reading (7/29/08)

Kafka's papers may finally be available to scholars.

A fascinating interactive Venn diagram of Bush administration criminals.

Essay: Why I Re-Read (Thanks for the link, Penny!)

In Japan, Buddhism may be dying out.

Vaughn Williams: A Composer Forever English

A profile of Kay Ryan, the new Poet Laureate.

The Booker Longlist is announced.

Daily Reading (7/25/08)

Remember how I was upset about the disappearance of slips? I'm not making it up. I still like them!

Scientists discover what makes the Northern Lights dance.

Profile of McCain strategist Steve Schmidt. Fun fact learned therein: Schmidt and David Plouffe dropped out of the same college.

Daily Reading (7/24/08)

The Times has an interesting look at the generational shift going on among college professors.

What White House staffers make.

New Zealand court blocks bad names. Good for them!

Sullivan has the full text of Obama's Berlin speech, if you're curious.

Apparently it's a new trend for brides to "treat" the wedding party to various cosmetic procedures to make them look better in wedding pictures. Um, ew. Tacky.

Daily Reading (7/22/08)

Times Magazine preview: a slideshow of young women in the FLDS

The percentage of farmers who are female is increasing. Here are some profiles.

Why Europeans drank beer and Asians drank tea.

Daily Reading (7/21/08)

Skyy comes out with red and blue cocktails named after the candidates. Hey, I guess that would make it easier to figure out who you want to talk to at the martini bar...

Here's the full list of Starbucks that are closing. Only one in NH, and it's not one of the ones I frequent. Yay!

The Post has a very interesting series going about the Chandra Levy investigation.

Daily Reading (7/17/08)

In the "things that make perfect sense but had never really occurred to me" category: bad US economy -> less new construction -> less money sent to Mexico -> bad effects on Mexican economy.

Is Google making us stupid? (Personally, I don't think so, although I do think that the Internet is encouraging different methods and types of thought, and that if we want to keep up, say, the ability to read long books, we need to make a practice of reading long books.)

Daily Reading (7/16/08)

A fascinating story of a young woman who left a very strict Orthodox Jewish community and is trying to get custody of her daughter

Long profile of Mark Salter, McCain's speechwriter

Have you ever wondered whether harvesting corks for wine bottles is bad for the environment? Maybe it's the other way around.