White people like grammar
Perhaps my favorite blog out there today is Stuff White People Like. It is not only eerily true*, but also hilarious.
An excerpt from today’s post - #99 Grammar:
When asking someone about their biggest annoyances in life, you might expect responses like “hunger,” “being poor,” or “getting shot.” If you ask a white person, the most common response will likely be “people who use ‘their’ when they mean ‘there.’ Maybe comma splices, I’m not sure but it’s definitely one of the two.”
If you wish to gain the respect of a white person, it’s probably a good idea that you find an obscure and debated grammar rule such as the “Oxford Comma” and take a firm stance on what you believe is correct. This is seen as more productive and forward thinking that simply stating your anger at the improper use of “it’s.”
*Maybe I find it so dead on because of the vague subject (inevitably any middle class white person who reads blogs on the internet will find something to relate to), but this is me. To a tee.
So go forth and read daily… you just might read something that lets you have an innocent laugh at your own expense.
Filed under Links, Recommended | Comment (0)Ken Jennings, I think you are great.
If you love Jeopardy, game show drama, or the little twinge of pride when you know something random about the world around you that no one else in the room can quite remember, please read this book.
Not only do I love following the story of Ken’s 75-game streak on Jeopardy, (I remember it vividly - I watched a downloaded video of his losing game over and over and swore to all my friends he was tired of winning and threw the game)… Not only do I love playing along with the trivia sprinkled in every chapter (I get a measly three or so answers per chapter)… but I love Ken’s genuinely entertaining, intelligent, witty writing style.
As I might have insinuated - this book might not be for everyone. But if you’ve always wondered what it would be like to grace the Jeopardy stage - it’s a must read.
Even if you’re not leaping out of your chair to grab this book - go check out Ken’s blog. His wit doesn’t stop at paper.
NOTE: this is book number 6 of 10 (7 of the ten are the Harry Potter series) that I have resolved to read in 2008. Tracking pretty well, if I do say so myself.
Filed under Recommended | Comment (0)Currently Obsessed with: Kate Nash
Her enchanting melodies and adorable British accent (coupled with her lyrics about crushes and breakups and her noncommittal ways) make my obsession grow fonder.
Some of my favorites:
Merry Happy
Enjoy and obsess!
No Doubling Back Now
It looks like Jason Mraz is touring again.
It’s been over a year since he’s had a major tour, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Word on the street is that his latest album (due out in Spring of this year) will be called We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things. I’ve always thought the older acoustic stuff is better than the albums, and I’m hopeful that he’s been able to keep that vibe and “start all over again.”
Another promising note: the new single is one of my personal favorites of his: I’m Yours
If it were up to me, my ideal song list would include:
- No Doubling Back
- Burning Bridges
- Bright Eyes
- 10,000 Motherfuckers
- Older Lover, Undercover
See you on the road, Jason.
Filed under Life Soundtrack, Recommended | Comment (0)Winter Break recommendations
Today is the last day of my hiatus from my so-called collegiate life. Media consumed / discovered/ enjoyed this break:
Music: Regina Spektor
I am currently obsessed with this woman. Her voice is beautiful, the songs are just melodic enough but also very quirky, they tell great stories.
Any suggestions for a Wordpress plugin that lets me easily embed YouTube videos? Until I figure it out, here are the links:
Fidelity -
the single. I adore this video.
Book 1: Searching for God Knows What - by Donald Miller
More stream of consciousness - entertaining and enlightening - thoughts on Christian spirituality from the author of Blue Like Jazz. Very enjoyable, but I think I prefer Blue Like Jazz.
“Reality is like a fine wine. It does not appeal to children” -Donald Miller
Book 2: The Phantom of the Opera - by Gaston Leroux
A little slow, but I am really enjoying the historical fiction theme. I just got my hands on the original silent film, which I am looking forward to watching.
Topic: Social Media
Check out my post on the RD2 blog, shouting out to Time’s Person of the Year article and Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang. He’s kind of a big deal in the blog world, and he commented back!
Filed under Life Soundtrack, Recommended | Comment (0)Ken Jennings is my hero
You remember dear old Ken. 74 game winning streak on Jeopardy? Cute little Mormon? All around nice guy? That’s the one.
I can’t get enough of his blog: Ken-Jennings.com. Witty and entertaining, with enough vocabulary-building syntax and intelligent humor to keep me coming back (err… subscribing to the RSS feed).
My only major qualm with the operation is that viewers can’t comment directly. Ken set up a message board and I have to subscribe to throw in my two cents. No thanks, Ken. I guess I’ll have to keep admiring you from afar.
Also for your viewing pleasure: The video of Ken losing, ending his streak.
What’s not to love about this guy?
EDIT: Fun trivia fact I learned today from Ken:
James K. Polk was actually an absinthe drinker who once drunkenly declared statehood for his own sideburns.
Filed under Links, Recommended | Comment (1)The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Just finished this book. I highly recommend it. You won’t find it on my Librarything because John let me borrow his old beat up copy that got rained on in New York City. It feels very authentic, which I think added to the experience.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower. By Stephen Chbosky.
“Personally, I like to think that my brother is having a college experience like they do in the movies. I don’t mean the big fraternity party kind of movie. More like the movie where the guy meets a smart girl who wears a lot of sweaters and drinks cocoa. They talk about books and issues and kiss in the rain. I think something like that would be very good for him, especially if the girl were unconventionally beautiful. They are the best kind of girls, I think.”
page 51
“I think it was the first time in my life I ever felt like I looked ‘good.’ Do you know what I mean? That nice feeling when you look in the mirror, and your hair’s right for the first time in your life?”
page 67
“‘I’ll tell you something, Charlie. I feel good. You know what I mean? Really good. Like I’m free or something. Like I don’t have to pretend anyore. I’m going away to college, right? It’ll be dfferent there. You know what I mean? …I’ve been thinking about what kind of posters I want to put up in my dorm room. And if I’ll have an exposed brick wall. I’ve always wanted an exposed brick wall…’”
page 156-157
“There’s nothing like the deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons. It was that great.”
page 159
