Do the Yak

1. What the world eats . This is an amazing set of photos, not for the visual qualities of the photos themselves -- the composition, lighting, etc. is almost identical for all -- but for the information they offer when taken as a set. You notice the quantity of food per person, of course, but also the shocking ratio of fresh produce to packaged crap for the Americans and western Europeans. It's suddenly easy to see why Americans are overweight -- overabundance and taste buds deformed by industrial food manufacturing. 2. Still creepy after all these years... and now it's the hair and the cachexia , not the mascara: Yep, that's Tammy Faye Bakker, ex-wife of the disgraced televangelist, gay icon and 65-pound end-stage cancer patient . 3. A recent favorite: Passive-aggressive notes from roommates, neighbors, coworkers and strangers . In my own experience (or actually that of two good friends of mine in college), the best was a note from their roommate that had nothing passive ...

We have T-minus seven days. All systems go. Pre-launch checklist items completed: grouting on slate tile in entryway and screened porch bedroom carpeting fully functional appliances (fridge churning out ice cubes; toilets duly tested by family members) home sound system (thanks, Ben!) grounds purged of Dunkin Donuts cups, cigarette butts and miscellaneous cement chunks So it looks like a real house that you could live in and stuff. Actually more like a extra large hotel suite, because it lacks those personal touches of furniture, artwork, newspapers affixed to the counter with maple syrup, Legos and Polly Pockets underfoot, etc. A bit more grouting here and there, install shower enclosures, put urethane on the stairs and we're DONE. As we prepare for the move, I have acquired two new loves: Craigslist and The Container Store . With the help of Craigslist, I sold the dining set, slightly rusted Paddy O'Forniture and futon couch, with ads still pending for a couple of other thi...

I keep meaning to talk up GoodReads .com, which you may have noticed on the right-hand side of this page. It's a place where you list the books you're reading, the ones you plan to read, the ones you've loved in the past, etc. Of course being a web thing, there are ample opportunities for discussion and social networking, but I'm not bothering so much with that. It's like this blog -- I'm doing it more for record-keeping, to look back on in amazement and probably embarrassment in future years, rather than expecting a lot of people to read or comment on it now. It does have one practical use, which is that if I'm ever in a library and my mind goes blank, I can log on and figure out what books I've been meaning to read. For years I carried around a paper list of books and movies I'd heard of and intended to get, so I didn't have to wander aimlessly among New Releases when I found myself in a bookstore or video store. I don't need to do this any...