July 2008
shorterexcerpts:
Really Detroit? Pudge for Prof. Farnsworth? Just when you were showing signs of life? Really?
Holy crap! Farnsworth must be really excited, since now he can return to the scene of one of his brawniest moments:
BREAKING: Some Bennigan's locations remain open!
cajunboy:
Just heard from a friend in Irving, Texas. Via text message he writes…
“Dude, I am sitting in Bennigan’s by my office trying to get in one last brownie bottom pie. This one is still open but I think it’s shutting down soon. Everyone is tense as hell. I just saw two waiters almost get into a fist-fight over a table.”
Fuck, now that I think about it, I’d actually kill for one last...
Speaking of casual dining chains' problems...
Wow:
Ruby Tuesday figures it’s better to burn out than fade away. With that in mind, the chain is planning to destroy one of its restaurants next Tuesday in a glorious, self-defeating explosion that will be broadcast live on its Web site.
The restaurant hasn’t been identified, which is a terrific plan in a time when half the country is still scared out of its wits about terrorists....
“I think everybody in the retail business knows if it comes down to gas or...”
– Lobster prices fall in Maine, costing no more than sliced turkey - USATODAY.com
So of course, the mental image conjured here was of people riding lobsters down highways. Lobsters in rush hour! Parallel parking your lobster!
(via therichgirlsareweeping)
I guess this means that Red Lobster...
“So, okay, the self-imposed ghetto is apparently just fine, but if you imagine...”
– Choire makes my point a lot more succinctly than I did.
As someone who sat on her fair share of “Women On The Web” panels back in the day, I’ve been following the whole brouhaha over the Times’ coverage of BlogHer with interest. Salon’s Rebecca Traister has a pretty good overview of what people are complaining about, from the piece’s placement in the Styles section to the fact that it pointed out that there were...
“But it’s no secret that the Chick Lit label denotes something about the content...”
– From here (via gauntlet) (via jgh)
pgwp:
maura:
what, no link?
I feel so dirty. (need I reiterate, nsfw?)
hey, you’re talking to someone who administers her own work firewall. so no worries.
pgwp:
My hits are through the roof today because of some weird blog that seems to trade off between porn pics and links to mp3 blogs. I think it’s some kind of beta test for Brooklyn Vegan 2.0.
what, no link?
“It was unexpected to us,” said Brandon Pauly, who said he was informed by...”
– I know I have kinda fatalist tendencies, but I can’t help but see the Bennigan’s bankruptcy as some sort of canary in the coalmine for chain-store America. What could be next?
well, there goes the running joke in that 'south...
perpetua:
youcanandyouwill:
All Bennigan’s restaurants have shut their doors nationwide. I’m gonna be honest — I’m getting a little teary at this one.
Not as teary as Jon Stewart — poor guy can’t use his “I night-manage a Bennigan’s” running joke anymore!
“idolator is still around? what the hell year is this?”
– brooklyn vegan commenters: they’re all livin’ at the speed of douchebag.
Point of order for those of you who follow silly Tumblr spats: Sam Yurick, the person behind RaptorAvatar’s Tumblr, has taken my bait challenge, and he’ll be helping me out on Idolator today. I’m excited! Do stop by.
"What a lame-ass book-reader you are!"
katiebakes:
I bought The Black Swan in advance of seeing the author speak at a conference and was greatly disappointed by its redundance. Actually, I have this problem with most meme books.
Having reviewed business books for a living in another life, I can safely say that the point of the “meme book” is to pretty much say the same thing over and over and over and over again for...
Warped Tour nearly broke me. Thank god Katy Perry decided to leave immediately after performing The Big Heterosexist Hit and not play an encore.
Finally, my alcoholism contextualized.
alexbalk:
“Professional blogging is not glitzy or glamorous; why does no one believe this? I have no idea. Seriously, imagine being strapped to a laptop set to explode if you step away from it. Someone is standing over your shoulder pointing a gun at your head, saying ‘Okay, ready, set, go. Be brilliant. Suck less, at least.’ Multiply that by 10 or 12 hours a day, five days a week and that’s...
Don't be a douche (eat at the 'Tucc)
leilacohan:
In case you were wondering, yes I am planning to go to New Jersey tonight to eat at the one New York area outlet of my favorite New England-based regional chain. And yes, I am pretty fucking excited, thank you for asking.
there are definitely a couple on long island, if you ever feel like driving out there. one of them is right by the old roosevelt raceway, which is now a mega-mall...
rendit:
The state of culture, 2008; as seen from the vantage of 1982. I’m sure.
Is Marilyn McCoo wearing one of those headbandy things that I saw all over the place at Pitchfork? The more things change…
“Mike Munoz was simultaneously tapping out a text message and walking to the beer...”
– The Wall Street Journal covers the societal menace of people being idiots injuring themselves because they’re so absorbed by their gadgets. (This is what some might call “thinning the herd.”) Also, it has maybe the best subhed I’ve ever seen.
I started a new Tumblr. (Pretty sure the concept is self-explanatory; it was inspired by Mike Barthel and my own inbox. Come watch as I experiment with tricks of the SEO trade!)
jdel:
Who knew limewire was even still around?
apparently you don’t read the music business pages :)
My friend Dan's Mets Magic Number countdown is... →
BREAKING UPDATES FROM SPAMBOTS
barthel:
“Both Obama And Mccain Claim That They Will Deport Elton John”
And, in a new—and AWESOME—development:
“Madonnas Former Home Destroyed By Jesus”
John Mccain Selects Laura Bush As His Vice President
True Life: I'm Deaf
shorterexcerpts:
sarahchristine:
Watching this right now while packing, getting shit done and it’s so touching. True Life remains the best show on MTV.
Much like the titles “least sartorially-challenged Florida fan” and “smartest cast member of The Real World”, “the best show on MTV” doesn’t really carry that much weight anymore.
I understand this argument. So! I’d like to counter it...
While an ailing economy may bring fewer customers... →
MP3 Blogs vs. Music Blogs: Different Purposes? →
raptoravatar:
maura:
raptoravatar:
MP3 Blogs= Copy & Paste The Band Bio From The Press Kit
Music Blogs= restate 40%-60% of said bio, add 2-5 puns, snark as needed, add insightful comment if you are feeling frisky
ahem. if you’d like to guest on idolator one day and see if your formula is correct, consider this my open invitation, and a hint that the answer may surprise you
...
BREAKING UPDATES FROM SPAMBOTS
barthel:
“Both Obama And Mccain Claim That They Will Deport Elton John”
And, in a new—and AWESOME—development:
“Madonnas Former Home Destroyed By Jesus”
Oh I just got one about a Fabulous Gay Bomb!
MP3 Blogs vs. Music Blogs: Different Purposes? →
raptoravatar:
MP3 Blogs= Copy & Paste The Band Bio From The Press Kit
Music Blogs= restate 40%-60% of said bio, add 2-5 puns, snark as needed, add insightful comment if you are feeling frisky
ahem. if you’d like to guest on idolator one day and see if your formula is correct, consider this my open invitation, and a hint that the answer may surprise you.
“I mean, who really cares about Jarvis Cocker?” one fan was overheard saying.”
– Venus Zine: The aliens land on Pitchfork’s second day, but another foreigner steals the show
Let’s all meet up in the year 2000.
(via offnotesnotes)
Quotes like this break my heart. Someone told me that people were complaining about Jarvis’ showmanship, saying it was “too much”!...
Puzzling.
alexbalk:
Correction of the Day: “Because of a production error, some copies of Wednesday’s paper contain an outdated crossword puzzle and its solution. If you look here first, proceed with caution. If the answer in the solution to one across also appears in the puzzle above it, you have a paper with the wrong crossword. If the solution to one across matches Tuesday’s puzzle, you’re in the clear,...
Unfortunate Cliches Dept.
“Gov. Schwarzenegger said the $200 million program will ‘pump up’ the region’s economy, which has been reeling from escalating foreclosures and declining home values.”
He’s the Hans and/or Franz of distressed California homeowners!
“I just wanted to share these photos with you from the LifeStyles Make-Out Booth,...”
– GMail has seemingly “upgraded” its spam filter, which has resulted in three people telling me “no, I didn’t get your e-mail” today and me picking out about 45 legit messages—including one from Nick Denton—from my spam folder just now. The opening line quoted...
“If you want sushi, we have a sushi menu. If you want Mexican, we’ll have a...”
– Matt Levine Won’t Let You Into the Eldridge Unless You’re His Friend - Grub Street - New York Magazine
Wow, a takeout folder! Way to keep it New York, brah.
(via doree / perpetua)
NYT: Subway Delays Rise, and the No. 4 Line is the... →
leilacohan:
The two subway lines with the least delays? The fucking G and M. Go figure.
I’m going to guess that the G is rarely delayed because IT NEVER RUNS ITS ENTIRE ROUTE.
Christian Siriano to design collection for 'Eloise... →
This will probably work out a lot better than Jeffrey Sebelia’s collaboration with the Bratz movie.
Public Service Announcement
Never, ever, ever buy wireless access at O’Hare. Boingo, which is the official wireless provider of the airport, commits the following sins: while you’re waiting for the login page for 15 minutes, a “chat” window trying to upsell you to its $9.95/month plan (which is jacked up to $21.95/month after three billing cycles) pops up; it forces you to download its little widget...
Best albums of `08 defined by naturalism, rawness... →
therichgirlsareweeping:
Whatever you do, DO NOT READ THIS ARTICLE.
It will cause you to weep bitter, bitter tears about the state of music journalism — hell, journalism in general. Because quoting a band’s MYSPACE PAGE to close out your story is never, ever okay. Even if that band is Firewater.
I know, I know — it’s an AP wire story by a hack, but still! More people are going to read this than...
“I guess we live in a place where being a pragmatist about technology is radical....”
– a paraphrase of what I told someone last night, which I figured was worth commemorating since some tumbletard called me a Luddite because of my wariness toward blogging every waking moment. Is this really what it’s come to? Really?
I’m sitting in a Chicago wine bar marveling at the concept of truffled honey, drinking an amazing Chilean viognier, and watching dozens of Hush Sound fans, all clad in jewel-colored short-sleeved shirts of varying necklines, stretch and plié off the House of Blues’ railing. It’s nice to relax out of town sometimes.
Preemptive Request to All Pitchfork Fest Attendees
pgwp:
Think really hard about whether or not you need to post those pictures to your blog. Is it really a good photograph? Is it really a good photograph? Are you just documenting the event for posterity? So we know you were there? Don’t worry: I know you were there. All I ask, before you clog my rss reader, is that you look at the picture and ask youself: are you putting the pic up because it was...
10 1 / 2 hours after i leave my apartment, i make it to chicago. i’d like to thank max whitney and bill braine for being at the bar serendipitously, the mets for being in FIRST FUCKING PLACE, and stevie nicks for inspiring me to bug everyone to go to karaoke after the show later this evening.
