The Design Disease. While I am by no means a graphic designer AT ALL, I do think I exhibit some of the symptoms of this malady. Bad kerning, fonts, and colours definitely bother me. I have been known to rant about really bad logos (like the new one for Freedom). I definitely pick wine based on the labels, and I’m drawn to books with eye-catching covers. I wouldn’t say I actively collect good design (yet) though…

Walk to Rivendell. What a neat idea! I’m not even that big of a Lord of the Rings fan, but there aren’t that many books where characters take a long journey by foot. So far my Nike+ has recorded 106 miles… which means I’ve just left Tom Bombadil’s house and I’m about to be attacked by Barrow-wights. Greeeeeat. Only another thirty miles to the Prancing Pony though!

How Not to Talk to Your Kids. Wow, that article really rings true for me. I was always the smartest kid in my class in school, but I was never particularly ambitious or energetic towards my studies. I developed a lot of lazy habits and I never really got good study skills. I deliberately avoided doing things that I feared I wouldn’t be good at. (Remember my Hermione Granger experience in ceramics? That’s why I didn’t take any art classes in high school or college.) I dropped out of the Honors Program at ND just so I wouldn’t have to write a thesis my senior year. Nowadays I look at friends who are nuclear physicists and lawyers and artists and I regret that I didn’t push myself harder. Relevant quotes from the accompanying MetaFilter thread:

• “If you skate through school you just might get the impression that you can skate through life.”
• “I felt (and still feel, to some extent) that I was gonna be ‘found out’- that I really didn’t know shit from Shinola.”
• “Self-discipline is built; you aren’t born with it.”

HOLY CRAP. Sydney’s getting an Apple Store! And what’s more – it’s about to be about fifty feet from Tapestry Craft’s back door! I totally need to start taking pictures of the site.

Oh, dear GOD. Pugs in hats. I think this one’s my favorite. (We’re cat people, but I just know the Snook is going to love this. Funny animals crack him up.)

TWoP have posted a Serenity recap and, though the author’s writing style sounds a little weird to me, it’s neat to read about the movie from the point-of-view of a serious Firefly fan.

Pet the Cat. (Link courtesy of my Mom.)

*gasp* I want an NES alarm clock!

Yet another reason why you should keep your cats indoors.

Whoa. Ebert has published his official Oscar predictions, and he’s got some major upsets in there. Well, upsets in the sense that it’s not what my contest entries are predicting. At least we shouldn’t have any ties!