I’m not a big fan of Top (whatever number) lists, but this one is worth taking the time to enjoy it: Kon and Amir Present the Top 50 Hip-Hop Samples of All Time. They include 50 incredibly catchy soul tunes that made their way into various hip hop songs. I’m not convinced this will stay around forever, so make yourself a sandwich and get ready to take a detour into an astounding record collection.

Agence Eureka has a lovely collection of cocktail and squash syrup labels (some here) that make me yearn for a genteel garden party with genteel drinks. Here is a recipe for syrop de groseille (might have to wait until currant season) and some cocktails to put it in.

Here is a fun craft activity to try (pretend there are helpful line illustrations like in kids’ magazines), making your own magazine!

1. Start a file in a word processing program that can save as a PDF (yours probably does, take a look under Save As or Export or whatever).
2. Every time you run across an interesting looking article online that you don’t have time to finish now, copy and paste it into that file.
3. When you have a good bunch of stuff there, turn it into a PDF.
4. Turn that PDF into a booklet with BookletCreator.
5. Print it out (double sided, flip short side).
6. Fold in half and staple.

This makes an awesome purse/man satchel sized magazine! Tips based on my own various mistakes:
Make sure you set “result sheet size” to Letter in BookletCreator, or to whatever size paper you have. Leaving it on Auto made it look funky.
Make sure you get all pages of the article on those web sites that break them up into pieces. It can be disappointing to run out of article when you read your magazine on the bus.
Make sure you have the article title marked out clearly if you end up losing some formatting, it’s nice to reset your brain for a new article.
Bonus points for making a nice cover.

“In the health area, over 80 percent of the users said they made a change in their diet after using library computers,” Crandall said, adding that he did not know whether the changes were permanent.

“One-third of Americans use library computers” Seattle Times, Wednesday, March 24, 2010

After the Sounders game (Go Sounders!) I was in the parking garage and saw a car that really slammed into the bumper of the car next to it while pulling out of a parking space. Since the car at fault did not stop to leave information, I wrote down their license number and left it and my name and number on the damaged car. I got a call today from the owner of that damaged car, confused about my note. Why? BECAUSE SOMEONE TORE THE NOTE, REMOVING THE INCRIMINATING LICENSE NUMBER!!!! Unluckily for criminals everywhere, I still had the number in my purse. Hah!

But next time I’m just going to call the State Patrol.

From the same book as previous:

The table [of causes of pauperism] suggests also that insanity, epilepsy, paralysis, syphilis, lameness, and general wreck are conditions especially associated with bad habits, and that deafness, blindness, rheumatism, and cancer are associated with absence of bad habits.

(I especially like the category “general wreck.” That’s what I’m shooting for.)

Causes of Pauperism:
Intemperance
Drug habit
Immorality
Shiftlessness and inefficiency
Crime
Temper
Stinginess
Speculation
Neglect by relatives
No support
Accident
Sickness
Physical defect
Mental deficiency
Insanity
Old age

From Almshouse women: a study of two hundred and twenty-eight women in the city and county almshouse of San Francisco by Mary Roberts Coolidge. Stanford University, Cal.: Published by The University, 1896. p. 29.

A very amusing collection of Kim Jong-il’s visits to various industrial sites with a hilariously dry introduction. For maximum enjoyment, watch for his, er, limited sartorial choices.

I got these new headphones that block out external sound, and the instructions had the usual warning about not wearing them when you drive, but also had this howler, with accompanying diagram:
“Be sure to ensure that there is continuous audio signal to the headphones to ensure that you are not left alone in silence with the horror of your own thoughts!”

The toothbrush fence (as mentioned in Flight of the Conchords).