June 2008
“Fourteen years of higher education and a handful of Ivy League dees, and there I...”
– Ring familiar, anyone?
The Disadvantages of an Elite Education, by William Deresiewicz, from this month’s The American Scholar (interestingly titled on the front-cover of the magazine “Why Ivy-Leaguers Can’t Think”) is a must-read.
Now, I know: there’re lots of great...
Private School Rejects →
caro:
Another frustrated parent says she “had to use personal connections” to get her Dalton-educated daughter, who had an A-minus average and near-perfect SAT scores, into Johns Hopkins this fall. She says: “The consensus is that the school took its eye off what it’s supposed to be about”—that is, getting kids into Ivy League schools or, more specifically, the holy trifecta of Harvard, Yale and...
youngmanhattanite:
Rex has started chronicling his “self-loathing” New York conversations and microtheories. I know “certain people” will HATE it but, like anything worth despising these days, that’s an honor and largely by design. He warned you. I’m the rare “him” in this one and I would just like to reiterate that none of “this” matters.
It’s not that I “hate” it. I just think...
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Quiet Reflection
Thursday and Friday’s tribute to Will Leitch on Deadspin says quite a bit about quite a lot.
Trend spotting
Presented without comment.
cajunboy:
I’ve noticed lately that Ayn Rand quotes are beginning to outnumber pet pics on my Tumblr dashboard.
On a related note, Ayn Rand was, by and large, full of shit.
Will Leitch is honored....by The Smoking Gun →
@ THE THEATRE: TOP GIRLS
99 (his real name) and I had our monthly gaydate: Top Girls @ MTC. Sometimes, I gotta say, when I’m wrong: I’m wrong.
I was lucky enough to see this from the third row of the Biltmore last night. I think it’s up until Sunday, but it needs to be said: if you can get a ticket, go. Now. It’s smart, hysterical, heartbreaking, and has an all-women ensemble that very well...
maura:
For me, PYT is a close second to “Wanna...
The roasting of Will Leitch...
katiebakes:
cajunboy:
…is the funniest thing going on the Internet right now.
Man, that Bill Simmons piece has a STRONG undercurrent of raging bitterness, no?
While Leitch hyperventilates into a paper bag for the rest of the afternoon, AJ and I, Drew Magary, will be your Roastmasters, bringing you tributes from various luminaries in the sports blogoverse: bloggers, reporters, some choice...
Hey, Gessen: Praise Be Howard Beale.
I don’t have your email, otherwise, I would. Here’s mine: CumberlandProjects@Gmail.com. You want to talk, let’s talk. My name is Foster Ethan Kamer (“FEK”). I’m 23. And I actually paid for your book. Okay, not true. I got a galley. But I took the time to read it.
Bring it.
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My Girlfriend Is Leaving New York For A Year In...
“Now you have something to do when I’m gone. You’re going to hang out with bloggers. You’re going to find some hot, slutty blog chick. A slog.”
Drop Out Of School Now
Somebody just made the point to me that this may make me look anti-advice. Which I’m not. I’d just rather get my grinds from someone who isn’t totally otherwise full of shit (and while they’re at it, has some modicum of respect for their listener, which…he’s…sorely lacking in..to say the least).
Speaking of which, read Carney’s post on dropping out....
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youth guff
keithgessen:
I’ve been getting a lot of guff from the youth recently. It’s been a regular guffathon really. Just guff guff guff.
Oh, youth. “Inscrutable youth,” as Elif says, “with your enormous sweatshirts and tiny telephones…” And your three published lines of poetry, your day jobs, your bright fresh faces, your future masterpieces—how haughty you are! How condescending.
Well let me tell you...
“But so many people have constructed their careers in a plastic bubble, where...”
– Via Deadspin/Leitch, Someone Hates You Online. Try Not To Be Offended.
Okay, you've all lost all credibility with me...
caro:
katiebakes:
The reason I win exemption status from Katie? Via email:
Just because Carney tried really hard to play the “Chasing Amy” hand with the “artistic” girls in college doesn’t mean you need to know who Liz Phair is.
The Cure - “Disintegration”
As...
Things I'm Not Okay With
A Facebook friend request…from my mom.
In defense of Ice-T: it’s Soulja Boy.
Now, the obligatory YAHHHHHH!
youngmanhattanite:
Ouroboros on Hunger Strike. Did you know you can’t import a Tumblr feed into another Tumblr? There goes that plan.
You could always just hand me the keys to the car, Boss. Promise I’ll bring it back washed and everything.
ninety9:
Topix Kids Wire: News for kids!
ninety9:
Dude, did you get the Following Starter Kit for Assholes with that account?
What do you think? It came free of charge, with all the filler taken out.
The official statement on Twitter, from the management.
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WatchYes, it’s Vampire Weekend - or as they’re better known around these parts, “Keith Gessen For Your Ears” - and their new video for “Oxford Comma.” I’m sure you can venture to guess as to how I feel about these guys, so, why post the video? My roommate is in it! 2:08, third guitarist from the right. He presumably gets shot and put out of his video-ho misery...
Breaking! Justin Rocket Silverman says girls have tattoos, and they’re called “tats” for short!
In other news, mustaches are cool again and people in New York have shitty apartments. Now tell us, this Williamsburg place: young people live there, no?
sarazucker:
yeah, basically all of that is true. thanks for the tip, jessica.
I can’t say I like this game.
The Non-Obligatory Follow-Up To The Girl Talk Post
1. Katie, via Friday afternoon email: “what is this thing i keep reading about on rex’s blog: girl talk?” What’s the opposite of FAIL? WIN? Katie: WIN.
2. A much angrier arguement on the artistic merit of Girl Talk is here, and I suggest you leave your notes for them there: I don’t have the time to go into it, but they make some mediocre points (in the posted...
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The Obligatory Girl Talk Post
Yes, we all know, the new Girl Talk is out. Three points must be made whenever talking about the new Girl Talk album:
It’s on the pay-what-you-want model that was “pioneered by Radiohead.”
The cover is cool.
It’s “fucking awesome” (or some variation on retarded hyperbole like that).
So I guess I could wrap shit up right here and be fine, complete with some...
ninety9:
The Replacements reminded me how old I...
boringloser:
pauliophonic:
Saves The Day -...
The Cajun Boy on: "Vulnerability."
cajunboy:
I got the feeling that if I wanted to I could walk right up to this dog and punch him squarely in his big stupid face, and there’d be nothing he could do about it because he was in the middle of dumping out his guts.
I won’t repost the rest of this if only because he deserves any pageviews he might get for it. For better or worse. Confirmed: this man is absolutely capable of a...
Jealous bitches. You can not haz Belvedere + Cheezburger.
Watchjeffbaum:
jerryyeti:
What happens when a switch pitcher meets a switch hitter? It happened last night at the Brooklyn Cyclones/Staten Island Yankees game. A BASEBALL MOBIUS STRIP!
This happened a million years ago in the majors. I think the pitch, by rule, is supposed to stick to a hand. My question is why this pitcher acts so pissed. He’s the weirdo. Hasn’t he ever faced a switch hitter...
Ain't no party once we crash the party.
hitsong:
And it’s not a successful night if you don’t wake up the next morning feeling like you brushed your teeth with a cheeseburger. And if your pee isn’t the color and consistency of maple syrup.
Somehow Fek got us on the VIP list for this Radar party, which was held at a club that touts its “privacy” and “hotel-esque amenities.” The gimmick is the small rooms with curtains that you pay...
Ugh. Fucking Radar party. I spent all night sweating out vodka and citrus. I smelled like death this morning. What the fuck did we eat last night? What was that?
All I have to say about Room Service: “SEMTEX.”
“Led by the unstoppable Alex Balk, Radar’s Web site has been doing some excellent...”
– MediaBistro hits the nail on the head in their description of the performance of RADAR the last few weeks/month, especially considering the constraints that Balk’s been under with little-to-no staff as we refill the spots left by Tyler leaving and other people focusing on other things/trying less...
youngmanhattanite:
Required Bloghaus Reading: How the Other Half Hamptons
Brian, is that you? He gave you a login?
Who was it that said something about no man being an island? John Dunn, John Donne, Juan Don, John Dunbar? Anyway. They weren’t talking about The Boss.
“Somewhere in North Dakota, there is a town called Owl that isn’t there....”
– The new Chuck Klosterman book sounds like the fucking worst thing ever written.
David Bowie - Rebel, Rebel