iPalimpsest

Apocalyptic movies where a meteor is headed straight for the Earth, or the Earth's core stops spinning, or there's some other huge natural disaster, usually start with these scenes where weird things happen. Like, a bunch of people with pacemakers all die at the same time, or birds all fly into car windshields, or it rains frogs.

In December, we went rollerblading down the West Side Highway, like it was summertime. I figured it was some weird warm front, the kind that's usually followed by a lot of snow... there was no snow.

And then a few days ago, I noticed these kids on a basketball court all playing in their shorts and t-shirts, not even wearing sweaters.

It was like a scene in a movie where this really weird thing happens. We should all be wondering why it's so warm, and maybe there should be a 24-hour weather alert, like the terror alert, where we stop everything and all try to figure out why it's so hot!

Posted by kate at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Donorboy, a YA novel by Brendan Halpin, is about this girl whose two moms die, and custody goes to her sperm donor. Like that movie from the '80s, Three men and a baby, Donorboy is all about the adventures of this man who inherits a child, this one in her teens, and he's got no idea what's in store. It's told mostly through email messages and journal entries. It touches on LGBT issues, but it's really about this teen's loss, and creating a new family.

I've been quite amazed lately, at the number and quality of YA books with LGBT themes. I don't think this was the case when I was a teen! I still remember Ellen's first TV kiss! Times have changed, for the good.

Posted by kate at 9:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fully functional, and ribbed for her pleasure.

The monkey button is from Point.

1) Cast on straight needles enough stiches for a 3-inches wide-rectangle. Knit in stockinette for about 2.5 inches. Remember to put in a button hole.
2) Move the rectangle onto double-pointed or round needles and cast on the amount of stiches you used before, plus another one or two sitches. So, if you cast on 12 stiches before, you'd have those 12, plus another 12, plus 2, for a total of 26. Switch to k2,p2 (maybe change this depending on how thick your yarn is), and continue ribbing until the tube part is about 7 inches long.
3) Cast off/ finish the bottom. I used the three-needle bind off.
4) Sew on monkey button.

Posted by kate at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In this month's New York magazine, in New York on $10 a day, Jardine Libaire, in addition to having the coolest name ever and bearing a striking resemblance to Patricia Arquette (imho) says "the library is happening" after seeing a free movie at Donnell.

Posted by jenny at 9:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The founders of City Bakery are opening up a new bakery with a lot of the same products, but with a different design focus. All design elements of the bakery are green, down to the hemp uniforms of the waitstaff. They even use the cork flooring that we've been eyeing for our kitchen. Instead of the milk protein paint they could've gone with Ecos paint, but I love the denim and bamboo counter. You can see it here, after the annoying Star Wars intro-esque Flash animation.

Posted by jenny at 9:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The new Bronx Library Center opened yesterday! It's wireless, has over a hundred computers for public use, a computer training center, teen area, toddler storytime area (complete with comfortable, colorful toddler-sized furniture), great glass windows and tons of books!

You can visit the Bronx Library Center, and then return your books to any branch in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island (85 branches to choose from). If you can't get your book (or video, CD, CD-ROM or other media) back in time, just renew it online or by phone.

The Bronx Library Center (and many other NYPL libraries) also have self-check out stations. You no longer need to wait on lines to check out your items. You can also schedule your computer appointment online.

Posted by kate at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"So how about it, friends? Who among you has a library card?"

Thanks David!

Jenny and I have been cardholders (* current cardholders) in the following cities:

*New York, NY (Jenny and Kate)
Chicago, IL (Jenny)
Grinnell, IA (Kate)
St. Paul, MN (Jenny and Kate)
Provincetown, MA (Kate)
Champaign, IL (Jenny, Kate)
San Francisco, CA (Jenny, Kate)
Paris, France (Jenny's pass to the Bibliotheque Nationale)

Posted by kate at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

"I wonder how Bloomberg got that money anyway?"
"Thug! Thug! I'm no thug. People working hard for their money. I'm driving a bus. I've been driving a bus. I'm no thug."

My bus driver was angrily chatting with this other guy wearing an MTA uniform of some sort, who was sitting behind him.

On their Local 100 website, it looks like the members vote January 20th.

Posted by kate at 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We recently noticed visitors to our apartment are regularly impressed (good? bad?) by our oven-- it's the original for the apartment (which was built in 1961), and after yet another visitor asked us yesterday, "does it really still work?" I found this article listing ovens as lasting an average 20 years. Our oven turns 45 this year! It's true. It's really, really old for an oven.

On the flip end, a fridge is supposed to last 18-20 years, and our last one didn't quite make it. We replaced that one last June, when it was about 15-17 years old.

Posted by kate at 6:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)