just links

1. An article by my dad about a reunion organized by my friend for alumni of my grade school.

2. On why the plot of World War II is ridiculous.

3. "That annoying car is being stolen. Hooray."

4. Star Wars in a subway car

5. Cardboard Warfare. Impressive.

6. What famous writer do you write like?

7. How cheap is ruining our lives - Apart from some swearing, this article is dead-on.

I'm no stranger to the allure of rock-bottom prices. My usual response to a compliment on my dress is to proudly blurt how much I paid for it. So why not go out and get that $2 camisole? It's Friday, after all. I could go out tonight, drip grease from a Taco Bell $2 Meal Deal all over it with abandon, rip it off later in the throes of Gordita Supreme-induced passion, throw the damn thing away, and just toss on a brand-new $2 cami in the morning. OK, that actually does sound like a pretty awesome $6 kickoff to the weekend, but it can't be good. Who made that $2 shirt? And what the hell goes into a $2 meal -- puppy blood and child labor?

.....

But I'm tired of throwing junk away. Tired of feeling like the expiration date on my clothes and toasters gets shorter and shorter every time I replace something. And while I know that spending $7,000 on a Viking range is a not-going-to-happen-in-my-lifetime experience, I'm sure I don't want to spend $268 on one from Sears that I'll have to throw out next year. Not everything needs to be a Buddhist-level lesson in the transience of life and the need for non-attachment, a cue for a "... I just bought this!" This winter I purchased a mid-century steel tanker desk for about the cost of a new one from Staples. Everything on top of it is less than 5 years old. It's dinged up and a little ugly. And someday, I'm giving it to my daughter.

8. "The New Man in Charge" is an epilogue to LOST that will appear on the DVD!