- Sometimes, it’s Not You, or the Math | The New York Times
Word. - Life and Letters: The U.S. Postal Service Ends Next-Day Delivery | The New Yorker
I have mixed feelings about the demise of snail mail – like the future of printed material, I’m still trying to understand my own stand on the matter. - Their Noonday Demons, and Ours | The New York Times
“[Procrastination] probably strikes you as an extremely, even a uniquely, modern problem. Pick up an early medieval monastic text, however, and you will find extensive discussion of all the symptoms listed above, as well as a diagnosis”.More about procrastination – a topic which I am quite interested in – here and here.
- Parenting in Singapore | LIFT: Limpeh is Foreign Talent
“Ironically, one thing she never ‘banned’ from the kitchen was alcohol – there was always some alcohol around and at family gatherings and parties, alcohol would be served. I was exposed to alcohol at an early age and the fascination soon wore off when I realized how bitter it was. But most of all, it was PERMITTED. It was not FORBIDDEN. … That’s why I don’t even bother drinking today”. - Welcome to the Age of Overparenting | Boston Magazine
“In my nine years as a parent, I’ve followed the rules, protocols, and cultural cues that have promised to churn out well-rounded, happy, successful children. I’ve psychoanalyzed my kids’ behavior, supervised an avalanche of activities, and photo-documented their day-to-day existence as if I were a wildlife photographer on the Serengeti. … But lately, I’ve begun to wonder if, by becoming so attuned to their every need and so controlling of their every move, I’ve somehow played a small part in changing the very nature of their childhood”.
Category - Shared Items
- Owner surprised to find cat regularly catches bus | The Telegraph
While it’s quite a cute story, I thought I’d share this more to point out how well the spokesperson for the bus company conveyed the company’s stand:A spokesman for bus firm First said they didn’t mind Dodger on their buses but didn’t actively encourage him.
He said: “The drivers have been asked not to feed it because we recognise that cat has an owner and we do not want to discourage it from returning home for food and shelter, but in principle we do not have a problem with it being around the bus station.
“Given this cat is elderly we suspect it would be eligible for free travel, perhaps a bus puss, if such a thing existed.”
Makes the bus company sound witty and gives it a human face right? That’s why all Singaporean organisations need to work their PR like that.
- How to ‘Age’ Your Wine 5 Years in 20 Seconds: Hyperdecanting | The Blog of Tim Ferriss
Yet another reason to get a hand blender.
- 5 People To Meet When Vetting Potential Significant Others | Thought Catalog
I want to highlight the converse as well i.e. bringing your potential significant other to meet these five people before deciding whether or not you should get together with him or her. Assuming the normality of these people, these people will help you suss out whether or not said significant other is good for you.
- The loneliness of the long-distance panda | Nature
Short story about mechanical panda love. Sounds weird, but it ain’t too different from human love.
- How taxis are turning us into zombies after midnight | S M Ong
“They just zoomed past us and after a while, I realised that the taxis were just going round and round, not picking up passengers. I could recognise some of the taxis… . The streets were really deserted save for us, the walkers. It was like a scene from the TV show The Walking Dead. The taxis were the humans running away from us.”A humorous piece, but on a serious note, that’s why we need another taxi-fare model in Singapore; the current one, with its call-booking surcharges and the like, leave passengers at the mercy of taxi drivers all too often.
- Cupid-friendly site helps aspiring matchmakers pair up their friends | Springwise
This is really awesome!
- Master Grief | The Bygone Bureau
“I’m aware of the irony in wearing a suit of armor that I purchased with the funds from my ex-girlfriend’s engagement ring. There are plenty of psychological diagnoses my friends have pointed out… . They are all wrong, although I’m sure a relationship counselor would agree with them (and also charge me the value of a second suit of Master Chief armor for the privilege)”.
- How to Handle Being Out of Your Depth: 6 Tips from a Con Man | The Art of Manliness
“Every man will experience a scenario like those outlined above at least once in his life. It’s called being out of your depth, and it means that you find yourself in a situation where your skill or knowledge isn’t on [a] par with what’s needed and/or with the rest of the people in the group… . Regardless of how you got into the jam, you’re going to want to make the most of it and minimize the damage”.
- When art breeds success in the bedroom | The Guardian
“Does success as an artist bring you more sexual conquests? Well, yes and no, say researchers”.
- “Who wrote Shakespeare?” by Eric Idle | The New Yorker
This is humour, just in case anyone is inclined to believe otherwise.