Who is he? Paraguayan soccer player for Hércules C.F. in Spain Where you’ve heard of him: If you follow Spanish soccer or watched the World Cup This will probably be the first and last time you hear of Nelson Haedo Valdez because, well, he plays soccer, and we live in the United States. This past…
Archives for 2010
Kids Today: Drunk-Emailing President Obama
Most of us have been there. Looking through last night’s list of drunk dials, texts, or emails in horror and shame—but not many of these transgressions have international implications. Luke Angel, a 17-year old from Bedfordshire, England, however, was banned from the U.S. forever after he shot off a drunken, expletive-laden message to the White…
Photo of the Day: Wine Vending Machines
Self-service wine tanks have arrived in French supermarkets.
The Onion Reports: Obama Releases 500,000 Good Men From U.S. Strategic Bachelor Reserve
The Onion News Network hilariously hypothesizes a world where President Obama has a secret underground facility filled with a stockpile of highly trained “good men” skilled in the arts of noticing new haircuts, foot massages, and vegetable gardening (for creating homemade pasta sauces.) The supply is rumored to include smart men who don’t spend all…
3-D Printing Might Just Change the World
Have you ever wanted to be able click a button, print out a hamburger, and eat it for lunch? That day might be fast approaching. The New York Times is reporting on the rise and boom of the 3-D printer. While no companies are printing out food just yet, they’re making things like expensive furniture, prosthetic…
Everyone Is on the ‘Down Low’ These Days
(I’m often asked what has happened to a particular person, or trend, that I’ve written about in The New York Times Magazine. People want to know what happened to the transgender middle-schooler, M., who was secretly living as a boy. Or they want to know how the young gay married couples I profiled are doing…
"Cyberpunk Tabloid Journalism Comes of Age"
Steve Jobs as Darth Vader. Al Gore as a sex-crazed poodle. Rupert Murdoch as a West Side Story gang member. These are among the baffling (though extremely entertaining) animations produced by Next Media, an animation company that has begun distributing its syndicated animations of twisted news stories to legitimate news sources for nearly a year…
Study of the Day: Video Games Make Better Drivers
We may have finally discovered the cure for parental anxiety over teenage driving. No, it’s not Xanax, Prozac, or any other kind of human tranquilizer. It’s video games. A recent study from scientists at the University of Rochester, published in Current Biology, reveals that video gamers have better reaction times than non-gamers, making them better…
Some Things You Probably Didn't Know About Baseball
Discover Magazine put together a fascinating compilation of science-backed baseball facts. (You can check the gallery out here.) Here’s a preview: Timing your team’s sleep patterns could make a big difference. (Evidently, the Yankees should sign night owls and the Cubs should stick to early risers.) Lefties may have a scientifically proven leg up in…
The Curveball, Part IV: Wow!
The fourth in a six-part series chronicling the birth of Michelle and Dennis Teravainen’s second child, August, who was born with Down’s syndrome.
The World is as Insane as Ever
In the latest installment of “Love, Recorded,” Matt and Cathreen go to a renaissance fair. Geekery ensues.
The News—Republican Fervor in the Primaries, and Some Tennis History Making
Good morning, gentlemen. Here’s what’s on your good feed this Tuesday morning… Republicans Prove Enthusiasm in Primaries The primaries are over, folks, and this is what we know: The GOP may have suffered through internal battles between establishment incumbents and extreme Tea Party-esque challengers, but more Republicans came to the polls, which could mean bad…
Man of the Day: Brian Wood
Who is he? Computer-gaming designer from North Vancouver Where you’ve heard of him: Today’s news This guy’s story may have been filed under the saccharine “heroes and angels” portion of msnbc.com (which would normally make my teeth hurt a little), but what he did was extraordinary… heroic and angelic, one might say. Wood, a 33…
Good Men Picks: Ravens or Jets?
In a new series we’re calling “Good Men Picks,” we will be picking sporting events based on which team a good man should root for. For the innagural edition, I break down tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup between the New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens. New York Jets Case For: It’s hard not to…
Photo of the Day
Photo by Stephen Sheffield.
Anger Stimulates Creativity. Who Knew?
“Don’t make me angry… you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry…” Or maybe you would. According to a study at the University of Amsterdam, some people are actually creatively inspired by disapproval and acts of anger… a sort of intellectual S&M. The Incredible Hulk may have just been the wrong personality type. Researchers asked study…