Weekend Reading

  • The True Story Of The Fake Zombies, The Strangest Con In Rock History
    Chris White shakes his head and laughs when I show him the first photo.
    Couldn’t happen today, could it?
  • DOD continues quest to make “Iron Man” exosuit for special ops
    At this week’s Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) cracked the door open a bit on its Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) program—an attempt to create a powered, armored exoskeleton for use by special operations forces 
    But who will be Jarvis?
  • The complete guide to fasting diets
    At first, skipping meals, may sound like just another celebrity fad diet. Indeed, Jimmy Kimmel swears by a version of it. But non-celebrities have had great success with brief periods of fasting, also known as intermittent eating.
    Beginning to wonder if the key is to learn to listen to your body?
  • Doctors put overweight patients on a path to failure by focusing on shedding pounds
    One night a few years ago, Emma Lewis sprained her ankle. She had spent the evening dancing, then walked several miles home wearing what she calls “slightly inadvisable shoes.” The next morning, Lewis went to see her doctor. But her damaged ankle was not his main concern.
    What’s that? I’m trying to lose weight you say? Nope. Trying to be healthy.
  • The books that critics say you should read this summer
    There’s a new wave of books coming out now in time for summer reading for those of us in the northern hemisphere, with a mix of familiar names and debut authors who are worth paying attention to. Annie Proulx, Stephen King, and Dave Eggers are among the veterans releasing new works.
    More books I won’t read, I have so many…
  • American Hunger
    On the night of February 25, 1964, Cassius Clay entered the ring in Miami Beach wearing a short white robe, “The Lip” stitched on the back. He was fast, sleek, and twenty-two. But, for the first time in his life, and the last, he was afraid.
    Many accounts of this amazing man, this is one of my favourites.
  • My Dinner With Ali

    Another tribute to the legend.

  • ‘The Fight’s Over, Joe’
    It is always the punch a fighter does not see that hurts the most, and the little girl was so sweet and innocent-looking, standing shyly at her mother’s side, that there was no way Joe Frazier could have seen it coming. 
    The flip side of living in the shadow of a personality like Ali.
  • Novak Djokovic’s Chase Of Tennis Records Is Speeding Up
    Novak Djokovic isn’t just chasing the records of his sport’s all-time greats. He’s accelerating in his pursuit. After winning his first French Open title on Sunday, Djokovic holds all four major titles at the same time, the first man to do so since Rod Laver in 1969.
    I watched the French Open, the man is class.
  • You Can Soon Buy a Melon With Hello Kitty’s Face Grown Onto The Surface
    What’s better than a cantaloupe? A cantaloupe with Hello Kitty’s face branded into the side, of course. Three hundred of these rare cat fruits are slowly ripening in Hokkaido, Japan, in advance of their July harvest date
    Reason #362 why I love Japan
  • Why smart homes are still so dumb
    In the wake of the resignation of Tony Faddell, the founder of smart thermostat maker Nest, the future is looking cloudy not only for the smart thermostat maker, but the broader smart home business as well.
    My only fear is that my smart home will be smarter than me 
  • ​​​​​​​Why Some People Find Crowded Cities Relaxing—And Others Don’t
    Nature is frequently prescribed as a way for anxious folks to soothe their elevated emotions. Over at The Atlantic, James Hamblin has written about the rise of eco-therapy: doctors endorsing the healing effects of spending time outdoors.
    And what about people like me, sometimes I do, sometimes BURN IT TO THE GROUND!!
  • Arctic tern makes longest ever migration – equal to flying twice around the planet
    Tiny bird flies 59,650 miles from its breeding grounds in Farne Islands in the UK to Antarctica and back again, clocking the longest ever migration recorded A tiny bird from the Farne Islands off Northumberland has clocked up the longest migration ever recorded.
    Yes, I watch Springwatch. What of it?
  • Duncan Jones went through personal hell while making Warcraft — and survived
    One of the first things you notice about Duncan Jones is that he loves to laugh. Sometimes it’s a self-deprecating chuckle, others a full-throated guffaw. While I’m waiting to sit down with the 45-year-old director at a studio space in Burbank, California, I can hear his roar from rooms away.
    The director of Moon, son of David Bowie.
  • Online Reviews? Researchers Give Them a Low Rating
    Botto Bistro is far from the worst restaurant in America. But it doesn’t mind if you think so. A small Italian place in a strip mall across the bay from San Francisco, Botto is just a few miles from my house. The other night, I packed up the family and headed off for dinner.
    One for my Yelp friends!
  • Another Benefit to Being Tall: Increased Productivity
    There are many benefits to being tall: more Tinder swipes, an ability to reach the top shelf, and best of all, a higher salary. Tall people get an additional $789 a year in earnings for every extra inch, one study found.
    I stopped reading at “more Tinder swipes”…