Weekend Reading

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  • Why do the British say ‘sorry’ so much?
    It is probably the most over-used word in the United Kingdom: whether they are sorry about the weather or sorry because someone else has bumped into them, chances are your average Briton has blurted out at least one apology in the past hour or two.
    Obviously I’m sorry I am posting this given that you all probably feel like you should read it now, yeah, sorry about that.
  • Your Letters Helped Challenger Shuttle Engineer Shed 30 Years Of Guilt
    When NPR reported Bob Ebeling’s story on the 30th anniversary of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, hundreds of listeners and readers expressed distress and sympathy in letters and emails.
    I can’t even imagine what he must’ve gone through. Such a public catastrophe must weigh heavy.
  • Nina Simone, and the Black American Woman
    In 1966, Simone made a dramatic, public change, one that would prove pivotal in redefining her image and her role as a cultural leader. Her archivist and friend Roger Nupie tracked this revolutionary new look with a more regal bearing on- and offstage.
    Great story of an amazing artist becoming a true icon.
  • Why it took Starbucks 45 years to announce a store in Italy
    Starbucks is preparing to take up one of its biggest challenges yet: opening its first store in Italy, the birthplace of the espresso.
    I wonder how many double shot, soy milk, no foam cappucinos they’ll sell?
  • Facebook Reactions are a gift to advertisers and law enforcement alike
    Facebook’s new “Reactions” – a thumbs-up, a heart and four faces with expressions ranging from mirth to shock, sadness and anger – are intended to help users better express their responses to posts.
    This shouldn’t be a surprise, and I don’t think Facebook is evil, just that the machinations behind the scenes are rarely considered by the majority of the people who use it everyday.
  • Photos of the Glasgow High-Rises That Are About to Disappear
    Urban planning in Glasgow, Scotland, has never suffered from a lack ambition. When post-war zeal dictated that the infamous slum of the city was to be torpedoed in the late 1960s and 1970s, there were mass scale demolitions.
    A bit of local history, learn something new every day.
  • 50 Extraordinary Photos From One Year in Space
    Some 340 days ago, astronaut Scott Kelly arrived at the International Space Station to begin his 11-month mission to explore and help document the effects of longterm spaceflight on the human body.
    Dear everyone, look at these, our planet is stunning, amazing and we really should be fighting harder to keep it that way.
  • Spotify is using 50,000 anonymous hipsters to find your next favorite song
    Spotify’s personalized Discover Weekly playlist has won millions of fans with its uncanny ability to find music based on your musical preferences. But what if you’re tired of the music that it feeds you?
    I’ve tried these other playlists, much more hit and miss but then, that’s the point!
  • The Unlikely Birth of the Beloved Zamboni
    The boxy four-wheeled contraption is not particularly graceful. It does one job, night after night, intermission after intermission.
    You might not recognise the name, but you know what a Zamboni is… and no, it’s not an Italian pastry.
  • Twitter Has Become a Park Filled With Bats and Perverts
    A few days ago, I decided to stop using Twitter. Until recently I tweeted a few times a day — mostly to tell jokes, and to promote my work as a journalist and television writer. I’ve been using it since 2009, and have amassed about 170,000 followers. I like Twitter.
    Spot on analogy, but fails to answer the key question, who is batman?
  • Goodbye to curtains and clutter: how we learned to​ ​buy​​ less stuff
    From books and DVDs to furniture and food, Britons are buying fewer material goods. But will freeing ourselves from consumerism make us happier?
    Yes. Well, maybe. Mostly. OK, it might, a bit. Depends. Sorry.
  • The 6 Healthy Food Trends You Should Be Trying Right Now
    When it comes to eating healthier, some of us try to set some easy-to-keep food resolutions at the start of the year. Others go for some healthy comfort food recipes.
    Because trends are ALWAYS the best thing to follow, right?
  • Harvard researchers discovered the one thing everyone needs for happier, healthier lives
    My grandmother once told me this little story that stuck with me. One afternoon at a doctor’s appointment, her doctor moved her large purse to another chair and remarked how heavy it was. “You must be very rich,” he said to her. “I am,” she said affirmatively.
    My gran once told me about flirting with American soldiers at a dance. This article is nothing to do with that though, it just popped into my head.