http://ms.smartypantsknowitall.com Adventures in Information Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:01:32 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Top Gear from the BBC It's not a surprise that a British accent and a British sensibility can improve almost anything. But since when do I care about high-performance automobiles? Truthfully, I don't. But these guys do. And enthusiasm is even more ingratiating than a British accent. I love watching ... http://ms.smartypantsknowitall.com/archives/190 The label "The Clone Wars" has always confused me. Victors get to name wars so "The Clone Wars" makes it sound like the Republic is fighting clones. Instead, they are fighting with cloned soldiers, which makes the name of the war non-standard and in my opinion, really dumb. That's just ... http://ms.smartypantsknowitall.com/archives/189 Sorry, London. Your presentation was lame. Remember China's presentation during the Athen closing ceremonies? After the classic and austere white of Athens, China came bursting in with acrobats and lion dancers. The performers shot vivid reds and golds into the pasty monochrome of the Greek infield. And with that performance, people ... http://ms.smartypantsknowitall.com/archives/188 First, congratulations to the US Women's National Soccer Team for upsetting the strong Brazilians for Olympic gold. I was among the doubters, but the team came through. Julie Foudy impressed me with her sideline reporting. She actually listened to the answers and built follow-ups based on them. Imagine that! Now about ... http://ms.smartypantsknowitall.com/archives/187 This past weekend, the boyfriend and I checked out the brand new The Raven street festival in Chase Park (corner of Clark and Leland). It was obviously a brand new event because the kinks were not all worked out yet. Still, that's what made it feel so different. Everyone was ... http://ms.smartypantsknowitall.com/archives/184 Browsing through Office Max one day, I couldn't help but notice all the back-to-school supplies by Schoolio von Hoolio. It's obviously a fussied-up generic brand from Office Max, but … seriously? Schoolio von Hoolio? http://ms.smartypantsknowitall.com/archives/182 The boyfriend and I both have several pieces by Chicago artist Naomi Martinez. Her new website just went live so please browse around if you can. Her work often has a fanciful, urban-adventurous quality. They capture city life at magical times. She says she's inspired by Japanese animation, and I think you ... http://ms.smartypantsknowitall.com/archives/181 I was obviously in the wrong when I questioned the chances of the US Women's Soccer team to score a medal in the Olympics. On the one hand, it's good that their games are carried live. On the other hand though, it means they air too early for me to ... http://ms.smartypantsknowitall.com/archives/180 Sometimes books need to find you at the right times. I had read The Catcher in the Rye twice before. It's never connected. I was confused about what I was not getting. This time, I finally understand its vaunted status in American literature. This book can mean and symbolize all sorts ... http://ms.smartypantsknowitall.com/archives/179 What an exciting day for US Olympic athletes. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh survived a scare. James Blake upset Roger Federer. The swimmers were simply awesome. Nastia Luikin and Shawn Johnson finished with clutch performances. And these are just the performances that I saw. Watching the Olympics this year, I have to ... http://ms.smartypantsknowitall.com/archives/178