It was impossible to determine what had gotten Starivoitova killed, precisely because her standing as an enemy of the system had made her a marked woman, a doomed one. I had been to many war zones, I had worked under shrapnel fire, but this was the most frightening story I ever had to write: never before had I been forced to describe a reality so emotionless and cruel, so clear and so merciless, so corrupt and so utterly void of remorse.

Within a few years, all of Russia would be living inside this reality. How that came to be is the story I will tell in this book.

The Man Without a Face
reading-thoughts: edwardspoonhands: Not Iambic….Do Not Accept… These tags I’ll pop, and boast in rhyming versethat what I wear puts swagger in my gait;though twenty shillings have I in my purse,my self-esteem and manhood both inflatewhen lofty furs I purchase for a cent.Thy grandpa’s clothes are worthy salvage, thoughthey smell a trifle musty. Still, I spentmuch less to dress myself from head to toe. To save or not to save? The question’s moot.I’ll never give my coin to high-street crooks.These dusty shelves will yield their hidden lootto those, like me, more frugal in their looks.Like ancient coins washed up on distant shores,I’ll find my treasures in these thrifty stores.      - Macklemore, “Thrift Shoppe” And in iambic pentameter. Impressive.
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reading-thoughts:

edwardspoonhands:

Not Iambic….Do Not Accept…

These tags I’ll pop, and boast in rhyming verse
that what I wear puts swagger in my gait;
though twenty shillings have I in my purse,
my self-esteem and manhood both inflate
when lofty furs I purchase for a cent.
Thy grandpa’s clothes are worthy salvage, though
they smell a trifle musty. Still, I spent
much less to dress myself from head to toe.

To save or not to save? The question’s moot.
I’ll never give my coin to high-street crooks.
These dusty shelves will yield their hidden loot
to those, like me, more frugal in their looks.
Like ancient coins washed up on distant shores,
I’ll find my treasures in these thrifty stores.
     - Macklemore, “Thrift Shoppe”

And in iambic pentameter. Impressive.

Source: humortrain

micropolisnyc:

The NYT’s front-page photo of Alex Rodriguez was shot on an iPhone in the Yankee’s locker room bathroom.

Professional photographer Nick Laham, seen above, said he hadn’t planned on shooting w/ his iPhone, but now Getty Images is licensing his entire Instagram series — of A-Rod, Jeter, Teixeira, Sabathia, et al — on its website. 

Image of photographer and A-Rod from FStoppers.

(via wnyc)

Source: micropolisnyc

A supercut of all of Woody Allen’s stammers, clocking in at a whopping 45 minutes. I sent this to a friend and got this in response: 

I just realized that I have been mistaking telling people that I love “Woody Allen” movies for years, when what I really have been meaning to say is that I love “Mel Brooks” movies.

I’ve never seen a Woody Allen movie, and after that I don’t feel like seeing one either

poortaste: George Orwell Probably not Orwell, but an interesting debate on where that quote came from: http://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/01/20/news-suppress/ Also it’s distractingly idealistic to think that all journalism is something someone doesn’t want printed. Good journalism is more important than that - it’s what someone didn’t even know they didn’t want printed. 
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poortaste:

George Orwell

Probably not Orwell, but an interesting debate on where that quote came from: http://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/01/20/news-suppress/

Also it’s distractingly idealistic to think that all journalism is something someone doesn’t want printed. Good journalism is more important than that - it’s what someone didn’t even know they didn’t want printed. 

(via rubenfeld)

Source: poortaste

Why did Ben Affleck thank Canada?Mr Affleck’s expression of gratitude was a carefully considered olive branch in his spat with Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador in Tehran at the time, over the film’s portrayal of Canada’s role. In “Argo”, the American CIA agent played by Mr Affleck devises a plan to pass off the six Americans as a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a fake movie, and co-ordinates almost all the necessary logistics to secure their escape. According to Mr Taylor, the execution of the plot was primarily Canada’s handiwork: he himself bought the plane tickets for the group and arranged for their transport to the Tehran airport. Jimmy Carter, America’s president at the time, has lent support to Mr Taylor’s account. On February 21st he said that “90% of the contributions to the ideas and the consummation of the plan was Canadian”—albeit with the disclaimer that he thought “Argo” was a great drama and deserved an Oscar. (via Canada and Hollywood: Argo say you’re sorry | The Economist - Image source)
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Why did Ben Affleck thank Canada?

Mr Affleck’s expression of gratitude was a carefully considered olive branch in his spat with Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador in Tehran at the time, over the film’s portrayal of Canada’s role. In “Argo”, the American CIA agent played by Mr Affleck devises a plan to pass off the six Americans as a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a fake movie, and co-ordinates almost all the necessary logistics to secure their escape. According to Mr Taylor, the execution of the plot was primarily Canada’s handiwork: he himself bought the plane tickets for the group and arranged for their transport to the Tehran airport. Jimmy Carter, America’s president at the time, has lent support to Mr Taylor’s account. On February 21st he said that “90% of the contributions to the ideas and the consummation of the plan was Canadian”—albeit with the disclaimer that he thought “Argo” was a great drama and deserved an Oscar.

(via Canada and Hollywood: Argo say you’re sorry | The Economist - Image source)