My top-notch, top five picks from the past week on the interwebs:
1. “Are These the Biceps of Your Next Vice President?”
Oh god, I hope not.
I read a great tweet during the vice presidential debate saying something to the effect of, Paul Ryan is like the frat guy at the party who makes up facts to impress girls.
This is exactly the message that these photos convey. Enough said.
2. “Who’s This Hot Slut in the New Wendy’s Logo?”
Following in the footsteps of Arby’s, my fast food purveyor of choice recently revealed its rebrand:
The new logo is, as Caity Weaver of Gawker reports, “the latest gamble in the restaurant’s attempts to rebrand itself as a ‘top-end’ fast food chain.” Wendy 2.0 will appear next year in new and renovated restaurants, the interiors of which will be considerably more cushy.
Ugh, I can only imagine what they’ll do to Ronald McDonald and the Golden Arches. The reaction to the Arby’s redesign – both from my peers and from a variety of sources on the internet – seemed to be a lot of head scratching and wondering why? Yes, the slab serifs do not scream modernity. But we love ol’ Wendy because she is familiar and because she represents a taste that we love and trust.
For as long as we can remember – perhaps for as long as our parents can remember – her Pippi Longstocking braids have been a beacon to tired drivers on the highway. Her smile calls out to me after a long evening poring over my laptop or a textbook, inviting me to share her fries.
I don’t want any spicy chicken nuggets from new Wendy, because she looks like the matron of a grease factory.
3. “Crayola’s 13 Retired Colors”
“Did you know that since the first Crayola crayons were made in 1903 there have been only 13 colors retired? Yup, it’s true. Most have been retired in the last 25 years as well, so I’m sure some of these you’ll remember.”
Awwww, this makes me feel old.
4. “The NFL’s Campaign Against Breast Cancer Is a Total Scam”
Just when my heart swelled at the return of pink cleats and towels ….
“The NFL claims that its pink philanthropy efforts ‘support the fight against breast cancer’ by ‘promoting awareness’ and providing funds to the American Cancer Society. But what they’re mostly promoting is, uh, buying NFL gear, the profits from which are overwhelmingly pocketed by the NFL.”
According to Jezebel‘s Erin Gloria Ryan, only 5 percent of the profits yielded from the sale of officially licensed NFL merchandise make it to the American Cancer Society.
“And, more perspective: while the American Cancer Society isn’t, say, Komen, they still don’t use 100% of the money they receive to ‘fight’ breast cancer. Only 70% of donations taken in by the organization go toward cancer research. So, if you spend $10 on pink stink from the NFL, only about 35 cents is going to finding a cure for breast cancer. And $4.50 goes right back to the NFL, where I like to imagine that it’s spent on gas for a Lake Minnetonka pleasure cruise. For the cure.”
Ryan also offers a great discussion of this “awareness” that the NFL so adamantly claims to be raising. If you only visit one of the links in this post, make it this one.
5. Random StumbleUpon find: “Is Legalizing Marijuana the Best Thing for America?”
A self-explanatory, beautifully designed, highly-informative infographic published by Online Paralegal Programs [ed note: as of 5/7/13, OPP is editing its content and has requested that links to the site be removed from this post] earlier this year. I found the section on the cost of the war on drugs to be especially interesting in light of Brad Pitt’s recently speaking out against it.
(Created by OnlineParalegalPrograms.com)
Follow me on Pinterest for link-lovin’ on the reg!
What caught your eye this week?