Rebecca's Pocket

Resurrecting Sherlock

2014-02-28T19:16:51Z

Seasons 1 and 2 of the BBC Sherlock are genius, but Season 3 is...lazy. Can it be fixed? My latest.

A restaurant without tips?

2013-08-19T16:39:18Z

I worked in food service for about 10 years. I always made great tips, and I have no problem with the tipping system. But I found this article on running a no-tip restaurant compelling, particularly his observations about the people who were most opposed to his alternate system.

I'll add an anecdote of my own. One night I served a couple drinks. The man paid and I went on my way. When I returned to the table to see how they were doing, the man said to me "I'm going to tip you even though I know you have a closet full of designer jeans at home."

I had a lot of choices at that moment. I took a few seconds to select from among them. And then I said, thoughtfully, "Well, as a matter of fact I don't have any designer jeans, but I think I deserve to have nice things as much as anyone else."

At this point, his date (I presume they weren't married) took over. "She's on her feet 8 hours a day," she started out, and I walked away. (For the record, it was usually 12 hours or more.) As I remember, he was a white, middle-aged male. And that exchange, it seems to me, was about status and who should - and should not - have it.

Grandmothers and the food they make

2013-08-01T19:57:51Z

Grandmothers from around the world pose with their signature dishes. What beautiful women and what intriguing food. I have a hard time thinking about Caterpillar in Tomato Sauce, but the final dish doesn't look too bad—and who could resist that beautiful Malawian grandmother's smile?

NPR's Top 100 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books

2013-07-31T20:53:09Z

I'm not particularly nerdy, but I was still surprised that I've read only 23 out of NPR's Top 100 Science-Fiction & Fantasy Books. (Tally your total here.) I enjoy both genres, so I'll use this as a reading list when my current stock runs dry. What did they leave off? Let me know so I can add it to my "to read" list.

As a side note, I'm always a bit annoyed to see these genres lumped together, since they are so different from each other in type and tone. Actually, I guess that statement alone makes me pretty nerdy, eh?

Robert Downey Jr. Pinups

2013-06-30T14:17:31Z

So this is a thing: Robert Downey Jr. Pinups. Oh, Internet you never disappoint me.

Genderswapping Media

2013-05-29T20:59:03Z

So this is a thing:

Doctor Who: An Alternative History of 11 American Female Doctors
The Other 11 Doctors (A British version)
Casting Lord of the Rings, the genderswap version

I had no idea, but I've run into this 3 times just today. Does anyone know the history of this? (hat tip K.R. Lary and Stuart Ian Burns)

And this after the most pleasant twos

2013-02-28T22:30:39Z

Lately it's often about food choices. Sometimes about clothing choices. Last night it was, briefly, because it was getting dark. 46 Reasons My Three Year Old Might be Freaking Out. Funny because it's true. (thanks, jjg!)

75th Anniversary of the Hindenburg

2012-11-29T19:40:38Z

Last May was the anniversary of the Hindenburg Disaster. Here is the amazing Atlantic spread commemorating the day. Image 14 is the very essence of the 1930s-future.

Job disparity starts at the beginning of women's careers

2012-11-16T21:45:15Z

WSJ: Men Get the Jobs That Get Them Ahead, Study Finds. I've tended to believe that a lot of pay disparity is based on women's inability or unwillingness to negotiate as aggressively as men - your starting pay is the basis for all of your raises throughout your time at any company. When you start lower, you will stay lower, even if you and your male colleagues receive identical pay raises.

But this article suggests that women simply are not given the same opportunities, no matter what their title, that are given to men. Pure and simple.

Obama's data-crunchers

2012-11-12T22:26:10Z

The day of the election, I heard a Political Science professor say that the Obama campaign had an unbelievable amount of information about voters. What they were doing put Nate Silver in the shade, he said. Here's a glimpse of that data machine and how they did it.

Details are sparse, but intriguing. Past voting records and consumer information played a role. I have to wonder what data they were buying. Credit card records would seem to offer the broadest picture into people's spending habits. And does this attention to behavioral data explain why I got so few robo-calls this year?

2012 Halloween Costume Winner

2012-11-01T17:34:03Z

Seriously, the most awesome Hallowe'en costume ever. (thanks, jjg!)

The Aftermath of Sandy

2012-10-30T17:35:12Z

Incredible images from the Atlantic of the landfall and aftermath of Sandy. The Red Cross could use your donation right now to help people affected by the storm rebuild their lives. Donate online or send $10 to the Disaster Relief fund by texting REDCROSS to 90999.

Trick or Treat Cookies

2012-10-19T17:20:36Z

The Awesome: Trick or Treat Cookies for Hallowe'en.

Texting while watching is dangerous to your children

2012-10-05T11:30:00Z

After declining for at least 40 years, injuries to children under age five rose 12% between 2007 and 2010. The possible cause? Mobile devices.

I'm sure it's true. I often see both parents and nannies lost in their smartphones while their very little children run, climb, and play at the park. What resonates most strongly with me is the section at the end of the article which paints an alarming picture of both the depth and length of distraction these devices provoke.

The Jack O'Lantern Tree

2012-10-04T21:32:41Z

Halloween is coming. You wish you had a wonderful book for your children to celebrate the season. Now you do! The very talented Linda Stanek is making her latest e-book, The Jack O' Lantern Tree, available to everyone for free from October 4-8.

Please download it and read it to your kids (or your own inner child). It's available for download to Kindle or computer. If you're new to the Kindle universe, go here to learn how: http://www.amazon.com/gp/kindle/pc. Click "Free Reading Apps" in the menu bar if you have a Mac, iPad or Android.