I spent 20 hours a week scanning and photoshopping slides of everything from Italian Renaissance architecture to 1960s Playboy shots. Well, at least I'm supposed to . . . when I can't look at another column, I frequently wander off into the internet. If you, too, find yourself with the need to procrastinate, here are some particularly fun sites I've found.
Last.fm
If you're not on your home computer, you can type in musical artists that you like, and the website will give you suggestions for music you might also like. You can also do the same thing to make a personalized radio station! (You will have to download a small player.) You can also browse other people's radio stations, such as my current favorite "Female Fronted Metal." (Seriously.) If you have iTunes, you can download a plug-in that will track the music you listen to the most, and every week the site will give you recommendations based on what you like. It's great!
The Superficial
Celebrity gossip! This blog is obviously written by a man, but it is hilarious. Check out the video of puppets reenacting the Naomi Campbell assistant-beating scandal. Awesome.
Magazine Price Search
I just bought a subscription to "OK" magazine (can you tell I'm into celebrity gossip right now?) for $4.07. That's right, 51 issues for 4 bucks. I also got a subscription to Vegetarian Times (which has really good recipes, by the way) for $2.99. I like to browse around, drool over magazines I want, and then realize that I don't have time to read the four I already get.
What Should I Read Next?
This is sort of like Last.fm, but for books. To be honest, it gave me some really weird suggestions - but the best thing to do is make a list of your favorite books. Then, the site will compare your list with other people's, and you can look at those which have the most matches. At the very least, it will remind you of things you really wanted to read but forgot about.
Craftster
Even if you're not a "craftster," this site has so much on it it can keep you occupied for hours. Basically, people post pictures of things they've made; there are sections on painting, interior design, ceramics, bookmaking, knitting, crocheting, quilting, cross stitching, clothing, gardening. . . and a lot more.
In other news . . . Spring in Delaware is not a happy gradual change with birds chirping and squirrels dancing around. It's a battle. One day, it will be 70 degrees. The next, you'll wake up, put on a t-shirt, and walk outside into snow. Then the next you'll be walking around Philadelphia in 39-degree pouring rain, and a bus will splash you like you're in a movie. This is stupid. I'm moving to New Mexico.
I won't be working in Arizona this summer, because the museum would not hire me for the second time. Although, now I won't have to make $75 a week and live in a chicken coop and go outside to the bathroom. It's for the best.
