the tweney review

Amazing but true: Madeleine Albright can leg-press 400 pounds: Madeleine Albright and the Leg Press: Controversy Settled, Once and For All - Wonkette

I loved my Leatherman and used it nearly every day, but after less than a year one of the clips that lock the tools into the “open” position broke off. It just wasn’t built that well. I took the thing back to REI a few months ago and exchanged it for a slightly more expensive Victorinox SwissTool Spirit ($85 list, now about $49). Leatherman may have invented the multitool, but Victorinox–the company that makes Swiss Army knives–makes a much better one. It’s sturdily made, good looking, comfortable to hold, and not too big. Best of all it’s constructed so you can fold out the smaller tools without opening the plier handles. Annoyingly, and like most multitools, it’s missing one of the most essential tools: a corkscrew. But I still use it almost every day. Sorry, Tim Leatherman, the Swiss have you beat on this one.

Victorinox Swisstool Spirit

If you’re a parent, the “hygiene hypothesis” (that filth improves your immune system) is very reassuring: Wired News: You Dirty, Healthy Rat

School trains children to be employees and consumers; teach your own to be leaders and adventurers: Against School - John Taylor Gatto (2003 Harper’s article, as good as ever)

What Winer doesn’t seem to get is that Dvorak is an entertainer: Scripting News: Dvorak “on record as a self-declared troll”

Differentiation through a REALLY BIG FONT: Big.com: The Most Readable Results on the Web

Stephen Hawking says we need space colonies in case we Earthlings wipe ourselves out. Guy’s gotta point: Hawking: Space key to human survival - Jun 14, 2006

Stevie Wonder plays Sesame Street, 1972. Can’t help but thinking that kids’ music was way better in the 1970s!

(via tuberaider)

Clara’s latest obsession is the Magnetic Fields song “The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side,” which also happens to be my favorite. She heard the very beginning of it yesterday, just as I was switching it off, and demanded to hear the whole thing. Then she listened to it a few times. Last night she and I listened to many other songs from 69 Love Songs, and danced and sang to a bunch of them. But I noticed one thing: Several of those songs are just not appropriate for a five year old. “How Fucking Romantic,” for instance. And “Let’s Pretend We’re Bunny Rabbits.” On the other hand, “Punk Rock Love” is lots of fun. Time to make a new playlist: “67 Love Songs.” Actually, I better check them all, now that I think about it.

Outstanding music podcast: 30 minutes of cover songs, about 3x/week, usually on a theme (Bob Dylan’s birthday, Smiths covers, etc): Coverville

Even better: All the songs are legally licensed, which means the musicians get paid. Cool!