This weeks Monday Tally is pretty heavy on articles from MSN, which is probably a good indication that I didn’t have as much time to randomly surf the internet as I usually do. Instead, most of the things I read came from links off my homepage, a vicious cycle of being spoon-fed articles from a media conglomerate rather than seeking news of substance for myself. Oh well, it’s the summer, right?
“Errors That Aren’t: 12 Grammar Rules You Can Toss Out the Window”
by Martha Brockenbrough at MSN Encarta — Brockenbrough is one of my favorite columnists to read, because she loves grammar and English history even more than I do. She’s also the founder of SPOGG: The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar. In this column, Borckenbrough discusses common grammar myths like never the split infinitive and never use the word “hopefully.” Such great nerdery.
“You Know You’re an Anti-Bride If…”
by Jessica Murphy from MSN Lifestyle – Relationships — I’m a little ashamed to admit I often click on these links from my MSN home page, but I do. I thought this article was appropriate for my Monday Tally because of how closely it relates to some of the books I posted on feminism for Weekly Geeks #4. The article defines the anti-bride as “in love and wanting to be married, but decidedly not in love with the trappings for the American bride and the American wedding,” and as someone would prefer to just opt-out of many of the things associated with the traditional wedding. My favorite indicator of the anti-bride is number two: Bridal boutiques give you the creeps. Amen to that.
“Technology overload? Experts offer advice on coping”
by John Roach, special to MSN Tech & Gadgets — I knew I had to read this article after I got through the first two paragraphs, which describe me to a T:
The sun’s out. You decide to log off and go to the park. Upon arrival, you subconsciously check for the smart phone that’s always in your pocket. It’s not there. Now what?
According to a recent report, 68 percent of us would feel disoriented and nervous, a phenomenon labeled “disconnect anxiety.” Instead of relishing the break, we freak out.
Well, I suppose I don’t freak out, but I do feel a sense of nervousness when I am away from my phone, or e-mail in particular, for too long. There is nothing that can ruin my day more easily than the internet being out of whack or not working for some reason. According to the article, some experts think compulsions related to technology should be considered a psychiactric disorder, while others are trying to figure out if our dependence is more closely related to addictive behaviors like drugs and alcohol.
“The Gourmet’s Dilemma”
by Alicia Coffman, Newsweek Health Web Exculsive — 
This article asks how food critics manage to keep in shape given that their job is to eat delicious and fattening food all the time. I like the article because it reminded me of an essay I read in The Best American Food Writing about how many calories a chef consumes in one evening tasting all of the various dishes and sauces that go out each night. Turns out staying slim isn’t a big secret — eat healthy when you can, exercise when possible, and pay attention to your portion size. What really sold me on the article, however, was the great picture by Peter Dazeley that went with it 🙂
This Monday Tally got a little more personal than I intended, but I suppose what we read is an indication of our personality and tendencies anyway. The books I read and review are obviously influenced by my interests and personality, so I suppose this isn’t that different anyway.
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Hey, thanks for the kind words!
– Martha