Some friends chuckled the other day as I rummaged through the Sunday Times of India and pulled away an eight-page section entitled “matrimonials.”

It is a little window into India, shedding light on the economic and social hopes of the families of would-be brides and grooms who take out personal ads to look for marriage partners.

Forget about the usual acronyms of U.S. personal ads, with the heavy overlay of sexual innuendo and orientation.

In India, the lingo is about a transaction of a different nature. Potential mates are described as “boys” and “girls” even if they are in their 30s and 40s. Women are described as “very qualified” and “issueless,” though I can only guess at the latter. Ads boast of salaries, graduate degrees, skin complexion and resident status abroad. Parents seek “alliances” rather than marriages.

Here are some examples:

“Looking for a very Beautiful, Fair, Slim and compatible girl with family values. The girl should be at least 5’5” Tall and from a respectable and well-connected family for Handsome Punjabi Khatri boy 38/6ft/US citizen, Electrical and Computer Engineer and Masters of Management from Top US Schools, President and CEO of his own Multiple Business. The Boy is on a very short visit to Delhi.”

Read the rest (it’s SO worth it!) at McClatchy blog: China Rises

Some friends chuckled the other day as I rummaged through the Sunday Times of India and pulled away an eight-page section entitled “matrimonials.”

It is a little window into India, shedding light on the economic and social hopes of the families of would-be brides and grooms who take out personal ads to look for marriage partners.

Forget about the usual acronyms of U.S. personal ads, with the heavy overlay of sexual innuendo and orientation.

In India, the lingo is about a transaction of a different nature. Potential mates are described as “boys” and “girls” even if they are in their 30s and 40s. Women are described as “very qualified” and “issueless,” though I can only guess at the latter. Ads boast of salaries, graduate degrees, skin complexion and resident status abroad. Parents seek “alliances” rather than marriages.

Here are some examples:

“Looking for a very Beautiful, Fair, Slim and compatible girl with family values. The girl should be at least 5’5” Tall and from a respectable and well-connected family for Handsome Punjabi Khatri boy 38/6ft/US citizen, Electrical and Computer Engineer and Masters of Management from Top US Schools, President and CEO of his own Multiple Business. The Boy is on a very short visit to Delhi.”

Read the rest (it’s SO worth it!) at McClatchy blog: China Rises

I thought the premise of Underwater Odyssey was perfect: Young Megan leaves her boring job for expat adventures in exotic locations! But things are not quite as advertised, and she must rely on her wits and creativity to survive! Could it be any better?

At the end of the introductory sequence, Megan decides to become an underwater photographer, which is when the game starts to go downhill.

Via Simpson’s Paradox

What makes Nancy Drew: Lights, Camera, Curses! a
girls’ game is the female protagonist. It’s not pink, it’s not cutesy,
there are no magic animal friends, there is no shopping. Let me repeat
that in case you were skimming. This game is not pink.

I want to call up the developers at Her and make them all cookies.
(Note to self: Consider revising “baking for feminism” stance)  I got
the chance to beta-test Lights…, and I was so pleased to see
that Her did not take an existing game, change the racecars into pink
fluffy bunnies, and then call it a girls’ game. Lights… has a solid storyline, amusing NPCs, engaging minigames and pretty cutscenes.

Nancy’s on the set of Pharoah, a remake of a big-budget
Silver Age Egyptian story, where mysterious accidents keep happening,
and she has to figure out who’s behind it. Does a crew member have a
grudge? Is the production cursed? Does it have anything to do with the
tragic death on the set of the original Pharaoh? What’s with that cat?

Playing as Nancy, players have to use items around them to solve
puzzles, a lot like an old Sierra game, only without an inventory.
Every screen has the items for the puzzle on that screen, which keeps
the game very linear, and eliminates wandering from location to
location, wondering what you’ve missed. With the solution to each room
in that room, it’s impossible to get stuck.

A few days ago, Her Interactive posted a preview screenshot of Lights… and a sharp-eyed forum member noticed a sign for a bar in the background, causing a bit of a ruckus
over whether a world in which alcohol exists is an acceptable setting
for an E rated game. I’m even more baffled by the worries about a minor
alcohol reference because Nancy Drew solves murders, embezzlement,
robbery, forgery, etc. Seems like if you’re worried about kids seeing a
sign for a bar, they probably shouldn’t see chalk outlines or death
threats either….

Read the rest at Simpson’s Paradox

Via Simpson’s Paradox » Blog Archive » Nancy Drew: Lights, Camera, Curses

To enter, just sign into Facebook and fan Silverland Jewelry’s Facebook page. Free to enter! The winner will be chosen randomly from the list of fans on Dec. 12th, 2008!

Winners get a two-part set (earrings, necklace or bracelet: pick two) for each of their three bridesmaids, and winners can choose the bridesmaid set from the Silverland Jewelry bridal sets shown here or here.

Via Collection Quest

“Have you seen my phone?” Stick asked me as we were getting ready to leave this morning. “I can’t find it anywhere.”

“No.” I said. We looked around the apartment, while Stick mumbled incoherently about having it just a moment ago. “I’ll call your phone so you can find it.” I dialed Stick from my cellphone and we listened to the sound of his phone ringing from inside his pocket.

Yes, he was unable to find his phone while it was on his person. The next time he asks where his shoes / phone / keys are, I’m going to frisk him to make sure he’s not carrying them.

Sometimes Stick has the short-term memory of a goldfish. I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s wonderful to live with someone who forgets what we’ve bought on the way home from the grocery store, and is completely thrilled at the ice cream that’s appeared magically in our freezer. Stick will re-notice a tidied room each time he comes in. But losing something he was actually holding? Might be a record even for Stick.

About two minutes after I dropped Stick at work, my phone rang. It was Stick.

“Hey, I have a missed call from you.” he said.

“This just isn’t your day, is it?”

Via Simpson’s Paradox » Blog Archive » Goldfish

Meaderthal — 1) n. A dull-witted student moving through his workbook at his own special pace. 2) v. The behavior of such a student.

Usage: John’s parents were so wealthy and well-connected that he meaderthaled through three years of English with perfect grades.

Return to the dictionary

Via Simpson’s Paradox » Blog Archive » Meaderthal

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don’t Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks . Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

5. In the Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ‘ For Marijuana’

6. Finish All Your sentences with ‘In Accordance With The Prophecy’.

7. Skip down the hall Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get.

8. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

9. Specify That Your Drive-thru Order Is ‘To go’.

10. Sing Along At The Opera.

11. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area and Play tropical Sounds All Day.

12. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can’t Attend Their Party Because You have a headache.

13. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream ‘I Won! I Won!’

14. When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking lot, Yelling’ Run For Your Lives! They’re Loose!’

15. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, ‘Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.’

16. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity is to –
Send This E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile.

It is Called … THERAPY IN SOME CIRLCLES