New Music: Valerie June

When you first hear Valerie June's haunting voice, time seems to stop for a moment. Whether it's gospel, blues, folk, or country, this Tennessee native puts her heart into earnest songwriting and soulful music. Her latest album, Pushin' Against a Stone, was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. Visit http://valeriejune.com for tunes and info...

Soundcloud Spotlight: Tora Music

Discovered this gem on Soundcloud the other day. Tora Music hails from Australia, and their music is an organic soundscape of interesting texture, instrumentation, electronic beats, and soulful melodies. Enjoy! https://soundcloud.com/toramusic/sets/eat-the-sun-ep

Recycle Your Makeup Containers!

Ever feel guilty about the old makeup containers you toss in the trash? Ever wonder if there's a way to recycle those old bottles, caps, and tubes? Look no further! Check out this article about recycling the aftermath of your beauty regimen. Origins, MAC, Kiehl's, and Aveda are a few of the companies out there that collect and recycle old makeup containers for free.

Another New Way to Get the News

Introducing OZY, a "daily digital magazine" that provides you with the news. It uses high-quality images, videos, and infographics to do so. As stated on its homepage, OZY does the job by "bringing you up to speed on what happened in the last 24 hours in bite-sized original articles that are intelligent, compelling, and stylish." 

Personally, I think that there are pros and cons to this news service, though I like it. First and foremost, it's a fascinating website. You can click on anything and instantly find yourself immersed in interesting stories. This aspect of the site is a double-edged sword. OZY can be a bit dizzying, with its kaleidoscopic spread of graphics and videos. Dizzying as it may be, I do appreciate the selection and diversity of topics. Headlines range from "A Window Into Life Under Kim Jong Un" to "Birth of Big Box Stores" to "Maple Water: the Latest Trend in Water." The site is as schizophrenic as the pace of today's technological world, where information comes at you from every angle at every moment. OZY also offers a "Presidential Daily Brief" email which is basically a daily rundown on major national news in the last 24 hours. To me, the email is more readily digestible than the website, though substantially less flashy and captivating.

Have you tried OZY? What do you think? Do you like it? Let me know!

Spotlight On: YouTube Videos by LaurDIY

I came across Lauren Riihimaki's YouTube channel the other day, and I'm already hooked. This Toronto-based blogger posts enjoyable videos of everything from fashion hauls to do-it-yourself projects. I will definitely be trying the t-shirt DIYs from this video...

US Supreme Court: Police Need Warrants to Search Cellphones

Say what? Yesterday the United States Supreme Court ruled that police must now have a warrant to search a cellphone. Read about it here.

To Read: Echo Spring by Olivia Laing

I just read this New York Times write-up of Olivia Laing's Echo Spring, a book that examines the intersection of inebriation and writing. Why have so many writers imbibed as a way to find inspiration or relief? What are the pitfalls of combining ink and booze? Laing explores the perilous vices and victories of alcoholic creativity by examining the lives of writers such as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. A good pick for the reading list (snifter of brandy not included).