Rachelle's Reading List, Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

It's 1.1.11 day, something so incredible that it won't happen again for another...10 days! Okay for real, today some crazy stuff went down. Verizon. Palin. Espresso Book Makers. Perfume made from whale sperm...The list goes on...Plus, before you snowed in NYers get all SAD on me (disclaimer: I'm in LA), there's a real indoor park in Nolita (left)! Now, let's get started.

1. Verizon just announced the release of their own iPhone4. Mayhem ensues. Below, the deets from Soup: Verizon iPhone 4 Details

* Available Feb 10th * $199.99 for 16 GB * $299.99 for 32 GB * CDMA, EVDO network support, no LTE at this time. * On Feb 3, existing Verizon customers can preorder the iPhone. * On Feb 10, everyone can order the device. * The Verizon iPhone 4 will include a hotspot that will allow customers to connect up to 5 devices. * No voice and data usage at same time (limitation of CDMA network) * Verizon did not provide specifics on pricing for tethering or any data plans.

Personal note : The ability to use it as a WiFi hotspot makes it very attractive. If I understand this correctly, I can use it to get online with my iPad when I can’t find an open WiFi connection, using the Verizon iPhone 4’s mobile connection. Can someone confirm?

Hat tip to @jennydeluxe for her excellent Twitter updates from the event.

2. Bristol Palin calls her mom out on twitter, but then everyone realizes it's a hoax. And so it goes....again.

3. Check out the 41 places to go to in 2011. Or, if you're like me, the 41 places to avoid in 2011 after the printing of this Times article. [NYT]

4. The LES is not having a moment. @Kludt: What is to become of the LES after nabe standbys @lock, Pink Pony, Max Fish, and Charbon leave? eater.cc/ibujjA

5. Speaking of moments, January 2011 is having one. [via PeterFeld] (Remember palindrome day?)

6. The first 9 days the Oprah Winfrey Network averaging 505,000 viewers in prime w/ median age of 54. Had over 1 mil viewers on 1st night. [via @brianstelter]

7. My thoughts go out to all my Aussie friends with family in Brisbane. The city was told to evacuate today as floods continue to sweep the country. Yikes. [NYT]

8. Behold, the first images from Rachel Zoe, "mother of invention's" personal fashion line. [WWD]

9.  Speaking of fashion happenings. I'm no fashion authority, but this new swimsuit from Matthew Williamson ($550) is, well, hideous. I thought my love of MW could know no limits, (it withstood even that H&M merger), today, I'm obviously mistaken. [Vie]

10. Are you a man repeller? Take this easy quiz and find out. [HauteLikeCouture]

11. Ha:

12. The 25 hush-hush NYC startups you need to know. [BI]

13. On Twitter, your tweets likely reveal where you are. Computer scientists report that the microblogging service reflects regional dialects and slang. [MSNBC]

14. Using an ATM is like sticking your hand in a toilet. [Gawker]

15. Having a bit of winter blues? Head indoors! A pop-up park opened in OpenHouse Gallery at 201 Mulberry Street bewteen Kenmare and Spring Streets in Nolita over the weekend. The gallery converted three and a half rooms into an indoor park, complete with see-saw and piped in sounds of birds, as well as fake rocks, trees, grass, a "pond" and benches. [NYCtheBlog]

16. Long cherished by perfume makers, ambergris, a substance produced by sperm whales, is musky, expensive, and the focus of a burgeoning cocktail trend. (!) [Atlantic]

17. Shoefiti. Those shoes you see hanging from the wires above your streets? Why they there? Well, there are multiple theories....[Neighorhoodr]

18. Have you ever wondered what the NYTimes cafeteria looks like? It has a certain Mad Men quality to it doesn't it? [Brian Stelter]

19. Ten insane activities for thrill-seekers. [CNN]

20. "Young Manhattanite is a beacon on the New York Shabbos Scene." I'm torn as to whether a Shapiro (aka "The Blackberry Blogger") written post on the Awl about a secret Jewish meetup of writers means that YM has jumped the shark or slayed it. [Awl]

21. Facebook is now making their new design a mandatory change for users. Bummer. [ViceandMen]

22. The revenge of comic sans. New research suggests that less-legible, less-elegant fonts might actually promote better recall of information [SEED via Naveen]

23. Here are 50 things that everyone should know how to do. [M&A via minilaarni]

24. Frangry is a popular character in tumblr land, I'm told. And, because I'm into characters AND tumblr, I follow her. And yesterday, she posted that her friends were moving to France and having this  sale of their "good shit." And so I looked, because if this person is like a "thing" to be followed, I want to make sure she's like, legit, you know? Turns out she's right. The sale is pretty great. [Frangry] [Sale site here] -1 JA?

25. Trend to try: feather hair extensions. [Refinery29 via PonyPony]

26. The secret of self control. "Once you realize that will power is just a matter of learning how to control your attention and thoughts, you can really begin to increase it." [NewYorker via Cdixon]

27. Groupon raises $950 milllion. [Mashable] Wowza. But, is the company actually bad for local businesses? Some think yes. [Redfin]

28. Going to leave you with this gem that left me smiling today. McNally Jackson bookstore has a new fancy book printer. The Espresso Book Machine will print your library quality paperbacks in minutes. Ho ho ho!, move over kindle! If you think there's an end in site to the inevitable post-post modern backlash trends, you be mistaken! In much the same way that I still can't decide if it's cool or uncool to wear skinny jeans ("but they're designer!"), I don't know where to fall on this thingamagig. I do know someone will surely tell me how I should be feeling about it on their tumblr at some point this week. [Fimoculous]

Well, that's all for me today. Stay warm and email me stories that you think are worthy to be on tomorrow's Reading List here: Rachelle@guestofaguest.com

[Monday's List]