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Noting that you "can't have depth without surfaces," Brit journalist Linda Grant has recently started a blog, The Thoughtful Dresser, a site where fashion meets politics and some other things.
It's engaging, it's fun and it's yet another reason why writers and journalists ought to stop worrying about paper - and the status nonsense that comes with it - and just write. It's today's HotSpot.
It's been on the way for a while but, just in time for the year-end accounting, our pals at the New Progressive Coalition have launched their "political mutual fund," offering the political interested, connected and donating a guide to what's what.
The idea is to help folks - self-styled "progressives" and probably an old-fashioned Liberal or two - figure out where best - according to their interests - to put their money. The categories as of this writing are Democratic electoral victories in 2008, healthcare change and reform and environmental causes.
For the most part, Spot-on doesn't concentrate on specific legislative proposals. There are plenty of sites out there doing the heavy lifting on the wherefores and the thereofs.
But we always look for excuses to point to writers and sites we like. Today, it's a two-fer as Ronni Bennett, author of AsTimeGoesBy, takes a look at the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism and Prevention Act of 2007 (with YouTube). She's calling it the "thought crime bill" and her smart comments are worth your time.
Spot-on's got a fair number of ex-pats on its roster and it's nice when the work they do off our site gets recognition here at home.
Today, the Wall Street journal's Alan Paul - who writes The Ex-pat Life from Beijing - chats with Spot-on's Jonathan Ansfield about his family business, the Stone Boat, a club located in Beijing's Ritan Park.
Paul offers up a nice snapshot of Beijing's music scene and, yeah, it's a little bit of self-dealing but it's also today's HotSpot.
Maybe this is what they mean by market forces. The Consumer Product Safety Commission doesn't want to expand its budget. So Consumers Union - the non-profit that, among other things, publishers Consumer Reports, has stepped in with a program to encourage retailers to stop buying potentially dangerous toys and other goods.
CU's started a program call "Get the Lead Out" and it starts - of course, this being a market-based initiative - the day after Thanksgiving otherwise known as Black Friday. It's a good idea and it's today's HotSpot.
As we've said, Spot-on isn't above a little nepotism. This time we're promoting the work of another Nolan - National Geographic producer Clare - who's TV show "Secrets of the Moon" debuts Sunday, Nov. 4. We're so proud of her we're making today's HotSpot a link to the show's reminder button which is also a cool way to get your TV updates, now that we think about it.
Tune in! Make her boss think we're important!