long reads i'm not going to read, week of aug 14

The Incredible Shrinking Sears - NYTimes

Imagine a retailer that began by specializing in just one product, then grew into a mammoth that redefined the American shopping experience.

Among its innovations: No matter where you lived, it shipped your order directly to you, whether you were looking for cast-iron cookware, a mandolin, the newest technological marvel, or the latest in petticoats.

Amazon, right? Actually, it was Sears — a century ago.

Annie Dillard's Classic Essay: 'Total Eclipse'

Seeing a partial eclipse bears the same relation to seeing a total eclipse as kissing a man does to marrying him.

What Music Do Americans Love the Most? 50 Detailed Fan Maps 

15 Ways to Be a Better Person

1. Wear comfortable underwear.

Vox: 20 questions you were embarrassed to ask about the August eclipse, answered.

Why the Myth of Meritocracy Hurts Kids of Color

‘My favourite salad is books’ – why the French love badly translated slogan T-shirts

Put a normal woman in a bikini. That’s how to bust the beauty myth

Those who have aged in recognisably human fashion are still expected to do the decent thing and disappear

Should you take your cat out on a lead?

“All we want cat owners to consider is that every cat is an individual,” Gaines explains. “For some, walking on a lead may be suitable, but we need to be careful that we’re not just thinking of cats as dogs.”

Horror stars, then and now

I loved The Orphan. And the actress is gorgeous!

Here's a few more:

Kirsten Dunst from Interview with the Vampire 

Jodelle Ferland from Silent Hill

Lindsay Haun from Village of the Damned

Miko Hughes from Pet Semetary

(look at his little scary face)

Christina Ricci from The Addams Family

Chloe Grace Moretz in The Amityville Horror

via msn