This week, in lieu of Picks, and in the spirit of the season, we humbly submit The Yahoo! Summer Lifestyle Catalog. Inspired by the understated elegance offered at L.L. Bean, J. Crew, and Y! Shop, we invite you to shed the clothes of responsibility and plunge headlong into the pool that has no deep end. Your Yahoo! Summer Lifestyle is a lost highway to nowhere. Join us on a journey full of deep blue days and endless skies. And let our catalog be your guide.
Bicycle Curious?
As the knobby wheels of fortune carry you like a breeze through the hot season, be sure to keep your cool. Don't make mountains out of molehills, unless you're willing to take your bike along. And when you find yourself on a downhill slope, think only this: iBike, therefore I am. Remember, "It is a celebration of two machines, our bike and our body." Celebrate with a veritable saddle bag of trails, news & reviews, events, mechanics, weather, training information, and more. Who would've thought that nutrition is an important part of mountain biking? You would've, that's who. So, saddle up your Yahoo! Summer Lifestyle and ride!
The Top Banana
A soft summer breeze at water's edge--cooling, healing, blowing thoughts of the restraining order out to sea. You gaze upon an ocean that, since the dawn of time, has cradled and cushioned a thousand explorers, and several dozen, perhaps even thirty, dreams. Perfection. You reach for a daiquiri enhanced by a firm, ripe banana--ah, succulence itself. Quietly you sing "I'm Chiquita Banana and I've come to say...." and, as the song fades, you think: "Ah, Summer Muse, help me fashion new verses for the Chiquita Banana Lyrics Contest that continues until August 15th. I'd like to win." You consider the jingle's history, pore over the sheet music, and download the song. Again, you sing "I'm Chiquita Banana and I've come to say -- the Yahoo! Summer Lifestyle , is, oh, 'bout 85, 90 days."
I Hear You...
The Yahoo! Summer Lifestyle encourages time with loved ones. It's an age-old tradition that pre-dates email. Round up the children and the Adirondack chairs and gather as a tribe under the weeping willow tree, as a deep-orange sun sets on your fellowship and mosquitoes make off with the rest. That buzzing in your ear? It's love. You recognize the sound because you've been a card-carrying member of the International Listening Association since June. You're part of "a professional organization whose members are dedicated to learning more about the impact that listening has on all human activity." Clive from New Zealand, whose wife makes pottery replicas of Lyndon B. Johnson for a living, is telling the all-too-familiar tale of their time in Tibet. It's Clive's birthday tomorrow. It occurs to you that it's a good thing you chose to give the gift of listening.
Pet Zounds
Persuade the entire family to adopt the Yahoo! Summer Lifestyle. You'll feel like you're cavorting carelessly on the chalky, windswept cliffs of the Maine coast. (Hey, watch that ledge!) Yes, not every storybook vacation locale is "pet-friendly." Alas, your Pekingese most likely shouldn't visit "Gator Country" and it's probably better if your Border Collie is left off the guest list at Wimbledon. But the Yahoo! Summer Adventurer need never be deprived of the elemental joys of pet maintenance. Catch Tamagotchi Fever and turn up the summer heat with the pet that nerds love to love. These cuddly critters grow, play, poop, sleep, and, unlike a Golden Retriever, they can be stowed safely in any carry-on luggage. Available in Teal, Aqua, Sky, Stonewash, and good ol' Light Blue, little "Tams" are the ultimate recyclable: when they pass away, just hit "reset" and witness digital rebirth at its finest. Try that with a goldfish!
Queen for all Days
In early summers, bold men and women of high and noble birth presided over great kingdoms. This summer, live like a king by visiting a queen. Majestic, august, splendidly outfitted in both regular and petite crowns, Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan offers the world a capacious picture album, replete with both crisply colorful and starkly intriguing black and white snapshots. Delight in this royal's early life in America and current fairy tale existence as King Hussein's one-and-only summer love. Elegantly arrayed in blue-blooded teal, Her Majesty's website provides an abundance of extras, including a resume, press releases, interviews, and speeches. Be you prince or pauper, this summer be bold, be regal. Grab the scepter. It's yours.
What's the Buzz?
Luxuriating in the Yahoo! Summer Lifestyle can yield riches beyond your wildest imaginings: the cool, all-day caress of a terry-cloth robe; the carbonated rush of opening a bottle of ginger ale; the insistent, yet ominous buzzing of nature's delicate divebomber, the dragonfly. If your summer latitude is closer to Hoboken than Hawaii, you may find yourself sharing a beach, sandbar, or dry riverbed not only with your attentive tyke but also with a flock of feisty flyers. That's where Odonatology comes in. This site combines the subtle art of insect identification with the simple beauty of fly pictures, creating an unforgettable melange that describes--nay, defines the very essence of an Odonate. Come, enjoy the magic!
WASPS Without Sting
Summer of '42. The country at war, a well-defended beach, a tearful goodbye. The sun sinks low in the sky; crimson vestiges mimic the embers of interrupted passion. Time-travel back to this golden era of romance by visiting a WASP on the Web, a remembrance by Marie Odean (Deanie) Bishop Parris, graduate of class 44-W-4, Women Airforce Service Pilots. Feel time slip away in a nostalgic reverie by reading a history of these young women pilots who "quit their jobs and left the safety of their homes and families" to fly non-combat missions for the perilously depleted Air Force. View one WASP's snapshots of yesteryear, including Flying Fashions, where dashing bomber jackets, elegant helmets, and dynamic goggles abound. Because with the Yahoo! Summer Lifestyle, the sky's the limit.
Take the Lifestyle Pledge...
Of course, the Yahoo! Summer Lifestyle isn't just about mountain biking, fruit jingles, or automated amigos; it's about giving. Giving that last hour-and-a-half of the business day over to web surfing. Giving your best Rebel Yell as you hit the blackjack table in Vegas. But most of all, it's about giving a helping hand to others. So, spend a few minutes checking out the Yahoo!/Children's Miracle Network Web-a-thon. Kidding aside, it's a worthy cause and a great way to make a difference. After all, when you're part of the Yahoo! Summer Lifestyle, you give all you can, then you take your pick(s).
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