Archives

2010.03.10 — links for 2010-03-10: Skin' maternity clothing by Marisol Rodriguez (dsgnWrld) Dunno where to get it, but it sure would be cool to have one of these. (tags: pregnant) Google Maps: biking directions Sweeeeet (tags: bike linkroll) Interactive Map of NYC's best coffee... (read entry)
2010.03.10 — Don't Adjust Your Sets: As you may have noticed, Displaced has been experiencing some technical difficulties recently. We're in the process of upgrading some of the features on the site and trying to decide if those upgrades might just be easier if I shifted... (read entry)
2010.03.08 — links for 2010-03-08: Attractive food from Sweden (Design*Sponge ") (tags: food Sweden linkroll) Andy Samberg: Throw It On The Ground (video) Happy birthday to the ground! (tags: humor linkroll) Graph of Wedding Costs Breakdowns by City El Paso's starting to look pretty... (read entry)
2010.03.05 — links for 2010-03-05: Senator Bunning's Universe (Op-Ed, NYTimes) "Consider...the position that [Republicans have] taken on a...bill that would extend unemployment benefits and health insurance subsidies for the jobless for the rest of the year. Republicans will block that bill...unless they get a... (read entry)
2010.03.03 — links for 2010-03-03: Inside the Singular Hysteria of the Brutal Academy Awards Race -(New York Magazine) More on Cameron: “It’s almost like Asperger’s with him,” a producer tells me later. “How many years has it taken him to live down ‘I’m the... (read entry)
2010.03.03 — OK Let's Go Strikes Again: (read entry)
2010.02.27 — links for 2010-02-27: DonorsChoose.org: An online charity connecting you to classrooms in need "Before the school year kicks off, why not make a targeted contribution to a classroom in your area?" I love this charity. Pick a project that speaks to you... (read entry)
2010.02.26 — links for 2010-02-26: FRONTLINE: flying cheap: top u.s. airports for regional flights (PBS) A lot of Frontline programs are now online, including this one about regional carriers. Check out your regular airport and all the reported incidents on individual airlines. (tags: linkroll... (read entry)
2010.02.24 — links for 2010-02-24: Ten rules for writing fiction (guardian.co.uk) "Laugh at your own jokes." No problem. On it. (tags: writing inspiration linkroll) Bill Clinton Has Unibeam Installed In Chest (The Onion) Sweeeet. (tags: onion humor linkroll)... (read entry)
2010.02.17 — Concerned: R has a beard, a moustache and long hair. He's a good-looking guy though, trust me. His furry choices don't resemble the current Brad Pitt iteration of facial hair or the hipster full beard mistake. He's Mr. Trim and he... (read entry)
2010.02.16 — links for 2010-02-16: From Title IX, Evidence of Sports’ Lasting Effects (NYTimes.com) Woo hoo! Girls in sports! (tags: linkroll sports)... (read entry)
2010.02.16 — Winter Carbs in Manhattan: No snow dose for me. It was bejesus cold though and that means comfort food. In the interests of full disclosure, I collect comfort food all over Manhattan even when it's 85 degrees outside and the thought of carbohydrates repels your average resident. (read entry)
2010.02.15 — links for 2010-02-15: Playing to Learn (NYTimes.com) I want my kid to go to her school. (tags: education kids linkroll) Why We Make Home Videos (Pogue for NYT) I completely agree. Data glut? Sure. But also personal entertainment in moderation? Totally. (tags:... (read entry)
2010.02.15 — Most Irritating Roommate Ever? Google: (read entry)
2010.02.15 — San Francisco: "A city can't be too small. Size guarantees anonymity--if you make an embarrassing mistake in a large city, and it's not on the cover of the Post, you can probably try again. The generous attitude towards failure that big cities... (read entry)
2010.02.12 — links for 2010-02-12: Envisioning Shakespeare at the Park Avenue Armory (NYTimes.com) Saw the RSC at Michigan a few years ago. This is going to rock. (tags: linkroll theater) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Ethan Watters (video - Hulu) The guy from... (read entry)
2010.02.11 — The Friars Club: OK, so if someone asked you, "Do you want to go to the Friars Club for dinner? It's fish night, so there'll be 90-year-olds on oxygen wearing lobster bibs in the corner," what would you say? You'd say, "Hell yes, I want to go to the Friars Club! Let me grab my chest-high pants and I'll meet you at the front door!" (read entry)
2010.02.04 — links for 2010-02-04: Poor New Zealand student 'sells virginity to stranger for £20,000' (Telegraph) It might be time to think about putting a little more funding into education... (tags: education sex linkroll) SarcMark In case you're more sarcastic than the pals you're... (read entry)
2010.02.03 — links for 2010-02-03: Supreme Court Allows Corporations To Run For Political Office (The Onion) (tags: humor onion linkroll)... (read entry)
2010.02.02 — links for 2010-02-02: On the Subject of Design 2 | Jason Santa Maria (tags: design books) No magic can keep us young; the trick is aging gracefully: Connie Schultz | Connie Schultz - cleveland.com - - cleveland.com Web sites' anonymity brings out... (read entry)
2010.02.01 — links for 2010-02-01: Gay-tham for Statham (Patton Oswalt's MySpace Blog) Fair warning: it's full of obscenity. And if you don't already love Statham and Oswalt, you probably won't think it's funny. I do, and I do. (tags: humor statham pattonoswalt linkroll) Why... (read entry)
2010.02.01 — New Yorkers are Excellent: I'm going home later this week. Maybe I can get a ride...... (read entry)
2010.02.01 — Unhappy Hipsters: Maybe naming him Rimbaud wasn't such a good idea. (Dwell, February 2009) This is a brilliant, brilliant site. Check it out: Unhappy Hipsters. (Thanks, Nicole, for the tip-off!)... (read entry)
2010.01.31 — links for 2010-01-31: Darth Vader Toaster: "The dark side of breakfast." What-the-f-ever. (tags: food humor linkroll) I Think I Can, I Think I Can Charming photos of tiny plants making it in urban landscapes. (tags: photos books linkroll) The Benefits of Looking... (read entry)
2010.01.29 — links for 2010-01-29: Best Thing That Ever Happened To Area Man Yelling At Him About Socks (The Onion) (tags: onion humor linkroll)... (read entry)
2010.01.28 — links for 2010-01-28: 'People's History' author Howard Zinn dies at 87 (NYTimes) Zinn and Salinger - that's a rough Wednesday... (tags: howardzinn linkroll) Sarcastic Font 'Nuf said. Bring it to me now. (tags: design fonts typography linkroll) J. D. Salinger, Enigmatic Author... (read entry)
2010.01.28 — Wake-Up Call: My alarm clock is getting me down. It's new, has a nice face with a dimmer, an iPhone dock and about 1000 combinations of ways to wake me up. "What's not to love?" you ask. Setting aside the fact that... (read entry)
2010.01.27 — links for 2010-01-27: More Men Marrying Wealthier Women (NYTimes) "...a man, told her once: ' ‘You are confident, have good credit, own your own business, travel around the world and are self-sufficient. What man is going to want you?’ He laughed, but I... (read entry)
2010.01.27 — More Movies: 'Member when I said I'd put out more movie lists this year? No. 2 coming your way. This is the list of eleven movies (yes eleven: this is a quirky list) you may very well have never heard of but... (read entry)
2010.01.26 — links for 2010-01-26: Rush Limbaugh: I Don't Even Want To Be Alive Anymore The Onion, unfortunately. (tags: linkroll humor onion limbaugh) On "black" vs. "African-American" by James McWhorter (The New Republic) "I haven’t used “African American” in print since 2004 except in... (read entry)
2010.01.26 — Week 27: Great. Now, Fit Pregnancy is likening my 27-week-old pre-baby to "a small pot roast." A pot roast with developing lungs and an 85% chance of survival if she were born today. That's a pretty scary pot roast. Good news re:... (read entry)
2010.01.25 — Sunday in San Francisco: Yesterday afternoon, 4PM on a grey Sunday, there was a shooting across the street from our apartment. (News coverage here.) Not "in our neighborhood" or "around the corner" but directly across the street from our living room. Yeah, in Potrero... (read entry)
2010.01.23 — links for 2010-01-23: 'How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be?' 30 Million People Wonder (The Onion) (tags: onion humor linkroll)... (read entry)
2010.01.18 — links for 2010-01-18: Video: The Daily Show on NJ's Vote to Ban Gay Marriage "It was just as our forefathers had envisioned: that one day people who had been discriminated against for their religion or the color of their skin could come... (read entry)
2010.01.17 — links for 2010-01-17: Because Gail Collins Has Some Perspective (Reasons to Love New York 2009 - NYMagazine) We love Gail Collins. You should too. (tags: women feminism nytimes linkroll)... (read entry)
2010.01.16 — links for 2010-01-16: Joe Biden - Second-Most Powerful Vice President in History? (NYTimes.com) I have a persistent crush on the guy but still, that aside, an encouraging profile. "Principles are very important as beacons, but they are dangerous...as direct guides to action."... (read entry)
2010.01.15 — Puzzling...: Organization is kind of my thing around here. Mind you, I'm not Martha Stewart with her bins and OCD, but I can hold my own. Example: as a household, we own three labelmakers. (I admit this is overkill. I'm going... (read entry)
2010.01.14 — A Word of Advice: You know how Iran and North Korea keep putting hikers and journalists in jail for so-called "border incursions" when they step across some imaginary line in the dust right about where the the lunatics in charge think their territory starts?... (read entry)
2010.01.12 — links for 2010-01-12: 85% of AQ’s victims are Muslim (All Things Counter Terrorism) "The overwhelming majority of al‐Qa’ida victims are Muslims living in Muslim countries." (tags: politics linkroll) Mom Takes Children's Songs Literally (McSweeney's) "What do you mean, she'll get here "when... (read entry)
2010.01.12 — Whales Tales: I've been meaning to bring this up for a while. It's been on my mind. You might say it's my preoccupation du jour. Du saison, really, since it's been bothering me for a few months. Here's the thing: you know... (read entry)
2010.01.11 — links for 2010-01-11: Keen Eddie (Wikipedia) I loved this series when it aired and am re-watching it on DVD. You should rent it. Really. It's funny. Really. Brits and Americans, a rotten dog, good soundtrack. (tags: keeneddie tv linkroll) The 31 Places... (read entry)
2010.01.11 — Do Over: I'm confused. When I was 21 weeks pregnant, Fit Pregnancy, whom I've enlisted to send me a weekly email update on the baby's developments, told me that she was the size of a newborn bear cub. That's cute, right? Even... (read entry)
2010.01.08 — links for 2010-01-08: John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show (Comedy Central) I love the man. Can't wait. Premieres 1/8. (tags: comedy linkroll) Death Bear This is AWESOME. If you live in Brooklyn, definitely call him. (tags: humor nyc linkroll) The Weathermen by... (read entry)
2010.01.07 — links for 2010-01-07: Cooper-Hewitt Names Designer Bill Moggridge as Director (NYTimes.com) Go IDEO. (This guy is one of the founders.) That's a nice career: IDEO to the Cooper-Hewitt? Awesome. (tags: nyc linkroll art design)... (read entry)
2010.01.06 — links for 2010-01-06: Airfare Deals: Qantas $399 to New Zealand from California (each way) (Travelzoo) Do it. Go. It's the best place on earth. (tags: linkroll newzealand)... (read entry)
2010.01.05 — links for 2010-01-05: Make Way for the Artisanal Grilled-Cheese Truck (Grub Street New York) Omigod. Someone save me from myself. (tags: brooklyn linkroll cheese) New Mobile-Device Purchase Makes Asshole More Versatile (The Onion) (tags: onion linkroll) YouTube - Meryl Streep & Stanley... (read entry)
2010.01.05 — Stocking: Someone gave me, in my Christmas stocking, a box of Band-Aids - sorry: Boo Boo Kisses Adhesive Bandages. Fine. Good so far. Who doesn't need sexy band-aids? The package says, "FREE TOY INSIDE!" OK, still with you. Everyone loves... (read entry)
2010.01.04 — links for 2010-01-04: Is McCain Attacking Obama Out of Principle, or for Revenge? (NYMag) This sounds about right. God. Would someone please replace the US Senate? (tags: politics mccain linkroll) Winter Wonderland (swissmiss) The Swiss put in the extra effort for tourists.... (read entry)
2010.01.04 — The "Best" Films List: It's January and that means it's time for lists. Lists of last year's bests, the last decade's bests (which shouldn't come out until the end of the new year, right?), resolutions for next year and the next decade, lists of... (read entry)
2010.01.03 — links for 2010-01-03: By George - And the Pursuit of Happiness Blog (NYTimes.com) Last installment... (tags: kalman linkroll) 2009: The Year in Pictures (The New York Times) (tags: news linkroll)... (read entry)
2010.01.01 — links for 2010-01-01: Spy Agencies Failed to Collate Clues on Terror (NYTimes.com) Seriously, is anyone surprised by this? I'm not. It's like the "no WMDs" thing. (Did anyone in their right mind really think they had 'em?) Scary but completely predictable. (tags:... (read entry)
2009.12.29 — links for 2009-12-29: GIANTmicrobes - plush diseases In case you got your H1N1 vaccine already and are longing for a little taste of swine flu, you can order the plush version here to cuddle with all winter. (tags: toys linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.12.29 — iPhone Tip: You know when it's freezing outside and you're wearing gloves or fuzzy mittens (or you're a werewolf and have hairy fingertips year-round) and you're trying to take a picture with your iPhone, or answer your iPhone, or text someone on... (read entry)
2009.12.24 — Christmas: It's Christmas, and Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. From the time I got that circus truck with the plastic zoo animals in individual cages when I was five to wrapping up presents in a tearing hurry a couple... (read entry)
2009.12.23 — links for 2009-12-23: Our Annual Year 2009 (The Onion) (tags: humor onion linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.12.23 — I Am a Rock Star: So you know how you get those notifications when someone new starts following you on Twitter? If it's someone I know, I go, "Huh," and delete it. If it's someone I don't know, I go, "Huh," and delete it. I... (read entry)
2009.12.23 — The Boots Fixation: It's my own personal winter tradition: every year I pick a pair of new boots and fixate on them. Mind you, I already have plenty of boots. It's not need-based, it's want-based and man have I wanted some of them... (read entry)
2009.12.23 — The Boys Are Back In Town: Just in time for Christmas, our doves are back. Our deck and the carriage entrance below us used to be home to an expanding family of them, but the unwelcome arrival of a cat (stupid neighbors - thankfully since... (read entry)
2009.12.21 — links for 2009-12-21: Vatican Employees Unable To Relax At Holiday Party With Pope Around (The Onion) (tags: humor onion linkroll) U.S. Limits Tarmac Waits for Passengers to Three Hours (NYTimes.com) Thank God and about time. Too bad it's not in effect for... (read entry)
2009.12.19 — links for 2009-12-19: 101 Small Business Mistakes (and What You Can Learn From Them) Thinking about a change in the new year? (tags: entrepreneurship career business linkroll) a tiny gingerbread house that perches on the edge of your mug (not martha) How... (read entry)
2009.12.17 — links for 2009-12-17: Envisioning Development: What is Affordable Housing? NYC Dynamic map of income levels in all 'hoods in New York. Actually pretty heartening. (tags: linkroll nyc maps realestate)... (read entry)
2009.12.17 — Boys vs. Girls: So, yes, it's a girl. In late April, R and I will be having a daughter. I didn't realize I hadn't published that latest bit of offspring information until I got a few emails from readers who'd picked it up... (read entry)
2009.12.16 — links for 2009-12-16: The Big Picture - 2009 in photos (part 1 of 3) Check out 18 and 20. My Lord. (tags: photos linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.12.16 — The Season of Giving: I was lying awake at four AM, as I often am these days, thinking. My thoughts at that hour are, more often than not, anxious ones, my mind roving over the landscape of the past and future, making sure I... (read entry)
2009.12.15 — links for 2009-12-15: Sumerians Look On In Confusion As Christian God Creates World (The Onion) (tags: humor onion linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.12.14 — Santa Lucia: The West Coast Tour: I know you've been up all night wondering how the weekend baking went, so let's get right to it and relieve your anxiety so you can get back to wrapping up the cat. It's hard to believe that as... (read entry)
2009.12.11 — links for 2009-12-11: A people pattern (Bobulate) The brief structure of how to approach near-strangers to meet your goals. (Thanks, swiss-miss) (tags: communication networking linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.12.10 — links for 2009-12-10: GateGuru iPhone App For stranded holiday travelers, knowing where the nearest food, newspaper or latte is could make the difference between merry and insane. (tags: linkroll airports travel) YouTube - How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller Sweeeeet. Totally... (read entry)
2009.12.10 — Neutra vs. Gaga: (Thank you, swissmiss)... (read entry)
2009.12.10 — Holiday Update: Nothing says "Christmas" like a nut-covered cheese ball, right? RIGHT?? Well, maybe not for you, but my grandmother always scored one from somewhere and we had it with Ritz crackers and egg nog on Christmas Eve as a pre-dinner lactose... (read entry)
2009.12.09 — links for 2009-12-09: Peter Funch: photographer Dude. Check out the conglomerate photos. Bad. Ass. (Thanks, MUG) (tags: linkroll photography)... (read entry)
2009.12.09 — This Week's News: Fit Pregnancy's Week 21 update: Some women report feeling better and more energized at this stage of pregnancy than they have at any point in their life. We hope you're one of them! Me: Bite me.... (read entry)
2009.12.08 — Appy Days: In the spirit of the holidays, let's start our Tuesday with a little shopping, shall we? Minor shopping. $1.99 App Store shopping to be exact. Last week, my brother's company released an excellent iPhone game called Categuru and you should... (read entry)
2009.12.07 — links for 2009-12-07: New Device Desirable, Old Device Undesirable (The Onion) Ah, Christmas shopping. (tags: linkroll onion humor)... (read entry)
2009.12.07 — Judgment Day: You know how sometimes you're standing in line at the grocery store and you see what the people ahead of you are buying and you think superior thoughts about them because you're buying granola bars and low-fat yogurt and they're... (read entry)
2009.12.07 — Recreational Irritation: Here's my Monday Question: why do people read or watch things that clearly upset them? I do not watch Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck. I do not listen to Rush Limbaugh. Why? Because I do not think they have anything... (read entry)
2009.12.02 — links for 2009-12-02: New Images From Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (ComingSoon.net) I'm not a fan of ruining imaginative books by making one person's vision concrete on the screen, but this does look cool. Just make sure your kid has a few... (read entry)
2009.12.02 — Value for Your Money: A couple weeks ago, New York Magazine's Intelligencer column interviewed 100 random pedestrians in SoHo about what they would be willing to pay for, with a primary focus on media, e.g. newspapers online, TV, commercials, etc. This was the final... (read entry)
2009.12.02 — Word of the Day: flawesome, (flaw-sum) adj. Flawed, idiotic, but awesome, excellent, breathtaking. Usage: "Attempting a back flip in a kitchen that size was incredibly stupid but still really impressive. Flawesome, dude."... (read entry)
2009.12.02 — Ri. Diculous.: I know everyone says they need more space, but we're different. We really do need more space. Really. We live in a studio apartment. Two of us. And we're not twenty-three or impoverished, so we have no excuse. Our studio... (read entry)
2009.12.02 — Seriously?: I know. It's a kitten, it's YouTube, and I'm not eleven years old, but this is adorable. Happy Tuesday!... (read entry)
2009.12.01 — links for 2009-12-01: Obama Tells Nation He's Going Out For Cigarettes (The Onion) (tags: humor onion linkroll) YouTube - Mads Langer singing "Fact Fiction" He looks like he's about eight, but he has a lovely voice. Danish, I think. (tags: music linkroll... (read entry)
2009.12.01 — Holiday Homesickness: To be clear, despite nearly ten years in San Francisco, New York is home. I mean, yes, of course, home is where R is and I do feel at home in our west coast apartment, but this city by the... (read entry)
2009.11.30 — links for 2009-11-30: Steve Jobs' Awesome Email To Developer (AAPL) Straight to the point. (tags: apple stevejobs linkroll) CNN Fails to Tap Bruce Campbell as Replacement for Lou Dobbs (The Enthusiast) (tags: humor linkroll) The ducks in the bathroom are not mine.... (read entry)
2009.11.30 — Favorite Comment: I was just sorting through the mass quantities of spam comments the site got swamped with over the Thanksgiving holiday and came across this one: "Hi everyone. Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese. Help me!" It... (read entry)
2009.11.30 — White House Crashers: I just have to weigh in on this thing with the reality TV show candidates crashing the White House state dinner last week. Why? Because I do not like reality TV, especially watching grown women act like spoiled four-year-olds. I... (read entry)
2009.11.30 — The Episcopalians: I'm an Episcopalian. That means I like my religion without guitars and hugs. Not big on authority figures in golf carts either. Also a no go: any sort of physical activity in dress clothes, including but not limited to raising... (read entry)
2009.11.30 — The Funniest Thing I've Read In a While: A sampling of a.) something funny b.) an excellent use of pie charts (Thanks, swiss miss.) Read full entry here. From: Simon Edhouse Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 3.29pm To: David Thorne Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo... (read entry)
2009.11.26 — links for 2009-11-26: The Origin of Big (Discover Magazine) Fascinating read on why whales are so big and how parachute science helped sort out how they feed that enormous form. (tags: whales science evolution linkroll) Biden Pardons Single Yam In Vice Presidential... (read entry)
2009.11.25 — links for 2009-11-25: Op-Ed Contributor - A Moveable Fast (NYTimes.com) "Even after Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863, Massachusetts continued to celebrate its spring day of abstention for 31 more years." Yup, I'm from Massachusetts. That's me: Puritan... (read entry)
2009.11.23 — Quote of the Week: I know it's only Monday, but it's good to stay ahead of things, right? "I have never believed that everything happens for a reason. But I do feel very strongly that everything happens so that it can be turned into... (read entry)
2009.11.23 — San Francisco: The Ice Cream Section at Bi-Rite: Yeah, that's specific I know, but check this out: they have cookie and ice cream sandwiches. Don't, "Ho hum," me like I'm suggesting you score one of those Oreo-looking, admittedly delicious but taste like plastic ones from the freezer case... (read entry)
2009.11.22 — links for 2009-11-22: Saving Sea Turtles, One Nest at a Time (NYTimes Video) Such a sad situation for such excellent creatures. Save the turtles, people! (tags: turtles wildlife linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.11.21 — links for 2009-11-21: Excerpts from my uninspiring address to a joint session of congress (Minor Tweaks) "Now is the season for delay." (tags: humor)... (read entry)
2009.11.20 — links for 2009-11-20: Amazon.com: Laptop Steering Wheel Desk Check out the additional photos and the reviews. (tags: linkroll, humor)... (read entry)
2009.11.11 — links for 2009-11-11: 201 Beautiful Modern Menorahs (The Megile Modern Menorah List.) Need a menorah? (tags: hannukah linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.11.10 — links for 2009-11-10: Op-Ed Contributor - The Mismeasure of Woman (NYTimes.com) It's not exactly a call to political action, but I agree with the assessment. (tags: feminism linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.11.10 — Twelve Months: Last November, R and I got engaged, so it seems fitting that this November should bring its own news: we're having a baby. I love the autumn, don't you? If you've been been feeling a bit neglected, looking for a... (read entry)
2009.10.20 — Up in the Air: It's that time again. The wild blue yonder beckons, this time for an actual vacation. Unbelievably, we haven't been on a proper, turn-off-my-phone, see-you-when-we-get-back holiday in four years. All the globetrotting of late has been work- or family-related and hasn't... (read entry)
2009.10.20 — Travel Schwag: I think these luggage tags pretty much cover it, don't you? It's MY bag, that's whose it is. Geez. Completely unrelated, Cambria Cove also does pre-designed calling cards. If you're a girl and like birds - who doesn't like birds... (read entry)
2009.10.19 — links for 2009-10-19: 10 things you need to stop tweeting about (The Oatmeal) I agree, but I'm pretty sure this covers about 98% of all current tweets. (tags: twitter linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.10.19 — New York: Love, Loss and What I Wore; Hamlet; Superior Donuts: Now that we've established that I missed A Steady Rain, what did I see and, more importantly, of what I saw, what should you see? Love, Loss, and What I Wore Unless you see or read everything Nora Ephron produces... (read entry)
2009.10.15 — links for 2009-10-15: Hard Work's Overrated, Maybe Detrimental (Fast Company) Hmmmm.... (tags: creativity psychology linkroll productivity) YouTube - Sony Soundville A village in Iceland gets full stereo sound for a week. Cool idea, but I'd have invested in earplugs. (tags: music linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.10.14 — New York: Me and Theater Tickets: I tried to scale back my manic theater-going schedule a bit this trip, after having marathon'd through far too many shows in far too few days the last time I was in New York. Five days. Three plays. Reasonable, right?... (read entry)
2009.10.12 — links for 2009-10-12: When I Play Doctor, I Play To Win It's a T-shirt. Get it for all your med friends. Seriously. (tags: tshirts humor linkroll) Study: Majority Of 'Calm Downs' Ineffective (The Onion) (tags: onion humor linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.10.12 — It's Here: Autumn, that is. At home, in the northeast, the leaves are turning, the air is crisp, the bags of apples are waiting at roadside stands and the light has taken a lower, flattering angle that is full of unrealistic promises,... (read entry)
2009.10.12 — How's My Driving?: When I was a kid, there were a fair number of days when I stomped into my green-shag-carpeted room (in as much as stomping is possible on what basically amounted to a wool lawn) vowing that, "They'll be sorry someday."... (read entry)
2009.10.09 — links for 2009-10-09: Gourmet to All That (NYTimes.com) I wasn't a big fan of Gourmet Magazine, but I am a fan of experts over amateurs. You can't crowdsource a souffle. (tags: cooking linkroll food) The Choice Myth (Judith Warner) Having kids and... (read entry)
2009.10.08 — links for 2009-10-08: Swiss Cheesemakers Not "Swiss Cheese" makers. Swiss cheesemakers. You know. (tags: cheese switzerland) inflatable turkey I MUST have this. (tags: Thanksgiving)... (read entry)
2009.10.08 — Get the Hell Out of Dodge: Long time no see. How're we all doing? Hanging in there? Things OK? How's the wife/husband/partner/being single? I hope no one's been kicked out of school already/had swine flu/lost the local autumn kickball tourney. Things here have been kind of... (read entry)
2009.09.28 — links for 2009-09-28: If Air Travel Worked Like Health Care It's amazing what we accept as "normal." (tags: healthcare linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.09.25 — Mmm...pancakes...: $3500. 200 pancakes an hour. That means if you go for 17.5 hours, you'll have the cost of a pancake down to $1. Not bad. Of course, you'll also have 3500 pancakes. I'm thinkin' fire hall, Saturday morning, some pig... (read entry)
2009.09.23 — links for 2009-09-23: Fiji Water: Spin the Bottle (Mother Jones) I drink Fiji. Correction: I drank Fiji. (tags: fiji economics water linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.09.21 — Temptation: Oh, The Temptation from Steve V on Vimeo. Remember that article in The New Yorker about kids and self-control and marshmallows? This is the video that was never made of that study. Ever since I read it, I've been preoccupied... (read entry)
2009.09.20 — links for 2009-09-20: Free-Range Chicken Makes It To Bolivia (The Onion) (tags: humor)... (read entry)
2009.09.18 — links for 2009-09-18: I Will Not Read Your Fucking Script (Deadline.com) Any questions? (tags: writing film linkroll) One Injury, 10 Countries (NYTimes.com) A guy with a shoulder injury tries out healthcare in ten countries. Amazing contrasts, measured healthcare argument. Skip the townhalls... (read entry)
2009.09.16 — links for 2009-09-16: Connie Schultz's columns at The Cleveland Plain Dealer I know I'm nearly the last one to know about her, but I finally got there. She was on Craig Ferguson not long ago and now I can't stop checking in... (read entry)
2009.09.16 — Wednesday: Disappointment lies in the gap between expectations and reality. Unless of course you keep your expectations really low, below the reality line, in which case, you probably come across as a pessimist who is surprised a lot, which probably makes... (read entry)
2009.09.15 — links for 2009-09-15: Keanu Reeves Recalls Swayze as 'A Beautiful Person' (People) It's official: Keanu can't put a sentence together with two hands. (tags: celebrity linkroll) S.E.C. Settlement With Bank Over Merrill Bonuses Is Rejected (NYTimes.com) You go, boy! “It is quite... (read entry)
2009.09.14 — links for 2009-09-14: Michael Bay’s Crew Bitchslaps Megan Fox (Deadline.com) The sentence structure's a bit lacking, but this is about what I thought she was probably like, so I'm overlooking the writing flaws. (tags: movies linkroll) Cheese or Font Finally! Is it... (read entry)
2009.09.12 — links for 2009-09-12: Op-Ed - Smart Child Left Behind - NYTimes.com I was bored out of my mind for years while teachers taught to the middle of the class or lower. This is an infuriating and persistent problem and an injustice for... (read entry)
2009.09.12 — 9: Just to be clear, I'm talking about 9, the movie about little burlap people making their way in a post-apocalyptic world of scary machines, not Nine, the movie about big-busted women making their way through Fellini's anti-apocalyptic world of surreal... (read entry)
2009.09.11 — Slow Lane: You may have noticed that I'm posting a little less these last couple of weeks. Or you may not have, in which case maybe you're not paying close enough attention, but I'll pretend you didn't say that because it hurts... (read entry)
2009.09.09 — links for 2009-09-09: The Hierarchy Of Digital Distractions (Information Is Beautiful) Frighteningly true. (tags: distractions internet linkroll) Whatever Happened to the Work Ethic? (City Journal) Maybe my obsession with the canon is actually a concern with Protestant values. (Except for the conformity... (read entry)
2009.09.09 — Al Franken is the MAN: The shirt's not the man, no, but we'll let that slide.... (read entry)
2009.09.08 — links for 2009-09-08: Easy Cocktails from the Cursing Mommy (The New Yorker) Serious profanity but some good advice on gimlets. (tags: newyorker drinking swearing linkroll) Flickr Finally Goes Native With An iPhone App Sweet. (tags: iphone flickr linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.09.08 — Mamet Update: I'm still mad at David Mamet in case you were wondering. He's got two shows opening this fall at the Atlantic Theater Company. Me: No way am I going. No way. R: Why not? Me: What?? Because of November. R:... (read entry)
2009.09.08 — @#$(*$! Twitter: There's been far too much attention granted to Twitter here in the States where it's not like we're using it to stage the next revolution, so I won't add considerably to that heap of noise. Let me just say this:... (read entry)
2009.09.08 — Fiona O'Loughlin: From Crackle: Fiona O'Loughlin Finally tracked down my favorite set of Fiona's on Crackle. Sorry about the intro advert - apparently unavoidable.... (read entry)
2009.09.05 — links for 2009-09-05: Helvetical Turns Google Calendar Into a Thing of Beauty (Lifehacker) Not Safari-approved but still a big improvement. (tags: fonts google lifehacker linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.09.04 — What He Said: "I've always believed that because you have access to people's minds and communicate to people that there is a corresponding responsibility: the responsibility of being a good citizen and also recognizing that if you have the ablity to transfer ideas... (read entry)
2009.09.03 — links for 2009-09-03: Interview with Joseph Holmes of joe’s nyc I love Joe's photos of New York. Great interview with some excellent photo advice. (tags: photography linkroll) Life Advice From Old People I can use all the advice I can get. Bring... (read entry)
2009.09.03 — Fall TV: I hate to admit that I'm a television addict, but there it is. The first step is admitting I have a "problem." (Does admitting that require that I remove the quotation marks?) The House season premiere is on 9/21. More... (read entry)
2009.09.02 — links for 2009-09-02: Urban Sketchers: Sketches around London I love London, but aren't the sketches better than the reality?? (tags: london sketch linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.09.01 — links for 2009-09-01: Senator Ted Kennedy, 1932-2009 (The Big Picture) Ted Kennedy's life in pictures. (tags: tedkennedy photography politics linkroll) To Do:: #199 Post-Its left in public. (tags: design art linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.09.01 — In the Loop: Simon: It'll be easy peasy lemon squeezy. Toby: No, it won't. It'll be difficult, difficult lemon DIFFICULT. Take a note District 9: ditch the aliens, find a kick-ass script and a swearing Scotsman and you'll get further with that... (read entry)
2009.09.01 — District 9: It's a rare thing for me to walk out of a movie. I can only remember skipping out three times, which is saying something since I was a film student and had to sit through hundreds of screenings of marginal,... (read entry)
2009.08.31 — links for 2009-08-31: 826 Valencia: Posters!!! "Cannons Don't Sink Ships, Pirates with Cannons Sink Ships." (tags: 826valencia posters linkroll) PinkWolf » Objet/Espace Check out the dragon table. (tags: design linkroll) In Kennedy, the Last Roar of the New Deal Liberal (NYTimes.com) How... (read entry)
2009.08.31 — Simple Superiority: Sean Farrell over at Penflare collected some seriously kick ass logo designs. Check it out. See? It's a film reel and a scaredy face! (Thanks, Ramon!)... (read entry)
2009.08.31 — Pimp My Semi: Starbucks person: Tall? Grande? Me: Grande! Livin' large! R: You really do wish you were a trucker. That's kinda true. Not the job, but the diners yes, please. At a massive truckstop at the foot of the Rockies I saw... (read entry)
2009.08.29 — C'est Moi: 'Nuf said.... (read entry)
2009.08.28 — links for 2009-08-28: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale World Science Festival 2009. Sing it. Do it. (tags: pentatonic bobbymcferrin music neuroscience) And the Pursuit of Happiness - NYTimes.com Kalman on immigration. '"This small" is my new motto." Indeed.... (read entry)
2009.08.28 — Construction: Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer var so = new SWFObject("http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf", "PictoBrowser", "300", "300", "8", "#EEEEEE"); so.addVariable("source", "sets"); so.addVariable("names", "Potrero Hill construction"); so.addVariable("userName", "Emma358"); so.addVariable("userId", "21342301@N00"); so.addVariable("ids", "72157622170279150"); so.addVariable("titles", "on"); so.addVariable("displayNotes", "on"); so.addVariable("thumbAutoHide", "off"); so.addVariable("imageSize", "medium"); so.addVariable("vAlign", "mid"); so.addVariable("vertOffset", "0");... (read entry)
2009.08.27 — Note to Self: The Kids Question: One of the things I loved about New York - not in the top ten but definitely a nice perk - was that no one ever asked me why I wasn't married or when I was going to have kids. This is because there is so much to do in New York, who has time to notice the absence of rings and toddlers? You get there when you get there. (read entry)
2009.08.27 — Teddy Kennedy: I've always been proud to have been born in the state of Massachusetts and never more so than this week. I had a political crush on Robert Kennedy from the minute I knew anything about him, but it's Ted who... (read entry)
2009.08.24 — Julia Child: When I was small, Julia Child was still on television in The French Chef and, even though I never had an Easy Bake Oven or any interest in cooking - except for that one time I melted chocolate chips over... (read entry)
2009.08.24 — Mmmm...butter...: (read entry)
2009.08.21 — links for 2009-08-21: Personas | Metropath(ologies) An installation by Aaron Zinman. Check out your online identity by, er, color bar. (tags: visualization art identity linkroll) “Well, what are you doing creeping around a cow shed at 2 o’clock in the morning?" A... (read entry)
2009.08.21 — Note to Self: Autumn Goals: It's been a rocky week, Chez Emma. The end of summer usually gets me in the mood for new beginnings and back to school Members Only jackets in colors like Spice Bush and Brownage, but I can't seem to grab... (read entry)
2009.08.19 — links for 2009-08-19: Is It Now a Crime to Be Poor? (NYTimes.com) From the excellent Barbara Ehrenreich. (tags: poverty recession linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.08.18 — links for 2009-08-18: Manhood for Amateurs: The Wilderness of Childhood (NY Review of Books) An excerpt from Chabon's latest. Seems the # of child abductions stays steady regardless of increasing paranoia. Huh. (tags: chabon children childhood linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.08.18 — Me and Obama: About 4AM this morning, I had a dream that I met Obama outside a tavern of some sort and, well, basically, yeah, he blew me off. That's not a good way to start the day, is it? Man. I spent... (read entry)
2009.08.17 — links for 2009-08-17: Guy Who Just Beat You To Bus Stop Usain Bolt (The Onion) Well that explains that. (tags: onion linkroll usainbolt)... (read entry)
2009.08.17 — San Francisco: The Guide: Update: One of my readers is in San Francisco and looking for tips, so in addition to the original San Francisco: The Guide (and all the various reviews I've ever posted!), here's an update on Where To Eat If you live... (read entry)
2009.08.15 — links for 2009-08-15: Antiqued Wooden Sign - Every Day I Love You Wildly expensive but lovely sentiment. (tags: shopping prints linkroll) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Trailer Welcome back, Mr. Gilliam. (tags: gilliam trailers linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.08.14 — links for 2009-08-14: YouTube - Dominoes Techno Chicken I have nothing more to say. (tags: chicken humor linkroll) Grégoire Alexandre Astonishing photography. (#40 and #43 are pretty much where I'm living right now.) (tags: photography linkroll) Mary Poppins Recut Trailer The horror!... (read entry)
2009.08.14 — Venice: Guggenheim and Rauschenberg: The trip to Venice was - how shall I say this? Let's go with "chaotic." Beautiful, impressive and chaotic. I'll get into the chaos another time; first, let's talk about the Guggenheim. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection was on the top... (read entry)
2009.08.14 — Gregoire Alexandre: Happy Friday, everyone! May your weekend be filled with, er, green paper unicorns. More here. (thanks Print)... (read entry)
2009.08.13 — Switzerland: The Food. My God, the Food.: Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer var so = new SWFObject("http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf", "PictoBrowser", "500", "500", "8", "#EEEEEE"); so.addVariable("source", "sets"); so.addVariable("names", "Swiss Food"); so.addVariable("userName", "Emma358"); so.addVariable("userId", "21342301@N00"); so.addVariable("ids", "72157621905520569"); so.addVariable("titles", "on"); so.addVariable("displayNotes", "on"); so.addVariable("thumbAutoHide", "off"); so.addVariable("imageSize", "medium"); so.addVariable("vAlign", "mid"); so.addVariable("vertOffset", "0"); so.addVariable("colorHexVar",... (read entry)
2009.08.12 — links for 2009-08-12: TheDieline.com: Package Design Mmmm....pretty products....mmmmmm (tags: design packaging linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.08.12 — My Library: I've just read another article on books and how we judge others' bookshelves (over at Rands in Repose), so, while I'm thinking of it, I'll finally introduce you to my bookshelf (virtually, for most of you, but if you want... (read entry)
2009.08.11 — links for 2009-08-11: The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan A reader details right-wing wing nuts of history. It's scary because it's true. (tags: politics linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.08.11 — Flashback: Last night, I got to go to an improv class with ten friends and it brought back memories of that Drew Carey show Whose Line Is It Anyway? that R introduced me to when we met. (Well, not "when we... (read entry)
2009.08.10 — You know, for the kids: I came across this gorilla over the weekend and even though I have an inexplicable lack of enthusiasm for primates, I love him. I wish I'd had him when I was a kid and am seriously considering making up for... (read entry)
2009.08.09 — links for 2009-08-09: Urban Sketchers Sketches and watercolors of random urban places. The antidote to Flickr. (tags: illustration sketch art linkroll) Laura Genz - sketches of NYC Homesick anyone? (tags: sketch linkroll newyorkcity nyc)... (read entry)
2009.08.08 — links for 2009-08-08: Jilted Hasbro CEO Laughs Coldly As Scrabble Destroys Another Relationship (The Onion) I knew there was a reason I don't play Scrabble. (tags: scrabble games humor hotw)... (read entry)
2009.08.08 — Career vs. Calling: If you're lucky, your career and your calling are one and the same. However, despite all the advice on bookstore bookshelves and daytime talk shows to follow your bliss and get down to the business of starting your own rock... (read entry)
2009.08.08 — European Tour 2009: What Worked: The tour included business and theater in London (humid, grey), a wedding in Switzerland (formal), a couple of sweltering days in Milan, holiday with family in Venice, a little down time in Zurich, a lot of time in flight, a... (read entry)
2009.08.07 — links for 2009-08-07: Lemonade: a recession era documentary Lemons to lemonade: what happened after ad agency workers got laid off. (tags: advertising documentary linkroll recession) DonorsChoose.org: An online charity connecting you to classrooms in need Before the school year kicks off, why... (read entry)
2009.08.07 — Travel: Some Thoughts on Packing: I am anxiety-prone and claustrophobic, which is not a great combo for someone who travels as much as I do. The anxiety convinces me that I should take pretty much everything I own with me (you know: just in case),... (read entry)
2009.08.06 — links for 2009-08-06: Netflix Culture - internal presentation Principles and workplace sound great. (Not sure I can get there re: "passion" on shipping videos though...) (tags: management business)... (read entry)
2009.08.04 — "Emergency": Check this out: 911 transcripts. Awesome. 5:33 pm: Officer is responding to report of belligerent hitchhiker at Hwys. O and 53. 5:44 pm: Above officer reports that belligerent hitchhiker will be moving along. 8:12 pm: Hitchhiker is lying in ditch... (read entry)
2009.08.03 — links for 2009-08-03: Behind the Scenes of TED (via swiss-miss) Quickie documentary about the filming of TED talks. (tags: conference media ted linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.08.03 — Me as a Dog: (read entry)
2009.08.03 — Suggestion Box: Weddings: We attended two weddings this summer, among the several we've been to in the last few years, and, based on all that experience, there's one word of advice I'd like to offer prospective brides: elope. Why? Because it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. And by "an eye" I mean "their temper." (read entry)
2009.08.02 — links for 2009-08-02: 100 years of design manifestos (swissmiss) That is some serious conviction, my friends. (tags: design manifesto linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.08.01 — links for 2009-08-01: YouTube - Robert Muraine - Ikea Commercial Full Version Remember that mindblowing popper from last season of So You Think You Can Dance? He's in Canada. Sweet. (tags: dance ikea linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.07.31 — links for 2009-07-31: Imaginary Friends (Scientific American) If I'm "parasocial" friends with my faves on TV, what does it mean that I watch mostly crime shows? (tags: psychology tv linkroll) Garrison Keillor - The Art of Travel (NYTimes.com) Lovely short piece on... (read entry)
2009.07.30 — links for 2009-07-30: Things I Learn From My Patients - Student Doctor Network Forums #5: Stay away from people named "Some Guy" or "This One Dude", because they for whatever reason, just punch someone in the face or hit them with a... (read entry)
2009.07.30 — European Tour 2009: London, Zurich, Milan, Venice: I know I never officially notified you that I was going. Sorry about that. Things got away from me before I left and completely slipped through my fingers while I was gone. But now I'm back, waking up at 3:30... (read entry)
2009.07.29 — links for 2009-07-29: TypeTees T-shirt: I would look cooler if I were riding a unicorn. When is that not true? Never, that's when. (tags: tshirts linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.07.20 — Dynamic Duo: Shatner and Palin: I'm not a fan of Star Trek or Conan, but this seems like a more appropriate forum for Sarah Palin's bizarre resignation speech than her front lawn.... (read entry)
2009.07.20 — Questions About Tourists: Have they no shame? True or false: Having a picture of yourself in a place is more essential than actually having seen that place. What exactly does a pictogram of a camera with a red line through it mean in... (read entry)
2009.07.08 — links for 2009-07-08: Urban Sketchers Sketches and watercolors of random urban places. The antidote to Flickr. (tags: illustration sketch art linkroll) TheDieline.com Blog of excellent packaging. Yes, I'm like that. I get all worked up about this stuff. So does this guy.... (read entry)
2009.07.07 — Cosmic Garage Door Opener: (read entry)
2009.07.03 — links for 2009-07-03: The Lost Tribes of NYC (swissmiss) Animated New York. Like Creature Comforts for Harlem. And suitcases. (tags: animation linkroll newyork) The Uniform Project: wear the same dress every day for a year Raising funds for the schooling of children... (read entry)
2009.07.03 — Bad Timing: A friend of a friend was mugged last weekend on the train at 16th and Mission. And by "mugged" I mean a dude grabbed her iPhone out of her hand in broad daylight. Since it was the new 3GS, she... (read entry)
2009.07.03 — Transformers: Revenge of the... never mind: I went to see the Transformers sequel the other night. I know. You don't have to say it. I knew before I went that it was going to be terrible and yes, it was terrible, but, in my own defense,... (read entry)
2009.07.02 — links for 2009-07-02: John Hodgman: I Hear They’re Going to Make Evolution Legal Hodgman's speech at Radio and TV Correspondent's Dinner putting Obama's nerd credentials to the test. (tags: hodgman humor obama journalism linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.07.02 — Sun's Up: As I left the building in a sleepy fog this morning to drop R at the train, a young, blonde EMT heading back to his ambulance did a full-on Fred Astaire right in front of me, leaping into the air... (read entry)
2009.07.02 — Insane in the Membrane, etc.: In the deep lower portion of your brain, there's a bit called the amygdala. It's primary function is to keep you alive: it controls the fight or flight reflex and, related, can shut down the part of your prefrontal cortex... (read entry)
2009.06.30 — links for 2009-06-30: The Toaster Project The guy is making a toaster from scratch. You go boy. Send toast when you're done. (tags: design toaster linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.06.30 — Beware: A friend of mine was in Jerusalem recently and, approaching a church, encountered a sign stating, "No explanations provided inside." We think that's a reminder to tour guides that they maintain an appropriate silence within a house of worship of... (read entry)
2009.06.27 — links for 2009-06-27: Frugal Pleasures of Paris in Summer - NYTimes.com (tags: travel paris) Op-Ed Columnist - The Prurient Trap (NYTimes.com) Succinct summary of conservatives holier-than-thou BS coming back to bit them in the ass. (tags: scandal politics linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.06.26 — links for 2009-06-26: Maira Kalman - on Jefferson (NYTimes.com) Monticello is a wonder. Sad post but still Kalman. (tags: jefferson monticello kalman linkroll) The Hurt Locker - Soldiers on a Live Wire Between Peril and Protocol (NYTimes) Best movie review tag line:... (read entry)
2009.06.26 — Venice: Brace Yourselves: Venice is next. I know: it's absurd. We just got back from Spain. Don't say it. The planning seems lacking, if not downright ridiculous, but it was unavoidable. Trust me: I tried to avoid it, but there it is. London... (read entry)
2009.06.26 — SYTYCD: News and Notes: If you're not watching Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance, you should be. So get on that. If you are, how much do we love Mia Michaels? I think she's mean and would hurt every last... (read entry)
2009.06.24 — links for 2009-06-24: What is a Browser? (Google via swissmiss) Some days I think I'm not in that upper percentile...and then days like today happen and I realize, I'm way the hell up there. (tags: google internet browser linkroll chrome) Puppy tires... (read entry)
2009.06.24 — Comfort: The dental trauma has left me a bit shaken. Hence, a little boy and his penguin is just what the (other, non-medical) doctor ordered. Although $300 might be a little steep to get this print for my very own. I'd... (read entry)
2009.06.23 — links for 2009-06-23: San Francisco Air Sex Championship 'Nuf said. (tags: linkroll sex) To Be a Baby - the psychology of babies (Seed Magazine) "If you're [babies] always learning, imagining, and finding out, you need a kind of freedom that you don’t... (read entry)
2009.06.23 — Health Care Crisis: I've been doctoring it up recently. It's not a good time to add appointments to the calendar, what with our fast-approaching return to Europe, planning a major event for R's parents' 50th wedding anniversary, and two weddings to sort out... (read entry)
2009.06.22 — Barcelona: The Guide: First there was the anticipation. Then there was the packing. After that, there was the coverage. Now, at last, here is The Guide to Barcelona (according to me). As with the other guides on this site, I don't pretend to... (read entry)
2009.06.22 — Summer Movies: Everyone's a critic at the movies. It's the boon and the bane of popular culture: since your $10 ticket + $47.50 for snacks are paying for the movie, you get a vote. Especially if you're an 18-34-year-old male or a... (read entry)
2009.06.19 — Obama and The Fly: This dude could clear brush with his laser vision, that's all I'm saying. Bad #$*&#! ass. (Sorry about Comedy Central's terrible video quality. Original here.) The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cObama Kills a Flythedailyshow.comDaily Show... (read entry)
2009.06.18 — links for 2009-06-18: The Project: Fallen Princesses Dina Goldstein photographs Disney heroines in the anti-happily-ever-after. Finally. (tags: women fairytales disney photos linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.06.17 — links for 2009-06-17: Young, Single and Pregnant — What Now? (Lisa Belkin's blog, NYTimes.com) What's interesting: the thoughtful, responsible advice the woman gets from the commenters. That is unfortunately rare on the web. Or is it just me? (tags: linkroll motherhood baby... (read entry)
2009.06.17 — In the Air: Alain de Botton, the writer behind How Proust Can Change Your Life and the brilliant Status Anxiety (with it's equally brilliant cover) has a new book out, the Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, and I can't wait to read it.... (read entry)
2009.06.16 — links for 2009-06-16: Alain de Botton, Photo Gallery We love Alain de Botton. Can't wait to read his new book on the Pleasures and Sorrows of Work. (tags: botton career photos work linkroll) This American Life spoof by Kasper Hauser "Going Postal:... (read entry)
2009.06.16 — Barcelona: The Food: When I travel, I tend to be a low-effort locavore. That is, I eat at places that are directly in front of me. It surprised me then, when I was thinking about the best part of our recent trip to Barcelona, that the food we had was at the top of the list. (read entry)
2009.06.15 — links for 2009-06-15: Travelocity : Gnome Home Why do I find videos of a gnome jumping a bed hilarious? (tags: travel gnome linkroll) YouTube - Can't Tell Me Nothing - Kanye West Zach Galifianakis How did I miss this? Tractors and rap... (read entry)
2009.06.15 — Barcelona: Timing Is Everything: Travel Planning (Spanish edition): Make a schedule for when you want to go where. Sit quietly for a few moments to prepare yourself for the coming disappointment. Sharpen your #2 pencil. Begin the math section. First, you'll have to account... (read entry)
2009.06.14 — links for 2009-06-14: Daniel Craig Ice Pops Weird and creepy but enterprising, no? (tags: dessert linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.06.13 — Favorite T: Maybe this is the missing piece in all the protests and negotiations. T-shirt available here.... (read entry)
2009.06.12 — links for 2009-06-12: Brick Films: your source for all-Lego films Sweeney Todd in Lego? Yes, please. (tags: lego films linkroll) At Last, Facing Down Bullies (and Their Enablers) (NYTimes.com) I'm glad to hear there's a protocol somewhere. Reminds me of the film... (read entry)
2009.06.12 — 1933: What You Should Be: Original here. Thanks, Katy! "Compares wife unfavorably with mother or other wives," definitely deserves a demerit. I'm wondering if the five he'll get for that one ties with the demerits for, "Tells lies," and "Uses alcohol," because we're talking... (read entry)
2009.06.11 — Note to San Francisco: Re: multiple construction sites covering blocks and blocks between my apartment and my intended breakfast destination: You have no track record of being able to manage multiple projects at once. Why don't you just sit down, pick your favorite project... (read entry)
2009.06.11 — Barcelona: The Return: All my Barcelona notes are going to be out of order because, well, I'm back and I just can't manage trying to post-date all the things I noted and did, so we'll have to backtrack together. It's an odd thing,... (read entry)
2009.06.10 — links for 2009-06-10: Dispatchwork Berlin Repair work done in Berlin with Legos. (tags: lego art berlin linkroll) Inhabitat » The Sliding House by dRMM Two houses for the price of one. (Or maybe one house for the price of several. But whatever.)... (read entry)
2009.06.03 — Barcelona: Dia Dos: Yesterday I went in search of soup. (Long story. Short version: I love Euro cup of soup.) Destination: Carrefour. For those of you unfamiliar with buying American-size groceries in Europe, Carrefour is a gigantic French supermarket chain. Kind of like... (read entry)
2009.06.03 — Note to Self: What not to do as you board an international flight: read up on the unknown details of a crash of an international flight.... (read entry)
2009.05.30 — Saturday Art: Thanks for the tip, Katy!... (read entry)
2009.05.29 — links for 2009-05-29: Old Jews Telling Jokes Brilliant. (Thanks, Molly!) (tags: jokes humor jewish linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.05.29 — SYTYCD: It's Back!: In honor of the new season of So You Think You Can Dance, here's a highlight of last season. Even if you don't love the show, you gotta see this guy. You know what I love about this show... (read entry)
2009.05.28 — links for 2009-05-28: The Incredibles - The Chairs Pixar's decor for The Incredibles. Super cool. I want them to do my house! (via Swiss-Miss.com) (tags: animation incredibles design furniture pixar chairs linkroll) YouTube - Chris Isaak on the Late Late Show No,... (read entry)
2009.05.28 — Barcelona: The Packing Job: I am wandering around the apartment in a pair of olive suede ballet flats with bronze ribbons and a white terry bathrobe. You're right: I do look like a high-end homeless person. There is clothing strewn on every surface in... (read entry)
2009.05.28 — How To Prepare for a Trip: Step 1: Panic. You're going to be away for upwards of three days! What will you do if you come home and all the stuff you haven't managed to sort out over the last 2 - 12 months isn't done?... (read entry)
2009.05.28 — For the love of...: Over the course of your average day with me, there's a better than average chance that two things will come up: I love cheese and I am inappropriately competitive. Turns out I could be putting those features to good... (read entry)
2009.05.26 — Barcelona: Packing Checklist: I've checked with American Airlines' web site and sure enough, as long as I pay the $100 fee, I can bring a javelin to Spain. That's a relief. I was worried that I wouldn't have anything to do at the Olympic stadium. (read entry)
2009.05.25 — links for 2009-05-25: YouTube - Susan Boyle - Memory - Britain's Got Talent - Sophomore effort. Simon apologizes. (tags: susanboyle singing linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.05.25 — He Lives Vicariously Through Himself: (read entry)
2009.05.23 — Irrational Fear #847: I come into a building, keys in hand. I walk to the elevator. I step over the threshold into the elevator. Do you see that space between the floor and the elevator floor, that crack of doom? That is where... (read entry)
2009.05.22 — 30 Rock Favorite: (read entry)
2009.05.21 — links for 2009-05-21: Good50×70 2009 » Posters for Change Scary but brilliantly designed posters from all over the world on major issues: climate change, HIV, etc. (tags: design posters linkroll) California, Out of Money, Reels as Voters Rebuff Leaders - NYTimes.com I... (read entry)
2009.05.21 — Lego Love: When I was a kid, we had a huge basket of Legos. Ours were in primary colors only and none of them had moving parts. No winches or wheels or people. No curves or corners. Your basic 90-degree building... (read entry)
2009.05.20 — links for 2009-05-20: swissmiss | Security Cam Birdhouse Bad. Ass. Birdhouse. (tags: birds birdhouse linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.05.20 — San Francisco: Four Barrel Coffee: Just driving by it, I was excited about Four Barrel Coffee, the hipster coffee place on Valencia. For one, it has huge windows and a ton of sunny space. For two, there wasn't a laptop in sight. (I like to... (read entry)
2009.05.20 — Hipster Terrorist: An earnest, baby-faced hipster reading A Tale of Two Cities, just asked me to do him "a solid" and watch his stuff. He's been gone for 10 minutes. Do you think there's a bomb in that knapsack? What would a... (read entry)
2009.05.20 — Tagline: R has not seen The Shadow, that terrible, terrible Alec Baldwin movie from 1994 so I watched it with him last weekend. When Lamont Cranston (worst alter-ego name ever) dresses up as the Shadow, he wears a big flamenco hat... (read entry)
2009.05.19 — Barcelona: Ramp Up: We leave in less than two weeks. I have no plans. I haven't packed. Nothing's sorted. It's very unlike me. Also, I'm not excited. Weird, right? At one end is duty-free and at the other is Spain. What's not to... (read entry)
2009.05.19 — Remedy #1: I'm trying this as soon as I find those socks. I'll let you know.... (read entry)
2009.05.19 — For the record: The over-examined life may not be worth living either. It's very irritating, all that examination. You know when something's bothering you but you can't figure out what it is but you know it's there because you're irritated all the time... (read entry)
2009.05.18 — links for 2009-05-18: Look at this fucking hipster (tags: humor hipsters linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.05.18 — San Francisco v. New York: The Marina = the Upper East Side. The rest of San Francisco = Queens. Poster at Ork Posters.... (read entry)
2009.05.17 — links for 2009-05-17: Branding for Babies What not to get your kid. 'Cause they don't get irony. (tags: brands branding logos marketing linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.05.15 — links for 2009-05-15: Why Republicans make the rest of us miserable when they lose. Succinct and, in my opinion, accurate. Bunch of big babies, really. (That was me, not the author.) (tags: linkroll politics) Giving an Academic Talk (or just a talk... (read entry)
2009.05.15 — New York: Exit the King: Exit the King by Eugene Ionesco, new translation by Neil Armfield and Geoffrey Rush, at the Barrymore Theater This is quite possibly the only time in your life that you will ever want to have sex with Geoffrey Rush. He... (read entry)
2009.05.14 — links for 2009-05-14: Going Dutch - How I Learned to Love the European Welfare State. (NYTimes.com) The #1 concern I have about having kids is the cost of childcare. Europe's got it sorted. Why can't we get this right? (tags: rotw holland... (read entry)
2009.05.14 — Shout-Outs: I've been recklessly optimistic recently with my change in career (corporate to not-corporate) and now my optimism is floating around in a pool of optimism over at The Optimist Conspectus. Read here. Yay optimism! I love My NYC's photos. Make... (read entry)
2009.05.14 — What to Say: Homebound Senior: I've just started working with an organization that pairs younger mobile people with homebound seniors. The youngers visit the olders in their homes. Easy enough. But then I have to think of things to say to a stranger. Me: Hello.... (read entry)
2009.05.14 — Washington, D.C.: Haphazard Write-Up and Recs: Let me say up front that I made an uncharacteristically half-assed tourist in Washington. One of my former - and, in a stroke of good timing, laid-off - roommates lives there, so I did zero planning and rode his... (read entry)
2009.05.12 — links for 2009-05-12: YouTube - Diet Coke + Mentos It's just like the Bellagio fountains. Just like that. (tags: coke science funny humor mentos video linkroll) A Table for Tyrants (NYTimes.com) Vaclav Havel on the UN Human Rights Council farce. Upsetting. (tags:... (read entry)
2009.05.12 — Error in Judgment: Morning One side of my brain: I have the whole day to myself in the apartment! This is going to be great! The other side of my brain: Sure, whatever. First side: What? Other side: Nothing. First side: I cancelled... (read entry)
2009.05.12 — Bike Escalation: Bikescalation. That's what this is. They know I can't not have this bike. They know how much stuff I schlep around with me every day. Clearly they know.... (read entry)
2009.05.12 — New York: The Norman Conquests, Table Manners, and God of Carnage: There are two plays up right now that have a look at the collapse of civility and standards in stressful domestic settings, a revival of The Norman Conquests trilogy, imported from a successful run in London, and God of Carnage,... (read entry)
2009.05.12 — Not Quite There: Me: Not gonna work. R: Satisficing though. Me: Hold the phone. R: Yup. Me: Satisfice? R: Yup. OK. So it turns out the people at R's work use this word. Now generally I'm against made-up words, especially when business people... (read entry)
2009.05.11 — links for 2009-05-11: YouTube - Cat Shit One Trailer What the...?! Bunnies with machine guns. Animated. (tags: humor media war linkroll) How to Buy a Car (Eric Feezell) "Don’t believe them [the salesmen] when they say they are “not authorized” to do... (read entry)
2009.05.11 — Wolverine: It doesn't seem fair that eight gajillion people on the planet know where Wolverine came from before he does. It's his life, after all. Although, I guess there's a good chance that one of those eight gajillion people is gonna let it slip to him at a barbeque. (read entry)
2009.05.10 — links for 2009-05-10: The American Press on Suicide Watch (NYTimes) Frank Rich's been getting on my nerves lately but I agree with what he says re: innovation required. (tags: media press linkroll) Dickipedia - A Wiki of Dicks "Joe Biden...shares [a birthday]... (read entry)
2009.05.10 — Sunday Realization: Let today be remembered as the day I officially admitted that our Netflix queue has gotten out of hand. The current crop of films is living in a stack in front of the television like friends of friends who crash on your couch for a weekend and just won't leave. (read entry)
2009.05.10 — The Ethicist: From last week's column in the New York Times Magazine: I was terminated by a major corporation for what they said was misconduct. Subsequently, two separate investigations by an outside agency cleared me, and I was awarded unemployment compensation. Need... (read entry)
2009.05.10 — Getting By in New York: On one side of the argument, there's the contention that New Yorkers are not friendly. On the other side is the reality that they are to friendly so shut up already. I hear enough of the reality (in person, in... (read entry)
2009.05.09 — links for 2009-05-09: As a Professor, Obama Held Pragmatic Views on Court (NYTimes) "...skeptical of court-led efforts at social change...interested in how the law metes out power in society...keenly attuned to the real-life impact of decisions. This may be his distinguishing quality... (read entry)
2009.05.09 — New York: Why Torture Is Wrong, And The People Who Love Them: Why Torture Is Wrong and The People Who Love Them by Christopher Durang at the Public Theater My evening with Christopher Durang started on a happy note: I scored the last rush ticket after tearing up from Washington, ditching my... (read entry)
2009.05.09 — New York: The Theater Season of Spring 2009: It's spring theater season in New York. I know, for most of you, this is a thrilling time. You break out your best dresses and can hardly sleep for the excitement. You planned for it six months ago, you have... (read entry)
2009.05.09 — Getting Your Hate On: One of my favorite movies ever is The Grass Is Greener, with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. (Bit of video here.) No one's seen it except for me and I've only been successful in talking a handful of family and... (read entry)
2009.05.08 — links for 2009-05-08: Interview w/ CEO of Delta "I find myself, more and more, writing hand-written notes to people. I must write a half a dozen a day." Not sure anything will make me like the airlines but I like this guy.... (read entry)
2009.05.08 — Mmmm....breakfast....: Back in San Francisco after two weeks on the road. Want to know what I'm having for breakfast, blogosphere? Cookies, that's what. That's right: COOKIES. I'm tired, I'm jetlagged, and I'm having cookies for breakfast, so just accept it. They're... (read entry)
2009.05.06 — Things Updated: I sought cookies. I got tea. As a result, as predicted, things looked up. (Getting hopped up on sugar and caffeine never hurts the effort.) I've never noticed before but Levain is across the street (74th at Amsterdam) from an... (read entry)
2009.05.05 — links for 2009-05-05: Shirtless Biden Washes Trans Am In White House Driveway The Onion. Love that Biden. (tags: onion linkroll) City built on Rock and Roll ‘may not be structurally sound’ Newsbiscuit. (tags: linkroll newsbiscuit)... (read entry)
2009.05.05 — Things: Things have gone sideways, as they do sometimes when you're on the road. I'm alone in New York in the rain, R having gone to Boston for meetings, and the day went pear-shaped a few hours back. I remember someone... (read entry)
2009.05.04 — links for 2009-05-04: Misbuttoned Coat Makes Perfectly Sane Woman Look Like Raving Lunatic The Onion. (tags: humor linkroll onion) Old Lady who swallowed a horse ‘should have been stopped earlier’ Newsbiscuit. (tags: linkroll humor)... (read entry)
2009.05.04 — Note to New Web Sites: I know you, the small business owner, spent a gajillion dollars on your web site, dollars you probably didn't have in your lovely little small shop's budget until some friend of yours or (more likely) some consultant friend of a... (read entry)
2009.05.04 — Segway Update: A herd of suited staffers or Representatives or some such swarm out onto the esplanade behind the Capitol. R and Brian and I are making a nuisance of ourselves, whizzing around the plaza on our Segways as fast as... (read entry)
2009.05.02 — links for 2009-05-02: Carol Ann Duffy Is Britain’s First Female Poet Laureate (NYTimes.com) Hooray!!!! (tags: poet poetry linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.05.01 — The Amazing Waterproof Towel: What words do you think of when I say, "Towel"? Absorbent? Yeah. Fluffy? Yes, please! Sumptuous? Of course! Utilitarian? Maybe. OK - sure! Why not? Well, what if I told you about a product that turned the concept of the... (read entry)
2009.05.01 — Good Morning: Happy May Day, people! It's drizzling in New York, but who cares? It's New York. Like tulips everyday. Or the equivalent. You know: exhaust, subways, over-priced drinks and the usual fun! Breathe it in, people, breathe it in. It's springtime!... (read entry)
2009.04.29 — links for 2009-04-29: Publisher Launches ‘Competitive Parent’ Magazine NewsBiscuit. (tags: newsbiscuit linkroll parents kids) Grafica Fildalga (via swiss-miss.com) Video of a print shop's work in Sao Paolo. Want dat. (tags: print posters linkroll) Spreadtweet Manage your Twitter activity via spreadsheet. For the... (read entry)
2009.04.29 — Safety First: I've been in Washington since Saturday and am climbing the walls. It's not the incessant swine flu updates, although that is providing a surreal backdrop for a visit to the nation's capital. It's not the weather, which has been in... (read entry)
2009.04.29 — Blame Game (Swine Flu Edition): (read entry)
2009.04.28 — Cafe: Cast: Me, a person bothering no one, trying to get some writing done at a cafe in Adams Morgan. You, a stupid person with stupid shoes, stupid jeans, a stupid bag and a stupid class ring necklace like it's still... (read entry)
2009.04.27 — links for 2009-04-27: May It Please the Court - And the Pursuit of Happiness Blog (NYTimes) Maira Kalman's latest entry. Just a reminder. (tags: feminism law kalman linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.04.27 — Diagnosis!: You know how I've been sick forever? Like, three weeks? Well, I finally know what I have! It's the swine flu, people. It must be. Let's run through the evidence: I got sick. I have stayed sick (forever). Some of... (read entry)
2009.04.27 — You Need This: Don't argue with me, just get one. It's a knitted coffee cup sleeve. It keeps your fingers cool, your latte hot and your sense of social righteousness toasty. You say you don't need one. You say it's silly. You make... (read entry)
2009.04.26 — Fly Me Away: Are more old people traveling these days or is it just me? I can't throw a snack pack at an airport without hitting someone over 80. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against mobility among the super-retired, but the fast-paced... (read entry)
2009.04.26 — links for 2009-04-26: Come Visit. Live Life. Eat Cheese. (NYTimes) State mottos. "Eat cheese or die" should totally have won. (tags: linkroll mottos)... (read entry)
2009.04.26 — Update: What I want: a motorcycle with a sidecar. Like the one in Garden State. Also: goggles and a leather helmet and possibly a dog (depending on the size of the sidecar). What I do not want: succulents. Think "succubus." Not... (read entry)
2009.04.26 — Spam-o-riffic: From: Sandy House Subject: Will Dance for Gum... (read entry)
2009.04.23 — What I Learned from "Outliers": Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers. It takes about 10,000 hours for your average wildly successful person to get to wild success. That breaks down to 40 hours/week for five years (with a two-week vacation each year). IQ is only a predictor... (read entry)
2009.04.23 — Marc Johns has a book!: I am not one of those people who is able to be happy for other people's success just because they succeeded. I just can't do it. Here's why: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inside Basketball. Gwyneth Paltrow winning an Oscar... (read entry)
2009.04.23 — More dancin': First there was the T-Mobile dance in Liverpool, and now there's the Sound of Music in Antwerp. (I think they're all so happy because I got engaged in Belgium. That must be it.) Have a happy day!... (read entry)
2009.04.22 — links for 2009-04-22: Twitters From Texas (NYTimes) Precisely what I think re: current Republican antics ("facism", secession, etc.) Talk about hypocritical sore losers. It's our turn now to make it right. (tags: politics linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.04.22 — Veggies: This tortoise lives at the Academy of Sciences with a couple of his friends. Pretty serious pile of greens for a small tortoise. This is the equivalent of me facing down a 5'6" pile of morning buns. Or no -... (read entry)
2009.04.22 — American Day: Lunch? Hot dog. Dinner? Pizza. Dessert? Ice cream. OK, I take that back. It wasn't ice cream. It was sorbet. Yes: I eat sorbet and drink lattes and (wish) I dri(o)ve a Volvo. (Scratch that. I drove a Volvo to... (read entry)
2009.04.21 — links for 2009-04-21: Top 10 Forgotten Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novels Depressing for striving writers. But if these snoring summaries are the ones listed with the books, I wouldn't read them either. (tags: books linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.04.21 — What I Learned at the Zoo This Weekend: Koalas have two thumbs. I feel bad for gorillas even though I don't like them very much. Giraffes have the same number of vertabrae (seven) as humans. Just because river otters' tails look like kangaroos' tails doesn't mean they're related,... (read entry)
2009.04.21 — San Francisco: The Guide - What I Would Do If I Were You: I do not like San Francisco. But that's because I live here. When I visited here (once) before I moved here, I liked it fine. So will you. It's a nice place to visit. Not like Paris, but sure, yeah,... (read entry)
2009.04.20 — links for 2009-04-20: Telegram Stop | Send a Traditional Classic Telegram the easy way (tags: telegram)... (read entry)
2009.04.20 — What is wrong with me?: It was probably predictable: for the first time in my life, I have all the time in my life to live my life, instead of squishing my life in around the edges of a career I accidentally built...for twelve years.... (read entry)
2009.04.20 — Top Three: My friends Lyndsey and Mike were in Amsterdam last fall. Waiting for a clerk at the hotel desk, they overheard a guest talking to the concierge. Tourist: Where can I get weed? Concierge: This area here [points on a map]... (read entry)
2009.04.19 — links for 2009-04-19: San Francisco Zoo - Baby Gorilla More baby monkeys. (tags: gorilla zoo linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.04.19 — That Can't Be Right...: I search for "Roses of Success", a little inspirational ditty from the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang soundtrack. The program pulls up Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" and Poison's "Something to Believe In."... (read entry)
2009.04.19 — Bringing Up Baby: I'm a city dweller and, unless something unexpected happens (like I lose my mind or a world war), I always will be. I believe that plastic was an excellent invention, that Excedrin is the right answer to a headache, that... (read entry)
2009.04.19 — The Anti-Web: "Question: Do you put another period at the end of a sentence that ends in the word etc.? Answer: No you do not" I love me some WikiAnswer.com. There's no discussion, no threads, no endless pages of people weighing in... (read entry)
2009.04.19 — Happy Morning: My new favorite song! Come on: smile! You know you want to. They're PUPPETS for Pete's sake! Original video here.... (read entry)
2009.04.18 — links for 2009-04-18: In Europe, Hostels Branch Out From Young Backpackers - NYTimes.com Some of these places sound sweeeeeet. (tags: hostels europe travel)... (read entry)
2009.04.17 — links for 2009-04-17: The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks This is about the size of my sense of direction. "North." Yup. That's me. (tags: quotes linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.04.17 — I can't stop myself: Who doesn't love baby animals? Never mind. Don't answer that. I have faith that you do. The Big Picture feature on the Boston Globe website, which you should bookmark or Blogline or whatever, has a zoo feature today and Picture... (read entry)
2009.04.17 — links for 2009-04-17: John Wooden on true success | TED.com Former UCLA coach talks success. (tags: basketball ted coaching success inspiration linkroll) Op-Ed - When Nature Calls - NYTimes.com This guy got arrested for using the wrong bathroom. I HATE the airlines.... (read entry)
2009.04.17 — One Thing I Need: A tiny deer with a giant chocolate cupcake. Together. With me. All the time. I had a tiny plastic fawn that I carried with me everywhere when I was in kindergarten. It was so small, it was in constant danger... (read entry)
2009.04.17 — Gun Control: In case you were wondering, I'm for it. I think we should do whatever it takes to get rid of access to guns. Everyone's access to guns. Criminals, civilians, everyone. I know it's not as easy as that. Deer would... (read entry)
2009.04.17 — More Newspaper News: In addition to the San Francisco Chronicle, a newspaper I don't like, failing, it came out this week that the Boston Globe, a newspaper I do like, is in trouble too. In the midst of the print news gloom, I... (read entry)
2009.04.16 — Intervention: I am not on top of this wedding planning stuff. At all. Not even a little bit. At first, we said, "Let's enjoy being engaged! Let's not rush things the way other people have done." It was not procrastination. It... (read entry)
2009.04.16 — links for 2009-04-16: YouTube - The Late Late Show raining - Interview pt. 2 - 2/5/09 (tags: ferguson rain) YouTube - The Late Late Show raining - Interview pt. 1 - 2/5/09 (tags: ferguson rain) YouTube - The Late Late Show raining... (read entry)
2009.04.15 — Today: You know those days when you wake up happy, ready to meet with energy and a smile whatever the day has in store for you? Yeah well, today is not one of those days. I think being sick for nine... (read entry)
2009.04.14 — links for 2009-04-14: Jack's Life Lessons Don't be a jerk. Fail openly. (tags: list lessons) Inept Coworker Increasingly Difficult To Fantasize About (Onion) "She always ends up deleting some important file just as we're about to do it." (tags: linkroll onion) Sundance... (read entry)
2009.04.14 — Human Resources: To clear the paper rubble from my desk yesterday, I started through a stack of papers from the job I left six weeks ago. Look what I turned up. I'm thinking two things: If I'd seen this sooner, I could've... (read entry)
2009.04.14 — Question: You know when you get in a cab and the cabbie's on the phone the entire trip? Who the hell is he talking to?I've been thinking about this for a while and I've got the list down to two categories.People... (read entry)
2009.04.13 — links for 2009-04-13: Ten New Comedians That Funny People Find Funny (NYMag) “Have you heard of this new drug cocktail called Cheese? I looked it up and it turns out that ‘Cheese’ is Tylenol PM and heroin. So really—it’s heroin. Heroin is... (read entry)
2009.04.13 — Me and You: Here's me. I am an efficient grocery shopper. I have a life. I have places to be. I am buying groceries with a plan and would like to continue on with the rest of my life as soon as possible.... (read entry)
2009.04.13 — Apology: I'd just like to say up front, "I'm sorry," to all of you whom I've affronted over the years with my conflation of the words "complacent" and "complaisant." Bartleby says, These words sound the same and are often confused. Complacent... (read entry)
2009.04.10 — What I Learned Today: "In 2007, Gamecock announced that they would be releasing Pirates Vs. Ninjas Dodgeball in 2008, an Xbox Live Arcade game pitting pirates vs ninja (among other groups) against each other in dodgeball." - Wikipedia I have to have this game.... (read entry)
2009.04.10 — The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: Me: It's exactly what I thought it was going to be. Cheerful, not complicated. Like children. Like Harriet the Spy. Amateurs. God. Middle-aged women. R: What are you going to be like when you're middle-aged? Me: Complicated. And I'll wear... (read entry)
2009.04.09 — Grrrgggg: It's been a rough week over here on the left coast. Man. I've forgotten how much being sick messes with your head. I spent a couple days entertaining the possibility that I'd contracted Lyme disease. That would've been more in... (read entry)
2009.04.09 — Want Dat: I need these things. I do. Really. First, I will buy a Soo-Per Cap which I will wear while I go shopping. I might buy a back-up Soo-Per Cap in case things get tricky and I lose the first one.... (read entry)
2009.04.09 — Las Vegas: The Guide: Abbreviated: The Guide ran about 4000+ words. If you're The Decider for your weekend in Vegas, if you like detail and options, or if you just can't get enough of my writing, The (long) Guide is for you. If you're into... (read entry)
2009.04.07 — Stylin': When I am 60, I am going to start wearing turbans. Turbans are hot. I will also wear flowing robes if I can manage it. But definitely turbans.... (read entry)
2009.04.07 — Sick: I used to look forward to being sick. Not actually sick, but a little sick. The sick where you feel a little achey and your throat is a little sore. When you're a little sick, you can justifiably clear your... (read entry)
2009.04.06 — Connectivity: I found this in a conference room at my old job. It looks like a piece of tape, but it's clearly labeled as something else. "Use this to connect to the internet." Hmm. I can't figure out how to attach... (read entry)
2009.04.06 — Las Vegas: The Guide: Overview We had an educational conversation with a bartender at the Wynn who let us in on the hotel-casino rating system. The reviewers look at the rooms, the casino, the entertainment options (theaters, restaurants, activities), and the configuration and... (read entry)
2009.04.06 — Las Vegas: The Outcome: "So what happened to the 10-in-10 plan," you're asking, right? The plan, for those of you who don't remember, was to hit 10 casinos for 10 minutes each. The plan was to get into the lobby, get through the casino,... (read entry)
2009.04.01 — links for 2009-04-01: Moses is Departing Egypt: A Facebook Haggadah "God has written a note on Moses' Wall: Yeah, you." Happy Passover everyone! (tags: judaism seder passover facebook linkroll) COCHON 555: 5 Chefs, 5 Pigs, 5 Winemakers in a friendly competition... In... (read entry)
2009.04.01 — The phone again...: I'm texting R. I type, "I'm excited about our date!" My phone types, "I'm excited about our fate!" That's also true. Huh. All right, phone, you win. This time.... (read entry)
2009.03.31 — Um what?: Me: Have you seen Wall-E? KT: No. Me: You haven't seen anything! KT: I watch porn. Me: You can't watch porn until you've seen Wall-E. KT: What? I don't watch porn. Me: You just said... KT: I said "foreign". Me:... (read entry)
2009.03.31 — links for 2009-03-31: The Sound Advice Project Bracelets of beads in a visual display of an audio track. Say something inspiring, site records it, they send you a bracelet of your words. Sweet. (tags: audio gifts bracelet linkroll) Qapture | Design &... (read entry)
2009.03.31 — In Case You Missed It: Sheep pong? Yes, please!... (read entry)
2009.03.31 — You Need This Sign: Go get it.... (read entry)
2009.03.31 — Miami: The Keys: The one thing we're glad we did in south Florida was rent a car and get the hell out of Dodge down onto the Keys for several hours. The keys - or rather, the waters on every side of them... (read entry)
2009.03.31 — Save Yourself: Two new tools are out there for you people who drink heavily or get emotional easily: GMail has introduced a feature, "Undo Send", that delays dispatching your message for a couple seconds, so you can retract misguided missives. Find it... (read entry)
2009.03.30 — Media Mess: It looks like the San Francisco Chronicle may go under. Is it a shame when a newspaper goes down? Yes. Is it still a shame if that newspaper is really terrible? I'm not sure. My discernment (that it's an awful... (read entry)
2009.03.29 — links for 2009-03-29: Practical Traveler - Caribbean Packages - Sampling a Seaful of Discounts - NYTimes.com (tags: vacation) 2009 Affordable Caribbean - NYTimes.com (tags: vacation) Schott’s Vocab - new words entering the language "Unbwogable" = unshakable and indomitable. Hmm...are you sure it... (read entry)
2009.03.29 — Miami: Disappointing Expectations Since 1566: This is my theory: when Ponce de Leon couldn't find the fountain of youth, he decided to build the city equivalent of an Arby's as revenge on southern Florida. Let me be clear: I hate this town. If I can... (read entry)
2009.03.29 — Another Opportunity Missed: Too late did I review my email and locate R's note, pointing me in the direction of the next step for my career: the Department of Defense has been looking to fund someone capable of developing "Efficient, Highly Maneuverable Artificial... (read entry)
2009.03.29 — Books to Buy: The winner of the Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year has come out and I can't wait to lay down $1,139 for it. Yes, it's "The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-Milligram Containers of Fromage Frais". I'm hoping... (read entry)
2009.03.28 — Ironic, isn't it?: My favorite comment of the week came from Bradley Blakeman, one of W's aides, talking about how much the Obamas have been going out in Washington: "Every once in a while it's great, but there's a chance of overexposing yourself... (read entry)
2009.03.27 — links for 2009-03-27: Everything Taking Too Long (The Onion) 54 percent of respondents are not getting any younger over here. Nearly 10 percent don't understand what the big holdup is. And 23 percent are not only ready, but have been ready for... (read entry)
2009.03.27 — Miami: Yes, it's true. I'm in Miami. I'd barely recovered from Las Vegas, hardly written up a word of the report on my ill-advised plan to hit 10 casinos in 10 minutes each when R texted from Miami to say that... (read entry)
2009.03.24 — Birthday!: It's been a busy week Chez Emma: my birthday was Thursday and on Friday we headed to Vegas for the Deranged Running of the Casinos. I'm mostly recovered but woke up with a phantom hangover this morning out of... (read entry)
2009.03.24 — What I Want: This. I want someone to push me around in this to pick up small groceries. Every day.... (read entry)
2009.03.23 — links for 2009-03-23: 20 tips for better conference speaking Helpful for presenter and the audience. (tags: presentations tips linkroll) Signs of Spring - The Big Picture If it's cold where you are, check out some spring from somewhere else! Large gorgeous photos.... (read entry)
2009.03.21 — Las Vegas: Notes from the Field: For the record, my plan to get to + review a casino in 10 minutes is absurd. You can barely find the main desk in 10 minutes, let alone gamble $10 or park or orient yourself. I stand corrected. Don't... (read entry)
2009.03.20 — 1984?: Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that we sent the Iranians our Obama message on videotape? Why didn't we just go all the way and send it on an 8-track? Or a laser disc. Was this a... (read entry)
2009.03.20 — Downturn: R: I'm so hungover. Me: Maybe your job is to go get us some coffee. R: I thought my job was to pack. Me: It takes you four a half minutes to pack. R: Then my job is to sleep... (read entry)
2009.03.19 — Las Vegas: How Can I Not Do This Stuff??: Someone needs to turn off my access to the interweb. My Vegas plan is officially out of control. There is no way that I can do all this stuff in two and a half days. I think R and I... (read entry)
2009.03.19 — links for 2009-03-19: The Fucking Weather If you like your weather with a little profanity, this is the site for you. (tags: linkroll weather)... (read entry)
2009.03.19 — Las Vegas: Patton Oswalt: "It's as if everything has been rubbed with sad ham."... (read entry)
2009.03.19 — Las Vegas: Gambling Epiphany: My drycleaner: I don't really like to gamble. Me: Yeah, me either. I'd just as soon crumple up dollar bills and toss them off my deck. My drycleaner: That, plus I'm a sore loser. I always thought I didn't like... (read entry)
2009.03.19 — Demetri Martin's new show: outtake: New York Magazine wrote a feature on Demetri Martin a few weeks ago that I just got around to reading. Martin's got a new TV show coming out: "One highlight: a sketch, not starring Martin, titled "This Is an S&M... (read entry)
2009.03.19 — Happy Birthday!: I can't stand Bob Saget. Remember him? Creepy? Fake? Yeah, him. A couple years ago, someone pointed me to OKCupid.com. I can't remember why. The site forced me to register to get where I was going. I did. I chose... (read entry)
2009.03.19 — Natasha Richardson: I am so sad about Natasha Richardson. I can't shake it. I think about her husband and her boys and how terrible it would be to lose her so young and so suddenly. I think about how their lives will... (read entry)
2009.03.18 — links for 2009-03-18: Cross Reference: Quote "A man should look as if he bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care, and then forgotten all about them." (tags: linkroll quote) Natasha Richardson, Actress, Dies at 45 Oh God. Very scary.... (read entry)
2009.03.18 — Dither: Me: I don't know, I guess we could go there for dinner tonight and your place tomorrow... KT: Or we could go to dinner there tomorrow night. Me: Yeah. But if we go to lunch tomorrow we won't want dinner... (read entry)
2009.03.18 — What I Would Never Do: Cook on a talk show. Do they EVER have time to actually cook something? No. No, they don't. The cooking person's job is to cook. The host's job is to be clever. The producer's job is to shut both of... (read entry)
2009.03.18 — Las Vegas: I Take That Back: On second thought, isn't a casino teaching you how to gamble like having your mortal enemy teach you how to fire a gun? Are they really going to teach me how to gamble? Or are they going to teach me... (read entry)
2009.03.18 — Las Vegas: Educational Opportunity: I do not gamble. This is because I can count. Sadly my counting skills are not so good that I can count cards, which is the only way I could justify gambling. When we get to Vegas, I am going... (read entry)
2009.03.18 — Home Gym: What my friend's baby has: the ExerSaucer. What I had: a Lego. What my friend's baby wants: to be held. What I want: an ExerSaucer. This Exersaucer is, in a word, awesome. There is nothing that it doesn't have attached... (read entry)
2009.03.17 — links for 2009-03-17: Walking Tour of New York's Independent Bookstores (tags: bookstores new york city linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.03.17 — Las Vegas: The Plan: The plan is coming together. And I love it when that happens. We get in at noon. I'll change into my jumpsuit (see left), load my golden sofa (see left) onto my golf cart (which someone will surely give me... (read entry)
2009.03.17 — Las Vegas: Outtake: I'm writing a play. I only tell you this because going to Vegas reminded me of a conversation I wrote for the play. Person 1: Tigers remind me of Siegfried and Roy. They've almost ruined a perfectly good animal. Although... (read entry)
2009.03.17 — Kitchen: What?: Chuck Williams, the 94-year-old founder of Williams Sonoma, was asked by a magazine a couple of years ago what the one thing was that every kitchen should have. Cuisinart food processor? $300 KitchenAid mixer? Sabatier knives? Nope. He went with... (read entry)
2009.03.16 — links for 2009-03-16: someecards.com | ecards for when you care enough to hit send | home (tags: ecard funny) Yulia Brodskaya's paper graphics How gorgeous is this work? Mmmm....paper.... (tags: papercraft typography paper linkroll) Lies Printed on My Waffle Iron McSweeney's Lists,... (read entry)
2009.03.16 — Las Vegas: Prep: Remove money from wallet. Carry around in rolls. (Rolls make thighs look odd. Roll up each bill separately. Decide maybe this is a guy thing.) Watch Ocean's Eleven and Thirteen, The Cooler and Viva Las Vegas. Put shoe polish in... (read entry)
2009.03.16 — Must-Have T-shirt: Get this. We all need one for those off days. Not today. I don't mean today. Today is fine. I'm just saying: be prepared.... (read entry)
2009.03.16 — Twitter: It's a done deal. I'm on Twitter. Follow me if you like. I'll be sending dispatches from Vegas and from my birthday week until then! (It's not too late to send large gifts, particularly ones I might need in Vegas.... (read entry)
2009.03.16 — Las Vegas: The Love Affair: Vegas, you and I were supposed to meet and fall ironically in love. I was supposed to giggle at your poor taste and you were supposed to sling your arm around my shoulders and look at me over the top... (read entry)
2009.03.16 — Las Vegas: The Approach: My friend Lynds used to volunteer as an art teacher at a before-school program in the Mission. One Valentine's Day, she had the kids make stamp blocks out of potatoes (ah, the starchy memories!) and decorate cards for their valentines.... (read entry)
2009.03.15 — links for 2009-03-15: Socializr - Free Online Invitations, Party Planning, and Event Sharing Screw eVite. These guys rule. (tags: linkroll invitations) Cracking Down on Comment Crime Reining in worthless comments on blogs. (tags: blog comments) Ricky Gervais + Elmo = Hilarity on... (read entry)
2009.03.15 — Vocabulary: Me: What's the word for that? Dysfunction? R: Neuroses? Me: That's not what I'm looking for... R: No one's looking for it but it shows up anyway. Me: You're a huge help.... (read entry)
2009.03.15 — Wine Country Ladies: Me: Oh my God. R: What? Me: "Hmmm... What shall I wear wine tasting with my plastic surgery?... I know: my lime green blouse AND my fur vest! Hooray!" R: We're leaving.... (read entry)
2009.03.15 — And another thing...: If you're going to have an esplanade, you should be required to fill it up with people, at least periodically. No having esplanades and letting them sit. (I'm talking to you, St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral, right smack in the middle... (read entry)
2009.03.13 — links for 2009-03-13: The New York Times - Special Edition - Iraq War Ends Hahahahahahaha! Would it were so! (tags: linkroll New York Times fake news humor)... (read entry)
2009.03.13 — Sarcass: R: We could go see Wendy and Lucy. What's that? Me: We're not going to Wendy and Lucy. R: Why not? Me: Because you'll hate it...it's, like a girl...and her dog...it's a bad situation.... R: A girl in a bad... (read entry)
2009.03.13 — First Five: My collegemate Heather, posted this the other day on her Facebook page, and I think it's brilliant, so I'm picking it up. The first five (5) people to respond to this post* will get something made by me. This offer... (read entry)
2009.03.13 — Birthday!: Question: do you buy birthday presents for yourself? If so, how nice are they? Do you feel selfish, like when you bought that very expensive bag for yourself instead of feeding your 12 kids who lived in a shoe? Oh...hang... (read entry)
2009.03.13 — Wedding Bands: I have a weakness for jewelry with print on it. It's my version of tattooing. Depending on the day, you might have to read for a bit when we run into each other. Jeanine Payer. Serge Thoraval. Eva Attling. Naturally,... (read entry)
2009.03.12 — Facing Front: Everyone's got an opinion about Facebook and now I'm joining the fray. We all could have seen that coming when I got some time on my hands, couldn't we? The bulk of the articles I read about Facebook involve who... (read entry)
2009.03.11 — links for 2009-03-11: Cantilevered house with suspended swimming pool I'd be afraid to swim out to that one end... (tags: linkroll architecture swimming pool cantilevered) Map Game - drag and drop country names onto a map Daunting. Covers the Middle East, North... (read entry)
2009.03.11 — Schadenfreude: I know it's not nice to take pleasure in the failures of others (idea here, failure here), but what if the other we're talking about was a huge jerk? Doesn't that make it a little bit OK? Or less not... (read entry)
2009.03.11 — Kitchen Recommendation: Here's what you should do today. It's a little "help the planet" plan that will also mean kicking high maintenance water to the curb. And it doesn't involve hemp or Al Gore or wiccan rituals or weaving anything. Get yourself... (read entry)
2009.03.11 — Web 2.0: I went to college with a girl who thought she was the epitome of cool. Her qualifications were a hefty drug habit, heavy red-ish hair cut in a severe pageboy, a familiarity with Los Angeles clubs, large breasts, badly... (read entry)
2009.03.11 — Creeping...: The twilight shadows of too much time alone have been creeping up on my writing these last few days. Like a little kid with too many toys, I've been sitting in the middle of the floor in a panic. Today... (read entry)
2009.03.09 — links for 2009-03-09: Seven Laid-Off New Yorkers Share Their Stories -- New York Magazine (tags: NYMag recession career) NYT: Betting to Lose Weight (tags: weight loss) A Look at the Rising Cost of Living in NYC -- New York Magazine (tags: New... (read entry)
2009.03.09 — Nerve: Yeah, I've lost that. I used to have it. Now? Gone. Me ten years ago: Yes, I am going to go Rollerblading in traffic! In Manhattan. At rush hour. Me on Saturday morning: No, I do not want to climb... (read entry)
2009.03.08 — New York: 202 (brunch): Go to 202. Go. Go on. If I were in New York, I'd be on my way over there right now. They're famous for their French toast, or at least that's how I found them, and if you like French... (read entry)
2009.03.07 — The Cult of Done Manifesto: 1. There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion. 2. Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done. 3. There is no editing stage. 4. Pretending you know what you're doing is almost... (read entry)
2009.03.07 — links for 2009-03-07: One in 8 Million - New York Characters in Sound and Images Profiles of diverse cast of people in New York. (tags: New York Times) San Francisco Legion of Honor: Exhibition of Lalique, Faberge and Tiffany Luxury You need... (read entry)
2009.03.07 — What I'm Glad I Bought: Due to my (former) employment by a leading purveyor of overpriced, high-end cookware and related tools, our kitchen is stocked with tools that no couple with our skills has any business having... What did I buy on my way out that I do not regret and will not be returning? (read entry)
2009.03.06 — Recession Rec: This guy does not look British or like the kind of guy I'd buy suits from (British ones or otherwise), but that doesn't affect how much I love his recession plan. Completely rational. My two-pronged plan of simultaneously being very... (read entry)
2009.03.06 — What I Will Never Say To My Kids: "I know who you really are," or, worse, "I don't believe you when you say, 'I'm an atheist / I hate cornbread / I think Tintin has coded messages from the alien overlords,' because I know you better than that... (read entry)
2009.03.06 — Guide to New York: The Neighborhoods of Manhattan (Uptown): Disclaimer: These are brief descriptions that do not do the neighborhoods justice. They are rife with vast generalizations. Harlem. Clinton has replaced the Globetrotters as the most famous resident of Harlem and that says about all you need to know.... (read entry)
2009.03.06 — Guide to New York: Part III - Orientation: So now that you're on foot, how do you know which way to go? There is nothing more tiring than spending your precious time in the city standing on street corners wondering which direction to go or, worse, picking a... (read entry)
2009.03.06 — Guide to New York: Part II - Getting Around: Cabs. Cabs are fine. I like cabs. But cabs are the #1 money sink in New York and, if you're not used to the steep costs of the city, you will already be begging for mercy. Cutting out cabs should... (read entry)
2009.03.06 — Guide to New York: Part I - Overview of the City: My first several trips to New York, I was five years old, so that wasn't a great time to orient myself to the finer points of the city that never sleeps. There are a couple of things you should know... (read entry)
2009.03.06 — Guide to New York: Intro: When I was in college, I knew New Yorkers. They were divided into two groups: natives and familiars. The familiars would have gladly passed themselves off as natives but were distinguishable because they were trying a tiny bit too hard... (read entry)
2009.03.06 — Turtles Found (Out)!: They found the turtles! Finally. Apparently, no one knew where green turtles were going between the time their tiny, adorable selves scrambled into the ocean and when they came back five years later, much bigger and ready for some sexy... (read entry)
2009.03.05 — Phone: The auto-complete saga continues: I type, "Heya!" My phone pulls up, "Hats!" I like the enthusiasm and I do love hats, but M will think I'm weird sending her that at 7AM. I type, "YES." My phone types, "GET." Yes,... (read entry)
2009.03.04 — links for 2009-03-04: Little House in the Clouds "I'm the fanciest person in my family!" (tags: first grade six-year-olds) Dino Comics. What's not to love? Qwantz.com. They're not all as good as this one, but yeah, that's me. The T-Rex. Yeah. (tags:... (read entry)
2009.03.04 — Luddite: K (talking about her downstairs neighbor): She doesn't use a computer. And she doesn't have a cellphone. [tiny pause] R: When was the last time anyone saw her alive?... (read entry)
2009.03.04 — Wintery Shakespeare: I just came from New York and saw precious little theater, mostly because I was a.) really disorganized (see leaving job), and b.) a bunch of shows were opening the day I left. Nice work. Thanks very much. Congratulations to... (read entry)
2009.03.04 — Cambridge: Formaggio Kitchen: Dude. Cheese. Mad cheese. More cheese than you can shake a stick at. (Not that you'd want to in this place because you'd definitely knock over one - maybe two - hundred things.) With a little perseverance, you can get... (read entry)
2009.03.04 — Chaource: I first had Chaource on my gay cruise* in France. I loved it then and I love it now. It's a cow's milk cheese made in small rounds, usually sold as a piece, which is fine for a cheese plate... (read entry)
2009.03.04 — What Not to Watch First Thing in the Morning: (read entry)
2009.03.03 — links for 2009-03-03: Quotes on Design It’s very easy to be different, but very difficult to be better. — Jonathan Ive (tags: linkroll Jonathan Ive design) The bad-ass baby bike from Denmark As seen on Copenhagen Cycle Chic. (tags: linkroll bicycles Denmark... (read entry)
2009.03.03 — My kind of white trash: This house on wheels adds new meaning to "mobile home" and I want one. But it needs an engine so I wouldn't have to tow it around. Also I need a residential parking permit. And a chauffeur.... (read entry)
2009.03.03 — The Google + The Subway: Me: Shall we get a cab? R: In the spirit of being frugal... Me: Subway. R: My iPhone/Google app will tell us what train to take. Me: I can tell us what train to take. R: My iPhone will tell... (read entry)
2009.03.03 — Homesick: In San Francisco, it's raining. And I don't want to go out. Why? Because it's raining? No. Because it's NOT SNOWING. Normal places all got snow. San Francisco? No. Why? Because this place can't get it together to have proper... (read entry)
2009.03.02 — links for 2009-03-02: I LEGO N.Y. Christoph Niemann at the NYTimes. I love New York + I love Legos - it's like you got your chocolate in my peanut butter. (tags: linkroll Legos Christoph Niemann) The Gallery: Walter Martin & Paloma Muñoz... (read entry)
2009.03.02 — Mixed messages: I took this photo with my cell phone on Bleeker St. six months ago. Now, it's happening all over the city. Apparently, I'm not the only one feeling ambivalent about the choices we face.... (read entry)
2009.03.02 — Kelly: When I was 17, I met Kelly at a conservatory for young artists. She was a writer and I was an actor. We were not friends: she had what I wanted. She was calm and well-liked, especially by the boys,... (read entry)
2009.03.01 — links for 2009-03-01: Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz snowglobes Great pictures of super-excellent snowglobes. Mmmm....snow.... (tags: linkroll snowglobes Munoz and Martin)... (read entry)
2009.03.01 — I'm not quite all right: Me in a Walgreen's in California: Get me out of here. Me in a Duane Reade in Manhattan: Oooo, tweezers! I definitely need those. Also, hair clips. And other things. Heavy things that will cost me extra to check my... (read entry)
2009.02.27 — links for 2009-02-27: Complex ideas are not the enemy! NYTimes column - basically, what I think about national discourse being simplified to sound bytes. (tags: linkroll ideas) Low-Tech Fixes for High-Tech Problems Clean a scratched DVD with vodka, extend your wireless reach... (read entry)
2009.02.26 — Going Down: The elevator features a small television display on the front wall next to the doors. Instead of the usual news stream or local ads, the screen displays a river in the woods. How soothing. Oh no wait: there's an inset... (read entry)
2009.02.25 — New York in Winter: So far, it's been a trip marked by reversals. You know when you know you're scattered and you can give the people around you a heads up, "Hey - I'm scattered. Don't count on me to return the ball after... (read entry)
2009.02.25 — USAir Shuttle to Boston: The woman in the aisle seat ahead of me is unloading her entire bag while smacking at her tiny dog and yelling at him repeatedly to, "STAY! You stay right there! STAY!" It's a plane: where's he gonna go? Her... (read entry)
2009.02.25 — New York: NoHo Star: When you go to the Bleeker Theatre - which, by the way, you should, because, if my 2-for-2 experience is any predictor, they put up entertaining shows there - you should hit the NoHo Star on the corner of Bleeker... (read entry)
2009.02.24 — links for 2009-02-24: Mother Pig and Piglet-- National Geographic Adorable piggies. (tags: linkroll pig piglet piggie) The good old days: White House Denies Existence of Karl Rove (tags: linkroll Rove The Onion politics)... (read entry)
2009.02.24 — Houston Street at Night: "When I was in rehab, I drank Listerine and, in the spirit of rigorous honesty, I revised my day count." That sounds like the statement of a rigorously honest man. Unfortunately, the man's voice sounds like the voice of... (read entry)
2009.02.23 — links for 2009-02-23: Parade Of Interchangeable Starlets Delights U.S. Populace Ah, the Oscars... (tags: linkroll Oscars Onion)... (read entry)
2009.02.22 — links for 2009-02-22: Saturday Night Live - Natalie Raps Just a reminder how great she is not in her gown on the Oscar carpet. (tags: linkroll SNL Portman rap) Presto! The Pixar short - the winner? Love this bunny. (tags: linkroll bunny... (read entry)
2009.02.22 — Oscars 2009: Round-Up According to Me: 1. Best-Dressed (And Let's Not Be Stupid Here) Award: Tina Fey. Definitely went a long way to make up for that terrible number she wore to the Golden Globes. Jennifer Aniston. Didn't love the front braid on the hair,... (read entry)
2009.02.22 — Oscars 2009: I hate auto-complete: I was trying to text R (who's on a train to Baltimore) about how fantastic Tina Fey looked presenting for the screenplay awards and my phone suggested "Tuna Dry". I hate my phone.... (read entry)
2009.02.22 — Oscars 2009: Best Line So Far: "You look like you work at a Hassidic meth lab." - Natalie Portman to Ben Stiller dressed as Joaquin Phoenix... (read entry)
2009.02.22 — Oscars 2009: I hate the person across from me: I'm not kidding, she just said in reference to Sex and the City: The Movie, "Best movie of the year. No question." Is six feet too far to tackle someone from a sitting start? I'm not sure what I'd do... (read entry)
2009.02.22 — Oscars 2009: I hate you David Carr: First, you were a coke addict. And now you've ruined my life. YOU told me to vote for Viola Davis and I did. So I changed my vote from Penelope Cruz and now I'm losing and we've barely started and... (read entry)
2009.02.21 — Trade-offs: I'm back in New York. This is always a good thing and, in this case, it's meant to jar me out of any anxiety incurred by leaving my corporate gig. Every silver cloud has a cloudy lining though: being in... (read entry)
2009.02.20 — My New Motto: "Illud ab homine factum ab altero fieri potest." Know what that means? "What one man can do, another can do." That's right, mo'fos: Emma's out from under the man and back on track. I think I need a shield. And... (read entry)
2009.02.19 — You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.: I do not like to fly. For starters, I'm claustrophobic. Small spaces = bad. Planes = small spaces. Ergo planes = bad. Also, I do not believe in flight. It is highly improbable that something as heavy as a plane... (read entry)
2009.02.15 — Kitchen Update III: I look in the fridge for butter for my English muffin. This is what's there: Challenge Butter. A nice rectangular box of butter sticks emblazoned with a throwdown of a name and what looks like a very irritated buck. Seriously,... (read entry)
2009.02.14 — links for 2009-02-14: The Slowskys (Comcast turtles) The outtakes. You push it. Roomba Violates All Three Laws Of Roombotics The Onion. The Roomba. Need I say more? (tags: linkroll)... (read entry)
2009.02.14 — Little Dickens: My friend Molly teaches first grade and got a handmade Christmas card from one of her kids. She produced it the other night and I almost got a cramp I was laughing so hard. There's a Christmas tree at the... (read entry)
2009.02.14 — Ah, romance: Me: I just want you to know that one of the things I love about you is that you actually listen to me.R: ...Sorry...what?... (read entry)
2009.02.14 — I have left the building (almost): The countdown to departure from my job has begun in earnest. On Thursday evening the light at the end of the tunnel flared enough so I could see it. I think it was because my computer's hard drive was thrown... (read entry)
2009.02.14 — Things My Boyfriend Says.com: Birthday. me: It's my birthday soon. You'd better get me something pretty. e: I'll get ME something pretty, and you can play with it. Just wanted to remind you about that site again. Also about my birthday. If you need... (read entry)
2009.02.12 — Lame: I accidentally watched The Da Vinci Code again this weekend. It suuuuucked. Again. I was in a stress stupor around leaving my job or I never would have watched it. I couldn't help myself. Dysfunction gravitates towards dysfunction, I guess.... (read entry)
2009.02.12 — links for 2009-02-12: Marketing campaign for Coraline Insane. Creative. And a little frightening. F*** My Life When your day goes off the rails, this is your forum. Take comfort in the fact that other people's lives are worse...or just love the company... (read entry)
2009.02.12 — Brie Coupe Explorateur: I have inexplicably taken a recent dislike to bries. Maybe once I moved on to triple creams, regular brie was just not good enough anymore. Baked brie with honey and almonds is where I've been drawing the brie line of... (read entry)
2009.02.08 — Wedding: I haven't had any space in my head recently to think about getting married. (This is a shame and yet another reason to resign: if something lovely like being engaged can't find a place to live in my head while... (read entry)
2009.02.08 — Fancy: Now that we're engaged, I'm up against the title thing again. (See original problem here.) I never did fully sort out how to refer to R when we were, uh...is it 'dating' if you've been living together for five years?... (read entry)
2009.02.07 — Accidents happen: If 70% of all home accidents occur in the bathroom and 77% of all car accidents take place close to home, what's the overlap, if any? Like, how many of those bath incidents involve your Volvo? Or vice versa: how... (read entry)
2009.02.07 — Signage: I'm at work, listening to the mom over the wall talking about the sign language class she'll be taking this weekend with her baby. Do you know about this? Baby signing. You learn sign language and your pre-verbal kid does... (read entry)
2009.02.05 — Fitting in: Who has a Wii Fit out there? Raise your hand. Yeah, I thought so. I have a question for you. You know how, when you first set it up, you have to get on the platform and it asks for... (read entry)
2009.02.05 — My birthday's coming up...: Here's what I want. Start looking around. 1. I want all my food served to me on a cake stand. 2. I want a new desk chair. Specifically, this one. Doesn't it look like just the right kind of launch... (read entry)
2009.02.04 — Daily Candy: Daily Candy, the daily email promoting something chic, sometimes cool and usually overpriced, has finally lost it. "Get With the Programmer"? It's a competition for the hottest programmer. Seriously. Not that programmers can't be hot, but really? This is all... (read entry)
2009.02.03 — Relieved? No, terrible. Odd.: When I tell people I resigned last week, responses range from, "Hooray!" (an inexplicably supportive stranger we met at a bar, R's family), to, "Are you relieved?" (co-workers). I appreciate the former but the answer to the latter is a... (read entry)
2009.02.01 — Me and the Super Bowl: It's half time. Bruce just finished playing. Here's what I'm thinking. I'm gonna get me three to five guys playing horns to follow me around and just back me up. You know. For whatever. That's what I'm taking away from... (read entry)
2009.02.01 — Maira Kalman is back!: Maira Kalman has been doing New Yorker covers and illustrations and children's books and all sorts of things for ages. She crossed my path officially when a friend gave me the re-issue of Elements of Style, for which Kalman had... (read entry)
2009.02.01 — Tom Cruise crazy: First of all, as far as I'm concerned Tom Cruise is bananas. I'm not saying he's not a human being and doesn't have feelings that can be hurt just like the rest of us. I am saying that the concern... (read entry)
2009.02.01 — And another thing...: Jonathan Coulton - marketing genius, musician, college pal of R's brother - wrote a nice summary of Tom's situation. Tom Cruise Crazy. Download here.... (read entry)
2009.01.31 — John Updike: John Updike died this past week of lung cancer. The NYTimes published this poem from his forthcoming collection. For the record, John, I did not think you had "died a while ago" and was put out to discover your passing.... (read entry)
2009.01.31 — It's a new day: I resigned from my job yesterday. Yes, in this economy. Call me crazy. Actually, if I'd stayed you would have had to because that road was beckoning. I don't say this very often, but I'm proud of myself. I don't... (read entry)
2009.01.25 — Disaster Preparation - Part 1: (For the intro to this series on disaster prep, click here.) Remember that disaster preparedness is playing the odds and reaching compromises. You are never going to establish a plan and policies that will keep you 100% safe from disaster... (read entry)
2009.01.24 — Disaster Preparation - Intro: Big new reason to live in New York? Because there's the Hudson to land your plane in. Within four minutes, the passengers were all out of the plane and boarding the cutters. Four minutes. That's staggering. On the other side... (read entry)
2009.01.18 — New leaf: This is the T-shirt I'll be wearing all week, thank you very much. Welcome to the new order!... (read entry)
2009.01.18 — Post-________: My magazine subscriptions tend to get away from me. As a result, I just picked up New York Magazine's June 15 issue, featuring Hillary Clinton on the cover. Among the features on why Hillary lost is a brief column by... (read entry)
2009.01.17 — Late bloomer: When I was a kid, I was an overachiever. I'm sure it had a lot to do with reading. Our mother read to us and I read on my own early and voraciously. (The usual reasons: loneliness, broken family, parents... (read entry)
2008.12.27 — News Bulletin: So what's been going on? What's with the chaos? All right, I give (under your imaginary pressure and questioning): we're engaged! While we were in Belgium in November, R asked me to marry him. I didn't mean to tip... (read entry)
2008.12.27 — Holiday: Well it's been a while, hasn't it? What have you been up to? Everything all right? How was your Christmas? That's good. I hope your aunt didn't give you a hard time like last year. Your new haircut is to... (read entry)
2008.11.08 — A New Generation: (read entry)
2008.11.06 — Election Round-Up: Finally, we're all the real America. (Frank Rich, Sarah Vowell and Timothy Egan, thank you for calling it out back when we weren't.) I am proud to be an American, as we turn away from excess and toward someone -... (read entry)
2008.11.05 — Obama brings it home!!!: Hooray! Sadly, however, it looks like Prop R here in California is going to fail. In case everyone in the rest of the country isn't up on west coast news, Prop R asks, "Shall the city change the name of... (read entry)
2008.11.04 — Everyone stay calm: I locked myself out of the car. It just wasn't that exciting. I have to admit, I'm vaguely disappointed. I've regularly thought about locking myself out of my car and it has always been a dire circumstance in my mind,... (read entry)
2008.11.03 — Tuesday's comin'...: It's almost here. Don't forget to vote!!! Thanks to Dill Pixels for this outstanding collection.... (read entry)
2008.11.02 — Obama in Rolling Stone: He is a bad ass and I dig that about him: In what way will people underestimate you as president? [Long pause] Because I tend to be a pretty courteous person and I don't lose my temper, I think people... (read entry)
2008.11.01 — Once more into the breach: NABLOPOMO. Again. Bring it.... (read entry)
2008.10.25 — David Mamet and Me: I have to get this off my chest before the election. I've been mad at David Mamet for a while now. I know I shouldn't be: if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have won that playwriting award (twice). I... (read entry)
2008.10.18 — Kitchen Update II: In other news, everyone should have a Pineapple Easy Slicer. If you are a pineapple fan, you will love this thing: it cores, cuts rings and slices off the outside prickly bits, all at once. If you are not a... (read entry)
2008.10.18 — Kitchen Update: This housecleaner chick is killing me. I had to make cookies the other day and couldn't find the cookie sheets. Anywhere. How the hell do you hide a cookie sheet in a studio apartment? They're flat, I grant you, but... (read entry)
2008.10.18 — Epiphany: I used to smoke. I loved smoking. "Why, Emma," you may ask, "Why did you love smoking, that dirty, dirty habit?" I will tell you why. It calmed me down. It gave me something to do with my hands when... (read entry)
2008.10.11 — Apple Transport: R bought an iPhone this week to replace his phone which, I'm not kidding, exploded when he got home from work the other night. The iPhone really is a thing of beauty, albeit a slightly heavy and thick thing of... (read entry)
2008.10.11 — Conference Notes: I went to a two-day conference earlier this week. Here's what I learned: I do not trust grown men who wear red suspenders to business events. If unguided, a certain type of person will offer his personal experience up to... (read entry)
2008.10.08 — I have nothing to add: (read entry)
2008.10.05 — 36 Hours: I have to say this. I've been meaning to mention it. Have a seat, New York Times. No really, I think it's time we talked. Face to face. I don't want to keep this to myself anymore. It's eating me... (read entry)
2008.10.05 — Miscellany: "Bjorn Borg Underwear available soon!!" has changed to "Bjorn Borg Underwear now available!!" over at Hus, my favorite Scandinavian store in New York. This is one of those things I'm not sure anyone else thinks is as funny as I... (read entry)
2008.10.04 — Vice Presidential Debate Notes: 1. Did everyone notice what a pretty smile Joe Biden has? 2. His tie was a lovely baby blue. 3. Related, I love him like teenagers loved Elvis. 4. Also, he knows his shit. 5. Related, she does not. 6.... (read entry)
2008.10.04 — Advice: I knew this guy in college. Really nice guy. Funny. I crushed on him my whole freshman year. Nothing. Then I go off to Europe, fall madly in love, tragically leave the guy to come back to school and walk... (read entry)
2008.09.30 — Post Turtle: Thanks, KT, for sending this on: While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year-old rancher, whose hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic... (read entry)
2008.09.29 — Sunday cooking: If you can't cook, this is a good alternative way to spend your Sunday while your California friends sort out this week's health-conscious entrees and slice up veggies and fruits to store in organized containers for healthy, slightly self-righteous eating... (read entry)
2008.09.28 — Small furry things: I am, as many of us are, a girl. Therefore, I am not immune to the tuggings of baby animals at my heartstrings. (This may be faulty gender profiling. Guilty as charged.) You have to check out at least slides... (read entry)
2008.09.26 — Three Questions on the 1st Presidential Debate: 1. In its coverage, the New York Times said, "Over all, Mr. McCain was more charming and more colloquial, but his speaking style was at times choppy. He described North Korea as the most "repressive and brutal regime probably on... (read entry)
2008.09.17 — A Man Called Joe: Every time I hear Joe Biden's name or I see his face, I turn to R and say, "I like Joe Biden." He pats my hand patiently and gives me that sweet patronizing smile as if my mind has turned... (read entry)
2008.08.28 — IM at the office: Her: So, this homeless/disturbed person has set up camp outside my window. And he's got a stack of books he is reading, one of which is called Get Organized. Me: Niiiiiice. Seriously - I'm scoping four different projects right now... (read entry)
2008.08.16 — Olympics: Swimming: I have an idea. You know the starting platform for the swimming races? And you know how sometimes there's a false start? (Not as often as there used to be or as there are in track, but you know what... (read entry)
2008.08.07 — What I Know About Our Cleaning Girl: She is from Brazil. She speaks no English. When I want to talk to her, I have to call her sister who used to clean for us until she had a baby. She does not vacuum the small rug... (read entry)
2008.08.06 — Inspiring Words - Dewey Cox: Let Me Hold You (Little Man) "I stand today for the midget at the size of a regular guy. As the big parade passes by Let me hold you little man: We'll make believe you can fly. You shout... (read entry)
2008.07.29 — I read porn: Check out my pal Molly's sophisticated taste: she reads The New Yorker and gets her New York fix. Go Molly! I got The New Yorker for ages. It languished. I couldn't read it fast enough and that made me feel... (read entry)
2008.07.26 — Literacy: This is Barack Obama's entry in the guestbook at Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial. I've spent the last eight years turning off my car radio or any news program that featured Bush saying pretty much anything because it's so discouraging... (read entry)
2008.07.21 — Compliments: Me: My glasses are always smudged. I wonder if my eyelashes are too long. R: Or it's because of your flat face. Me: I don't have a flat face... R: And your protruding eyes. Me: That's nice talk.... (read entry)
2008.07.19 — Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Stress on "hell" I am telling you what. This movie sucked. Here's what: The plot and mythology were a total ripoff of just about every fantasy movie in the last ten years, from Lord of the Rings to The Mummy.... (read entry)
2008.07.18 — Eddie Izzard: In case you didn't know, Eddie Izzard is in town. Right now. He's here in San Francisco (that's me with him a few years ago in the photo) and you should go see him if you can. As far as... (read entry)
2008.06.28 — Milkshakes, etc.: Percentage of Boys Brought to the Yard by Respective Milkshakes. For the Excel wizards among us, or those who wish they were, or those who are entertained by those who already are, welcome to the Songchart Meme, including A map... (read entry)
2008.06.21 — Summertime: It's the second day of summer and Midsummer's Eve and hot as blazes in San Francisco. Even if you didn't know how hot it is, you'd know something was off because the tourists have come out of their hovel hotels... (read entry)
2008.06.05 — Not a good week: Is it just me or is death everywhere this last week? Sydney Pollack?? Oh my God. Who even knew he was ill? Yves Saint-Laurent. Bo Diddly. A friend of friends of ours at 40-something from colon cancer. A friend of... (read entry)
2008.05.28 — Matrix: Keanu Reeves is the George Bush of the acting world except he has a better agent than Cheney to help him with those difficult career choices. Also, he's better looking. But other than that they're about the same.... (read entry)
2008.04.23 — Macbeth: It's No Hamlet: Macbeth, at the Lyceum Theatre, New York. Tickets at Telecharge.com. If you haven't read Macbeth, this is your show. If you haven't seen Macbeth, this is your show. If you're a fan of Macbeth, this may also be your show.... (read entry)
2008.04.23 — Grrrrr: I hate people being all up in my space. What I define as "my space" varies from day to day. What offends me ranges from touching me in any way when you've just met me - which makes me wish... (read entry)
2008.04.18 — Almost An Evening: Almost an Evening by Ethan Coen, directed by Neil Pepe, playing through June 1 at The Theatres at 45 Bleecker, New York, NY. For description and background, click here. For the inevitable Times review, click here. Go. That's it.... (read entry)
2008.04.15 — Illness: I have realized who I am. I am the American Indian. As a white girl with blonde hair, this is probably not obvious to you so I will tell you why. I get every odd disease that passes through my... (read entry)
2008.04.15 — The Tax Man Cometh: Here's how 4/15 rolled for me this year. Let's set the stage. I didn't get my taxes done last week because I was rushing to get to New York. I decided that wouldn't be a problem I would get back on... (read entry)
2008.03.29 — Springtime: I have just finished sorting out the kitchen and storing things in the upper cabinets. Sometime soon, we will be having a garden party. There will be a lot of paper napkins and cranberry juice. The people we like can... (read entry)
2008.03.16 — The great-ish outdoors: I am going on a hike today. I am not a hiker. This is what hiking is to me: You drive somewhere so you can walk somewhere. There is no there there when you get there and you do nothing... (read entry)
2008.03.14 — To the man with the Porsche: Dear Sir, First, your Porsche is my least favorite color. It is a hideous bright turquoise and that, sir, is a nasty, nasty color. Second, be advised that this is not a manly color, particularly when paired with the rainbow... (read entry)
2008.03.06 — So close, and yet...: From an ebay fashion store, for the car enthusiast: "Jb and me is a brick and motor business that was started in 1997 by a mother & daughter team." From someone with low self-esteem, for the fashion enthusiast: "THIS IS... (read entry)
2008.03.02 — Redundancy: You've probably already seen Part 1: There's been a whole thing between Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon going on for ages that I've somehow missed up until now. Probably because I don't watch Kimmel's show. Sarah Silverman (Kimmel's girlfriend) and... (read entry)
2008.03.02 — I heart hedgehogs: And while you're over there at YouTube, check out Hedgehog in the Fog, a short Russian animation film from 1975 (with English subtitles). Don't worry: it's not highbrow and obscure. It's charming and adorable.... (read entry)
2008.03.01 — Sundance Kabuki Cinemas: I hate to do this but I've got to give the new Sundance Cinema a thumbs down. I wanted to like you, Sundance Kabuki Cinema, I really, really did. But you disappointed me and now I am crestfallen and slightly... (read entry)
2008.02.29 — Error: So that whole mix-up about "Is it called the "iLap" or the "Lapinator"? That whole thing? That huge controversy that was all over the news? That one? Yeah, well, I figured that one out: answer here. After a month. Maybe... (read entry)
2008.02.29 — Dammit: www.golfwellnessantalyabelekturkeynationalnobilisgloriapashasultan.com? Well, I'm very upset that that URL is no longer available.... (read entry)
2008.02.28 — Hiring: Let it be known that 1. I hate hiring. 2. I hate interviewing on the phone. 3. I hate interviewing in person. 3. I hate everything about the whole shabang. My hatred has been creeping upward recently. This is because... (read entry)
2008.02.27 — Straight Talk: So I'm reading an article about depression research. There's an accompanying photo. It has a caption. "A man puts his shoulder around another man in this undated photo." Well that seems pretty self-explanatory. And totally unrelated.... (read entry)
2008.02.26 — Oddities: Garfield Minus Garfield. Comfortingly existential when compared with the actual Garfield comic strips. Dinosaurs talking philosophy. What's not to love?... (read entry)
2008.02.24 — True enough: Me: Smart does not necessarily = good pet. R: Yeah, you're smart and you'd make a horrible pet.... (read entry)
2008.02.22 — Quote of the Day: Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. - Carrie Fisher... (read entry)
2008.02.20 — Answers, people: I was checkin' out my cool toes earlier this week. Checkin' out the pedicure on the super-hip Snoopy toes (you know - where the littler ones are so close to each other it looks like someone drew pencil lines to... (read entry)
2008.02.18 — Excellent: From Time Out's interview with Ben Karlin, former Daily Show producer, on the new book of essays he compiled and edited, Things I've Learned From Women Who Dumped Me: Another bit of info to be gleaned: men are much more... (read entry)
2008.02.17 — What I love about San Francisco: R, that's what. R spent twelve hours today cutting over my old Movable Type platform to the new Movable Type platform and cleaning up categories, spacing, widgets and other things that wake me up in the middle of the night.... (read entry)
2008.02.16 — More SF: A frighteningly familiar take on 30-something weekends in San Francisco. Hmmm. It might be time to make some changes.... (read entry)
2008.02.16 — It's just wrong: I'm back from New York. It snowed. I loved it. That's what February's supposed to be like.You know what February's not supposed to be like? Flowering tress, that's what. What is wrong with California?... (read entry)
2008.02.15 — Paris: Totally Subjective and Incomplete List: Some friends of mine were in Paris in the fall - both for the first time - and I put together a list of things to do / things not to do on a first pass through the French capital.... (read entry)
2008.02.14 — Comments: Just a quick note that I'm having some issues with posting comments, so if you don't see something you post immediately, bear with me! In a nutshell, the site's getting a truckload of spam comments, so until I get a... (read entry)
2008.02.11 — Cop Copine: The Coat of One Color: The Dexter coat finally arrived from France a few days ago. I love it like a child. Like my child. If my child were toasty warm (in 25-degree NYC winter), dramatically stylish outerwear. I love this coat. And I paid... (read entry)
2008.02.10 — Apple Store in the Meatpacking District: Brian: If you buy the pass, you can come in once a week and we can help you with whatever you need. Like any questions you have about transferring from your PC to a Mac. Me: Huh. Really? Brian: Let... (read entry)
2008.02.09 — Mash-Up of the Week: The Police and Snow Patrol make it work: Every Car You Chase.... (read entry)
2008.02.08 — Back in New York: Experiencing the usual re-entry anxiety. I met myself on the plane and she was lovely, so that was touching. (More on that later.) While I collect my thoughts and get some sleep, have a look at Sigur Ros' video "Glósóli"... (read entry)
2008.02.07 — Almost: I am almost ready to leave tomorrow morning. Almost to New York. Almost packed. Almost so tired I can't keep my head up. It's been a long week. A long four-day week. So I have almost nothing to say for... (read entry)
2008.02.06 — I am not kidding: So there I am, browsing through trashy gossip on a rainy weekend and what do I find? An anomaly! Can it be? A book review in OK! Magazine. Go OK!! You show 'em who reads books!! You show 'em who's... (read entry)
2008.02.05 — The Reading, Part I: The reading was last weekend. We were offered seats at the performance of Speed the Plow that preceded the reading. This was the plan. I was going to wear a crown. (Yes, I have one, and not a mass-manufactured one... (read entry)
2008.02.04 — Not a good way to start the week: Apparently, nearly 25% of the UK thinks Churchill was a myth. Dickens? Fiction. Sherlock Holmes? You guessed it: real. Yup. We're keeping our pedal to the metal here in in the first world. Go us.... (read entry)
2008.02.03 — Heath Ledger: Everyone remembers Brokeback Mountain. Everyone talks about The Joker. Some even mention 10 Things I Hate About You and The Patriot, but only one review of Heath Ledger's career that I've read mentions A Knight's Tale. I love A Knight's... (read entry)
2008.02.02 — We can hope...: Another one from the NYTimes daily email subject line: "TOP STORIES Eyes on Google, Microsoft Bids $44 Billion f" Now how do you suppose that sentence ends? a.) "f#$&*$^! dollars"? b.) "for Yahoo"?... (read entry)
2008.02.01 — Liar: Every time I come home from downtown, I pass the Design Within Reach store down the street. I see all the stuff in the windows. I see all the stuff in the store. I see all the stuff. And the... (read entry)
2008.01.31 — mmmmmmmm: "Stop right there! Can you pile all of those items into a single bowl and just kinda make them into a wet mound of starch that I can eat with a spoon like I'm a death-row prisoner on suicide watch?... (read entry)
2008.01.29 — Don't talk to strangers: In a newly opened cafe in my neighborhood, I make small talk with the co-owner whom I've never met. Me: Congratulations. The cafe seem to be doing well. Him: Yeah. Well. I guess. Me: You got some great publicity. I... (read entry)
2008.01.28 — I may well be a huge dork: But I think this is hilarious. Or at least clever.... (read entry)
2008.01.27 — It's not easy: I discovered my superpower today. I can dry out Sharpie markers even when their lids are on. I haven't quite found a use for my power yet - it's more of a straight-up inconvenience to date - but I will.... (read entry)
2008.01.26 — Late Night: My reading was tonight. It was a success. But I'm really tired and really glad to be home and about to have some pizza. More tomorrow.... (read entry)
2008.01.25 — This hurts my brain: "Cruzin Cooler combines two basic necessities of life, the ability to have cold food or a beverage handy along with the means to get somewhere, without walking."... (read entry)
2008.01.24 — Tell me about it: Failure Now an Option... (read entry)
2008.01.23 — What's going on: Here's my latest diagnosis. Wait for it...Stress-Induced Narcolepsy. Yes!! That's it. That's what I have. That's why I feel like my head will drop to my keyboard / steering wheel / plate at any moment. It has a nice ring... (read entry)
2008.01.22 — The iLap: I asked for an iLap for Christmas. It's possible I didn't get one because I referred to it as The Lapinator. Which is not what it's called. But it should be. Anyway, the week after Christmas I ordered one for... (read entry)
2008.01.21 — One of those days: I overslept. Because I was groggy, I left my laptop at home. Because I left my laptop at home because I was groggy, I missed a deadline to retrieve it.Then I was late for a meeting because I was late... (read entry)
2008.01.20 — Day o' links: I love me some baby. This one giggles like a 40-year-old smoker. This one has the whole package: an evil eye and a giggle. Dancing epileptics? Got it. Dancing birds? Also yes.... (read entry)
2008.01.19 — Modern Times: My new phone is super-sleek but we'll leave that be for now because I have terrible phone karma and I don't want to jinx it. Anyway, new phone = new headset. Or, I should say, "an headset" since I didn't... (read entry)
2008.01.18 — I am good enough and I am strong enough...: I won the American Conservatory Theater's Mamet Writing Contest! I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank my boyfriend. And God. And my agent. And my acupuncturist. And my therapist. And David Mamet. And my Christmas tree. Which is... (read entry)
2008.01.17 — Disturbing: One of the web sites I work on re-launched tonight. It looks great. However, if you go to the recipes section and search on "babies" twenty-four results are returned. Hmmm. That's not good.... (read entry)
2008.01.16 — Payback: Former Brocade CEO Reyes sentenced to 21 months in stock-option case I guess this kind of makes up for all those times he didn't say, "Hi," to me in the lobby. And the time he was less than candid at... (read entry)
2008.01.15 — Bling: Last weekend at a party, the hosts had games and prizes. On the record, I will complain about this but it is a very practical way to get people mingling and also, most important, an excellent way to get prizes,... (read entry)
2008.01.14 — Insight, possibly meaningless: I watch The West Wing the way the people on The West Wing watch C-SPAN.... (read entry)
2008.01.14 — Take a penny, leave a penny: I got the most specific promotion I've ever gotten over email from Walgreens today. I worked in marketing for ages, so that's saying something. Check it out: get $5 off my order of $20.08 or more. This makes me think... (read entry)
2008.01.13 — Flowers in her hair: I'm late on this but it's been worth waiting for: Gennifer Flowers looks to be endorsing Hillary. Bygones then?... (read entry)
2008.01.12 — Grace under pressure: I got a package today from Athleta. Check out the opening instructions on the envelope. Am I the only one who finds the wording charming? "Gracefully"? Not just, "Tear along dotted line," or, "Open with care," or even, "Do not... (read entry)
2008.01.11 — I've always had a thing for David Gregory: To brighten up your Friday, here's some groovin' media and politics. Literally. It's a dance-off between Barack Obama (on Ellen) and David Gregory (with Mary J. Blige). I'm more surprised at how tall and thin Obama is than I am... (read entry)
2008.01.10 — The Tasty: Oh. My. God. If you live in San Francisco, you have got to venture over to the land of Gucci babies, Pucci mamas, over-bred puppies and post-frat bankers and get yourself a grilled cheese sandwich at the Blue Barn on... (read entry)
2008.01.09 — Poor Marketing: R and I are driving through my old neighborhood. Me: Look - it's the incredibly awful drycleaners! R: They should really change their name if they want to get any new business.... (read entry)
2008.01.08 — How do you survive out here?: I am standing in line in the chilly rain, waiting to pick up lunch. I wait for five minutes. The man in front of me waits for four minutes. The man is not reading a magazine. He is not listening... (read entry)
2008.01.07 — Anniversary: I'm listening to "Weekends" by The Perishers in an effort to boost my mood before I go to sleep. Since it's only Monday, I'm not sure a pretty ballad about the coming weekend is the pick-me-up I was hoping for... (read entry)
2008.01.06 — Coooookie: I'm just home from another party to which I brought these super-excellent chocolate chip cookies. Everyone loves these cookies. Or at least I think they do. People tell me they do and I believe them. And no one's every... (read entry)
2008.01.05 — The Interweb's Latest: I am troubled that you can buy a used toothbrush on Amazon. That can't be good. This has actually been bothering me for a while, but the holidays made it slip my mind. I'm definitely going to put it back... (read entry)
2008.01.04 — Welcome to Work with a Large Company: These Time-Management Issues Will Be Easily Resolved With A Series Of Streamlined Meetings I swear I could have cut and pasted almost this entire article from the emails and conversations I've had in a week at work. This week specifically.... (read entry)
2008.01.03 — Glowing: R: You so fine. Me: You so fun. R: You my Superfund. Me: You realize that that's nuclear waste? R: You so fine, you radioactive.... (read entry)
2008.01.02 — Philosophy in the Home: Me: Do you know about all this veil of ignorance stuff? R: No. Is that what you're getting me for Christmas?... (read entry)
2008.01.01 — Happy New Year: 2008 is here! Hooray! 2007 was a rough year and, despite coming through it in one piece (more or less), I'm not sorry to be moving onto the greener pastures of the new year which, after all, ends in one... (read entry)
2007.12.29 — What's Up With That: I open the refrigerator. Light goes on. Open the freezer. Nothing. I have no idea what's in our freezer. With no light? Still don't. What's the logic? Stuff in my freezer's frozen ergo not gonna spill? Whatever. That frozen stuff... (read entry)
2007.12.28 — Peter and Jerry: Edward Albee is the man. He was my gateway drug into modern theater. When I read The Zoo Story in high school, it almost convinced me to go to Rice because that's where Albee was teaching at the time. Rice.... (read entry)
2007.12.27 — Exchange This: We are driving, headed for a Starbucks. R rummages in his pocket and pulls out a $10 bill that looks like it's been through a lawnmower. me: What happened to it? R: The Euro kicked its ass.... (read entry)
2007.12.10 — Super-Cool: I remember with nostalgia the days when I was only four weeks sick. Back when milk was only a nickel and I walked to work uphill with no shoes in the snow. (Maybe that's how I got sick...) Now I'm... (read entry)
2007.11.29 — Butter and Pants: Ingenious. The butter bell. Keeps butter at room temperature without letting it spoil. Not that it does spoil at room temperature. Not for a while anyway. But boyfriends who shall remain nameless insist that it does, so butter bell it... (read entry)
2007.11.28 — Curiouser...: Pardon me if I'm being obtuse, but why does this eBay listing for a Jell-O mold contain the specification "no burn marks"? God knows I'm no cook but what exactly would you be doing to your Jell-O mold that would... (read entry)
2007.11.26 — Day 25: My co-workers are amazed. I can hardly believe it myself. People look at me with wide eyes and laugh nervously as I talk to them. I offer them Munchkins which I imported carefully back from the east coast. They smile... (read entry)
2007.11.23 — Longwood Gardens: Overheard in front of the impressive bonsai exhibit at Longwood Gardens: Eight-year-old boy: What was the favorite thing you've seen today at Longwood Gardens, Dad? Father: Well, I did like some of the orchids a lot. I'm sorry, what??... (read entry)
2007.11.20 — Question of the Day: How do you honk at the guy in front of the guy in front of you? Twice in the last two weeks I have been irritated at the car in front of the car in front of me. In New... (read entry)
2007.11.19 — Office Linguistics: unicorn, noun, yoo-ni-kawrn : A resource shared across a number of projects, consequently unlikely to successfully complete work on any of them. “Six unicorns were put on this job. It’s never gonna launch. Never.” iceberg, verb, ahys-burg : To be... (read entry)
2007.11.17 — I have two things to say: One. There is an excellent private school outside Boston near where I grew up. Steve Carrel went there. So did my brother. My brother and Steve Carrel both went to Fenn. My first crush was on a guy who went... (read entry)
2007.11.16 — Philly: I lived near Philadelphia for five years and I can't say it's my favorite city. Apparently, I'm not alone: Travel & Leisure readers recently voted its inhabitants the least attractive of all US cities. Although, to be fair, there is... (read entry)
2007.11.15 — Sled dogs are supercool: Bears are not my favorite, but huskies are up there. Check out the video o' the day. On a completely unrelated note, I apologize for the brevity of recent posts: I've been sick (again) for going on two weeks. My... (read entry)
2007.11.14 — Norman Mailer, 1923-2007: I think Charlie Rose is increasingly headed down the James Lipton* slope of self-involvement but this clip of Gore Vidal and Norman Mailer going at it on The Dick Cavett Show makes watching Rose for a moment bearable. It does... (read entry)
2007.11.13 — Duplicates: Here's my question of the day: You know how you keep going back to that one bakery you love? That's not the question - that's the lead-in to the question. I'll let you know when we get to the question.... (read entry)
2007.11.12 — Financial management: I have a friend who insists on setting up passwords that are no less than 10-14 characters and utterly incomprehensible. I have another friend who says this: "I've gotten around the whole complex password thing by not keeping any money... (read entry)
2007.11.11 — Eastern seaboard love affair: Me: Let's go get Thai food. R: By 'Thai food' do you mean 'Dunkin Donuts'? One of the things I miss most about the culinary world of the northeast is Dunkin Donuts. Their coffee - Maxwell House - is the... (read entry)
2007.11.10 — More Gifts: Since we'll be away for Thanksgiving and are not - I repeat NOT - going to be biking around in the rain four days before Christmas picking up gifts, it's a big Christmas planning weekend. This one isn't really a... (read entry)
2007.11.09 — I kid you not: R and I are walking back from drinks tonight, I step onto our curb, slip and go down like a bag of hammers. A moment of horizontal levitation and then I land on my shoulder and hip. Very graceful. It... (read entry)
2007.11.09 — Someday...: You know those ads for Friday Night Lights? That show? The one on Friday nights? Just once, I'd like to hear them say, "This week on Friday Night Lights! Tuesday at 9." Just once.... (read entry)
2007.11.08 — More Christmas Gifts: For the displaced New Yorker (non-displaced New Yorkers are still living in New York and have nothing to prove on that point): New Yorker notecards. (Shout out to my fellow displacee, LB, for that one.) I love me some narwhal... (read entry)
2007.11.07 — First Time: For a week now, I've had the distinct sensation that there's a bat whistling towards my head, just out of my peripheral vision. This could be because a.) I'm sick b.) I've been working 12-hour days and, as a result,... (read entry)
2007.11.06 — Ultimatum: I re-watched the latest Bourne movie tonight. You know the scene where Jason takes out Desh, the counter-assassin? All I have to say about that is what did that dude think was going to happen? Bathrooms are the #1 location... (read entry)
2007.11.05 — I am a winner: We went to the closing day horse races yesterday at Bay Meadows. I neglected to wear a hat. It turns out this was the right choice, as horse racing at Bay Meadows bears about as much resemblance to polo in... (read entry)
2007.11.04 — Christmas Presents: A couple of ideas that are going on my Wish List: - A set of four diner plates that remind me of home. $38 - The iLap for when I'm sick, Like today. Again. (Rats.) And a couple that are... (read entry)
2007.11.03 — The Next Generation: We've finally worked out a kiddie plan. R objected to the first name I picked, Winter, on the grounds that it was too Exeter. I made him sign an agreement that if I got a Stegner Fellowship he'd have to... (read entry)
2007.11.02 — Tomtens II: I am the Tomten Queen. I was online last night and I was Googling "tomtens." You know, as you do. Guess what link came up first in the search results? That's right: MINE, that's whose. Aww yeah!! I have finally... (read entry)
2007.11.01 — Hmmm....: R an I are in Sonoma. He drops me off at the house. He goes to Starbucks to get some work done. Two hours later, he comes back. Me: Where's the car? R: I forgot the car. Me: You came... (read entry)
2007.10.31 — It's Halloween. Time to Start Planning for Christmas.: What Do Women Most Want For Christmas? "Gift Cards" It took me a couple minutes to figure out that they didn't mean Hallmark. There seems to be a fair amount of venom aimed at the gift card idea in the... (read entry)
2007.10.30 — Hoorah: I came to work this morning at 6:30AM. First things first: 1. Climb up on desk. 2. Attempt to disconnect super-bright bulb above cubicle. 3. Stick finger in socket. Now I can't feel the tip of my right index finger.... (read entry)
2007.10.28 — This Just In: Doll-Housing Crisis Set To Worsen, Mean Older Brother Says I've been in Sonoma for a few days, lounging about with my aunt and cousin. I asked R what he thought should be on the agenda and he said something like,... (read entry)
2007.10.26 — Three Bugs...I Mean "Features": 1. I have no sense of direction whatsoever. At all. Ever. Even in New York, where most of the town is arranged on a grid and where I lived for years, I have to stand for a moment on the... (read entry)
2007.10.25 — Lower Extremities: Well kids, let's just say that I'm glad we're still in pre-NaBloPoMo state 'cause I just missed my second day yesterday. Man. As soon as I started this whole pre-November thing I got swamped at work. Of course. Naturally. To... (read entry)
2007.10.23 — Zach Galifianakis: Check out Zach Galifianakis "On Physical Comedy." He was one of the dudes on the Comedians of Comedy tour. He was by far the most out there of the four of them. Sometimes - like in this case - that's... (read entry)
2007.10.22 — My Uncle Bill: He is from Virginia. Old school Virgina where southern charm lives on. The men compliment the women and the women accept the compliments gracefully behind their fans. Me: Isn't R great? Uncle Bill: I admi-ah yowur drawwing powah. Since I'm... (read entry)
2007.10.22 — Dammit...: And yes, I know I missed a day yesterday. I had plenty to write but I kept forgetting to post. I remembered one split second before I fell asleep. Well, let's just call this a lead-in to NaBloPoMo and put... (read entry)
2007.10.20 — Williamsburg: Dressler: Dressler in Williamsburg got a star in the new Michelin guide to New York! Go Dressler! We ate there in August on the recommendation of our excellent Brooklyn friends and it was worth every penny. The place is decorated in... (read entry)
2007.10.19 — Onion Spam: I hate to Onion-up two days in a row, but having recently re-watched all the Die Hard movies, I'm particularly susceptible: Entire Precinct Made Up Of Loose Cannons.... (read entry)
2007.10.18 — Kucinich on Colbert: Dennis Kucinich and his bottomless pockets made an appearance on The Colbert Report the other night. Check out the absurd clip here. God forbid a well-spoken man with a totally hot wife and the ability to keep a straight face... (read entry)
2007.10.17 — Anxiety Farm: As we sat and waited for my doctor for over an hour in a windowless exam room, R and I discussed the feasibility of commoditizing my anxiety. It was early, I hadn't had much sleep or any coffee, I was... (read entry)
2007.10.16 — Today Is Not a Good Day: Today has become officially a Feeling Sorry For Myself Day. First. Doctor. To fix my un-fixable, permanently floating dislocated rib. Rotten, awful injection. Not a huge prospect of treatment success. Sux. Doctor is one hour and ten minutes late. Double... (read entry)
2007.10.15 — NaBloPoMo!!!: National Blog Posting Month is coming up in November, so get your #2 pencils ready! Eden at Fussy.org came up with the idea last year in response to National Novel Writing Month. The premise is simple: post once a day... (read entry)
2007.10.07 — Oops: I bought a headband at Bloomingdales and I just can't like it, so I'm taking it back. I tracked down the receipt and it clearly states "NECKWEAR." So that's why it didn't work out.... (read entry)
2007.10.06 — Vegas, Baby: We went to Vegas two weeks ago for my friend's 30th birthday bash. It was excellent. Except for the part where I came home with some black plague-like throat infection. But that was later. I only lost $4 gambling but... (read entry)
2007.10.05 — Errrr....: Um. I, um... I guess I feel... Or no - maybe I'm just...uh... The baby looks happy, I guess, so...um... I don't know what to say about this except that there is no way I would ever put my baby... (read entry)
2007.09.28 — Ugh: I'm sick. I've been sick all week more or less. Now more than less. I have all the unpleasant precursors and side effects - everything hurts, feverish - of your typical cold or flu but not the actual disease. It's... (read entry)
2007.09.16 — Power Seller: R: Huh. Me: What? R: No one's responded to my ad yet. Me: You posted it two minutes ago and it's 11PM on a Saturday night. R: Deals never sleep.... (read entry)
2007.08.18 — I'm Glad to Hear It: Every day, the New York Times sends me an email with the headlines from all its sections. The subject line of the email is a shortening of the primary front page headline. Today's? Subject: Today's Headlines: Fearing Slide in Economy,... (read entry)
2007.08.15 — Wednesday Comedy Special: The Onion: Local Man Vows Revenge Against Atlantic Ocean How could Fiona O'Loughlin NOT make the Last Comic Standing finals? Check out this set on You Tube. And finally, more McSweeney's Lists: Topics of Conversation at My Cousin's House on... (read entry)
2007.08.10 — When Kitchen Tools Attack: More news on the Big Funnel: excerpt from Harry Potter and the Big Funnel. Sounds very kitchen-based.... (read entry)
2007.08.09 — My Favorite Crime: Apparently, Chinese literary entrepreneurs aren't just illegally translating and knocking off the latest Harry Potter book, they're making random, and I think excellent, additions to the series. Harry Potter and the Big Funnel? Awesome.... (read entry)
2007.08.08 — Nuts and Berries: Me: What are you doing? R: Looking for season 3 episodes. Me: This is your version of hunting and gathering, isn't it? Bringing home illegally downloaded episodes of television shows I like? R: Yes.... (read entry)
2007.08.03 — Uninformed Question of the Day: When Lyndsey Lohan wears an "alcohol monitoring device" on her ANKLE, how exactly does that work? Our best guess is that there's a spike on the inside of the anklet that drives into her leg and taps directly into her... (read entry)
2007.08.01 — More McSweeney's...: Signs of Impending Suicide That Hemingway's Friends May Have Overlooked by Mark Wilcoxson A Farewell to Arms For Whom the Bell Tolls The Old Man and the Sea... (read entry)
2007.07.31 — Not a good week for cinema: Bergman and now Antonioni.... (read entry)
2007.07.30 — Set it...AND FORGET IT!!!: Terry Gross: Tell us what a meth high is like in the honeymoon phase?... Frank Owen: Most stimulants, like cocaine, for instance...blurs [sic] the senses. You can't kind of concentrate, you have to do a line every 20 minutes. Meth... (read entry)
2007.07.28 — One positive thing I have to say about Starbucks...: Neither of my local* Starbii ever did award me the Customer of the Week free drinkathon pass, so now I don't go there anymore.** But in case you still do go there, if you make them heat up their morning... (read entry)
2007.07.24 — Hooray lists!: McSweeney's Lists: Mundane Dreams #2: I am at work, wearing my clothes. #4: No one is chasing me. Full list here. ___________________ I had a dream this morning that Steve Jobs died. I really want an iPhone. I'm don't think... (read entry)
2007.07.23 — It all works out in the end: Me: Where do you live? Her: Richmond. Him: Not the Richmond. In Richmond. The city. Her: There are so many cute houses for sale in our neighborhood. Me: Oh? Her: Yeah. I mean, people are afraid to move there. Him:... (read entry)
2007.07.22 — Bird News: Last summer for about a week, it was uncharacteristically hot in San Francisco. And by "uncharacteristically" I mean it actually felt like New York in August and not just an up tick in the temperature of the perpetually chilly summer... (read entry)
2007.07.21 — Harry Potter etc.: I am not a Harry Potter fan. I was but then the movies came out and I think the kids they cast, poor things, are terrible, terrible actors and have awful, awkward, irritating fake laughs. I can't help myself though.... (read entry)
2007.07.20 — Keeping Up: I've been having trouble writing lately, which is of no concern to you, really, since all that means for you is that maybe you check the website less. God, I hope you have Bloglines. If you don't, get it already.... (read entry)
2007.07.03 — Frankfurt, Germany: Phony: There is a man who stands out in the Business Class lounge. He is wearing one of those square European suits and rimless glasses. He looks successful. This is not what makes him unique. He is talking very quietly into... (read entry)
2007.07.03 — 32,000 Feet: Can you hear me now?: A passenger ahead of me turns towards his window. His mouth is obscured by what looks like a microphone on a bendable stand. Transatlantic access to an intercom? Now that I would pay for. Oh. It's a booklight. Never mind.... (read entry)
2007.07.02 — 32,000 feet: Business Class Cabin: There is a curtain pulled over a first class bed ahead of me. The curtain is stitched, "Crew Rest Area." I am sure that behind the curtain is a McDonalds, a gas pump, a bathroom that smells of cheap perfume... (read entry)
2007.06.22 — Not Supportive: I cannot spell "vacuum." I spell it with two c's. Always. It's a glitch and it's been that way forever and I can't fix it. It's how it is. I accept it. I go to Dictionary.com to yet again look... (read entry)
2007.06.20 — K&R: I am pretty sure I am going to be kidnapped today. Last night I watched six episodes of Without a Trace in a row. Kidnapping for ransom now seems like pretty much a certainty. Failing that, I am sure I... (read entry)
2007.06.07 — Question of the Week: I work for the man. The man gives me discounts on all the things that the man's minions churn out for the market. One of my co-workers recently left to go work at a bank. My question is this: will... (read entry)
2007.05.30 — The Memorial Anticipated: In the last three weeks, my therapist has said no less than three times, "You don't look so good." In the moment, I took this to mean that I looked about the way I've been feeling, but it occurred to... (read entry)
2007.05.20 — Memorial Service Confirmation: Just a quick update that the memorial service for Vivy will be held at 11AM, Saturday, June 2nd.... (read entry)
2007.05.19 — Post-Fire: Update VI: He is back in New York, working for the past several weeks and doing well. He wears very tight sleeves on his fingers nearly all the time - the pressure keeps scar tissue from developing and settling - but otherwise... (read entry)
2007.05.12 — Eye-pology: The other night, R leaned his head on my shoulder as we watched TV. He looked up at me with his...GREEN eyes. Or brown eyes. Green/brown eyes. We've been together for more than five years and before that moment, I... (read entry)
2007.05.09 — Quote of the Week: "Groopman also has advice for patients. Instead of being terrified and intimidated, we should say things like, "I sense that we may not be communicating well" and "Is there anything that doesn't fit your diagnosis?" and "Is it possible I... (read entry)
2007.04.30 — Memorial: Finally it's been decided: Vivy's memorial service will be held in Mt. Jewett on Saturday, June 2nd. As far as I know - and I will post updates as soon as I have them - the service will be in... (read entry)
2007.04.26 — Who's Afraid?: Anyone in the path of the tour of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? should go. It stars Kathleen Turner, who is predictably at home in the boozy, buxom Martha and Bill Irwin who is fluid and excellent as George. (Am... (read entry)
2007.04.23 — Annoying events of the last 24 hours: 1. The stupid plumber with his stupid tools chipped the enamel on our perfect bathroom sink. This is bad because the rest of the bathroom was NOT renovated before we moved in and I realized after the chipping incident that... (read entry)
2007.04.23 — Best quote of the winter film awards season: "I used to think that prizes were damaging and divisive until I got one. And now they seem sort of meaningful and real." - Bill Nighy after winning a Golden Globe award for Gideon's Daughter (which is quiet and excellent... (read entry)
2007.04.20 — Post-Fire: Update V: Carlo is doing well. He is back in New York, back to being a lawyer and last week moved into a place on the Lower East Side, lucky dog. His hands are repairing themselves under their various coverings and his... (read entry)
2007.02.23 — At The Hospital: There are two doors on the 9th floor, the former psychiatric ward where patients' families now stay. One reads, "This door is alarmed." The other, "This door to be kept closed at all times." To the first, I say, "We... (read entry)
2007.02.13 — Valentine's Day Gift Suggestion: Get her a wolverine. Seriously. Eric Feezell over at The Morning News makes a strong argument.... (read entry)
2007.02.09 — Post-Fire: The Eyes Have It: I'm back. Again. And hopefully for a while this time. I was home for all of nine days in December and nine in January. I'm hoping to push that number up in February. I knew I'd officially reached the end... (read entry)
2007.01.20 — Thank You: Thanks to everyone for all the emails, voicemails and cards. I've been the lucky recipient of many offers of assistance and have not been organized enough to take advantage of them (or even respond to most of them yet), but... (read entry)
2007.01.19 — Post-Fire: Update IV: Carlo is doing well since his update. He has gotten an additional pair of gloves to cover the gaps when the original pair is being washed and dried. That first pair is an un-chic tan and the new ones are... (read entry)
2007.01.12 — Vivy: I've been thinking about this for a few days and have decided to go ahead and set up an area of this site for people to post thoughts about Vivy. I've been writing a little offline about her and the... (read entry)
2007.01.11 — Post-Fire: Update III: A quick update on issues medical: Carl is now being treated on an outpatient basis in Buffalo and is doing well. On Wednesday, the burn clinic there removed the bandages on his hands and only rewrapped the palms and backs... (read entry)
2007.01.09 — Post-Fire: Update II: Progress has been rapid since Carl got to Buffalo four days ago. The hydrotherapy is progressing well and his hands are gaining flexibility rapidly. We're optimistic that the remaining stitches will come out at the end of the week and... (read entry)
2007.01.05 — Post-Fire: Update: To get to the best news first, Carl's been steadily improving over the last few days and will be released this afternoon to go to Buffalo and work with the burn center there, closer to our father's home. In more... (read entry)
2007.01.04 — "Another Last Chance to Change Your Life": Another Last Chance to Change Your Life By Pascal Bruckner Published: January 1, 2007 New York Times Paris In one of his last books, Romain Gary tells how, as a lover at 59 of a Russian woman of 20, he... (read entry)
2007.01.02 — Sadness: I woke up yesterday morning with these words in my head: "It could have ended differently, I suppose. But it didn't." It's the voice of the narrator in Mansfield Park at the very end of the film, pausing over a... (read entry)
2007.01.01 — News: Hello. Thanks for hanging in there during this prolonged silence. I've been meaning to post but have had limited internet access and have yet to figure out how to tell people what happened. Below is an excerpt from an email... (read entry)
2006.12.19 — Fortune Cookie of the Year: "DON'T BE CARELESS WITH YOUR BRAIN FORK" 'Nuf said.... (read entry)
2006.12.18 — How's Christmas Treating You?: Long-time pal and sometime roommate Lyndsey joined us on our galivant across Costa Rica. She brought with her Mike, a Londoner and general man-about-town. The two of them took a cab, as you do, from the airport to the hotel... (read entry)
2006.12.16 — Hearing Cat: My devotion to the hearing cat has returned. I want one. I need one. I must have one. Let me begin from the beginning. A few years ago, I started a new job and was handed a large sheaf of... (read entry)
2006.12.14 — Costa Rica: Back: Well, I'm back. And I forgot my towel. Can you believe it? After that last entry, I actually forgot to pack my towel. We had to buy towels in Costa Rica. They are so terrible, they will burn your eyes.... (read entry)
2006.12.08 — Costa Rica/Tropics: Lizards: For the record, I hate lizards. Not small lizards. Just big lizards. Big, sharp-nailed iguana lizards who bounce their heads when they're coming onto their pointy lizard girlfriends. They pop up in odd places - on patios near breakfast, on... (read entry)
2006.12.05 — Costa Rica: Car Rental: Everyone advises against getting a car. "You won't need it," they say, "All of your things will be stolen!" they say, as if the country is crawling with crime. The internet at large tells discouraging tales of cars run off... (read entry)
2006.12.03 — Costa Rica: Tamarindo: No one thinks Tamarindo is a good idea anymore. It used to be a quintessential lazy Costa Rican beach town offering mindblowing sunsets and excellent surfing but, like many tiny treasures on an accessible route, it has become over-popular and... (read entry)
2006.12.02 — Costa Rica: San Jose: Travel Edition: Against: Costa Rica: San Jose I would like to second all the guidebooks I have read about Costa Rica and say, for the record, that San Jose is a total hole and not worth visiting even for ten... (read entry)
2006.12.02 — Costa Rica: Orquiedas Inn, Alajuela: Because you will be forced to stay in San Jose (see above) upon your arrival in Costa Rica, I will recommend the Orqueidas Inn as a solid introduction to your Central American experience. A couple of preliminary notes. First, it... (read entry)
2006.12.01 — Welcome to Costa Rica!: "Let us be the first to welcome you to Costa Rica." This is completely unfair. No one, including my boyfriend sitting twelve inches away, has had a chance to welcome me. As soon as the wheels come down and I... (read entry)
2006.11.30 — Arthur Denting It To Central America: At this very last instant, I am about to pack my towel, so you know I really mean it about the leaving town. If you don't know what I mean, please click here and get yourself to a bookstore to... (read entry)
2006.11.29 — Travel Edition: New York: For: Annabelle Verhoye: Not being able to remember how I found out about Annabelle Verhoye is an annoying lapse. I was rattling around New York for several years so it's probably inevitable that I would cross paths with a lot of intriguing people... (read entry)
2006.11.28 — The Elevator Pitch: I have now had four different conversations in which it was suggested that I develop and perfect my "elevator pitch." I had not heard this phrase before three weeks ago. This is nearly a miracle since I have worked... (read entry)
2006.11.27 — Tomtens: It's Christmas season and we all know what that means. Tomtens. That's right, kids. It's tomten time. Get your hay and let's get our holiday on. For the unininitiated, tomtens take care of farm animals in the cold Swedish winter.... (read entry)
2006.11.26 — On the Road Again: "Why," you may ask, "why, Emma, have your recent posts been so sparse, so undernourished, so, as my grandmother would say, spakely?" Why because we are leaving for Costa Rica on Thursday! Yes, the Christmas season this year will be... (read entry)
2006.11.25 — Another Set of Inspirational Quotes for the Weekend: Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY, who is black, was asked on public TV what he thought about the President: "Well, I really think that he shatters the myth of white supremacy once and for all." "Faced with the choice between changing... (read entry)
2006.11.24 — Inspiration and Reality: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle "Nobody ever died from being tired." - my grandmother Seek excellence. Get some sleep occasionally. And have a good holiday weekend.... (read entry)
2006.11.23 — Happy Thanksgiving - The Holidays Begin...: Interviewer: Do you wear sneakers? Olivia Kibar, owner of French Sole: I own a couple Italian pairs in silk and cahmere. But I'm European. I don't believe in looking comfortable. - New York Magazine, October 30, 2006 We're going to... (read entry)
2006.11.22 — Editorial of the Week: Maureen Dowd has been getting on my nerves lately. I started reading her regularly a couple of years ago when she was coherent, but in the last six months (or maybe it's a year - I don't have a wall... (read entry)
2006.11.21 — Robert Altman: Robert Altman died today. Sad news. I'm glad the last movie of his that I saw was A Prarie Home Companion- which had a peculiar charm and otherworldliness - and not Gosford Park which was incredibly boring and reminded me... (read entry)
2006.11.20 — One more thing...: While we're on words, could we all just agree to pronounce "upheaval" the way it's spelled? It sounds better with the "ph = f," I swear. Listen: "Everything is in total ufeavul!!!" See? Better. Better like kerfuffle. Plus, it doesn't... (read entry)
2006.11.20 — Word of the Day: 20/20 blindsight: The inability to see one's mistakes, even when looking back on them. See also: Bush Administration.... (read entry)
2006.11.19 — Ah, Women: I've just returned from a bachelorette party at a house on the shores of the Pacific up in Bodega Bay. How charming. How lovely. How...girly. Spending the weekend with all those girls got me thinking about women and what I... (read entry)
2006.11.18 — DIY Linguistics: I've been training on the trapeze for a couple of years. Doesn't that sound awkward? "Training on the trapeze." You can't say "playing trapeze" as if it were soccer, baseball or Red Rover. You can't say "trapezing" the way you... (read entry)
2006.11.17 — The Office: This has been a tough week for the blog, what with starting a new job and all, but for those of you who also work in offices, allow me to make a couple of useful, health-related suggestions before we close... (read entry)
2006.11.16 — Honesty Is the Best Policy: Amy Sedaris was in San Francisco recently promoting her new book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. She was being interviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle's TV critic, Tim Goodman. He's young-ish, genial and not at all stodgy or... (read entry)
2006.11.15 — Today's Theories: Americans Celebrate 10 Millionth 'Bring Yourself To Work Day'.onion_embed{ background:rgb(256,256,256)!important;border:4px solid rgb(65,160,65);border-width:4px 0 1px 0;margin:10px 30px!important;padding:5px;overflow:hidden!important;zoom:1;}.onion_embed img{ border:0!important;}.onion_embed a{display:inline;}.onion_embed a.img{ float:left!important;margin:0 5px 0 0!important;width:66px;display:block;overflow:hidden!important;}.onion_embed a.img img{border:1px solid #222!important;width:64px;padding:0!important;;}.onion_embed h2{ line-height:2px;clear:none;margin:0!important;padding:0!important;}.onion_embed h3{ line-height:16px;font:bold 16px Arial,sans-serif!important;margin:3px 0 0 0!important;padding:0!important;}.onion_embed h3 a{ line-height:16px!important;color:rgb(0,51,102)!important;font:bold... (read entry)
2006.11.14 — Weird Coincidence: I was wearing my very favorite boots, the black ones with the olive green spats attached when the woman came up to me in the cafe in San Francisco. The green spats are leather and are knotted with leather cord... (read entry)
2006.11.13 — Goodbye, Donald: Rumsfeld: 'My Half-Assed Job Here Is Done'WASHINGTON, DC--After nearly six years of much-publicized service as Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld announced his resignation....onion_embed{ background:rgb(256,256,256)!important;border:4px solid rgb(65,160,65);border-width:4px 0 1px 0;margin:10px 30px!important;padding:5px;overflow:hidden!important;zoom:1;}.onion_embed img{ border:0!important;}.onion_embed a{display:inline;}.onion_embed a.img{ float:left!important;margin:0 5px 0 0!important;width:66px;display:block;overflow:hidden!important;}.onion_embed a.img img{border:1px... (read entry)
2006.11.13 — Moscow Circus: God Help 'Em: Picture this: an empty stage designed for a full orchestra, three long banners vaguely depicting strips of St. Peter's Square at the very back, music piped in from some Eastern European disco still playing remixes of tracks from the early... (read entry)
2006.11.12 — Stranger Than Fiction: Get on your dancing pants, kids, there is finally a movie worth the $12 of a pre-order ticket. Stranger Than Fiction is an understated movie with an original premise supported by an excellent script and performances of just the right... (read entry)
2006.11.11 — Keep it to yourself: I don't know if you've seen this, but a landscaping company in Texas recently refused to take on gay clients with the email message, "I need to tell you that we cannot meet with you because we choose not to... (read entry)
2006.11.10 — To Know Him Is To Love Him Even More: A journalist in Los Angeles was researching a profile of Cary Grant and telegraphed Grant's secretary in New York, "How old Cary Grant?" Cary Grant himself received the telegram and wrote back. "Old Cary Grant fine. How you?"... (read entry)
2006.11.09 — Happy Holidays: To cut back on holiday stress, I am giving everyone on my list exactly the same thing, and this is what it is: a Twinkie home bake set. It's a brilliant idea: fun for the kids, irony and memories for... (read entry)
2006.11.08 — Literary Types: A new girl came to my writing workshop last week. She works in an office. New Girl: I've been thinking about starting a children's book...But I'm not I'm not sure what I want to write about. Instructor: Well, why not... (read entry)
2006.11.07 — Why It's OK if the Democrats Lose (Which, for the Record, I Think They Will): So. Election Day. Finally. I won't get into the whole voting machine fray and disenfranchisement of voters mess. Others have done a much more exhaustive job on that topic and I think the summary of both topics is the same:... (read entry)
2006.11.06 — Stanley Fish: Stanley Fish has been writing a series of blog posts for the New York Times that are a.) exactly what I think, and b.) coincidentally, excellent. Check out the latest here. His recurring theme is that higher education is separate... (read entry)
2006.11.05 — Enforce This: Vespas are my thing. I have wanted one since I was in second grade. My teacher drove one to school through the Boston suburbs and even though she was not young or pretty, she wore pegged pants and looked vaguely... (read entry)
2006.11.04 — God, I Hope Not...: This demoralizing job search thought brought to you by Indexed.... (read entry)
2006.11.03 — Horrible, Most Horrible: Not to put too fine a point on it, but I think Stephen King isn't a lot better than one of his ghastly creations. And I mean that in the most good-natured sort of, "You frighten me enough that... (read entry)
2006.11.02 — Autumn: After two weeks of warm winds and roses on our deck, autumn has finally arrived in San Francisco. Rain. Hooray! I've been homesick for the fall in New York - flat light, falling leaves and rain. It was lovely to... (read entry)
2006.11.01 — The Elections: To start us off in this new month, let's think back to Ken Blackwell who said, "It's not who casts the votes, it's who counts the votes." Oh no wait, that was Stalin. Sorry.... (read entry)
2006.10.27 — Brace yourselves: I've joined what appear to be hundreds of others in doing a blog post every day for the month of November. Why? Because it's National Blog Posting Month! Eden at Fussy.org came up with it. See details here. Who can... (read entry)
2006.10.26 — Little girls everywhere are horrified: "Biblical Disaster" brought to you by Threadless T-shirts.... (read entry)
2006.10.24 — Not so much the top of the class: I've lived in California for six years. It's no secret that I haven't liked living here for any of those years, from the first day when a man was shot two blocks from my apartment through the three times that... (read entry)
2006.10.22 — I don't think that story's about what I thought it was about...: So here I am, cruising around iTunes Music Store on a pleasant Sunday evening and what pops up as a suggestion in my Podcasts window but "Owl and the P***y Cat," a "Kids & Family" recording of the classic children's... (read entry)
2006.10.20 — Still the Best: Still the best Colbert Report interview I've seen: Dermot Mulroney. What a nice surprise that he's clever. I just wish he had a better agent.... (read entry)
2006.10.18 — Cheese of the Week: Bayley Hazen Blue by Jasper Hill Dairy: Bayley Hazen Blue is a cross between a Stilton and a blue and it shows in the yellow hue of the cheese. Because I love blues and I love Stilton, this seemed like a perfect bet and it was...sort of.... (read entry)
2006.10.17 — Today is the Tomorrow You Worried About Yesterday. And all is Well.: Following another trip to New York last week, life has become something of a narrow trainwreck here in San Francisco's sunny autumn. It is one of those moments during periods of transitions where everything you're looking at closely because that's... (read entry)
2006.10.12 — New York: Rice to Riches: On Monday, after having lunch in SoHo at Rice, my friend Sharon and I looked around for dessert. Our first thought was gelato, but then she thought of Rice to Riches, a rice pudding emporium right around the corner.... (read entry)
2006.09.27 — Job for Me!: With a little tweaking of my resume, I could be Secretary of the Interior! The opportunities just keep falling into my lap. This is fantastic.... (read entry)
2006.09.25 — Pump You Up: I got my first shot of steroids today. It was kind of a letdown because it was not paired with a Major League Baseball recruitment letter or a yellow jersey, but I can still report that the experience was a... (read entry)
2006.09.20 — Job Market Looking Up: I am looking for work. I am submitting resumes and cover letters over the web. This makes recruiters' lives easier because then they can search the uploaded resumes instead of having to sift through paperwork trying to find qualified candidates.... (read entry)
2006.09.15 — This Man Makes Me Happy: On her new design blog for The New York Times, former Dwell editor Allison Arieff writes about her design peeves and pleasures. This is one of her high points this week: "Wandering through one of the city's bountiful farmers' markets,... (read entry)
2006.09.06 — Surprising: But then, I don't really watch news shows. Of course, that's because they so rarely seem to include any education or journalism or a resulting point of view. Check out Keith Olbermann going to town on Rumsefeld though. You go... (read entry)
2006.09.04 — Party People: The birthday party I attended on Thursday was for a friend I met at a wedding. In the bridal twilight over Long Island Sound, she and her husband had stood out from the mass of blazers and rep ties. He... (read entry)
2006.09.01 — Canada: Tim Hortons: I would like to say, for the record, that I have repeatedly and with an extremely positive attitude, tried the donuts at Tim Hortons, the Canadian donut competition to Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts, and I am sorry to report... (read entry)
2006.08.30 — Communication Issues: My dad is not coping well today. He likes to be a part of things and to talk with people who will listen to him. Everyone wants this, but especially my father. It has to do with being an... (read entry)
2006.08.29 — Doctor Doctor: My father is in the hospital for unknown reasons. Correction: the reason is that he is sick. The cause is what is unknown. They think it's an infection. Or something else. But most likely an infection. He has a Dr.... (read entry)
2006.08.28 — And So On: Since I had to pick up my stepsibilings from the airport at 11PM and I was still vaguely on PST, staying up until midnight to collect my luggage was no big deal. Naturally, given how the trip's been going so... (read entry)
2006.08.27 — On the Road Again: This is my trip so far. I have been away from home for some thirty-six hours. My luggage was left in Chicago and, while I was filling out lost baggage customes paperwork, the rental car office closed, leaving me... (read entry)
2006.08.25 — Is that a bike chain rivet setter in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?: Courtesy of The Morning News, I saw this exciting item today: the Swiss Army knife to beat all Swiss Army knives. And most armies too, I 'd imagine. As long as the other army is made up of midgets... (read entry)
2006.08.24 — When Stephen Laughs, We All Laugh With Him: I used to have a tape of a guy laughing. He laughed for five minutes straight. After ten seconds, I laughed too. I couldn't help it. This is a long clip but you can watch the first minute to get... (read entry)
2006.08.24 — Benched: I've been benched. For twelve weeks. First six, now twelve. "No hanging from anything," were her exact words and by "anything" she meant the trapeze or other bars of any kind. I've seen more doctors and trainers and acupuncturists and... (read entry)
2006.08.18 — Apparently...: ...everyone's seen Matt except me. Don't be lonely like me - join the group. Have a look at Matt.... (read entry)
2006.08.16 — Landlords: The studio is too small for two people but R and I stay for the deck and the landlady. The building is owned and managed by a woman who a.) knows how to build and fix things, and b.) does. Since R moved in and I joined him a year later, she's put in a dishwasher, a new garden downstairs complete with goldfish, and built our deck, which is now a redwood expanse home to flourishing roses, lavender, iris, herbs and the happy ficus tree. Also, a big plus, she only rents to interesting people. It's all very trendy and integrated into the community. (read entry)
2006.08.15 — Territorialism: When we stay at R's parents' house in Sonoma, we work across from each other at the dining room table. R is finishing the last of his overdue taxes. E: Do you need the table? R: No. Ten minutes later,... (read entry)
2006.08.11 — Encouragement: A conversation between me and my Russian trainer. I am currently injured and down for the count. Me: I can feel my pull-ups slipping away with each day I have to sit on the couch. E: You should not be... (read entry)
2006.08.11 — Two Questions for a Friday Morning: Neighbor: I just took your clothes out of the dryer. I'm not sure they were dry. But they were done. Me: Um...OK. Question #1: In dryer parlance, don't "dry" and "done" mean the same thing?* Question #2: Do you often... (read entry)
2006.08.03 — Honda "Cog": This is the kind of thing that put the fear of God into my mother that I would go into advertising. Honda came out with this ad a while ago. I hear it's the real thing: they kept running it... (read entry)
2006.08.02 — "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"*: Why is everyone so surprised that Mel Gibson is anti-Semitic? I didn't have to read his remarks to the cop who pulled him over for drunk driving last weekend or even see The Passion of the Christ to believe it:... (read entry)
2006.07.29 — This is Very Cool, But...: This lamp looks excellent. It is slim, stylish and takes up almost no visual or desk space (if you use the clamp and not the weighted base). The downside? It was noted on Apartment Therapy in response to a question... (read entry)
2006.07.29 — Quote of the Day: I have to agree with the New York Times that this is the quote of the day: "What happens in Estonia stays in Estonia." - Phillippe Reines, a spokesman for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, when asked if she had been... (read entry)
2006.07.26 — Special Features: If I had just one small wish today, I wish that all DVDs had to include outtakes. You can't convince me that something funny didn't happen on the set of A History of Violence or The Hours or An Inconvenient... (read entry)
2006.07.26 — Static Trapeze - Update: Front Balance Transition to Cheek Back Balance One-Knee Hang Coffin Rollover to Stand Rollover to Stand Just happy to be here... Pike Stretch... (read entry)
2006.07.14 — Zoning Laws: There is no killing a rose bush in San Francisco. They will bloom no matter what horrible mold or evil bug attacks them. As far as I can tell, roses will thrive even if you only water them once a week in the summer and not at all in the winter. (read entry)
2006.07.12 — Man Down: Bruises? Check. Strains? Check. Abrasions? Check. Landed on neck? Check. Landed on face? Right on. Dropped steel bar on head? Check. Displaced rib? Yup. Both sides? Yes. Fallen into net? Of course. Fallen to mat? Pretty much. Fallen to... (read entry)
2006.07.09 — World Cup: A friend of mine just moved back to her native London. The day before she left, we went to collect her three-year-old from his ultra-cool day school. As he made his rounds of goodbye hugs, she made conversation with... (read entry)
2006.07.08 — Movie Theaters: We just saw Cars at the huge multiplex. There was a guy, about 30, wandering around in a full pirate gear. Plastic dagger, open shirt, 3/4-length pants with a rope belt and so on. He was waiting to see Pirates... (read entry)
2006.07.06 — Just Overheard: An Asian kid at the next table who's been tapping away on his laptop just closed a cell phone conversation with, "Cool beans. See you later." Are you kidding me? That phrase jumped the shark in 1995, didn't it? Did... (read entry)
2006.07.05 — Holy Cow: Seriously, holy cow. This is Senator Ted Stevens (R - Alaska) explaining how the internet is a "series of tubes." This is the same coot who brought us the bridge to nowhere. Some days I seriously think rip-and-replace is the... (read entry)
2006.07.03 — Marketing: I noticed the other day that the Aquafresh on our sink is labeled as "Maximum Strength Sensitive." This reminds me of the conversation I had with my physical therapist about my inability to slow down my training to take... (read entry)
2006.06.18 — France: Sundays: Everything is closed on Sundays unless you get up at the crack of dawn and go to the farmer's market before it shuts down in the late morning. If you miss the market, you are screwed: there will be no... (read entry)
2006.06.07 — Now I can leave...: Hooray!! Success!! We leave tomorrow.... (read entry)
2006.06.06 — Blooming!!: We leave in two days. Aside from the packing, which is sure to be its usual unmitigated disaster, the iris are my primary concern. They are about to bloom and I'm afraid we'll be gone for the mini rainbow... (read entry)
2006.05.31 — Phoenixing: Do we love the new site? I do. All credit goes to R. who used his entire Memorial Day weekend to re-design, re-tool and re-publish every last little thing on the site. He has been promoted accordingly. _____________________ While R.... (read entry)
2006.05.25 — Oh, The Possibilities...: I am fed up with television. My parents would be so proud. They raised me on a strict diet of poor reception. We watched Julia Child and Monty Python and Sesame Street and the original Flash Gordon (or maybe that... (read entry)
2006.05.25 — Public Notice:: I am not in any way permanently handicapped. I am neither in a wheelchair nor a cast. I am upright. I am mobile. I am still trapeze-operational. It has come to my attention that my post below - "The Pain"... (read entry)
2006.05.10 — The Pain: Life is different now. Every day I get up and consider my options. Wait. First, the getting up. I unfolded, testing my weight. Today, I could not raise myself by resting and pushing on my right arm because last night... (read entry)
2006.04.28 — Quote of the Week: "I hear the voices, and I read the front page, and I know the speculation. But I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense." -... (read entry)
2006.04.26 — Beckett's Final Work: Apparently, they've located his final play...or something like a play...or a stack of printer paper. Whatever. The more Beckett, the better.... (read entry)
2006.04.25 — San Francisco: Momi Tobys: Momi Tobys serves excellent bagels (for San Francisco) which are toasted right up to the edge of burning and are not swamped by cream cheese (see Noah's Bagels). Try onion or multi-seed, both happily salty. Their coffee is pretty bad, sitting in pots on burners as it does, but they have espresso drinks and a great selection of teas, some juices and both wine and beer, nice options in the evening. (read entry)
2006.04.20 — Two for One: Trade up to Chelsea and get rid of those permanent spring breakers, Jenna and Barbara.... (read entry)
2006.04.20 — Slow Motion: Nothing will push you here. The customer service is slow. The traffic is cautious. Even the ubiquitous homeless are slow-moving and under-motivated. It is a city that hopes for sun, basking when it's out, huddling in restaurants when it's not. (read entry)
2006.04.19 — San Francisco: Cole Valley Bakery: Cole Valley Bakery, corner of Cole and Parnassus, open 7-7, closed Monday Cole Valley Bakery has a full range of tarts and pastries and breads for breakfast or pick-up. They also serve sandwiches, salads and soups to a lunchtime crowd.... (read entry)
2006.04.18 — San Francisco: Against: The Whole Foods fish department, 4th St. location: I went early, eager to get to the produce and beat a retreat before the yuppies had strapped their offspring into their Audis and started their weekend errands. I didn't beat anyone. Yuppies are early risers. I was going for... (read entry)
2006.04.13 — Christmas: I know we're in the holiday off-season right now, but I wanted to hearken back to those happy winter days when you can't find an airline ticket to save your life, manic shopping is ruining traffic patterns and a striking... (read entry)
2006.04.12 — Hooray: Go to Wikipedia. Look up "Emma Carlson." Check out the second result: Luke Wilson. Relevancy: 6.2%. Nice. Me and Luke are 6.2% relevant to each other. Now that's good news. My day is looking up.... (read entry)
2006.04.11 — We Love the French: I hear the amount of time they spend preparing dinner is decreasing. Perhaps this is why.... (read entry)
2006.04.07 — Sonoma Film Festival: Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School: This is my first destination film festival and I expected two things. First, challenging films. Second, rough production quality. Neither proved to be true and the official opening night film, Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School, was no exception.... (read entry)
2006.04.06 — Sonoma Film Festival: Favela Rising: Last night was the pre-opening night of the Sonoma Film Festival and the only movie slated was Favela Rising. I can't tell if it's an endorsement to have your movie show all by itself or a slight to have it... (read entry)
2006.03.24 — Bureau of Workplace Interruptions: Brilliant idea. Go wild.... (read entry)
2006.03.14 — Trapeze 2: More from the album... I was going to post a set of photos with the corresponding bruises but isn't part of the magic how you can't tell how much it hurts? Of course it is. Beats Straddle BalancePike FlagForward ArabesqueCross... (read entry)
2006.03.09 — Toasty: I do love me some toast but this is ridiculous. And I thought I was distractable. Could be worse.... (read entry)
2006.03.08 — Trapeze: R. came by the gym last week and took some photos of me training on the static trapeze. With his super shutter speed, he took about 400 pictures, a lot of which look great as flipbook images. Some days, I... (read entry)
2006.03.07 — Fear: I am, quite literally, afraid of my office. I have been unable to write anything coherent for a couple of weeks and the last place I tried was in my office. Hence, fear of office. As if the office was... (read entry)
2006.02.28 — Christopher Walken: There is nothing not creepy about Walken. Even his high-riding pants are creepy. But who doesn't love a dancin' man? As far as I'm concerned, this is the best video ever. Of course, I don't really watch videos anymore since... (read entry)
2006.02.14 — Valentine's Day: I have two notes for the day. One, if you aren't in the mood, avoid Safeway. It is, I'm not kidding, a forest of heart-shaped balloons. Two is a short story from my past. When I was in high school,... (read entry)
2006.02.11 — Language Barrier: I don't like the word "boyfriend." I like the word "partner" even less. The former makes me think of making out in high school hallways and the latter makes me think of corporate mergers. Since I live with my boyfriend/partner... (read entry)
2006.02.10 — Beware! Nature!: I'm just back from hearing the boyfriend give a keynote address at Stanford's Biomedical Informatics retreat at Asilomar, a national park retreat down by Monterey, CA. I'll get into the whole informatics thing some other time: first things first, I... (read entry)
2006.02.08 — Bonding: Yesterday while I was driving home, there was a promotion on NPR for an upcoming feature on mother-newborn bonding and, one thing leading to another, I got to thinking about why I don't love my car. I parked. The automatic... (read entry)
2006.02.01 — "Work": As I've sidled slowly out of the ranks of the corporate employed over the last several months, the most difficult adjustment has been a semantic one. I am accustomed to referring to my employment as, "work," and my writing as... (read entry)
2006.01.31 — Departure: There is a professional clown in New York who taught his two-year-old son to shake the bars of the playground fence with his tiny fists and yell, "Freedom!" That's how I've felt these last four years whiling away my days... (read entry)
2006.01.22 — A Different Kind of Olympics: Two weeks ago, I tried a reverse back tuck off the flying trapeze. The twisting harness belt turned at an odd angle in the air (no doubt, my fault) and one of its side rings drove into the front of... (read entry)
2006.01.11 — Small Town: The car is listed as "compact" on the rental agreement but could only meet such a description if all the other cars were especially large tanks. I have to assume that they are using this new model as a gateway... (read entry)
2005.12.27 — What I Hate Today About the Internet: The Sundance Catalog. I have had just about enough of Robert Redford and his rotten web site. Redford may run a film festival and have his very own clothing company but he has not put out a watchable movie since... (read entry)
2005.12.23 — Christmas - Part 1: I think of the current weather as "bleak midwinter" but it's neither "mid" nor "winter", this being December 23rd and San Francisco. What passes for winter here is fog, then drizzle, then rain and back to the beginning again. I... (read entry)
2005.12.10 — What I Hate Today About San Francisco: 1. No snow. Seriously, it's Christmas people. Where's the weather??? 2. Union Square. (SF, not NYC.) Always crowded. Mostly tourists. Like the Times Square of San Francisco except it's dark and doesn't even have a Dunkin' Donuts. I would never... (read entry)
2005.12.06 — Apologies: I just wanted to step in and apologize to my loyal readers for not yet having posted either any notes on my recent exploits in Japan or on any other updates. Current preoccupation: graduate school applications (yes, again - a... (read entry)
2005.10.01 — I Know It's Already Everywhere...: Ever since I stopped my cousin's house, saw ten minutes of Friday the 13th, Part 163, imagined a far worse ending than the movie actually had (probably - how would I know? I was there for ten minutes), and paid... (read entry)
2005.09.30 — Hilarious: Have a look at this piece in the Washington Post. There's been a State Department panel working on figuring out what the world thinks of the United States and their report concludes, "For what can be heard around the world,... (read entry)
2005.09.24 — What I Hate Today About San Francisco: There are no damn diners. There are "diners" that serve Grey Goose and spring rolls. And by "spring rolls" I don't mean the proper greasy, take-out kind, I mean the California healthy version with expensive, hard to dice vegetables packed... (read entry)
2005.09.04 — Choices and Post-Katrina Prosperity: Acquisitiveness is a bitch. It just takes up so much damn time. Whether it's running errands or picking up hotties, collecting things is time-consuming and ultimately unsatisfying. There's always more to get. Buy one sweater? Next month, Banana Republic or... (read entry)
2005.09.02 — Journals: On another domestic note, I now know three people whose partners have read their journals. Seriously, who does that? Are you kidding me? And why would you do that? It's like going to a fortune teller. What's your best case... (read entry)
2005.09.02 — Transition Update: I am a free woman. Mostly. Sort of. Let's go with 'freer woman' perhaps. Yesterday was my last day as a full-time employee. Which makes today my first day as a part-time employee, I don't feel very different. Same fog... (read entry)
2005.08.26 — August in New York City: Home. And a damn hot home it is too. It's a testament to this city that, as much as I hate heat, and I do, I love New York more. When I was a kid, I had heatstroke three times,... (read entry)
2005.08.26 — Obituary: Peter Jennings: As all of the obituaries repeatedly point out, Peter Jennings did not graduate from high school. I did, albeit an embarrassing one, and college too, but at 34, I haven�t accomplished nearly what he had by my age. It�s disconcerting... (read entry)
2005.08.22 — What I Hate Today About San Francisco: Fog. Again. F'ing freezing cold and fog again this morning. I keep saying it: it's August. What is wrong with this place? Lines at Tartine. Their croissants bear about as much resemblance to French croissants as an H3 does... (read entry)
2005.08.20 — The Transition Approaches: It's 7:01 on Saturday morning. Am I snoozing happily? No. Am I looking forward to a restful weekend of fun and friends? No. Did I cry before going to bed, have an intense dream that involved my grandmother, her friends... (read entry)
2005.07.20 — War of the Worlds: I was going to start off by saying that you you've got to hand it to Steven Spielberg for yet again turning in a clean audience winner, but I'd like to preemptively take that back. You don't have to hand... (read entry)
2005.07.17 — San Francisco: Circolo: Circolo had every chance of success with us. It had cool lights and an, um, water feature outside and it's in our neighborhood. "What more could you want?" we thought and off we tripped in our Saturday finest to drop... (read entry)
2005.05.21 — San Francisco: Espetus: Espetus is at 1686 Market at the intersection with Gough. Definitely make reservations: 415-552-8792 Espetus is all man. And when I say "man", I mean an overly tan, front heavy man with a mustache who may or may not have... (read entry)
2005.05.21 — Circus: Training Destruction: The only circus competitor whom I could not catch in sheer flexibility and bravery, given infinite time and patience, wandered into trapeze training today. I can say with confidence that she is the only person I have come across in... (read entry)
2005.05.19 — An Obituary: I discovered recently that my first serious boyfriend, a man 13 years my senior, died in 2002. He met me when I was 21 and he was my age now. He died ten years later, married and, I hope, a... (read entry)
2005.04.11 — Vocational Agriculture: There is something wrong of late. I'm chalking it up to a post-achievement slump. This is normal but still boring and not a little annoying. The grad school applications went in, we traveled compulsively for ten weeks, we celebrated my... (read entry)
2005.04.10 — Trapeze - The Beginning: "Don't get smart and go right up to the edge of things," has long been one of my grandmother's more abstract warnings. All roads lead to the Grand Canyon or Niagra Falls, so watch your step. We assumed she meant... (read entry)
2005.04.05 — 42: Chapter 1 - In the Beginning: On Easter, R. and I made our way, miraculously on time, up the massive central hill of California to Grace Cathedral. The bishop for the diocese of San Francisco, apparently a political man, was preaching. (With all the lethargy surrounding... (read entry)
2005.04.02 — Untitled - A Mamet Impersonation: This was my winning submission to American Conservatory Theater's (ACT) Mamet Writing Competition. The charter was to write a three-page scene in the style of Mamet within the stated parameters of one the categories. I chose, "A scene depicting a... (read entry)
2005.03.30 — Open Letter to NYU and Columbia's Admissions Committees: Dear Sir or Madam, I would strongly suggest that you reconsider any positive response you may be considering to my graduate school application. It has occurred to me, after submitting what I must consider a sub-par application package, that I... (read entry)
2005.03.30 — Working Student: Getting home at 8:52 PM, I have realized what my problem is. I am a working student. To the naked eye, I am working full-time at a senior-ish job which requires two hours of driving a day. I am also... (read entry)
2005.03.22 — Because it's still so damn funny.: The following letters are taken from an actual incident between a London hotel and one of it's guests. The Hotel ended up submitting the letters to the London Sunday Times. Dear Maid, Please do not leave any more of those... (read entry)
2005.02.06 — Vocabulary Expansion: Occasionally, I will post my contributions to the language. Some of them I have found useful and hope they will be widely used, sanctioned and added to the OED so I can start using them in official writing. Some I... (read entry)
2005.02.06 — Election Follow-Up: A very sweet response from the world to the We're Sorry site I mentioned in November: Apologies Accepted. I love other countries.... (read entry)
2005.02.05 — San Francisco: Yank Sing: Had everything we could get our hands on in the first 10 minutes of passing carts, with a heavy stress on dumpling-like items. The best being the shrimp ones. The satay is also well-sauced instead of the usual tandoori-esque treatment.... (read entry)
2005.02.03 — The Phantom of the Opera: I hate musicals. I have always have hated musicals. For a short period, I thought that perhaps musicals can�t get much done because the action keeps being interrupted by, well, music. Turns out the music is the point, but mostly... (read entry)
2005.02.02 — YESSSSSSSS!!!!: I am making a comeback. See #7 Most Popular Name for Baby Girls in New York City, under, predictably, "Whites".... (read entry)
2005.01.22 — Screen a little dirty? Hello Kitty!: http://www.clean-your-screen-for-free-now.com/ I love this site more than my own non-existent cat.... (read entry)
2005.01.19 — Wide Range: These diagrams track this British guy Craig's past turning points and what would have happened had he taken a different road at each point. Very cool. This is what I think about when I lie awake at night but he... (read entry)
2005.01.05 — San Francisco: XYZ: In the W Hotel on the corner below SFMOMA. Get it? "WXYZ"? The restaurant, like the hotel, is shooting for a very sleek, minimalist look which it achieves but which does not usually wear well. This translates into hip, high-backed... (read entry)
2005.01.05 — San Francisco: Foreign Cinema: Still overrated. I had a bizarre scallops dish. I love scallops, so it's hard to hurt them, but they gave it their best, surrounding them with chanterelle mushrooms and what appeared to be sauerkraut. Thank God they change the menu... (read entry)
2005.01.05 — San Francisco: Eliza's: Eliza's in Potrero Hill is a solid, local Chinese place that I'm glad we finally found. Good service and presentation. Apparently very popular and very cheap. Local favorite. While bright, the decor is not the usual take-out genre of open... (read entry)
2005.01.03 — San Francisco: Citizen Cake: R had a strange root-vegetable salad and pork loin. I had risotto pancakes and salad. I also had rose petal creme brulee. Citizen Cake has wonderful pastries, in the great tradition of sculpted meringue and perfect paper rings around the... (read entry)
2004.12.25 — Bulletins from Abroad - Christmas: I have come to Switzerland to meet my boyfriend's extended family. His mother is the eldest of six, nearly all of their collective offspring living in and around Zurich, meaning, they're all here. By odd coincidence unconnected to my boyfriend,... (read entry)
2004.11.15 — Election Sadness: Two great sites on the election. First, a real map of the red and blue states, brought to you by the University of Michigan. Then, a public place to apologize to the world for our inexplicable re-election of that fool,... (read entry)
2004.11.04 — TV-B-Gone: A very cool idea whose time, apparently, has come.... (read entry)
2004.10.30 — For Halloween: Mwahahahaha! Scariest costumes for 2004!... (read entry)
2004.10.25 — This is Me: Seriously: pre-election anxiety coverage. The Sunday Times is still in its bag on the couch and today's lies at my feet. I am remembering why I stopped reading daily papers back when the Boston Globe was bought by a congolmerate... (read entry)
2004.10.25 — My Version of News: We love the Non-Expert. Read the latest on dance, including ridiculous diagrams. Also, see this week's Onion headline: US Finishes Strong Second in Iraq War I brushed by this story after the debates, but this site is enough to get... (read entry)
2004.09.12 — A Brief Review of Microsoft and the Horror They Bring Upon Us All: Note: This is one of two entries this weekend. The first was a perfectly harmless review of Cellular, which I hope you read. It's below. In its second version because of what happened in this first piece.*sigh. Well, now there's... (read entry)
2004.09.12 — Cellular - B one with your B-ness!: Note: They do not demonstrate how to do all the cool things they do with their phones. This is not an instructional video. Basic plot: Kim Basinger's suburban mom is kidnapped for unknown reasons and manages to piece together a... (read entry)
2004.09.06 — Ridiculous (w)Riters: Early last week, I talked to my college friend and fellow writer Jeremy who was temporarily in Texas. He had a plan to drive from Lubbock to New York City in his newly-acquired 1986 Volvo wagon packed with all his stuff. At the end of our conversation, he asked if I wouldn't like to join him. (read entry)
2004.09.02 — Days 11-13 - Edinburgh: This has now become a retrospective report on the travels: we lost most internet accessibility in Edinburgh with the move to a B&B and lost all online access in Barcelona and France. So here it is: the closing round of... (read entry)
2004.08.06 — Day 10 - London to Edinburgh: After the botched birthday night, we discovered a new "feature" of our Horrible Hotel: 10 AM checkout, no exceptions. Our plane left at 3 PM. Sweet. Wisely, we forewent any other thoughts of London success (for this trip anyway) and... (read entry)
2004.08.05 — Day 9 - London - R's birthday!: London was a steambath and the Birthday Gods had clearly taken the evening off, as everything that could go wrong did. We did have a pleasant morning/mid-day though. First thing, powering around at high speeds with my iPod, I tracked... (read entry)
2004.08.04 — Day 8 - Glasgow to London: We hate Easyjet. They suck. There is no limit to their sucking. Their suckage is monumental. First of all, they have no right angles. Apparently, all the big airlines appropriated all the right angles before Easyjet got there. Or Easyjet... (read entry)
2004.08.03 — Day 7 - Glasgow - The House for an Art Lover: The weather's turned nasty again - overcast all around. "Discouraging" is the right word, I think. It's not bright or dark, not raining but also not not raining. I think the sunny afternoons have been an exception. R. took the... (read entry)
2004.08.02 — Day 6 - Glasgow: Today is a down day - much writing and some reading and feeling vaguely ill. Perhaps it's the sudden reintroduction of caffeine to my system, or the jet lag or the recovery from long-term sleep deprivation. Or the French yogurt.... (read entry)
2004.08.01 — Day 5 - Glasgow - Burrell Collection: On my own again and sinking slightly into that subtle but evident hotel discouragement (impersonal room, a little too much time alone) that creeps on after a few days, I took off for the country, namely the Burrell Collection and... (read entry)
2004.07.31 — Day 4 - Glasgow - Mackintosh: Day 4 Glasgow The idyllic Radisson experience continues with excellent pastries and coffee at breakfast, overseen by a Maistridge impersonator. His greeting - "Good morning. Your name?" - is high-pitched and begs for a "Bitte?" at the end of it.... (read entry)
2004.07.30 — Day 3 - Glasgow - new hotel: Day 3 was a triumph of luxury over crappy orange sofas and substance over fluff. After sorting through the options, we booked a room at the Radisson, across town from the scary shower. (I failed to note in yesterday's litany... (read entry)
2004.07.29 — Day 2 - Glasgow - Scary Shower: I just showered. I was trying to think, as I strode towards said shower desperate for the bathroom, how I would characterize my first full day in Glasgow. I thought over the details. It was an all right day, a... (read entry)
2004.07.28 — Day 1 - Glasgow: Day 1 - Glasgow Today was a good start to the vacation. For the first time in 14 years, courtesy of my boyfriend's new membership in some kind of elite flying club-type-entity, we were bumped up to Business Class. Since... (read entry)
2004.06.09 — The Day After Tomorrow - a not very short review: Global warming is here and we need to work on it. In the meantime, we have the Prius and until the day after tomorrow to think about it. (read entry)
2004.06.05 — Up: I use things up intentionally. As soon as a thing is mostly begun, I am working on using it up and supplying myself with a replacement. Is that weird? Am I the only one that does that? I'm thinking it's... (read entry)
2004.06.05 — One nice thing about California: One nice thing about California that I have to concede: typing in "C" in a pulldown box for "State" yields "California" whereas typing in "N" yields, ahem, Nebraska.... (read entry)
2004.06.05 — Imagine This: I am a writer. Other people are writers. We should be able to talk to each other about writing, right? Wrong. This is like saying that two people who are both single have a lot in common.... (read entry)
2004.06.02 — Welcome to Emma's blog: The first steps...... (read entry)

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You know how Iran and North Korea keep putting hikers and journalists in jail for so-called "border incursions" when they step across some imaginary line in the dust right about where the the lunatics in charge think their territory starts?... (January 14, 2010 continues...)

I know you've been up all night wondering how the weekend baking went, so let's get right to it and relieve your anxiety so you can get back to wrapping up the cat. It's hard to believe that as... (December 14, 2009 continues...)

Nothing says "Christmas" like a nut-covered cheese ball, right? RIGHT?? Well, maybe not for you, but my grandmother always scored one from somewhere and we had it with Ritz crackers and egg nog on Christmas Eve as a pre-dinner lactose... (December 10, 2009 continues...)

To be clear, despite nearly ten years in San Francisco, New York is home. I mean, yes, of course, home is where R is and I do feel at home in our west coast apartment, but this city by the... (December 1, 2009 continues...)

Last November, R and I got engaged, so it seems fitting that this November should bring its own news: we're having a baby. I love the autumn, don't you? If you've been been feeling a bit neglected, looking for a... (November 10, 2009 continues...)