also

This, brought to my attention by my friend K., is wonderful.

wall stickers

I like this for a hallway:

This for a bathroom:

And this for a dining room (just one).

And, of course: this.

From Ferm Living and Blik.

herbs

I've always been certain - absolutely certain - that my favorite herb was rosemary. It goes well with the take-no-prisoners style of cooking that I like to eat; subtlety, in food, bores me, and I latch loudly onto indications that it's an Italian herb, and so part of the molecular structure of the blood that courses though my veins. Or something. But, and this has been indicative of a trend, just about everything that I'm making this week involves thyme: lemon/thyme/olive oil cookies (to which I've added mini chocolate chips), Jamie Oliver's grilled fillet with creamy leeks and white beans, Nigel Slater's chicken with garlic and herbs, and a lentils and bacon recipe. So I feel like the misguided boy in the romantic comedy who thinks he likes the hot girl but really likes the geeky one, or I assume that rosemary is the body-building beach stud who kicks sand on the 99-pound weaklings (bay leaves, maybe, or asafoetida, or any herb that doesn't hold up to direct fire), and I actually prefer the one with "smaller leaves."

What's your favorite herb (or spice)?

semiotics for sillies

Over the weekend, P. and I were looking at a chummy, "hand-drawn" map of Portland, ringed with ads. One featured a cartoon drawing of a fish, with a thought bubble reading "One free lobster, just for visiting!" I wish that were my shop, so when people came in, I could be like "What? No - that's just what the fish is thinking."

pictures do spruce up a blog

This weekend we went to Portland, ME. Above is our view from the rooftop hotel bar, where we drank Stingahs, or, as they pronounce them outside of Boston, "Stingers." We had a great time, wandering, eating, drinking, and my most dangerous of pursuits - tipsy book-buying.

The Believer? I picked up the 50th anniversary issue, because it literally had a shiny cover and an interview with my hero Lydia Davis. I hate that magazine. Journal. Where snarkiness meets the New Sincerity, the practitioners of which are insufficiently in touch with their insincerities to be truly sincere. I should have examples here, but wouldn't that be just like something they'd do, back up their assertions with evidence.

Anyway, the postcards I sent to my family were about Old Orchard Beach and the winterly-ghosttowny oceanfront amusement park we passed on the train.

I love the quality of light in that photograph. So - yes. Portland ME = good weekend trip (esp. if you find Fading Grandeur Hotel on priceline.com for $64), but I think I'm more of an Ogunquit or Portsmouth NH kind of gal.

Narathon

hello, new favorite site.

My friend H. sent me this awesome link. The first post is a typography joke (kerning refers to the space between letters, see also this (I like the leading idea in that post)) - but the ones further down are great. I love the Polaroid frame.

Tauba Auerbach

Check her out.

I love. She could have won with yes to yet to net to not, but I imagine she was going for something like love to lose to lost to lust (come to think of it, yes to yet to net to not works just as well).

There should be a word for when an artist's name is evocative or reminiscent of his or her work (as I find it here). Then a good name for Christo would be William (typographically). Others?

housekeeping

Rather than going to the gym (it's okay to not go to the gym one day if when you shower, you really, really exfoliate - try to lose half a pound), I appear to be cleaning out my "favorites" list, which testifies to the onslaught of sudden enthusiasms to which I am subjected. That "History Now - American History Online" hasn't been updated since 2005 almost makes me almost want to keep it.

Every now and then, I get struck by how eccentric I can seem. Like in this exchange, held today in a cafe in Davis Square. I was looking for milk for my coffee. There was none on the thing with the sugar and silverware etc, and I happened to glance to my left at the refrigerator, where there were milk, cream, and half-and-half dispensors on the bottom shelf. Then I looked back at the sugar silverware thing, and saw a sign taped to the window above: "Milk Products On Bottom Shelf In Refrigerator" with an arrow.

Then I encountered the pixie-ish, dazed-looking barista on the floor.

Me: Can I ask you a question? Do people ask you for milk and cream?

Barista: Yes.

Me: Often?

Barista (suddenly suspicious) Um....

Me (hurriedly assessing potential ways for her to answer this question: n out of m, X per hour, every Zth customer ) I just....I didn't see it. I'm interested in how often people read signs.


It could very well be me, since I'm usually pretty oblivious to my surroundings, but I think a little hand-drawn placard next to the sugar would be a better solution.

No one has ever said -

that looking for writing jobs on Craigslist wasn't reward enough.

I give you this - note the take on "objective" and the current/currently in the first sentence, and this. "APPLY NOW"? Dude, I haven't even read the description.

household semiotics

1
Mark and I used to play Boggle for hours - days, actually - and we often squabbled about when you may consider a word a word. I felt that you needed to have some idea of the definition of a word before you could write it down ("Gentleman's Boggle"), and he thought you could write down things that "looked like words" and look them up later and get credit if they were.

2
This morning, P. and I were talking about Mitchell and Webb, and he mentioned that Britain has a lot of comedy duos. I said that we used to, and cited "Elaine May and that other person." He said that it doesn't count if I don't know the name.

So in instance 1 we have form but no meaning, and in instance 2, meaning but no form. The question, then, becomes: would Saussure rather have played Boggle with Mark or discussed comedy with me?

Also, cards.

what is ssshhhh?

Would you consider "ssshhhh" a word? Anyone know of equivalents in other languages?

No matter what, I will go to my grave insisting that neither "login" or "setup" are verbs. But neologismically I am pleased that there are people who feel otherwise.

I imagine that posts whose topic is "ha ha, boy am I getting old" constitute a genre. But here's my take. P. got back from Canada tonight, and as a souvenir, he brought me an ornament of a beaver, the national animal (or so he says). And I was thrilled to get a Christmas ornament! Because it contributes to the personalization of trees! So this is where I am, needing to express my life through forestry.

Although tonight at midnight (I will be awake!) we're going to the Second Annual Amateur Erotic Film Competition, so take that, Father Time.

Burlesque names revisited

Last night I lie awake in bed trying to think of a way to create viable Burlesques first name that don't skew towards the Meditteranean. Take the name of the last cat you've pet? Your favorite dessert? Your favorite perfume or cologne? Something else?

This is silly.

I've been reading about the burlesque exposition coming to Boston, and while I have no desire to be a burlesque superstar, I find that I can't get anything else done until I decide what my name would be. This doesn't help (though I have to hand it to "Tanqueray Whispers").

I feel that this gets to most of the burlesque name templates, which I wouldn't want to be close to (because in my imagination I am a burlesque superstar). Manon Gahela? Cannellini Foxtrot?Jane Deau? Carella DeThrill? Stacy London?

OK. Take the first Mediterranean name you think of, and feminize it. Then take the last name of your favorite author, and transpose the syllables. Or if has only one syllable, read more George Saunders or John Cheever. Verchi - see? Verchichi would also be acceptable. That would be your burlesque name. But not mine - I thought of mine while I was writing that second paragraph. Mine would be the name of a friend from college; one my top three most influential people ever. She would be bemused, and then happy.

personality test.

My friend K. had me do a personality test. I really do think this sounds like me.

This could be one of the most reflexive blog posts in the history of the world.

cookbook idea:

Half Undone.

This morning I wanted to cook some chicken to use in a salad. The last time I did this, I had used leftover poached chicken breast from a chicken b'stilla. I started the same way: soften onion and garlic, add chicken, turmeric, ginger, cilantro*, and chicken stock, bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes, remove the chicken.

Then rather than add egg to the broth and reduce by half, reintroduce chopped chicken, and pile into phyllo dough, top and dust with crushed almond, cinnamon, and powdered sugar and bake, I ladled a bowlful of the broth, cut up half a chicken breast and added it, and sunk in some chopped cilantro. Mmmm. Tasted almost medieval, in a very good way. Though next time I will add some lemon juice.

Anyway, yes: Half Undone will feature recipes that offer rewards to the lazy, hopefully in transduced forms (pie to soup, for example). Of course the amazingness of b'stilla comes from the intermingling of sweet and savory, but this is good when you feel like a dark, spicy, almost threateningly rich broth.


*parsley works as well

huge swaths of apology

I want to apologize for never checking my phone messages, returning phone calls or emails, and otherwise being a bad friend. Things have conspired to get me down in the past couple of months, and I retreat. I'll be back. In the meantime, I am happy with contact through blog. So, thank you for commenting.

Have to say...

I have been very pleased with television.

school

The happiest I was at my old job was when I was working on web and software user interfaces (the writing was not always terrifically compelling). It felt both analytic and creative, more directly tied to problem solving, and planted lots of questions in my head, so I was pleased as punch to find this. Especially because they offer merit-based scholarships, compelling because of the School Loan of Damocles I have now. And I'm meritous enough. Merititous. Merital.

They also offer a certificate program, which is 27 credits (the MS program is 30) and a quarter of the cost. The courses are offered in a convenient series of weekend-long seminars, but of course you don't get the project experience, by which I mean portfolio pieces, that you would get in the MS. Also, the faculty bios make it seem like it's not a den of practitioners (with all due respect to practitioners, without whom I'd be essentially helpless).

I don't know how much weight certificates carry, but it sure seems like the MS is what you want if you're looking for a career change. Am I looking for a career change? I'm looking for a career expansion. I want to be able to do more things. I want to work in a place where it's smart peoiple without titles working hard with minimal ego and freedom to decide what's right.

age-appropriate food?*

Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything offers pages of suggested menus, including:

Birthday Party - 10 Years Old
Grape-Lime Rickey and other Sparkling Fruit Drinks
Basic Meatballs
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Fried Onion Rings
Chocolate Layer Cake
Butterscotch Ice Cream

Birthday Party - 20 Years Old
Sangria
Beef-Filled Samosas
Chicken and Garlic Stew
Basic Polenta (any version)
Collards or Kale: Brazilian-Style
Baked Spanish Onions
Coconut Layer Cake

Birthday Party - 30 Years Old
Vodka Martinis
Pakoras
Grilled or Broiled Cornish Hens with Vinegar
Brown Rice with Lentils and Apricots
Braised Cabbage with Wine and Nutmeg
Basic Simmered, Steamed or Microwaved Broccoli or Broccoli Raab (sic)
Angel Food Cake

Birthday Party - 40 Years Old
Whiskey Sours
Phyllo Triangles with Cheese
Roast Cod with Potatoes, Onions and Olive Oil
Rice with Fresh Herbs
White Beans, Tuscan-Style
Sauteed Eggplant
Pears Sauteed in Butter

Birthday Party - Stopped Counting (sorry 50-year olds! -ed)
Old-Fashioned
Simplest Cheese Straws
Risotto with Vegetables
Flageolets, French-Style
Cardoons and Onions Cooked in Cream
Braised Endive, Escarole, or Radicchio with Prosciutto
Winter Food Compote


While I like that he gave the oldsters soft foods, old-fashioneds and "straws," and saved the hard-to-pronounce words for them, I'm pretty underwhelmed by the choice for the 30-year-olds. Microwaved broccoli? Cabbage? I like to cook cornish game hens, but I don't like eating them at all, not because they're cute but because I'm lazy. And I like to think of Bittman (the New York Times's The Minimalist) as open-mindedly old guard, not capitulating to the vodka martini. Though I can't say I'll be having a 30th birthday party. Not for a few years anyway...**

I like how he hedged alcohol for the 20-year olds, and I wonder whether referring to olive oil as an ingredient is a conceit more often held in one's 30's.

There's a narrative here, friends. I know it.



*my new trick: question mark = compelling post title!

**Is it cheap of me to make facetious "I'm old" jokes?

attn: Bostonians

This summer, I want to go in on a house on the Cape so that I could be there 2 weekends/month, so I need to find a bunch of people who already do this or are interested in doing this.

Does anyone know how or where I can find these people? Craigslist appears to not be forthcoming on the vacation rentals page, and I don't imagine it's too early.

Also, please email me if you are interested in doing this as well! That would be ideal, ideally.

On Flyers

My friend M., a professional writer, mentioned that she works with people who demand flyers for completely non-flyer-appropriate things. I thought she could take to making, hanging, and distributing flyers that announce things that reflect the status quo: "This week, the elevator will stop on (X) floors," or "Remember: tomorrow is Wednesday," in order to foment a slight sense of unease.

I was charmed to realize that this (theoretical) sense of unease emanates from Paul Grice's Maxim of Quantity - be as informative as required, and no more. His conversational maxims, shockingly, were developed to help explain the pragmatics of conversation, but it would be interesting to explore them in other contexts.

I'd love to write a paper on flyers. And then condense the paper into a flyer, and send to M. Also, M., if we worked together we could get all Five Obstructions on flyers...

cognitive bias: trapped in the wild!

This morning I was driving home from Brookline (where street signs appear to be illegal, rrr), Google Maps directions by my side. While I was only tangentially familiar with the way that Google wanted me to get home, I was totally confident in the directions - but when I saw a right-hand turn that I could make onto a street from which I was 99% sure I could get home, I took it.

That's not surprising. But the thing is that I assumed that it would be shorter. I had no reason to think that - in fact, I had some reason to not think that, given that it hadn't been suggested by Google, and once I made the turn I knew that it was going to take longer and be more annoying to get home.

Also, for people who are into cognitive biases, a fun game would be to have someone tape them on your backs, and go around asking people questions to see which one you are. I think the SDS people would dig it.

Customer Donttouchpoints

When I worked in branding, the idea behind customer touchpoints was, as far as I could tell, the more the merrier. Last week I had visited a chichi lingerie store to get fitted for a bra, and I bought some things. (you didn't realize this was a sex blog, did you?) Yesterday I received a fancy thank-you card, with a long handwritten note from the woman who helped me, and her card attached.

Did I appreciate this customer touchpoint? No. I felt annoyed that I had wasted my time dealing with it (I had opened it thinking that there might be a coupon inside), and my first thought wasn't "how nice," but "oh, hello ethos-inspiring customer touchpoint." I realize that you're not supposed to give your address if you don't want stuff sent to you, but it got me thinking about unwanted customer touchpoints - I can't be the first person who absentmindedly forked over their address but didn't want to receive things.

I wonder if anyone behind a brand ever thinks "what our customers want is to be left alone." Likely not today, with the branding=storytelling paradigm. The brand is you. You are the brand. Being left alone by the brand would make your life less rich, less full, less you.

jab, cross!

Seen today on the Green Line:

Your tax dollars pay for keeping this car clean. Please do your part (ital. mine) by removing all personal belongings upon exit.

a plug a day...

One thing I like about my friend Mark is that he has cool ideas about actual things.

Also ideas about ideas, for example, this , heretofore unimplemented.

news news news

After a couple of weeks of discussion, I was offered $2400 to do a job. I replied with the math that showed that it was more like a $4000 job. This was yesterday morning, and I haven't heard back, and it feels auspicious.

I think there has to be something behind "no news is good news" more than "if you haven't heard otherwise, there is still hope." Is there a bias that bad news comes quickly? Given our comfort with the status quo, no news is good news. I don't know enough about semantics to explain this (by which I mean "make myself clear"), but no news = good news seems to be different than saying that no news has a property that makes it good news the way that a cardinal has a property that makes it red.

Also, pragmatically "good news" seems to me primarily like it is used to negate existing bad news. Good news, then, is not no news.

And then put into some real-life contexts, "no news is good news" just means that the absence of X can be interpreted in a positive manner. Which would inidicate that X is negative - "news is bad news." So no bad news is good news. Why do I do this to myself? I wish I remembered more formal logic - I don't even remember if "no news" would be illustrated with (~backwards E) or (~upside-down A). But there you have it friends. No bad news is good news. You heard it here first.

hey

Things are looking up, poorhouse-wise: I'm editing a book on architecture and thought, and now have a part-time job as a tutor in the Writing Center of a local arts & design school. I'm looking forward to it - the designers I've worked with have often had an almost organic relationship to their work, saying things like "this almost wants to be black" and "it feels like (noun)." Mostly "it wants to be X." I like that, because I both believe and don't understand it, and I'm interested in seeing how arguments get constructed around it.

The Writing Center is part of the Critical Studies {amorphous segment of college}, so I don't know how often I'll be helping people write about their own work, but we'll see.

Plus maybe discounted classes. And just being in an academic environment again, reading flyers pinned up on walls is like crack to me.

old woman's rant.

You know those plastic containers of deli meats, (for ex.) shaved, oven-roasted turkey? There's a lid and then the turkey is in a sealed plastic pouch? In mine, there's a little sticker on the sealed plastic pouch that says "Easy Open." And it was far from easy to open. And my frustration was only compounded by the mocking sticker with the dodgy credentials! If it had said "open," I would not have been confused, I would have known where this opening was meant to happen. The addition of "easy" does nothing - since I've already bought the turkey, it's not a selling point. No, the only thing it can do is make me feel bad.

Thanks, Shaw's brand Shaved Oven Roasted Turkey.

P. said that maybe the sticker should read "Easy for most people to open."