Op/Ed columnist Richard Reeves doesn't know what to tell his kids anymore about applying to college. He says it used to be that you could tell them to "work hard, follow the rules, stay out of trouble" and they'd get accepted to their top choice. But these days colleges are turning away students with perfect SAT scores. They're looking to build a community, create a varied student body. So even if your child does everything right, she or he may not get into the college of their choice. Reeves doesn't like having to say "maybe" to his kids. But nothing is certain in life. Your child should be just as encouraged to work hard if you say "do the best you can and you'll have a better chance of becoming successful" as if you said "work really hard and you will be guaranteed to succeed." Set high goals but don't set them up for failed expectations. Even if you know they're going to get into an Ivy League school.
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From Japan: "The Meeting Pot is a networked coffee maker. When someone try to make coffee, it inform the event to colleagues at remote desks by coffee aroma and/or e-mails and/or WWW." I think they should attach it to a timer, or perhaps use an automatic coffee machine and sell the concept as an alarm clock. (via Nooface which pulled it from a NY Times article)
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Wednesday, January 30, 2002

Remember when Microsoft invested $150 million in Apple in 1997? Part of that contract was a promise that Microsoft continue developing Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, and development tools for Mac OS until August of this year. In exchange for the money and applications for their platform, Apple dropped their lawsuits against Microsoft. Will Microsoft continue developing Mac OS products past their August agreement date? David Coursey thinks they will, but he also wants them to commit to five more years and add support for technologies that are missing or poorly supported on the Mac. He also mentions that Microsoft needs to prove that their Mac support is not merely posturing for their antitrust defense. Without control of the OS underneath, the visible pain of creating technology support for the Mac OS would clearly illustrate the intermingling of Microsoft's apps and OS strategy.
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Grade the News, whose mission is "To help citizens of the San Francisco Bay Area assess the quality of the news they rely upon to maintain and enhance a vibrant democratic society", doesn't care too much for the news produced by San Jose's new NBC affiliate KNTV. In fact, they have rated it the lowest of the local news broadcasts. Emotional stories overshadowed real news, ads for NBC were disguised as sports stories, and many items were superficially researched and contained little helpful information. Their report also mentions the continuing saga of the lack of NBC signal for more than 200,000 local households who do not have cable. But, in the case of the news, that could be considered a positive point.
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Tuesday, January 29, 2002

Author Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking, died Monday in her Stockholm home. She left her rural hometown at age 19, unwed and pregnant, and then supported herself and (I assume) her son by working as a secretary. Pippi's stories were invented for Lindgren's daughter, and now that I know more about the author's background, I can understand why she wove such spunk and independence into the head of the girl with the stiff red braids.
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One of the Siemens Westinghouse winners designed a glove that interprets the sign language alphabet. As with voice recognition, you train the device and software to recognize your hand movements. Although it is limited to the alphabet, you can train it to recognize a specific motion as representing a word. Deaf people interviewed for the article agree that it is an interesting concept but that it is of limited use since most signing does not use the alphabet. Regardless, it is an impressive idea from an 18 year old. Inventor Ryan Patterson plans to add a voice recognition component so that the screen can show the results of both signing and speaking which will allow two way communication.
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Monday, January 28, 2002

What did we do before the Internet? How many questions were asked during lunch conversations and left unanswered because the research overhead was too overwhelming? We may never know. But, thanks to the Internet, it took me merely minutes to discover if any Howard Johnson's Restaurants still exist. This site commemorates the legacy that Howard D. Johnson created with those many orange roofs. It lists 16 remaining Howard Johnson branded restaurants and has photo galleries of those that have closed. HoJoLand lists 17 remaining restaurants and 2 ice cream shops. Franchise Associates owns the rights to the Howard Johnson name for restaurants and ice cream products, so if you ever dreamed of owning your own HoJo's, now you know where to go. They state that the ice creams are still made from the original formulas, so I have some hopes of finding out if my childhood memories of their mint chocolate chip being one of the best are actually warranted. Howard Johnson, the hotel company, has a nice brand history on their company site.
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Did Olaf Olafsson, author of "The Journey Home", plagiarize or paraphrase in tribute? Peter Delevett's Wiretap column in the Mercury news had an unexpected writing critique last Friday. In it, Delevett describes the disturbing similarities between passages in Olafsson's novel and M.F.K. Fisher's memoir "The Gastronomical Me." Olafsson is upfront about how he borrowed certain scenes, using his own words, claiming it is a tribute to Fisher. He is vice chairman of Time Warner Digital Media, which is how this revelation landed amongst the usual tech news of the San Jose paper. Without having read the book, I should not make a judgement call myself, but the passage that is quoted in the paper (Fisher's version versus Olafsson's rewording) reads as if his reverence of the grand dame of food writing extended to believing she wouldn't mind if he cribbed her life into his own creation. I wonder if he would have made such a leap of faith if she were still alive. Children's book author Edward Eager pays tribute to his inspiration, E. Nesbitt, by mentioning her name in his books so readers will be lead to another treasure trove of tales. Uncredited lifting does nothing of the sort. Those in the know could perhaps be amused, but those who aren't learn nothing. In fact they are at risk of believing something false.
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Friday, January 25, 2002

East Palo Alto may be fighting against an IKEA, but they did allow a Starbucks to slip in. What?? Well, turns out that the store resulted from a partnership with Earvin "Magic" Johnson's company, Johnson Development, which has opened 32 Starbucks in under-served communities. Most of the employees are from East Palo Alto. OK, now I wonder if Magic can help create a taste for Swedish meatballs?
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I have had many music lovers tell me how much they enjoy Boléro only to disappoint them when I reveal how uninteresting it is for me to perform. I appreciate its theme and build-up, especially as interpreted by ice dancers Torvill and Dean, but the repetition involves little creativity in the musical performance. Neurologists have analyzed Boléro as a product of Ravel's deteriorating brain condition. They believe the weakened left hemisphere of his brain played a part in the timbre prevalent composition. Timbre is handled by the right brain. His piano concerto for the left hand also has characteristics different from earlier compositions. But, who can say if this was an evolutionary development in Ravel's music or a result of disease? A music researcher points out that his interest in mechanization could easily account for the repetitiveness of Boléro. (via Follow Me Here)
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Thursday, January 24, 2002

Seeing the 555-LIST, a "directory" of movie and television phone numbers, reminded me of the stories surrounding the number used at the end of the movie Sneakers. The story I remember (I can not find a source for it now) was that they did want to ruin the moment in the film where the agent gives her phone number by using a fake sounding 555 number. So they asked the phone company for a 415 number (the film takes place in the San Francisco Bay area) that would not be in use for many years (that was pre cell phone, pager, etc. estimates!). However, Usenet postings tell of a rumor that the number was actually set up by the film's producers to ring an answering machine for the fictional "Sneakers" security company. Then there were Usenet posters who tried the number and claim that it rang, clicked to another line, rang, and was answered by someone at the IRS. Nice. (555 via memepool)
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Chocolate Ginger Ice Cream from Reed's, the brewers of that fantastic Ginger Brew, was one of the new yummies at the Fancy Foods Show in San Francisco this week. Other notable foodstuffs and gadgets are listed in this Wired article which also reveals that electronics company Kyocera is the same company that makes the ceramic knives. Kyocera's informative FAQ about their knives tells of the derivation of the company's name, which was originally "Kyoto Ceramics".
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Wednesday, January 23, 2002

Life Magazine has a search feature for its covers from 1936-1972. I found a rather risque (for 1953) Audrey Hepburn, a very young Julie Andrews, and the opening of Disney World. (via Library Stuff)
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The subject of synesthesia is making the media rounds again. 60 Minutes II did a story on it recently and an article appeared in the Washington Post this week. I was fascinated by The Man Who Tasted Shapes, mainly for its theory that synesthesia is a primitive limbic brain function, perhaps a clue or at least a vestige of man's ascent into intelligence and emotional experience. After the NY Times Book Review printed a negative review of the book in 1993, its author, Richard E. Cytowic MD, posted a scathing response on Usenet. I had an email exchange with him following that, which consisted of me using big words to tell him how cool I thought his book was and how wrong the reviewer was, and him responding in a suitably nice manner. Since then, and it has been almost 10 years, scientists have not reached an agreement on what causes the phenomenon or even how many people have it, but they do agree that it exists and can be inherited. Perhaps more than one theory is correct, as I have heard that you can acquire and lose synesthesia as a result of brain disorders. I have always wondered how many people do not realize that they have some form of synesthesia until they learn about what it is, a situation the author of the Washington Post article finds herself in.
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Tuesday, January 22, 2002

Library News Daily led me to the very useful Book Sale Finder which lists used booksales around the United States and Canada. The listings are mainly those of the non-profit organization variety, which are my favorite. Poking around "Friends of" or "Alumni of" or "Womens Club of" sales can yield much good fruit. I always enter hoping that someone has decided to unload their kiddie and cooking bookshelves. And there is always the chance that you'll spot a first edition of something for $1 that a book seller would only let go of for $50. (thanks frykitty!)
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Reading about the Lomo camera yesterday reminded me of Pixelvision, which I was introduced to when I saw Richard Linklater's film Slacker. When the movie suddenly turned fuzzy and grey, the person I was with said "Hey, he's using that Fisher-Price camera that recorded on audio cassettes! That was a super cool device." It was a novel idea, but the camera bombed. Five minutes of very low quality black & white video on a 90 minute tape was not appealing enough to kids accustomed to their parents' video cameras. But the camera's surreal images held the perfect results for attracting a cult following. Where there is filtering of reality, there is art.
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Monday, January 21, 2002

Amanda Hesser's NY Times essay on braising reveals the reason for the different shape of the French and English pots used to slow cook meats. "French braising pots were often oval because butchers boned and tied meat in an oval shape, whereas in England, the meat was tied into a round button shape, so English cooks usually had round pots." Many of the pots termed "braisers" nowadays are oval shaped, but I thought most meats fit best into an oval or rectangular pot. Knowing the way the English stick to their traditions, I'd venture a guess that they're still getting plenty of rounded meats.
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The SJ Mercury News has a detailed write-up of the history and current use of the Lomo camera. The small Russian camera, designed for the Soviet mass market, has developed a cult following. Two college students from Vienna sparked this phenomenon after buying a Lomo in a Czechoslovakian junk shop. They displayed the unusual results in large collages and friends demanded their own Lomos. A smuggling operation began. Now legitimized, the two former students have sold thousands of cameras. "Lomographers", from professional photographers to celebrities, are participating in an art photography subculture where spontaneity and uniquely quirky results are treasured. Lomo embassies and ambassadors spread the word, though they recognize that part of the appeal of Lomo culture is its underground status.
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Friday, January 18, 2002

News on new Wallace and Gromit coming soon to a computer near you. While the next Wallace and Gromit film, called "The Great Vegetable Plot", won't be out for a couple years, twelve one minute shorts will be released on the Internet later this year. These bits will feature inventions from Wallace's Workshop. Much hilarity will ensue, I'm sure. (thanks Steve!)
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You probably know someone who is tone deaf, or perhaps you are tone deaf yourself. The official term for people who have difficulty recognizing the difference between tones is amusia. NPR's All Things Considered had a report a couple days ago on research into "musical disabilities". It focuses on a woman named Monica who may have congenital amusia, as she has no physical defects or damage that would cause her to be tone deaf. Monica can not distinguish the differences between changes in tone unless they are significantly different. There are sample recordings on the page so you can give this a try yourself. Researcher Isabelle Peretz's work in creating tests like these for detecting amusia will help geneticists track down the genes that cause this trait. Some people who can't sing just can't sing, but some people can't truly hear what they are trying to duplicate with their voices. (thanks Renee!)
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Thursday, January 17, 2002

While searching for something completely different, I stumbled upon a site selling Lord of the Rings Swords. Sting, Glamdring, and The Sword of the Witchking are available. The manufacturer, United Cutlery, has the license to reproduce swords from all the films in the trilogy. For more background information on the hardware of LotR, take a stroll through this essay on The Arms and Armour in JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth. It's more than you ever wanted to know about all the weapons and armor. And, since I've already been asked this, no I don't think the United Cutlery swords glow when orcs are present. No "Folk of the Noldor" are involved in the manufacturing of the reproductions.
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Yet another pen computer bytes the dust. Sony's Slimtop Pen Tablet was more of a touchscreen device than a pen computer, but it tried to break the mold, yet again. Artists and children may have enjoyed the setup, but it does not really offer much more than getting a tablet peripheral, except that you get to draw directly to the screen. Even then, your hand can get in the way. Microsoft is pushing a tablet paradigm again, so we shall see what comes next in the chain of pen computing failures.
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Wednesday, January 16, 2002

Around the time of my wedding, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt filed suit against the jewelry designer who made their custom wedding rings, which Brad reportedly designed. The designer apparently sold the same designs, which were supposed to be one-offs, to other people and used the couple's names without permission to boost sales. I suppose if I thought I had a unique custom designed wedding band and then it was sold to other people, I'd be miffed. And if someone was using me for advertising without paying me, that would be wrong. But a $50 million federal lawsuit seemed to be an overreaction. However, it did serve to illustrate how seriously they were taking it. And it worked. They have reached a decision everyone can be happy with. Damiani International will stop selling the rings, Pitt will design a line of jewelry for them (!!), and Aniston will be featured in their international advertising campaign. Everyone wins. And you can be sure the celebrity couple will be making a pretty penny from their new assignments. Perhaps not $50 million, but their payment is certainly not merely the privilege of keeping their wedding bands unique. (Though other manufacturers are sure to create knock-offs.)
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Diner City is a fun visit with photos of diners from most of the states. There is background info on diner manufacturers (most weren't just old railroad cars, despite their looks), a list of diners for sale, and some bonus pages of roadside icons linked towards the bottom of the main page. The first diner I remember eating in, the Silver Star in Norwalk, Connecticut, is not pictured, but I'm pretty sure it still exists. (via Larkfarm)
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Tuesday, January 15, 2002

I have switched to Windows XP on my home computer and my eyes are already begging to switch back to Classic mode. Although the watery blue seems soothing, it is a strain on my vision, even though I have my monitor refresh cranked up to 100 Hertz. High contrast text is better than pretty text.
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I have seen wind-up radios and flashlights, but I was surprised to read about a wind-up cellphone charger. From a maker of self-sufficient energy products, the FreeCharge is a collaboration with Motorola. I am hoping other cell phone manufacturers will follow suit. It may not be as convenient as plugging your phone into a socket somewhere, but it could be a lifesaver out in the wilds (or the sidewalks and malls of the urban jungle).
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I haven't used it much, but Find Articles looks like it could be a good filtered resource for topic searches. It is "a specialized search engine designed to help you quickly and easily find published articles on the topics that interest you. Our database has hundreds of thousands of articles from more than 300 magazines and journals, dating back to 1998. FindArticles even brings some print-only publications to the Web for the first time." (via Follow Me Here)
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Monday, January 14, 2002

Le Sportsac bags were a fashion godsend for me in the 1980s. While most trends (Bermuda bags, designer jeans, Laura Ashley, and Gunne Sax) were beyond my means, Le Sportsac bags, made of ripstop nylon, were almost unseemingly affordable. I could nab a bag, though perhaps in last season's colors, on sale for $15-$20. Now, the bags are back in vogue with collectible prints and sequins. They are something "fun" and "whimsical" for fashion mavens to buy in quantity. As for me, I've gone back to good quality leather, and I intend to stay there.
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The Passenger Services Act of 1886, established to help the U.S. shipping industry, has outlived its intended purpose. Cruise ships with foreign registries that take on passengers in the U.S. must stop in a foreign country before returning them to the U.S. In order to fly a U.S. flag, a ship must have been built in the U.S. The industry the Act was designed to protect no longer exists. This law is the reason why most Alaskan cruises originate or at least stop in Vancouver B.C. And it is probably also why practically no cruises start in San Francisco. Legislation has been introduced to amend the law, but it has been slow going. The current downturn in tourism may help give some attention to the proposed changes. Meanwhile, in order to attract passengers unwilling to fly to Vancouver, Princess Cruises has added a 10-day Alaskan cruise from San Francisco to their 2002 itinerary and Crystal Cruises is continuing to sail under the Golden Gate. 7-day cruises to Alaska (without the necessary Vancouver stopover) and direct cruises to Hawaii could be next, legislation permitting.
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Friday, January 11, 2002

Dell Computer's surfer dude guy is helping them win the battle against Gateway. "I would chose a Dell over a Gateway because Steven is cuter than Gateway's cow," says a 17-year-old female student. Hey, cows are cute too! While actor Benjamin Curtis is certainly pleased to be the focus of the successful ad campaign, he doesn't want to suffer the typecasting that still plagues Keanu Reeves. And as "Dude, you're gettin' a Dell!" becomes the latest slang for "You rock!" Gateway really should find a new marketing hook that conjures up more than peaceful mooing. Got Gateway? Hmm, no, that's not it. (via Obscure Store)
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Continuing on the condiment theme, here is The Condiment Packet Museum. Ketchup, mustard, relish, attention to details, it's all there except for sugar. (via /usr/bin/girl)
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Thursday, January 10, 2002

My friend, Lisa, sent me the news that she had seen blue squeeze Parkay at the local supermarket. Feeling a little horrified, and still recovering from that purple ketchup news, I responded "What's next? Colored mayonnaise?" Well, as I looked for online proof of this new blue spread (it also comes in pink), I found a blurb in Prepared Foods that had a photo of the "Fun Squeeze Parkay" (you'll have to scroll down a bit), and this rather frightening piece of information: "As a side note, in South Africa, Nestle has been testing Gloob! mayonnaise, which is not only colored blue but also bubblegum flavored (not a concept likely to make it Stateside)." What, I ask you, is the point of mayonnaise that is flavored like bubblegum? And why isn't it pink?
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I caught part of a PBS documentary on the local currency that is being used in Ithaca, New York. Now in its tenth year, the Ithaca Hours program is like a barter system, but with its own currency. Founder Paul Glover began Ithaca's local currency program during the 1991 recession to boost community spirit and keep dollars in a local economy. Now you can use Ithaca Hours to pay for almost anything, or at least as part of your payment. The local Ben & Jerry's even accepts Hours for full payment. Other communities have taken heed and started their own systems. There's Berkeley Bread, Brooklyn Greenbacks, and many others, even in other countries. What does the IRS think of the barter system? Not a surprise, it's still taxable income. You have to wonder how much of it actually gets reported, though.
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Wednesday, January 09, 2002

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has a beautiful online exhibit called Modernism. It covers my favorite periods in the history of decorative arts, starting with Arts and Crafts, passing through Art Nouveau with a midpoint of the superb Wiener Werkstätte, and ending up with Art Deco. The website has many layers of information, with informative links within links (as a good website should have!) which describe locations, define terminology, display photos of the designers, and zoom in on details. The Museum's Modernism collection originally belonged to Norwest Bank (which has since merged with Wells Fargo) and was begun in 1987 and gifted to the Museum in 1998. The design of the website itself makes the exploration of the 250 objects all the more interesting. You can even send e-cards of each item. Don't miss the Curator's Corner for entertaining facts, quotes, and a nifty family tree of modernism's designers. (via Yahoo's New and Notable)
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You know where Webvan went, but did you know where the Webvan vans went? Ann's Trailer Equipment Sales Inc. in Grantville, Georgia is storing, leasing and selling 144 Webvan trucks for GE Capital Equipment Financing. Surprised passersby stop at the storage lot for photos and many call her posted number from their cellphones. Some Atlantans really miss Webvan. (via Wired News)
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Tuesday, January 08, 2002

Are 250 spins enough to judge if the new Belgian one Euro coin favors heads? 56% of those spins came up that way. But some statisticians say more spins need to be made. At least the students doing the spinning are learning about statistics, and I hope their most significant lesson is that you need to know the circumstances that produced the results. The new Euro coins are the same on the front and country-specific on the reverse (Belgium has King Albert). But are "heads" and "tails" the same in every case, especially if "the front" is never a head? Time for Kids calls the country-specific side "heads" as does the New Scientist article. It's clear that the head of the King is heads. But what about when that side has a tree or a harp? Is this written up in the European Nation documents? Will new terminology be invented? I suppose what a specification calls "front" and "reverse" doesn't need to match up with "heads" and "tails".
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Although I no longer follow Dave Letterman's doings with a religious fervor, the few minutes of any "Late Show" I've caught recently made clear what his current goal in life is: Get On Oprah. Or at least: Get On Oprah's Nerves. His quest has caught on, with fans showing up outside NBC's Today show window, Oprah's studios, and sporting events with handmade signs reading "Oprah Call Dave!" For two months, Dave has jotted notes in his "Oprah Log", a notebook listing each show's lack of communication from the queen of daytime talk. Newspaper commentary has been written; some think Oprah is secretly amused, others believe she needs to loosen up and give Dave a call. Perhaps it's just that Dave doesn't fit into her target market. Or maybe she is holding a grudge. But it is possible that she is working the timing to maximize the exposure of the quest and its ultimate fulfillment in, I hope, a candid and revealing look at Letterman's life in an hour long (including commercials) interview. Call Dave, Oprah! But only when you know the time is right.
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Monday, January 07, 2002

The necessary attention to detail in "The Lord of the Rings" movie included jewelry designs (besides the One Ring) that had to be realized from a few sentences of Tolkien's text. New Zealand jeweler Jasmine Watson created much of the Art Nouveau inspired Elven jewelry, such as Arwen's Evenstar, Galadriel's ring Nenya, and the cloak clasps given to the Fellowship by the Lothlorien Elves. The clasps can be clearly seen in the movie though they are not explicitly referred to in any scene (yet). Unlike some movie and TV props, which in real life bear more resemblance to junk shop jewels, the accessories in this movie would be perfect for any Middle, or actual, Earth gathering. Her CV hints that she's working with a merchandising company to duplicate the jewelry, so perhaps elf crowns will be available at a store near you soon. You can already buy a licensed version of The One Ring. (via memepool)
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After her illustrious career as a soprano, Beverly Sills turned around The New York City Opera as its General Director. In 1994 she took on an even greater challenge as the head of Lincoln Center Inc., an umbrella organization for the center's 12 resident groups. The current negotiations for a redevelopment plan have revealed the differing hopes and needs of the groups, putting Sills in the middle of the feuds and maneuverings that turn the backstage world of the performing arts into any other business with its share of politics. The NY Times Magazine speculates that Sills, now 72, would like to retire (in fact, she said in a Horizon Magazine article "I don’t intend to do nothing when I’m past 70") but that she wants to leave on her requisite high note. Unfortunately, the internal squabbling and City Opera's hopes for a better theatre (as they sing on stage muffled for dancers' feet) has added years to her tenure, and the article also mentions her need for an escape valve from a home life full of family health problems. But she may leave as soon as a new president is found (the last was either asked to leave or resigned), and perhaps then she can finally enjoy life from the audience in front of the stage instead.
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Friday, January 04, 2002

With the changeover to 2002 out of the way, it's not too early to make plans for Chinese New Year.
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A devoted Babylon 5 fan volunteered to have her car (license plate: ANLASHK) "wrapped" to promote the upcoming "Legend of the Rangers". Documentation of the car's tour of Philadelphia has been posted, including a photo of it illegally parked next to the Rocky statue.
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Although I admit I was half serious when I claimed to be leaving my hair long because Sarah Michelle Gellar was too, it is the complete and total truth that I had no idea when I chopped 9 inches off last week that she had taken scissors to hers also. While my hair length is, of course, not newsworthy, tales of the Buffster's new hairstyle have popped up on all the fluff news sites. Creating controversy out of thin (h)air, these "news" writers are doing compare/contrast exercises between Buffy's chop and Felicity's surprise crop that almost killed that show. Silly people. It was more news that Sarah had grown hers out and I didn't see any commentary on that. Her hair is nowhere near shorn. However, this new cut may bring back the plentiful requests for Buffy-like hairdos from the 1998 era. (P.S. Minor spoiler: Joss says a certain ex-boyfriend is coming back.)
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Thursday, January 03, 2002

Fun butter facts abound in this article about butter's big comeback. Americans consume 4.3 pounds of butter per person a year, and the rate has been growing at 6% a year since our lean, mean 1980's. But years ago, when we actually worked it off in the fields, it was 16 pounds per person, which is one pound less than New Zealanders consume nowadays. Land O Lakes is the only national butter brand. We're eating more cheese, cream cheese, and ice cream. And butter prices are rising with the demand.
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Stefan Landsberger has a thorough collection of Chinese Propaganda Posters which cover diverse topics, some that are of surprising concern their government, such as hygiene and the environment. Taken as a whole, these are fascinating visual aids to chronicle a country that has had to mobilize a huge population to create forward movement. From the People's Republic founding in 1949 to the Cultural Revolution, Mao, and more recent less homogenized campaigns, the rocky history of a nation's hopes can be read through the rose-colored lenses of its propaganda artists. (via Kathryn)
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Wednesday, January 02, 2002

Two fatal auto accidents I've read about recently (one yesterday) included good samaritans who pulled over to assist the original victims and were then hit by cars themselves. Consider assessing your own safety and perhaps setting up road flares before helping victims. Since there was already an accident, other drivers are likely to have the same problems (poor visibility, road conditions) that caused the first one. Taking precautions to reduce further damage may be more helpful than rushing to assist someone who should not be moved anyway. Of course, situations vary and lives can be saved by speedy first aid, but I will keep this in mind (and hopefully never have to make use of it). On a related note: are matches and warning flares bad things to have in your car if it is searched at airports, government parking lots, etc? I suppose they can simply confiscate them.
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Paganini left his Guarneri violin to the city of Genoa and they have since guarded "Paganini's Cannon" as a royal family would the crown jewels. The violin is only allowed to come out and play with top soloists and winners of the Paganini competition and, until the other day, only for a classical repertoire. But, as a gesture of friendship between Genoa and New York City, jazz violinist Regina Carter gave a concert on the instrument (NY Times link), despite criticism from certain elitists who complained that "jazz profanation would 'debase the image of the instrument.'" Carter's response: "Paganini was an extraordinary improviser and an innovator. If he were alive today he probably would have said, 'About time!' "
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Tuesday, January 01, 2002

My holidays in a roasted chestnut shell:

Books read: Half Magic and Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager, The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress by Debra Ginsberg, Iron and Silk by Mark Salzman. All good.

Corning Museum of Glass, an excellent balance of the creation, science, and art of glass.

Making pot stickers by hand from scratch... semi-cheating on half of them and dragging out the hand-crank pasta roller.

Gifts: Holly Yashi earrings, chef's coat, mandolin slicer, mortar & pestle, kitty cat coasters.
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