Every second Friday of the month (except in August) the members of the New York C. S. Lewis Society meet at the Church of the Ascension in Greenwich Village. In the NY Times, Lily Koppel observes the personalities present at a recent meeting and their frank fondness for Lewis’ fantasy world and his philosophies. The group began in 1969 and claims to be the “oldest society for the appreciation and discussion of C.S. Lewis in the world.”
I’m always on the lookout for eco-friendly kitchen countertop ideas. The one I noticed a few years ago was Richlite, a paper and phenolic resin surface. Eleek has popped up recently in a few places like Sunset magazine. They make a recycled aluminum countertop which resembles stone thanks to a powdercoat that resists fingerprints. The Portland, OR company also creates lighting, sinks, and fixtures out of recycled metals with a commitment to sustainable practices.
Many articles about the probable permanent shelving of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip mention a Canadian show called Slings and Arrows and that it does the backstage plot thing much better. The show takes place at a Shakespearean theater festival in Canada. One of the writers and actors is Mark McKinney (who also pulls double duty on Studio 60). It’s been showing on the Sundance Channel in the U.S. and you can purchase Season 1
Wrigley Field has finally joined the ranks of every other ballpark and installed advertising amongst the ivy in the outfield. I’m still getting over the lights they installed in 1988. Night games and advertising on the walls…what will they think of next?
What’s it like waiting in the standby audience lines for Letterman, Conan, Colbert, and SNL? In the winter? COLD. Well, at least Ben Sisario actually got in to see the shows and survived the freezing gusts to write about it for the NY Times. Subfreezing temperatures worked in his favor as it reduced the competition for seats.
Flu (or a bad cold?) and work have kept me from posting, but for Valentine’s Day I offer up a plea to owners of those special cats who enjoy munching on bouquets. Keep the florist’s flowers away from the kitties. Even if you’re sure you have all non-toxic varieties, they could be coated in pesticides. Some quotes from Amy Stewart’s book Flower Confidential: “unlike fruits and vegetables, flowers are not tested for illegal pesticide residue. After all, they’re not going to be eaten. That creates a situation in which growers have an incentive to use the maximum amount of pesticides to eliminate the possibility of a single gnat turning up in a box.” Stewart witnessed bunches of roses being “dipped, blossom first, into a barrel of fungicide to prevent botrytis.” There’s also an AP article circulating about this issue.
A video clip of Julie Andrews as a special guest speller in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The scene of her rather, ahem, long word is interspersed with interviews of the cast all ga-ga over sharing a stage with this legend. (thanks Brad!)
Is Homer Simpson really from Connecticut like the “Rich Texan” he was quarreling with in a recent episode? Or was it just a jab at our Nutmegger-turned-Texan US President? No matter, fans have much more fun speculating over the true location of Springfield (definitely not Connecticut).
Pay a visit to Kirkland, WA’s Terra Bite Lounge and you can order anything you want off their menu and pay nothing. If you want, you can put money in a metal lock box (you’ll have to decide how much since they list no prices), but no one will stop you if you skip it. The brainchild of Ervin Peretz (a programmer, hence the geeky name), the coffee shop opened late last year and is averaging $3 per transaction. Peretz thinks he’ll “more than break even” when Terra Bite gets 100 patrons a day, even if some don’t pay. But social pressures are making non-payment rare — so far.
It seems China is making and growing so many of our goods now, why not add wine to the list? I caught a little glimpse of the future in the Sunday paper’s Parade Magazine: “China is rolling out its latest potential export: an $80 bottle of cabernet called Chairman’s Reserve. Part of the country is on the same latitude as France’s famed Bordeaux region and has similar soil, ideal for grapes.” Grace Vineyard (Chinese is not required to view their site) produces the aforementioned cabernet and it’s only one of 100 vineyards in the country, some with foreign investors. There’s potential for huge market growth within the country as grape wine becomes popular, but will Chinese winemakers do well against the established vintners in the western world? Given time with imported training and talent, they may surprise us.