Sign Nostalgia
Let’s revisit something I wrote in December of 1999:

One of those questions that often enters my brain as I am sitting in traffic has finally been answered: just how much does it cost to rent a billboard on 101 in Silicon Valley? Apparently ten times more than it did five years ago. Prime spots are going for $100,000 a month, according to an article in the Mercury News [the article is no longer available online]. And if you want one, you’d better plan ahead. There’s a waiting list. Or perhaps you’d prefer a sign on a barge floating in the bay by the Stick (yes, I know it’s actually called 3Com Park; what an expensive billboard that was!). Those open at $35,000 for two weeks. Nice to know that my eyeballs have such expensive taste.

Three years later, the billboard landscape looks much different. Billboard advertising salespeople are waxing nostalgic over the days when they could make one or two phone calls and spend the rest of the day with their 18 holes. Prices are at $20,000 and $40,000 per month, down by at least half. And there are blank billboards, sitting and waiting. Billboard ads are less about the dotcoms and more about movies, clothing, IKEA, and pharmaceuticals. There are still tech companies in the mix, but the arrival of a new month no longer brings the same expectation I used to feel as I thought “what will they do next?” I still miss the green topiary vines which spelled out garden.com.

The Washington Post has a fascinating, in-depth look at the creative process of writing greeting cards. As most writers know, skillful brevity is the most difficult creative task. For their talents, greeting card writers get ranked below romance novelists by fellow writers, but at least they are on salary. The greeting card business is nothing to sneeze at; the companies have their own lobbying group. Card creators try to respond quickly to tragedies and changing sentiments. Ultimately, the writers want to give people a way to communicate their true feelings. The author learns how successful that can be when he visits his mother at the end of the piece. (via Pop Culture Junkmail)

Before the new wave there was New Order and before New Order there was Joy Division. According to synth-pop myth, it was a Sex Pistols concert in Manchester that triggered the genesis of Joy Division. It was the same event that eventually led to the formation of Manchester’s Factory Records, which signed Joy Division. And it’s that journey, taken by Factory founder Tony Wilson, that is “docudrama-ed” in the movie 24 Hour Party People. Directed by Michael Winterbottom, the movie has just been released on DVD. If you lived within the airwaves of Long Island in the 1980s and listened to WLIR (it’s back now, by the way), this may be the movie for you. (thanks Mena)

You want some Steinbeck with that?
What we did not buy at the 36th California International Antiquarian Book Fair:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone First UK edition, signed by J.K. Rowling, $25,000
Atlas Shrugged First edition, signed by Ayn Rand, $12,000
Eloise First edition $800
A few M.F.K. Fisher signed first editions, $400 and up.
I didn’t look much at the truly ancient books and maps, but my husband saw prices of $200,000 and up. What did we buy? Nothing. But we thought very hard about a couple of personally meaningful things in the $100-$200 range.

Pocky, squid, and 50 pound bags of rice
There were a respectable number of non-Asians at 99 Ranch today (I actually call it “Ranch 99”). This west coast supermarket chain carries Asian foodstuffs of all sorts. The SF Chronicle’s Rob Morse goes there to marvel at its vast variety, calling it “the supermarket of the new California millennium.” I don’t go there very often because they bag their produce into family-sized (or perhaps vegetarian sized) portions, but I visit to stock up on Asian pantry staples like soy sauce and rice. The atmosphere can be overwhelming and the Asian culture’s tinier personal space comfort zone is apparent as you battle your way through busy areas. But I can see the attraction for non-Asians to come experience 99 Ranch, not just for the availability of interesting ingredients. It’s a fascinating place with live fish, exotic fruits and greens, strange snack foods, and foreign smells. It’s Chinatown without the touristy facade. Anyone want to split a bag of gai lan?

Samsung has a teaser page up for their official Matrix phone (that’s Matrix as in that little movie sequel or two being released this year).

From stationwagon.com, here’s The History of the Station Wagon. Ever wondered where the name came from? “They were vehicles that were used as wagons (to carry passengers and cargo) from (railroad) stations.” I’ve owned two and I’ve only owned two cars. My parents always had wagons or hatchbacks, so it just felt like the right shape to get. Plus, I can comfortably transport an entire string quartet with instruments and non-folding stands. If you’re yearning for wood siding, the FAQ describes the best techniques for replacing fake woodtrim. (via a NY Times article about a man who paid a private detective $250 to find his dream car: a 1971 Dodge Monaco station wagon. When he says “I knew I needed professional help,” detective was not the profession that first came to my mind.)

Good yummy meat. Not for the vegetarians out there, these Bay Area gourmet butcher shops sell the top of the line in aged beef and specialty cuts. I highly recommend Schaub’s “Fred’s steak” to local red-meat-eater readers for your next cookout. It’s a sight to see (black on the outside), and I can’t begin to describe the mouth-watering flavor. Make sure you let it rest after cooking to retain the yummy juices.

Atari dies…again.
The final vestiges of Atari Games were bought by Midway Games from Time-Warner Interactive in 1996. Their arcade games group was gone by 2001 but there were still developers working on console games in Milpitas, CA under the name “Midway West.” This group continued using the domain “agames.com” for email, short for “Atari Games.” Now, what was left of Atari is going the way of the dodo. Midway is closing down Midway West. The Atari name is still held by Infograms, so that can live on, but the last gasp of a developer group is finally being wiped. (Note: Despite what this Atari history page says at the very bottom, Midway West did survive beyond the 2001 arcade group shutdown.)

On the calendar for this weekend, The 36th California International Antiquarian Book Fair. I think we’ll leave the credit/debit cards and checkbook at home.