Four Things:

1. My friend Lindy Loo (Names have been changed to protect the innocent!) hit that damnable, elusive nail on its shiny, tiny head, effectively knocking me on my ass and releasing hoards of blindingly bright streams of light into my angry, argumentative, hopeless-feeling brain with this inspired little piece. I'd urge everyone to check it out and bear with it through the end.

2. I think I'm going to need one of these someday.

3. I'm researching and considering doing this Master Cleanse thing I keep running across randomly and learning about. I'm reading the book now... I think I want to start sooner than later.

4. Smart people discuss the Food Network's similarity to pornography. And how!

The penguin is sick! Noooooooooooo!

Meh. While she sleeps, I jot. These two books are new additions to my read-sooner-than-later list. Review/interview articles are both from Outside magazine, May 2006 issue.


( Strange Piece of Paradise )

This is badass in the purest sense of the word. What a horrifying and liberating journey to take.

( The Omnivore's Dilemma )

I fucking love that last quote. I think, in this food supply-cum-nutrition-cum-environmental impact-cum-etcetera assessment, we need more omnivores, Joe Blows, and Fritos^©-and-Pepsi^© subsisters looking for answers and having trouble finding them. It's difficult to honestly rally support for a cause that one is already entrenched in, it seems -- just as the case for gay marriage gains momentum with heterosexual support, or the black rights movement really took off when white people started waking up and backing it. (To put it excessively simply. Don't kick me.) I have no illusions about the entire world going vegan any time soon, but even slowly developing some awareness and responsibility would be a nice idea. Anyway -- I'm pretty excited to read this book, too.

Found these yesterday. Want.

I'm sitting in Panera, having snagged the little penguin's computer, and am happily tapping away with the aid of free wireless, a day-off-the-diet bagel, and a cup of Earl Grey. I think I'm going to send a letter to the Panera people, thank them, and tell them how damn smart they are.

*strokes The Man*

( Dear Panera People )

( Stickin' it to my alien baby )

( The birds [as in, two turtledoves and a partridge in a pear tree] and the bees [as in, "Oh, HONEY, right there!!!"] )

I think I'm off at this time to go see if Borders or Barnes & Noble is hiring for the holiday season. I was talking before rugby ended about picking up a couple days a week in a bookstore, and then I got lazy and forgot about it. Now that the penguin is selling skis for a month or so, though, it's lit the fire back under my ass and I think I'ma go see if either of them will take me. I think it'd be a fun job for a bit, and the extra money would give me a leg up on holiday shopping bills and such. We shall see.

mmm, i love halfdotcom.

was listening to nancy pearl's book recommendations on npr this morning and decided to look three of them up. then proceeded to "while i'm here and it's cheap" shop. ( yum. )