escape

In Louisville, KY, visiting an old college friend for the weekend, so blogging may continue to be sporadic until my Monday return.

going mobile

Since our phone service was shut off during my last extended trip West (see relevant bitching), I’ve been using my cell as my only non-work phone number. And, frankly, I’ve been thrilled. It saves money, makes it easier for people to track me down (given my frequent-flier lifestyle) and keeps me from chasing multiple voicemail boxes. The only downside? My Tivo can’t dial in for programming updates. So I’m having a line reinstalled with a single Tivo-adjacent jack. Other than that, I’m completely unstrung.

a snotty audience

While laughter may, indeed, be the best medicine, I’m hoping kitschy musical theater is a close second, as I’m off to see Thoroughly Modern Millie this evening and am feeling more than a bit under the weather. Rollicking headache, vaguely sore throat, alternately completely stuffed and continuously runny nose, and (occasionally) Eustachian pain in my left ear. While I’m tempted to further wallow in self-pity, I’m sure posting even this much has more than invited the schadenfreude of the many friends and family members chiding over the past few months: “you can’t possibly keep this pace up, you’ll run yourself into the ground.”

salon translation

Judging by the competence of those employed, “Jean Louis David” appears to be French for “Supercuts”.

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reading the leaves

Almost two years ago, I decided to cut caffeine out of my diet. I was drinking coffee in large amounts, at several points throughout the day, and found myself feeling constantly wired, jittery, and vaguely dehydrated. So, I switched to tea. And though I’ve slowly eased the caffeine restriction, I’ve stuck to my new leafier beverage pursuit.

But I don’t think I’m the only one. Observing friends and colleagues, talking to waiters at a variety of establishments, analyzing supermarket shelves, it seems to me an increasing number of people are becoming tea drinkers. Perhaps it’s the healthier reputation that tea (rightly or wrongly) possesses. Perhaps it’s tea’s more Zen aura, which better jibes with the increasing popularity of yoga, Feng Shui, or Asian neo-minimalist design. Or simply that in today’s post-bubble, post-9/11 economy, constant caffeinated uber-productivity seems less a worthwhile priority.

Whatever the reason, I can certainly predict the result: a drop off in Starbucks sales. Not just because tea drinkers are more likely to brew themselves (as making good tea at home or in the office is vastly simpler than making equally good coffee). Nor because former coffee drinkers might very well spite their overpriced and formerly favored purveyor of their prior beverage of choice, like some strange sort of angry, jilted lover. But because Starbucks exclusively serves Tazo tea, which every single tea drinker I know absolutely hates. Either Starbucks wizes up and starts serving tea without odd herbal infusements, or we just might be seeing the end of an empire.

name calling

Whatever your feelings on the war, I’m sure you’ll agree the military has lost its propaganda edge. Consider the name Operation Desert Storm: exciting, invoking a force-of-nature inevitability to justify rightness of action, vaguely evoking a G.I. Joe attack on Cobra base sort of ethos. But Operation Iraqi Freedom? Who’s going to get excited about that? Granted, it’s a step up from the preceding Operation Enduring Freedom, but, really, what isn’t?

Update: In response to the readers asking if I could do better: Operation Sodomize Saddam (Code Name: Operation Bugger Baghdad).

news junkie power tool

If, like an increasing number of Americans, your primary source of information about the war in Iraq is internet news sites, and if, like most of those people, you find yourself constantly cycling between CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times and the like, consider instead simply heading regularly to news.google.com. The page automatically aggregates the most relevant stories from 4,500 or so world news outlets, refreshing every ten or fifteen minutes. Make it your home page, and you’ll be up to the minute on world news every time you launch your browser.