Lately, Coriander and I have been thinking about retro-futuristic design. I guess it's because we're putting up curtain rods and supports made of copper pipe and fittings (yes, we made them ourselves -- we now know the difference between a "street" elbow and a regular elbow). The aesthetic was this sort of Fritz Lang "Metropolis" kind of theme: ( Read more... )

I learned that the academic economics community is divided into the "fresh water" and "salt water" factions - apparently this supplants the split between the Keynesians and the liberal classical economics types. I don't know anything beyond that.

...ooO0Ooo...I love skyscrapers -- they're my favorite type of building. DC is a city that has height ( Read more... )

The construction elements of the Slushypipp-Coriander library are officially completed. My thumb is only slightly purple.

What have I learned from this experience?
1. Wood is not cut to spec. 1" x 4"s, for instance, are 3/4" x 3 3/4 ( Read more... )

Who knew it would be a good idea to get married?

Married people, you don't get to answer.

In 2007 I somehow apparently missed that both the New York Public Library and the Guardian newspaper declared that Wuthering Heights is the greatest love story ever penned. I am not sure how the New York Public Library decided on this list, but on the other side of the Atlantic, the question was put to a vote.

Wuthering Heights. Can this be ( Read more... )

On Monday, January 19th, as a part of President-elect Obama’s National Day of Service, please join the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, District of Columbia Government, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Standard Solar and Wal-Mart Inc. to Repower a Community. This service event will elevate the importance of building a ( Read more... )

Coriander was driving back from Lexington today (three and a half hours away). He saw the first big emergency sign 146 miles outside of Washington: expect major delays 1/20/09.

Later he passed an SUV with mud splattered up to the windows, with "Rednecks Obama-bound!" scrawled in shaving cream on the back window.

I couldn't decide if I should have used this user-pic or the one labeled "frazzled", because I couldn't decide if I'm really excited or really terrified ( Read more... )

Last weekend, two of my friends from philosophy chat said that they weren't quite sure what they were going to do in Mumbai. Now, since they're returning from Mumbai on January 16, I said, with fantastic incredulity, "You're going to India next month and you don't have an itinerary???", to which J responded (not perfectly calmly), "No, we're going ( Read more... )

My local Whole Foods has a sprig of mistletoe above the entrance to the produce section. While I generally like my fellow organic yuppies, I think that's entirely too much affection to be having for a stranger in a grocery store. Good thing Coriander and I almost always go grocery shopping together!