How to hack a traffic jam.

Hint: plan ahead.

50 book challenge

The Rebel Angels, Robertson Davies. First book in his Cornish trilogy.

 

The Undercover Economist, Tim Harford. A readable recapitulation of the main principles/arguments for free markets.  Actually probably the most useful tidbit was a quote from old French dude who said something to the effect of, "The well-run profitable business aims to prevent customers who can pay more from paying less." There is a neat exposition of how this principle lives out in, say, price differences at Starbucks - e.g., why is it so much more expensive, relative to the cost (in materials and time), to get a little something (whipped cream, or what have you) added to your drink. This is all part of the firm's attempt to separate out the people who don't care about paying more from those who do. This is especially salient in the instances where a company like IBM designs and builds a printer, then intentionally cripples it with a chip to sell that version at a cheaper price. Maybe a little obvious, but he explained it well.  

Garfield without Garfield.

How do you make Garfield, the mind-numbingly bad comic strip, actually funny? Take out Garfield. Here is what's left.

50 book challenge?

The Going to Bed Book, Snuggle Puppy, Pajama Time: the N.Y. Times gets a glimpse inside the Sandra Boynton empire. I love how Phyllis Korkki, the reporter, thinks of "a five-bedroom home, built in 1728, sit[ting] on 100 acres of rolling northwestern Connecticut countryside" as merely "comfortable, not lavish." This seems like defining lavish downward - no palm-frond-waving servants? How restrained!

And Graceful, Too!

Benji Discusses His Favorite Topic.

50 book challenge

Fitzgerald, Tender Is the Night. Crushing tale of Dick Diver, eminent if somewhat underachieving psychiatrist, and his wife, Nicole, during the crack-up of their marriage and personal sanities (mostly his; hers was fragile already). Especially poignant because of Fitzgerald's personal acquaintance with alcoholism and mental illness, and a troubled relationship. Apparently he wrote sober, though. However he managed to do it, the writing here was astonishing. It seems lame to call it "original," but I have a hard time thinking of anything else I've read that compares. He had a special quality of being able to observe things, and represent them in fiction, as if for the first time. 

 

Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis. Yes, a graphic novel! A girlhood in Iran in the times of the Islamic revolution. Interestingly, the girl's parents were revolutionaries themselves, but not in the religious vein - rather socialist. What a troubled country. This has just been turned into a movie that I would like to see, but will probably not for some months because the cinema is for Benjy/i's parents like unto a distant land running with milk and honey, yet unattainable because HE DID WHAT ALL OVER THE RUG?  Um, also I would like to visit, but that is even a little less likely. I maintain the baby would get a kick out of Isfahan.

He that is Industrious in an Honest Calling, shall never fail of a Blessing.

Who was Aesop, anyway? Link.

R.I.P.

The Doodle is done.

Benji Plays Peekaboo