As people in So Cal know, those In-N-Out lines are looong. Going through the drive thru there is a purposeful act that can take about half an hour (while going in the restaurant takes five minutes), the cars snake through the parking lot and spill out into the street. I don’t know what that means for this lovelorn…

Try the Lydia Davis translation of M. Bovary, unless you’re reading in the original French . . . 

I agree. Her tenure as city councilor has been lackluster, and this decision to run against Capuano does seem like a calculated attempt to make a jump at the right moment. It wouldn’t matter so much if her political record showed initiative, but it doesn’t. I fear we’ll lose Capuano and she’ll be on to other things in…

Their in-house organic brand goods are cheaper than comparable items in other grocery stores where I live. 

Good to know! I’ll look for some recipes right away!

Except that no-knead recipes require a cast iron dutch oven, which can be anywhere from $60-$300. 

Thanks for the recommendation. I would say that illegal immigration as a “hot topic” has ebbed and flowed through the decades. I don’t know how far that podcast goes back, but the Repatriation that took place during the Great Depression was pretty bad. It wasn’t concentrated on the border, per se, but it was…

Okay, your comment about Hargitay’s husband piqued my interest so I looked him up and just had an aha moment. I looked up his bio and it confirmed my suspicion. I met him sometime in the early 90s on a train somewhere in Oregon or Washington, or possibly northern California. I was reading Faulkner and he stopped to…

He’s a tall drink of water.

You probably already know, but Independent Lens, the PBS documentary series, aired a film about them last year. It was great.

Ling-er-eee (stong “g” and the extra “e” to denote that the accent is on that last syllable)

Keeping the fridge packed stabilizes the fridge temperature and saves energy. I know this isn’t a solution to your problem but it might be something to do until you get that smaller fridge. I tend to keep a very packed fridge but when I’m out of town I fill it with gallons of water.

All good advice. I’m a minimalist with rosacea so my routine has become more complicated in the last few years. The doctor recommended a face wash that is made with sulfur so now my husband says my face smells like farts. Not the worst thing, I guess? In the nineties when I was just a wee child I bought a tube of…

That’s one of my favorite X-Files episodes! I went to school with Luke Wilson and don’t remember him in the slightest because I was obsessed with someone else.

Really? I got the sense that the Fisher brothers were sympathetic characters, with Peter Krause’s character serving as the protagonist. The way I see it his women tend to be shrews or narcissistic and his men are imperfect.

If it’s on the cover the pattern will definitely be included. That yarn is stunning, I love those copper tones.

I’ve never seen the film version, but also still love William H. Macy and do not hold it against him. Don’t beat yourself up about liking Mamet, life’s all about evolution and growth.   

I had one of my worst friend fights after viewing a performance of Oleanna with a male friend and my roommate friend(?), a woman who would remain actively silent whenever things got testy. This male friend was normally really good about politics and gender issues, but this play just brought all kinds of stuff out. My…

We don’t always have the best options in the U.S., but look for the California-grown Haas variety and you’ll have a better chance of getting a good one. Avoid Florida grown ones, not worth the cost and not worth the calories. The one pictured above with the ring is just nasty looking. A good avocado is creamy, nutty,…

I work at home and keep the thermostat at about 64 in the winter which means that my workspace is about 60 degrees. That is way too cold for me as I am the descendant of sun worshippers. I use a hot water bottle, placing it in the small of my back in my chair. It works wonders. Also great when the heat and humidity…