Would You Date a Vegan?
Let me start by apologizing to vegans out there. I don’t mean to disparage your eating habits (even though, honestly, I don’t get it). I could’ve as easily titled this, Would you Date a Sausage Eater? but then you might think I was talking about sex. My real question here, and I ask this in earnest –
Is it important that our romantic partners like to chow down on the same things we do? Earlier this week, a man emailed from Match.com, and after chatting for a few minutes on the phone, I learned that he doesn’t drink alcohol (sticking mostly to herbal teas) and refrains from sugar and white flour, among other things. “My body is a temple,” he said. When I heard this, my heart sank, and I pictured a life drinking alone, sneaking off to munch on my home-baked brownies. How much do our food choices define us? Are we what we eat?
Don’t forget our new CONTEST. Deadline, August 9th.
Photo: Carsten ten Brink
Are Unmarried Women Looking for a Free Ride?
I’m stoked with partisan fury a lot of the time. My policy is not to share it here, because do you really want to hear me kvetching about politics? But every once in awhile, a story comes along that’s too much fun to ignore. Enter Phyllis Schlafly.
CONTEST: What is Your Natural Gift?
We’re launching a CONTEST today. The prize is the exquisite new novel by Aimee Bender,
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, which has received some of the best reviews of the year, and a coveted slot on Oprah’s top summer reads. It’s easy to enter. But to win, get ready to brag.
Don’t Look Your Gift Horse in the Mouth
The way I remember it, the first time I sat down at a typewriter, it was as if my fingers knew exactly what to do. QWERTY was like ABC, to me, and before long, I was speedily clicking away, like I was born with the talent. Sadly, secretarial skills are not a sexy or lucrative natural gift. I’d much prefer being a great composer, tennis player or astrophysicist, and that brings me to, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. What does that mean, anyway? The proverb, dating back to 1546, advises us to resist the urge to look at a gift’s price tag, in this case, the teeth of a horse, which was a sure way to determine its age and therefore its value. But is there really such a thing as inborn talent?
K. Anders Ericsson, who has made a career studying extraordinary people, writes that what’s more important than talent, is our willingness and ability to work harder than everyone else.
Check back tomorrow for the announcement of a new CONTEST.
Image: Galloping horse using a series of photos shot by Eadweard Muybridge in 1878.
Portrait of Myself and My Imaginary Wife
Painted by Arshile Gorky, Portrait of Myself and My Imaginary Wife, is part of an amazing retrospective of this influential artist’s work, at MOCA in Los Angeles, until September 20.
How to Find a Date 3.0
Even when catastrophe strikes, the dating instinct continues. It took only hours after my mother’s funeral to ask for her cosmic help in finding me a mate. And a few days after 9-11, while stranded at the Toronto Film Festival, I uttered one of the best pick-up lines, EVER.
Getting Beyond Group Think
From writer Jonah Lehrer, How We Decide –
While waiting in line for my cappuccino this weekend, I was ready to punch myself in the face, as I realized that everyone in line was wearing the exact same uniform: artfully frayed jeans, quirky printed t-shirts, flannel shirts, messy hair, etc. And we were all staring at the same gadget, and probably reading the same damn website. In other words, our pose of idiosyncratic uniqueness was a big charade. Self-loathing alert!
Let’s make a pact to do something at least once a week to get beyond our own echo chambers. I know someone who subscribes to email blasts from politicians she doesn’t agree with, in order to understand what they’re thinking. Jonah Lehrer makes a case for reaching out to people we don’t know, through social networking. Maybe I’ll strike up a conversation with a Tea Party follower, up the street.
Image: This is Where You Are, 2003, by Chris Johanson
When You Need Help Finding a Stud
Somewhere along the path of becoming an adult, I chose not to learn how to do home repair. It might be genetic. My father had a dedicated workroom in our basement, but never used it, and during the era of my childhood, nice Jewish girls didn’t hammer. I’m all thumbs when it comes to even the simplest things, like pounding a nail straight into the wall, climbing on ladders, hauling heavy debris. I turn, instead, to paid professionals, or in an emergency, understanding friends who take pity on me. On weekends, my next-door neighbor is often working on home improvement projects, from building deck chairs, to installing windows, and I’m humbled by her zeal for what looks like a tedious way to spend the day.
The Best Sandwiches Ever
When I’m desperate for a meal, and don’t feel like leaving home, I go shopping in my pantry. In order for this to work, it’s important to keep around a few staples, like canned tuna (in olive oil), or a hunk of cheese, and bread. With these in tow, I can usually slap together something edible. If I’m lucky enough to have roasted peppers and arugula on hand, a simple sandwich can be elevated into a dining experience. What I’m trying to recreate is a low-rent version of the fabulous sandwiches they serve on the Grilled Cheese menu, Thursdays nights at Campanile, one of the best restaurants in L.A. Reservations are hard to come by, so as a substitute, try co-founder, Nancy Silverton’s book, The Best Sandwiches Ever. And that’s no exaggeration.
Image: Cheddar Mortadelle Cosmos, 2005, by Philippe Mayoux
Are E-Book Readers Happier Than the Rest of Us?
I’m moved by the power of threes –
1. All set to renew my bi-annual subscription to The New Yorker, I balked. Will there be print magazines in two years? (I re-upped for a year.)
2. Endorsing a new book on his FB page, a friend wrote, “kindled it, read it, recommend it.”
3. Amazon announces today that sales of e-books have now exceeded those of hard covers.
Leafing through real paper is starting to feel quaint. Over the weekend, while my brother reveled in his new iPad, I played around with a Barnes and Noble Nook. Tell me, E-BOOK READERS – Are you satisfied? Which device do you recommend?
Image: See.saw # 6, 2007, by L Filipe dos Santos
Archive for July, 2010
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