Post-Modern Retail?

Is today's thriving retail world right out of the playbook of a bunch of Marxist Post-Modern philosophers? Maybe.

Follow Up On The Pat Tillman Story

Pat's brother Kevin has written an insightful and scathing piece about the war in Iraq. You can read it here.

The Omnivore's Dilemma post is updated - fyi

Photo of us at John and Sally's

Remember His Name

When Pat Tillman quit the NFL after 9/11 to join the Army, the machine worked hard to turn it into clichéd propaganda. When Tillman was killed in Afghanistan, the gears turned again. When it was revealed that Pat was actually cut down by friendly fire and the story was suppressed, a whole new propaganda angle opened up on the other side. All this baggage makes it difficult to write anything about Pat Tillman without sounding like a hack (I'm struggling with that right now and this is just a summary) which is what makes this piece even more amazing.

Amazing but not surprising. Gary Smith is a master of the profile. Call him a sportswriter and you just end up embarrassing everyone. He's a madman really; legend is that the guy doesn't even start writing until he's spoken to at least 200 people. Seriously. So in his hands this story of a football player who joined the army transcends sports and war and all kinds of baboonery, and becomes a portrait of a complex man and an insightful look at our country today, and this mess we're in. This isn't just the best sports piece I've read this year. Not just the best magazine piece. It might be the best piece of writing I've read this year. Period.
It's not short, but it's worth the investment.
You can read it free online here.

-Jeff

Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan

I see someone already started this post (that is - gave it a title, no more) so I'll take the cue.

Not withstanding the ocassional melodrama and dash of liberal self-righteousness, I am really enjoying this book. I have to insterpsers it with the Sun so it's lasting longer thatn I thought. It is hard to put down once you pick up (unless Pilar is headed for an electric cord). Here's why I think everyone who is thoughtful about the planet they live on, and/or who is interested in food, should read this book:

1. Why 50,000 types of cereal and only 2 types of potatoe?
It explains the industrial food system that we all participate in on a daily basis. This is particulalry itnersting because it explains why we see what we see on our grocery store shelves. In other words, how we end up captive to large corporations that produce our food and make it very simple (and cheap) to access.

2. Big Organic
It illustrates the undeniable contradictions in "big" organic. As more and more of us start to eat organic, it has made organic foods the fastest growing segment of the food industry. Of course big business goes where big profit is and now we see large corporations with organic brands. Great for the acres and acres of land that no longer have heaps of fertilizer and spray used on them (and the ground, river, ocean water, soil and air that benefits) but that organic food must pop back into the industrial food chain to make it to supermarket shelves. So the packaging and fossil fuels needed to make this happen are similiar to all other foods.

3. Rebellious Eating
This brings me to another key insight: the importance of supporting local farmers. I mean - we have belonged to a community farm on and off over the last years, and go to farmers' markets every week - but I was not hinking of this as a political act - or an environment one. I was just focused on getting good, ripe, seasonal produce. Little did I know that eating seasonal produce - that is - what's in season - is dare I say it - a political move in addition to an epicurean one. By confining oneself (as much as you can) to eating locally and seasonaly, you're opting out of globalization and the industrial food system. I kind of like that. I think of it as rebellious eating.

OK - I'm tired and going to bed. But I will blog more when I finish the book (which Ernesto has stolen) and can sum it up.

American Sucker, David Denby

I recently read American Sucker, by David Denby. It was a fun read, and I recommend the book. It was particularly interesting to learn about a person's quest to get rich during the dot-com boom, and to fail miserably -- despite having had access to some of the people at the very center of the

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