My wife gives me ceaseless grief about my strong preference to eat at local restaurants rather than chains. (A notable exception to that rule, and a betrayal of my socio-political beliefs, is my affinity for Chick-fil-a. Those God-fearin' chicken people make a delicious goddamn sandwich.) She calls me a snob. She's mostly right.
But Sedaris, the brilliantly funny essayist, frames this preference precisely. I want charm. I don't want quality controlled sameness and repetition. Lord knows I get enough of the latter surfing the same six sites on the internet every day. I want local ownership, and license plates on the ceiling, and the occasional goofy foodstuffs.
Sedaris made his comment in an interview with the blog for Parnassus Books, a Nashville bookstore owned by author Ann Padgett. Parnassus is a story in its own right, started by Padgett and a friend as a reaction to the town's only bookstores closing. It's become the flag bearer for independent bookstores across the country as they carve out a niche in an Amazon-dominated publishing world.My favorite bookstore is Yellow Umbrella Books in Chatham, MA. It's tiny, and the selection is necessarily limited by the size of the store. But it's got an amazing section of antique nautical books, and a ton of Cape Cod-centric titles. It provides me with an unerring sense of place, of familiarity and comfort. It generally doesn't hurt that most of my visits come after a liquid lunch at The Chatham Squire, which is a short block away.
And it's charming as hell.
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75 comments:
i agree, especially about the chain restaurants . . . but mainly i agree in theory (except for the chain restaurants) because as much as i philosophically oppose a giant mega-monopoly like amazon, it's so much more convenient to buy a discounted book with one-click (that will be brought to my door) rather than truck it all the way up to chatham just to find it's out of stock.
i am surviving a listen of the new camper album. pretty decent, not like listening to a new weezer album.
oh my god the formatting of this post is going to give me an aneurysm
oh yeah - happy 20th anniversary of O.J. Chase Day, everyone
Shlara, Wilco played W&M Hall in 2006 or so. Wild night culminating in an insane Dave Flynn story left well off the blogosphere. Not that they could prosecute him now.
The formatting looks like something I might have done. Well done Rob.
I think it's only appropriate that the Flynn story be told in a post. He'd want you to do it.
what the hell is going on with that formatting? i blame amazon.
and amazon's one-click is evil genius. i'd prefer not to talk about how much money i've spent while drunkenly perusing amazon because it's so damn easy to buy from them.
i've used that formatting style!
One of my favorite things about
living where I live (besides being two blocks from the beach) is that there are virtually no chain restaurants on the island. TJ even commented upon this during his last visit.
It's also one of the many reasons I hate Orlando. Chains errrywhere.
I agree generally, although diapers.com is indispensable if you have an infant.
Speaking of places called "The Squire" in MA, the first time you guys mentioned The Squire (a family friendly bar and grille in Chatham) I thought you were talking about The Squire (a noodie bar in Revere). Apparently they are very different places.
Tomorrow will be my first day of travel with a TSA pre-check Frequent Traveler #. Kind of excaated.
we'll usually only hit the chain joints when traveling, or to use a gift card. my new fave = zaxby's. that grub is gee oh oh dee good.
Zaxby's stole the Guthrie's model (chicken fingers, crinkle cut fries and stupid good dipping sauce) and expanded the menu dramatically. Delicious.
I find myself unexpectedly home for the first World CUp match of the afternoon. I wish I knew more about soccer. At this point Belgium is down but they seem to be kicking the ball better than Algeria right now.
There was an exciting double flop at minute 51...
You should watch Ladybugs for a primer on soccering.
And as a primer about love...
and heading it better.
BELGIUM!!
you should watch some spanktervision.
Danimal - traveling with a KTN is a life-changing experience. The first time you walk by a 30+ minute wait and have a 2-minute wait, you'll feel very god about yourself.
I now get through security at Newark in 10 minutes every time. They finally set up their own Pre-Check area. Welcome to the good life.
Yeah - the most despised airports will now become at least tolerable - Newark, Miami, O'Hare - I'm looking at you fucksticks.
Newark has an area where you don't have to take your shoes or belt off or take your laptop out and it threw me for a loop because I've been doing that on autopilot for a decade or so. The TSA guy was very upset with me and tapped on a piece of paper taped to the far side of a lally column and barked "Read the sign! Leave your shoes and belt on and your laptop in the bag! Read the sign!"
And let's be honest TR, I always feel pretty good about myself. Am I right? Guys? Guys. Guys?
Brazil seems to be getting some home cooking early. Dude just got trucked and no call. Mexico might have to be bleeding to draw a foul.
The fuck? I've checked in for tomorrow's flight and there is no indication on my bpass that I've got the pre-check. I call the airline and they tell me it won't always display the indicator - it depends on the flights. TR? Can I tell them I know you, without giving specifics of course.
Working from home late in the afternoon is quite nice for this month of soccer. I got home just in time for the 2nd half. Good times.
rob - you seeing those pics Myron is posting from his office across from copacabana beach? must be a thousand people there at least. CRAYYY!
I have not seen the possession states in a while, but it has got to be at least 70% Brazil. It seems like Mexico has been over midfield about 3 times.
I love getting emails from zwoman just as I'm getting ready to go home, especially when they say stuff like "There is something under [zson]’s bed that looks like it is probably a leaf but could potentially be a dead animal."
AHL
Ryan Fitzpatrick is the Texans' starter. Super Bowl bound, eh, Z?
And I give the Yellow Umbrella my full
endorsement. Slightly less so than the Impudent Oyster, Wayside Inn, Northport, and Upstairs at Christian's. Some or all of which no longer exist in Chatham.
No love for Charlie's Aunt?
Texans as SB bound if the league makes it illegal to throw more than ten yards downfield. Until the Fitz is useless.
As = are
The = then
dick cheney actually wrote this about president obama. for public consumption. in america. presumedly with a straight face:
"Rarely has a U.S. president been so wrong about so much at the expense of so many."
The Wounded Warrior I hired last fall may want to take a meeting with Mister Cheney to discuss.
Rob, if you think Amazon's one-click is evil...wait until you get an Amazon phone:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/business/with-an-amazon-smartphone-the-retailer-seeks-a-tether-to-consumers.html?emc=edit_th_20140616&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=59612748
Heading to whorlando for the 3rd time in 4 wks....this time for a 30 min pow wow followed by a flight to detroit rock city by way of chi-town. Updates on frequent traveler # which seems to only be applied for random flights despite it costing 85 quid to follow. Reserving judgment.
Mark...you live in Cocoa right? They do a great job of promoting their little haven down there. The billboards, shown way uo north by me, always have the hottest babes. Nice job.
Also...why are all of Brazil's stadiums so much cooler than ours?
Read yesterday that there is an outside chance of the 2022 cup being taken away from Qatar (I think it is Qatar....and it is pronounced Cutter) and moved here to 'Merica.
Danimal- I do NOT live in Cocoa. Don't insult me. As for the billboards, I believe you mean Cocoa Beach. Big difference between those two towns. Not much to promote about Cocoa.
I live about 20-30 minutes south of Cocoa Beach in Indialantic.
upstairs at christian's is long gone. very sad.
in 2022 my children will be able to to drive me to the world cup games, which will be awesome.
Cocoa Beach...yes
Cocoa is where your boy Tarean Folston is from though.
And Snyder lost his copyright protection...
Trademark.
Wow, what answer to NED.
Just in case you want to read the decision:
http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=92046185&pty=CAN&eno=199
Should be an 'an' in there somewhere.
Danimal, you have to have your KTN listed on all of your frequent flyer accounts. It just doesn't automatically get you the precheck line for any airline.
Kids under 12 also get the precheck line if they fly with you. Spouses not so much. But they will put whole family in the first line if not all have precheck. At least the 5-6 times we've flown together as a family.
They can keep the name and logo but they have no protection against other people making/selling merchandise. Is that all? Conceptually, they could keep the name but that revenue stream would be greatly diminished? They still don't HAVE to change, right?
Tr....yup....have done that. Verified so yesterday and again today. Have had a couple of different airline employees now tell me it is random...you are not guaranteed each of your flights will be approved. So, the $85 payment to the tsa/us govt is simply for the random opportunity to bypass security lines. What a scam.
Greg, if you want piercing insight into this issue you should read this:
http://gheorghe77.blogspot.com/2013/09/part-ii-blood-is-thicker-than-solution.html
The R**skins have no federal protection over the mark (although I'm sure they'll appeal this decision) but they still have common law/state rights to the mark. So they can probably still stop people from using the mark but they'd have to bring their action in state court. Ironically, DC isn't a state so I don't know if they have any rights to the mark within the District.
They don't have to change the name but it's pretty damning, from a PR perspective, that the federal government found the name to be disparaging.
Washington's football team already released a response to the USPTO ruling that essentially said:
1. We will win in appeal
2. They will never stop us from using the name
This team has had the opportunity to take any road but the low one in several cases and always seems to make a public laughingstock of itself. I'm close to defecting.
I shave my head every other day. I was due for a shave today but forgot. Do you think everybody knows I'm bald now and not just choosing to shave my head? No way, right?
Yes. I shave my head (not to the skin - I use #2 attachment) once a week. I just realized recently that I can no longer wear a visor because of my pronounced widow's peak. It was a sobering realization.
I've been unable to wear a visor since my early 20s when I made the decision to start shaving my head. Switched from clippers to gel and a razor at about 30. Thanks a lot, maternal grandfather.
Grown men shouldn't wear visors.
Steve Spurrier thinks you can suck it. Click clack.
Spain just lost 2-0 to Chile? I'm in no way a soccer guy, but even I know that isn't supposed to happen.
The R**skins' press release on the trademark issue is a little tricky. It ignores the fact that they ultimately won and retained the mark on laches grounds. They did not get a ruling on the disparagement issue in their appeal.
TJ, there are two halves in soccer not one.
See. This is what I'm taking about.
If I pull up at a traffic light next to a dude in a visor, I assume he is big into illegal street racing.
buenas noches, espana!
that means "lick my taint, spain."
i wear a visor when i play soccer. a candid female friend gave me the lowdown: it is NOT a good look (but it's either that or get giant veins in my eyes).
People who wear visors include Steve Spurrier, Andy Roddick, Jon Gruden, Phil Mickelson, V Stiviano, and Ian Poulter. I'm not enthused about any of them.
I'm enthused about Dave when he isn't wearing a visor.
GTB: Home of hot visor takes.
how do you head the ball, dave? even for you, this seems bizarre.
to see me whip off my visor and head the ball, all in one motion, is to see the physical embodiment of poetry.
Me gusta decir "Besame en el culo, Espana!"
Allo Gheorghies.
TSA Precheck is mediocre at best.
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