Design news

Left work early-ish on a mission: We were out of chile powder. Chris needed it right away. So, no problem; walk to Whole Foods @ Huron & State, then hop on the Redline @ Chicago & State, just one stop farther up the line than usual. Be home in plenty o' time.

So, making good time, even hopped a bus to zip me along. Going up Huron, though, what emerges from out of the cold Midwest winter darkness but a shining beacon of a new shop on the corner where nothing was there before: The new Jonathon Adler store!

Now, I knew it was coming, but hadn't really paid attention exactly where. And Paulie & Pamela forgive me, but I had to run in. And as I approach the door, taking in the blues and whites and vivid oranges pouring out in beckoning light, who do I see but Pamela's former main man, Dwight. I knew he had left Stitch, but didn't really know/remember where he landed.

So we chatted and I checked out the store, and Paulie & Pamela forgive me, again, but the shop is hot! But everyone has already seen it but me since you have one out there in SF too.

Bought a little something for Daddy/Simone, but cannot say what it is in case by some off chance he actually monitors the BGN site. Just say that it was a small, ceramic vessel that made me scream like a queen at a Gucci sale and then grab it up right away. Perfect for D/S.

And me? I want a pony.

that's why they call it a milk cafe

from Slate:

Starbucks Economics

Solving the mystery of the elusive "short" cappuccino

By Tim Harford

Here's a little secret that Starbucks doesn't want you to know: They will serve you a better, stronger cappuccino if you want one, and they will charge you less for it. Ask for it in any Starbucks and the barista will comply without batting an eye. The puzzle is to work out why.

The drink in question is the elusive "short cappuccino"—at 8 ounces, a third smaller than the smallest size on the official menu, the "tall."

The short cappuccino has the same amount of espresso as the 12-ounce tall, meaning a bolder coffee taste, and also a better one. The World Barista Championship rules, for example, define a traditional cappuccino as a "five- to six-ounce beverage." This is also the size of cappuccino served by many continental cafés. Within reason, the shorter the cappuccino, the better.

More here, but what Mr. Harford doesn't point out explicitly is that Starbucks is basically making a boatload of money by selling people oceans of milk.

Never give a gun to a duck

thoughts for the new year?

happy happy

since most of y'all (or maybe even all y'all?) are down with Alan & Justin in Laguna, we're sending great big New Years kisses your way.

Chris & I ended the year with a 5k so-called resolution run in Lincoln Park. Jacob, who talked us into it, ran as well. At 6 p.m. start time, the temp hovered at about 40, a mild night for a run by Chicago standards and maybe a portent of the rest of winter? If there's going to be global warming anyway, we may as well get a warmer winter.

Then it was off to Jacob & Chip's for cocktails (vodka-saketinis, which I very un-pc-ly christened a Nagasaki for its devasting effect), sushi and games.

Sorry to miss the bash! Resolution in 2006: Have more fun.