Flashback to FRIGID

Memories. Scroll down for a very nice shoutout to me.

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree

A memory. A first night in Antigua. A place called Cafe 2000, flashing lights, drinks, comfortable couches. A large screen. KT Tunstall. I feel I can conquer it. It, meaning anything.

Selling The Farm

As a writing sample for a potential client, I was asked to pitch the place where I live -- in a two-minute version as well as a four-minute. I was amused by the result:

Two-minute version:

Down a lighted pathway and past a picket fence, your new home is waiting. Located at 2214 ½ Grant Street in the heart of dynamic Berkeley, Calif., this one-bedroom, one-bath cottage offers hardwood floors and upgraded appliances throughout. The completely revamped kitchen features a gas stove and stainless steel refrigerator, plus brand-new maple cabinetry and slate countertops in addition to a stackable washer and dryer. A spacious bedroom can easily accommodate a king-sized bed with room to spare, and a well-appointed living room and eat-in kitchen are ideal for entertaining family and friends.

Original baseboards and moldings add design appeal, while high ceilings accentuate this unique cottage’s generous square footage. Each lovely wood-framed window provides views of the surrounding greenery, and the front porch is a perfect place to relax in a rocking chair and take in the sunset at day’s end.

Step through the sliding-glass door in the bedroom or from a side door off the well-appointed kitchen, and you’ll find yourself in a peaceful backyard oasis. A newly built redwood deck is perfectly sized for outdoor seating, as well as a barbeque, and there’s plenty of room for you to create your own home garden.

This cottage is not just rich in charm and character – it also has a touching history. For two decades, the cottage at 2214 ½ Grant Street was a preschool known as McGee’s Farm. You’ll find them in the cottage’s vibrant color scheme as well as on the front door, which features a hand-painted zebra illustrated by a prominent Berkeley muralist whose child attended the preschool.

Walk down that pathway. Unlatch that gate. Come home to 2214 ½ Grant Street, a heartfelt home waiting for you to add your own colorful imprint.

Four-minute version:

Down a lighted pathway and past a picket fence, your new home is waiting. Located at 2214 ½ Grant Street in the heart of dynamic Berkeley, Calif., this one-bedroom, one-bath cottage offers hardwood floors and upgraded appliances throughout. The completely revamped kitchen features a gas stove and stainless steel refrigerator, plus brand-new maple cabinetry and slate countertops in addition to a stackable washer and dryer. A spacious bedroom can easily accommodate a king-sized bed with room to spare, and a well-appointed living room and eat-in kitchen are ideal for entertaining family and friends.

Original baseboards and moldings add design appeal, while high ceilings accentuate this unique cottage’s generous square footage. Each lovely wood-framed window provides views of the surrounding greenery, and the front porch is a perfect place to relax in a rocking chair and take in the sunset at day’s end.

Step through the sliding-glass door in the bedroom or from a side door off the well-appointed kitchen, and you’ll find yourself in a peaceful backyard oasis. A newly built redwood deck is perfectly sized for an outdoor seat as well as a barbeque, and there’s plenty of room for you to create your own home garden.

This cottage is not just rich in charm and character – it also has a touching history. For two decades, the cottage at 2214 ½ Grant Street was a preschool known as McGee’s Farm. Today, whimsical touches from that time abound. You’ll find them in the cottage’s vibrant color scheme as well as on the front door, which features a hand-painted zebra illustrated by a prominent Berkeley muralist whose child attended the preschool.

Ideally located in central Berkeley, this adorable cottage is an easy walk to many of the San Francisco Bay Area’s top dining, shopping, and cultural destinations – including the historic Chez Panisse, where California cuisine was born, as well as the renowned Berkeley Repertory Theater. The University of California’s flagship campus is a mere 15 minutes on foot, as is the Bay Area Rapid Transit subway, providing easy access to San Francisco.

A gem of a community, Berkeley is a one-of-the-kind mix of the intellectual, the progressive, and the delightfully offbeat. You can while away afternoons at the Berkeley Marina or sprawling Tilden Park, or just bike or stroll through the city’s many leafy neighborhoods. Berkeley is renowned for its diversity, its tolerance, and its commitment to tranquil, high-quality living in an exquisite climate. Its 12 elementary schools, and three middle schools are award-winning, and Berkeley High School has a well-earned reputation for academic excellence. Don’t miss this opportunity to live in the heart of this outstanding community.

Walk down that pathway. Unlatch that gate. Come home to 2214 ½ Grant Street, a heartfelt home waiting for you to add your own colorful imprint.

Cue Jesse Jackson

Kiss it! Ap-ol-o-gize!

Shame on you, Russell Simmons. Censoring the word does not remove the sentiment.

Happy Earth Day

Had a great bike ride around Alameda. An hour covers much of this flat, easy-to-navigate island. Very cool.

I'm going to open a cafe. It's going to be called Cafe Manners. In that cafe, here will be the rules:

- Take your cell-phone calls outside or make them quick and quiet.
- If you're a 40-year-old dude, don't go hitting on the 20-year-old baristas. Bad juju all the way around.
- If your kids are being bratty, leave them at home. Yes, home. Where you and your bratty kids should be. Geez, people.

"Like a string of little jewels, one upon another, came the stories of priceless lives cut short: Alameddine, Bishop, Bluhm, Clark, Cloyd, Couture-Nowak, Granata, Gwaltney, Hammaren, Herbstritt, Hill, Hilscher, Lane, La Porte, Lee, Librescu, Loganathan, Lumbantoruan, McCain, O'Neil, Ortiz, Panchal, Perez Cueva, Peterson, Pohle, Pryde, Read, Samaha, Shaalan, Sherman, Turner, White."

It's this kind of overdramatic writing that calls attention away from the story and to itself as writing. Washington Post, I thought you could do better.

For the last couple of days Adam and I have been wrangling over the idea that there's been so much attention put on this story, when so many others are dying around the world. At first, I thought arguing that point was self-righteous. But it's so true -- when do the people who die in Iraq, or most anywhere else for that matter, get this kind of soppy print ministry?

Good writing

Two very level-headed takes on Virginia Tech this morning:

Jon Carroll

Debra Saunders