Wayne and Rebecca Madsen

I was reading up on Rick Riordan to see if there was any news of how far away the next Percy Jackson book is from being released, and I came upon the saddest news I've heard in a while.

So, the genius behind such classic films as Fantastic Four, the first two Harry Potter films, Home Alone and Adventures in Babysitting is going to make the Percy Jackson books into a movie. I understand that sarcasm doesn't come through very well in print, so let me clearly reiterate that this is sad news.

Is it because of the stupidity of numbers which keeps Chris Columbus and Michael Bay in Hollywood? I understand that Hollywood isn't the best place to find intelligent film making. But these two directors are the poster children for banal "summer blockbusters" which have as much substance and craft put to them as a dead donkey. Or horse.

Yet, people keep going to their films. And they are still allowed to make them. Maybe it is a conspiracy of the accountants and producers who want a high return investment and fudge the profit numbers. Let's hope that is true, for the humanity of mankind...let's hope.

Happy Anniversary to Wayne and Rebecca. It has been four wonderful years of marriage, one sealed for eternity.

Comcast doesn't work on our computer. I call them up. They say:
"Unplug the power to your modem."
"I already did that."
"Do it anyways. Do you use a router?"
"Yes."
"Here at Comcast we strongly discourage that you use a router. Plug the internet directly into a desktop."

How am I supposed to use my wireless connection on my laptop?
There is no answer. There never will be from a company who believes that their customers shouldn't use a router.

There are artists in the world. And have been for a long time. Most people create something, some create some really good things and those are the people we call "masters."

Then, sometimes, someone comes along and does something which doesn't fit into the "hey-look-what-i-can-do" category, nor into the "i-believe-this-is-what-you-call-art" arena of creativity. On the rarest of occasions in history do you get someone like James Turrell.

I have been thinking often of James Turrell's work, at least since I first went to a skyspace in Seattle at the Henry. A skyspace is a room, often only able to hold about 15 people, which has a large hole in the ceiling, opening to the sky. As you sit in the room, there is only one place to look: up. Heavenwards. Towards the vibrant colors of the dome which sits above and around us.

There isn't anything quite like the atmosphere and the interaction between it and light. The terrestrial field shows us beauty in its complexity, but the sky - it shows its beauty in a serenity of the purest spirituality. The only connection I can make between viewing James Turrell's skyspaces and my experience is that of spirituality. Sadly, there aren't enough James Turrell pieces in the world. Maybe that's for the better: would we take lightly the sanctity of space if that space became a Benjaminian Spectacle? Probably not. But I think more of them need to come, and possibly from other hands than just Turrell's.

We are in the process of compiling our own travel guides for places we have lived: hopefully an insider's glimpse into these locations. This list is a directory of the best restaurants in the places we have been. These are the sorts of restaurants where you cry when the place shuts down (or even if the chef leaves and it no longer tastes the same); the sorts of places our friend jokes would be "best if you could just burn down the place afterwards so you never forget how great that food was." A bit morbid, but you get the jist - good food. The sort of place you should make a cross-country trip to eat there.

• Zingerman's Deli - Ann Arbor, MI - #38 and the turkey reuben, don't forget to try both kinds of pickles
  
• Ben's Kosher Deli - NYC, NY - get the reuben. you have never tasted a plain corned beef reuben this good. ever.
  
• St. John's Bar & Grill - Sunnyvale, CA - bacon bleu and a side of garlic fries. Wednesday and Saturdays are half price. bring friends because it's too much food. why are there lame chips?
  
• Mr. Villa's - Seattle, WA - anything. everything. i hope they haven't changed.
  
• Sonoma Chicken Coup - San Jose, CA - three words: cheap chicken carbonara
  
• Firehouse Restaurant - Florence, OR - have a bowl of clam chowder and take the next two hours to visit dream land. and the halibut parmesan is worth a 10 hour drive as well.
  
• Rudy's - Austin, TX - i can drink that sauce.
  
• Dawg's Hot Dog Stand - Provo, UT - onions, pickles, pepperchinis, sauce and a polish dog.
  
• Jerusalem Garden - Ann Arbor, MI - it's a tiny house and there's no place to eat. the flavor sticks with you for days.
  
• Diddy Riese Cookies - Westwood (LA), CA - the ice cream sandwich with their fresh cookies is heavenly; (aka "THE cookie place").
  
• BW3s - Ypsilanti, MI - I'm hesitant to put this one on the list because it's a big chain, but the wings are just amazingly good: how can you turn down the spicy garlic or the parmesan?