Stacy Horn

This chair was out on the street not far from where I live. It looks like something I’ve seen on Antiques Roadshow, it’s a bit Eames-ish. I like it, but I didn’t take it home.

Those are the Jane Street Christmas trees in the background! It’s a Vermont guy named Billy Romp and his family and friends. He’s been setting up there for 25 years now and he wrote a book about it called Christmas on Jane Street.

I forget how it came up, but at Thanksgiving dinner someone mentioned how an ER doctor said they were seeing more rat bites because a new poison is being used that is driving them crazy. And causing them more pain, I’m guessing.

Yesterday, I passed by a dying rat. It wasn’t moving much, and it was very clearly suffering. I almost burst into tears. A different roll of the dice and this could have been someone’s pet. It’s just this small creature, and it was in pain.

This keeps coming up for me, the idea and progress of what I call global sameness. I was recently asked by the Women’s Internet History Project, “What do think the future will hold internet/digital/tech?” and I worked global sameness into my answer:

“For better or worse (mostly better) the internet and all the applications that go with it have broken down a lot of boundaries. One of those boundaries is the boundary of power. The United States will become less and less important, but not in a bad way, I don’t think. It’s just that the rest of the world has risen and will continue to rise in importance, and in power and influence.

“No one gives up power without a battle, or accepts change without resistance. For instance, the divide between liberal and conservative in this country is at its most acrimonious right now, just as America is slowly becoming more fair and more just (black president, increased civil rights for gays, etc.) So there are going to be problems all over the world, as we all start to blend into each other a tiny bit, and then more and more, some rising a little, some falling (or perceiving that they are falling).  

“We’re going to lose some things in the process. For example, NYC has lost a lot of its uniqueness over the last two decades. That is going to continue happen on a world-wide scale …”

I talk about how loss is inevitable, but the gain is worth it (hopefully). There are so many conflicts associated with differences (cultural, religious, racial), so someday global sameness may result in less conflict, more peace. Except families fight and hate each other sometimes, so maybe not.

My Thanksgiving at Peter and Miguel’s!

I have a cat on me and so I can’t get up and take the “after” picture from my holiday cleaning. Actually, I should wait until I decorate later today to take that picture in any case.

Instead, here is a very charming video, the New York Subway Signs Experiment. Trust me, you really want to watch this. Especially if you are having a crappy day.

I’ve been absent because holiday cleaning has begun. And I just heard a huge storm is coming so I need to get my shopping and laundry done today as well!

But before I forget, on Thanksgiving there’s going to be a marathon live streaming event of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Also, on Tuesday, at 1pm, Joel Hodgson is going to do an AMA. I was an absolute MST3K fanatic, and I even mentioned it in my first book. I wonder which episodes they’re going to show??

A “before” shot from my cleaning yesterday.