PicoBlog

In the latest sign that summer is coming, real-deal cucumbers (in other words: neither grown in a hothouse nor trucked in from warmer climes) have arrived at the market. At Union Square in New York, I love the ones from Lani’s Farm, which are a unique shade of pale yellow and astoundingly crunchy. These are best eaten right out of your market bag as soon as you’re home, maybe snapped in half with some salt, if not chomped on promptly with no ornamentation at all.

I would looooove to tell you all of my thoughts about Saltburn, but unfortunately I’m a fashion critic, not a movie critic. With that being said, this is not a great movie, but I did have a great time, and I think you all need to watch more provocative things, because this wasn’t that bad. Since everyone’s media literacy skills are complete garbage fire, that does NOT mean I would like to perform the acts committed in this movie.

If you like the crisp edges of lasagne, the soaked croutons, the whipped cream that gets icy around the chocolate scoop - you’re in the right place. Hello! I should start by saying that I’m not an authority on frosted celebration cakes (see Claire Safftiz, Natasha Picowictz). I'm writing to you strictly in my capacity as a mum playing out a fantasy of motherhood.  And this chocolate cake has given it to me thick: I tasted frosting late at night, provoked hops and squeals of delight, received a thank you hug from the head of my son's school, and enjoyed multiple helpings of the ambrosial cake myself.

During a lecture at Cal Tech in 2012, Sam Harris invited his listeners to “run a little experiment.” You can replicate the experiment yourself in the next ten seconds or so. “Pick a city, anywhere in the world…any city.” OK, have the name of a city? Very good. You’ve done the experiment. We can check the results. “The first thing to notice,” he says, “is that this is as free a decision as you are ever going to make in your life.

Border Studies - Notes from Samantha Culp By Samantha Culp Border Studies is an occasional newsletter from writer/filmmaker Samantha Culp (now including: updates on the book I am writing about the history and present-day landscape of "futures thinking" in its many forms) ncG1vNJzZmirpZfAta3CpGWcp51kjbStzJqlraCRmMKtvA%3D%3D

Born in February 1841 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Samuel Raymond Scottron was a businessman, inventor, and active public speaker and writer who promoted improving race relations through racial harmony and fairness and was a Brooklyn Board of Education member. He fought to end slavery in Cuba and Puerto Rico by serving as the Chairman of the Cuban Anti-Slavery Committee, which met at the Cooper Institute. He is responsible for multiple patents for the curtain rod.

Downtown San Francisco appeared different after the city removed most homeless residents and their possessions from the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) area. Business leaders and political commentators proclaimed amazement that San Francisco’s homeless woes were seemingly vanquished for APEC. Many asked why downtown couldn’t look like this all the time. So, I have to wonder: do these people really think San Francisco city government hasn’t tried to sweep away the homeless before?

After an overly eventful year, months of grey skies, and being bundled up against the cold weather, we decided to lift our spirits and head south to Spain. I didn’t feel like getting on an airplane, making travel arrangements, navigating public transit, etc., and made an executive decision we were going to San Sebastián, also known by its Basque name, Donostia. I’d been twice before and knew the city a bit, but it has a lot going for it: It’s entirely walkable, I knew a great hotel, there was an almost-direct train from Paris, and the food is wonderful.

The last few weeks have seemed like a non-stop torrent of loss. I’ve had things planned for this newsletter and the podcast, but death seems to keep interrupting the plans. I was not at all prepared for the calls I got, back to back, late Sunday afternoon telling me that Sandra Crouch had died. I didn’t know her, but the people who called knew that I loved her and they wanted me to know before the news went all around the world.