The Corporate Animal

Last night, I looked at an old diary of my Grandmother's. Stuck inside was the price tag, indicating that She bought it at Woolworth's, for 99 cents.

Woolworth's is gone, now. Out of business. Extinct. Vanished forever from the corporate ecosystem.

That's got me thinking. One of the book that my boss is requiring us to read takes a look at the birth, life and death of corporations. And it's made me realize that the organizations which sell us everything from toothpaste to beer to shampoo, are, indeed, in many ways like a living organism.

What is as familiar in your downtown today as the oak tree upon which you carved your high school love, may tomorrow be but a memory. Or it could endure another century.

The company that makes Altoids, Callard and Bowser, has existed since 1700-something. Happens to have one of the weirdest corporate websites on the web, too (www.altoids.com).

Lea & Perrins has made Worcestershire Sauce since 1835.

Sometimes when I buy something, I look for the company headquarters on the label and look up the location in my atlas. Sometimes I visit the website. You can learn more than you might think about history, about culture, that way.

I have an old brown bottle on my bookshelf, embossed with "Forni's Alpenkrauter Blubeleber." Someday, I'll tell you the fascinating story behind that product.

Savory Squash

Remembering how much I enjoyed rice seasoned with garam masala -- not just tasty but fragrant -- I sprinkled some ground cloves into the squash and potatoes for dinner last night.

Heaven on a plate!

I shall try more combinations like this in the future.

Fine Frenzy, redux

I am so dumb. Dumb as a sack of sand. Dumb as moldy bread, as a Klansman, as people who beat their children in Walmart.

I told y'all a while back about the Fine Frenzy CD that wouldn't play.

Went back to B&N today and got another copy. Still wouldn't play. What are the chances of getting two defective CDs in a row?

Sweetie took a look at it as I was putting groceries away.

"You know why this wouldn't play?" She said. "It's a DVD."

Women are smarter than men. I rest my case. And now I am enjoying this lovely DVD.

Pixie Dust to share!

I have linked Pixie Dust, another wonderful and creative Woman, whose blog reveals a deep sensitivity to the rhythm of life and nature, whether in pondering the elements of the earth or observing Her daughter growing up.

Curry in the Big Apple

I sampled a few more pages of Lizzie Collingham's book this morning, "Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors."

It is ironic that She begins Her account of Indian cuisine not in Mumbai, or even Tiruchchirappalli (say that ten times fast!), but in New York City. There are probably street signs in India older than New York City. But of course this brash young American metropolis is a gathering place for people from all around the world.

"The area in Manhattan where 1st Avenue intersects with East 6th Street is so overcrowded with Indian restaurants that it is known as Curry Row," Collingham writes.

Yet another reason why I want to visit New York City before I die.

Rebecca lives there. Maybe if She checks in here sometime soon, She can report firsthand about any experiences She might have had on Curry Row.

It was bound to happen

In Search of Isis got its first spam post today, purporting to be from some clod of dirt named Adam.

Adam, you wasted your time. I deleted your post the moment I saw it. I'm not interested in your get-rich-quick crap. I never will be. Be gone and don't come back.