del.icio.us tags: cool stuff

You too can own one of those street banners from your favorite art show, courtesy of BetterWall. Be prepared to drop a few dimes, however. If you want to stay on top of new stock, you can sign up for their e-newsletter.

I told Gabby I would find an excuse to come to Minneapolis and this might be it: the Chambers Hotel. Piers Fawkes posted about the Chambers, a "proper art hotel" last month on PSFK. I just stayed at the Hudson Hotel in New York, which has a beautiful lobby, but is not someplace I'll be staying again because I really don't need to bruise my knees on the wall when I sit down to pee.

If you've spent more than five minutes working in a communications agency (like me) — or have ever been presented to by one as a (potential) client — this great piece from the A.V. Club, "5 Trends I Just Made Up Looking Around the Office," will make you laugh — or cringe.

Dooce posted these amazing series of photos of folks in life and death. If you're in London between April 9 and May 18, you can catch Life Before Death at the Wellcome Collection. Update: Jason Kottke thinks the photos should be seen side by side online, giving you another reason to go to the show in London, where I'm guessing they are.

in case you're wondering

After a full day of being a slug, I am feeling better and heading out tonight for a drink with my friend Anna at Bistro Bis at The Hotel George. As long as they have Laphroaig on the menu . . .

And then, tomorrow morning, I am getting up early to take the train to New York for the day to see the Richard Serra show at the MoMA (which may test my claustrophobia) and to, hopefully, yank my friend Dan from the clutches of his job at the best company to work for in America for another drink before heading home to DC in the evening.

Not sure what is happening on the 4th. Back in the day, I spent the 4th of July on my grandparents' front lawn in East Longmeadow, MA on a blanket, waiting for the Shriners -- in their little cars -- to toss candy my way.

Maybe I can find some small children on Wednesday and throw candy at them for old times' sake.

Back to the old (bump and) grind on Thursday.

Update: The MoMA is closed on Tuesday. New plan: the Met, shopping in Soho, a plate of potato pancakes with apple sauce and a drink with Dan somewhere fabulous.

a glass of Laphroaig

I didn't manage to head off on my trip yesterday until after 3:00 o'clock and then spent the first couple hours of my trip staring at the back of the car in front of me, so I didn't get down to Chapel Hill until 9:30 or so.


My late arrival meant that Crook's Corner -- where I was planning on getting my first plate of shrimp and cheese grits -- was closed for dinner. I considered the possibility of banging on the front door and explaining to them that I had driven all the way from DC for that damn plate of shrimp and cheese grits, but my dignity got in the way.


Unfortunately, the standard that had been set in my mind of of shrimp and cheese grits meant that the offerings of pizza, Mexican fast food and sports bar menu items that were available to me at that hour of the night just weren't going to hack it. So dinner amounted to a glass of Laphroiag and a chat with Ray, the bartender at the hotel bar.

Ray, whose sister -- also named Alison -- recently passed away from ovarian cancer, informed me that The Franklin Hotel opened on New Year's Eve. If you have a reason to be in Chapel Hill, I'd suggest you check on availability and stay here. It's a really lovely boutique hotel right in the midst of Franklin Street -- the pedestrian hub -- and the rates are shockingly low ($143/night), for a traveler accustomed to paying NY rates.

Actually, because the hotel was so nice and because I'm not willing to head out of town without that damn plate of shrimp and cheese grits, I'm spending another night. I'm aiming for a lazy morning in the room and then a trip over to Durham for a trip down memory lane (I lived there nine years ago). I'll come back to Chapel Hill this afternoon for a stroll on Franklin Avenue and then -- YES -- dinner at Crook's Corner. I picked up the schedule at Cat's Cradle but the band that's playing tonight doesn't look or sound like something that's going to float my boat.

Where's Superchunk when you need them?

Good luck to all the folks in line for the iPhone.

new york park wifi

If you're in New York -- and I am this weekend -- and you're looking for free WiFi, check out this map from the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, identifying the 17 Park WiFi locations throughout the city, including multiple spots in Central Park as well as Union Square and Washington Square Parks.

Yes, there are probably 17 Starbucks per block in this city with TMobile Hot Spots, but Park WiFi is FREE and outside.

Comes via Gothamist's Map of the Day.