In Which Our Protagonist Decides to Give up Sugar:

I realize most of my entries heretofore have regarded food- not New York or the south, nor my quest for employment, nor my deep interest in pop culture. My one-sided love affair with sugar is well-documented, my slavish adoration of the thigh-thickening additive noted. And so, yes, I have a problem, and before my rarely-visited doctor tells me I'm prediabetic and I need hypnotism, let's nip this in the bud. Healthy choices and changes from here on out, more fruits, more vegetables, less hot chocolate at work, less candy, and less cereal. 

And so in honor of Lent which incidentally happens to coincide with the time space in which I am considering jumpstarting some sort of heavy detox, let's devote some final moments to my favorite piece of sugar: the Girl Scout cookies.

Like Detroit carmakers and Wall Street Bankers, the young troops are also in financial straits. 

So do your part for the economy and buy some tasty treats from your local troop. Should you reside in the greater Manhattan area, follow the link to get your sugar fix.

Rest in Peace, Domino

Domino, a Condé Nast publication, shuttered today after suffering the economic blow currently afflicting many other magazines and newspapers. A decorating how-to for established party planning mavens and aspiring aesthetes alike, the shelter magazine is the latest fatality in a line of similar publications in recent months.

Just shy of its 4th birthday, Domino leaves behind its founding editor-in-chief, Deborah Needleman, and numerous other staffers now left to ride out the virulent financial crisis elsewhere. The website will also perish; although the date is still unclear, the site will presumably close nearer to the release of the final issue, in March.

"This decision to cease publication of the magazine and its website is driven entirely by the economy," Charles Townsend, CEO and President of Condé Nast, consoled concerned readers in a press release Wednesday. 

Economic strategists and politicians, after much deliberation, have yet to attribute the spreading depression to any one cause nor have they been able to satisfactorily remedy any diseased journalistic ventures.

In lieu of flowers, Domino staffers ask for job leads instead.

Condé Nast Folds Domino [Mediaweek]

Are you Hungry Tonight?

I haven't purchased any necessary groceries since before Christmas so my the pickings from my pantry are slim, and usually I suffer through the hunger as I'm not really inspired to demonstrate my culinary prowess using only balsamic vinaigrette, peanut butter, and pancake mix. Except tonight. I'm crawling into bed, nearly comatose from my Crumbs 'King' cupcake. It's January 8, and any good Memphian knows what today is: why, it's Elvis's birthday of course! In commemoration of the late, great jumpsuit-wearing, cloud-moving, hip-swiveling King of Rock 'n' Roll, a favorite bakery of scads of New Yorkers is serving up a specialty cupcake of his favorite staples: peanut butter and banana. No bacon though. It's probably for the best. I might end up looking a little bloated and sweaty, much like this: