Stalinistas

The G.O.P. Stalinists Invade Upstate New York
By FRANK RICH
Published: October 31, 2009

BARACK OBAMA’S most devilish political move since the 2008 campaign was to appoint a Republican congressman from upstate New York as secretary of the Army. This week’s election to fill that vacant seat has set off nothing less than a riotous and bloody national G.O.P. civil war. No matter what the results in that race on Tuesday, the Republicans are the sure losers. This could be a gift that keeps on giving to the Democrats through 2010, and perhaps beyond. More

Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

One Hundred Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1)
By Bruce Buschel
Start-Up Chronicle

Herewith is a modest list of dos and don’ts for servers at the seafood restaurant I am building. Veteran waiters, moonlighting actresses, libertarians and baristas will no doubt protest some or most of what follows. They will claim it homogenizes them or stifles their true nature. And yet, if 100 different actors play Hamlet, hitting all the same marks, reciting all the same lines, cannot each one bring something unique to that role?

1. Do not let anyone enter the restaurant without a warm greeting.

2. Do not make a singleton feel bad. Do not say, “Are you waiting for someone?” Ask for a reservation. Ask if he or she would like to sit at the bar.

3. Never refuse to seat three guests because a fourth has not yet arrived.

4. If a table is not ready within a reasonable length of time, offer a free drink and/or amuse-bouche. The guests may be tired and hungry and thirsty, and they did everything right.

5. Tables should be level without anyone asking. Fix it before guests are seated. 6-50

Handpicked

From left: Sophia, Polly, Tim, Rita and Karen Bates. More Photos >
By CHRISTINE MUHLKE
Published: October 27, 2009

Northern California breeds food pioneers: M. F. K. Fisher, Alice Waters, Alfred Peet, for starters. But to some, a pioneering spirit means finding the next frontier. Take Sally and Don Schmitt and their family. First they put the agricultural backwater of Yountville on the culinary map with their restaurant, the French Laundry. Then they left town and spun around farm-to-table in Philo. More

Related
Recipes: Curry-Glazed Duck Legs (November 1, 2009)
Recipes: Fresh Apple Salsa (November 1, 2009)
Recipe: Apple-Beet Chutney (November 1, 2009)
Recipe: Ginger-Apple Upside-Down Cake (November 1, 2009)

OLED TV? 2012

LG to Release 40-inch OLED TV in 2012
By Dan Hope, TopTenREVIEWS
posted: 01 November 2009 10:20 am ET

LED TVs haven’t proved to be very promising for consumers, despite being billed as the next big thing in HDTVs. Currently, Sony sells an OLED TV but it’s only 11 inches, and most manufacturers don’t have plans to build anything bigger than 20 inches in the near future. However, LG obviously feels more optimistic about consumer-grade OLED TVs. More

Everybody Knows

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In Cub Foods Last Night

I saw ten cheap witch's hats for $1. I did not see good deals on Halloween candy.

Congrats! to everyone, especially:

To Ellen Asher, Jane Yolen and Kijjohnson for their World Fantasy awards. Link