On Inspiration

"The words aren’t gushing out like a flood, like they usually do. My narrator is reluctant, you see. Reluctant, misanthropic, fed up and hopeless. He’d be angry if he weren’t so jaded by now. So every time I sit down to write, it’s a little bit of a struggle. I can’t just give him control of my hands, like I normally do, and let my conscious mind go out for a smoke or some sushi. It’s an interactive process. I have to pour him drinks, get him talking, draw him out little by little. He wants to tell the story, he really does; but he’s also so tired, so full of pain that runs so deep it doesn’t even feel like pain any more. He doesn’t give a damn about himself or about anything else. Hell, in the first chapter we find him lying naked on a beach, waiting for heat exhaustion or dehydration or the sea to take him away. Getting him out of that hole, getting him to come inside and pick up a pencil, takes some doing."

- Jeff Harrell

Asking the Right Questions

Is high fructose corn syrup any worse than its leading competitor, table sugar?

The publics lack of understanding needlessly vilifies this sweetener.

Martha's Vineyard

Seeing how I rarely post new stuff here anymore, I thought I might share a few beach pictures from a recent excursion to Martha's Vineyard.

BlogSoop New York City Summer Dining Guide

The 2007 BlogSoop New York City Summer Dining Guide is here.

Restaurant reviewed include:

• Via Emilia
• Shake Shack
• Landmarc (TWC)
• Hill Country
• Grom Gelato
• Momofuku Ssam Bar

Thanks to all the bloggers who have agreed to have their reviews included. I've included links to their sites - once downloaded its easy to click through and explore.

Feel free to copy, distribute, embed and or otherwise transmit the work as you see fit.

Citysearch Ad Buyer Beware

Industry estimates put Citysearch ad spending in the $100 million/year range. The company buys keywords using AdWords (as well as with Yahoo! and other search engines) and then directs a visitor to sponsored listing, offsetting the purchase price of the click and potentially earning a profit. Citysearch is the most profitable search arbitrage site on the web.

When is Enough, Enough?

Studies show our environment impacts our dietary decisions far more than we might predict.

Hot Pepper Seeks Spicy Masochist

How did we, as a species, develop our perverse desire to suffer – and enjoy - chili’s painful burn? Are we masochistic gastronomes?