Just as Seattle area residents are thinking about maybe, just maybe, putting away the flannel sleepwear and pulling off the flannel sheets, the Seattle Times publishes an editorial denouncing, of all things, the weather. They demand that Mother Nature get a move on and bring in summer for real instead of continuing to tease us with sun only to drizzle and pour again. The thing is, every long-time Seattle resident knows that summer here starts no earlier than the day after the 4th of July. So don’t start making us believe that your editorial was what made summer come, Seattle Times — if it ever does (sigh).

Nine weird things that flew on the Space Shuttles: cans of Coke & Pepsi or officially the Carbonated Beverage Dispenser Evaluation payload, the New York Mets’ home plate from Shea now on display at Citi Field, dirt from Yankee Stadium, NASCAR starter flags, a Buzz Lightyear action figure, one of Luke Skywalker’s lightsabers, some of Gene Roddenberry’s ashes (also flown on commercial space flight), several sports jerseys including a yellow Tour de France jersey, and a metal cargo tag from the Jamestown colony (1607). The final space shuttle flight is scheduled for July 8th.

For no reason other than I had the random thought of doing it (which is why this weblog is called “Random”) here’s a word cloud comprised of the lyrics to every Ivy League university/college’s alma mater. Most of these were composed in the decades around the turn of the century (1900) and a few were rewritten to reflect the addition of women students.

photo: Seek New Travel

After Harvard Square’s Wordsworth bookstore closed in 2004, owners Hillel Stavis and Donna Friedman decided to focus on their other venture, a children’s bookstore named after Curious George. They opened the store in 1995 with the consent of Cambridge resident Margret Rey who created George with her husband Hans. In addition to books they sold games and crafts. Well, you probably know where this is going. The owners announced earlier this month that the bookstore would close. Lease negotiations, healthcare costs, and the oft-cited bad economy contributed to their decision. They attempted to save Curious George and Friends by turning it into a non-profit and asking the Cambridge City Council and the Rey’s Curious George Foundation for help, proposing a small museum. But no one has stepped forward to save the store. Joining it in the disappearance of independent bookstores from the historic square is the Globe Corner Bookstore which closes this week.

Angela Haseltine Pozzi gathers the cast off trash of humans that washes up on the beach and turns it into sculptures of marine life. It’s a beautiful, sad commentary on the state of our marine ecosystem. Currently on display at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California are a coral reef made out of Styrofoam, a jellyfish made out of bags and plastic bottle tops, and a seal and sea turtle constructed of plastic bottles and other stuff we throw away.  Pozzi says some of the trash traveled across the ocean, including hundreds of water bottles from the Beijing Olympics.

Andrew Rossi’s “Page One: Inside The New York Times” is a documentary on print journalism at a time when many say the medium is dying. The print part may be gone one day, but journalism itself will continue. Times reporter David Carr, one of the film’s major subjects, tells the Seattle Times that originally he was the sole subject of the documentary but the camera was affecting his interviews so he asked Rossi to include some colleagues. That contributed to the film’s focus on only one part of the Times’ team, the Media Desk. Critics have pointed out the lack of women in the film and also that it excludes the Times’ investigative reporting team. As happens with the filming of real lives, only those who wished to be on-screen were willing to participate. Carr says “You’re seeing males, hambone little banty rooster males who were more willing to be on camera.” Of the lack of female participation despite the fact that 40% of the Times’ newsroom is women, Glynnis MacNicol at Business Insider sums up “it seems we only have ourselves to blame.” I’d rather think those who declined prefer to stick to their role of not being part of the story. In his “no conflict of interest here” review in The New York Times itself, Michael Kinsley recommends seeing “His Girl Friday” instead (great idea).

Several Marie Callender’s restaurants closed abruptly last week after the parent company filed for bankruptcy. In some cases diners were in the middle of meals when they were asked to leave. All the Washington and Arizona locations were shut down. Florida and Northern California locations were hit hard; seven Bay Area restaurnts were closed with none remaining in the East Bay. The company’s Perkins restaurants in the midwest were also shuttered. Owner-operated franchises of both chains are getting the word out that they are staying open.

Alice Waters has gathered several friends for a series of events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Chez Panisse and benefit her Edible Schoolyard program. It kicks off on August 26th with the unveiling of Water’s portrait for the National Portrait Gallery. There’s a long list of dinners with special guests at private homes. Michael Pollan will roast a pig in his backyard. Restauranter and long-time Waters friend Cecilia Chiang will host a Chinese banquet with guest Ruth Reichl. The list goes on with several cuisines and chefs represented. Tickets are pricey but funds go to the Edible Schoolyard.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (I could’ve just said MTA, right?) of New York sells a surprising collection of cast offs from public transportation. Right now they have subway car doors, line signs (with an optional cable so you can light ’em up), horns from the bottom of the subway car, and, don’t get too excited here: actual stanchion poles from inside the cars for $25 each  (yes, the poles you hang onto, consider the possibilities but, like I said, don’t get too excited).  Maybe you’d prefer a bus seat or a subway seat or those popular “Y cut” vintage subway tokens. It seems like everything that was nailed down can now be yours for a price.

NECCO Water Tower (by Jill Robidoux)

It’s been years since the sweet smell of the NECCO factory wafted across Cambridge, but I still missed that sugary air on my recent trip back. The Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) took over the 1927 factory building after a $120 million transformation completed in 2004. The old candy factory that was sometimes referred to as Willy Wonka’s (I never saw anyone go in or out) now features two pairs of glass elevators like Charlie’s. The inside is completely transformed and the outside has been updated but had to conform to Cambridge’s strict hold over architectural improvements. In 1996, NECCO’s water tower was cleverly painted to resemble a stack of NECCO wafers. Novartis knew the iconic tower had to remain, but with a new identity. They sponsored a competition to solicit ideas from local artists and students. Joseph DePasquale won with a DNA double helix representing the company’s mission. A PowerPoint deck from Sponge Jet chronicles their careful restoration of the rusty tank with consideration for containment of the dust. The redone building may not emit a sweet smell (and considering the research going on inside we probably don’t want it to emit anything), but it retains some essence of the magical concoctions that it used to house.

Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research