Here's a helpful tip, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday: Don't put potato peels down the garbage disposal. I found this out the hard way this week. Lo and behold, there were posts galore all over the Web to this effect as we scrambled to the computer to find out what to do about the glutenous particles spouting out of our sink. What did we do before the Web?

I must express my excitement at the news this week that Kendra and John have announced that they are coming back to the left coast! More details to come later lest I let the cat out of the bag too soon. For now all Akhil and I can say is, Yippee!

My friend Mark's book "Edison and the Electric Chair" came out in paperback this month (hardcover came out last year) and I saw it for the first time today at B&N. Check it out -- good gift idea for those with morbid fascinations, perhaps? We're proud of you, Mark!