Here, as in a photograph, a woman bent to pick up flowers. Still farther over, their images burned on wood in one titanic instant, a small boy, hands flung into the air higher up, the image of a thrown ball, and opposite him, a girl, hands raised to catch a ball which never came down.

The German World War II general Erich von Manstein is said to have categorized his officers into four types. The first type, he said, is lazy and stupid. His advice was to leave them alone because they dont do any harm. The second type is hard-working and clever. He said that they make great officers because they ensure everything runs smoothly. The third group is composed of hardworking idiots. Von Manstein claims that you must immediately get rid of these, as they force everyone around them to perform pointless tasks. The fourth category are officers who are lazy and clever. These, he says, should be your generals. Discovering this information set me to wondering how General von Mansteins categories might apply to business organizations today.

Best known for his 1994 collaboration with Don Chadwick on the Aeron chair, a disruptive innovation in work seating that was immediately accessioned into the permanent collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art, Mr. Stumpf was also an accomplished writer and lecturer on design, and a powerful advocate for civility and originality in American life.

Shortly after moving in to the new place, I bought a set of household tools that turned out inadequate to the tasks at hand, and that were too cheap to try to resell. So being a big fan of the "free stuff" section on craigslist, I offered them up to anyone who would pick them up. I got a good twenty or so replies almost immediately, but it took over a week for just one of them to follow all the way through. I know we're not arranging an organ transplant, but c'mon people; either you want the hammer and screwdrivers or you don't, let's not play games.

The best was when, on another occasion, I offered some free stuff and had my post removed because someone, who had contacted me to ask how much money I wanted for this free stuff, reported my offer as misleading. No good deed goes unpunished, it seems.

By the way, what's up with people trying to give away baby food and formula?

I hear ya, Tim.

You buy furniture. You tell yourself, this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life. Buy the sofa, then for a couple years you're satisfied that no matter what goes wrong, at least you've got your sofa issue handled. Then the right set of dishes. Then the perfect bed. The drapes. The rug. Then you're trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you.

THE WOMEN'S PETITION AGAINST COFFEE REPRESENTING TO PUBLICK CONSIDERATION THE Grand INCONVENIENCIES accuring to their SEX from the Excessive Use of that Drying, Enfeebling LIQUOR.

... versus...

THE Mens Answer TO THE Womens Petition AGAINST COFFEE, VINDICATING Their own Performances, and the Vertues of that Liquor, from the Undeserved Aspersions lately cast upon them by their SCANDALOUS PAMPHLET.

Oh it's on.

Thanks to the invaluable assistance of Caffeinated And Unstrung, I have finally settled on a cafe to call my home away from home.

First stop was Ralph's Grocery & Deli, since it's open the latest; the only thing I miss about living in New York City is that it truly never sleeps. Anyways, it's pretty clear that the extended hours at Ralph's more for the grocery than the deli, which is probably packed during lunch time, but is certainly a ghost town in the evening.

Next stop was Top Pot Doughnuts. The main draw here is the home-made doughnuts, the likes of which I have not tasted since my first religious experience at Krispy Kreme. Unfortunately, while the doughnuts are sure to keep me coming back, the paucity of power outlets prevents me from prolonging the stay.

Last stop, Uptown Espresso. The web site doesn't look like much, but the location is something else. This place is big, and in addition to a liberal sprinkling of large, solid tables, they've managed to place an outlet about every five feet in any direction. The only downside is that, while Seattle is renowned for its coffee (the locals consider Starbucks on par on with 7-Eleven), strong chai has not been easy to come by. I suppose when in Rome, don't wait for them to conquer India.