The yodeling of the Baka pygmies, which tonight will feature in my dreams.

So Swedish blond furniture giant IKEA decided to open outlets in Russia. Turns out it was a bad idea.From the start the company announced that even in Russia it would be adhering to its clearly-formulated Swedish rules, based on the Protestant work ethic and unanswerable logic. As a result, Khimki officials turned off the electricity […]

I put aside my Nebula reading for some stories by W. Somerset Maugham, his collection The Trembling of a Leaf. These are stories set in Samoa or Honolulu or on the long passage somewhere between, and include “Rain,” the story that introduced the world to Miss Sadie Thompson, the hooker with a heart of sulfuric […]

So . . . as I was discussing my 2009 taxes with the Accountant, the Accountant asked: “What about property taxes for 2009?”Hmm. Interesting. I didn’t remember paying property taxes for 2009. Or for that matter receiving a bill.So I’ve been on the phone with the County Clerk and the County Assessor and the County […]