for “glue in the lungs“:

• one whole peeled lemon
• one dried cayenne pepper (preferably from your garden)¹
• honey to taste
• hot water, in an amount sufficient to render an imbibible consistency

liquefy all ingredients in a blender. drink the resulting concoction.

i have no idea if it works. with the exception of the cayenne, it sounds like the lemon-honey tea i used to drink when my throat was sore.
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¹webMD notes that capsaicin, the “hot” chemical in peppers (including cayenne), may thin mucus and treat emphysema, but adds a few contraindications, including high blood pressure.

warren brown explains why cakelove keeps the cupcakes in the fridge.

(and i write the post title with a giggle in my heart and nothing but admiration for warren.)

random note to myself ‘cuz something’s wrong with ravelry.com’s upload feature.

back when i was in second grade, there was a particularly washington variation on this joke. it went like this:

q: why did the chicken cross the road?
a: to get the washington times.

after a predictable two-beat blank stare from the other person (these were second graders, after all), there’d be the followup:

“get it?”
to which the other person would reply, “no.”

then you’d deliver the zinger:

“neither do i - i get the Post.”

ah, yes. second grade commentary on journalism in the nation’s capital. and yet, it seems the times still has local distribution issues, because they’ve just started running new bus shelter ads to drum up business.

and what is it with ties, anyway? as i noted below, fuld was wearing a very expensive one when he testified before congress - something about it just shouted out “money,” even through teh interwebs. and this ad - old white dude, black and white photo, colorized tie. what’s it really saying?

i just realized why lehman brothers CEO richard fuld looks strangely familiar: he’s a vulcan in disguise.

how much do you think that tie he’s wearing costs? according to henry waxman, fuld pulled down around $480 million in total compensation in the last seven years. regardless where you’re shopping, that’s a lot of ties.

and then there’s this exchange, from a 2005 interview fuld gave to euromoney:

Mortgages is one of the businesses that has served you well in recent years. You were already a large underwriter of mortgage-backed securities, but in the last couple of years you’ve bought mortgage origination platforms and now 55% of your MBS deals come from your own mortgage platform. What’s the thinking behind that?

Adding mortgage origination capabilities creates a fully vertically integrated business for us. It gives us a captive source for generating mortgage loans, and allows us to capture additional fees. It also puts in our own hands the quality control of ensuring that loans are underwritten to the appropriate standards.

hmmm. “appropriate standards”?

thunderstorms. early fall heat. the national book festival. and gaiman in his biker jacket.

he did take the jacket off for the book signing, though.

it always amazes me how good-natured he is. this is a man who can sign for hours - this time with a broken finger - and still have a smile for his fans.

’splain, please.

neil will be answering questions in the wapo online discussion at noon today; on saturday he’ll be in town for the national book festival.

i shall take my new enormous zoom lens to the mall to better stalk photograph him.

huzzah!

(previous stalkings of the author here, here, here, and here. oh, my. that’s quite a bit, isn’t it?)

paradise city (gnr)
abracadabra (steve miller)
the wall (pink floyd)
in the shadows (the rasmus)
stairway to heaven (led zeppelin)

nope. not the playlist of an odd retro dance party. the music that andreas helgstrand chose for his grand prix dressage freestyle routine. and it’s awesome. so watch it. (it’s up on nbcolympics.com at the 20 minute mark on the rewind: dressage freestyle video.)

chupa chup, a holsteiner gelding ridden by brasilian bernardo alvez. too bad his tail’s been banged.

clear round, too.