Products I Love V
Quite awhile ago, I went through a mint phase. Mint tea, mint shampoo, mint soap. And the best mint soap comes to us from Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps. Based in Escondido, California, Dr. Bronner's family produces the all-one, hemp, pure-castile soaps in liquid and bar soap. The runner-up soap, lemon, only comes in bar form. The soap works well, smells great, and is 100% natural. And each bar wrapper is imprinted with some of Dr. Bronner's moral ABC's, as well as notable quotations from thinkers such as Chief Seattle, Buddha, Einstein, and Booker T. Washington. Clean your body, clean your mind.

Digesting the Daily II
Having spent some time last weekend on the big blue couch catching up on two months' worth of the Daily Northwestern, I've decided to keep up with them as they're mailed. And I found several media-, technology-, and activism-related items that might be of interest to Media Dieticians.

NU not using its wireless network
NUIT officials blame lack of equipment for unpopularity; students say it's poor publicity
(Oct. 31, 2002)

Life in a dead city
This group of NU students knows that while everyday life can be a drag, Saturday night is all right for biting
(Oct. 31, 2002)

Living history
Local author, magazine founder Robinson aims to enliven undocumented stories from Evanston's black community
(Nov. 1, 2002)

Students at Ariz. St., Indiana busted for shooting porn films
Expulsion, suspensions follow filming; NU officials would deny any requests
(Nov. 1, 2002)

Student CEOs must balance work, school
Budding college-aged entrepreneurs get taste of the business world ahead
(Nov. 4, 2002)

Wireless networking isn't used at NU because it's inconvenient
Letter writer Benjamin Shapiro compares NU's network to that of UCSD
(Nov. 5, 2002)

NU lags behind, but Kellogg uses wireless to its potential
Letter writer Derek Yung says the "b" in B-school stands for "better"
(Nov. 5, 2002)

CNN may try to win youth with slang talk
Some Medill profs, students say news would lose its respect, professionalism
(Nov. 6, 2002)

High-tech ventures offered at DevLab
New director brings center big hopes for NU's business-minded community
(Nov. 6, 2002)

Bylines of the batch: Sarah Warning and Andy Nelson. I went to grade school with an Andy Nelson.

Magazine Me XXI
Mad makes fun of the Onion. And the world caves in on itself.

Clothes Whore V
Absolutely no one has sent me a T-shirt to photograph myself wearing for Media Diet. So I'm left with checking out all of the different outfits that Winona Ryder wore during her shoplifting trial appearances. Now you can, too.

Among the Literati XVI
Four independent literary journals that have also stepped into the realm of book publishing -- Fence, McSweeney's, Open City, and Verse -- have joined forces to create the BigSmallPressMall. The BigSmallPressMall is a collaborative effort that will co-promote each imprint's titles, as well as readings and other related events.

You can even order a sample pack that includes an item from each participating press. That page includes the funny sentence, "Please note that since the the four publishers are in different locations, each book from the package will be delivered separately." Heh.

What a fine, fine idea. Any and all independent record labels and publishers could learn from this project.

Ho Ho, It's Mr. Show! III
David Cross of Mr. Show fame has released a comedy CD on SubPop. It's two CD's chock full of hilarity recorded during Cross's 2002 tour of rock clubs across America. You can even download some sampler MP3's if you're foolhardy. Rock on, David Cross. Rock on.

From the In Box: Digesting the Daily
Thanks a million for the mention on your site. I'm glad you like my strips (and understand Blammo and Mitch). I'm never sure how people are receiving my comics, specifically "Bottom of the Food Chain" because I rarely do get feedback about things. My recent battle is to keep "Bottom of the Food Chain" accessible online -- no one at the Daily seems to understand that there are people out there who may not see a Daily day in and day out. Knowing that there are people out there like you who read the strip really motivates me, and I'll be goddamned sure those monkeys keep my strips online for people who may not have subscriptions. Anyway, thanks for reading. I'll keep drawing! -- Alex Thomas

Wait... the Daily is produced by monkeys these days? When I was there, we had a staff of trained emus.

From the In Box: Music to My Ears XVII
File this under "Biting off More than You Can Listen to," I suppose...

Sorry for the impersonal email, but so many people have signed up for the CD Mix of the Month that I'm forced to get a little impersonal.

Thanks everybody for signing up. I just wanted to mention something:

This thing has gotten very large over the last couple of months. It used to be remarkable if I'd trade CDs with 40 people in a month. Well, last month, almost 400 people signed up, and this month's not too far behind.

So... last month I was forced to ask for money. Here's the deal: I'm asking you to please put $3 or $4 in your envelope when you send your CD's to me. I know it's annoying, but it costs me about $3 in materials and postage alone for each person trading. That's an expense I'm willing to support when there are only a couple dozen people trading, but when the numbers get this large, I really have no interest in (or resources to support) blowing $1,000 a month on this.

So please throw a few bucks in your envelope. (More's always welcome, of course, and goes directly to the Josh Benton Student Loan Pay-Off Fund.) If you've already send your discs, you can always PayPal me.

If you've got any questions, just email me. I'm really sorry to have to do this, but if I didn't ask for cash to meet some of my expenses, I'd be forced to kill off the club entirely. (For anyone concerned: I'm still not making any money off this thing. Last month, I still paid about $100 out-of-pocket for this.)

Remember, please get your mixes in the mail ASAP; November 25 is the deadline, but earlier's always better. I finally settled the November mix this weekend, and it should be hella good. -- Josh Benton

See what happens when you make an offer like that? Wow. 40 to 400 requests in a month or two. I'm of mixed mind when thinking about his recent email to potential traders, though. I can understand the overwhelming response he's received -- and can appreciate his concerns about the increase in out-of-pocket expense to support the project. At the same time, this is what "trade" means. If you want to trade mix tapes -- or zines, or whatever -- you trade. If you don't want to bear the brunt of the trade economy, you "sell" your wares. I'm not convinced that it's worth paying for a mix made by a stranger -- even if I can see past playlists -- and especially if I am requested to send a mix in exchange as well. I'm not getting reimbursed for my materials and postage. I'm trading. Trading and paying at the same time seems a bit much to ask. Still, I don't begrudge Benton the success of his project, and I don't begrudge him his change of heart.

Be careful what you ask for; you might get it. That said, my offer still stands. If you send me a mix tape or CD at the address in the left-hand column of Media Diet, I will reciprocate. (Until I experience the Benton Effect, I guess.)

Digesting the Daily
As a former editor and columnist for The Daily Northwestern and as an alumnus of Northwestern University, I subscribe to the Daily to keep up with campus happenings and the state of student journalism. Yesterday, I spent some quality time on the big blue couch to catch up on the last two months' worth of the Daily. And I found several media-, technology-, and activism-related items that might be of interest to Media Dieticians.

Student-written book offers candid look at NU
New unofficial handbook gives readers an alarming look at campus living
(Sept. 24, 2002)

WebRoomz lets students select own roommates
Company has two client universities; NU housing calls service unrealistic
(Oct. 1, 2002)

Cosmo terrifies as it entices, but most of all it lies
Columnist Mike Sherman analyzes the foibles of women's magazines
(Oct. 1, 2002)

Cosmo's trashy, but macho Maxim does equal damage
Letter writer Jason Spitz counters with an analysis of the foibles of, ahem, men's magazines
(Oct. 2, 2002)

Universities limit speech to set zones, bar protests
Colleges designate campus locations where students able to demonstrate
(Oct. 8, 2002)

Che's revolution is lost in sea of hip marketing
Columnist Kristina Francisco rages against the lifestyle marketing machine
(Oct. 9, 2002)

Former Daily columnist's plagiarism regretted
Just goes to show that stealing from widely read sources like Slate is silly, students
(Oct. 10, 2002)

Officials mull contract with hat company
University plans to weigh reports by labor-conditions watchdogs
(Oct. 11, 2002)

Role-playing group seeks out game vampires
NU group's live-action, year-long fun focuses on storytelling and characters
(Oct. 11, 2002)

Cosmo editor dazzles NU crowd with anecdotes, advice for women
Helen Gurley Brown speaks to a full audience to kick off Medill's Crain Lecture series
(Oct. 15, 2002)

Unrestrained nanotechnology enthusiasm potentially deadly
Looks like letter writer Clif Brown reads and respects Bill Joy
(Oct. 15, 2002)

Speaker: Rap music aids society in Africa
Popular music provides Tanzanians with sense of community, self-worth
(Oct. 15, 2002)

You can't tell if I'm telling you the whole truth
Perhaps concerned by recent reports of columnist plagiarism, Kristina Francisco admits a factual error in last week's column
(Oct. 16, 2002)

Nobel may increase NU Press cash flow
Troubled printer could profit from books' sales, but won't alter outlook
(Oct. 17, 2002)

Campus media need to know value of dissent
Columnist Jesse Abrams-Morley takes on the Daily's conservative counterpart, the Chronicle
(Oct. 17, 2002)

Nobel Prize emphasizes importance of NU Press
The Daily's editorial board takes a brave, pro-Nobel position
(Oct. 21, 2002)

Prof: Donated clothing sets trends in Africa
Media fails to see secondhand clothes as a cultural influence, professor says
(Oct. 22, 2002)

NU will renew contract with clothing company
Report: New Era improved labor conditions
(Oct. 23, 2002)

WNUR to keep online broadcast despite fees
Costly fee won't affect broadcasting, but cuts back amount of webcasting
(Oct. 24, 2002)

Tunnel vision
The long, hot journey to and through the hidden world beneath NU
(Oct. 24, 2002)

Student scrawlings on stall turned into book
"Penn State Whizdom" peak at what college kids read while taking a leak
(Oct. 25, 2002)

Free spirited, heavy minded
NOWAR adds its name to NU's infrequent history of activism
(Oct. 30, 2002)

Beyond the standard articles, editorials, columns, and letters of comment, several Daily features stand out as worth their salt issue after issue.

The comic strips and editorial cartoons of Alex Thomas are a joy to behold, especially his "Bottom of the Food Chain" anthropomorphic campus comedy and slightly differently styled "Kampus Komedy!" editorial cartoons starring Blammo and Mitch. Additional kudos for Thomas' editorial cartoon in response to the Sept. 24 feature on the unofficial campus guide published by a couple of snarky Sig Eps. Also, the weekly nyou section sports a "Week in Review" report card that is almost always spot on in its sarcasm and spunkiness. nyou's "Calendar" grid does more than point out upcoming events in the Evanston area; it often deflates the people and projects involved. "Calendar" isn't as darkly humorous as it seemed to be last year, but it's still worth a look.

I'll keep digesting the Daily for Alex Thomas and "Week in Review" alone, but it's good to see writers wrestling with media activism and literacy. Keep it up!

The Restaurant I Ate at Last Night XV
Upon my return from the CoF Roadshow every year, I reassess several aspects of my life. How I spend my time, who I spend it with, how I live my life habit-wise, etc. Not everything gets changed or improved, but this year, my little self-improvement kick includes reconsidering how I eat. How often I cook at home. Whether I eat breakfast. What I do for lunch at work. Last night, I decided that I've fallen into a restaurant rut. When I eat out, there are maybe two or three places that I frequent. At one of them, I order the exact same thing every single time I visit. This, I must change. There are a lot of restaurants in Boston. There are a lot of restaurants in my neighborhood. And I've never been to most of them.

So last night, I went somewhere new, to read John Brunner's The Sheep Look Up and to eat dinner before meeting Andrea for a drink later in the evening. The restaurant I picked? Well, it kind of picked me because India Pavilion was crowded and I'm not too comfortable eating and reading by myself in crowded restaurants. So I walked a couple of blocks to the Gandhi Restaurant instead.

The service at the Gandhi is extremely friendly and inobtrusive, and my waiter said "please" every time he came by the table. I liked that. The food? Rather average but passable Indian cuisine. I started with a lentil soup that was relatively free of lentils, and which had a slightly acrid tartness to it. Still, tasty and warm, perfect for a windy autumn evening. The aloo channa masala was a highlight, and it's good to see people adding other ingredients to the chickpea standby. That rested on a bed of aromatic jasmine rice. The garlic nan wasn't much to speak of -- I prefer my nan fixings to be cooked inside the nan rather than just peppered on the outside, and I missed the availability of aloo nan, my favorite -- but the papadam was crispy and good. I washed everything down with a mango juice and some water before moving onto dessert. Dessert was good. Gulab jamun is similar to warm donut holes in a sugar and rose water syrup -- also a highlight of the meal. But the coffee? Weak.

So Gandhi gets mixed reviews. Not too expensive, but not too impressive. I doubt I'll return until I'm able to compare it to the other Indian restaurants on Central Square.

Magazine Me XX
Los Angeles magazine includes a relatively decent feature about Giant Robot magazine in the November issue. Don't forget to tell Martin he looks silly in the photo.

From the In Box: Pulling the Plug VIII
Mama Gaia's Cafe, in Central Square (Cambridge), is facing unexpected and unreasonable pressures around its property lease, and may be forced out of business as a result.

I myself am not part of Mama Gaia's management or investor base, but I am moved to write on their behalf. I am a regular customer of Mama Gaia's Cafe who values deeply the elements of community building, and social justice, which the place embodies. It would be a great loss if Mama Gaia's were closed down for good.

It is natural to ask oneself how did this crisis develop, and to wonder whether their business just wasn't working out well enough. I have talked about this with their management, and the story is actually quite the opposite: Mama Gaia's regular customer base is strong, and its business has been growing steadily and according to plan. Unfortunately, their landlord is now wanting to change the lease terms in order to capitalize on that success, and he is doing so in a very heavy-handed, intransigent way. Last weekend, the landlord evicted them with merely 48 hours notice, in a move intended to show "who's boss" at the negotiating table. Pre-emptive leverage building, I guess!

So...

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

Write letters/emails of support to Mama Gaia's Cafe, proclaiming and describing your love for the place, and how sorry you would be if it were forced to closed down. This simple act, when joined with the voice of many others, can be remarkably powerful in demonstrating to City officials and investors the solid base of support that Mama Gaia's enjoys in the community at large.

*** URGENT *** Lend them whatever cash amount you feel called to contribute. All loans, small or large, will be given the option to be turned into stock in due time or just be repaid as a small loan over time -- to be determined on a case by case basis.

I know, this requires a certain leap of faith: that Mama Gaia's itself is doing its part, and that your contribution is essential and dignified. Remember, though, that we're not talking Enron or Halliburton here, but Mama Gaia's! These are folks with a vision, and that vision is being threatened by one individual's excessive greed.

If you do want to help out with cash, it is imperative to do it immediately. Mama Gaia's has met the bulk of the cash demands precipitated upon them this week, but they are still short on the order of $5,000. Any amount will help.

For more information, to submit your letters or to discuss loans, please contact:

Pedro Morales
Mama Gaia's Cafe Founder
617-207-1210
morales@mamagaiascafe.com -- Martin Hunter

Thanks to George Mokray for passing this on!