Entry 2:

Hi Jim,

I thought this was supposed to be a leisurely chat over coffee? Just begun to nuzzle my cappu-latte, and you're already giving me my semiotic marching orders. I invented that, you know. The cappu-latte. Ever notice that the Starbucks cap (we're allowed to use barista slang, right?) is so frothy that half of that minuscule shot gets stuck inside the cup? Shaking and licking does help. But also earns you some weird stares. The latte, on the other hand, is a mocha milkshake. It's like drinking a shandy for a real ale drinker. At Starbucks special orders don't upset us. You can go deep into the barista classification grid to construct your hyper-individuated drink of preference. But I just don't feel comfortable saying out loud "give me a short wet cap." Call me Midwestern. Hence, the cappu-latte. It's what I brew at home, a product of decades honing the barista arts. Half foam, half steamed milk, a double shot, all in one of those French barware glasses that Williams-Sonoma sells. I know that you're aching to know what bean I choose to work this cafe magic. All this talk about Peet's this, Peet's that is rubbish. They roast some excellent beans for drip, but their various espresso roasts are flat and simple-minded compared to the beans I pull out of the bulk bin at the local Bread and Circus or even the McBeans from Starbucks.

All of this is to say that I find "superficial" and "needless" to be challenging terms to deploy gracefully. Should I read your choice to frame this confab as a deft apology to the literate readers of Slate by an English professor who now makes his living cranking out books on advertising and consumption?

I'll go pick up a Times so that I can take a stroll with you down Fifth Avenue. I invented a game for my course when I was teaching at the University of Illinois called "reverse engineering." The idea is to take an ad, or better yet a set of ads from the same campaign, and deduce the marketing strategy that the ad is attempting to deliver upon. Perhaps we can play?

Did you know that Golden Earring's "Radar Love" was voted best best driving song of all time (in today's Washington Post)? Excellent choice I thought. Top five, but probably not No. 1. Do you drive Jim? I vaguely remember stories of a Miata while you were visiting here for the "greenie" event. What do you listen to?

Off to the garden ...
Doug