Muji NYC grand opening

If you've ever had the luxury of shopping at Muji, you'll understand why there was a huge line out the door for its downtown Manhattan grand opening earlier today. Basic, cleanly-designed, eco-friendly products, from stationery, kitchenware and containers to socks, pillows and luggage. I walked over at about 3 pm and came upon a space just like all the ones I've been to in London. The line was also gone by then. Inside, the flow was good -- an organized, streamlined, and pleasing atmosphere filled with things you think you need to make your life just as organized, streamlined and pleasing. But when it comes right down to it, the key to that kind of lifestyle is to just stop buying things. At least that was my rationale when I left empty-handed (after putting back the blank, pocket-sized $2 notepad, of which I must have dozens just like it at home, stacked in the darkness of various "organizing" boxes.) I know, I'm becoming such a consumer's killjoy.

Of course, if you own nothing and really do need stuff, I would highly recommend their roller suitcases, stripey-socks, utilitarian handbags, and photo frames.



And the bed frames, duvet covers, umbrellas, mechanical pencils, shirts, pillows...

Free Tattoos...

...after you fork out the eight bucks for the new November/December 07 issue of the Believer Magazine, of course. Artists like Marcel Dzama, Steve Powers and Ai Weiwei contribute to the selection. Inside, there's a pretty great feature by Leanne Shapton, who looks at other artists' takes on the loves in their lives. My favorite: a series of scribbled notes by the wife of Keith Arnatt. She passed away in 1996, and afterwards, he photographed 18 of the scrawls she'd left for him over the years. A highlight: "YOU BASTARD! YOU ATE THE LAST OF MY CRACKERS." Reminds me of "This is Just to Say," a poem I love, by William Carlos Williams.



Anyway, if you look carefully at the cover, there's a self-portrait tattoo of the artist Ai Weiwei. Underneath the flap, a swarm of flies are heading straight for his beard. And if you are interested, I interviewed him on page 72.