And how was your nutso, record-smashing, disconcerting Snowtober? One hopes you weren't trapped on a diverted plane for seven hours or a victim of the (bizarre) Amtrak shutdown or one of the three million without power or, you know, one of the nine dead. Happy… Halloween?

Photograph by Rachel So

SERIOUSLY I just DEPOSITED A CHECK INSIDE MY BANK WHILE BEING INSIDE MY OWN HOME, by taking "pictures" of the "check" with my "smart phone" and then suddenly the "money" is "in" the BANK. (Well okay it is "pending," and if they "accept" it then I just get to "destroy" (their word!) the check? (I love to imagine how many lawyers worked on choosing "destroy" so that it would limit liability; "destroy" is so total but note that it does not specify a manner of destruction.)) So now I will never leave the house again, until my next "smart phone" breaks and I have to go buy a new [...]

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So how sure are we that the Times piece on dresses isn't actually an Onion article? http://nyti.ms/pRxy8qThu Jul 21 14:44:38 via webmarc tracymarcatracy

Um, not at all sure. "Younger women, who once adopted the dress as a cheeky send up of mid-20th century feminine stereotypes, are now dispensing with such ironies and acknowledging the frankly sensual appeal of the dress." WHAT IS GOING ON.

In short, almost literally no one knew that the chairwoman of Hearst Publications was going to be taking on the post of New York City Schools Chancellor. Not even Gayle King! But good news, I guess. "On Monday, Ms. Black was seen at the Hearst Tower with a thick stack of materials concerning public education." That's excellent, she's learning about public schools before she RUNS ALL OF THEM.

Attention: Mail for former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn should be addressed to 153 Franklin Street in Manhattan, not that address in Brooklyn. Though the folks in Brooklyn appreciate this shipment of Hebrew books for him. (!!??)