One of the things I like most about this article from today's NYTimes is the way it declines to turn into the classic lifestyle trend piece. Y'know the kind I mean (Newsweek is -- or used to be -- notorious for them): reporter finds three people doing something and cooks up a whole bunch of inferences and circular logic to turn it into this huge socially important trend. The story on dumpster diving for clothes, tho, deconstructs all its larger implications as it goes, making it clear that there are not legions of hipsters roaming the streets scavenging garments from the trash. Cut away all the pretentious sociological posturing and what you're left with is an interesting story about one person. Which is what I sat down hoping to read in the first place.

(Sarah read Mongo when it came out -- it's on my list of books to get around to Real Soon Now)