Mrs. Swedenburg, who operated one of Loudoun County's smallest wineries, became the lead plaintiff in a David-vs.-Goliath battle over interstate wine sales after becoming annoyed that she could not ship any of her 2,000 annual cases of wine to customers in New York or Michigan.

This was one of the two cases which occupied a good part of my attention in 2004 and 2005 as I wrote my law review comment. They also provided my first opportunity to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court, an experience for which I'm very grateful.

The full obituary is on the Washington Post's website, at least for a little while. I love reading obituaries that give you a sense of a person's life; this is one of those.

Many thanks to Aime Guibert and associates for making a Mas de Daumas Gassac that was perfect--perfect--for celebrating tonight.

Although we already have much to be thankful for, we are especially thankful for this good news. And we may have to make a double batch of giblet-sage-bacon gravy to mark the event.

I am now going to collapse with relief.

Wallace thinks there's far too much emphasis on baby seats, in-vehicle DVD systems, and GPS devices. More room for corgis! Wallace would also like a view, and he'd definitely want good air circulation, but at least this is a step in the right direction.

Perhaps we won't tell Wallace that there aren't any plans to actually manufacture this particular concept car for the market...

And the answer? Yes, but probably not like we do.

We started to ask fellow dog-owners in the neighborhood for recommendations. We checked out the places that were written up in various dog-friendly publications and the Los Angeles media. And I became more nervous with each investigation. I couldn't swallow the idea of Wallace being in a cage or a crate with only a few breaks during the day. That's a 180-degree change from his normal life, and not something I wanted to try. It's not that he needs pampering or constant coddling, but he needs some stimulation and interaction. A few of the services that come to your home to check on the dog and walk/feed/play with him weren't impressive, and some seemed to be rip-offs. So...we're trying the one place that make us relax and think, hey, this might be ok after all: L.A. Dogworks. We were immediately and positively impressed when we first visited a few weeks ago. Wallace had an "evaluation" to make sure he knew how to behave appropriately when introduced to a park full of off-leash dogs of all shapes, sizes, and breeds. (He did very well.)

So today is his first all-day session. The house is strangely quiet. Wallace definitely has a presence, and it's missing. I keep looking at the clock. I've vacuumed, sent off a few resumes, washed the breakfast dishes. I'm working on a friend's book proposal, and testing the baby beta of Terrence's software application. I might also have time to run a few errands and organize some of the mess that's colonized my desktop (literal and electronic). I've posted the latest news to slowfoodla.com.

If I keep this up I might actually have a productive day...

If you've visited the Getty Center and wondered who owned all the grapevines that are visible from its heights, now you know.

Our wine budget is tight this year, but if we find ourselves flush in the future we might try the Moraga Cabernet. Luckily, the only two shops that carry it are within walking distance (The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills) or a short Vespa ride (Wally's in Westwood). Now if we can work on that budget...

For another look at a local private vineyard, check out the New York Social Diary's visit to Michael McCarty's Malibu compound. (Scroll down the just past the photo of Elton John's post-Oscar party.) Michael McCarty is the proprietor of Michael's in Santa Monica and NYC (where it is one of the favorite lunch spots for publishing and media types). If you have any doubt that McCarty is serious about growing good grapes, check out his information about the vineyard's development.

When it comes to matters of constitutional law, Professor Chemerinsky has few peers. If he and his DefConAmerica colleagues can educate more Americans about their rights under the Constitution, they can count me an avid supporter.

I'm shocked almost daily by what I read--statements by members of the media (right and left), assertions by elected officials, claims by religious leaders--and still surprised by how often what gets blasted to the public differs dramatically from the tenets of constitutional law that are taught in the most basic Con Law classes in law schools across the country. Do grammar or high school students still get civics lessons? Or did those classes get left behind?

Supposedly they get even bigger, equal in length to the height of a five-story building.

Just knowing they're out there makes me happy. To me, squid (and octopi) are like sharks and crocodiles: They've been around a long time, pretty much as they are. And if humans don't screw things up for them they'll likely be around long after we're gone. Rats, too. And cockroaches, I suppose, but I really can't muster any affection for them.

Marshall Field & Co., a name long venerated in the history of Chicago retailing, will disappear in the fall of 2006, to be replaced by Macy's.

All 62 Field's in Illinois and seven other states will be converted to Macy's, according to today's announcement by Federated Department Stores Inc., Field's new owner.

While Federated had "great respect for the legacy and traditions of Marshall Field's," the decision to drop the Field's name was made after Federated "carefully researched customer preferences and studied alternatives," Terry J. Lundgren, Federated's chairman, president and chief executive, said in a news release.

"While the store's name will change, much of what customers love will stay the same, including Marshall Field's traditions and its outstanding record of community and charitable giving," Lundgren said.

"From a shopping standpoint, customers will have the best of both worlds in major markets like Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit," Lundgren said.

"They will continue to benefit from regional buying that remains attuned to local preferences and lifestyles plus enjoy the distinctive merchandise and shopping experience that's part of the Macy's brand," Lundgren said.

"As part of this name change process, we will do everything we can to honor the Marshall Field's heritage, particularly in its Chicago birthplace."

"The distinctive merchandise and shopping experience that's part of the Macy's brand"? Um, what's that? I haven't found anything distinctive about Macy's merchandising or the experience of shopping in their stores. In fact, I've found that it's pretty blah. NYC is different--it's the flagship--but in the rest of the country, Macy's is just another retailer. No reputation for particularly good service, or distinctive merchandise. When I think of distinctive merchandise I think of Barney's. Maybe Neiman Marcus. Henri Bendel--even when there were multiple locations--was distinctive, and the NYC store still is. But Macy's? Give me a break.

I don't doubt the power of a strong brand to influence consumers. But corporate types who get sucked into rebranding campaigns are, in my limited experience and humble opinion, often delusional and usually soft-brained, swallowing the focus-group-speak and PowerPoint pablum that their overpaid marketing consultants feed them. The result: They poop out plans like this one.

At a minimum I hope the organizations that are pressing for Field's State Street location to be designated an historical landmark are successful, and that such a designation carries with it a prohibition on changing the Marshall Field's signage. It won't change how Federated chooses to gut the store's spirit, but that's probably unstoppable.

I've not pressed Terrence to help me because I have a new site design percolating. And he doesn't exactly have oodles of free time on his hands. (See talblog if you don't know why.) All will be repaired. Soon. Keep your pants on in the meantime (and use the search box if you're really looking for something and can't wait).

What to do with fear? Take action! I will collect seeds from Evan's tomatoes when we have the saucefest this weekend, and lovingly preserve them in the hope of growing them myself, here or elsewhere.

How to do it? I've found some advice here and here. (n.b.: Terrence dislikes this here and here way of displaying links to different pages, but it works for me.)

Don't get me wrong: I'm not trying to turn this into a major production. My experience with tomato seeds is that they're quite hardy: We used to have compost bins in our Chicago garden. At the end of the summer, the tomato vines (and any fruit that managed to hang on without ripening) would be cut and mashed and tossed in the bin, along with all the other clippings and appropriate kitchen waste. The bins would be filled to the brim. Come spring, the material in the bin would be reduced by two-thirds, all rich, good-smelling compost. We'd spread it around and then...voila! Little tomato plants would inevitably spring up here and there. I suppose some would cite this as a sign of incomplete or improper composting, but I liked seeing the little tomato plant sprouts in odd places. And I didn't see the harm of it. To me, tomato seeds are like the sparrows of the vegetable world: They survive outside during a Chicago winter and still flourish the next spring.

And...I braved the 405 South and the 110 South and made my way to Harbor City and La Espanola. The Spanish sherry vinegar is on our kitchen counter as I type, so gazpacho will be in the works shortly.