Top Chef Open Thread
Chef Tom Colicchio will drink. your. milkshake!!!
He will also sidle up beside you with the stealth of a jungle cat and nuzzle you urgently while suggesting you cook him up a nice juicy piece of meat.
Sorry I'm late with the thread tonight!
Question of the Day
So you're walking down a hallway, right? You get to the end, and you turn right. And then there's a gorgon right in front of your face! Your inventory is: A health potion, the iron boots, the Cape of Confoundment, the Dragon Ring, and a giant fucking ruby.
What do you do?
Quote of the Day
"During the past four years I have looked into the faces of those I once caused harm to with religion-based bigotry and prejudice. And while I may have never inflicted a physical blow, I know today that my words indeed caused deep wounds—perhaps at some point deeper than I care to dwell upon."—Brent Childers, an evangelical Christian and executive director of Faith in America, who was once a self-described "bigot" and attended the National Equality March in DC last weekend after a radical reversal of his beliefs.
[H/T to Shaker Marste.]
The Unicorn Code
The Unicorn Code:
1. Unicorns never cheat.
2. Unicorns always lend a helping hand.
3. Unicorns don't talk to strangers.
4. Unicorns respect the Earth.
5. Unicorns are never late.
6. Unicorns aren't conceited.
7. Unicorns don't judge people.
8. Unicorns always give 100%.
9. Unicorns graze on peace and love.
10. Unicorns don't do drugs.
[Via. And cross-posted.]
Vulva Design
Via Rachel, Kat Coble's got a terrific primer on the proper names of various parts of the typical cis female genito-urinary anatomy.
No, that's not a vagina; it's a vulva. Etc.
Good bookmarking material.
It also reminded me of a story about not knowing the names of these particular bits...
Years ago, I worked for a restaurant designer I'll call Herman, an absurd little fellow in his 60s with white hair and a white beard, who dressed like a classic absent-minded professor archetype, right down to the wire-rimmed glasses he'd clean by licking them and wiping them on his shirttail. I was officially Herman's marketing, branding, and concept development manager, and unofficially his minder, wrangler, editor, thesaurus, and dumping ground for all the shit he didn't feel like doing.
Once Herman was asked by an epicurean club to give a presentation on modern restaurant interiors and the relationship between design and cuisine. Which meant in practical terms that I was asked to put together a presentation on modern restaurant interiors and the relationship between design and cuisine. Herman threw a bunch of random pictures on my desk and told me to "put them in PowerPoint or something."
On the day of the presentation, he and I traveled to a local, very upscale restaurant (one which he'd designed), where we were invited to have lunch with the club before Herman would speak. During lunch, he was going over the presentation in his head; between having bits of conversation with people stopping by the table, he'd lean over to me and say, "Remind me the cost per square foot of the interior at that place in Vegas," or "I should have included that restaurant from the Upper East Side you suggested."
One of the restaurants he wanted to talk about was the Cheesecake Factory in downtown Chicago, which looks like something out an Aesop's fable with its swooping, globby orange entry and dark interior filled with blooming columns and what look to be giant orange mushrooms everywhere. And at one point, he leaned over to me and said, "You know, my wife calls the interior at the Cheesecake Factory vulva design."
I nearly choked on my salad. "Oh, she does, does she?"
"Yeah. You think I should include that in the presentation?"
Then I really did choke on my salad. "No, Herman. Whatever you do, don't include that in the presentation."
"Okay."
He went back to eating his lunch and greeting the epicureans who wanted to meet him. A few minutes later, he leaned over once more.
"What's a vulva again?"
I looked at his gormless face and knew if I didn't tell him, there was a more than decent chance that "vulva design" would wind up in the presentation.
"It's the exterior portion of a woman's genitalia," I said matter-of-factly.
"Oh, right!" He blushed. I blushed. It was awkward. I didn't know what else to say.
"Your wife is a very lucky woman," I said sardonically. And we both laughed.
Dumber Than...
In which I substitute an email conversation between Liss and I as an actual post.
Liss: Aren't you glad to have these helpful celebrities on your side:
Jared Leto Gets Fired Up Over Gay MarriageDeeky: Jesus fucking Christ.
What's got Jared Leto starting fires these days?
Gay marriage.
The actor-musician is helping raise money for gay rights group FAIR by taking part in an online auction of celebrity-signed prints of artist Shepard Fairey's "Defend Equality Love Unites," a poster in support of gay marriage.
But Leto did more than just doodle his autograph...
After writing out the actual language of the Proposition 8 ballot initiative on the back of his Fairey print, he burned it and placed the ashes in a clear glass urn with the inscription, "Here lies within, the remains of Proposition 8, may it rest in peace." Then he signed, dated and topped it with a red ribbon.
Among the autographed prints, E! talk-show queen Chelsea Handler wrote on hers, "To my gays. Thank you for being gay!"
Kim Kardashian colored in the thumbnail of the fist featured in the work, while Twilight star Anna Kendrick signed, "Love is a right. Not a privilege."
Scarlett Johansson quoted Andy Warhol with "They say that time changes everything, but you actually have to change them yourself."
And Sarah Silverman never fails to amuse. The funnylady scribbled, "Peace, poop and penis."
The online auction kicks off on Nov. 12 with an event at the Andaz West Hollywood hotel cohosted by gay entertainment business group HOMOtracker.
[Jared Leto is straight, but celebs in our Covering Up As Gay photo gallery aren't.]
Liss: It's like, I read shit like that, and all I can think is: "Yeah, I get why so many celebrities support Polanski. That industry's got an epidemic of stupid in the brains."
Deeky: Dumber than a sack of buttplugs.**
Liss: LOLOLOLOL!!!
Deeky: Seriously, you should turn this exchange into a post.
Liss: No, YOU should turn it into a post.
Deeky: You're right. Everyone likes me better anyway.
Liss: Asshole.
(** This is the phrase I recently used to describe the intellectual capacity of my last boyfriend.)
Blogginz Semi-Daily Dumpus
hey
Liss: nice pic lol!
thanks.
dance party 2nite?
lol totes!
Liss: c u l8r!
Snowe Job
Republican Senator Olympia Snowe, whose vote on the Baucus-penned healthcare bill Senate Democrats secured with feverish capitulations to her various concerns, says (totally unsurprisingly) that they aren't likely to have her vote if the final bill includes a public option.
In a number of interviews this morning, Snowe, whose vote is seen as crucial for passing legislation, said she would not vote for a final bill that contains a government-run insurance plan.Says the woman with a spectacular government healthcare plan with which I'm guessing she's entirely satisfied.
"The public option would be problematic," Snowe told MSNBC's Morning Joe when asked what changes to the bill could cost Democrats her vote. "As I've said I'm against a public option because I think the government would be another vast new bureaucracy, and also create a disproportionate advantage in the marketplace. And inevitably government's not going to do it better."
Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"
Strips One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47. In which Liss reimagines the long-running comic "Frank & Ernest," about two old straight white guys "telling it like it is," as a fat feminist white woman and a biracial queerbait telling it like it actually is from their perspectives. Hilarity ensues.
I Write Letters
Dear Tracy Morgan:
I think you're funny as hell. I liked you on SNL, where I frankly thought you were underused, and I like you on 30 Rock.
But I have real problems with the misogyny in your new book (it's terrible that Cheri Oteri was shitty to you, but that still doesn't warrant calling her a bitch) and with your use of misogyny to promote it ("Everywhere I go there are no shortage of women I'd like to get pregnant"?! Seriously?!).
Dude, you're drawing a huge paycheck from one of the very few even marginally feminist shows on television. Could you try to respect that by not being a total misogynist dipshit?
Warmest regards,
Liss
Wednesday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by Shaxco, wondering where all the female marshals are outside the movies since about 10:00am this morning.
Recommended Reading:
RMJ: The Sixth Carnival of Feminists
Steve: House Minority Leader John Boehner is a Huge Idiot
(But still not as big an idiot as Rush Limbaugh.)
Echidne: That Was Then...
Chally: This Is What an Activist Looks Like
Andy: Brutal NYC Gay Bashing Captured on Video; Defense Attorney Unbelievably Argues Self-Defense
Tami: Dispatches from Nappyville: What Is "Good Hair," Anyway?
Kevin: Have I mentioned how much I hate Joe Solmonese?
Leave your links in comments...
Quote of the Cruise
Space Cowgirl and I just returned from a lovely 10-day cruise through Quebec, Nova Scotia and New England. One of our favorite places on the ship (Crown Princess) was a wine bar called Vines. They had a great wine list, and served sashimi/tapas with the wine as well.
During one of our Vines visits, we overheard an older woman speaking to two waitresses, Lee and Flo, about something she saw in the ship's newsmag (the Princess Patter). She noticed that there was a LGBT get-together scheduled on one of the upper decks and she had no idea what the "BT" stood for. After a couple of seconds of quiet deliberation, Lee (possibly in unison with Flo) responded with:
Firsts!
Navy to allow women to serve on submarines for the first time.
Minneapolis Police Chief Sharon Lubinski, nominated to be Minnesota's next US marshal, will be the first female US marshal in the state (and only one of two in the entire nation), and also the first openly gay marshal in the nation.
Gender identity bill to protect trans students passes senate of Student Government Association for the first time at Middle Tennessee State University.
(Some of the assertions in the first and last stories could use some clarification, but I don't recommend wading into comments of either without armor.)
[H/Ts to Shakers Selasphorus and Koach.]
You Go, Grrl: Emily Cummins
Emily Cummins, a 22-year-old University of Leeds student, has been named the recipient of one of Barclays Women of the Year awards after inventing a sustainable fridge:
Her prototype fridge, which does not need electricity, was designed for use in the developing world and was refined during a visit to Namibia.You can see an explanation of how it works here.
It works by harnessing energy from the sun to cool medicines and other small items using evaporation.
Ms Cummins, an inventor since the age of 15, said: "My time in Namibia made me wonder how often we miss the simplest solutions to problems."
Crediting her grandfather with setting her on the road to becoming an inventor, she said that it was sometimes easy to overcomplicate the invention process.
"We assume that the answer will require us to develop new and better technologies.
"Perhaps we should keep an eye on the past as well as the future, and combine the best of both."
The Barclays Women of the Year awards are given annually to "exceptional and selfless women who, with determination and vision, have made an impact on the lives of many."
Between this fridge, the ROSS, and Adaptive Eyewear, there are a lot of innovative solutions for problems in the developing world coming out of Britain these days.
I can't help but follow that thought with ...and we're still treating people in animal stalls because we can't sort out universal healtcare. Sob.
[H/T to Shaker SapphireCate.]
Women, HIV, and Footy: What Better Combination?
Since I've been bringin' tha doom and gloom lately (a reflection of internal states in external expression), I bring you a bit of warmth for the heart.
A Zimbabwe football (as in the association brand, aka soccer) association has been formed for players who are living with HIV. So far, it's largely women and children who've signed up, and the major players in Zimbabwe's professional leagues (i.e., the ones for men) are staying out of involvement, which is a shame.
I haven't yet been able to find any way to get hold of the new league, to find out if there's some way we over here can help - sending equipment or money, perhaps. If anyone has a link to share, please let us know. I'm very involved with my local adult leagues, and it'd be awesome to get them involved in procuring gear for this league.
Wednesday Morning Funny
My sister just showed me this; it's from Koreanish, the blog of writer Alexander Chee. If I had a car, I would totally get one of these!
Bonus Chee: Using Ford Madox Ford To Fix Wolverine.
I think I want to read Chee's first novel, Edinburgh. I'd be interested in hearing impressions from anyone here who's read it.
H/T TheLadyEve, whose latest comic is very funny too, btw, in a lolsob kind of way.
Wexler Leaving Congress
U.S. House of Representatives member Robert Wexler of Boca Raton, a self-described "fire-breathing liberal," defender of Israel and friend of both President Barack Obama and Gov. Charlie Crist, is quitting Congress to head a think tank seeking peace in the Middle East.Not that I have anything against the CMEPEC, but this is a real loss, because Wexler was a great champion of progressive causes in Congress. His voting record was rated 100% by NARAL, 100% by the HRC, and 94% by the NAACP. He wasn't afraid to speak out against shit like the Patriot Act, even before it was popular, and he was a great spokesperson for the Dems and progressive causes; he was always well-spoken and competent and likable and won the damn argument when he was the token liberal on, say, Chris Matthres' show, or one like it.
In a conference call Tuesday night with Democratic leaders, Wexler said he will become director of the Washington-based Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation.
I hope that his seat is filled by someone as strong a progressive ally as he was.
Thanks for your service, Mr. Wexler.
Nothing But An Aggravated Sigh
An Open Letter to Marvel about their costumes for women:
Dear Marvel,
Sigh.
And to quote the Old Master: 'Nuff said.
