Bastet

A big salad (TM Elaine Benes - it's a salad, only bigger, with lots of stuff in it) because I haven't been in the mood to stop by the market, so other than the garden goodies I am down to something like two corn tortillas, parmesan cheese, condiments and a pickle.

I read non-fiction pretty much exclusively, so my favorites list is quite long. Some of my essentials: Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States -- This truly ought to be required reading in every high school's American history class. Dave Zirin's A People's History of Sports in the United States -- Nobody does a better job of examining the nexus between sports and politics in America. Susan Brownmiller's Against Our Will -- Re-reading it can be immensely depressing for the realization of how little has changed in the intervening years, but this groundbreaking historical analysis of rape culture and laws is eye opening, no matter how well informed one is coming into it. Elinor Burkett's The Baby Boon -- While we certainly need to keep talking about the myriad ways Corporate America works against the parents (particularly mothers) in its employ, we also need to look at the ways "family-friendly" policies can shortchange those without children. Burkett does that well. Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed -- The subtitle "On (Not) Getting By in America" has only become more relevant in the years since she went undercover in a series of minimum-wage jobs to explore the impact our draconian "reform" of the welfare system had on the working poor. Susan Faludi's Backlash -- This exploration of the backlash against the women's rights movement is meticulously researched and well argued, and another one that's frustratingly more relevant today than at the time it was written; a second volume would probably be just as long. Thomas Frank's What's the Matter With Kansas? -- I read this when it was first published, and passages will probably ring in my head during every election cycle for the rest of my life. Diane McWhorter's Carry Me Home -- A Pulitzer-winning account of Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, weaving together personal accounts of the civil rights struggle and excellent analysis of the connection between law enforcement and the Klan. Daniel Okrent's Last Call -- A highly-readable, detailed study of the rise and fall of Prohibition Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation -- This made me very glad I only eat fast food once or twice a year, but anyone who eats food, period, ought to read this book. It's like a modern, expanded version of The Jungle. Elaine Brown's A Taste of Power -- A memoir from the Black Panthers' first female leader (whose feminist conscience was one reason behind her decision to leave the party), this is a highly personal account of the "intersectionality" some members of this generation think they were the first ones to analyze and call out.

Wasn't it an "In Memoriam" thing, that Spelling tribute at the Emmys? I think he had already passed away earlier that year, and that's why they put the package together of his various shows - and then had the original "Angels" come out on stage to close it out.

I haven't found the whole thing yet (jeez, the OWN website sucks), but I saw enough to finally answer a niggling question ... I knew the original three had remained good friends, so I had always wondered why Jaclyn wasn't at Farrah's funeral. I saw pictures of Kate, but none of her. Well, now I know -- poor Jaclyn! She left her mother's hospital bedside to fly out for the funeral (at her mom's insistence), but got news upon landing that her mom had taken a downturn and been placed on a respirator, so she had to turn right back around. She lost her mom seven weeks later. She says in the interview she has always felt bad about that, but knows Farrah would have understood, since Farrah had gone through losing her mom, with whom she was so close. The fact those three stayed friends after only working together a relatively short time in the scheme of things has always touched me in a way. As silly as the show was in hindsight, it really meant something to me as a child, and to know they got a lot more out of it than a paycheck enhances that memory.

Those annoying, sexist commercials are what put the kibosh on my former practice of treating myself to Carl's Jr. once or twice a year (I eat plenty more burgers than that, mind you, just not a fast food burger). They can all go away any time now so I can get my fix.

I didn't feel that way about him, but that perfectly describes the way I felt about about two actors whose deaths I mourned as if I actually knew those fine women (who they were is irrelevant, and I don't wish to derail), so I can relate to the sentiment even though I don't share it in this instance. My sympathies of course are primarily with his family and friends, but I also feel for fans who are feeling this loss in a very real way. It can be a rather floundering feeling. While I was not a fan (I didn't dislike him, I just didn't often respond to him), I do love his performance in Dead Again. Also in The Birdcage -- that one was really quite touching, and one that has stayed with me.

I wasn't a fan, but I still said, "Oh no" upon seeing the headline. What a shame.

I fry my corn tortillas to what I'd call medium -- crunchy, but flexible. And while I put shrimp tacos on my list of things I can never get sick of, it's more accurately: shrimp or chicken tacos of nearly-infinite varieties, or my mom's version of beef tacos.

For me, it's that character as a gentleman - as Loy went on to say, those "often attributed but seldom possessed" qualities of great style, class and breeding - and his self-deprecating charm that make Powell so delightful to watch.

WotC, one of my favorites. "Smart is sexy." I rave about this all the time, but I haven't yet done it here, so ... I love that Gillian just keeps going when the cars crash into each other behind her (at the convenience store). That crash wasn't supposed to happen, but she just looks back, makes sure no one is dead, and carries on.

Yeah, there's a boxed set that includes all six Thin Man films plus biographical specials on Powell and Loy. It was originally packaged with each DVD in its own case, and then they put out a cheaper version where there is just one case with different sleeves for each DVD. The only one of the 14 films not out on DVD is The Senator Was Indiscreet (which wasn't a Powell/Loy collaboration, but a Powell film with a Loy cameo). There is a Powell/Loy boxed set containing Manhattan Melodrama, Evelyn Prentice, Double Wedding, I Love You Again and Love Crazy. I'm not sure if Libeled Lady is available individually, but it is available as part of a Jean Harlow boxed set (which also contains Wife vs. Secretary, one of my favorite Loy/Gable films). The Great Ziegfeld is available individually.

That commercial is great! Those three players - Heath Shuler, Matt Leinart and Brian Bosworth ("The Boz") were college superstars who flamed out in the NFL. To see them poking fun at themselves just made my morning; thanks for posting.

Or their "friendship" is actually some jealous, catty, competitive thing that seems to be some twisted fantasy of TV writers. I love that Maura and Jane are real friends, who love, support and tease each other, who talk about things other than men, and who occasionally fall out but are committed to repairing the friendship because they value it and understand how important it is to both their lives. Their friendship is why I put up with so much of this show being stupid.

You went backwards, Maherjunkie; we need H, not F. :-) H is for Harry Weston, who Blanche never managed to get into bed.

I love him as "Willoughby, Ward Willoughby" in Love Crazy. Of all the falls on that rug, his is the best. And his first scene with Myrna Loy has me laughing the entire time, no matter how often I watch the film.

Since I love them both so much and they both encompass such a wide variety of dishes, I could never get sick of Mexican or Thai food. Specific dishes I could never get sick of: shrimp tacos, pad thai, fettucine alfredo, chicken cordon bleu, panang, kung pao, crab cakes Ingredients I could use every day (or at least every day they're in season) in something and not get sick of: shrimp, chicken, spinach, cilantro, garlic, cheese, bacon, tomatoes, scallops, mushrooms, mango, strawberries

This is so hard to narrow down for me, and I can't get any further than a tie between Mexican and Thai.

Night Nurse is one of those films I have to watch whenever I come across it. I love pre-Code Stanwyck.

"Say, how many drinks have you had?" "This will make six martinis." "Alright, will you bring me five more martinis, Leo? Line them right up here." And then, of course: "What hit me?" "The last martini." I might have had a chance at productivity had I gone outside during Double Wedding, as it's my least favorite of their comedies, but that's kind of like saying milk chocholate is my least-favorite chocolate ... I may not eat/watch it as much as the rest, but I still like it ... so I missed my window -- I'll never tear myself away from the rest of the line-up. Ben just made a mistake in introducing I Love You Again. He explained the twist on the typical amnesia storyline -- that Powell's character getting clonked on the head at the beginning of the film causes him not to lose his memory, but to regain it. True, but he went on to say Larry discovers he's spent the past 10 years living someone else's life, and that someone is a con man. Wrong -- his real identity is as a con man, who - suffering from amnesia - has been living the life of his exact opposite, an uptight bore. I love this film. For Loy and Powell, obviously -- and, as a side note, she is even more beautiful than usual here -- but also for Powell and Frank McHugh, who are highly entertaining together. "Boy, eighteen days alone on a boat is certainly a long time to be alone on a boat for eighteen days."

Yeah, even when they're in season, the watermelons at the store are awfully bland. I get mine from a local grower who is one of the few people still growing the kind with seeds, and they're delicious. A little salt, sitting outside after dinner -- it's like childhood.

I woke up about 10:00 this morning, lay there contemplating which flower bed I wanted to work on today, remembered it was Bill Powell's SUTS day, turned on TCM to see the block of films with Myrna Loy was underway, tried to tell myself I have them all on DVD and really need to get those beds planted ... but wound up making a Bloody Mary and settling in for Libeled Lady. I can't quit those two.

Most of the original fans likely know this, but for new fans or those who weren't immersed in the media at the time ... Back in these early days of the series, in scenes where Mulder and Scully were walking somewhere, Gillian was instructed to walk a few paces behind David (prompting her lovely "It's like India" remark). No wonder she missed seeing the weird shit go down over and over -- she was pretty much always behind.

As evidenced by this thread, there are all sorts of things I don't like that other people do, and people have listed as hates things I love, but I'm well aware that's just how life goes. Ambrosia, however, is one of the few things I just don't understand. My mom loves it, as did my grandpa, so she'd make it for holiday dinners sometimes. My dad doesn't care for it, but I cannot even stand to have it near me on the table. I find the idea of it revolting. I'm truly blown away that people eat it.

I don't generally have a problem keeping mine looking spiffy, but when I do get one of those stubborn brown spots, I use meat tenderizer (and water) to get it up.

"I was taking some classes at Miss McGuyver’s Finishing School. And one night Bobby Joe Springer had escorted me back to my dormitory after the annual Fine Manners Ball when an innocent goodnight kiss developed into an evening of passion. But at 3AM, the door flung open and there stood Miss McGuyver makin’ one of those bed checks she was famous for. Well, I tried to handle the whole thing like a lady -- I waved politely over Bobby Joe’s shoulder with my foot. But she was unmoved. Next day she sat me down, gave me a stern lecture, and kicked me out of school. Only I didn’t care ... I knew what ecstasy was."