Small Talk: The Quiver

[Guest]

36 minutes ago, bijoux said:

No, I'll pay a friend of mine to do it. She does it semi-professionally. I'll have other stuff to do with the guests and preparations plus she's better at it than I am. Particularly the decorating. 

I was gonna suggest a photo cake if you weren't making it yourself. We had a fun old pic of my dad put on a cake with just "Happy 70th Birthday!" in icing. Simple but effective and everyone got a laugh out of it. Actually, photo cakes seem to be the go-to in my family as none of us can bake and/or have the time to do so! :)

[Delphi]

I enjoy the ombre look as well,  it's understated but gorgeous.   I'm really into...i dunno how to phrase it,  but it's like a watercolour ripple icing thing,  which is a bit flashier but I absolutely adore it.   I tried making one a few weeks ago,  but the icing skills are not strong within me. 

Edited September 6, 2017 by Delphi

[bijoux]

Is anyone using a digital photo frame? Yay or nay?

[Mellowyellow]

6 hours ago, lemotomato said:

How about making stabilized whipped cream instead? It's just whipped cream with some gelatin beaten into it. The taste/texture is like the frosting Chinese bakeries put on their cakes.

They pre add gelatin to our bottled cream here. It whips up really nicely but goes a bit kaput overnight. 

I've seen America's Test Kitchen add the gelatin fresh. I wonder if that will hold better. 

[lemotomato]

22 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

I've seen America's Test Kitchen add the gelatin fresh. I wonder if that will hold better. 

I've used that technique and it holds pretty well, even overnight in the fridge. My only problem is that I sometimes have to strain the frosting because I'll get rogue bits of gelatin that didn't blend.

[Mellowyellow]

I thicken curd with gelatin. Once after I had chilled the curd I decided I needed more gelatin because it wasn't as firm as I wanted. Anyways the gelatin siezed up in the curd, had to reheat over double boiler to melt the gelatin and then strain again. 

It was as much effort as making curd again from scratch?

[BkWurm1]

11 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Not relevant to your request but since we are talking cakes I just made these based on the kidlet's request! Fresh cream which does not hold well! 

They are so pretty and look so yummy!  

I just love real whipped cream.  I swear most people don't get how easy it is to make let alone how much better it tastes than Cool Whip or even Reddi Whip the spray can whipped cream.  

[Mellowyellow]

Hubby bought me a one of those siphone (spelling!) guns before we went all hippyish.

You add cream, sugar, vanilla, charged the cannister with gas and then spray out the cream. Makes gorgeous mango pancakes but we don't use it now because we feel bad about the little gas containers that you throw out after.  

[Delphi]

31 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

Hubby bought me a one of those siphone (spelling!) guns before we went all hippyish.

You add cream, sugar, vanilla, charged the cannister with gas and then spray out the cream. Makes gorgeous mango pancakes but we don't use it now because we feel bad about the little gas containers that you throw out after.  

I may have...erm permanently borrowed one of the dispensers when I was a barista.   Honestly one of my better decisions.   You can make chocolate whip, or pumpkin whip.  It was awesome.

[Jediknight]

So, IT, I don't know how well I'm going to sleep after seeing that movie.  Excellent movie, and everybody did an excellent job, Skarsgard nailed Pennywise as a pure evil entity.  But holy crap,

Spoiler

Georgie's death, the adults (the pharmacist and Bev's dad) being on Pennywise's level of creepiness, and that projector scene.

Holy shit, that projector scene.  As frightening as it is in the trailer, that's the least frightening part of it.

[Morrigan2575]

I have no idea how I feel about this.

[calliope1975]

1 hour ago, Morrigan2575 said:

I have no idea how I feel about this.

My theory is all TPTB who are in charge (or maybe those pitching ideas) are my age (early 40's,) and they can't think of anything new, so we're just getting sequels, reboots, and reborquels of everything I grew up watching. 

[Morrigan2575]

9 minutes ago, calliope1975 said:

My theory is all TPTB who are in charge (or maybe those pitching ideas) are my age (early 40's,) and they can't think of anything new, so we're just getting sequels, reboots, and reborquels of everything I grew up watching. 

Oh absolutely. Although, in my more generous moments I picture a bunch of 40ish Network/Studio execs sitting around talking about the "good old days" of T.V. and wondering whatever happened to those great shows we grew up on....And then trying to remake their childhood.

I'm torn on Greatest American Hero, I Loved the show. Of course, I havent watched it in years, I have no idea if it holds up. So I'm like don't mess with my childhood! On the other hand, the fact that the show never ended, to just stopped airing (no resolution) leaves me wanting closure.

[statsgirl]

In that vein, what's the first show you remember watching?

Mine was sitting with my parents watching an Australian show called The Flying Doctor about the flying doctor service (it was shown in Canada later than when it was made).  If they made a remake of that, at least it would be something different.

[Mellowyellow]

Playschool!!! Children's show with 2 adults who sing, dance, do craft and read stories.

We were refugees so I didn't watch any TV until I was 5 but the first time I saw playschool I was hooked. 

Thirty years later I've taken the kidlet to quite a few playschool concerts and I still go berserk and get the chills (good chills) when they sing the theme song. Meanwhile kidlet is next to me giving me the "Mummy you have got to calm down" look. I'm such a dag!

[tv echo]

One of my favorite authors is Ilona Andrews (pseudonym for husband-and-wife writing team, Ilona and Gordon Andrews), who's known for writing several urban fantasy series starring female heroes. They did a live Q&A yesterday. They talked about how strong female characters don't necessarily mean only to women who have powers or who can fight with a sword or who dress like a guy. They can also be girly or fashionable. They said that strong women, to them, means women who are intelligent and competent. They really don't even like the term "strong female characters" but prefer the term "strong characters." 

Also, they noted that in romance fiction or even in general audience entertainment, people tend to be more forgiving toward a male character for his faults, mistakes, crimes, etc. (especially if he's hot), than they are towards a female character for the same. 

They also talked about the issue of consent in sexual encounters in romance fiction. They said that the default is not "yes" unless the woman says "no", but the default is "no" unless the woman says "yes." You should always assume the answer is "no" unless there's a very clear "yes." But in public discussions, it often sounds like people are assuming the default is "yes" unless the woman says a clear "no." 

There's more, but I thought this was an interesting Q&A (warning: spoilers if you haven't read their existing books and spoilery about their upcoming final Kate Daniels book)...

Read For Pixels 2017 (Fall Edition): Ilona Andrews Reading+Q&A
Sep. 9, 2017, by The Pixel Project

Edited September 9, 2017 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

Quote

In that vein, what's the first show you remember watching?

Couldn't say what my first TV show was, but the first movie on TV I remember was the very first Superman.  I think I was 5 and for some reason, I was watching it alone in the living room while everyone else was watching it in the family room.  (I think I followed my brother and he ditched me).  The scene I vividly remember was where the earthquake starts and Lois's car falls into the crevice and Superman gets there too late and he SCREAMS before he flies off to reverse time.  Most terrifying thing I'd ever seen.  I was too scared to even run to the other room until he was flying around the planet and then I was completely confused why in the movie my mom and dad were watching Lois wasn't dead anymore.

[apinknightmare]

11 hours ago, statsgirl said:

In that vein, what's the first show you remember watching?

Punky Brewster. 

[SleepDeprived]

19 hours ago, statsgirl said:

In that vein, what's the first show you remember watching?

Rainbow Brite and Care Bears. Heh. I was always partial to the care bear, Grumpy, for some reason. I remember we wore down our betamax copies of the shows.

[scarynikki12]

20 hours ago, statsgirl said:

In that vein, what's the first show you remember watching?

Either She-Ra, My Little Pony (the real one), or Murder She Wrote.  It all runs together.

[way2interested]

Ha, my dad was the homemaker in my family, so I watched Seinfeld when I was young until my mom realized me and my siblings were retaining it and then switched us over to younger demographic stuff like Sesame Street. Luckily the Pbs Kids line-up happened a few years later so then my mom didn't need to buy/use VHS tapes anymore. 

Edited September 9, 2017 by way2interested

[EmeraldArcher]

21 hours ago, statsgirl said:

In that vein, what's the first show you remember watching? 

Buck Rogers

[Morrigan2575]

Battlestar Galactica (original) 

[Mellowyellow]

Not my first show but I used to love watching transformers with my neighbour. 

I remember us with our bowls of snacks, bawling when Optimus Prime died.

Speaking of PBS you guys have some really good kids shows. I collect those Cat in the Hat shows!

[BkWurm1]

I watched too much television.  I remember ALL of those shows, lol.  

[way2interested]

2 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Speaking of PBS you guys have some really good kids shows. I collect those Cat in the Hat shows!

PBS kids was a large staple of my childhood, lol. My parents wouldn't even show Disney or Nickelodeon since PBS had such entertaining/semi-educational stuff right there. It would pretty much be PBS and Cartoon Network (since they showed a bunch of older cartoons that my parents really liked) for us.

[BkWurm1]

Yeah, on weekdays before school let out and the cartoons came on the regular channels, really the only kid shows on (this is pre-cable) were the PBS ones.  Sesame Street, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Zoom, The Electric Company, Reading Rainbow (I mostly just stuck around for the opening Song) and for a long time my favorite,  3-2-1 Contact since within that show they would sometimes show "The Bloodhound Gang" that solved mysteries.  My memory says they were excellent mysteries but if I hit You Tube I wouldn't be surprised if they were cheesy as hell, lol.  

Edited September 10, 2017 by BkWurm1

[Mellowyellow]

Anyone here know of Curious George? It's one of our favourite shows.

When the Kidlet was three I swear he had the same build and chubby face as George while hubby is tall and lanky like the Man with the Yellow Hat. They were soooooooo cute together, the man and his monkey! 

[statsgirl]

I want to put in a plug for Canadian children's shows.  Mr. Dress Up, with puppets Casey and Finnegan, the Friendly Giant who I always think of when I hear the song Early One Morning, Dudley The Dragon, and Polka Dot Door, which was unusual because in contrast to the short segments of Sesame Street, it carried a single theme across five half-hour shows.  I also really liked Book Mice, which was about a couple of mice (puppets) who lived in a library.

I also miss Wishbone, which was a great introduction to literature.   And The Magic School Bus with all the tie-in books that were perfect for school projects.

Edited September 10, 2017 by statsgirl

[lemotomato]

33 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

Yeah, on weekdays before school let out and the cartoons came on the regular channels, really the only kid shows on (this is pre-cable) were the PBS ones.  Sesame Street, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Zoom, The Electric Company, Reading Rainbow (I mostly just stuck around for the opening Song) and for a long time my favorite,  3-2-1 Contact since within that show they would sometimes show "The Bloodhound Gang" that solved mysteries.  My memory says they were excellent mysteries but if I hit You Tube I wouldn't be surprised if they were cheesy as hell, lol.  

I have so many great memories of PBS when I was a kid. In addition to those shows you listed (Reading Rainbow changed my life; I got my first library card because of it), I really liked Square One TV, Today's Special, Voyage of the Mimi, and then a couple years later, Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? ("Do it, Rockapella!") and Ghostwriter. My parents were really strict about no TV on weekdays unless it was educational, so I'm glad PBS had content that was meant for middle school kids as well. I think these days it only targets preschoolers and early elementary school-aged kids, and I can't help but feel sorry for the slightly older kids who don't have edutainment options like we did.

[leopardprint]

3 minutes ago, lemotomato said:

Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?

OMG! Poor kids who got Africa. There's an article floating around out there about how difficult the Africa map is not just geographically speaking. 

Out of all the children's shows/video games they've made into movies, this is the one I would actually like to see.  

[BkWurm1]

52 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

Anyone here know of Curious George? It's one of our favourite shows.

When the Kidlet was three I swear he had the same build and chubby face as George while hubby is tall and lanky like the Man with the Yellow Hat. They were soooooooo cute together, the man and his monkey! 

 Curious George was super popular as a book series when I was a kid.  I wasn't impressed with the movie (where Will Ferrel voiced the Man in the Yellow Hat but kept his personality) but I have seen the kids show since and that's as cute as the books.  

 

24 minutes ago, lemotomato said:

I have so many great memories of PBS when I was a kid. In addition to those shows you listed (Reading Rainbow changed my life; I got my first library card because of it), I really liked Square One TV, Today's Special, Voyage of the Mimi, and then a couple years later, Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? ("Do it, Rockapella!") and Ghostwriter. My parents were really strict about no TV on weekdays unless it was educational, so I'm glad PBS had content that was meant for middle school kids as well. I think these days it only targets preschoolers and early elementary school-aged kids, and I can't help but feel sorry for the slightly older kids who don't have edutainment options like we did.

Another show that I watched because of a kick ass theme song, lol.  

You are very right, older kids are kind of left out of "educational" shows now.  

 

Im trying to remember, was Clifford the Big Red Dog also on PBS?  Loved that book as a kid   

Edited September 10, 2017 by BkWurm1

[way2interested]

1 minute ago, BkWurm1 said:

was Clifford the Big Red Dog also on PBS?

Yep, along with Arthur (which I partially credit my initial interest in reading) and Cyberchase (which I partially credit my initial interest in math).

[BkWurm1]

I didn't watch Cyberchase with my nephews growing up - possibly why none of them enjoyed math, lol.  But I liked Arthur.  

[Mellowyellow]

Is Arther the gerbil/ rodent like looking fellow?

Any of you guys familiar with Peppa Pig? It's a British kids show and really popular in Australia. 

Hubby and I still call each other Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig sometimes. 

ETA: The poor old man has the doggy version of gastro so I'm sleeping on the couch in his room tonight to let him in and out. Normally I'd set up a bed for him outside but it's just past winter and he's 12 so that's not an option. Vet doesn't think it's kidney failure or obstruction so at this point I am praying that it is just gastro. 

Edited September 10, 2017 by Mellowyellow
A bit of a vent about the old man

[BkWurm1]

Hugs about your pooch.  

 

Peppa Pig is adorable.  I swear the accents just make it all so much better, lol.  

 

Authur is an aardvark though he does look more like a gerbil and had a rabbit for a best friend.  Is that the one you are thinking of?  Your kidlet will enjoy it as he gets older.  I think Arthur is 8 (why do I know this?)

Edited September 10, 2017 by BkWurm1

[statsgirl]

There is one episode of Peppa Pig that has been pulled off the air in Australia.  It's the one Spiders Can't Hurt You where Peppa invites Mr. Skinnylegs to tea. Unlike in England where spiders are relatively benign, spiders in Australia can hurt you.

How is your doggy doing today @Mellowyellow?  Is he better?

[LeighAn]

Sorry about your dog @Mellowyellow I know how trying and worrying a sick pup can be.

[scarynikki12]

1 hour ago, statsgirl said:

 spiders in Australia can hurt you.

Spiders are the reason I'm afraid to go to Australia. 

[Jediknight]

4 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

Spiders are the reason I'm afraid to go to Australia. 

With all the crazy death making animals, I'm convinced that Australia is on one giant Hellmouth.

[BkWurm1]

3 hours ago, Jediknight said:

With all the crazy death making animals, I'm convinced that Australia is on one giant Hellmouth.

I read a book set in Austrailia and they had TREEES that were called widow makers for how often they just oops, randomly dropped branches that killed people.  

Respect.    

Edited September 11, 2017 by BkWurm1

[apinknightmare]

One of my best friends is from Australia, and she has a picture of a family dinner they were having outside when she was a teenager. Everyone smooshed together for a posed photo, and when her mom got the pic developed, she noticed that there was a crocodile clinging to the trunk of a tree a few feet behind them - none of them even knew it was there, haha.

[Chaser]

oh hell no

[bijoux]

Eeek.

Although I have heard some scary stories about English spiders as well. Not life threatening, just intimidating in size. A friend used to make fun of her English husband (boyfriend at the time) for being weary of spiders until she visited him in England for the first time and ran away from one in fright.

As for Australia, I still have flashbacks to a photo of a jacked up kangaroo I saw once. I'm not sure who ever decided it was fit for humans.

[EmilyBettFan]

On 9/10/2017 at 11:23 AM, BkWurm1 said:

Hugs about your pooch.  

 

Peppa Pig is adorable.  I swear the accents just make it all so much better, lol.  

 

Authur is an aardvark though he does look more like a gerbil and had a rabbit for a best friend.  Is that the one you are thinking of?  Your kidlet will enjoy it as he gets older.  I think Arthur is 8 (why do I know this?)

I love Arthur! I watched it for a very long time lol!

[Mellowyellow]

Thanks guys for your good wishes to the old man pup!

The pooch had tumours earlier this year which were removed. Vet recommended an implant to reduce his testosterone to stop the chance of regrowth. My mummy instincts were SCREAMING at me not to go for it but Hubby and vet were keen so I went along with it.  Now his testosterone is too low causing him to leak urine so he's on pseudoephedrine every day. This was working but stopped working when he got gastro.

He's a clean dog so he's really upset by the whole thing and we've had to stop the pseudoephedrine for now. 

I've been washing and mopping all day. He's an inside dog and 12 so it's not like we can kick him outside. 

But he's hassling me for food again today she things are looking up! I'll get used to the mopping and he's being good and sitting where I tell him to sit. I'm getting him to sit on strategically placed towels to reduce the work load. 

****

I swear Australia is not scary. Just avoid trees on windy days!

I've walked into more spider webs than I can count (on night dog walks! Always run into one and get a face full of web) and nothing had happened to me. 

You'll scare @statsgirl from visiting if you keep telling scary stories about Aus ?

Edited September 12, 2017 by Mellowyellow

[calliope1975]

44 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

I'm getting him to sit on strategically placed towels to reduce the work load. 

Glad he's doing better! Invest in puppy pads. I have them around my litter box for my oversized guy who misses from time to time, but they were a lifesaver when my other cat had a blocked urethra. After treatment, he was leaking urine for days, and the puppy pads made clean up so easy.

[statsgirl]

I'm glad your baby is feeling better.  There's nothing worse than having a sick pet or a sick baby because you can't explain.

Neither spiders nor crocodiles nor kangaroos will keep me from visiting Australia.  (Finances, on the other hand...)

[Kymmi]

13 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

I read a book set in Austrailia and they had TREEES that were called widow makers for how often they just oops, randomly dropped branches that killed people.  

Respect.    

I've got a 120+ year old oak tree (don't know the type) here in Seattle that produces widow makers every fall/winter.  She's fierce and doesn't mess - my husband is convinced she's gunning for him.  LOL

[Morrigan2575]

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/neil-gaiman-good-omens-michael-sheen-amazon-1202522663/

I'm so excited! Good Omens on Amazon AND David Tennant will star?! Please tell me he's playing Crowley!

Another link

http://io9.gizmodo.com/amazons-good-omens-miniseries-will-star-michael-sheen-a-1797842239

Tennant is Crowley...perfect.

Edited September 13, 2017 by Morrigan2575