Getting ready for a month of fabulous birthdays!

Andy's birthday was yesterday, mine is April 23, and Susan's is April 16. Michael's is on April 6, and Will McRee's is somewhere in there too. We are all turning 25 this year. And as you know, we're having a big party at my house to celebrate on Saturday 4/18. If you're like me, you're probably wondering what the heck you can do to prepare! I'll tell you:

1) Be thinking of your outfit for the party. The My Girl theme isn't set in stone yet, so stay with us as we announce the real theme.

2) Consider these presents for us: Susan has previously expressed interest in Michael Jackson's belongings up for auction, and I keep returning to this book on Amazon. I also just found readingfrenzy.com, where just about everything looks good. Just a handful to get you started!*

I'll be more excited than ever to get my hands on some fresh books this year because I've been reading Infinite Jest for about a month and plan to finish it before the 23rd. Being free to read other things will be my biggest birthday present!

3) Start testing recipes for food to bring to the party. We'll have some out, but if you want anything crazy it's on you to bring!

4) Consider taking any money you win from your NCAA bracket to donate to a charity of our choice. We'll confirm which charity on the facebook invitation.

5) Pick out some of your favorite pictures of us for the big photo slideshow at the party!

6) Write a song with your band about us, and perform it at the party!

7) Make a piece of art and dedicate it to us!

8) Contact your florist ahead of time about the arrangements you want delivered on the day of the party. TRUST ME: Fallon's does not do well with last-minute orders!

Thanks in advance, everyone!

*Actually if you want to bring anything, something good/fun to drink will be great and a bonus. Obviously!

A day late

Yesterday was my birthday. "Gee, I read JOP everyday, how could I, like, miss it?" you're asking yourself. I always like to see who else was born on my birthday. Not birth date, mind you, but March 30, 1984. 

A whole bunch of tennis players were born that day. Is it then more than a coincidence that I, also, enjoy tennis? Most sites seem to find Anna Nalick the most famous person born that day. I don't know her, but you might. The U.S. ended participation in a multinational Lebanon peace force. That was bad(?) 

Pretty boring stuff. But you have to notice the things that DID NOT occur on March 30, 1984:

The simultaneous death of your parents, siblings, other kin, and all your friends of the past, present, and future;

The murders of the president, the Queen of England, the U.N. Secretary-General, the Dalai Lama, or the Pope;

Nuclear war between America and the U.S.S.R., or anyone for that matter;

The beginnings of a global epidemic;

The use of a new, devastating weapon;

The breakdown of democracy;

A collision between the Earth and a huge meteor;

An instantaneous global depression;

The eruption of a Krakatoa-like volcano, covering the Earth with ash and destroying most plant life;

A total collapse of worldwide law and order, and society in general;

The end of life as we know it.

Some parties close to me often hint at these non-events as possible outcomes stemming from an event occurring on March 30, 1984. They declare that day The Worst Day Ever, as if things turned irreversibly worse that day. The evidence speaks to the contrary.

iGoogle

Does anyone use iGoogle? Recently I have started using it to organize, and I wonder if others are using it. Am I out of the loop?

What I like about it:

• Fun themes - it really dresses up my emails. Currently using: Las Vegas Strip


• Blog organizer - able to see who updated all at once.

I'm on the fence about reading emails in this way. I like seeing the colors of my labels and being able to reference old emails. Also, you don't get the uniqueness of a website unless you go to click on the tab.

McGregor at 25

Everyone's talking about Andy turning 25!! It couldn't happen to a nicer guy! Happy Birthday Andy!

Tribute Post: Andy "McGregor" Wales turns 25!

Well, this was supposed to go up earlier, but here it is:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDY WALES!

Andy is new to the Jar of Paperclips team but he's an old friend to all of us in real life. I first met Andy at some point during 11th grade at Sanderson HS. My earliest memory of him is corroborated in the SHS yearbook and it involves an insane number of t-shirts worn all at once, making him look obese. Since then, I've really enjoyed knowing this guy. He even came to France and hung out for a couple weeks!

Susan and I thought we'd do a "favorite memories" thing and this is what we came up with: not many people were available for comment. But here's what fellow longtimer Jessica "J-dubs" Williams had to say:

me: yo jessica

we're writing a "tribute post" on the blog for andy

will you answer one question for it?

2:29 PM Jessica: sure

2:32 PM me: ok

Q: What is your favorite memory of Andy?

Jessica: hmmm

9 minutes

2:42 PM me: just anything

15 minutes

2:58 PM me: jdubs!

this is going on a blog like today

38 minutes

3:36 PM Jessica: sorry working too

ummm

i mean

they're all so fond

3:38 PM me: just one

So there you have it. I'll close with this great picture of a great guy...and Michael Pearce. (just kiddin' Michael!) (blingee to follow). And feel free to add your favorite memories of Andy in the comments!

Kentucky did what?

Kentucky fired Billy Gillespie. After receiving the boot, he said, "I wish we would have won more." Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart cited "philosophical differences" between the coach and the legendary basketball program. I saw a tape of the exchange in his office:

Barnhart enters Gillespie's office, unannounced, sits down at his desk, and removes a tennis ball from his pocket. He tosses it repeatedly and says: "Billy, you're a good guy, but you gotta go."

Gillespie, who is writing diligently the whole time, is unaware that Barnhart has even entered the room. He does not look up: "Not right now Kevin (his assistant who sounds eerily like Gillespie's boss), I'm trying to recruit for next season."

Barnhart: "That's just it Gillespie. (The coach looks up at the manner of address. He stops writing.) You're done. Get it? Canned. Tossed. Axed. Kaput. Fired." He tosses the ball.

Gillespie: "I don't understand sir. Do you not like my ties? Should I change my name to Adolph Rupp Jr.? Is my mansion too big?"

Barnhart is bored of the tennis ball. He returns it to his pocket and withdraws a half-dollar. He flips it along his knuckles: "No, not that."

Gillespie, rubbing his chin: "Did I not attend enough alumni meetings? Do my players have too many tattoos? Should I have asked Ashley Judd to attend road games?"

Barnhart: "None of those things, Billy-Boy. See the fact is, you just didn't win enough games. We here at Kentucky are accustomed to winning. We've won 284 national championships and produced every All-American ever. In fact, for our first 28 seasons of basketball, we played twenty-eight games a year and won all fifty-six of them. Your two seasons here just didn't cut it. That and I really disagree with your idea that mind and body, while having distinct ontological statuses, do not causally interfere with one another. You know, real philosophical differences."

Gillespie: "Oh. So I should have won more?"

Barnhart said nothing as he rose and left the office. Gillespie returned to filling out recruiting forms.  

Images from My Week

Julius Shulman's most famous photograph. He was on NPR talking about his works and how his photographs of Los Angeles homes shaped our idea of the city. The guy is 98! Crazy!

A clipart that I sent out in an email that got a lot of responses.

Tourney observations

Every year I look forward to the NCAA Tourney more than any other event (yes more than Christmas and my birthday). The first weekend is like both of those days plus two more days. During my sophomore year in college I scheduled my entire spring semester so I could skip the fewest number of classes to watch the first round games. This is legit.

This year I watched hoops until my eyes bled. The added screen size and definition of an HDTV maximize the ocular stimulation. Time Warner, in their lone positive influence on the cable TV scene, created four channels so I can cruise the up to four simultaneous games without submitting to the draconian CBS producers or the local market stakes. If UNC is blowing out a team by 35, I can catch the two-point game between Memphis and CS Northridge at any time. 

Here are some musings. Keep in mind, brain functions drop considerably during tourney weekend.

MSU v. USC: Spartans v. Trojans. Such epic battles require gross exaggeration. MSU won 2,400-2,399. The game lasted 72 hours and featured 50,000 players. Everyone in the arena participated. MSU flute player Joe Agamemnon nailed the game-winning three while USC coach Tim "King Priam" Floyd grappled with a Kraken and forgot to call timeout. 

USC cheerleaders are smokin' hot with their sweater tops.

I tuned to Utah-Arizona for a little bit. I saw a big guy sit on the bench with "Utah" on the back of his jersey. I said to my roommate, "There's a guy on Utah with last name Utah." He laughed. I said, "It would be funny if his first name was Provo or Salt Lake City." Then he said, "Or if his name was Chicago or Dallas or something." We agreed it was a funny last name. I turned to another game and later came back to the Utah game. When he came back downstairs I said, "So it turns out all the players have 'Utah' on the backs of the their jerseys." He laughed, but for a different reason that time.

When the Chattanooga Mocs play their games, do they warm up in the other team's jerseys? Do they stand around saying things like, "I'm Jeff Adrien; I'm Hasheem Thabeet?" Do they take exactly the same shots as their opponents each time?

The Dayton Flyers have nice nickname as a shout-out to their flight history. Other teams should have similar nicknames. I hope the Memphis FedExs face the Lousiville UPSs. The CEOs could bet their companies on the game's outcome.

Speaking of Louisville, they played Morehead St. in the first round. The on-screen score graphic said MORE/LOU. We could all use more Lou. "Hey, I a-make you a pizza!" I hope I offended some people with that one. This made me pine for favorite school abbreviation: Southern Illinois appearing as "So Ill" on screen.

Newspaper writers must salivate over the chance to write "Sooners Rather Than Later" if Oklahoma wins the championship on a last-second shot.

There could be an all-city Final Four. The aforementioned all-parcel delivery winner could play the blue collar Pitt-Syracuse winner for everything. Obama declares: "Winning fans will not get laid off!" Plus they would play in Detroit, the king of blue-collar towns. "Detroit residents, attend the game and you won't get laid off!"

This weekend we get twelve more games. Go Heels!

Would You Buy This?

A reader wrote in about this product and wondered if anyone would buy this ring:

A cubic zirconia bear reclines upon your paw.

Twitter

I understand what Twitter is, I've just never seen the point of it. This morning I found a link to John Mayer's Twitter and from there - whoa. If I were younger and obsessed with someone like Pete Wentz...I would have hit the jackpot of his thoughts/activities. Then I realized Twitter is just a heightened reality show:

Saw Mick Jagger at the VF party the other night and thought, 'Mick Jagger hasn't gotten less famous, but fame has gotten less Mick Jagger. - John Mayer he hangs out with famous people...he's just like us!

Lady Ga Ga has a cool song, because it somehow sonically captures a smell. - John Mayer this is so true!!

should the stage be a confessional or a place where you play a character? been going back and forth in my head. - Pete Wentz deep.

Look, I know I'm WAY late on this, but the office season 2 dundies episode, omg!!!! - Mark Hoppus (Blink 182) mark is like 5 years behind us. maybe he thinks blink 182 is still together?

right..gaga turned 22..in a mirrored panty humping a miami gogo dancer at 2 am to the beat of my first single "just dance" best birthday ... - Lady Gaga her twitter is kind of lame, but also - not surprising.

"im a famous nobody nobody, im nobody famous". truer words have never applied to me. - Pete Wentz pete "gets it".

@ItsJoelMadden i got it. ill send you a good one. dad hang in the beginning of april? - Pete Wentz can you imagine this playgroup? i bet mowgli and harlow are the coolest ones there.

@drdrew My friend Scott met you, I will go out in Pasadena now, tmz loves to pick on me. I'm now 5 days sober, was so close to 90 days. - Mary Carey (Celeb Rehab) this is better than the reunion of celeb rehab. she also hangs with dane cook. weird.

Got off Virgin Atlantic flight in Hong Kong to be greeted by more look-a-likes. They're everywhere! - Richard Branson he represents the self-promotional Tweet. every other line is something about his jets. v. annoying!

Dear hipster moving in next door, So sorry your slacks don't fit over your cowboy boots. Just tuck them in! Oh, you do already? Great! -rob - Rob Corddry

Drinking margaritas with Indians. You're welcome society! - Rob Corddry

RT @jameslkent: @robcorddry Movie Pitch: Man goes back in time, saves young woman's life, they fall in love. Twist ending: She shoots Tupac!

his twitter reminds me of his bits on the daily show.

wow!

so i haven't seen this site in awhile, but daaaaamn that image on top is so wonderfully creepy. i feel honored to be included in a creepy sundae of disembodied human heads.

also, have you all heard janelle monae's "sincerely jane"? it's so damn catchy. i almost can't stand it.

the cute animal true-ff

have you all seen this site?

i laughed so hard that i had to restrain myself from looking at this at work...i had to wait until i was in the privacy of my own home-not-my-home.

http://fuckyoupenguin.blogspot.com/

2009

Tracie's Lost Recaps: Fantastic

It turns out Jezebel and I have what, in human terms, would be an abusive relationship--I keep going back even though I know I shouldn't. One of my enduringly favorite things on the site, though, are Tracie Egan's Lost recaps. They are so good! This week's episode was so good, and reviewing the details made it better. For instance: Tracie pointed out that

if this is the same Ethan, and he was born in 1977, than that would mean that he was 27 at the time that Oceanic flight 815 crashed on the Island in 2004. The guy who plays Ethan, William Maphother (Tom Cruise's cousin), is 43. Either that was terrible casting, or some time traveling shit went down, which is why he aged.

GOOD POINT! Read the full recap here for more. The show is already good, but in-depth analysis pushes it over the edge to "great." Sorry, but it's true!

wow, ps: can you count how many times i used the word "good" in this post? LaZy EdiTiNg aLeRt!!

Everyone needs to chill the fuck out.

Check it out:

Coach-K disses Obama

Apparently, Prez Obama filled out a NCAA bracket, just like a regular Joe would. And just like an intelligent regular Joe would, he didn't pick Duke to make it to the Final Four. Boo Hoo. And so the news reported that, so then Coach K came out and said, "Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four, and as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets." Wah Wah.

There's so many things idiotic about this story. If coach K is serious, then fuck him. Who's he to say that Obama can't take some time to fill out a bracket. Everybody the fuck else is. Who is Coach K, a basketball coach, to say whether the president can fill out a bracket? I mean, our country was in the middle of two wars, and former vice-president Cheney still found time to shoot someone in the face. I didn't hear any pissing and moaning from Krzyzewskiville back then.

But really, as much as I loathe Duke and Coach K, I gotta think that he was joking. There's no way that K was actually dissing Obama, because everyone knows that to criticize Obama only invites hatred for the critic. The statement seems like dry humor to me. Why the hell does the news have to report it as like this as some heated ivalry? They're just trying to engineer a story out of nothing.

Final Verdict: Fuck the media. They're the ones drumming up this stupid shit. If anything Coach K should have made this statement: "Fuck you AP, everyone's entitled to fill out a bracket, even the president. Office bracket pools serve to stimulate the economy by placing unexpected wads of cash in the hands of the winners. Obama rules. Get outta my face." Or something like that.

PS: Obama picked the Tar Heels to win it all. Greatest President EVER! Go Heels!

St Patrick

Some of my favorite Irish things for the day:

Enya makes New Age sound good. I had forgotten what a hit "Only Time" was - it earned her best selling female artist for 2001. Watch out U2. I don't think it's a stretch to say that Enya is a more likable and enjoyable Irish singer than Bono.

I included the Cranberries, not because I'm that big of a fan, but for the songs "Dreams" and "Linger". Sometimes the lead singers voice got on my nerves, but they're fun songs to sing along to. And "Dreams" is a great opener for "You've Got Mail".

Van Morrison - what a talent! He has that dad-like musical quality that everyone feels comfortable listening to. I especially loved his performance on "The Last Waltz". If I wasn't already a Van fan, that would have sealed the deal.

Maeve Binchy could be looped into some of those really "mom-ish" and girly writers, but this is one of her books that I loved. Good story and even a decent movie adaption. I guess we have Circle of Friends to thank for Chris O'Donnell and Minnie Driver's movie careers.

F you Lady Gaga

I heard a good song last night and was looking it up to hear at work. I found it here:

Boys - Sabrina

Search results also turned up "Boys Boys Boys," another piece of crap by Lady Gaga. I always knew I disliked her because of her obnoxious style, but I wanted to be sure, so I gave it a listen. BLECHH!

The only good part of "Boys Boys Boys" is the bridge, and even then I'm making a concession. Why does all music sound the same right now? If I didn't know this was Lady Gaga, I'd think it was Xtina or Pussycat Dolls or Bratz or whoever else is on the radio all the time. Maybe the horrible songwriting distinguishes it from those guys, because Lady Gaga is actually trying but still fails. "Let's go see the Killers and make out in the bleachers" is my favorite line from the song because it sums up so much about how she sucks. Who knew I'd be yearning for the days when Amy Winehouse was my biggest complaint?

Here's another thing, and maybe this explains my Winehouse problem too: I'm suspicious of any "musician" who needs to do something nutty with their appearance to gain fame. Obviously! KISS, Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga: what do they all have in common besides their looks? Their lack of talent. Yes, I get that they are also performers, and yes, I get that they need to sell tickets. That doesn't mean they're talented musicians though, and it's just not for me personally. It is also very annoying how ubiquitous these people become, now and as they age into "legend" status.

Anyway, focus on Sabrina's song. The chorus is soooooo catchy.

My cute cousin

Adorable little video of my cousin Joe's baby Milo. What a sweetie.

Summer Heights High: My New Favorite Show

In Part 2 of my week visiting with Liza, I've had the opportunity to see her new favorite tv show: Summer Heights High. She brought over the DVD last night and now it is my new favorite tv show. Too bad it might not get picked up for a second season :( Apparently American audiences don't respond well to Australia-specific race issues and some of the more offensive humor bits (for example, half of Mr. G's jokes are based on him being real effeminate; they make rape jokes; there's other stuff etc. etc. sorta boring "controversy"). It could also have to do with the fact that we've had our share of reality-inspired sitcoms. OR actually, I just found out that there just wasn't enough material to stretch over more than 1 season. Whatev though!

It is like The Office except it's Australian and takes place at a high school. For the most part, it's really funny although a lot of it was just more entertaining than anything else. Like one character's graffiti tag is a picture of a penis and then "tation," like "dictation," and it's funny at first and then just ehhh. I think I like Ja'mie best. When she says "public school is so random!" I especially love it--he totally nails that type of girl (I didn't want to mention it at the time but Liza herself used to be very much like that). Anyway, here it is.

Mr. G is their drama teacher.




Like I said, Ja'mie is the best!

Our. .fun is. .never over.

Daft Punk at your fingertips.

Click on it. You'll enjoy it. All I'll say.

This lady is smarter than you

Sorry, another post from this TED conference. BTW, TED.com has a shitload of cool videos of speeches from a bunch of super-geniuses from a recent super-genius conference.

Anyway, this video is about memes. Which you should learn more about if you haven't heard about them yet. I think she does a good job of introducing them here though.

Check your understanding of humanity at the door.





PS. Sorry if you don't dig tha nerdy stuff.

The future is now

I saw this on my favorite tech blog, gizmodo. Thought I'd share it. It's an integrated, wearable camera/projector/smart web device that is controlled by gesture and can recognize the outside world in order to provide you with relevant information.



Skip ahead to 3:10 for the cool stuff. Lots of cool ideas/ implementations already in play in the video, but I imagine that if that kind of technology catches on it could go in a million directions, some of them maybe not so good. Like the part in the video where it projects 'cloud' information about an individual onto a person. Lets hope it doesn't include former lovers, STI, and criminal record information. Plus you know, information can probably flow both ways on those things. The world is at your fingertips, but the world is watching.

Drugstore Diaries: Liza's room edition

So I spent some time with my mom and sister last night. Well, first, know this:

My family are some of the worst regifters in the world. My mom would send me "care packages" at summer camp filled with the contents of whatever drawer she was cleaning out (half-empty packs of chewing gum, last year's troll dolls, old issues of Disney Adventures); I can count on getting at least one Harris-Teeter VIC gift every Christmas (this year it was a wok set) and so last night I was at my mom's house, hanging with my sister who's in town for spring break.

She had a basket full of gifts for her sorority little, and that basket included a makeup case from 5 birthdays ago, all the Christmas presents I'd given Liza this year, unopened; a bent-up copy of The Lovely Bones, a Barbie CD-ROM, and a partially-used container of Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter (to the right). Pathetic.

But I've always been a big fan of Queen Helene's line, from the cocoa butter creme to the mint julep mask, so I helped myself to a little cocoa butter. Within 30 seconds, my hands had been transformed from dry, uncomfortable winter mitts to smooth and youthfully glowing.

After I put away the cocoa butter (in my purse) (I doubt her little will miss it), I saw the tackiest-looking bottle of tanning lotion I've ever seen.

I have problems with tanning, and especially the redneck sorority culture that makes my sister look like an oompa loompa when she's going through a heavy tanning phase. So, to my complete shock and amazement, I saw on the bottom of this bottle (pictured at left) (yeah, seriously!!) that this costs $74.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Smells nasty, looks nastier, and I wish I could read you the text on the back. It's like poetry. (Redneck poetry, lots of ellipses).

After that, there's not much to report on besides caked-up mascara and some old Freesia-scented soap in her bathroom. Awesome.

What the Heck

Advice is back!

Well, the response to the advice column has been overwhelming and here I've been sitting on this pile of questions for months and months. Some of the questions are very dated and may have been better answered around the holidays, but guess what? There will also be holidays this year! So here we go, part 1 of the latest installment of ADVICE: The Column.

Let's see what we got. This one looks timely:

My boyfriend says he only hits me because he loves me. Is that okay? -Black 'n' (in) Bloomingdale, Indiana

No it's not ok! He may think he loves you, but really he loves to dominate you. You deserve a relationship of equals and he's shown you he's not capable of that. Get out of that mess as soon as possible!

I can't tell if I like a girl because I like HER, or if I just don't want to be lonely anymore. Any General advice? -Generally Speaking, Charlotte

Well, the first clue is that you're not sure. Anybody worth dating will inspire a much surer, extremely strong feeling at the beginning. The beginning is when it's supposed to be just nuts! If you feel lukewarm now, imagine how you'll feel after getting to know her, going on some dates, spending the night, meeting her people, seeing her without makeup, putting up with her mood swings, picking her up from the auto shop, listening to her snores, etc. Does that sound appealing? Answer quick before you think! If yes, then yes: you like HER. If no, you just don't want to be lonely anymore. See how easy?

Check back for our next advice column, coming probably later this week. We have seeeevvvverrrralll questions to go through so it should be good! Send us more if you want at hifever40@yahoo.com or to jarofpaperclips@gmail.com.

The Week

Like most people I have a love/hate relationship with Oprah. I can't stand her, but I want to know what she has to say. And I just read she adopted a buff cocker spaniel puppy - which is interesting because my family is about to get a sable cocker in a few weeks. We're like the same person/family! But seriously - Oprah. It's annoying that she's put herself on her magazine since its debut.

Today I saw this cover and I was glad to see Oprah sharing it with someone.  Much has been made of Michelle's style, and I like it.  It's interesting to see these two juxtaposed on the cover.  It's great that Oprah's sharing the spotlight, but with this picture??? Seriously? I think she could have done a lot better for her debut.  I've read that everyone is talking about Michelle's see-through belt. It's a little odd, but I think it works with her spring ensemble. I find both of their poses to be more weird. The whole thing looks photo-shopped too. Also it looks like Oprah is begging Michelle for friendship. I watched a DVR'd episode of Oprah the other day and Oprah was bragging that she was just at the White House. We get it. You guys are friends and from Chicago, but Oprah saying that stuff just makes it easier to dislike her. Point being is that I like the idea that she's sharing the cover but I feel like she could have done better.

In other Friday news, I opened Perez tonight and read this headline:

Rapper Coolio was just busted at LAX for possession of crack cocaine!!!

Wow. I had no idea. I used to love Coolio/maybe still do? Is this his audition for Celebrity Rehab/Sober House? Is this his own "fantastic voyage"?

M.I.A named her baby Ickitt. I kind of like it in a weird way.



Finally, keep a look out for the Sufficient podcast debuting on Sufficient's myspace soon. It's their newest one after a 10 year absence.

I am a sucker for pics like this

Thank you again to National Geographic.

It's over!

For the past year or so, jezebel.com and I have had a pretty good working relationship. I liked the constant updates, and I liked to check on it, and I liked Tracie and Moe's writing on the site. Then they fired Moe, Dodai started writing (aka complaining) more, and Tracie is pretty much out of it except to post clips from Judge Judy. Some person named hortense (lowercase h. is she bell hooks or something?) clogs up the site every weekend with 393587 posts about nothing, and it's just so lame at this point that it's not entertaining at all.

Here's how a post will usually go: Dodai will find something you hadn't thought of, highlight it as sexist/racist (everything is sexist and racist so this is already a yawnfest), and the commenters will show off how fucking-the-system alternative they are, using puns or Gilmore Girls-style sarcasm, and like bond with each other. Here are some examples of comments, picked all from random:

• Good Lord, how to selvedge the situation? /sarcasm/ I just can't get interested in quilts. Not no way not no how.

• It's because I don't like the way that entitled little twatmuffin Strawberry Shortcake is looking at me. What, Strawberry?! WHAT?! YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME!?!

• Hear hear. I only discovered Sleater Kinney a few years ago, and it blew my mind that they sung about things that affected me. It meant alot.

• NO WAY am I going to stock some dude's favorite beer in my fridge unless I like it too. Bud Light, Guinness, or Sierra Nevada? Not a chance.

• Well Tonya, I think that he was making a cultural reference that, unfortunately, you are asosiated...sorry. Um, my spelling is off; the S and C keys are stuck on my keyboard. Look at them. LOOK AT MY KEYS. I demand that I get to do this comment again from the BEGINNING!

Obviously these commenters need some outlet, and jezebel is as good a place as any to unleash these ill-formed "opinions" and "jokes." It does no harm, except to create and reinforce stereotypes about women 1) being harpies, 2) not being funny, and 3) always having something to bitch about. I guess #s 3 and 1 are the same, and honestly there is a lot to bitch about, but it doesn't help feminism for these women to be complaining about every little thing. Let's pick the battles we can win, huh?

While I'm thinking about it, what really made me want to post this was seeing both "What say you?" and "hear hear" on the site more than twice in one day. I hate those phrases so much I can't really articulate why. Ugh. It's over.

List of things I'm into

Saltine crackers. I'm eating them right now!

Lesley Arfin. I just finished Dear Diary and she's a Vice contributor but I don't care if people are supposed to be too cool for that or whatever. Stuff like this is my dream reading material when I'm fooling around on the internet. Reading about her writerly hopes reinforced my secret writerly hopes when people like DFW and Nabokov dash them. Which is to say: there's more to lit than unattainable genius and thick cross-referencing. Her book is entertaining, it's about drugs, I relate to her adolescent problems, and I learned a lot about rehab. out of 10, it's 8.3.

David Foster Wallace. oh baby, the real star of my dream! I was watching Lost last night and one of the characters looks like him (if only Horace would pull his hair back and put on a bandanna) and that's when I realized I have a tiny lil' fixation on DFW. I'm only 100 or so pages into Infinite Jest but so far it is astounding. I was sad when he died in September and I'm even sadder now. Infinite Jest is so far a 9.4.

Not drinking alcohol--I've had some drinks since Lent began but overall I feel like my liver is thanking me for giving it a break. I tried to give up coffee at the same time and switch to yerba mate but yesterday I gave in and made some at home in the morning. When i got to work i drank yerba mate as has become my habit and I was wiggin' out! But it felt good, sort of like the time freshman year I went to Tate St. with Aislinn and drank a bunch of espresso at 10 pm without thinking, and spent the rest of the night fighting with my boyfriend and writing a paper. and I think there was also a meteor shower that night that I watched on the soccer field.

Making plans for spring. As you can see! I'm excited to jog outside again and sleep in my room without 50 layers of blankets and thermalwear. It's also fun to be wearing clothes that you like, like colorful skirts without leggings. And everyone's in a good mood!

Gay beach. Is always good somehow (only the best for american apparel, i guess!). so nice to listen to at work and at home. you might have to just go to the viva site and find "gay beach" in the contributors.

Thursday

Vote!

The results are in from our last poll: People couldn't stand Hugh Jackman. Tough break.

Moving on - our new poll is already up and running! Whatever theme the people pick we will use. *Unless we get a better suggestion!





Feel free to submit an idea in the comments section and you may see it added to the voting options!

WINNIE AND SUSAN'S SPRING FLING BIRTHDAY PARTY

My birthday is April 23, and Susan's is April 16, and we're having a birthday/spring fling theme party at my house on April 18. Just so you can plan ahead!!

The biggest thing on my mind lately is what is the best theme for a spring fling party? I know that i want to wear some fly press-on nails and maybe false eyelashes, but is "drag queens" even a party theme?

What are some good themes? Any ideas??????



For now, here's a song by Sufficient artist Snowman & Furball (and 1/2 of S& F is 1/3 of Chairlift, stars of the ipod nano commercial) that's been in my head lately. Think it over!

I live with this guy.

Just thought I'd share with everybody what I have to live with. This video is of my roommate stephen. In the first part he's getting pumped up. In the second part he's wrestling his teammate Taylor.



As you can see. He's kind of a fruitball. Real high energy.