There’s an odd and disturbing trend I’ve noticed recently in my preferred form of brain candy; e.g.: smart female protagonists within the genre of urban fantasy. From what I can tell, when the author wishes to demonstrate via emotional shorthand just how repugnant a villainous group is, or needs to hastily add a bit of…
Some years ago a friend asked me why I didn’t like pulp — why, in fact, I pretty much loathed it. It gets stuck in your teeth, and makes the orange juice too thick, I replied. Admittedly, I can now confess my sense of humor still needed work at that time. What can I say……
In exchange for a huge honkin’ load of electronics recycling, my household received four free tickets to the San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation‘s current exhibit: “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination.” So we invited a friend and went to see it last weekend. It will still be around until March 23rd, so catch it…
I’m writing this having just gotten back from my little interview session, or whatever it’s called, at the photography studio for the boudoir shoot groupon which a dear friend gifted to me. I have to say… I’m starting to feel somewhat uncomfortable about this. A quick note: while I will mention the name of the…
In our last pain-filled episode the armadillo eggs, meatloaf, and cheeses were left well-wrapped and half prepared in the refrigerator, and blinky-Collie-with-glasses went off to a delicious and thoughtful dinner with her very kind housemates. Moving on! The next night I strode fearlessly into the kitchen, well prepared and snapping latex gloves onto my hands…
So, wa-aa-ay back in this posting I had discovered the rutabagas, grabbed some, and was heading for the cash register posthaste, due to an incipient on-line appointment. As I stood at the register I watched the clerk either passing things over the bar code reader or (when things like produce had no bar code on…
A common assumption I’ve frequently read is that the “worst discovery” made by humankind was agriculture, in that it taught men (not humans) the concept of property. The rather androcentric theorizing seems to be that once men conceptualize food as property which can be hoarded away despite the needs of others, it’s invariably a short…
As is probably well-known by now, I am very much a “seat of the pants” style of cook: I take the recipe, eyeball it for a short list of ingredients and ease of preparation, head to the internet to research any unfamiliar terms or ingredients (Intarwebs I can haz! :), occasionally dump ingredients or make…
Ecofeminism is a powerful means to accomplish the goal of a more peaceful, prosperous, and socially just world. Unsurprisingly, entrenched blocks to its implementation exist within the modern social order due to its excesses of hierarchical capitalism and masculinism. Thus one of the most methodologically exciting works of this subsection is an analysis of how…
Just finished a lovely “stay-cation” style weekend in Santa Cruz! Lots of fun bits to comment on, but here are some cute, quick ones: Santa Cruz is so very relaxing and beautiful! We’re such geeks, though. Here we are in the town of sun, surf, and the famous Boardwalk… and we get seduced by the…