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good news for people who hate boring news (updated)
Here's something that happens:
Okay. So, this part is actually fine.
People being nice is the coolest. Everyone should try it.
But here's where things get tricky.
This virtual stranger wants to talk to me. And while I'm hoping my face says:
Something in my inherently awkward body language says:
And even this part would be fine.
But then the person says something like:
And I'm thinking to myself: Unless I've seen your cat on the internet already, I'm certain you are exaggerating.
But it doesn't matter that this is an average house cat we're talking about now, because it's already started. And like a snowball rolling out of control into a fresh pile of boring, we're off.
10 minutes later…
15 minutes after that…
And around this time, I'm thinking: I wish this person would either be more interesting or shut her stupid, talking face.
But they will not get more interesting.
And she will not stop.
And things keep going from bad to worse.
And some time later, my only recourse is to do something drastic…
It's awful.
But this story has a happy ending, because my friend Jessica Hagy has written a new book. And it's going to save the world.
That's right! Now, you will be fully armed in the face of boring people. The next time someone asks you to discuss something mundane, like your taxes or their gluten allergy, just hand them this book and walk away slowly.
Or read it yourself. Her publisher sent me a copy, and I think it's pretty fantastic. And inspiring. And funny. And other good things.
And. AND!
In honor of Jessica's new book and as a sort of apology for all of the time I've been absent, I am giving away three copies of How to Be Interesting.
To win, just leave your name in the comment section, and I will randomly draw names. Check back next Monday for the winners.
I realize my time away has left you with some unresolved trust issues, but if you come back next Monday, the winners' names will be here. I promise.
Disclaimer: While I did receive a copy of this book, I did not receive additional copies for a giveaway. It's just that good, okay.
UPDATE: Because there were way more comments than I expected and because I do what I want, I decided to give away four copies of the book, and using some random comment picker site, Cici, DB, Megan Harris, Kimberly Jones were selected. Yay! I've emailed them the details on how to get their books, but I wish I could have given everyone copies because I need more email friends. (And also friends in general.) Does anyone want to hang out this weekend?
81 Responses to good news for people who hate boring news (updated)
Jordan V says:
my name is jordie v! pick me!
(Note: I could've just gone with the more demure "My name is Jordan", but then I couldn't have rhymed, and that would be sad. I'm sure you understand.)
Lee says:
I'm glad you are back. Your blog is bookmarked and I check it often. But more importantly, I have to tell you about MY cat…
Jessica @ Just a Mum? says:
I could really use this book. Really. I'm quite boring. So I'm trusting you to come back, okay?
Andrew Wise says:
We've missed you, come back and write more stuff!
Also, free book!
Raggedy Sarah says:
Welcome back! I'd love a copy of this book. I know a few folks who could use it.
Megan Harris says:
So, I'm pretty sure I am the boring person featured in your cartoon. Sorry about that. Sometimes I just don't know what to say and keep talking to avoid silence.
clearly, I need this book.
Molly says:
I feel this way so much – thank you for this genius post! And congratulations ot Jessica!
db says:
Whoa, posts from *you* and *HYP* within a month! My OCD stalking of both your sites totally paid off!
Anna says:
I think I might have peed a little from laughing so hard. Is that more interesting than talking about a cat?
HYP says:
I thought this post was about me. Then I kept reading and now I KNOW it was about me. Thank you for being a friend.
WhoopAss says:
Yay, you're back! I definitely need this book because I am losing the skill of conversing with people about anything other than my cat's dietary habits.
Patty says:
What do you have planned for this weekend? Did you get your hair cut recently? I like purple.
LauraMaylene says:
But what if my cat really DID do the funniest thing yesterday? Huh? And may I add: wordswordswordsboringwords.
People at cocktail parties hate me. -
Linda Bottino says:
me me me me me, please!
Linda Bottino.
by the way, I missed you! -
Tara Eastman says:
What a wonderful giveaway!
Tara Eastman for an entry….
p.s. have missed your blog posts. 🙂
Angelique says:
I have a gluten allergy. That's how bad I need this book. Pleeeeeease. Plus it will help me overcome my trust issues with you.
Ami Dodson says:
You are buying books to give away with your own REAL money? Wow, that's something. If I win a copy of this book, I will send you a copy of my husband's new book, Federal Pleading Standards in the 21st Century. It's a page turner, let me tell you! Actually, it's probably the antithesis of How to be Interesting. I'll send you a copy anyway.
Jim Sterne says:
I have already purchased 3 copies so if I win, please pick somebody else who can benefit. The book is awesome… and we're so glad you're back!
Melissa says:
Are we being literal about the "leaving your name" bit? What about nicknames? Pen names? Embarrassing remnants of childhood pet names that we don't want anyone to ever know, ever?
Glad to see another post here. Y'can call me whatever you like.
Also, I want to read this book so I have an excuse to buy it for everyone I work with. Is that wrong?
kendall says:
You don't have to leave your name. As long as you provide an email address when prompted (it won't be published), I'll know how to find you and make you or someone you know more interesting)
Paddy says:
I need this book! From one socially awkward gal to another.
Mary says:
Can't wait to read more of your posts. I already had unresolved trust issues, don't worry.
Holly Folly says:
I'm not boring, I'm uh, I'm um, ah, you know what? Just let me have a chance at winning alright?
Mayor Gia says:
Ha! I literally walked away while someone was still talking to me and an acquaintance this weekend. She. Would. Not. Stop.
Sharona says:
Thank you for being interesting and having interesting friends. Life sucks less when it's fun!
Clip Snark says:
Ha! I accidentally scrolled too fast at first and it looked like an animation of you jumping through the window. Bonus animation. I can relate to this! 🙂
Cici says:
I finally stopped talking because I believe that everything I say is boring. So winning the book will change my life.
Dee DeWitt says:
Because I love your blog, and that would have made me all of the super sad.
Amy (KidFreeLiving) says:
First, I have to tell you about this thing on my dog's shoulder that oozes sometimes…
Marisa says:
My name is Marisa, and you should definitely pick me!
(Except if this giveaway is US only, in which case, let me excuse myself so I can go cry quietly in a corner) -
So glad to see you back! Pleasepleaseplease stay this time! We promise we won't bore you to death! 🙂
PS. My name is Jessa. -
Candy Joyce says:
If you gave me the book I would proceed to give it away to someone I know who could really use it!
My name is Candy
Sharona Zee says:
I like that you know about the broken trust thing…makes me trust you more, against my better judgement, perhaps. It all goes back to my parents divorce, blah blah blah
also, my dog did the cutest thing!
Kerstin Peterson says:
My name is Kerstin and I would love a copy of the book!
janewilk says:
Woohoo! You're back! I totally want to be (more) interesting, and learn how to get away from people who talk about their cats' digestive challenges.
SassC says:
I certainly need some help to be more interesting. While I do not tax others with tales of my cat climbing into the dishwasher, instead I sit silently and try to look alluring. (it's not working!)
Michael says:
What, you don't like forced awkward conversation drawn out with boring topics? Isn't it the worst. I love that you've jumped out the window haha.
Alexis says:
Just when I thought thought I would never again see a post that uses the phrase fuck your shit I'm in a bear suit (which is practically vernacular at our house) you're back. YAY!
Also would love the book – Alexis Dubief 🙂
JoAnna says:
I'm a law student and EVERY time I tell someone that they say, "oh, I better watch out or you might sue me." And then I slowly back away before I punch them in the face.
Liz says:
My name is Liz and I'd like a copy (I couldn't think any anything witty to write so I might actually need it)
Melissa says:
Wait, I haven't missed the deadline yet?!
My name is Melissa, and I "hold alt, 3, release" reading!
Kari F says:
Ooo oo ooooooo! I like things that aren't boring! Pick me pick me!
Vicki says:
Wow! So glad you're back… I'm quite sure my cats and I could benefit from this book!
Anne MM says:
I totally want to tell you about the boring, but kind, person who told me in detail for half an hour about the color scheme of her entire house. Oh, God, it was so dull…
She needs this book.
I fear that talking about how dull someone else is may also be quite dull … I need this book too.
sheriji says:
As always, I'm too late to hope for the free book. Guess I will have to buy it myself. But, I've been wanting to write a funny post about what I am actually thinking when teaching piano lessons to that student who justdidn'tdoesn'teverhavetimetopractice and I was wondering if you would mind if I "grabbed" the pictures of you jumping out your window and used them. I would refer back to you I promise.
And I'd love to hang out, but I'm actually busy this weekend (this never actually happens). Maybe next weekend?
Ronnie says:
Can you talk her into a pamphlet or index card that I can keep handy and just pass out. Also will there be chips like AA?
"Hello my name is X and It's been 3 months since I told a story about my lactose intolerance."
maurnas says:
I am kind of awkward and people only need 2 minutes to realize they would rather talk to that person on the other side of the room from me. Like, anyone on the other side of room.
Desire says:
What an awesome post I can so relate to it! You tickle my funnybone!
Avery Hanaden says:
I just came across your blog from The Bloggess website, and I love it!
[…] From her post Good News For People Who Hate Boring News […]
Jackie Marie says:
This was AWESOME. I, too, invite myself to these awkward conversations unintentionally. If there's a total nut job walking down the street, they're definitely going to talk to me.
Sean says:
I have a very simple way to handle people and their boring conversations. It requires one step. When they start going on about their recent sinus infection that has had a detrimental effect to their sweater knitting, I fart. Yes, it's kind of gross, but it shuts those words up real quick.
[…] From the writer behind This Is Not That Blog comes the enchanting stick figure run down of what happens when you're trapped in unnecessary small talk with a stranger, Good News for People Who Hate Boring News. […]
Obsessed says:
[…] This post is really, very good. I know nothing about the book she plugs at the end. The book doesn't even matter. I just love the stick figures. […]
For people with boring conversations, I quickly look the other way and run.
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Pumpkin season is here and I certainly have been enjoying them so far. This weekend I picked up a small pie pumpkin and I was thinking of using it in a salad. Normally I would cut the pumpkin up into bite sized pieces and roast it up, but this time I was thinking about something different. I envisioned slicing the pumpkin into wedges and roasting the wedges in the oven until they started to caramelize. I could just imagine how those wedges would look on a bed of salad greens! But, a salad is not made from just roasted pumpkin and salad greens alone and I still had some flavours to add to finish things off. I figured that some nice and creamy gorgonzola cheese would go well with the sweet roasted pumpkin and some toasted chopped walnuts seemed to go hand in hand. I could not resist frying up some sage in butter until it turned amazingly crispy and good. A balsamic vinaigrette seemed like the perfect dressing to finish the salad off!
Caramelized Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Salad
- 1 (3 pound) pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons sage (julienned)
- 4 cups salad greens such as baby arugula or baby spincah
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup walnuts (toasted and coarsly chopped)
- 1/4 cup gorgonzola (crumbled)
- Roast the pumpkin in a preheated 350F/180C oven on a baking sheet for 20 minutes.
- Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and cut each half into 4 wedges.
- Brush the wedges with oil, place them on their side on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side.
- Brush the pumpkin flesh with the honey and season with salt and pepper.
- Broil the wedges, flesh side up until it startes to caramelize, about 2-3 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a pan.
- Add the sage and fry until it is light and crispy then set it aside.
- Toss the salad greens in the vinaigrette and divide between 4 plates.
- Add 2 wedges of caramelized pumpkin to each plate and sprinkle with walnuts, gorgonzola and fried sage.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Crispy Fried Sage
Pear Salad with and Bacon, Gorgonzola and Candied Walnuts
Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Ravioli in Sage and Butter Sauce
Golden Beet Tatin with Goat Cheese
Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
Festive Roast Pumpkin Salad
Roasted Pumpkin Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Sage


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Permanently bonding an image to a thick piece of hardboard and adding a protective laminate creates this mounted print. Distinctly crafted for an elegant and modern look, this piece is finished with a black beveled edge. The mount is braced in the back to gracefully lift the print off the wall. Mounted prints are constructed upon order by skilled artisans. A unique and affordable alternative to framing.
Arrives by Sat, May 25
Product ID: 17173135


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In autumn 2010 at the Purdy Hicks Gallery, Neeta Madahar explored the natural and the contrived by subverting the airbrushed and the false.
Neeta Madahar (b. 1966) has created a stir in the world of photography since her first major show in 2004. After studying at Winchester School of Art, and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University in Boston, her work has been exhibited extensively in Europe and the USA. Her recent images have been concerned with nature: images of birds feeding (Sustenance, 2003), seeds floating gently down from the sky (Falling, 2005), or flowers strewn across a picture like a constellation of stars (Cosmoses, 2005-2007). Each series was a gentle evocation of the beauty in the mundane, or photographic meditations on common yet unseen wonders, with a sensitivity to colour that emphasised the fleeting delicacy of the subjects.
Madahar's latest exhibition, Flora, continues her interest in flowers, but only as props for the subjects who are female friends of the artist. All the supposedly "natural" elements in these new images are extremely contrived and used as backdrops in lush portraits that resemble classic mid-20th century Hollywood glamour shots. This change of direction in her work is as jarring as if fiercely naturalistic photographers such as, William Egglestone, Nan Goldin and Wolfgang Tillmans had all suddenly decided that their muses were henceforth going to be Horst P. Horst, Angus McBean and Madame Yevonde. The women are aged in their 30s, 40s and 50s, and although carefully dressed and posed, with no efforts spared regarding lighting, clothing, and general props, they are left as "natural" looking as possible. This means there have been no attempts to disguise their age or tamper with their looks: no airbrushing, soft focus or Photoshop. So amid the carefully contrived settings, vibrant colour and luxury fabrics, these subjects are sometimes awkwardly posed, with "flesh that creases, crumples and overfills [with] knowing, 'lived-in' facial expressions." The contrast between the idealised, artificial, front-page glamour of Hollywood and inconvenient biological reality could not be better articulated. The artist emphatically states: "There has been no digital retouching of the images. With this series I felt that I needed to delineate my relationship to photographic 'truth' and I chose to stay within the confines of what is feasible following a non-digital process. I wanted to see what regular, mature women look like and how skin, muscle and fat appears when restricting oneself to the benefits of hair and make-up products, the flattery of clothes, controlled studio lighting and the image manipulations, such as dodging and burning, that can be executed in an analogue darkroom."
But there is more to these pictures than merely another artist railing against the oppressive fashion industry. Whilst it remains true that the mass media images of women contribute to an impossible ideal that triggers an acute sense of failure in so many of its subjects, Madahar is orchestrating something more complex than an elegantly artistic slagging-off of this glossy behemoth. Citing influences such as Cecil Beaton, George Hurrell, Horst P. Horst and Angus McBean, Madahar examined the highly constructed nature of their portraits, along with the apparent readiness of their subjects to collude in the role play necessary to make the images work, leaving a mark on her work. She says: "I'm attracted to the high level of construction and theatricality present in the work of these photographers. Another common strand is the pleasure in materials, textures and shaping of light. For example, many of Beaton's images contain sparkling, shimmering surfaces that are so bright they caused areas of his photographs to become blown out. The exaggerated, excessive flamboyance evident in the portraits of many of these photographers is also something I embraced in Flora."
And yes, Madame Yevonde is also quoted as an influence, particularly her iconic Goddesses series made in 1935. Admiring the surrealism of Yevonde's portraits, Madahar acknowledged that they were a point of departure for the Flora series. She agrees that her work explores extreme, stylised femininity and more fantastic associations with female beauty; however, central to the project is her rejection of conventional fashion models. But also, and perhaps more importantly, is her collaborative approach to making these portraits. She shares history, as well as degrees of intimacy and trust, with the subjects of Flora, and the whole series is an exploration of how such friendships can manifest in photographic portraiture. These images are a conscious attempt to counter notions of what are currently deemed "acceptable" portrayals of women, but Madahar adamantly stresses that her subjects decide how they will be shown: "My interest in the fantasy, feminine projections that constitute Flora was to see what kind of images could be made in the present day, when an aging female photographer and sitter that share a friendship – inherently entailing some history, intimacy and trust – collaborate on an equal, non-hierarchical footing. Our awareness of gender, identity politics and how the vast array of images that are in circulation, portraying idealisations of women, operate on our subconscious was embedded in the process of making the work. Flora has given me greater insight into perceptions of beauty amongst my peers and how these impact upon self-esteem and confidence. Given the regular frequency with which articles about beauty, aging and sexuality appear in the media, I am also increasingly angry at the blatant way the visibility and career trajectories of women are thwarted by current prejudices." The sitters were involved in creating the overall image by selecting the flowers and suggesting themes or emotions, such as melancholy or innocence. Each sitter participated by deciding the tone and including an object that was personal to them, introducing their personalities into the photo.
Being acutely aware of how photographic images of women are used, Madahar is naturally conscious that female portraits automatically enter into a dialogue with general fashion and beauty photography and also, therefore, with issues about digital retouching. With this in mind, and as already stated, she has restricted all the visual enhancements in Flora to make-up, lighting and general darkroom printing processes. Highly detailed aspects of each picture are the result of using a large format view camera and despite looking casually assembled, each aspect – hairstyle, make-up, pose, props and technical process – was very carefully considered. Madahar knows all about the power of colour and admits that producing "luscious, colour-saturated prints is a deliberate means of inviting viewers into a closer scrutiny of the works." Her regard for colour, its influences, and what it means in her work, signifies that Madahar is a perfectionist: "I don't have any fixed tools or tricks, other than that I tend to shoot with Kodak Portra VC (vivid colour) film. Each body of work throws up its own unique considerations, including how colour will be used to manifest the final work. Although I understand the application of colour fundamentals, like the relationship of complementary colours, I largely use colour intuitively for the sensations it evokes in me rather than from a rational, objective standpoint. David Batchelor's book, Chromophobia has been an important reference point in relation to colour. The descriptions associating colour with the irrational, the emotional and the feminine along with the idea that colour represents a fall from grace appeal to me. In terms of a more formal influence, I'm sure the abundance of sensory stimulation from flowers, incense, fruit and the colours of saris that I have experienced at religious ceremonies and functions like Indian weddings have left their mark."
Comparisons with classic Hollywood glamour are quite apt, but the Flora series manages to feel contemporary, which is no doubt due to its acknowledgement of current "glamour" photography and advertising. Drama, contrived composition and staging, along with heightened colour all result in images that easily command the viewer's attention. But there is something more at play here, and this extra something vindicates Madahar's methods. However, she may have used her subjects, the collaborative approach has enabled them to emerge as credible, powerful women who are surprisingly more attractive despite not conforming absolutely to the airbrushed ideal. The often-flimsy props, overtly contrived drama and saturated colour all heighten the focus on the subject, ensuring the women are more commanding and therefore more effortlessly compelling. Although the camera, as the old adage goes, "never lies", the photographer can certainly spin, and the skill of the photographer in orchestrating the visual elements of his or her work can be extremely effective.
Madahar creates a marriage of the natural and artificial in her work with such apparently deft ability that one subverts the other: whilst the women in Flora emerge naturally, despite the huge efforts made to contrive their postures, the flowers used start to appear as elaborate, fake adornments. In an earlier series, Cosmoses (2005 – 2007), the flowers were artfully scattered, but were all artificial and made by the artist, but this fact is one of the last to emerge when considering the colour, composition and overall impact of the images: their artificiality effectively disappears. The power of manipulating perception in such a way is a sure sign of an accomplished visual artist at work, and whilst Madahar does not consciously accept this power, she is sharply aware of her role in the manipulation of visual clues. "I don't think of myself as enjoying some kind of power to marry the natural with the artificial, although clearly I am interested in the construction of images rather than purely documenting what I have found without intervention. The blurred boundaries between nature and artifice and how the interaction of the two is interpreted through perception fascinate me."
Such a statement is a key to reading another earlier series, Sustenance (2003). Photographed over a period of time, each image appears to be an arbitrary snap of natural garden vegetation, often focussing on birds feeding. These pictures appear so casual and "instant" that they immediately bring to mind the current fashionable master of the understated mundane, Wolfgang Tillmans. Like Tillmans, Madahar senses the natural way that photography allows a "magnification of the mundane" purely by making whatever is framed worthy of selection and therefore aesthetically valid. In the hands of a skilled photographer, these captured, usually unnoticed glimpses can assume a powerful resonance. Intense scrutiny of the casual, frozen moment is why, Madahar admits: "I get so much satisfaction and pleasure working with photography." Not surprisingly, she cites the influence of two modern American photographic masters: William Eggleston and Larry Sultan. "Eggleston's colour images were a pivotal inspiration before I'd even picked up a camera to start photographing and in the early stages of absorbing everything I could about photography, Larry Sultan's book, Pictures from Home was a major influence as he told the story about his parents' lives through the interweaving of documentary and staged images."
Passionate about art as a child, Madahar was discouraged from pursuing it by her parents because it wasn't a subject they considered serious or one that would help her support herself. In her mid-20s she started doing a weekly painting and drawing evening class, which fired her enthusiasm for art again and made her determined to pursue life as an artist: "My use of photography came after I had worked in painting, drawing, installation and video. I love the elegance, problem-solving logic and language of mathematics, but my route to photography came through the exploration of fine art. There are a wide range of artists that influence me including Tacita Dean, Ed Ruscha and Fischli/Weiss. The art I love makes me lose my breath. I never tire of experiencing it and of course, wish that I had made it first."
Currently very busy organising exhibitions, Madahar also has a few ongoing projects in development, including a collaborative animation, some self-portraiture and possibly a drawing project that will explore aspects of her Hindu background. Were she to move between the two spheres of art and commercial photography, it could be an exciting way forward, given her methods of working in Flora. Freely admitting she would have no problem exploring areas like advertising if the circumstances were right and her curiosity sufficiently engaged, this could bring Neeta Madahar to her biggest audience yet and establish her as one of our foremost photographers.
Neeta Madahar: Flora ran from 13 October-11 November 2010. www.purdyhicks.com.
David Gleeson


text:
Glen Weldon is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Monkey See.
Let's make this perfectly clear at the outset: I don't work for NPR, and what I'm about to say doesn't represent NPR. I'm but a lowly freelancer they're dumb enough to publish a bunch, and what I say now I say as me, which is to say:
1. An inveterate Superman nerd, and
2. A gay dude.
DC Comics has hired Orson Scott Card to write the first two issues of a new digital-first Superman comic. I won't be reading it.
It will be the first piece of Superman-affiliated pop culture that I will bypass in my 45 long and geeky years on this planet, and I am a man who saw Superman IV: The Quest For Peace in the damn theater. (Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor's bitchin' New Wave nephew Lenny! Superman repairing the Great Wall of China by STARING AT IT, because suddenly "spackle-vision" is evidently a thing he's got now! A banana-yellow villain in a gold-lamé codpiece!)
(... Okay, the codpiece was pretty rad, actually.)
Why will I be giving Card's Superman a miss? Three reasons:
First: Card isn't just a guy whose opinions I happen to disagree with. Trust me, the comics industry is rife with writers, artists and editors whose politics I don't share, who hold views they're quite public about in interviews and various internet forums, and I would defend — to the mild inconvenience — their right to hold those views. This isn't about that.
Card is different. Card is an activist. He sits on the board of the National Organization for Marriage, an entity entirely devoted to attacking and defeating marriage equality and spending millions of dollars lobbying to do so.
(One comics site has warned that boycotting Card's Superman book represents the kind of thinking that "leads to witch hunts." OK. I mean, I generally associate the term "witch hunt" with innocent people getting falsely accused and pressed to death by stones, not with one hugely successful millionaire bigot having to explain to his accountant why a side-project made an infinitesimal amount less money than he'd hoped it would, but let that go.)
Second: If Card were writing any other character — Ant-Man, Matter-Eater Lad, Batroc the Leaper — even a high profile character like Iron Man, whom he did write for a while — you wouldn't see this reaction.
Because Superman is different.
Superman is not just a superhero. He's the superhero. He created the very concept of the superhero, and everything that's touched on that concept for the past 75 years — we are talking vast swaths of popular culture — exists because of him. Regardless of how you feel about Superman and superheroes, you can't deny the cultural impact the character has made, and continues to make. Why, someone could write an entire book on the subject. And call it Superman: The Unauthorized Biography, say. And have it published by Wiley on April 1. And make it available for pre-order now.
The third reason I'm skipping Card's Superman is to me the most central, and most personal, and it has less to do with how popular Superman is, and much more to do with who he is. And what he stands for.
Superman is an ideal. He represents our best self. That's what he's for.
He's not the hero we identify with — that's what Spider-Man is for. Spider-Man worries about rent, and girlfriends, and his sick Aunt May still, again, some more. In him, we see ourselves as we are.
In Superman, we see ourselves as we hope to be. It's right there in the name — he's not "Pretty Good Man" or "Doesn't Suck Man"; he's Superman. He personifies our noblest ideals, ideals we believe in, and strive for, but only inconstantly attain: Truth and Justice, but also Fairness and Compassion.
He is a man born with tremendous gifts, who could do anything he wants. Anything at all. And what he chooses to do, first and always, is to help others.
In Action Comics #1 from 1938, Siegel and Shuster slapped together a one-page origin story in which he discovers his powers. We don't actually see him in the baby-blue longjohns until the very last panel of this introduction.
But when we do see him for the very first time, these are the first words that appear directly below, the first epithet applied to this newly-minted creation as it was unleashed upon the world:
Champion of the Oppressed.
There it is, coded into his creative DNA from the very beginning: He fights for the little guy.
And that's why this bugs me, and why I'm not the least bit curious about what Card's Superman might be like.
DC Comics has handed the keys to the "Champion of the Oppressed" to a guy who has dedicated himself to oppress me, and my partner, and millions of people like us. It represents a fundamental misread of who the character is, and what he means.
It is dispiriting. It is wearying. It is also, finally, not for me.
One of the other nicknames that accrued to Superman right away – that predates "Man of Steel" by a good amount – is "The Man of Tomorrow." And much of his early iconography bears a distinctive Socio-Realist, Diego Rivera vibe: a lot of burnished golden sunrises, eyes raised to the horizon, gazing into the future.
Because that's where he lives, Superman. And that's what he says to us: We can do better. We can be better, to ourselves, and to each other.
Hey, DC Comics? Be better.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! | Get my widget! | Visit YouTube | Visit UShow.com
When I learned that teen star and Twitter mogul Miley Cyrus had literally done a number on a stripper pole at the Teen Choice Awards Monday night, two thoughts entered my mind: first, who convinced the 16 year old to do it, second, does this mean a sex tape's in her future too. I say and write that because I learned she and her father Billy Ray Cyrus came up with the dance production idea. So if her dad's cool with his daughter dancing around that pole at her age, the sky's the limit, right?
Miley Cirus and pole at Teen Choice Awards
Look at how much buzz this act has created for her. In an era where the next ultimate media-based tease is right around the corner, drawing all of us to some news or celebrity website, here's Miley picking up traffic from searches for "stripper pole" in addition to those terms that are to be expected like "Teen Choice Awards". But unless you doubt Miley's turned the corner and so in the moment of what she's doing she's either got no idea of how far she's come or has every idea of how far she's come, she invoked the name of that ever-loving past queen of the flash no-panties shot, Britany Spears in her Twitter updates when she tweeted...
For all the people calling me the "next Britney" THANK U. I couldn't ask for a better compliment :)
Now, with those short shorts, boots and moves, Cyrus did stake her claim as the next Britney, which is why I openly wonder how far she's going to take this over the next 10 years? Moreover, as Miley's seen as teen influencer, what does this say for the trend in the overall habits of teenage women today? Have we so desensitized sex that we should expect to see teen women taking pole dancing courses as a substitute for physical ed? And if that's the case, are we preping them for future employment as strippers?
What's going on here?
I feel like I'm walking a tightrope between being a schoolmarm who wants to take the spiked punchbowl away and a modern member of our media-driven society who likes that someone like Miley keeps pushing the edges of taste and sensibility. But to what degree and when does it stop? The whole hyper exposure movement has placed extreme pressure on our culture's ability to accept and reject sexually suggestive actions such that we have Miley doing things on camera before millions that she would have gotten kicked out of school for doing before a small class of people at a dance-off.
Does that make any sense at all?
All I ask is how far are we taking this and is it ok? So, I ask you now in my poll:
create audio polls & quizzes on pollsb.com
Now, me? Ok, I had little problem with Miley's act, I'm just concerned she's going the sex tape route to megastardome. What say you? Or maybe you're the type that just doesn't care and wants Rome to burn as long as you get your work done and you're not impacted. Or perhaps you want Mileu to apologize for the act? Whatever the case, share your view. One thing's clear, Miley started the Tuesday after her show with not a care in the world, tweeting...
Good morning people! Doo da friggen doo LIFE IS SO GOOD :) I laughed so hard I literally threw up! Hahahahhahahahahaha34 minutes ago from UberTwitter
Meanwhile, dogstar7, one of my regular YouTube commenters observed:
Miley Cyrus has been sexually exploited by her father, Billy Ray (one-hit-wonder) Silas for before she reached puberty. The Vanity Fair pictures were a national disgrace, yet her career continues to be supported by Disney, one of America's premier entertainment corporations.
The huge Media conglomerates of the World are merely concerned with inducing the masses to part with their escapist dollars and cents, nothing more.
Our moral decline as a society means nothing to them.


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Name: Josh Cutler
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Current City: New York, N.Y.
Occupation: ESL teacher
"I look just like a normal person, except after a while you'd realize I don't act much like a normal person."
Josh has Tourette's syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable tics and verbal outbursts. He took his tape recorder to high school, documenting his efforts to live a normal life. "Girls are a very touchy topic with me," he said. "A lot of the Tourettic things I do seem to drive other people — including girls — away."
Josh overcame Tourette's enough to become a public school teacher in New York City. But it hasn't been easy for him. He was put on probation by the New York Department of Education two years ago and is currently fighting the charges. Until his case is resolved, Josh's life is in limbo.
On recording his teen audio diary:
"After my story aired [in 1996], even complete strangers from around the country went out of their way to drop me a note. My well-wishers ranged from ordinary people, to a man in prison in Texas, to a young lady named Emily, who also has Tourette's and with whom I still correspond. The lesson I learned from documenting my experience is that in some ways the cold, cruel world is not as cold and cruel as I used to think it was."
Produced for All Things Considered by Joe Richman and Sarah Kate Kramer of Radio Diaries, edited by Deborah George and Ben Shapiro.
You can subscribe to the Radio Diaries podcast at NPR.org.
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
And I'm Audie Cornish.
This week in our series Teenage Diaries Revisited, we're finding out what happened to these teenagers.
AMANDA BRAND: Hello. Nope, wrong button. There. Hello.
JOSH CUTLER: Let me do the introduction now. My name is Josh.
BRAND: My name is Amanda.
MELISSA RODRIGUEZ: My name is Melissa Rodriquez.
FRANKIE LEWCHUK: Hi, my name is Frankie and I'm going to give you a little tour from my Cadillac here.
JUAN: Here I am. My name is Juan and I'm here in the U.S.
CUTLER: It's my radio show, thank you.
CORNISH: Years ago, those teens told their stories on our program with help from independent producer Joel Richman of Radio Dairies. And that last voice we heard...
CUTLER: It's my radio show, thank you.
CORNISH: ...is Josh. He's now in his 30's and what he shared on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED back in his teens went beyond your average awkward high school experience. Josh has Tourette's, a disorder that causes involuntary ticks and verbal outbursts.
Here's his new radio diary.
CUTLER: And action. OK. My name is Josh Cutler. Here we are in my room. It's the same room I grew up in. It was exactly the same room that I was recording my first show in. So now here I am, 16 years later.
MIRA: (unintelligible)
CUTLER: Here, here it is. Here is. Which laundry are we doing first, the whites or the colors? Whites?
MIRA: Yup.
CUTLER: OK. Here we go, stupid (unintelligible). In you go.
I still live with my parents. But aside from that, I would certainly save my life has changed quite substantially. For everybody who's listening out there, I mean, is your life the same today as it was 16 years ago? Probably not.
CUTLER: OK, let me log in to my email. What? Where? Great, two more girls just wrote to me. All right, I'm going to call up my dating profile. I'm typing in my screen name, password, to log in. Just says I'm a 33-year-old man from New York. Says that I'm never married, didn't...
CUTLER: I have an athletic and toned physique and am five foot seven, and Jewish and I don't smoke and I drink moderately. I'm not laid-back or low-key or down to Earth. There's no mention of long walks on the beach. It's actually slightly aggressive but that's just my temperament. You know, that's just how I am.
Sixteen years ago, I did a story about growing up with Tourette's. In order to understand what my life was like then, as opposed to now, I guess it's something you'll really need to hear for yourself.
CUTLER: Hi, my name is Josh. I'm 16 years old and I live in New York City. If you saw me on the street you wouldn't notice anything different about me. I mean I look just like a normal person.
CUTLER: I have Tourette's syndrome. It's a neurological disorder that...
Basically I had absolutely no control over anything I said.
CUTLER: Everybody thinks things that they wouldn't actually say, but my filter wasn't there.
CUTLER: You suck. Sorry.
And that's why sounded like when I was in high school.
CUTLER: And I still have ticks all the time but I'm not out of control like that.
CUTLER: I remember, back when I was in high school, people expressed concern. And a lot of them said that I wouldn't really amount to anything, that I shouldn't even bother going college. In their view, I was - my life was so overwhelmed by Tourette's that they didn't think that I'd be able to do it. So I've basically built my entire life on proving people wrong.
CUTLER: Here is my diploma from Vassar, which is in Latin. And I got off to a rough start in college but since I did such a good job turning it around, that I won the Leo M. Prince prize for The Most Noteworthy Improvement. This probably isn't an award that anybody sets out in advance to win.
Here's my Hunter diploma, where I got my Masters in teaching ESL, English as a second language. I started teaching in September of 2004, in a third grade class at an elementary school in Queens. I was an awesome teacher. But I've been suspended with pay for my teaching duties. So now I'm fighting the charges and I've been waiting for well over a year for a decision. These things take a while.
CUTLER: A really long while. Some teachers have waited years without getting a decision. I'm still employed by the New York City School System. And since I'm not allowed to teach for the time being, I'm just sitting around in limbo. But we'll talk about that later.
CUTLER: No matter how bad of a day I'm having, as soon as I come here that basically disappears.
This is like my therapy, jujitsu. The only thing that takes precedence over jujitsu in my life is when the Yankees are in the playoffs - nothing else.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Ready. (Foreign language spoken) One, two, three.
STUDENTS: One.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: One, two, three.
STUDENTS: Two.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: One, two, three.
CUTLER: In order to cope with the stress of the having ticks all the time, your body needs some type of outlet on that level that can adequately deal with it.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Unintelligible)
CUTLER: Jujitsu has had a profound effect on making by Tourette's better. That's the main reason I decided to do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (unintelligible) One.
STUDENTS: Kick. Kick.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Two.
STUDENTS: Kick. Kick.
CUTLER: Now I've met people who are surprised when I tell them I have Tourette's.
STUDENTS: Kick. Kick.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Two. (unintelligible)
CUTLER: Hello. Hey, Heather. Good. You going to be around tonight? Great, OK.
So I have a date tonight. It's the first date. I've never met this girl before. I'm going to wear my - the same sweater I wore today, the same jeans I wore today. I don't really care about putting together some type of ensemble - just go as I am.
CUTLER: That's usually how I roll. Putting my shoes on.
Dating with Tourette's is really not as big of a deal as somebody could potentially think it might be. Everybody has some baggage.
CUTLER: Hey, Dad.
CUTLER: What's going on in the game?
RICHARD: Aww, Pettage(ph), it's three nothing with...
CUTLER: I'm texting the girl. I'm telling her I'm on my way.
RICHARD: You know, Josh.
CUTLER: Uh-huh.
RICHARD: When you are out on a date...
CUTLER: Oh, God.
RICHARD: Oh, your mother and I wonder about it. Sooner or later, if you get close to a girl...
CUTLER: Right.
RICHARD: ...you've got to reveal it. You've got to discuss it. You can't...
CUTLER: Now, why don't I just bring you out on a date with me and you can tell me what to say?
RICHARD: And we...
RICHARD: We can't obviously tell you how to run the most intimate part of your life. But if you want some help, I mean, open up to them about this.
CUTLER: Oh, I'm willing to be open and vulnerable. But it's not necessary. I want the date to be about me as a person, not me having Tourette's.
RICHARD: Look, quite frankly, Josh, I think you'd be surprised by how much, if they like you, they will empathize. But, you know, that's a father's advice which is meant to be ignored.
CUTLER: Oh, I better get going.
RICHARD: What time is your date?
RICHARD: Oh, for gosh sakes, Josh, it's 9:33. Come on, Josh. Get out of here.
CUTLER: I'm heading out.
In case you listeners were wondering, certain things I just don't feel comfortable recording.
CUTLER: Which Red Hook do you have there?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: I have the pilsner and the ESP.
CUTLER: I'll have the ESP, please.
Yeah, that date didn't go very well. Now I'm at a bar with my friend, Dave. Why don't you introduce yourself.
DAVID: I'd love to. I'm David. Josh and I have been best friends for the last eight, 10 years now.
CUTLER: More than that.
DAVID: Since we were in college. So, tell me about the lady situation.
CUTLER: I've had ebbs and flows. I had a really good date with a girl last week. Since I've only had one date with her, I'm not going to say her name just yet, because it's as of yet to be proven whether she's important enough to be mentioned in my show.
DAVID: Does it start with an M?
CUTLER: No.
DAVID: Does it start with an N?
CUTLER: Yes.
DAVID: Okay. So you meet a girl on a dating site or somewhere, does it come up in conversation that you have Tourette's?
CUTLER: Usually happens during the date. Like they'll usually see me having ticks and say what's going on. And I'll just let her know and the whole discussion will last maybe 15 or 20 seconds. And then that will be it.
DAVID: OK. From my perspective, like when we first met, I knew something was a little bit off, right? But I didn't care. You know? It doesn't really matter.
CUTLER: It's true.
DAVID: You're little bit different. So am I.
CUTLER: How do you see me having changed since college?
DAVID: Well, certainly more calm, more sedate, I would say. I mean, everything is relative. You're not a particularly sedate person, but...
CUTLER: You noticed that.
DAVID: No, but in college, you'd just be bugging out, ticking all the time. You'd go through these ticks where you'd, you know, flap your arms kind of like a bird. Remember? There was a period when you'd walk through a door and immediately go, whoo, every time you'd walk through a door. That has certainly left you.
So to the naked eye, it seems like Tourette's impacts you less now than it did maybe 10, 15 years ago.
CUTLER: That's unequivocally the case.
DAVID: How does it manifest itself, though? Like, does it affect your day to day life?
CUTLER: It does, but certainly not to the degree that it did.
DAVID: I'm going to get another beer. Next round's on me.
CUTLER: All right. So it's a Sunday morning. I'm sitting here in my plaid pajama pants and my T-shirt. I'm drinking my coffee that I just made, which is a blend of Dominican Barona and Guatemalan Finca and I have it on a little coaster next to my computer. As far as ticks go, you know, when I'm at home and nobody's around, or it's just me and my parents, then I have ticks all the time.
But I never expose the worst of my ticks to the public. But in order to really give an accurate explanation of what I deal with every day, I guess we need to have some ticks in my story. As far as trying to record ticks, it's kind of like going into the forest and being a wildlife photographer. You know, the animals don't come out on command just 'cause your there and you want to take pictures of them.
They'll either show up or they won't. But at least I'll give it a shot, so here we go. I'm lying on my bed in my room on my side with part of my head on my pillow. I have ticks all the time, but once the tape recorder goes on, then I feel like it's - I feel very self conscious about it and I kind of clam up, I guess. There's some that I would just never share at all and there are others that, I guess, they're less embarrassing and I guess I'll record those.
If you could see me, you'd see my face twitching a little bit right now. I'm also clenching my toes and moving my legs a little bit and my face is having a few twitches here and there. I'm listening to the traffic outside. (Makes noise) That's enough. I'm done.
CORNISH: In just a few minutes, we will return to Josh's radio diary. As he explained, Josh had been teaching third grade ESL in the New York City public schools, but he has been suspended from the classroom. We'll hear why when our program continues.
SIEGEL: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
CORNISH: And I'm Audie Cornish. We return now to our series Teenage Diaries Revisited and Josh's story. He suffers from Tourette's and as he said a few minutes ago, he was a teacher, but he's been suspended and is awaiting resolution of a disciplinary case against him. Here is the conclusion of Josh's radio diary.
CUTLER: Hi, it's Josh again. I'd like to tell you about something that happened to me yesterday while I was out running. I left my house and I stopped at a gas station. And I was standing in the parking lot drinking a Gatorade. I guess I must have been having some ticks. I don't really know for sure. And all of a sudden, the cops pull up and come up to me.
He started questioning me about whether I'm angry about something. I told him I'm not angry about anything. I later find out that somebody reported me as an emotionally disturbed person. And then it made me wonder. I mean, is my behavior really that strange that somebody would mistake me for being emotionally disturbed?
So I just got off the 7-train in Flushing. I'm walking down Main Street. In New York, the place where teachers are sent when an allegation is made against them is referred to as The Rubber Room. I'm going to go swipe in with my cybershift card that records my attendance. How are you? Good. Have a good weekend? The hours of my day are 8:30 in the morning until 3:20 in the afternoon. I'm basically sitting in an office, helping out with various chores that they need done.
All right. So I'm going to make some copies, hold on. As of Monday, March 18th, I will have been in The Rubber Room for two years. My parents think I should leave and go do something else, but I'm not going to do that. Oh, I'm fighting this to the very end, no matter what. This is what I'll continue to do until my situation is resolved, whenever that may be.
During my seventh year of teaching, I had a class which was much larger than I ever had before. I also had a very violent group of kids. I would sometimes have to grab their arm to stop them from being seriously injured. And one of the most violent kids in my class accused me of intentionally bending his wrist to try to hurt him, that I hurt him and said bad words to him.
He said that I was doing this repeatedly. Well, yes, I did break up fights repeatedly, but I never intentionally caused harm to a child. Of course not. I was a great teacher, probably still am. I didn't always have the best test scores or the most beautiful classroom, but when I would read to the kids I'd make up all kinds of crazy voices and I'd act everything out.
Like, if a character was clumsy, I would actually get up and fall on the floor 'cause I understood them and they understood me in our own ways. I'm getting out the transcript of my teacher termination hearing. Here's the sound of all the documents relating to my case falling on the floor. It says New York City Department of Education versus me. I'd like to read you some of the testimony.
A colleague came into the hearing room and here's what she actually said. Question, why were you afraid for your safety? Answer, people in, she mentions the name of the school, know that Mr. Cutler has some bizarre tendencies. Question, what do you mean by that? Answer, well, so Mr. Cutler has openly told me that in social situations, he doesn't always behave appropriately because of medical issues. Then a few minutes later, and his behavior is unpredictable and it's strange.
I've been thinking that over every single day, even though that moment occurred over a year ago. Did she say what everybody else was feeling, too? You know, I've spent my whole life trying to act in such a way that people don't think I'm unpredictable or bizarre. I've been questioning it ever since, whether I really have been doing such a good job of appearing normal to the outside world.
I'm eating with my mom. We're eating some stuffed grape leaves, since we haven't had time to make dinner just yet.
MIRA: So what do you want to talk about?
CUTLER: My question to you is what do you feel the biggest changes you've seen in me are over the past 16 years.
MIRA: How have things changed?
CUTLER: Take a minute to reflect.
MIRA: When you were younger, I could come between you and all the people who didn't understand your illness. Now, you're a man and you're out in the world and when the world doesn't understand, there's nothing I can do but stand and watch you get hurt. That's how things have changed and that's really hard.
CUTLER: I could imagine so.
MIRA: When I watched you in your teaching, the thing that I felt was that they obviously saw your symptoms, but children accepted you for who you were and I think that's why you loved teaching so much. I think the Tourette was more under control. But now, in the void that losing the teaching has created, I think that your symptoms have gotten much worse.
You look like you wish I hadn't said that. You know I think you should just move on.
CUTLER: It's exactly what they want and that's why I'm not doing it.
MIRA: I know that, but I hope you find your way to something else. I think it would be good for you.
CUTLER: I know.
MIRA: I felt that you separated from us a lot less since all this happened.
CUTLER: Well, of course.
MIRA: You know, the fact that you're still at home...
CUTLER: Well, try not cooking so well.
MIRA: You say it's the cooking.
CUTLER: It's not just the cooking. It's the laundry. It's the everything.
MIRA: As long as the world keeps proving an unsafe place, I don't think you're going to want to leave.
CUTLER: Given everything that's happened, I think it's a pretty understandable feeling to have.
MIRA: I'd agree. And I think that the cooking and the cleaning...
CUTLER: They're really secondary.
MIRA: They're secondary to the feeling of safe harbor.
CUTLER: Is there anything more you want to cover? 'Cause I've really reached my attention span limit with this. All right. Let's shut this off. I picked the song that I want to close my program with. It's "No Man's Land" by Winger. It's awesome. I don't know that it's my absolute favorite song, but it's certainly one of them and it's a good way to close out a show. If I do another radio show in 16 years when I'm 50, maybe I'll talk to you then. And cut.
CORNISH: Josh Cutler lives in New York City with his parents, Mira and Richard. Josh's story was produced by Joe Richmond and Sarah Kay Kramer of Radio Diaries and edited by Deborah George and Ben Shapiro. At our website, you can hear the old Teenage Diaries and find out about our search for new teens to tell their stories. Submissions are due by May 31st. That's all at NPR.org/diaries. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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text:
Some of you know I have a little boy, Robbie, with high functioning autism. It has been a life changing, terrifying, exhilarating, overwhelming, exciting and yet healing experience. My husband has a blog chronicling our experiences with this; if you want to check it out, click HERE.
Thank you so much to all of you for participating in this hop with me--I know we can make a difference! :)
Now for a quick giveaway:
Want to win a Pink ATG adhesive gun?
How to win?
1) Leave a comment below.
2) That's it!
I'll draw a winner on Monday, April 4, 2011.
Finally, the most helpful, concise bit of information on how to interact with someone with autism, who may be exhibiting some of the behaviors shown.
By the way, self stimulating behavior can be rocking, flapping hands, spinning objects, etc. It is a way that autistic people calm themselves.
Subscribe to Obsessed with Scrapbooking to learn more about ways to use the Cricut in your scrapbooking!


text:
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text:
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Curried Turkey Salad
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I took advantage of a sale on bone-in turkey breasts at one of our local supermarkets today. I bought several to feed the freezer and another to make this lovely turkey salad. The recipe won an honorable mention in a recipe contest several years ago. While I poached the turkey for tonight's salad, it can be made with freshly roasted poultry or even leftovers, if they are not too dry. Chicken also works well. With warm weather rapidly approaching, I thought some of you might like to have the recipe for this easy main course salad. It works well for luncheons and it is perfect for a light summer meal. I think those of you who try this will really enjoy it. Here's the recipe.
Curried Turkey Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
3 to 4 cups cooked turkey, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups chopped celery
1-1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup chutney
1 to 2 tablespoons mild curry powder or curry powder to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt or salt to taste
1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts
1) Combine turkey, celery and grapes in a large bowl. Set aside.
2) Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice and chutney in a small bowl. Add curry powder and salt to taste.
3) Pour dressing over turkey mixture and toss gently to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Just before serving fold peanuts into salad. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
You might also enjoy these recipes:
Thai Tuna Salad - One Perfect Bite
Pistachio Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese Medallions - One Perfect Bite
Asian Chicken or Shrimp Salad - One Perfect Bite
62 comments :
- RamblingTart said...
I always forget about using turkey when it's not the holidays. :-) This salad sounds amazing though, Mary. :-) Love that curried sauce!
- June 9, 2010 at 2:20 AM
- giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...
Hi Mary,
questa insalata è una bella variante da fare in estate !!!
Deliziosa !!!
Buona giornata e grazie delle visite :-)) - June 9, 2010 at 2:35 AM
- Olive said...
looks so appetizing and healthy. I love curry sauce, so delicious! :)
- June 9, 2010 at 3:05 AM
- xinex said...
Delicious, Mary!...Christine
- June 9, 2010 at 3:22 AM
- My Little Space said...
I love the sweet and tangy flavour in this salad. So very refreshing! Have a nice day!
Cheers, Kristy - June 9, 2010 at 3:24 AM
- Cherine said...
This looks so good! Love the curried sauce!
- June 9, 2010 at 3:27 AM
- Priya Suresh said...
Am a big fan of meat salad, this curried turkey salad looks super prefect for me.
- June 9, 2010 at 4:10 AM
- Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...
this looks a simple and healthy salad!
- June 9, 2010 at 4:32 AM
- Sushma Mallya said...
salad looks beautiful..
- June 9, 2010 at 4:56 AM
- Salsa Verde said...
Hi Mary,
I love curries and your salad seems perfect and delicious!!
Lia. - June 9, 2010 at 5:25 AM
- The Words Crafter said...
sounds delicious!
- June 9, 2010 at 5:47 AM
- pigpigscorner said...
The curry sauce makes it looks so appetising!
- June 9, 2010 at 6:23 AM
- Angie's Recipes said...
Looks truly yummy! I have never made any salad with curry. Must give them a try!
- June 9, 2010 at 6:23 AM
- Allie and Pattie said...
Mary, chicken salad with red grapes is a favorite here- using turkey and curry can only make it better! Lovely!
xoxo Pattie - June 9, 2010 at 6:24 AM
- Schnitzel and the Trout said...
This really sounds great, Mary. Always this far from Thanksgiving, I start yearning for roasted turkey and this is a great summer dish.
- June 9, 2010 at 6:48 AM
- Big Dude said...
Looks delicious, this is my favorite way to eat turkey and frequently smoke a turkey breast just for turkey salad. I'll have to try the curried version.
- June 9, 2010 at 6:57 AM
- Tina said...
Turkey is one of my all time favorites. My family is iffy about it but I get it anytime we are out. This looks like a meal I could tuck into!
- June 9, 2010 at 7:21 AM
- Ciao Chow Linda said...
These spices really dress up a plain old turkey salad into something memorable.
- June 9, 2010 at 7:31 AM
- Deana Sidney said...
My mom used to make one just like this(but without the yogurt) oh my this brings back memories...served on lettuce leaves in big open stemmed glasses... a ladies lunch dish to be sure and I loved stealing the grapes!
- June 9, 2010 at 7:41 AM
- Martha said...
We love curried anything! What a great luncheon dish!
- June 9, 2010 at 7:52 AM
- Sutapa said...
I think it will be a lovely summer salad! I love the curry sauce it's great!
I am inviting you and all your friends to participate in the give away now running in my blog!
Be Happy.
Always. - June 9, 2010 at 7:56 AM
- Sutapa said...
I think it will be a lovely summer salad! I love the curry sauce it's great!
I am inviting you and all your friends to participate in the give away now running in my blog!
Be Happy.
Always. - June 9, 2010 at 7:56 AM
- penny aka jeroxie said...
Can't say that I have ever had curried turkey before. Makes it healthier!
- June 9, 2010 at 8:01 AM
- Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...
Turkey is often a forgotten summertime food, bit so good for you. Thanks for sharing Mary:D
- June 9, 2010 at 8:37 AM
- Diane said...
This really makes my mouth water:)
- June 9, 2010 at 8:47 AM
- 3 hungry tummies said...
What a beautiful salad! I wish I have a big freezer so I can stock up meats when they are on sale. Have a nice day!
- June 9, 2010 at 8:52 AM
- Alexandra said...
Mary, we must be living in parallel universes.
At our kitchen, we made curried chicken salad on mini cram puffs.
This looks wonderful. I'm going to try it with the turkey. - June 9, 2010 at 8:56 AM
- Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...
Mary, this sounds so easy and delicious. I'm always on the lookout for salad recipes. My husband would adore the curry and grapes in this.
Sam - June 9, 2010 at 8:57 AM
- CaSaundraLeigh said...
Curry is definitely one of my go-to spices, however I have never tried it paired with something sweet like the grapes. I bet it goes great!
- June 9, 2010 at 8:59 AM
- Carla and Michael said...
I love this. I do something similar with chicken. Perfect for these oppressing days of 94 degree heat.
- June 9, 2010 at 9:14 AM
- Cathy said...
This is one of my favorite salads. The flavors and textures here are a perfect combination.
- June 9, 2010 at 9:34 AM
- D said...
Mary, love the recipe! We have a similar use with leftover chicken: a little curry, mayonnaise, slivered almonds, dried cranberries... Next time I'll use your recipe: the grapes and yogurt have a wonderful added value.
Stay out of the heat Saturday... forecast 80! - June 9, 2010 at 9:58 AM
- FoodontheTable said...
This is great for summer. It's looks light and spicy! Thanks for the great recipe and beautiful photo.
- June 9, 2010 at 10:41 AM
- Haden News said...
Great recipe for these hot summer nights!! Think I will make this for a picnic in the park with the North Carolina Symphony!
- June 9, 2010 at 10:43 AM
- Monet said...
What a light and refreshing salad. I have fallen in love with curry powder over these last few months. This looks great! - June 9, 2010 at 10:55 AM
- Chef E said...
I have not had even curried chicken salad in a while, this is making me drool! Is it lunch time yet!
- June 9, 2010 at 10:55 AM
- Barbara said...
I don't know why I don't ever think of cooking turkey in the summer. I actually prefer the flavor over chicken too. Your salad looks lovely and the curry is just the right touch.
- June 9, 2010 at 10:59 AM
- Cooking with Kait said...
Hi Mary, another wonderful recipe. I love red grapes in curried salads. Great touch with the peanuts.
- June 9, 2010 at 11:12 AM
- Adventures in Domestic Cooking said...
Curry is sooo good!!
- June 9, 2010 at 11:13 AM
- Khadija El Mary said...
I love the way you mix the ingredients. You're a Master! Lovely salad and thanks for the recipe.
Have a great day darling
Khadija - June 9, 2010 at 11:23 AM
- Lindsey Frances said...
I love curried chicken salad, so this might be a nice twist. mmm I'm hungry for lunch now.
- June 9, 2010 at 11:32 AM
- M @ Betty Crapper said...
Just looking at the picture makes me want that in a sandwich. Right now. What kind of chutney did you use?
- June 9, 2010 at 11:42 AM
- ♥ Kathy said...
I will have to save this recipe for when I have leftover turkey. It looks delicious and after Thanksgiving I'm always looking for good recipes to use the bird up :)
- June 9, 2010 at 12:06 PM
- Cristie said...
Oh, I love the looks of this salad. It is very similar to one that I made recently. It is so nice to have salads for a summer evening isn't it? Have a wonderful day!
- June 9, 2010 at 12:13 PM
- Rita said...
I just had to print out this recipe! lookinf for summer meals and this one is perfect; thank you.
Rita - June 9, 2010 at 1:22 PM
- Joanne said...
I love the flavor of turkey (way more than chicken) but dont' really cook it outside of Thanksgiving. No idea why. This salad looks delicious. I love the chutney addition!
- June 9, 2010 at 1:58 PM
- Ana Powell said...
Beautiful flavours and colour ♥
- June 9, 2010 at 3:34 PM
- Devaki said...
This is such a must have for the summer recipe. Thanks for sharing recipe. I LOVE grapes in a white meat salad :)
Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors - June 9, 2010 at 4:30 PM
- zerrin said...
I love the addition of grapes and yogurt. sounds so refreshing! Perfect for summer!
- June 9, 2010 at 5:06 PM
- Biren said...
Turkey is a meat I don't use often in my cooking but curried turkey makes perfect sense. A lovely salad paired with grapes.
- June 9, 2010 at 5:52 PM
- Bibberche said...
Great looking salad, Mary! I used to make something similar for my daughter, when she was in high school, but with chicken, and no chutney (she is not a fan, I am.)
Btw, I don't have to lurk anymore, I can read your blog in the open now! Thanks for the kind words. - June 9, 2010 at 6:32 PM
- The Blonde Duck said...
Ben would LOVE this.
- June 9, 2010 at 7:05 PM
- Maria said...
Love the curry in this salad.
- June 9, 2010 at 8:18 PM
- A Flourishing Perspective said...
I love salad!!!! It looks and sounds brilliant!
Have a great week!
Erika=] - June 9, 2010 at 9:44 PM
Seems every grocery store has rotisserie chicken and/or turkey these days. But even if they don't, buying chicken/turkey breasts and baking them yourself is still a ton cheaper and better tasting than lunch meat. More versatile, too. Recipes like this have saved us a bunch as we've been trying to brown bag it more often. Thanks!
- June 10, 2010 at 7:45 AM
- Ingrid de Villiers said...
Mary, this looks delicious...I will definitely make it. I love curry and luckily it is healthy too!
Ixx - June 10, 2010 at 3:53 PM
- Jaime said...
i've made something similar and it was delicious...especially stuffed in a pita :)
btw - your header photo is just stunning. - June 10, 2010 at 10:51 PM
- Deb in Hawaii said...
I love curried chicken or turkey salad--this looks great!
- June 11, 2010 at 4:37 AM
- T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...
I like the combination of sweet, salty and savory here. Sounds like a lovely summer entree.
- June 11, 2010 at 6:19 AM
- LittleRed said...
That sounds just perfect for summer...yum!
- June 11, 2010 at 12:44 PM
- Single Guy Ben said...
I love curry chicken salad, but never thought of subbing it with turkey. Cool idea!
- June 11, 2010 at 5:39 PM
- Foley said...
I think I improved my record time in copy and pssting a recipe! This looks delicious and will definitely be on my summer table!
Thanks so much for the recipe!! - June 12, 2010 at 7:45 PM


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Blog post
19 May 2021
Frontline social workers provide vital support to improve health
Yura has been a social worker for many years. "When I started working in social services, I was mainly interested in family therapy," she says . "In time, I found out that supporting communities to become resilient and self-reliant is an extremely rewarding experience." A year ago, she joined the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria (CRWB) – a civil society organization created in 2003 to support the integration of refugees and migrants. "Guiding through people from refugee and migrant backgrounds on health-related procedures in their host country is a way to empower them to find solutions to health issues," explains Yura. And this is particularly vital for those fleeing from armed conflicts and humanitarian crises. As they search for safety and better life opportunities, both adults and children go through many traumatic experiences as a result of often prolonged stays in refugee camps, limited access to health care, and the dangers they face as they travel through volatile areas. By the time they finally reach a safe destination, they are often in very bad physical and psychological shape. "In Bulgaria, refugee children arrive with their parents or – in some cases – unaccompanied. Psychological problems, infectious diseases, medically unobserved pregnancies and, in particular, a lack of
, are common problems that have a negative impact on their health and wellbeing." Radostina Belcheva, Project Coordinator and Deputy-Chair of CRWB The CRWB partners with UNICEF Bulgaria to provide general health checks and referrals, as well as life-saving vaccines in line with children's
schedules, and equips parents with information on health risks, entitlements and how to access medical services. "As part of the 'Strengthening Refugee and Migrant Children's Health Status in Southern and South-Eastern Europe' (RM Child-Health) project co-funded by the European Union's Health Programme, we work with our partners to ensure that children can follow
plans and that their vaccination status is updated in their
documents. These are crucial steps in ensuring good health . " Diana Yovcheva, Programme Officer with UNICEF Bulgaria Working directly with refugees, Yura consults families that want to access health services. "Some cases are easier than others", she says, recalling a consultation with Ahmed*, a 45-year-old father of six children, who fled Syria in 2020 and received humanitarian status in Bulgaria. A chef by profession, Ahmed settled quite well in the host country, found a job in a restaurant and, after some time, managed to reunite with his wife, his four sons and two daughters. "Ahmed was referred to the CRWB by friends and he came in for a consultation on the
process with his youngest baby girl, Yasmina, only one year old" explains Yura. During their meeting, the social worker provided information about the health system in Bulgaria, the role of a general practitioner, and how people with refugee status can access medical services including vaccinations for their children. Although Ahmed's baby girl had been vaccinated before her arrival in Bulgaria and had an
passport, the father urgently needed to update her vaccination status to synchronize her vaccinations with the recommendations of the national
calendar. "I contacted the Regional Health Inspectorate and helped Ahmed to provide the necessary documents and find a translator, as the documents were in Turkish", says Yura. Subsequently, she helped Ahmed schedule an appointment with a medical doctor and Yasmina received her next vaccine. Parents often lack the necessary vaccination documents. According to Yura, "Sometimes children have not had any vaccinations, or they have been vaccinated in their country of origin, but their
cards have been lost or destroyed." Such cases require additional consultations, research and coordination, as well as testing for antibodies and
responses when it is not clear whether the child has been vaccinated. "By empowering parents to familiarize themselves with the
plans and procedures we help them become proactive in following up on their children's health." Yura, Social worker To address the COVID-19 restrictions and keep active communication with refugees and migrants, the CRWB and UNICEF developed leaflets in Bulgarian, Arabic and Farsi with details about the health system in Bulgaria and the importance of vaccinations, and regularly provide health-related information via social media. "The role of communication in
is essential. Our frontline staff interact on a daily basis with beneficiaries, but we have also used other means [such as a Facebook group dedicated to health-related topics] to keep the information flow going, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic . " Radostina Belcheva, Project Coordinator and Deputy-Chair of CRWB Logo - Strengthening Refugee and Migrant Children's Health Status in Southern and South Eastern Europe This story is part of the Project Strengthening Refugee and Migrant Children's Health Status in Southern and South Eastern Europe, co-funded by the Health Programme of the European Union (the 'RM Child-Health' initiative). The content of this story represents the views of the author only and is her sole responsibility; it cannot be considered to reflect the views of the European Commission and/or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency or any other body of the European Union. The European Commission and the Agency do not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains .
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Blog post
23 March 2022
Inside the journey of Ukrainian refugee children and families
In the past three weeks Moldova's southern border has seen crowds that one could hardly imagine here even several weeks ago. With thousands waiting to flee war-torn Ukraine, the life of both communities has changed irremediably. Armed violence has not spared civilians for weeks and millions of Ukrainian families were forced to leave their homes in a matter of days or, in some instances, hours. Now they are arriving in Moldova and neighbouring countries in pursuit of safety. Since the first day of the war waged against Ukraine, UNICEF's teams have been on the ground, providing life-saving aid to the most vulnerable children both in Ukraine and outside of its borders. Together with a group of first-responders in Moldova, I arrived at the border crossing point of Palanca that has already seen thousands of Ukrainians seeking refuge in the past weeks. The first thing that catches your eye as you look at the people traveling through Palanca is that there are almost no men among them. The vast majority of those fleeing the hostilities in Ukraine are women and children as men between 18 to 60 are banned from leaving the country. According to UNICEF's estimates, at least one child is crossing Ukraine's border every single minute. The total number of children seeking asylum in Moldova and the European Union has already gone beyond 1.5 million. As for those children who have been displaced within Ukraine, a comprehensive count could not be done yet due to the rapidly changing situation. The second observation that you can hardly miss at Palanca is the profound exhaustion on the faces of those who walk across the border. Many women and children we meet started traveling days ago. Roads, trains, buses, queues, shelters – families lost the count of those on the way to Palanca. The journey's logistical hardships are coupled with many dangers, ranging from gunfire to air strikes. Ukrainian refugees, some with children, arrive at the Palanca border crossing in Moldova Ukrainian refugees, some with children, arrive on March 08, 2022 at the Palanca border crossing in Moldova, on the Moldova-Ukraine border after they fled war in their country. Once they reach the crossing point, families have yet to face another challenge. In the bitter cold, children and their mothers form lines stretching many kilometres away from the border. There are two separate queues. The first one, for cars, is so long that some mistakenly confuse it for a traffic jam on the way. The second one, for pedestrians, is somewhat shorter, although probably more exhausting. Mothers are clutching their children and hurriedly packed suitcases – the only remnants of their safe, pre-war lives. Some are trundling pushchairs or prams; others have three or even four children to look after. After crossing the border, Ukrainian mothers and children receive, along with long-awaited safety, an immediate aid from the Moldovan government, working together with UNICEF. Welcomed at Blue Dots placed by UNICEF along the road, families get what some of them described as "a much-needed moment to breathe". Designed to provide a safe space for children and their families, the Blue Dots offer mothers and children vital services, play, protection and counselling in a single location. As mothers crossed the border, I could hear them say: "Hold my hand, hold my hand. Whatever you do, do not let go of my hand!". What would seem a generic comment in any other circumstances was truly essential in this context. In the past three weeks, UNICEF has received many reports about missing or unaccompanied children traveling through Ukraine and across its western borders. We now work with the Moldovan government to increase the capacity of their social protection systems to screen, track and account for unaccompanied children. They then attempt reuniting the children with their families or provide temporary protection to shield them from risks of trafficking and abuse. The Blue Dots serve as a platform to identify unaccompanied children, as trained workers activate a screening mechanism during the art programme held at these safe spaces. In less than three weeks, Moldova has welcomed 200,000 refugees. It is at least half the size of the population of the country's capital, Chisinau.The others opt to continue traveling to Romania or further into the European Union. Regardless of their choice, asylum seekers can receive immediate support from the local authorities in Moldova, including food, lodging and transportation. A child therapist and social worker assists families at a UNICEF-UNHCR Blue Dot centre A child therapist and social worker (right) assists families on March 16, 2022 at a UNICEF-UNHCR Blue Dot centre at a refugee reception centre close to the Palanca border crossing in Moldova, near the Moldova-Ukraine border. The Moldovan government has built more than one effective partnership to house Ukrainian mothers and children: both local hotels and university dorms have opened their doors. Many others are hosted in temporary shelters: theatres, gyms, sports stadiums, basketball courts and many other premises have been rapidly turned into accommodation. MoldExpo Exhibition Center, a location for trade fairs, has also found a new purpose. Structured cubicles used for commercial events have become tiny homes with beds, mattresses and pillows for the centre's new residents. As our team arrived at the MoldExpo Exhibition Center, we immediately noticed the difference between the atmosphere here and at Palanca. Most of the families seemed calm and rested. They now had access to hot meals, electricity and running water. With a variety of food available in the centre's kitchen areas, one would also assume that nutrition is no longer a concern. However, for many mothers with small children, finding the right nutrients, continuing breastfeeding or preventing infants' diarrhoea remains a challenge. Another invisible danger that looms in almost every collective centre these days is a high risk of an infectious disease outbreak. In the past five years, Ukraine has faced more than one outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases. In fact, a polio outbreak continues in the country to this day, and the latest case of polio-induced paralysis was confirmed in February. As this crippling disease recognises no borders, it now threatens every unvaccinated child in the region. With many Ukrainian children missing their compulsory vaccination doses due the war-related disruption of the healthcare system, we must ensure they have access to
as soon as they arrive in the host countries. UNICEF is already working with the Moldovan government to roll-out
services for the youngest refugees and their families. Having spent some time at the MoldExpo Exhibition Center, we had a chance to observe how it is being transformed from empty premises with beds and pillows into a structured child-friendly space. Blue Dots have been set up and first children joined the art programme. Moldova has already opened their educational and day-care centres to Ukrainian asylum seekers, and, as of today, 191 children have enrolled. Access to quality pre-school and school education marks the start of a new beginning both for them and their parents. Meanwhile, there are thousands of children back in Ukraine who are robbed of the chance to learn, as their families are still trapped on the roads or bomb shelters. We are still far from understanding every layer of the unprecedented influence that the war in Ukraine has on our communities. Although, something has become clear to me after visiting Moldova last week. The war in Ukraine is not just any crisis. It is, first and foremost, a child protection crisis. A child protection crisis that will have an impact on the entire region. Afshan Khan is a UNICEF Regional Director Europe and Central Asia, UNICEF Representative to the UN in Geneva, Special Coordinator, Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe. She has spent 25 years in the United Nations, primarily with UNICEF, responding to some of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time, from the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami to war and conflict affected countries.
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OVERDOSE: If someone has overdosed and has serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, call 911. Otherwise, call a poison control center right away. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, sweating, stomach/abdominal pain, extreme tiredness, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine, agitation, confusion, hallucinations, seizures.
NOTES: Keep all regular medical and laboratory appointments.
MISSED DOSE: If your doctor has directed you to take this medication on a regular schedule and you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose. Take your next dose at the regular time. Do not double the dose to catch up.
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