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"I feel silly," I admitted, looking up at the brim of the vintage white had I'd purchased at Pink Door Boutique the day before. My thin hair and the angle of my ears don't make them a natural fit, so as a rule I don't do hats.
"You won't feel silly once you're at the track," my boyfriend reassures me as I get into his car. "You look fine."
He's right, of course. I look fine. I look better than fine, really. I will go so far as to say I look gussied up. I have never used the term "gussied up" until this week, but it seems appropriate. After all, I have never experienced something quite like this week: my first Kentucky Derby season.
A local invited me to attend Kentucky Oaks, which everyone in Louisville knows about but I had to Google. I graciously accepted and kept my mouth shut when it was explained we'd be hanging out in the infield and would likely never see zero horses, let alone races. In my world, that doesn't sound like fun, but I'm not in my world. I'm in Kentucky. So I went with it.
Walking down Third Street, I passed Derby season entrepreneurs selling their yards as parking spaces and one unfortunate guy just trying to drive to work. I saw a few gussied up women standing on porches and smiled. This is kind of cute, I thought.
Then, I hit Central Avenue.
The sidewalks were packed with gussied up men and women – big hats, lots of pastels and seersucker as far down the road as I could see. I literally stopped, overwhelmed by this sea of style and purpose. To procrastinate actually stepping foot in Churchill Downs, I buy a $3 burger from some kids raising money for leukemia and lymphoma research. Small talk ensues about the idiot proselytizing across the street. I wonder why all Catholics are going to hell, but I'm not about to ask.
Eventually, I make it to Churchill Downs' main entrance, also known as Gate 1. People here are taking photos with the iconic twin spires in the background, and an old timey band is playing for tips. This feels regal, and suddenly I feel bad for wearing sandals instead of heels like all the beautiful women here.
Then, I realize I am at the wrong entrance. This is Gate 1 Percent. I have to enter through Gate 3, with the other infielders and their coolers, lawn chairs and sensible shoes. So, like a fish swimming upstream, I walk opposite the immaculately dressed until I approach Gate 3, which is unceremoniously located right next to a PNC bank.
My heart sinks quickly as I realize there is no dress code here. People are wearing cutoff jean shorts, Birkenstocks and football T-shirts for teams that aren't even in Kentucky. One vendor outside is selling "If you didn't come to party, take your bitch ass home" T-shirts but most are just selling cans of beer. Admittedly, the dressed up outnumbered the dressed down, but some of the mystique was gone. I probably should have known not all Derby fashion made the In Touch roundups, but alas. Newbie lesson learned.
Once inside Churchill Downs, it's unnecessary hollering through a creepy tunnel leading to a slew of activities that don't seem worth recanting in much detail. I shell out $11 for an Oaks Lily in a souvenir glass. It's delicious but weak. It's also $11 shy of the most I've ever paid for a novelty drink. (That honor stays in Las Vegas.) I drink lemonade. My desert roots show and I almost pass out from the Kentucky heat, but a kind stranger hands me a bottle of cold water. I see a horse, though it wasn't a racing one. I place my first bet based off the horse name I liked best – and promptly lose. (Stupid Gung Ho!) I lay in the grass, cherished the breeze, chatted and checked Twitter. Every so often, the call to post sounds, and I watch the box stands fill for two minutes of shouting at something I couldn't see.
"See? They're doing it right," I comment to my Oaks companion.
My sentiment is proven true two hours later when a looming storm forces an evacuation of the infield. Like cattle we are herded out. Walking toward the tunnel, people in the stands above are taking photos of us with their cell phones. I curse them silently before telling the woman behind me there's nothing I can do help her claustrophobic friend.
On the windy, wet journey home, I consider my first Oaks and the two weeks of festivities leading up to it. The experience was enjoyable, yes, but hardly the best thing ever. I could explain it away as saying I wasn't drunk enough, but that seems a copout. I guess I just don't get it yet.
Someone explained it to me as something seeped in tradition that has taken a life of its own, which makes me think I'll understand only after a few years of letting the Kool-Aid soak my brain. Another described it as "a spring festival of sorts." This seems more accurate, but I cannot help but wish we'd all just celebrate spring for all its natural glory.

subset: commoncrawl


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Shivam Paying Guest House Reviews
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Two words, rooftop view. The family that runs the home-stay is lovely and very helpful. The rooms have great character and really make you feel at home. My only complaint is the stairs are quite steep, but it adds to the experience. The restaurant at the top level is absolutely lovely with great food and a WONDERFUL view. Couldn't be in a better location and everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. Will definitely return if given the opportunity!
- Avid Traveller
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Good place to stay in the area. There was a great vibe on the rooftop restaurant.
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- Ireland
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Great location, would stay here again for this reason. Filter coffee is great. Can imagine this would be after place to stay in busy season with more of a vibe
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Raj was the only person ever to answer an email! He arranged pick up and drop off at the train station and could not have been a more helpful host. We are even going back to stay there again already! Would highly recommend this hotel to other travellers. It is great value for money and Raj himself makes it a great place to stay. We felt very welcomed.
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The Kwanzaa Challenge
I think Kwanzaa is ridiculous. But I think arguments for its ridiculousness which begin "It's a holiday that somebody just invented" are even more ridiculous. It's like when people say, "You just made that word up!" My first response is, "Name a word somebody didn't make up." Similarly, all holidays are human creations. Kwanzaa is silly, but here's the challenge: give a solid reason *why* it's silly besides, "Somebody just made it up." (I have my own reasons, but I don't want to short-circuit the Challenge.)


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Drytac Corp.
Richmond, VA 23231
Jul 29, 2014
Targeting those who desire liquid lamination without hand application, EliteCoater™ applies water-based liquid coating to inkjet canvas and fine art paper up to 44 in. wide. Design facilitates installation on any tabletop surface and ensures even finish on any graphic print. Along with process speed of up to 2 fpm, features include drip pan that collects excess coating and ability to coat other media with optional Mayer bar. For operation, users feed cut sheets through coating head.
Videojet Technologies, Inc.
Wood Dale, IL 60191-1073
Jan 23, 2014
Intended for use on dark extruded pipes, hoses, cables, and wires, V494 White Ink meets needs of manufacturers requiring tape-transfer code adhesion and high contrast. Sun/UV fade-resistant ink delivers code durability and adheres to various plastics. Formulated with white and red pigments, V493 Red High Contrast ink is suited for coding on extruded pipe, hose, and cable substrates. Fade-resistant ink offers contrast on both light and dark colored substrates even after exposure to UV light.
Matthews Marking Products
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Dec 13, 2013
Designed to utilize thermal ink jet (TIJ) printing at industrial speeds on various non-porous substrates, LS-6020 and LS-6021 offer unassisted dry times faster than 2 sec. Both inks are packaged in single-use cartridges and offer coverage for polyesters, oriented nylon, coated packaging, foils, and resins. Formulation enables production of high-quality marks while reducing clean up, downtime, and maintenance associated with continuous ink jet (CIJ) printers.
Henkel Corporation
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Oct 31, 2013
Printed using standard printing processes, Loctite ECI 5000 Series allows for precise control of material deposition pattern and thickness. Inks can be printed down to sheet resistance of 30 Ω/square versus single-layer ITO, which averages 60 Ω/square. Used in concert with ECI 5000 Series, Loctite NCI 9001 top coat optimizes environmental protection, handling, and UV stability. Applications include industrial touchscreens, EL lighting, solar cell manufacturing, and micro-scale LED lighting.
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Wood Dale, IL 60191-1073
Oct 03, 2013
Designed for Ultra High Speed continuous ink jet printers, V516-D Black Retort-Resistance Ink can withstand high-temperature steam/water bath processes used in cooking prepared food containers after filling and sealing. V517-D MEK-free Thermochromic Ink changes from black to blue when coding onto heat-processed food containers made of metal, plastic, and glass substrates. Also MEK-free, V530-D Fast Dry General Purpose Black Ink prints onto hard-to-code plastics such as untreated polyethylene.
Videojet Technologies, Inc.
Wood Dale, IL 60191-1073
Aug 16, 2013
Available for 2300 Series of large character ink jet printers, M515-K Red, M516-K Orange, M517-K Green, M518-K Blue, M519-K Purple, and M520-K Yellow expand visual and functional coding capabilities. Pigmented formulations deliver increased UV light fastness, water resistance, and fade resistance over dye-based inks. Adhering to plain and coated paper packaging, inks are suited for brand identification on secondary cartons as well as differentiating outer wrappings of products like paper stock.
Engineered Printing Solutions
East Dorset, VT 05253
May 28, 2013
Designed to fit into sealed ink cup where it agitates ink as cup slides across cliché, Ink Saver-Ring is suitable for pad printers that use bi-component inks or have short print runs. Patent fan blade design helps scoop and mix pigment as it passes through each chamber. Device disperses ink for optimum coverage, especially when ink volume is as low as 25 g.
Videojet Technologies, Inc.
Wood Dale, IL 60191-1073
Jan 28, 2013
Intended for 8510 and Wolke thermal ink jet (TIJ) printer lines, Non-Porous Black ink (WLK660072) is formulated for accelerated drying on such non-porous materials as coated or lacquered cartons, blister package materials, and some plastics. Solvent-based ink maintains its light and water resistance, withstanding fading and smearing under routine conditions and/or after water contact. Adhesion to various substrates is also possible without use of dryer or need to modify substrate.
Videojet Technologies, Inc.
Wood Dale, IL 60191-1073
Nov 29, 2012
Designed for Videojet 1710 high contrast ink printer, V492-C Light Blue Ink adheres to variety of extruded pipe, hose, cable, and wire substrates, which are typically constructed of PVC, LDPE, and HDPE in various colors. Ink provides optimal transfer-resistance and is UV-fade resistant. For use on high-speed production lines, V402 Dark Gray Ink dries in less than 1 sec on cold PVC material, and resists smearing on coded cables while providing optimal adhesion.
Engineered Conductive Materials, LLC
Delaware, OH 43015
Jun 20, 2012
With line resistivity of 8 mohm/sq/mil, CI-1031-7 and CI-1031-8 are formulated for optimal conductivity and minimal contact resistance on transparent conductive oxides used in solar applications. Solids content and rheologies enable screen printing of high aspect ratio fine lines, maximizing print thickness while reducing shadowing. Additional properties of these low-stress, low-shrinkage, thermosetting inks include moisture resistance and minimal polymeric creep.
Creative Materials, Inc.
Ayer, MA 01432
Mar 20, 2012
Featuring greater than 85% silver content and volume resistance of 0.0005 ohm-cm upon cure, 125-43A/B119-44 solvent-resistant, 2-component electrically conductive ink is intended for touchscreens and shielding applications. Used for making attachments on electrical and mechanical devices, 125-46A/B,C, electrically conductive epoxy adhesive exhibits volume resistivity of less than 0.01 ohm-cm upon cure. This single- or 2-component system supports various dispensing options.
TANAKA HOLDINGS Co., Ltd.
Tokyo Japan
Jan 23, 2012
After printing circuit on base material using Conductive Silver Ink and exposing it to UV light for 0.3 seconds, user can instantly harden printed film at room temperature to form circuit. At film thickness of 5 µm or more, it is possible to form wiring with electrical resistivity of 10-3 cmW. Wiring can be formed on glass base material and substrates as well as flexible base materials such as PVC film and PET film.
Cincinnati, OH 45236
Nov 25, 2011
Formulated to control slip, mar, and rub resistance in water-based pigmented and semi-gloss OPVs, inks, and industrial coatings, Michem Guard 1350 and 1351 eliminate need to use solvent-based surface modifiers. Both are nonionic dispersions of polyethylene wax that prevent blocking and cause minimal reduction in gloss. Michem Guard 1350 features narrow particle size distribution centered at approximately 1 micron, while Michem Guard 1351 contains efficient solids content of 65%.
Inkcups Now
Danvers, MA 01923
Sep 15, 2011
Formulated for adhesion to range of plastics, Sapphire BA series pad and screen printing ink is rated toy safe, free of heavy metals and restricted phthalates, and compliant with CPSIA and California Proposition 65. Alcohol-resistant, opaque, and glossy ink has highly pigmented formula suitable for use with 305 mesh and images with fine details. Product can be used as 1- or 2-component ink and, when used with hardener, exhibits optimized abrasion resistance and pot life (8-9 hr).
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Danvers, MA 01923
Aug 25, 2011
Used for pad printing and screen printing, SI Series ink adheres to silicone products such as wristbands, iPod and iPad covers, oven mitts, swimming caps, flexible computer keyboards, and remote controls. Glossy ink exhibits flexibility and abrasion resistance. Curing takes 2-6 min at 400°F or 10 min at 260°F.
Inkcups Now
Danvers, MA 01923
Aug 24, 2011
Intended for screen or pad printing onto dark textiles, SB SuperWHITE contains special pigment that maximizes print opacity and allows mixed ink to maintain proper viscosity during production shift. Ink withstands 50 industrial washes, is rated toy-safe, and does not cause skin irritation. Compliant with CPSIA'08 and Proposition 65, ink does not contain heavy metals and restricted phthalates, azo dyes, or PVC.
Creative Materials, Inc.
Ayer, MA 01432
Nov 23, 2010
Available as 2-component system, 125-26A/B119-44 adheres to variety of substrates, including ITO-coated surfaces and other low surface-energy substrates. Electrically conductive product is resistant to scratching and creasing and is capable of screen printing circuits with fine-line widths and spaces as small as 50-75 microns. With minimal sensitivity to handling, abrasion, and solvents, RoHS-compliant ink is suited for touch screens, solar cell circuits, and RFID applications.
Cincinnati, OH 45236
Nov 18, 2010
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East Liverpool, OH 43920
Aug 25, 2010
Designed for marking aluminum refractories and ceramic components, 44W402 DuraFire(TM) Marking Ink enables manufacturers to document product history, track product life, and create brand awareness. Water-based ink is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and non-flammable with zero VOCs. Product cleans up with water, eliminating need for solvents.
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Northlake, IL 60164
Aug 12, 2010
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Downtown Buffalo
145 Swan St.
East Aurora
576 Main St.
Welcome to The Bike Shop! Offering East Aurora and the Buffalo Area bicycle sales and service since 2006!
A local buffalo bike shop and team dedicated to YOU!
Open MONDAY, TUESDAY 10am-6pm, WEDNESDAY 10am-8pm, THURSDAY, FRIDAY 10am-6pm, SATURDAY 10am-5pm, SUNDAY 11am-3pm
Opened in 2006, Adam and Becky pride themselves on the best customer service you will find at a Buffalo bike shop. We are a family owned and operated shop, that will handle all of your cycling needs. From sales to service repair and everything in between, from the beginner to expert, road or mountain, we have something for the whole family. It is our mission to make sure your are happy when you shop at The Bike Shop and make sure to tell your friends!
SHOP SMALL and BUY LOCAL!


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Top Of Parsley Fern Gulley Left Hand
© JWB, Jan 2010
Route: Parsely Fern Left-hand
Climbers: Unknown
Camera used: Panasonic DMC-FX01


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I took a very discouraging shopping trip to Victoria's Secret last week that made me wonder if the store and the line are actually meant for mothers.
I got my hair cut and colored and dropped into the store on my way home. I was actually alone, which rarely happens, and thought it be nice to buy a couple of new sexy items. Other than some fairly plain supportive bras and panties from Target (so sad!!), I haven't bought any new sexy stuff in probably six years. (I keep trotting old the same numbers hoping Michael still likes them.)
I went in with high expectations all excited about the different colors and styles of the little nighties and sexy bras. I felt like there were just hundreds of choices all around the store. But then the saleslady measured my chest.
She deemed me a 38-D and walked over and pulled out a drawer and said here are the bras in your size.
I was reduced from an entire store to a drawer!!
(In fairness I think there was one other drawer she could pull from, but definitely not a whole store.)
Very depressing. Color options very limited and styles greatly reduced. As for the nighties, a lot of them have bras inside of them which were all too small for my particular chest size. It was also very depressing.
At least the panties fit!
I came home all deflated (pun intended). I told Michael I was trying to surprise him with some new sexy stuff but nothing fit.
In a shocking moment of a husband saying exactly right thing, Michael said, "Honey that store isn't for you. It's for young girls with no curves. It's not for women."
He made me feel a lot better. I know I can't shop at Gap because the clothes just aren't cut for women with curvy hips, and I guess it's the same now for Victoria's Secret.
I dropped into a local specialty lingerie store yesterday, Necessities by Sherrie, and she had lots of stuff in D-cup sizes. Unfortunately I had a toddler with me so I told her I would be back another day to try on. I felt like an idiot wasting my time last week at Victoria's Secret. I should have just headed to Sherrie's.
What has your experience been with the sizes and cuts at Victoria's Secret? Do you think they are meant for young women who haven't gained the curves of childbearing? Are there other stores or other lines that you find you just can't wear since having kids? Where do you have the best luck finding sexy stuff for mothers with curvy shapes?
Editor's Update: In researching this blog I did find a few more 38D and DD sizes on Victoria's Secret Web site so maybe they have more online in the bustier sizes than in the store. Although, it's hard to buy without trying on unless you just plan to send back a bunch.
February 4th, 2010
7:28 am
LOL…posting your bra size on here T….too funny. Wonder if anyone else will join you?
I am not small chested but will not be adding mine today.
I will say this…I do NOT wear thong panties…as someone else said, " I do not need a string of dental floss to get stuck in there…." :) Do any 50 year olds wear them…JJ…you are a very modern 50 year old and you might? TMI maybe.
I rarely shop at Victoria's Secret but do like fun underwear. There are other places to get it. They do have large bras at Ross, Marshalls or Target….from the bettor venodrs but they will not be able to fit you. Since you have already done so…maybe you should check? Also Kohls? I never wear white and only own one beige bra. All others are black, red, navy, grey, prints etc.
Once in a while I do see woman who still buy plain Jane underwear and I wish they would live a little but that is just me and maybe they fell better in granny panties and cross your heart bras. NONE OF MY BUSINESS FOR SURE.
February 4th, 2010
7:42 am
I could go in several directions but will resist and stick to point. My instinct tells me that the moms that wear/shop at V.S. are not the moms that blog here. Different set of priorities.
The feeling of "that's all the selection you got?" is the feeling I get as a man when I go in to ANY store, so I understand that feeling.
My experience with V.S. has been that the quality is extremely poor. Also my experience is that a woman's underthings have to match both her figure AND her personality or it just isn't sexy. When a woman matches both, very sexy.
February 4th, 2010
7:42 am
Lane Bryant has great options for big chested women. Maybe you should try them as well. I always wondered if N.b.S. was a good store to try. Are they expensive??? You must live in the Lilburn/Snellville area. :-)
February 4th, 2010
7:56 am
@ Jeff….not sure if mine match…since my name is Jane maybe I SHOULD wear plain Jane underwear and this is why I do not like a thong…. ya think?
@ Lissy, Yes, I think T lives in Lilburn GA , not positive though.
February 4th, 2010
8:13 am
Theresa, it's not just moms. It really is ANYONE that has a bra size bigger than 34B. I've always been um…endowed, even before I has children and I never was able to shop at V.S.
So don't feel bad.
February 4th, 2010
8:14 am
Hmmm…I love Victoria Secret bras. That's all that I wear. I've always had just the opposite issue, even when I was in my 20's. I have a smaller chest but big butt and hips. I have never bought a bra and panty set for that reason. My daughter loves the Pink section for bras and panties. They're fun and appropriate so I don't mind. She will also have difficulty finding sets when she's older 'cause she's got momma's butt and hips. It's really hard when you have a tiny waist and the bottom half is curvy. You can imagine what it's like trying to find a pair of jeans that fit. It's been an issue my entire life, and my daughter's as well.
February 4th, 2010
8:19 am
I love VS and shop there often (on line and in store).
@Jeff, Interesting comment about the quality. I haven't had any issues with quality.
February 4th, 2010
8:22 am
Nope sorry MJG – no thongs here, unless they are on my feet…….LOL
Funny story, years ago, we were all sitting around my mom's house, talking about how she used to disclipine my brother and me. My sister in law was there as well. My brother goes "yea Mom used to spank me with her thong". My sister in law's eyes got huge, and she turned and looked at me, with this crazy look on her face. I whispered to her, that's what we used to call "flip flops" back in the day. My SIL goes, "oh my god, I had this vision of your mom stripping down to her underwear, and whipping off her thong and hitting him with it." We still laugh about that……
VS is for the young "skinny-minis", size 0. My daughter and nieces love their stuff, and have shopped there for at least 5 years. I have NEVER bought anything from there for myself, as I'm an average sized woman, and they just don't cater to my size. But I don't really care…..I'm happy with Kohl's clearance rack. I just bought a beautiful bra, on clearance, for $6.50.
February 4th, 2010
8:23 am
Theresa – get to either Intimacy in Phipps or LiviRae in Marietta and get yourself fitted properly. I think you will find that you are not anything like the size VS said you are. And you'll find some beautiful (albeit expensive) things to wear.
February 4th, 2010
8:28 am
@motherjanegoose……..umm, not sure how to appropriately respond. LOL.
@MomsRule…….maybe it's just my experience that my ex wife's V.S. products tended to fray at the seams fairly quickly in the wash. I know there are steps to take to prevent, but just saying….. Then again, if they were made of IRON, that wouldn't exactly work either! :)
February 4th, 2010
8:29 am
I don't the issue is being a mom – the issue is having real boobs. The silicone parts will fit because you can literally move them around to fit the bra. But true busty women won't find much there. Having curves won't exclude you because I have curves and I can fit the panties and some of the nighties. But, then again, I am a member of the IBTC (Itty Bitty T***y Committee – TMI – I know).
Theresa – don't be discouraged. There are literally tons of places you can get some really hot underwear. When you really want to walk on the wild side, check Frederick's of Hollywood. But remember, the sexiest thing you can bring into the bedroom is confidence!
February 4th, 2010
8:30 am
I'm a D also and have always found VS bras hard to find in my size (especially since I started running and dropped to a 32 rib size–last time I went in, there were two bras in my size–not two styles, but two individual bras, same style, different colors). I ended up ordering online. It was after I'd finished nursing my son and needed to re-stock my "real" bras in my updated size – so I ordered five during the semi-annual sale and got free shipping.
I love VS underwear, though! I am not brand-loyal about many things, but I am about underwear. I only wear VS, and I must have 30-35 pairs of their standard cotton – in almost every color and pattern that has been offered in the last five years. I used to stock up during the sem-annual sales, when I could get them for $2.99+ each. Now I have enough that I only buy on occasion. The only underwear I've ever found to be more comfortable, is the Body By Victoria collection – but they cost a lot more, so I don't have quite as many. :)
I have found that Frederick's of Hollywood seems to have "curvier" lingerie. There is an outlet at Discover Mills and I have been able to get some GREAT deals there (and while I used to think that store was trashier than VS, I've found they actually have some relatively conservative, "prettier" rather than "trashier" options). We don't exchange V-Day gifts, but it seems to be our tradition for one new item every year, at Valentine's Day. Not that I use it that often, but it's nice to get some new players in the rotation.
February 4th, 2010
8:31 am
Hmmm… I am better endowed than most and I LOVE V.S. and as for the quality… Seriously I have a bra I wore in college still (15 yrs) so I think the quality is fine …
February 4th, 2010
8:31 am
@RJ: If you are looking for jeans – try the ones made by Cookie Johnson. They are really pricey but man oh man, do they fit a woman with curves!
February 4th, 2010
8:32 am
Interesting topic. On a good day, i'm 36C and bad day i'm 38C. I get all my bras at VS because I don't know any other place that sells cotton bras for cheap. It was tough for me to understand that I went from 34B to a bigger size. Anyways, the bras are not sexy but they fit and they are cotton. My husband doesn't care one way or other what I wear. so, works out for me :)
February 4th, 2010
8:33 am
I love NBS! I discovered them when I was looking for decent maternity bras, and now it's the only place I go for lingerie.
February 4th, 2010
8:36 am
Theresa, I think the big-breasted models are (like someone else noted) working with silicone :) and also are being shoved into cups too small for them – so they look even bigger. I look at those catalogs and think how UNCOMFORTABLE I would be if my bra only covered half of my boobs. No demi cuts for me!
February 4th, 2010
8:36 am
Theresa, while reading your entry I was going to say try the online store. That's where I get a lot of my VS undies. I have an 8 month old and my breast size has remained at a 36C since they plumped up while being pregnant. I like the sexy stuff that I get at Victoria's and so does my husband. But he also likes the "fun" stuff that I get at Target, Macy's or buy online from Hane's, Jockey, etc. like the matching colorful bras and panties.
I love to wear boy shorts with matching tank-tops to sleep in. They are comfortable and non-granny looking. LOL
Another place you can try is Bare Necessities.
February 4th, 2010
8:36 am
35 pair of underwear? DAMN. I have maybe 10……
February 4th, 2010
8:39 am
@ JJ…funny story.
TODAY, we are on the same page;
I have never paid more than $25 for a bra and typically $12-$20:they do retail for $40-$60…
You can get goods buys on bras but I DO NOT want to keep one for 15 years…5 is max for me, so I guess if you pay $95 for a bra…it should be around for a while. I have at least 8 bras and that would be quite a purchase! Kinda like some ladies pay $200 for a purse..not me!
@ Jeff it is o.k. I got raked over the coals yesterday, so I am trying to be lighter today!
February 4th, 2010
8:44 am
@MJG: Don't be lighter – the other side is so much more fun!
February 4th, 2010
8:46 am
@Andrea, I did check out her jeans and I just can't do it. I just learned of the PZI jeans so I plan on ordering a pair. I found some on sale for $50 on line, so I'll definitely give them a try. Honestly, I usually do Baby Phat jeans (when I can find them without the huge cat going across my butt). But they fit really well. I just hate the cat. I am a grown woman and I don't care to look like a teenager. My daughter would never wear the CJ Jeans because she's 15 and they're not flashy enough. But she literally has the waist of someone that wears a size 2 but the hips of a size 4 or 6. She just becomes very frustrated.
February 4th, 2010
8:48 am
35 Pair of underwear is really not that many. And I have a tank-top and/or bra almost for every pair of cotton undies that I own. You can never have too many pairs of underwear and shoes. Just like you can never have too many white shirts.
February 4th, 2010
8:52 am
@JJ, those are just the "plain" cotton ones. I have two drawers of underwear. It was an obsession for a while (pre-parenthood). But, I never have to worry about having a clean pair! And considering I have some that are worn only a couple times a year (because they get shoved to the back of a drawer and forgotten for three months), they last practically forever. I'm just now starting to see some fraying on my oldest pairs – and they're about 10 years old.
February 4th, 2010
8:52 am
@ Raqi…do not get me started on shoes….I have over 50 pair and half of them are probably black.
I LOVE shoes.
@ Andrea….do you mean fun as everyone attacks me and I get frustrated with them or what? LOL.
February 4th, 2010
8:53 am
OMG 10 YEAR OLD UNDERWEAR? I have to get to work now…hugs to all!
February 4th, 2010
8:59 am
This blog is brought to you today by the letters D and E. :->
February 4th, 2010
9:00 am
I stopped shopping at VS in my late 20's because their bras are cheaply made, offer no support, and are only made for B cups or smaller.
Adult women can get better bras and undies – even sexy – at Soma or Nordstrom.
February 4th, 2010
9:00 am
@MJG, based on your bra comment, I thought that probably would get you. But, I'm only wearing them a few times per year. A pair that is worn once every other week gets more wear in 2-3 years than mine get in 8-10 years.
February 4th, 2010
9:01 am
I love VS undies, not so much there bras..I have a hard time paying more than $10-20 fpr a bra..Theresa, if I paid $95.00 for a bra, I would plan on wearing it forever..When I was younger, like Raqi, I didn't think you could ever have to many bras or panties..LOL
@MJG.. I'm 48 and I have worn thongs before..Actually, if you get the ones with the very thin thong ppart, they aren't so bad..I don't wear them anymore, because my butt is way to big..
February 4th, 2010
9:04 am
@MJG..When I met my husband, I thought he was going to have a stroke when he saw how amny pairs of shoes I had..At that time, I had at least 130 pairs..Every color, style and shape..
February 4th, 2010
9:04 am
It can be for Moms. Some women don't change their looks just becauuse they are a mother. Some women don't start wearing ugly jeans with long zippers, coloring their hair, getting perms, cutting it short, and wearing blouses. Some women keep their thin figures, keep their hair long, and dress just as they did before.
February 4th, 2010
9:06 am
I wore a thong only once. I didn't like it so never again.
And Becky I am 41 and I still believe you can never have too many. LOL
February 4th, 2010
9:06 am
First of all the VS models have fake boobs and small chest measurements (around). They're probably 32 and 34 Cs and Ds -and as someone else noted -they're shoved into different sizes to make their boobs look bigger. VS does cater to the younger, less curvy type when it comes to sexy stuff. I do LOVE their cotton bras and panties for basics. They're super comfortable and come in a variety of colors and the cotton high-cut briefs have long been a fave -they usually have really cute patterns. I am and always have been very curvy. No matter where I am on the scale, I have definite curves and a C cup. My derriere is large and has always been the biggest part of my body, but I've always been able to wear VS cotton stuff. When I'm over a size 14 however, (I sadly have a tendency to yo-yo), I find that their sexy stuff doesn't work. I second what others say about ordering online from them -MUCH larger selection (in both ways).
Intimacy at Phipps will make sure you have a good fit AND they have lots of sexy stuff! It is expensive though. I was actually surprised and very happy to find some really sexy and lacy nice bras and panty sets at the Vanity Fair/Hanes outlet at Discover Mills. They have great buys and sell a lot of Bali underwear too. They have a variety of sizes including some VERY large ones and I got sexy looking black late and leopard print tap pants and matching bra and solid black lace matching sets there. Currently I'm a 38-40 C.
February 4th, 2010
9:08 am
oops, meant to say "black LACE and leopard print tap pants…"
February 4th, 2010
9:10 am
130 Pair? I am so jealous. LOL I am up to about 80 and my husband says no more. We share a closet so I have to respect his wishes.
I remember right after we finished our renovation to our room which merged our closets he complained about me having too many clothes. To appease him I decided I would go thru them and give some to the women shelter and Goodwill. I was surprised at the number of white shirts that I had.
Thankfully I am a much better shopper now. I try not to buy what I really don't need. LOL
February 4th, 2010
9:10 am
@MJG: I mean I appreciate you just as you are. Some call it sarcasm, I say it's wit. Besides, I think you sometimes break one of my cardinal rules – Never have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent! Have a great day.
P.S. Don't feel bad about the shoes – I am a shoe fanatic as well.
February 4th, 2010
9:13 am
@gpkbsin -check out Hanes/Vanity Fair/Bali outlets! In addition to the sexy stuff, I purchased two cotton bras for $14 a piece, and they're definitely giving the VS cotton bras I love so much a run for their money. They're VERY comfortable and supportive! ATLien is correct -Soma has some great stuff for real women (I'm not talking really big sizes, but average grown women who aren't 21 and a size 2). I've also had good luck finding some really sexy stuff that fits at department stores like Macy's, Nordstrom, Dillard's, etc. WOW -didn't know I had so much to say about undies!
February 4th, 2010
9:17 am
I don't buy sexy underwear. My husband doesn't appreciate them (he just wants to get nekkid) and I have a build that is difficult to flatter. I have average size breasts and a curvy butt, however from the front and back I don't really have an hour-glass shape. I'm built more like a gymnast – no waist or hips but flared muscular legs. As a result most sexy underwear are cut in ways that make my legs look short and heavy (well, they ARE heavy but they're pretty lean).
I do appreciate a good bra for how it helps me fit a shirt, though. But I won't spend the money at VS.
February 4th, 2010
9:19 am
JATL's comment about Dillard's is spot-on. I have been surprised by their selection in the D-cup range. Besides VS, that's the only store where I've ever found a bra stocked in my size.
February 4th, 2010
9:21 am
IMO the key to good underwear is cute AND comfortable. There are some pieces that I have that I purchased at lingerie parties and other places that most would say is really sexy, but they are quite uncomfortable. Some of that super lacy stuff is itchy.
When I buy stuff now, be it bras, panties, camis, teddies, it has to be as comfortable as it is sexy. Because you know sometimes I just like to wear the super sexy stuff under my clothes even when the hubby doesn't know I have it on.
February 4th, 2010
9:24 am
I'm a purse junkie. I have a box of purses in my closet. I probably have 25 purses.
I used have a ton of shoes, but now I just wear my tennis shoes all the time. My work is VERY casual and I'm out in the warehouse a lot, so I just can't wear heels. Plus I wear jeans and have to have comfy shoes on.
I do have three pair of boots, and one pair of black heels, just in case…….


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« Galleries
Sheboygan County Relay For Life 2011
Created on January 30, 2012
Sheboygan County Relay For life 2011 was another huge success in the fight against cancer. Projections put totals near the $90,000 mark this year. Make sure you can be a part of the 2012 relay so we can celebrate, fight back, and remember together next year...and continue to celebrate more birthdays!


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25 January 2013
Farmers and growers are being urgently advised to comply with the law and register with Natural England, if they are using imported non-native bumblebees for commercial pollination.
The move follows the announcement in December, which saw licensing regulations tightened from 1 January 2013, as part of plans to help safeguard the health of our native bumble bees and honey bees. However, many growers have not yet registered with Natural England.
Previously, the release of imported, non-native bumble bees (predominantly subspecies of the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris) for agriculture and commercial horticulture was licensed under Natural England's General Licence system. In the changes implemented on 1 January, licensing now occurs under Natural England's Class Licence system - requiring registration of the release premises in order to allow improved monitoring of impacts on surrounding wildlife and investigation of disease patterns. Growers should make every attempt to register their premises under the new scheme as soon as possible, although registration is being viewed pragmatically whilst the new system embeds.
The key elements of the revised regime are:
All growers wishing to use non native bumblebees will be required to register their premises with Natural England before the bumblebees are released.
Producers of commercial non-native bumblebees will be required to follow an improved disease-screening protocol, requiring sensitive laboratory analysis to detect a greater range of bee diseases and pathogens. Bumblebees found to be infected by disease or parasites will not be permitted to be released in England.
Non-native bumblebees will only be permitted for use in greenhouses or poly-tunnels and all reasonable steps must be taken to prevent their escape.
Bumblebee queens must be kept inside their hives. After use for pollination, all non-native colonies must be destroyed according to guidelines, to prevent establishment in the wild.
Natural England will monitor licences to ensure that the non-native bumblebees are being used appropriately. The unlicensed release of non-native bumblebees is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £5,000 and / or a six month prison sentence.
Natural England is keen to ensure that licensing changes do not have a disproportionate impact on growers and suppliers, whilst providing better safeguards for protecting native bee populations.
The changes reflect growing global concerns around the impact which commercially-reared bees may be having on native bumble bees and honey bees – with suggestions that they are competing and breeding with native insects; disrupting the pollination of native plants and introducing diseases and parasites.
Announcing the revised licensing arrangements, Janette Ward, Natural England's Regulation Director said: "We recognise the important economic role that commercially-reared bumblebees play in agriculture and the heavy reliance that some sectors of the horticulture industry have on non-native bumblebees in order to produce high quality fruit and vegetables.
"However, we cannot ignore increasing concerns about the threats facing our natural pollinators. In introducing stronger safeguards, we are seeking to balance conservation concerns with the needs of the horticulture industry, taking into consideration the wider agricultural services provided by bees."
The changes took effect on 1 January 2013. Further information on what the changes mean to applying for a class licence.
The licensing regime in detail:
All growers wishing to use non-native bumblebees for pollination will need to do so under the terms of Class Licence. This will require growers to register the premises where the bumblebees will be used with Natural England, allowing impacts on surrounding wildlife to be monitored and disease patterns investigated. Growers can obtain a copy of this licence from Natural England website or by writing to Customer Services, Wildlife Licensing, Natural England, First Floor, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6EB.
As with previous licences, the use of non-native bumblebees will only be permitted in greenhouses or poly-tunnels and all reasonable steps must be taken to prevent their escape. Their use will not be permitted in open fields, orchards and private gardens to reduce the chances of non-native bumblebees competing with native bees and spreading disease.
Bumblebee queens will not be allowed to leave their hives. Commercial bumblebees are supplied in artificial hives which have entry points which can be restricted to permit the passage of the workers in and out of the hive for pollination, but prevent the larger queens leaving. Non-native bumblebees can only become established in the wild if queens can leave the hive to overwinter and start a new colony in the wild.
After use for pollination, all non-native colonies must be destroyed by methods such as freezing or approved-pesticides. Colonies containing live non-native bumble bees must not be placed in skips or allowed to enter the domestic rubbish system.
Producers of commercial non-native bumblebees for the horticulture trade will be required to follow an improved disease screening protocol. This will be to a higher specification than that required by the EU for routine honeybee imports - which only requires inspection of bees for a number of notifiable bee diseases and parasites. The revised screening protocol will require more sensitive laboratory analysis to detect a greater range of bee diseases and pathogens. Bumble bees found to be infected by disease or parasites will not be permitted for release in the UK.
Natural England will monitor licences to ensure that non-native bumble bees are being used correctly. The unlicensed use of non-native bumble bees in open fields or private gardens is a criminal offence, and can result in a fine of up to £5,000 and / or a six month prison sentence.
Research has suggested that in North America, bumblebee decline has resulted from diseases spread by commercially reared bees. Elsewhere, commercially-reared non-native bumblebees are believed to cause ecological damage by competing with native insect species and interfering with natural pollination of wild flowers. This is of particular concern when these non native species become established in the wild, which has already been reported in Japan, Israel, New Zealand and Tasmania
Natural England is the government's independent adviser on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England's wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
We establish and care for England's main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.
We work to ensure that England's landscapes are effectively protected, designating England's National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.
We run Environmental Stewardship and other green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England's farmland.
We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England's species and habitats.
We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.
Media enquiries only, please contact: Melissa Gill, Natural England Press Office on 0300 060 2983. Out of hours, please call the duty press officer on 07970 098005.


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Tag Archives: orange
Short Rib Tacos w/ Orange BBQ Sauce and Spicy Orange Cucumber Salsa
Follow my blog with Bloglovin The Inland Empire brought out the big guns last weekend, Riverside, California specifically. Inland Empire Brewing Company(IEBC) put on a Fourth Anniversary Celebration that was reminiscent of Riverside's famous Orange Blossom Festival. As one who … Read more >>
Carne Asada
Being married to a Mexican, I often get requests for Mexican dishes. These dishes are often things that I have never ever made before. I have certainly had the pleasure of tasting them before, but I didn't grow up with … Read more >>
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WEDNESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A group representing
America's pediatricians is urging that flu shots be mandatory for
all U.S. health-care workers in order to protect patients.
While many organizations have used voluntary programs in an
effort to improve coverage, flu vaccination rates among health-care
workers remain unacceptably low, said the members of the Committee
on Infectious Diseases at the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"Mandatory influenza immunization for all health-care personnel is ethically justified, necessary, and long overdue to ensure patient safety," they wrote in the AAP policy statement, which will appear in the October issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Immunization rates of 80 percent or higher are needed to achieve
the "herd immunity" required to have a major impact of flu
transmission by health-care workers, but current rates of flu
vaccination for this group remain near 40 percent, the authors
They noted that mandatory immunization for health-care workers
is not unusual. For example, many medical facilities require
specific vaccines and a tuberculin skin test as conditions of
employment or to be allowed to work in specific areas of an
Medical and religious exemptions to mandatory flu vaccination
can be granted on an individual basis, the statement authors
They offered a number of examples of the effectiveness of
mandatory flu vaccination policies. The Virginia Mason Medical
Center in Seattle achieved a 99 percent compliance rate after it
made influenza vaccination mandatory in 2005. The compliance rate
was 100 percent after the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Clinical Center made flu vaccination mandatory for employees who
had contact with patients.
Flu outbreaks are a common and serious public health problem.
Each year in the United States, influenza causes more than 36,000
deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations and costs the country $87
billion, according to the AAP statement.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more
flu vaccination.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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The state continues to protect the financial industry. Noam Chomsky's comments on "free market fantasy" come to mind:
And the principle of really existing free market theory is: free markets are fine for you, but not for me. That's, again, near a universal. So you — whoever you may be — you have to learn responsibility, and be subjected to market discipline, it's good for your character, it's tough love, and so on, and so forth. But me, I need the nanny State, to protect me from market discipline, so that I'll be able to rant and rave about the marvels of the free market, while I'm getting properly subsidized and defended by everyone else, through the nanny State. And also, this has to be risk-free. So I'm perfectly willing to make profits, but I don't want to take risks. If anything goes wrong, you bail me out.
Awesome. Terrifying. Inspiring.
DARPA's list of programs read like a SciFi novel and often evoke the same reactions. The only difference is that DARPA is producing actually working results.
Several of the amazing posts I've put up were funded by DARPA, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. In researching a previous post about regenerative medicine (here), I stumbled upon some DARPA stuff (e.g. here) and began to peruse their site. And, wow, was I blown away.
So, here are the RCS Highlights of some of the projects and what they're about:
- Accelerated Learning - "Accelerated Learning will identify the neural basis of expert performance… " (First step toward 'downloading' information Matrix-style.)
- Antibody Technology Program (ATP)
- Biomimetic Computing - "design a biologically motivated, large-scale neural simulation embodied in a mechanical (robotic) system that is embedded in a physical environment" (e.g. "intelligent robotic animals")
- Chemical Robots (ChemBots) - "It should.. traverse an arbitrarily shaped opening much smaller than the largest characteristic of the robot itself. Once through the opening, it will reconstitute its size, shape, and functionality and travel again to perform a task using an embedded payload" (Sound crazy? Check out this unrelated video by robotics guru Dennis Hong @ 7:28.)
- Deep Bleeder Acoustic Coagulation (DBAC)
- Engineered Bio-Molecular Nano-Devices and Systems (MOLDICE)
- Fundamental Laws of Biology (FUNBIO)
- Instant Fire Suppression (IFS) - "By using physics techniques rather than combustion chemistry, it may be possible to manipulate and extinguish flames." (See a recent post of mine here.)
- Low-Cost, Lightweight Portable Photovoltaics
- Negative Index Materials (NIM)
- Nimbus - "Nimbus is a fundamental science program focused on obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the lightning process, its associated emissions (such as x-rays), and its ionospheric components to better protect troops, ordnance, and other military assets." (Imagine being able to control lightening! They should've called this the "Zeus" project.)
- Plasma Sterilization of Wounds and Medical Devices
- Programmable Matter - "a new functional form of matter.. that can reversibly assemble into complex 3D objects upon external command." (Think, intelligent robotics origami.)
- Protein Design Processes (PDP) - "will enable specification of a desired function and be able to rapidly synthesize a protein that performs that function" (Wow. That is just… ridiculous!)
- Quantum Effects in Biological Environments (QUBE)
- Reorganization and Plasticity to Accelerate Injury Recovery (REPAIR)
- Restorative Encoding Memory Integration Neural Device (REMIND) - "A biomimetic model of the hippocampus could serve as a neural prosthesis for lost cognitive function and memory impairment." (Think Matrix meets Johny Mnemonic; download skills or instructions or possibly even be able to install and uninstall information from a soldier.)
- Slowing Storing and Processing Light (SLOW LIGHT)
- Surviving Blood Loss (SBL)
- Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics (SYNAPSE)
- Topologically Controlled Lightweight Armor (TCLA)
- Z Man - "enable soldiers to scale vertical walls constructed from typical building materials, without using ropes or ladders." (Spider-Man! Spider-Man! Does whatever a spider can!… though I guess it should really be "Gecko-Man".)
Now, I think a lot of the projects have goals which everyone would be happy about, such as those related to human health (e.g. plasma sterilization, averting bloodloss, and even "intelligent" prostheses) or sustainability (e.g. eco-friendly goals involving solar technology). The "issue", though, is that this research is going to fundamentally change war, on a level on par with the invention of guns - if not moreso. More importantly, this will fundamentally alter humanity and our conceptions of it. For instance, BCI (brain-computer-interfaces) is also being funded heavily by the military and is already creating a new breed of existential and philosophical questions which many, especially transhumanists, are considering. To be clear, this isn't to say these are necessarily bad things, but we don't yet know. And while I'm in favor of this type of research (partly because it's inevitable and because it does have tremendous potential for good), it must be considered at length and monitored appropriately.
So, yea, this is some pretty terrific & terrifying stuff… And this is the stuff they're telling us about!
It wouldn't be surprising if they had other projects too top-secret for their user-friendly website. Even still, some of the projects' descriptions seem to hide their true intent or capabilities. For instance, their site's discussion of NIM (Negative Index Materials) is barely understandable and makes no mention of its application to invisibility cloaking - which is already well under way with several prototypes having been developed. Or consider the Nimbus project which claims it's merely to protect soldiers from lightening. I'd be quite surprised if they wanted to limit it to that. Oh, and BCI is also touted as a way to restore perception (e.g. vision) to those injured in battle; and while I'm sure it'll be used that way, I'm also sure it'll be used to add all sorts of peripheral devices to soldiers - like eyes in the back of their head, internal infra-red vision, etc.
So, don't be alarmed but do be amazed; don't be complacent and do think this stuff over. We're living in incredible times. Let's make sure we use our science and technology to build the world we'll all want to live in… cause the way science is heading, we may have the choice to be here for a very long time!
P.s. For your convenience, here's a link to all references to DARPA on ScienceDaily.com ; and be sure to check out the links above for more info - some even have photos and progress reports!


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James Cagney as George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy
- Other Nominees
·Ronald Colman as Charles Ranier in Random Harvest
·Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig in The Pride of the Yankees
·Walter Pidgeon as Clem Miniver in Mrs. Miniver
·Monty Woolley as Howard in The Pied Piper
Cagney began his show business career in vaudeville and, despite his tough-guy image, always described himself as a song-and-dance man. Yankee Doodle Dandy (AAN), a flag-waving tribute to George M. Cohan, one of the greatest song-and-dance men of all time, remained Cagney's personal favorite of his many varied films. Adding to his pride and enjoyment was the fact that his real-life sister Jeanne played his movie sister Josie Cohan. Although more than 40 years old at the time, Cagney mastered Cohan's stiff-legged dancing technique and the showman's trick of running up the side of a theater's proscenium arch. Cagney's cocky charm, infectious energy, and the seemingly nonstop series of well-known sing-along, toe-tapping songs still dazzle viewers into overlooking the corny, simplistic plot. It surprised no one when Cagney took home the Oscar and became the first performer to win the award for a musical.
James Cagney (b. July 17, 1899, New York, N.Y., U.S.d. March 30, 1986, Stanfordville, N.Y.).


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Pictured: mashed potatoes, gravy, pan-fried seitan I made from scratch, green bean casserole, peas, candied yams, my mother's stuffing recipe, vegan jellied cranberry sauce (I love that shit, and I don't care what you think about it), macaroni and "cheese," AND A ROLL! Oh, also wine, but duh.
OCD Sweets (whom we love very very very much as they are the MOST DELICIOUS!) is offering 30 percent off orders of $50 or more today and Saturday, and donating 20 percent of the proceeds to Farm Sanctuary, Animal Rescue Corps, and Mercy for Animals! Hot damn, it's selfish NOT to buy! And we repeat, HER TREATS ARE AMAZING AND YOU NEED THEM TO TAKE AWAY ALL YOUR SADNESS. Seriously, if Thanksgiving did not fill you with thanks for those around you, OCD Sweets might be the only thing that can help. Plus, the money is going to help animals! Don't be an asshole!
They're offering this discount "because we love animals and the people who devote their lives to protecting them." How adorable and amazing is that?? So get up on it and make it happen, just remember to use the code: STICKYBIZOCD
Happy binging, my friends!
The delightful quarrygirl sent us photos of her Thanksgiving feast at Source and two things: 1) she said it was AMAZING (yes!) and 2) that's enough to get us over the bridge and into its delicious arms today. Yes, they are also offering this insane Thanksgiving feast all day today! Ow! And if you mention Vegansaurus, you get a FREE DESSERT! Don't say we never did anything for you!
Here's what she ate:
side salad
cup of squash soup
gobble with gravy
savory mushroom stuffing
fresh cranberry sauce
baked yams with marshmallow (dandies!) topping
creamed spinach
pumpkin cheesecake
Here are her extremely motivating photos:
and (bonus!), the most outrageous collection of hot sauces she's ever seen!
Get over there! And don't forget to mention us so you can get your free pumpkin spice snowball or live pumpkin cheesecake ON. I'm sorry I keep saying "get your BLANK on!" I think I ate so much yesterday that I lost brain cells, only explanation. I can't stop! God bless the holidays! Especially when you get to choose exactly what you want to eat!
So, what's the deal with Black Friday? Do we still boycott buying things? Or do we only boycott buying from big business? I'm so out of the loop! I do know I'll be buying a Caltrain ticket back to to the city so I can work Friday morning (lucky me!) and then a $2 bottle of wine from Whole Foods to drown my sorrows because I'm broke, single and no one loves me. Just kidding! My cat will be so stoked to see me home after a night spent at Grandma's house!
If you aren't broke as a motherfucking joke and can buy many glorious items for sale today, please—let me lead the way.
Gigi is a vegan baker, located in the East Bay, who's items you can find pretty much everywhere, including:
Philz Coffee in Berkeley
Tay Tah Cafe Albany
Catahoula Cafe Richmond
Thornhill Coffee House in Montclair
Detour Cafe in Berkeley
And soon, Never Felt Better in Sacramento!
Her products sell under the name Veganville and are also available on Etsy! She is offering a 35 percent discount on everything in her etsy store, starting Thanksgiving midnight through Cyber Monday at midnight. Type in the code BigV35. Anything at her store (except for gift certificates, but let's be serious here)! We are going in for the cupcakes (or whoopie pies! Or brownies! Whatever you fancy, there is so much to choose from!)
Pepe needs a home! A volunteer from the Pets for Life NYC program sent me an email about this cute dog: "He's been living alone in a fenced-in lot in the Bronx for over a month, and although kindly neighbors are feeding and watering him he's going to need a foster, adopter or rescue before it gets cold."
If you think you can foster or adopt Pepe, contact email@example.com.
Here's where Pepe's been living:
Here's a more detailed description from a volunteer:
Pepe is a lovely, young, rottie, shepherd, pit mix who was left in a lot after his owner was arrested. Local residents have been feeding him and giving him water and Pets for Life NYC bought him an insulated dog house to keep him warm. Pepe as you can see in the photos is a wonderfully friendly dog. He sits for treats and has a very soft mouth when taking treats. He did not resource guard when our volunteer took away toys and food from him. He also did not show any guarding behavior over his fenced in space. He licked our volunteer in the face throughout the duration when our volunteer was putting together the dog house. Pepe is not neutered and showed some humping and over-stimulation with our volunteer which is to be expected from a young, unneutered dog with his energy level who has been getting little physical or mental stimulation. However, the behavior never escalated and our volunteer was easily able to control Pepe by offering hm some treats which he sat for on command. He's a great dog and we are hopeful a rescue group may take him before the cold sets in.
It's time for the next installment of Paul Shapiro's Animal News You Can Use! This time, it's THANKSGIVING-STYLE, boooy! Take it away, Paul! I'm thinking we might need an adorable graphic for this? Anyone want to make us one? In return, I will give you a gigantic Thanksgiving high-five! What a feeling!
Well, if you've been living under a rock, you may not have heard about Mercy For Animals' potent new investigation at Sparboe Foods, one of the sole egg producers in the country lobbying against the federal effort to ban barren battery cages. In the wake of the investigation, both McDonald's and Target dropped Sparboe as a supplier.
MFA's investigation resulted in massive news coverage, including a powerful 20/20 segment along with much other ABC News content (including a couple minutes of me hanging out with chickens talking about battery cages). Amusingly, a spokesman for the egg company claimed the video was "staged," only to have the company later publicly correct him, asserting they have no evidence of that.
The NPR affiliate in DC sat down with me for lunch to talk about veg eating and Meatless Monday. You can listen to the six-minute segment here.
Finally, the headline says it all: "Talking Turkey: 9 out of 10 retail turkey samples contaminated with fecal bacteria."
Have a nice holiday… :-)
P.S. No, the above video of me with chickens isn't the video of the week. This cow playing with a ball is.
This recipe is the family heirloom in my clan. I'm not totally sure it's OK to give it away, but I fancy myself a rule breaker. No, that's a lie, I hate getting in trouble. In the paraphrased words of Taylor Swift, "I am scared of the principal's office of life." Mom, don't be mad that I'm giving away our family recipe! It's too amazing to keep a secret!
That being said, is best stuffing recipe you will find, I'm sure of it. Plus, it features all my most very favorite ingredients — spinach, mushrooms, onions, and garlic!
1 package croutons (make sure they're vegan)
2 or 3 packages of frozen, chopped spinach*
3 or 4 short cans of sliced mushrooms*
1 tsp. Bell's Seasoning
Between 3 - 6 white onions (obviously your discretion. I'm an onion girl. 6 it is!)
4 - 5 ribs celery, chopped
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
3 - 4 cloves garlic (Or, if you're me, 8)
Olive oil!
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chop your onions, your celery, your garlic. Drizzle yo' pan with olive oil (a couple tablespoons olive oil, if you're into measuring stuff out). Turn it on medium/medium high. Saute onion until transparent (I caramelize, bitches!), add celery, cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic. DON'T LET YOUR GARLIC BROWN. That's why you add it last. Cook the flavor in, but it gets bitter when it browns. If you've had it on medium high, turn down to medium at this point. Add Italian herbs, salt, pepper and Bell's, too. Let the spices cook in.
If you are using packaged spinach, boil according to directions. Open your cans of mushrooms.
In a PRETTY LARGE BOWL, pour in croutons, cooked onions/celery/spices/garlic, canned mushrooms and cooked spinach! Mixed together! Let sit overnight. Stuff a vegetarian something or other. If you aren't stuffing anything, you just want delicious stuffing, bake covered at 350 til heated through and through. Take off covering (foil?) and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes until top is lightly browned.
As always, if you make this, let me know of any modifications you make. I want to know everything!
*This stuffing is so good with the canned stuff. I remember telling my mom, "if it's not broke, why fix it?" — which she agreed with, wholeheartedly. I mean, we were raised on this stuff! However, I use fresh ingredients these days. I've slowly ventured to using a bag of fresh spinach and about a pound of fresh mushrooms. If using fresh spinach and mushrooms, saute your chopped, fresh mushrooms until browned, then add spinach. Saute 'til spinach is cooked down. Put aside, and continue on in the recipe! Oh, and as for croutons, I made my own for Easter** last year. I'll do that again and get back to you about how it turns out.
**Last Easter, I took a loaf of sourdough bread, chopped it up, drizzled it with olive oil, and baked until toasty. I called that croutons. Turns out, I don't know how to chop bread into small pieces. But! My friend Evan described my 'stuffing' as a savory bread pudding. I LOVE bread pudding. Score!
Inarguably the best vegan turkey that's ever been on the market. It's gone now (SAD) but you can still bow down to her glory by making this beautiful bitch! Seriously, if you're looking for a vegan holiday masterpiece, unturkey is the word!
It's just so unbelievably moist (ew) and meaty (ew) and you'll be so happy you made it and even happier that you ate it but not so happy when you feel disgusting after you can't stop eating it. Purge and REPEAT! JK about the purge part but not about the repeating.
Here's what a finished unbird looks like, and wait until you see the insides! Grody! And delicious!
This photo is from the WaPo.
You know what I'm pissed about? That no one invited ME to participate in this taste test the Washington Post ran, comparing six un-turkey alternatives you could be having at your table this week, or whenever else you feel the need for turkey alternatives.
Spoiler alert: Tofurky and Field Roast won. By a lot. They're my favs, especially Field Roast products, so I'm not surprised.
What I am surprised about: There are six vegan turkey alternatives?! A major daily newspaper is covering this?! Their write-up is nuanced enough to explain why people might say no to dead flesh on the table (health, environment, animal rights) AND to point out that fake turkey has some issues of its own (highly processed, weird ingredients, questionable environmental impact)?!
I've never served one of these guys before— last year I stuffed pumpkins with polenta and seitan bourgignon, the year before I made cholent from Veganomicon and a lentil stew, stay tuned for this year's plans… But I've eaten them and I get the appeal. I'm glad they exist. And I'm glad the mainstream world is paying attention to them.
Things are changing. Slowly. Yay! Something to be thankful for!
Ok here are the results (you can see them bigger here):
Agree? Disagree? Tell us below!
So many vegan Thanksgiving dinners, so little room in your stomach! Right? Or, so many vegan Thanksgiving dinners, but OMG you have plans with the family! The friends! Don't worry, Source in SF has you covered. Not only are they serving a phenomenal Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, they're serving it Friday, as well! You are so stoked, I can tell.
The ENTIRELY VEGAN menu includes:
Choice of butternut squash soup or green salad
'Gobble' with 'giblets' gravy
Homemade cranberry sauce
Savory mushroom stuffing
Creamed spinach
Candied yams (with Dandies marshmallows!)
Choice of living pumpkin spice cheesecake or pumpkin spice snowball with orange-pumpkin-cinnamon frosting.
All of this, for a steal, at $19.95 a person. They're accepting in house reservations, walk-ins, and phone-orders. You probably want to come eat there, because for real - sexiest staff in San Francisco.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Jenny Bradley is the baker at Source (see above note about her being the baker at Source!) and she provided this inside scoop on their thanksgiving! If you're looking for other Thanksgiving options in the S.F. Bay Area, check out Meave's post on that.
Photo by quarrygirl is making me HUNGRY
Oakland you are so damn lucky today!! Living Social has it made for you. Not only can you get $25 of Souley Vegan for $12, but ALSO snag $30 of groceries from The Food Mill for $15.
If you're reading this blog and live in Oakland you best know about Souley Vegan, but maybe you haven't heard of The Food Mill? It's rad. It's got the best bulk section of anywhere I've ever seen, even better than Berkeley Bowl or Rainbow Grocery. Maybe not Rainbow. But it's good! It's where I bought dried sassafras and sarsaparilla for making root beer.
Anyway, these two deals combined are almost enough to make me move back to the Bay Area. Promise me three meals at Souley Vegan and I may even come visit? EAT THIS BECAUSE I CAN'T RIGHT NOW I'M JEALOUS! Can you mail Tasty Crispies? Arg!
Any of y'all ever go to P.F. Chang's? It was my favorite restaurant when I was but a wee teenager in Indianapolis, and one of the yummiest menu items was the vegetarian lettuce wraps. I found myself craving these this weekend, but the nearest Chang's is on the other side of the bay, so I decided to try to make some instead. Even though I used the "wrong" kind of lettuce because that's what I had so GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK, they were still really yummy:
Goes well with Blue Moon, 2-Buck Chuck, Absolut straight from the bottle, +c.
Accidentally Low-Carb Lettuce Wraps Ingredients
1 head of lettuce (iceberg probably works better than the red-leaf I used)
3 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 pound of tofu, pressed and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup celery, minced
5 smallish carrots, minced
1 8-oz. can of water chestnuts, minced
2 bulbs shallots, minced (PROTIP: save time by mincing all this shit together, in a food processor if you've got one)
1 Tbsp. minced ginger (did you know you can buy that madness in jars now?)
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup cilantro
Hot chili paste or sriracha, to taste
1. Heat your skillet on medium-high, and pour 2 Tbsp. of the oil in there. Once it's hot, throw your tofu in there. Stir frequently until it's pretty brown; this will take maybe 10 minutes. Add your ginger, coriander, thyme, and pepper. Stir for about a minute, and then add your minced mix. Take a moment to appreciate the shallot: It's like if garlic and onion had the most beautiful, delicious baby ever in existence, not that babies are generally delicious, I mean, I wouldn't know about the taste of babies, OKAY GOD ANYWAY.
2. Stir and cook for a while (10 minutes-ish?) until your veggies are soft. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, and as much chili paste or sriracha as you can handle. Cook for a while longer until some of the liquid evaporates. Once it's acceptable to you, remove from heat. You might want to let it cool for a while so its sheer heat doesn't rip holes in your lettuce.
3. Take a leaf of lettuce, put some of this mixture on it, roll it up to the best of your ability, and nom. Make sure you have a fork nearby.
Warning: These are low-carb, so if that's bad for you, add some rice or toast or something. I would marry carbs if they were a person, so I had some popcorn later in the evening. #popcorn4lyfe
Welcome to yet another travesty in American culture: Puppylocks. They are feather fur extensions for dogs. Feather fucking fur extensions for dogs. The world is a crazy place. It's bad enough that people wear feather extensions, now their dogs have to? I find it completely offensive, like, towards life in general. I think it's super whack and corny but I know that people think feather extensions look nice on them (even though they don't) and people really care about how they look, but a dog, at best, does not give a fuck about feather extensions. Is it really worth torturing roosters for this?
The demented company that makes Puppylocks is Condition Culture. Call them and write them angry emails about how ridiculous and cruel they are—oh, and don't forget to mention how fucked up their feather supplier is! The company they proudly get feathers from is Whiting Farms, one of the world's largest producers of "fly tying feathers" (you know, for the glorious "sport" that is fishing). Whiting Farms says they "harvested" 125,000 roosters in the year 2000—that is pre-feather extension craze. I don't want to imagine how many they "harvest" now.
A piece about the fad in the Seattle Times says the feathers "come from roosters that are genetically bred and raised for their plumage. In most cases, the birds do not survive the plucking." Some places do live-plucking? That's a horrible and sickening process. But according to the Seattle Times, at Whiting Farms, "the roosters live about a year while their saddle feathers — the ones on the bird's backside and the most popular for hair extensions — grow as long as possible. Then the animal is euthanized." So Whiting Farms claims it doesn't do live-plucking, I guess thank god for small favors?
If the roosters being killed just for their feathers isn't bad enough for you, you can read about the breeding process in "The Hackle Manifesto" by owner Tom Whiting himself. This "manifesto" is pretty nuts actually. Does he not have a PR person?
First, Tom tells us how helpful objectifying the roosters can be:
It is good to start out with the appreciation that even though the hackle breeders get the credit for the fine feathers, it is the roosters who do the actual producing. It is the chickens, or more specifically the individual feather follicles within their skin, which generate the coveted feathers. The bird itself can be viewed (if you are a reductionist) as merely a biological support system for feather follicles extruding dry fly hackle.
It gets better:
First it should never be forgotten that the unit of use is the individual feather. The whole breeding program must always focus on the feather… Too easily does the focus of the bird or the pelt distract from the all important individual feather… So don't select birds, select for feathers, and then use the birds that happen to be attached to those feathers.
Wow. This dude is such a dick. He does say that you have to "pamper" the roosters and create optimum conditions for them or the feathers suffer. I guess giant rows of stacked cages means pampered?
Eventually, he gets into the difficulty of examining feathers on a live bird:
These aren't gentle barnyard or fancier chickens, but demons in hackle disguise. And your goal is to look at their feathers, objectively and carefully. Well I have news, he ain't exactly going to cooperate
You see every hackle rooster seems to realize who exactly is responsible for sentencing him to a solitary cage for the last 6 months, with nothing to look at or listen to other than lots of other confined roosters. And he also realizes he probably has only one good chance to hammer the living hell out of you… And then you have to go catch the son of a bitch as he eludes you then ambushes you from under the cages. Your sentiments can quickly shift from wanting to evaluate their necks to wringing them. Some of my most sheepish moments in life have been after hurling an especially bad rooster across the barn in utter frustration, only to watch them flutter and sail to the floor, ruffled and cackling indignantly, with every single other rooster in the shed chiming in to let you know they all witnessed your little moment of weakness.
Um, say what? Who is this guy? I think he's in too deep. Shit is getting to him. No, shit has clearly gotten to him. Or, he just blew the roof off a haughty rooster conspiracy! Those indignant mofos are in it together!
So, that is where these Puppylocks come from. Is this really justifiable in the name of some weird projected dog vanity?
For some reason, every once and a while, I can get away with making a delicious, elbow-grease-inducing (though so worth it!) recipe like this one.
Some changes I made:
-Added a little cinnamon to the butternut squash, whilst in the food processor.
-Added about a half of a tablespoon each of cornstarch and arrowroot to the squash, instead of silken tofu.
-Caramelized a white onion, then sauteed the processed butternut squash mixture with it.
-Sauteed garlic with the mushroom topping.
-Used sherry wine instead of sherry vinegar with the mushrooms.
-Used olive oil instead of Earth Balance for everything except the crust.
Overall, it's a stellar recipe whether you use my modifications or not. To tell you the truth, on Thanksgiving I made the original version of it and the next day I changed it up. What can I say? At twenty-nine (last year) I was the the youngest person home for the holidays. I got antsy.
How cute are these babies? Pro tip: SO CUTE! They are at the Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary in Stockton, CA and they need homes! Lena and Lewis both have petfinder pages. The brother and sister were found sad and dirty on a country road in Stockton in October. Lena is lively and gentle and likes getting hugs (OMG!). Lewis is a "miniature athlete with a winning heart of gold," and is looking for some nice active humans. They sound so cute! They LOOK so cute! Someone out there must be looking for cute puppies like these. If you can't adopt them, maybe you know someone who can? Send this around to your friends and family! Post it on Facebook! These guys deserve homes and every little bit helps!
If you want more info or want to meet Lena and/or Lewis, contact Lena at firstname.lastname@example.com.
John Bartlett has a great line of comfy-looking clothes featuring a lovable tripod named Tiny Tim! Tiny Tim is Bartlett's late dog that he rescued from a sweet rescue organization that took him in from a high-risk shelter. After his dear dog passed, Bartlett created the Tiny Tim Rescue Fund that's "dedicated to raising and distributing funds to independent rescue groups who are pulling directly from the high-risk shelters." When you purchase anything in this collection, ten percent of the proceeds go to the Tiny Tim Rescue Fund.
I think the sweatshirts are super-cute. They have the style available in tons of men's designs as well as women's, with a few things for pups too. I'm into this reglan style above. And all the sweatshirts look so comfortable! And a lot of the shirts are that perfect grey—Rocky grey as I call it. I love that shit.
Ubuntu's chef Aaron London has a side dish for us for Thanksgiving! IT'S EXCLUSIVE (I think, maybe not) and DELICIOUS (this is for sure a fact) and something we can all make and serve to our family so they don't die from butter and lard consumption on the big day. Happy holidays!
4 bunches of kale, pulled from stem and washed
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
3 lemons
3 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ cup extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup cooking sherry
½ cup pine nuts, toasted at 325 F for 10 to 12 minutes
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
Vegan parmesan cheese substitute, i.e. Parma
Salt and pepper to taste
Sweat the onions over low heat in a heavy bottomed pot in ¼ cup olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and chili flake and continue to cook while stirring until the raw garlic smell is gone.
Add three bunches of kale to the pot and stir until well coated with the oil and onion mixture. Add in ½ cup water and place a tight-fitting lid on the pot. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for approximately one hour, until the kale is braised and very tender.
Place the raisins in a small pot with the sherry, and cook on low heat, while stirring, until the raisins are plumped and tender. Then place them in a bowl and add the balsamic, pine nuts, zest and juice of 1 lemon, ¼ cup olive oil, and reserve.
Use a sharp knife to slice your remaining kale into thin ribbons, and toss this with the juice and zest of two lemons. Hold this in the refrigerator for up to 20 minutes.
Once your kale is braised, and the other steps are done, run a knife a few times through the braised kale; you don't want to chop it too much, just get it into more manageable-sized pieces.
Lay the braised kale out on either a large platter, or individual dishes, and drizzle with some of your pine nut vinaigrette, then top with the raw kale and the remaining vinaigrette. Finally, top the dish with as much vegan parmesan-substitute as you like.
Serves six. This dish can be eaten as is, and is also very nice served over red quinoa.
Here is what it could maybe look like, even though it's an entirely different recipe:
(I know this post is very Christmas-y, but basically I eat the same-ish meal for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, so of course I assume everyone else does the same!)
Last Christmas, I went all out and treated myself to a Vegetarian Plus Vegan Whole Turkey. I was super curious after seeing the ads in VegNews. Now, I'm a Tofukery fan — I like it, but I'm not in love. I'm also a vegan who LOVES faux meat, in taste and in image. I think it's hilarious this vegan turkey is actually shaped like a turkey. I could not contain my excitement about eating a drumstick again. Vegan drumsticks = pure joy.
My parents are in London at the moment, visiting my cousin and his sweetie pie little daughters, Sophia and Joanna. Turns out, Sophia has taken a shine to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and adopted her own dolphin! I asked her to write a little bit about the WDCS and she was kind enough to oblige!:
I became interested in WDCS when I was reading my nature magazine (National Geographic, Kids). At the end of it was an adoption form and a bit of information about WDCS. They allow anybody to adopt a dolphin, whale or porpoise, but it is actually aimed at kids. I adopted a dolphin called Moonlight; she has a one year old calf called Mellow Yellow. Here is a picture of a dolphin:
WDCS is:
The global voice for whales, dolphins, porpoises and their environment.
Here is a link to where you can find out more about Moonlight.
Click here for the kid's zone.
-Cousin Sophia Rascal, Age 10, UK
I know, she's very well spoken. She's also a mean soccer player! Or football player, as they would say. Now I want to adopt a dolphin! No I probs would adopt a whale. I feel so bad for them all the time. Sigh. Let's just look at the cute dolphin drawing!
The yearly end of Daylight Savings Time puts me into a funk. I'm on the brink of another major depressive episode, and the only things keeping me going are Sadie (my cat companion), wine, and glitter.
Risotto takes a while to cook, it's a good dish to make when you want to be brooding and pensive and listen to Bright Eyes' Fevers and Mirrors. I made it with butternut squash and leeks and a bunch of random fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, and oregano) because those things came in my CSA box (so bourgey!). It lifted my mood enough to make me finally take a shower. Here's how it went down.
It's time for the next installment of Paul Shapiro's Animal News You Can Use! Take it away, Paul!
I've got an op-ed in Capital Press (an ag trade publication) about why it might be a good idea to let farm animals turn around. Yep, this is still a debate.
AP has a good article about our work in California. Take-away line: "'Of all the animal organizations, HSUS has the money and the political savvy to be problematic for my clients going forward,' said Michael Boccadoro, a poultry industry lobbyist. 'They are on another level.'"
In the shocker of the year, Smithfield is refusing to give HSUS details about its plans to stop using gestation crates to confine breeding pigs.
Do you like getting massages? So do fish. Pretty cool. Also cool (and feels better than a massage): This national AP story about vegan celebrities and billionaires.
Finally, if you live near Grand Rapids, I hope to see you in a few days!
P.S. Video of the week: Piglets Gone Wild, courtesy of my good friends at Animal Place.
Sometimes Google doesn't have all the answers. I know, I know; I can hardly believe it, but it's true. I learned this when I Googled "vegan turkey Thanksgiving" and got a bunch of stupid HuffPo articles about how veg turkeys were not as good for eating as real ones.
Luckily, VegListings, a new business with a cute little site, might be able to help me out with that — and other vegan searches, such as those for shoes, restaurants, naturopaths, and more.
And if you own a veg business, you're in luck because VegListings doesn't charge for a listing in its directory. Seriously, do it, because it's looking a little sparse.
This is a compassionate endeavor: When you support vegan businesses, it creates what I'd like to call "the financial circle of vegan," in which the proprietors of vegan businesses take their earnings and in turn spend them on other vegan businesses, and so on until the bears rise up and take over the world.
Last weekend's Harvest Home Sanctuary's Toast to the Turkeys event was pretty much the greatest and if you missed it, that's just inexcusable. Oh well, there's hope for you, yet! You can go to another Thanksgiving with the animals event, they're still happening all over! so GET ON IT because you haven't lived until you've seen a turkey eat a cranberry. It's a turkey! Eating a cranberry! Jesus Christ.
A PHOTO ESSAY OF THE EVENT AND ITS GREATNESS, brought to you by me and Jonas and Ian (check out all of Ian's great photos!):
Turkeys doing it UP!
Get down on that grape, girlfriend!!
I know, it is basically the SF SPCA blog over here lately, but we are on Krista's mailing list and she has a lot to say right now! Hi, Krista!
Every year the SF SPCA and Macy's Union Square get together to promote local animal adoption, by designing fancy winter-holiday (Christmas) windows to show off all the cutie-pie puppies and kittens you could adopt as your winter-holiday present to yourself, because you've been super-good this year and besides of which, giving a needy animal a home is a total mitzvah, better than getting all your loved ones exactly what they put on their wish lists.
Last year "about 300 animals featured in Macy's holiday windows found new homes from the adoption center on the Main Floor and more than $70,000 in donations was raised for the SF SPCA." Awesome job, shoppers.
If you're not ready to adopt a new best friend right now, you can at least go see the animals and get in the holiday spirit—it's too late to complain, CHRISTMAS IS HERE—when the adoptable animals are unveiled in their windows this Friday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. at the Macy's Union Square. Go be charmed! The SPCA windows will be up through Jan. 1, 2012.
[photo from the SF SPCA's 2010 holiday windows; see more here]
Has anyone seen My Life as a Turkey? It's a documentary about this guy, Joe, who raises wild turkeys from hatchlings to adulthood. My friend Staci sent me an email about it last night and was all, "OMG AMAZING!!" but then also, "I didn't see the whole thing." STACI! Anyway, the full thing is on PBS's Nature site, so uh, anyone want to watch it and tell me whether or not to tell Staci to watch the whole thing?
I just love the guy who does the voice over. "And became their turkey mother," is probably my favorite. Or, "The journal Joe kept of his life as a turkey ultimately became a book." SO THAT'S HOW YOU GET A BOOK DEAL! Someone bring me a bowl of turkey eggs, I can do this. Also, I've got a feeling that this documentary is chock full of quotable tidbits. I wonder if Joe eats turkeys? Or did? Or still does? Also, does he successfully learn to talk turkey? Because I'm dying over here.
Here's Joe and one of his turklets:
One more thing, when I was in Sea Ranch last year, I saw some wild turkeys flying and that shit was amazing. They are so fat! And yet they get major air! It gives me hope.


text:
Karin Abromaitis
Faculty, Theatre
Karin Abromaitis works in many areas of Theatre. She has extensive credits as a Performer, Director, Movement Consultant, Stage Combat Choreographer, and Dance Choreographer. Since 1984, she as worked primarily in the Washington, DC metro area, but has worked all over the United States and abroad.
Ms. Abromaitis has been on stage at Horizon's Theatre, DCAC, New Playwrights Theatre, Small Beer Theatre, Goosebump Theatre, Round House Theater Silver Spring, and the Edinburgh Festival, among others. At the Kennedy Center she has been in The Gift of Giving, The Yellow Boat, and The Reluctant Dragon. Awards received include the Mary Goldwater Award forIdioglossia, as well as other awards for her solo Movement Theatre pieces: White Noise/2, White Noise/3, and Domestic Snakes.
Karin is a dynamic, exuberant workshop presenter and teacher. She is currently on the faculty of George Washington University and the Theatre Lab, and teaches frequently at Georgetown University, Montgomery College and the Theatre Lab. As an Artist/Educator, she travelled around the country leading teacher workshops for the Kennedy Center from 1999-2007. All across the United States, her workshops and classes have inspired thousands of participants to begin or deepen their personal search into their creative lives. Her classes in physical performance skills for the actor, movement consulting, coaching and fight choreography have been presented throughout the DC metro area and across the US, most recently with ACTCo, YPT, Tsunami, Woolly Mammoth, and Imagination Stage. Her training includes 15 years of dance, 5 years of mime and mask training, and stage combat training with the Society of American Fight Directors.


text: Somerville, Ohio is located in Butler County. Somerville has a population of 269 and has shown 7.6% growth since 2000. Of the 93 households in Somerville, 79.8% are owned, 14.1% are rented and 6% are not currently occupied. The median age of homes in Somerville is 30 years and 28.0% of the homes have been occupied by the same residents for more than 5 years. Learn more about Somerville, Ohio real estate at coldwellbanker.com.


text:
Piper Perabo
Move over, Emily Thorne! Annie Walker also has revenge on her mind.
After surviving not one but two brushes with death on Covert Affairs, Annie (Piper Perabo) is determined to hunt down her former mentor/double agent Lena (Sarah Clarke) on Tuesday's midseason finale (10/9c, USA). A few months have passed since Lena's murder attempts, but it's clear in our exclusive sneak peek below that Annie is not exactly in fighting form.
Covert Affairs bosses on Annie's spy future and what's next for her and Auggie
"I know from firsthand experience what it's like to push too hard after a trauma," Auggie (Christopher Gorham) warns her during a sparring session in the gym.
Will Annie take Auggie's advice? Watch below to find out.
Covert Affairs airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on USA.