Oh Stuff, I Find You

I link to stuff as a service, partly to you but mostly to my memory. I hope we both benefit.

I assume that, whichever side you're on, you're as sick of the debate about drug testing welfare recipients as I am. However, a politician who voted for drug testing people who receive government assistance has been busted for cocaine possession. He can bite my heiney.

The word "heiney" always makes me think of Shirley Feeney, of Laverne & Shirley fame.

SPOILER ALERT FOR SCANDAL. SKIP THE NEXT ITEM IF YOU WATCH THE SHOW.

Feministing writers did a discussion post about Mellie's rape in last week's episode and it's interesting. For the most part they hold out hope for the show's creators to elevate this choice to something worthy of a real life human being but they aren't sure yet. In so doing they outline a shit-ton of ways that rape is presented to us in fiction that we take for granted. Really good read.

I grew up in a time where Grace Jones simply appeared in things. Whatever she was cast as we were led to believe that she was really just GRACE JONES in all caps all the time. It seems that she still is and that is just as marvelous as it ever was.

I had no idea until this week that Mario Batali had a political bone in his body. I knew he valued wonderful food and that he supported a local botanical garden and that was about it. Also, the orange crocs, I knew about those. While I was watching the Lady Parts Justice telethon on Monday they announced that he would match donations for a portion of the evening. That seemed cool. Apparently he also took those views to Twitter this week. Who wants a Batali cookbook for Christmas?

A champagne vending machine exists. I feel like it had to have been invented by someone who wants to marry me.

On Tuesday I went to hear a former college classmate and dear friend, Ken Nintzel, talk about his art installation at BAM. It was wonderful and he was great and I'm even more entranced by the exhibit than I was before. This photo of him answering a question is pure delight.

I have to admit here that I'm a hypocrite. People are always telling me that I should be in my New Year card photos and then it comes time to make them and I forget to put myself in. I'm sorry. Someone remind me in October of next year, please. In the meantime, if you think you're going to get away with that shit just because I do think again! Here are some great reasons for sending photo cards and for you being in them. Do as I promise to do next year, ok?

There are many things in this gift guide that I want. Not all of them but many of them.

A lot of the time when people make comedy out of real life it makes me too uncomfortable to find it funny. This is not one of those times. Pro-tip: Just because we can live our private lives in public doesn't mean we should. (Note that I'm not including the video that some guy made where he tells his girlfriend that he's cheating as a prank. Spoiler: It doesn't turn out well for either of them.)

Hey, you guys? I'm going to sing on the internet. I decided to join Neil's Eighth Annual Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert. You can, too!

Our Suebob wrote a piece recently that explores how and why education might fail a lot of people. The system of it, that is. It's from her own experiences. I found it particularly riveting because my experience of the same system was so different from hers. I was not a kid who was actively seeking out learning in other places, even though I did a lot of learning outside the classroom. It's an important thing for us all to read, I think.

Ok, that's enough. I need to go off and write some other things. I feel pounds lighter having shared all this information, though.