Chicken liver

"It's not 15.8" inches, the record set in 1889, "but it's not chicken liver either."

It has been raining a lot, indeed.

Awkward Pregnancy Photos

There are no words. Thank you Daryn.

Breakfast of Champions

Missing a michelada. Other than that, no complaints.

Mean Girls in the White House

Thanks for the find, Jenny. I would like to see a Clueless variation.

Pot smoking makes a comeback among teenagers

Did it ever go away?

Support and Guidance

Sometimes, when I am sad and missing my dad, I think about how lucky I am that I have so much to miss about him. Other people have lunatic dads who are probably better off gone. For example, actress Thora Birch, who was recently fired due to her dad's behavior:

"Mr. Birch, formerly an actor in pornographic films who is now Ms. Birch’s manager, had attended most rehearsals to provide support and guidance for his daughter. At one point during Thursday’s rehearsal, Mr. Birch confronted an actor who had been working on a scene with Ms. Birch."

Formerly a porn star! NBD.

If there were decent Hannukah songs I would post them

But there aren't!



Ray Charles version of That Spirit of Christmas


Ray LaMontagne version

Tear Town: Other people must go there too

I don't like reading sad articles at my desk and crying over them, but I do it anyway. I must not be the only person with this problem; otherwise, there would be fewer articles like this about a young mother's death as chronicled by Facebook, or maybe less pieces written by recent widows about their husband's final days.

Related: Are Joyce Carol Oates and Joan Didion friends? Did JCO go to JD with questions about how to write about a dead husband?

If you want to learn more about being a widow, or you just want to cry for a while, please listen to this Talk of the Nation interview.

I tried to find a nice cat picture to lighten the mood, but it is a futile task.

Best Day in Jenny Crapser's Life

That honor goes to Dec. 13, 2010, as that is the day both Zac Efron and Michael C. Hall announce they are newly single and ready to mingle (with Jenny, I hope).

P.S. Please let the record show that I find them both to be unattractive, approaching creepy.

Judicial Activism

QUESTION FROM BARRY LOGERSON: Sometimes i just wanna grab a hold of Roberts’s smug, arrogant, ass and punch him right in the puss! How’s that for judicial activism?

Stupid last minute meetheads!

Damn You Auto Correct is pretty funny. Add that to this list of websites or tumblrs I wish I had started, Whitegirlproblems is at the top of that list.

Hey Girl (again)

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

So dreamy.

We don't even know what 'sex by surprise' even means

Me neither.

Lena Dunham on Fresh Air

Lena, hire me please, or give me a reason to not be so jealous. Thanks.

Elizabeth Edwards

If Game Change was honest, she may have been a crazy b, but given her life circumstances I don't begrudge her that. Goodbye Elizabeth Edwards. This obit is nice.

Westward Ho!

I hope this LAT piece about the increase in bedbugs cases in LA is media hype. I really hope so.

Dexter Filkins moves to the New Yorker

Wartime reporting stallion Dex has moved to the New Yorker. I have no idea why, or what this means for the future of journalism, but I do know that I will continue to refuse to read The Forever War. Too scary!

Related: Why can't I find the piece his ex-wife wrote for Vogue online anywhere? It strongly informs the plot of her new book.

Black Swan

Because I like creepy movies, I was really looking forward to seeing Black Swan. If I had read any of the reviews (LAT, NYer, etc.) my enthusiasm would have been tampered. Even though I don't think it stands up as a masterpiece of the medium (that bar is high), I liked watching it. The film moved quickly, was nice to look at, and remained suspenseful until the end when some of the imagery became overblown and a little silly.

Discussion questions: Was Winona Ryder happy to play her role or did she cry inside and wear this heinous outfit to the premiere as a result?

Is Vincent Kassel attractive or repulsive?

Is Sebastian Stan still dating Leighton Meister, and if not, is he still interested in brunettes??

Essie Geranium

A fun but still work-appropriate reddish orange that received a lot of compliments.

2011 Sundance Documentary Selections

So much about the inadequacy of our criminal justice system! And a little bit about Tribe.

Paging Steinbeck

The first leg of California's high speed rail will be built in a no man's land in the Central Valley, with stops in Fresno and Hanford. This area is called "New Appalachia" by the LAT. Ouch! I guess they have to start somewhere. Also, I think it is more appropriate to call the area a new Dust Bowl or something that reflects issues of environmental and economic collapse, but they didn't ask me.

Engagement on Ice

I think it is wasted energy and poor form to criticize a source of joy and happiness for others, but I may not be able to think of something less appealing than paying at least $200 to propose to someone in an ice rink, surrounded by tourists.

The gesture could be considered special and heartfelt if it weren't arranged by the box office and so commonplace that there is an online pdf brochure and application!