Bright Shiny Objects

On Re-Finding Feminism

Not just as a woman but as a human being, I appreciate and support all of the women and men out there who dig into gender issues, helping us to improve our thinking and keep us working toward true equality everywhere. It’s not normally an area I tend to write about. Maybe I’ve been a little overwhelmed by the vastness of the history. Maybe I’m afraid I’ll do more harm than good … and better to shut up than make things worse. Most likely I’ve been in a 15-year depression on the subject after writing an article about the rapes at Woodstock ’99.

The Tragedy of Modern TV Comedy

Seth Meyers’ opening monologue of the 2014 Emmys was wonderful in many ways. But there was one joke in particular that grabbed me. It was truly brilliant in being funny… until I managed to think too hard about how true it is.

To whit:

“We had so many great shows submitted this year. We had comedies that made you laugh, and comedies that made you cry… because they were dramas submitted as comedies.”

Lock In by John Scalzi

Hugo Award-winning author John Scalzi (best known for his space operas like the TV-bound parody Redshirts and military series Old Man’s War) explores new ground with a down-to-earth crime thriller full of clever, sci-fi twists. Twenty five years after the world-wide spread of a devastating virus, most who caught the flu-like Haden’s Syndrome survived. Some, however, found themselves “locked in” — mentally aware, but physically paralyzed.

Too Much Robin Williams Still Isn’t Enough

Ten days ago, like what seems like everyone else on the planet, I was overwhelmed with sadness to learn that Robin Williams had taken his own life. Every day since then I’ve thought about posting something about the way I feel, only to realize that words are escaping me. I sat and watched as Taran quickly took up a pen and drew a sad Genie while we watched The Fisher King. I stared at a blank page for a while, then finally decided that when the words were ready, they would come.

Did Downton Abbey Just Break My Heart?

It began as a silly photo “gaff” (perhaps stunt) in which a “Downton Abbey” season 5 press shot featured The Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) and an allegedly overlooked modern-day water bottle.

The incident caught traction on social media, especially Facebook, where the cast responded to “Water Bottle-Gate” with tongues firmly in cheek, but for a worthy cause. The cast got together, out of character, and winkingly held up water bottles.

Herb-an Studies: Experiments with Rosemary and Thyme

I recently bought fresh rosemary and thyme to season some vegetables I was roasting. Typically I just settle for the dry variety since these are “second-tier” herbs for me. Needless to say, I had plenty to spare once the dish was done.

One of my nasty habits is buying things I only need for one dish and then forgetting about them until they’ve gone bad and I have to throw them away. Determined not to let the leftover herbs go to waste, I decided to experiment with a series of recipes that would use them up (or at least make a dent) while they remained fresh. To up the ante, I vowed to accomplish this using only ingredients I already had in hand.

Photo Faux Pas: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

File Under: What are You Smoking?

Like most people, I think, I’m confused by Penguin UK’s adultified 50th anniversary cover choice for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

According to the Facebook post, where the cover was revealed, “This new image for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory looks at the children at the centre of the story, and highlights the way Roald Dahl’s writing manages to embrace both the light and the dark aspects of life.”

Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.: Agents Rothman and Lopez Reporting

Yesterday Taran and I checked out the latest exhibition at Discovery Times Square — The Marvel’s Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., which opened May 23 and runs through January 4, 2015. We take our Avengers pretty seriously, so we went prepared for our photo ops. Well, some more than others. I went with a simple outfit that ended up being a cross between Simmons and Skye from the TV show. Taran went more traditional with a blazer ensemble and pulled off a great Agent Colson. Both of us had our super-cool S.H.I.E.L.D. badges ready to flash.