retales

The Naked Chef Comes To America

2010-04-11T05:47:00.006-04:00

The most obese county in our country with the highest mortality rate. The man is a genius...http://www.hulu.com/watch/136381/jamie-olivers-food-revolution-episode-101#s-p1-so-i0

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T13:20:00.003-05:00

Well, this decade was not wonderful. So...so long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night!

Here's to better things and much love to all of you.

A safe, happy, and healthy new year to you and yours!

Shopgirlove goes to DC

2009-12-30T03:11:00.004-05:00

Well... Hello my lovelies!

Shopgirlove is in the Capital. It's kind of nice :)

Did you miss me? I missed you!

Sometimes, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do...

2009-07-06T19:26:00.002-04:00

Boom boom!

2009-07-04T11:54:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday, America!

Super duper!

2009-06-28T23:17:00.003-04:00

The lady was a spy...she also was a chef.

First she served her country.

Then she fed her country.

Then there was a blog.

Then a book.

Now there's a movie!

Shopgirlove thinks this is a must see.

The Bill of Rights is a hot, slutty stewardess!

2009-06-17T09:59:00.005-04:00

Okay, maybe not so hot and not a stewardess, but what a slut! Especially that saucy little Amendment I! Such a cougar...pretty much anyone with a pen, mouth, or keyboard can take a ride on that one. Shopgirlove likes to hold out for dinner, but she has standards. Free speech, apparently, does not. Lately, the First Amendment has been keeping some rather distasteful company. Von Brunn's own son didn't even like him. And what to make of the loathsome Scott Roeder and his friends? A1 must feel very dirty the morning after partying with this lot. So, what's to be done? Some governments have come up with a kind of chastity-belt around the waist of self expression. Deny the holocaust? Bad idea in the country where it actually happened. Naughty comics can get you into very hot water in Japan. But you may cartoon away in this country. See here, here, here, and here. So why not throw the tart out with the bathwater? Because Shopgirlove has never learned anything that she didn't learn from someone else. And if someone else couldn't speak, how would she learn? Free speech isn't pretty. Often, it's pretty stupid. But sometimes, it sparks a dialog that changes everyone for the better.

OMG!

2009-06-07T09:39:00.004-04:00

GOD TEXTS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

BY JAMIE QUATRO

- - - -

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.

2. dnt wrshp pix/idols

3. no omg's

4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)

5. pos ok - ur m&d r cool

6. dnt kill ppl

7. :-X only w/ m8

8. dnt steal

9. dnt lie re: bf

10. dnt ogle ur bf's m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.

ttyl, JHWH.

ps. wwjd?

Original here.

Dr. Tiller's funeral

2009-06-06T12:16:00.006-04:00

Shopgirlove was so moved to learn that American Legion Riders are in attendance to honor his service in the Navy. These wonderful veterans are the same group who show up to support the families of soldiers killed in action when the Westboro Baptist Church lunatics spew their hateful nonsense. (WBC is also present at Dr. Tiller's funeral.)

According to their website, the ALR needs support to keep its online presence up and running. A donation in the memory of the former Navy flight

surgeon would be a fine way to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day.

Update: The Riders this morning:

Hey, Shorty! It's you birthday!

2009-06-05T23:58:00.004-04:00

Yes, lovelies. Tetris turns 25 in mere minutes!!! Shopgirlove was a little surprised at just how growed up this favorite game is...

Umbrella-ella

2009-06-05T15:26:00.005-04:00

Shopgirloves is a true believer in protecting oneself from the elements. That naughty sun can take quite a toll on a delicate dermis. There are corrective measures, but these should be used judiciously! She was very glad, therefore, to see that security forces in Tiananmen Square were so vigilant on the anniversary of the 1989 protest. Now, if only they could learn to sheild themselves and not the cameras....

Little Grasshopper is dead

2009-06-04T14:44:00.005-04:00

Update: Perhaps it was not by his own hand...

David Carridine is dead by his own hand. Shopgirlove is on a Kung fu odyssey on youtube:

Greed

2009-06-03T17:34:00.003-04:00

Shopgirlove is really tired of landlords who think that they should get more. As she doesn't have much of the filthy lucre, she ends up in apartments with few, if any, amenities, in bad neighborhoods, and with laughable maintenance. Things leak, fall apart, there are no services nearby; yet the landlord hears about the guy next door who just rented a unit for twice as much and the $ replaces every ounce of humanity. Never mind that the other unit was professionally rehabbed, includes all utilities, or that there is a laundry and dishwasher. Shopgirlove is seriously considering the hobo life. At least that way you get to spend your money on yourself.

Look at these my child-bearing hips

2009-06-01T19:34:00.000-04:00

Shopgirlove needed a laugh

2009-06-01T13:48:00.001-04:00

NEVER, ever, ever, ever ignore a dog.

In memoriam

2009-06-01T12:23:00.002-04:00

Here is a list of vigils around the country to remember Dr. George Tiller and honor the service he and his amazing staff provided to families.

Battleground

2009-05-31T21:55:00.004-04:00

Condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of George Tiller.

"I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence."

--President Barack Obama

Dr. Tiller was serving as an Usher at this morning's services at the Reformation Lutheran Church in Witchita, KS. His wife was in attendance. A baptism was scheduled to be performed.

Tancredo is actually a secret Democratic operative using his crafty wiles to drum up support among Latinos!

2009-05-29T12:34:00.004-04:00

How else could you possibly explain this?

What's in a name?

2009-05-27T22:48:00.011-04:00

Uber-American, Mark Krikorian, over at the always thoughtful and provocative NRO, has stubbed the big toe of his brain's language center. It seems that the muy formidabile Sonia Sotomayor causes the poor man pain by clinging to the Spanish pronunciation of her surname. Shopgirlove knows it's hard, but Mark, the boo-boo in your temporal lobes shouldn't affect the functioning of your occipital lobes. Just because you can't remember how to pronounce Judge Sotomayor's name doesn't excuse you from having to write with logic and clarity. Shopgirlove would like to draw your attention to a few problemas:

"...the whole Latina/Latino thing -- English dropped gender in nouns, what, 1,000 years ago?" Shopgirlove has to give him credit for the m-dash, but she hadn't noticed the third person singular going neuter. Nor certain quaint holdovers from our francophone youth: "My she's yar!"

"...[some emails suggest] we should just pronounce [a name] the way the bearer of the name prefers, including one who pronounces her name 'freed' even though it's spelled 'fried,' like fried rice. (I think Cathy Seipp of blessed memory did the reverse -- 'sipe' instead of 'seep.')"

Again, lovely m-dash. Just by the way, ie in German is pronounced ee and ei is pronounced eye. Mark, this is an excellent suggestion, don't you agree? Mark does not agree: "...an unnatural [English] pronunciation is something we shouldn't be giving in to." (Ooopsies! Dangling.) Pray tell, why not? Well, it turns out that Mark's antecedents stopped correcting Americans on the pronunciation of his last name at some point along the way: "...'ian' is one syllable..." so no one else should either! So there! Shopgirlove does not like this, no she doesn't. Not one bit. You see, her given name is one of those English-defying combinations of letters that, pronounced correctly in the Irish, she has been assured sounds rather beautiful. (Spelling it is another story, but Mark doesn't seem too interested in spelling.)

"But one of the areas where conformity is appropriate is how your new countrymen say your name, since that's not something the rest of us can just ignore, unlike what church you go to or what you eat for lunch." Just who are these new countrymen, Mark? The approximately 43,000,000 Latinos in this country? And to whom are they new? Certainly not to Judge Sotomayor -- she of the Bronx. In New York. In the United States of America.

Sometimes a rose smells even sweeter when it's a rosa.

Fugue this!

2009-05-27T14:57:00.002-04:00

Update: FAO Schwartz bought by Toys R Us...

How is this funny?

2009-05-24T19:08:00.004-04:00

It's not.

Post your comments to collegehumor.com

Remember

2009-05-24T14:01:00.010-04:00

Those who have served. Those who have supported them. Buffalo Soldiers and Lionesses. Citizens and not. They have suffered at the hands of enemies and far too often have harmed themselves. At 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, a grateful nation honors the fallen.

SOLDIERS

The woods of Courton July 1918

We are like

The leaves

Of Autumn

Upon the trees

-Giuseppe Ungaretti (my translation)

SOLDATI
Bosco di Courton luglio 1918

Si sta come
D’autunno
Sugli alberi
Le foglie.

Grown up pops

2009-05-21T18:24:00.007-04:00

No, Silly! Not those Pops! Popsicles! Shopgirlove doesn't have much of a sweet tooth. So, when the weather turns steamy, she feels a little left out on the frozen goodie front. But why not make savory chilled treats? Something for a more sophisticated palate? Not to denigrate the lovely fudgesicle, mind you...but some taste buds shrivel at sugar. Others have gone before her but she has some ideas of her own, why not just freeze any salty, saucy dish you love:

Bloody Mary pops (would need jello; as would any booze-based pop,) Mexican pea pudding pops, shrimp cocktail pops, French onion soup pops (substitute mini grilled cheeses for the croutons as an accompaniment,) oyster shooter pops! Why not?

Shopgirlove couldn't find any mature looking popsicle molds, but Fred has these "Cool Jazz" ice cube trays that would really steal the show.

Scandal!

2009-05-17T21:52:00.008-04:00

Shopgirlove loves a controversy. Boston delivers pretty consistently: busing, corruption, disappearing gangsters, gigantic public works projects, the Catholic Church, and the always entertaining university presidents, not to mention the equally entertaining students. But nothing is quite as much fun as local art and architecture! Brandeis announced it was going to sell off the remarkable collection of the Rose Art Museum and fired the Director. That didn't go over very well... MIT bought an international, edgy, landmark that promptly fell apart. Contemporary art got a new home that turned its back on the patrons. (Also falling apart. Check out the electrical tape on the back railings.) Ah, and then there's Renzo Piano. Povero Piano! The FAA had a little problem with his vision competing with the vision of those silly airplane pilots and the people of Cambridge had the gall to suggest that Harvard should maybe limit the grand experimental gestures to non-residential sites. The crimson tide rolled back and settled for a rehab, sorry "transformation," of its existing space. But the Piano plan that got even Shopgirlove deeply perturbed? Tear down the carriage house at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. STOP THE MADNESS!

However, there is a new jewel on the local scene: massport unveiled a memorial to the 9/11 victims on American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175. Thank you to Moskow Linn Architects for an example of modern design that honors purpose and beauty.

Shopgirlove is wired!

2009-05-16T01:47:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwEMxYggoKQ

Swine flu vs. the Conficker worm

2009-05-07T01:38:00.005-04:00

Shopgirlove isn't really all that worried about the latest flu pandemic. While the Spanish flu was nothing to sneeze at, the ill-named Swine flu is statistically only slightly more deadly than every other flu strain seen in the recent past.

But, the worm!!!! Shopgirlove is really quite unnerved by the Conficker worm. She mentioned it in passing some time ago--more of an aside really in a post about the frightening state of the economy. However, having done a little research and having experienced some alarming stutters with her own laptop, she is beginning to think this is one virus we may be underestimating. Shopgirlove is pretty sure swine flu won't matter that much if hospitals are infected with this new pandemic.

Wash your hands!

Transcendent

2009-05-02T03:33:00.003-04:00

Shopgirlove was utterly undone by a strange little film called "The Story of the Weeping Camel." She has no way to express the impact of this cinematic journey--except to say that it managed to distill everything of any weight in the human experience to one universal tale that relied entirely on sight and sound. Watch it without the subtitles. This story rises above dialect. It rises above plot. And action. And big names. It is nothing more, nor less, than the most compelling argument for the role that art can play in our lives if we let it. And the role that we could play if we truly accepted our responsibility to the world we have shaped: for better or for worse.

It is astonishing.

Nero fiddled, Larry naps.

2009-04-28T19:04:00.007-04:00

As though the fright over the Conficker virus and swine flu wasn't enough, several of Shopgirlove's friends were laid off yesterday from a rather large and important vendor on the West Coast. Not that New England has a great deal to crow about. But, what to make of this poor man in Belgrade who actually removed the pinky from his left hand with a hacksaw to keep his union deputy from cutting off her own: "I could not allow her to do that." Talk about taking one for the team! The saddest news is the link between unemployment and suicide. Add to this the likely spread of civil unrest, and the picture gets grim indeed!

Not to fret, my lovelies! Uncle Larry is on the case! In the meantime, there's always gin!

21 Gun salute

2009-04-23T23:49:00.006-04:00

The sport of kings and 21 dead in Florida. Shopgirlove has always wondered why the public is so eager to condemn the sport of the worker but allows the rich to ride off into the sunset without one word of condemnation. She has already made her case against racing the immature horse, and not without reason. More to the point, doesn't it seem as though the wealthy incur such minimal penalties for their sins as compared to the the poor?

Mischa Barton, tarred and feathered

2009-04-23T22:00:00.005-04:00

Shopgirlove was well-chastised by the brilliant Mr. Craig Ferguson on why making fun of celebrities is cheap and beyond the pale...BUT SHE CAN'T HELP IT!!!!!! What, what was Mischa thinking????????? Shopgirlove had just finished the fascinating article in Vanity Fair about TR's conservation efforts (the first being a bird sanctuary in Florida to protect the native species from becoming feathers in ladies' caps. Irony upon irony.)

And then, she saw this...

Oh, help us, Baby Jesus!

Ah, Mother Russia!

2009-04-13T07:22:00.005-04:00

Things are decidedly weird in the motherland lately. People are leaping from tall buildings. They are Killing their neighbors over lice. Alcoholism has always been a bit of a problem for the strapping men; now some would like to see equality for women. Medvedev has vowed to fight corruption. But we've heard that before, no? In the meantime, things are getting worse. Shopgirlovelove has no idea how to fix this mess, but she would like to propose that American consumers develop a certain wariness surrounding Russian goods. After all, we might have saved the sturgeon.

Eye candy

2009-04-12T19:27:00.004-04:00

Do you remember the Brothers Quay? Or, if you are old enough, those wonderful short animated films that rained down on us from Canada in the 70s as though that were a nation of artistic giants and enlightened government funding for the arts? Animation has always captivated Shopgirlove and she is thrilled to discover Patrick Boivin. Enjoy my lovelies.

Happy Easter from our family to yours!

2009-04-12T18:37:00.002-04:00

Happy Good Friday!

2009-04-10T22:26:00.002-04:00

A new dish

2009-04-08T19:02:00.006-04:00

Tagine de Baccalà aux amis:

Serves 4

1 head of garlic

1/4 cup chopped green olives (preferably cured with lemons)

1/2 cup preserved lemon cut into large pieces

1 1/2 lbs salt cod (baccalà) soaked in milk or water overnight, drained and rinsed

1 cup cleaned and chopped mustard greens

2 tblspns chopped pistachios

1 (tiny) pinch each of cumin, mace, and asepheotida

Fresh thyme to finish

3 tblspns young, peppery olive oil

2 cups couscous plus salt to taste

Start a large pot of water on the boil for the couscous, add salt

Roast the garlic in foil or a clay garlic pot until soft and nicely browned

Slice the top off the head of garlic and add to a cold pan along with the oil and spices; heat very slowly over a low flame. As the pan begins to heat (when you can smell the spices) add the fish, mustard greens, and pistachios

Cook the couscous

Drain the couscous and arrange in the bottom of the tagines

Stir the thyme into the fish and take off the heat. Pour over the couscous. Cover and serve

Rain delay

2009-04-06T18:09:00.003-04:00

Sorry, kid.

Shopgirlove got a raise!

2009-04-05T13:28:00.007-04:00

Shopgirlove is on the dole. As of last week each check is $25 larger! She promises not to spend it all in one place...(thank you, Mr. President!) Not a single Republican in the House voted yes on the stimulus package. Only 3 Senate Republicans did. Do they hate recovery? Of course, she wasn't the only one to get more. But Shopgirlove cannot help but wonder; who, in good conscience, could accept such tremendous rewards for such terrible performance. It must be nice to be at the top. While Shopgirlove got a 15% increase, Patricia Woertz at Archer Daniels Midland got a whopping 397% raise. Oh, the shopping Shopgirlove could do...it seems, though, that certain persons would rather just say no. Despite the evidence.

Update 4/6/09 (what, no comment? Thanks for stopping by!):

12.43.88.121 (Archer Daniels Midland) [Label IP Address]

Illinois, Decatur, United States, 0 returning visit

Date	Time	WebPage
April 6th 2009	09:12:00	No referring link shopgirlove.blogspot.com/
April 6th 2009	09:12:58	shopgirlove.blogspot.com/ shopgirlove.blogspot.com/2009/04/shopgirlove-got-raise.html

Shopgirlove is all aTwitter

2009-04-04T15:08:00.008-04:00

Demi Moore and Twitter stopped a woman from killing herself, Twitter killed the John Mayer/Jennifer Aniston affair, and Colbert killed the Google/Twitter take-over. What now tweets?

Seen any good movies lately?

2009-04-02T10:05:00.005-04:00

Shopgirlove is on a real loosing streak...Duplicity was sheer agony; she, her mam, and several of the other tortured souls in the theater were actually groaning. If you can't tell your cinematic tale in ninety minutes, do us all a favor and go back to theater! Flashbacks! Split screens! Gimmick after gimmick! And WHAT is wrong with Julia Roberts? Shopgirlove doesn't always expect good choices from Clive Owen, but the American beauty can usually pick a good script...Thank goodness for DVDs! Shopgirlove got War, Inc and loved it! It's a strange sort of modern Dr. Strangelove-esque damnation of American foreign policy. Or the lack thereof. Ben Kingsly is a truly creepy man-behind-the-curtain and Hilary Duff was a revelation with an edgy, almost dangerous performance. The Cusacks never fail, of course. Oddly, Marisa Tomei struggled a little. (In her defense, she has the burden of playing the only straight character in a film full of twitchy maniacs. No wonder her role dampens things a tad.)

In other news, Shopgirlove has been trying out Chrome. Google does it again! It's fast, elegant, and versatile...a product Shopgirlove is happy to endorse!

King Dutch and the drunken crackheads

2009-03-31T00:11:00.003-04:00

Well. Shopgirlove has spent a lot of time defending pitbulls and trying to explain to people how gentle and kind they are. However, even she was impressed when King Dutch stepped in to defend both his mistress and the clerk at our local convenience store from two most unsavory characters. In fact, he went a little cujo on them. Well, he put himself between us and them and made a fierce display. When the cops finally showed up, they announced that they had already battled these two nasties earlier in the day. Shopgirlove checked in the next day and asked if the terrible two had returned.

"Oh no, they were scared of you!"

Entertainment should be FUN!

2009-03-29T01:50:00.007-04:00

Shopgirlove has had a disappointing cinematic March. Lunch and a movie with Mam is usually good times, but we have been thwarted by bad tacos and even worse film making. We began the month at Jose's followed by Confessions of a Shopaholic. The fish tacos at Jose's are normally the stuff that dreams are made of...not so much this time. Nothing worse than bad fish followed by, well, bad fish. What a waste of talent! And what a shame given the potential! (Very, very funny book...) Next up was Shangri-La and The International. Lunch was yums. The movie was dumbs. Shopgirlove and her mam absolutely adore Clive Owen, so we were really rather excited to see him in a shootout at the Guggenheim. Fun, no? NO FUN! Good lord what were they thinking? This isn't so much a script as a series of cliches stitched together by derivative plot twists. Ummm, finding the killer by tracing his prosethetic? Has this not been done before? Did they really think no one in the audience would be old enough to remember The Fugitive? Or did they assume us to be in our dotage? Either way, yuck. Feeling a bit low, we next opted for Indian buffet and Sunshine Cleaning. Clever choice, right? An excellent meal followed by a light-hearted sister romp about taking care of bio-hazards. Well, the meal was excellent. Shopgirlove will never understand why films featuring two female characters have to be two thirds about one, the other, or both crying. Maudlin melodrama despite a promising premise. We cleansed our palate with an orgy of fine film making at Mam's house. We popped in the the DVD of the BMW auteur shorts and ended March on a good note. Thank goodness for true artists! (And Madonna, such a trooper!)

The Boy in the Barn

2009-03-24T13:17:00.006-04:00

Is dead by his own hand.

That strong unmerciful tyrand
Takis, on the motheris breast sowkand,
The babe full of benignitie:—
Timor Mortis conturbat me. --William Dunbar

Shepherdesslove?

2009-03-23T18:41:00.005-04:00

Shopgirlove has a confession to make: Lately, she has been obsessed with the idea of raising sheep. She knows zero about homesteading and even less about animal husbandry, but given how many jobs she's learned on the fly, how hard could this be? (Don't answer that, please.) They would be milk sheep and she would make cheese. Not just any cheese...perhaps an American Spenwood. (Forget the suggested wine pairing. Wine and cheese are most often an unhappy marriage.) Or perhaps something soft and flowery? (With a Yankee twist, of course.) And then there are the yogurt possibilities...sigh. Oh, and bonus? Unlimited supplies of sheep's milk!

The friendly skies

2009-03-22T08:36:00.007-04:00

Mad Max madness in the Sydney airport. Shopgirlove is beginning to think that the romance of flying may finally have crashed and burned...the food is terrifying,
pilots are being asked to choose between fuel and their pensions, passengers are stranded up to ten hours without water. Congress is addressing the issue, but Shopgirlove has started to consider her options. 1) If by land. 2) If by sea.

A tragic update: the crew on a FedEx flight from China to Japan are both reported dead when their plane exploded after a crash landing at Tokyo's Narita airport. Shopgirlove's deepest sympathies go out to their families. What kind of pressure must they have been under to attempt a landing in these conditions?

Happy New Year!

2009-03-20T23:06:00.004-04:00

It's spring and a fine New year! Our President took the initiative in foreign relations to wish the people of Persia a happy NoRooz. Good. Peace and joy and may the family of man grow closer. Be well and blessings upon your house.

Eid mubarak!

Relax, you'll enjoy it!

2009-03-19T10:20:00.003-04:00

Disgusting man, disgusting crime. Rape is on the rise in our communities, our work environments, and in our schools. It is the most costly crime in America and the least prosecuted. One of the most disturbing trends has been the increase of violent sexual crimes in the U.S. military, although, ours has good company. May all the victims find a healing path...

Tweety Down!

2009-03-14T14:19:00.006-04:00

Tee many martoonies!

King Dutch and the giant tub of mayo

2009-03-13T15:45:00.004-04:00

Shopgirlove was making lunch and walked away from the GIANT tub of mayonnaise she had been using. It wasn't her regular brand, but it had most of the right ingredients except for sugar. Why would you put sugar in mayo? The main thing was that it wasn't made with canola oil. Shopgirlove is still looking for one made with with olive oil; she's going to try the Hellman's one next. There is an amazing imported French mayo that could fool anyone into thinking it was whipped up fresh for the occasion...they use safflower oil and if it didn't cost an arm and a leg, Shopgirlove would marry it. She knows she should just make her own-let's face facts, folks; it ain't gonna happen! Right, so Shopgirlove tucks in and not long after King Dutch waltzes in with a white beard. Wha? Shopgirlove is having a really hard time explaining this to herself. Rabies? No, he's quite happy and there's nothing on his lips...did he get the toothpaste tube and go crazy? No, again, it's not on his lips...ah, the joys of living with dogs! She levered herself up and went to investigate. All clear. There was nothing anywhere. King Dutch decides that this is a game of "find" (one of his favorites) and begins searching for the hidden treasure. Not having found anything to account for the goop on King Dutch's chin, Shopgirlove decides to finish lunch. Passing through the kitchen, she notices that the GIANT tub of mayo is gone from the table...there you are, then. But where is it? He has absconded with his prize to some dark recess and stowed it away for future yummies. Good on him! The strangest thing is how many people think that mayo is BAD for dogs...the ingredients are exactly what King Dutch's vet praised Shopgirlove for adding to his diet: egg yolks and oil. He also gets yummy salmon and other fish high in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that coddle his coat and brain. Once again, the American bias toward fat completely ignores science and tradition. No wonder we are obese, sick, and miserable. King Dutch won't actually eat the bad stuff...he always makes healthy choices and Shopgirlove is beginning to think he might just be the best diet guru on the planet. Except for the fascination with poop and vomit. Ewwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whatever, he is slim, healthy, happy, and clever. Shopgirlove may just let him keep the mayo...

Goodbye and good riddance and a little bit of Trollope

2009-03-13T01:27:00.004-04:00

Well, well, well...Bernie go bye-bye. Can you imagine? Shopgirlove is ever so glad to see the monster behind bars. But is it enough? Really? Vanity Fair has an excellent issue that tackles the greed and hubris endemic in the last decade's financial wheeling's and dealings. The Madoff piece is certainly illuminating; but the real eye-opener is the analysis of Iceland's meltdown...the gender factor is an interesting theme. Shopgirlove has gone back to Trollope. Melmotte got there waaaaaaay before Madoff. And with a great deal more style and even a conscience. That's more than can be said of Bernie the Bastard...

She's baaaaaack!

2009-03-11T00:39:00.004-04:00

Well...Shopgirlove finally fixed her laptop and then the neighbors from whom she was jacking her wireless went and moved! Damn them! However, someone else moved in close enough and the game is on...we have a lot of catching up to do. Yes we do! Much to come; in the meantime, go rent Bella. It's incredible. Keep the Kleenex handy, though...

Waaaaah!

2008-06-13T13:30:00.002-04:00

Can't talk. At work. Laptop died. Love you all.

What fresh hell is this?

2008-06-03T20:48:00.003-04:00

There are times that you will do anything for money. Rent is due. The landlord is unhappy. You haven’t eaten since Sunday and it’s Wednesday. Or, almost anything, anyway. Some lines will not be crossed. Shopgirlove drove a cab, once. Friday and Saturday nights were filled with the kind of propositions better directed at girls with no visible means of support. Why would a girl who drove a cab, nights, in the city, engage in that kind of activity? She wouldn’t. This is why she drove a cab.

This is actually why she stopped driving a cab. The male of the species seems to be incapable of an encounter with a female who is struggling on her own without indulging in the idea that she should compromise her independence without asking her to compromise the very same independence he found so charming to begin with.

After countless weekend nights of men asking her to “come up for a drink,” Shopgirlove was not able to ignore the South Asian man who told her that he “really needed a date.” And that he was “willing to pay.”

She had spent more than a year of weekends explaining that the remainder of her shift was worth $250 and that a tip of $300 might make her reconsider her plans for the evening. But the boyfriend, curled around the warmth from the ceramic heater with sleep in his eyes, kept her from seriously entertaining any of these offers. As did the rather insistent calls from the burser’s office of her elite, private college with no endowment.

So she demurred.

None of this compares to the absolute crap she is dealing with now.

Oh. She dropped that fare at the Police Station.

Hell is for worker bees

2008-05-30T18:31:00.004-04:00

Well. Shogirlove has been a little under the gun at work, lately. Last Friday, her Uber-boss actually threw something at her. Not so pleasant. When Shopgirlove suggested that might not be the most appropriate way to handle intra-office communication, she received the following commentary:

"I didn't throw it at you. If I had, it would have hit you."

Oh. Well then. We're all peachy.

Shopgirlove may not be as regular as Metamucil for a while. Her apologies.

Guest blogger

2008-05-20T19:53:00.003-04:00

King Dutch has a story to offer. It's kind of heartwarming.

Satvir Singh

2008-05-18T12:26:00.004-04:00

Shopgirlove knows your name. She will not forget it. May you rot in hell.

In the graveyard

2008-05-14T18:01:00.002-04:00

There's been a lot of death, lately. Chez Shopgirlove. Rather heavy, really. So she wants to lighten up a little with some entertainment. Dark though it may be...

The last goodbye

2008-05-14T15:46:00.002-04:00

Patch, Shopgirlove hopes his passing was as dreams come to us. So lightly, we barely know the difference. Between a breath in and a breath out. Silent and easy. May your heart be unlocked and open. A child on the waves. No burden yours to bear. We are all with you and keep you close.

Whole Facism

2008-05-13T19:31:00.005-04:00

Well. Whole Paycheck has decided that we should not use plastic bags. Sorry if I don't agree. Shopgirlove is done shopping there.
Really, as someone who has no children, no car, and no refrigerator.
Can I please have a plastic bag?

A little late and very sorry

2008-05-06T19:54:00.004-04:00

You were a good parrot. And a good partner. We learned a lot from your mom. In fact, you and your mom managed to make us rethink our take on intelligence. Perhaps it's not just for simians anymore. Perhaps outside the box is the place to be. Anyway, thank you. You were a good parrot.

The bell tolls for Eight Belles

2008-05-04T07:35:00.003-04:00

Shopgirlove loves the races. But can we please, please stop racing two-year-olds?

Abusive and boss together are not much fun

2008-05-02T19:22:00.006-04:00

Today was not a good day.
She won't be in tomorrow, although Shopgirlove will.
Tomorrow looks to be a good day.
We'll deal with Monday when it comes.
And the bleeding ulcer...

Oh hell.

2008-04-30T18:53:00.002-04:00

One of Shopgirlove's favorite couples "lost" their baby. As though they had been distracted at the mall. This child would have made the world a better place and Shopgirlove is devastated. The medical profession seems to fall short in this area. The doctor announced the news by stating that "this is not a good pregnancy." Shopgirlove hopes he never treats another patient again. First do no harm should include the psyche and anyone who cannot practice thus...

Really?

2008-04-29T19:54:00.005-04:00

Perhaps Shopgirlove wasn't paying attention. Perhaps the Democrats are to blame for every ill. And perhaps not.

Allied

2008-04-28T18:11:00.002-04:00

Shopgirlove has a new tack. She has decided to invest more time an energy in her relationships with the people at work who actually like and support her. Novel concept, yes? It turns out, they are legion...nice.

And while we're on the subject

2008-04-27T09:38:00.001-04:00

Oooof

2008-04-27T07:25:00.004-04:00

Yes, yes. Shopgirlove is a jerk. She doesn't call. She doesn't write. She's SORRY! Here's the thing...she can't take the dems and their primary anymore. Lame, but there it is. The fatigue. The torpor. The ennui. When will it end? Shopgirlove half understands the attraction of fascism. But, ick, though. So. Shopgirlove has been amusing herself by reading some really bad dietary advice. No wonder America is obese. Apparently, science and diet are not compatible. Except in pet food. Lucky King Dutch! Other than taking in large quantities of olive oil and egg yolk, what else has Shopgirlove been up to? A little of this and a little of that. And she loves you all. Mwaah!

US Customs has a 'tude

2008-04-17T07:39:00.005-04:00

Moral turpitude, that is. British author, dandy, and rogue, Sebastian Horsley was denied entry into the land of the free after her defenders googled him. Shopgirlove feels safer already!

Condolences

2008-04-16T20:55:00.003-04:00

RIP

Democracy, when?

2008-04-16T20:23:00.004-04:00

Shopgirlove cannot envision democracy without the following:

1) A free press

2) An educated voter

3) A middle class

4) Transparent government

We're not doing so well:

1) Not since WWII

2) One third of Americans (a record!)

3) What's that?

4) Worse than Singapore!

Oh, pessimism. Thy name is Shopgirlove...

April 15

2008-04-15T18:34:00.002-04:00

How will you spend your rebate? Shopgirlove plans to buy a fridge.

The family that steals together

2008-04-15T06:51:00.011-04:00

Cindy McCain is a shoplifter. But her husband's even worse. Want to do something about it? Sign here. Thank godness for security gaurd Jane Hamsher! Shopgirlove doesn't like shoplifters. No she doesn't. (She still plans on checking that little box. Happy Tax Day!)

It could be worse

2008-04-14T20:20:00.003-04:00

We could be voting in the Italian election. Altough, then we could vote the bum in, at least.

Sunday brunch with the Dems

2008-04-13T14:10:00.005-04:00

Shopgirlove had a notion...how about everybody just pull up a seat at the same table and enjoy a bite together. Like a family. She found this lovely pasta dish (a clingy, slightly bitter sauce with duck and arugula) that might suit. Hill could scare up some duck, and Barack could bless the meal. Perhaps we could return to a more fruitful discourse, such as the current NSA's confusion over the difference between Nepal and Tibet. Or torture. Or even golf! That Snedeker kid is kind of cute...

The God's Eye View

2008-04-12T08:57:00.003-04:00

Google Earth has a conscience. It's called Outreach. It's amazing. Shopgirlove hearts Google. She really does.

Happy 40, Rae-Rae!!

2008-04-08T19:06:00.002-04:00

Wait...does this mean your husband's a cougar hawk?

Can the God particle be split?

2008-04-08T18:55:00.002-04:00

Shopgirlove isn't much of a believer.

But this gentleman is.

Does this mean God could be weaponized?

The G-Bomb?

Mi Tio!

2008-04-05T00:31:00.002-04:00

Shopgirlove had dinner with her Mam and her Tio. Too nice! Dona Reyna's Chilis Rellenos? Yum. Seriously...

Out of the mouths of babes

2008-04-03T21:59:00.002-04:00

April 1,2008

2008-04-02T22:24:00.006-04:00

So, everyone and their mother seems to have caught the news about Virgle and GMail's Customtime, not to mention the flying penguins. But did anyone else catch the new Blogger? Shopgirlove is especially excited about the content via the " I'm feeling lucky' button. Thanks, Pete! 'Twas funny...

Edumacate me!

2008-04-02T20:05:00.004-04:00

Shopgirlove has been boning up on a trip around the Cape of Good Hope the she will soon be selling...and she got really hungry in the middle of her research. Harisa--or Harissa is her next culinary frontier. Here is the best recipe she could find. A Gerald Durrellesque Marrakesh family saga lies here. And can she, please, go to Morocco? Please?

April fools!

2008-04-01T21:49:00.007-04:00

http://www.google.com/virgle/pioneer.html

Um, Blogger has gotten really wierd, and Shopgirlove doesn't think it's an April Fools Day joke...She is off checking out WordPress. Catchya later.

The Leaning Tower of Babel

2008-03-31T18:34:00.006-04:00

So, Shopgirlove keeps watching this movie, thinking, you know, it has to be good. First of all--Cate Blanchett! Hello? The woman could read the yellow pages and it would be mesmerizing! And Brad Pitt? Not so shabby...but what the hell? Shopgirlove has no idea what happens in this movie. Although, she keeps watching it again, so there must be some there there.

Sunday drivers

2008-03-30T11:34:00.002-04:00

Do you ever feel like you should have stayed in bed?

Huh.

2008-03-29T15:41:00.003-04:00

Whst's up with the weerd verticle wording in the shiny new blogger? And what happened to spdll check?

I am hard on technology

2008-03-29T10:14:00.002-04:00

Shopgirlove has managed to kill: her phone, the lights in three rooms, her laptop, and Mr. Coffee. Since she is not a luddite, this is a little worrisome. What to do? Go eat bacon! And take a nap!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-22T23:17:00.002-04:00

Little Pink

2008-03-22T20:50:00.002-04:00

Listen to this.

Thanks, Earthlink!

2008-03-22T19:53:00.004-04:00

Really! Cuz promising universal access and then withdrawing from providing it is a great way to make friends. Really!

a Typical White Person

2008-03-22T18:34:00.005-04:00

There's a t-shirt. Shopgirlove doesn't get it. She is so not offended. She, herself, has referenced the typical latin family and the typical black labor-day weekend cook-off. (Um, yum!) Shopgirlove isn't Sen. Obama's biggest fan, but seriously? Not a big deal. When this country does decide to discuss race, Shopgirlove wants a seat at that table. Until then, have fun, FOXNews...

5 years on

2008-03-20T21:54:00.005-04:00

Shopgirlove
doesn't quite know what to say. Mission accomplished? Um...yeah, no. Reuters has a nice photo round up of a graduating class of a Baghdad police academy. Happy anniversary! Hey, shock and awe! On the other hand, when not being flip and/or glib, Shopgirlove has to admire the five years of reporting from the front lines. Good stuff. Love me some Reuters!

Who'da thunk it?

2008-03-19T20:27:00.005-04:00

Life on Mars? Or, at least, the ingredients for hope of an intergalactic outpost. Although, according to one source, "It's highly unlikely that cows could survive here..." Shopgirlove really thought she didn't care; and yet she does.

How do you resign from your reincarnated role in life?

2008-03-18T20:43:00.005-04:00

No really, how do you resign from a post you were born into? Really?

Bad day on the news front

2008-03-18T18:26:00.005-04:00

Mr. " I totally ruined one of the best novels ever written; by one of the best writers of our generation," Anthony Minghella is dead at the incredibly tragic age of 54. Shopgirlove will hold his family in her heart. He was always gracious and generous and will be missed, if not by Elaine.

Reprise. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T22:07:00.004-04:00

Okay, it's not easy being green when St. Patrick's Day is on Monday. So Shopgirlove is totally copping out and recycling a previous post. Deal with it. Slainte!

And take that!

2008-03-16T21:32:00.000-04:00

Shoppe!

2008-03-16T21:22:00.000-04:00

Hello, Bulgarka

2008-03-16T20:49:00.000-04:00

Oh heck!

2008-03-16T08:59:00.007-04:00

Shopgirlove had no intention of going anywhere near kristengate. But then the white men with microphones and keyboards started describing it as a "victimless crime." Oh really? That $5,500/hour wasn't his to spend. It was community property and Shopgirlove is pretty sure that Mrs. Spitz would not have chosen to spend it that way. College fund for the three daughters: YES! Extracurricular sexual escapades for the Mr.: NO! Geraldine Ferraro's gaffe has the white men with microphones and keyboards up in arms. (Funny, since they have little experience with being not white and not men.) And Obama is somehow his pastor's keeper. So, let's dive in...Que es mas malo? Race or gender? The real point here, is that women and non-white men far, far outnumber their light-complected, male fellow earthlings. Caucasians (male and female) account for only 10% of the earth's population. Yes, Shopgirlove said 10%. Women make up roughly 50%. (More are conceived, but fewer survive.) So, white men account for approximately 5% of the global demographic. Why does such a small group hold so much wealth and power? Shopgirlove has no idea. If the other 95% could just join hands and say "no mas," what would happen? Again, Shopgirlove has no idea. But she's willing to bet there would be some serious redistribution. In the meantime, there's a nice new political site that eschews division. A welcome addition and much-needed.

sharks

2008-03-15T23:01:00.005-04:00

12 in the corner.

Seriously, hire me.

2008-03-15T13:09:00.004-04:00

64-60-14-2.static-ip.telepacific.net (Imagine Entertainment) [Label IP Address]

California, Beverly Hills, United States, 0 returning visit

Date	Time	WebPage
March 11th 2008	21:46:04	No referring link shopgirlove.blogspot.com/2008/03/hi-brian-grazer.html