no boys allowed in the room!!!!

The last one is my favorite.

Women's interest programming that is limited to cleaning or babies or shopping is one of my major pet peeved. Jeff does the dishes in our casa, dammit.

(Consumer Reports rated Finish Quantum as the best no phosphate dish detergent, btw, with the much cheaper Finish Power Ball as a best buy.)

this may be the time and place, while we're talking about women's programming, to note one of my favorite Lifetime conventions, for which i have repurposed a phrase:

you know that moment in commercials or shows with women in them where there are two girlfriends and they are enjoying a beverage and one of them grabs her glass with both hands? usually coffee/tea or wine?

that's a double clutch. it's everywhere! who does that?

i kinda sometimes might do that

when i'm cold usually

i'd think it would depend on the shape/design of the glass

Yeah, I think maybe I do this sometimes too.

double clutch
http://www.crestock.com/images/810000-819999/812745-xs.jpg

they do make those ceramic cups that don't have handles -- i can see doing the double clutch with those. But the cup pictures in the stock photo? That doesn't make sense to me.

classic double clutch -- superfluous use of two hands to connote warmth or emotion or "heart"

that looks like it would result in drink spillage moreso than the conventional method of holding the cup by the handle

"women hold cups like this..."

It looks like the modern representation of the classic silent movie femme fatale gesture - that ott hand clasping prayer-like move.

i do the double clutch on coffee/tea mugs sometimes, usually followed my propping my chin on the rim and then making stupid faces over the top (esp if there is steam!)

double clutch on a wine glass would be sheer madness though.

A family friend gave us wine glasses which hold 500ml each. Think I've done the double-clutch on those. They are a bit excessive, seeing as if you fill the glass you only have a half-glass left in the bottle for the next person.

Double-clutch on a coffee mug says either "it's freezing in here" or "I don't trust this mug handle not to snap off" to me.

or "wow, the world is cold but i am basking in the warmth of female frenz"

off topic: i just got a gift from a student that is a cute little tunic and leggings that i actually like!
thanks, student!

xp - it's like the "he's got the whole world in his hands" gesture, except because it's a woman, she is holding a refreshing beverage

^^^^LULZ...

aha the pure distilled essence of the double clutch

Ultimate lady gesture: double clutching phosphate-free dishwasher detergent. Or non-fat yogurt flavored to taste like the real food you shan't ever enjoy.

Urgent change of topic. Please review this dress. Is the seam thingy supposed to sit under my chest? Because if so, I feel very overexposed. Or across the middle of my chest?

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruthjlee/5264107595/"; title="photo by ruthjlee, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5264107595_1fe7851603.jpg"; width="320" height="240" alt="photo" /></a>

Gah!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5264107595_1fe7851603.jpg

Under, and if you feel over-exposed as a result, it is an issue of the bust being too small. (As a woman with large knockers, I sympathize acutely with your plight.)

This where double-clutching your bottle of phosphate dishwasher detergent could come in handy.

(is where! geez)

Thank you! Boobs are only 34c but shape seems to have sagged :-(

the shape of the dress or your boobs?

It's not a problem w/ your boobs. With dresses like that, you seriously have to luck into one that is coincidentally cut just perfect for you to get a good, properly exposed fit.

Boobs sagging, not dress. But yeah, it probably never fit that great! I'm not very good at these things.

my policy of never wearing boob-featuring clothes saves me a whole lot of trouble.

Am now wearing a flapper-style dress revealing nothing, but at least it's sparkly. I hate work parties. I am wearing all the wrong accessories and I don't care.

that's the spirit<3

link says it all http://www.npr.org/2010/12/15/132072122/it-s-not-your-fault-your-dishes-are-still-dirty

Ooh ooh I'm going to read it RIGHT NOW.

'Well, if you're really having that hard of a problem, maybe you should wash your dishes by hand.' Which I thought was kind of strange for an automatic dishwashing company."

a. She's right, it is.
b. But more companies should tell the truth about their products and their limitations, so I want to really like that guy for saying that?
c. But this is something that overwhelmingly falls on women, so to be all "What's your problem with doing more difficult, dirty work even though your labor-saving device was supposed to enable you to live two lives in the space of one? Now get back in the kitchen and quit yer whining" makes me want to put HIM in the dishwasher.

d. This is not news.

laurel otm about all those

Two times.

I get equally itchy when people get all judgey about "processed food" and the importance of cooking from scratch. As my family's primary cook and holder of a full time job (oh and a part time teaching gig) I invite those people to eat me.

I used to be judgey about that until I discovered Trader Joe's. They really DO sell everything natural and still organic an' shit but already washed and trimmed. And how do they get it so CHEAP??

La la la la I'm sure they manage it ethically and in a way that does not violate my principles vis a vis the value of labor la la la la

My mother has just been complaining that a pound of butter costs $5. She swears it was $1.99 a couple of months back.

My mom arrived from AUS on Saturday. She watched Eat Love Pray on one of the flights and was understandably not impressed and kind of pissed of by it. She did note however:"...but oh my god that James Franco is GORGEOUS. JUST GORGEOUS!!"

OTM, Moms.

lol

<3

christmas presents from mom:

i asked for: a pepper grinder
i got: a Peugot pepper grinder filled with pepper, and another large container of peppercorns

i asked for: a cupcake baking tin
i got: a cupcake baking tin, a multi-level baking rack

also: a large container of paperclips and decorative binder clips, a half dozen different kinds of cleaning "wipes," a pack of five kitchen towels (she gives me a pack of kitchen towels every year; this year, she finally acknowledged that i might have more kitchen towels than i really need)

GUYS A GOT A PURPLE FEDORA WITH SEQUINS ON IT.

My parents think I'm Prince.

wow!

re: kitchen towels
sometimes they get gross and you have to replace the old ones -- always good to have some new fresh ones on hand!
love your mom

my parents gave me some chocolate, darkness on the edge of town box, copy of all the presidents men signed by woodward AND bernstein, and a petsmart gift card. shockingly excellent work on their behalf!