Bilquis (Queen of Sheba) - she's a goddess that works as a hooker, looking for people to worship her.

Dan Savage was telling people to "ovary up" for a while after listeners complained about him using the word pussy in a derogatory manner.

There has been longer form journalism about the lack of representation of women/minorities in the media over the past year, with a particular focus on the movie industry. The Dissolve had a whole series. While Hopper's prompt was "Gals/other marginalized folks: what was your 1st brush (in music industry, journalism,…

A lot of people are commenting about the lack of context with many of these statements. I’m not going to go through the list and pronounce each incident sexist/racist or not sexist/racist. Twitter isn’t a medium suited to subtlety, there is always some subjectivity in the way behavior is interpreted, and, most…

I lived in Wyoming for a while, and there were a lot of strong-minded, independent women who in many ways defied traditional gender roles but would have taken offense if anyone had suggested they might be feminists. It was kind of bizarre. They tended to come from rural/ranch backgrounds, and somehow managed to…

Like you, I don't think that Chris Pratt falls into the category of assholes trying to get away with not paying a professional for their service. This isn't a professional gig. Unfortunately, the language he used is similar to the bullshit that designers hear all the time, and the words "for exposure" can induce…

Yes! Sorry - I wasn't trying to contradict the first post, just being a nerd and adding detail.

Caitlin, I was glad to see you mention in the review that the Gentleman thinks he's doing Lady Pole and Stephen a great kindness - that's an aspect of the character that has been missing for me in the adaptation. Overall, I think the show is doing a fantastic job of adapting the novel and I've been really enjoying it.…

The Gentleman's magic allows him to discern certain things about people, though it seems to be more of an impression than a clear image. In Stephen's case, the Gentleman senses that he is to be a king, though none of the details are clear. So, the Gentleman takes it upon himself to show his "friendship" for Stephen by…

The Gentleman is convinced that Stephen is destined to be king of somewhere, though he isn't very particular about the actual kingdom. The Gentleman suggests several kingdoms in Faerie that he then dismisses (Untold-Blessings because there are too many other claimants, and the Dukedom of Pity-Me because it is too…

I saw the headline and immediately thought it was a reference to the Invader Zim episode Hamstergeddon.

Breaking Bad. My old roommate watched the first season, but she had a tendency to do so late in the evening when I was about to go to bed, or right after I'd gotten home from work (I was a barista at the time) so I never joined her. I'm fairly introverted, so I usually need some time to detune after work, particularly…

I think I was eight or nine when I first saw it. Not in the theater, but recorded from TV onto a VHS. My family didn't have cable when I was growing up and we watched limited amounts of TV. Luckily, my grandma had cable and would frequently deliver tapes with multiple movies recorded for me and my brothers. At some…

Susanna Clarke also has a book of stories called The Ladies of Grace Adieu set in the same alternate history which would give you an idea of her writing style. I found both books delightful.

Planned Parenthood inserted my IUD, and they just had me take ibuprofen a few hours before the procedure. They did recommend that I plan the insertion during my period, because my cervix would be more relaxed. I didn't think it hurt that much, actually. It felt like a really intense period cramp, definitely worth it…

I drive through Manitowoc each year on my way to a conference in Two Rivers. I hope Coulson took his troops for an ice cream and a tour of the wood type museum.

If I'm writing or doing studio work that requires concentration, I also tend to go with lyricless music. I really like the Philip Glass/Ravi Shankar collaboration Passages. Also on the playlist is some Rachmaninov and the Yu Lina version of The Butterfly Lovers (it has a beautiful violin part with a tempo that is…

The trick is to drink a lot and eat the free sopapillas.

I grew up in Colorado (and went to Casa Bonita as a kid) but went to undergrad in Wyoming. One of my professors was talking about South Park during class and described the Casa Bonita episode. He was both horrified and fascinated when I told him that it was a real place.

Or, if they insist on adapting YA stuff, pick something like Ursula K Le Guin's Earthsea instead of the latest Hunger Games derivative.