Re: It's an owwwnslaawwwwt

1

That's the best argument I've ever seen against net neutrality.

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2

I ssssssttttttttaaaaaaaabeeeed oooooout my eyes. noiw i caantttyppe.

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3

The part in which she mocked the death of civilians . . . there's no predicate for that.

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4

I'm not sure there's any reason for me to watch past about the 20-second mark. Likely I could have closed it even at 10 seconds, or not opened it at all, without having deprived myself of any meaningful insight.

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5

It's kind of great that her vblogs have the same twitchy, vain, and insane quality that her site has.

The first time I clicked through, finally, to see what the hell this AtlasShrugs blog was about, I was astonished that such a shitty looking site was getting so much attention. Then..."Surely it's not the tits?" "Oh, shit, it really is about the tits."

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6

If we could get 24 hours from an unfogged meetup without a single comment acknowledging that the meetup took place, that would be odd and worthy of discussion.

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7

Fuck!

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8

JM: sorry if you've already said, but how did it go today?

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9

OK, I watched it. I don't believe it. I think she's an Iranian plant.

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10

8--Excused, and I didn't even have to lie.

9--She's been blogging for at least two years, though, right?

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11

(I mean maybe a few months down the road I will fail to get a scintillating bit of inside humor that I would have found hilarious, had I spent 5 minutes watching this video... Nah.)

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10: As I think many have noted, the Islamoscary menace goes back a thousand years. Two years invested by a single operative is a mere pittance to them.

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13

I didn't watch it (can't turn on sound right now), but I did skim the first bunch of posts her blog because I couldn't remember just how bad it was. Besides the name-calling and odd use of ALL CAPS and brightly colored text inserted when she's feeling particular vehement, there's this representative sample which proceeds a quote from a misguided (in the sense that it supports John Bolton) op-ed which Sen. Voinovich wrote today:

Remember how RINO Voinovich was against the confirmation of JOHN BOLTON for UN Ambassador to the UN? I can't imagine how one gets elected on that platform. The American people know a great statesman when we hear one. There are so few. So it is no surprise that in the Washingiton Post, Voinovich makes this statement;
Elected on that platform? I'm sure his opponent will mention that he disagreed with the President on that, but if the UN Ambassador is a key issue in Ohio elections, I'll buy a hat to eat. Based on the referent of that sentence, she's calling Voinovich a great statesmen, right? What is she saying isn't a surprise, that Voinovich changed his mind? If it was so expected that he would, and his apostasy didn't keep Bolton out of the U.N., what did he do wrong, not sufficiently love GWB with all his might?

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14

She's saying that Bolton is a great statesman, and that it's no surprise that Voinovich eventually realized Bolton's genius.

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15

You people are all anti-Semitic and wish you were Hitler. And JM is jealous.

Is this the one with the giggly little girl mimicking her?

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16

This is so, so emblematic of our times:

"Oh, shit, it really is about the tits."

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17

Christ, Labs, thanks for stating the blindingly obvious. It's always about the titties. Or the oil. Or something. I forget which.

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18

Is this the one with the giggly little girl mimicking her?

No, it's worse. You get to see her sing and dance in this one.

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14: It's possible that I was feigning misunderstandings because I think her writing is so disastrous.

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20

Last week, she announced she would be travelling to Israel to "report" from there. And all I could think was, "Don't you think the people in that part of the world are suffereing enough already?"

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21

No, it's worse. You get to see her sing and dance in this one.

Cripes. I stopped watching very quickly, and was spared that sight. JM's right--it's gotta be the breasts.

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Yeah, I got about 10 seconds in and thought, I can't take it any more. I'll probably go back later and watch it out of morbid curiosity, but I hope I don't.

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17: Snees, I meant "It really is about the tits" in the more grandiose sense, viz., that the immediate, obvious, but utterly stupid explanation of some weird social phenomenon often, tragically, turns out to be correct, to the disappointment of all of us hoping desperately that there's something more complex going on.

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24

immediate, obvious, but utterly stupid

What kind of tit-hating misogyny is this? The tits are not to blame for the Chris Muirs of the world.

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25

I think B might be Becks-style.

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26

Public Service Announcements should be run telling everyone how bad tanning beds are for the skin.

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27

The hat is made from rice paper which can be bought from most supermarkets.

You know, I completely misread that quote as saying that hats made out of rice paper could be bought at most supermarkets. I was very confused.

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28

We only hate the silicone, B.

I am always Becks-style.

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25: Alas, not. I did have a beer with dinner. But I haven't been drunk in ages.

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30

Hey I got really drunk last night with a bunch of other people from this comments section. Nobody seems to be talking about it here but I made a brief mention chez moi. (My 600th post! woo hoo!)

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31

Rats -- forgot to close my link. Fortunately it reads about as well the way it came out.

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32

Clownaesthesiologist is a sock puppet. I did not know that.

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33

Huh. Thot it was common knowledge.

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34

My mom and my sister are going to the opera tomorrow. They will be dressing up.

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35

But will they be swearing?

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36

I don't know; they haven't made specific plans to.

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37

you mean Clownaesthesiologist isn't your real name?

So what happened? did the Unfoggedtariat all sit together at one table in the corner and zip up their hoodies when the cameras came around?

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34: Like music to my ears.

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39

It's not just the tits. She has great dick-sucking lips.

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40

37: Pretty much. I, and the other Unfogged commenters, said hi to the impressive bloggers (Amanda Marcotte! Steve Gilliard! Lindsay Beyerstein! Lots of other people whose blogs I've read!) and then got shy and sat by ourselves.

Lame, but I had a great deal of fun.

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41

Which Mineshafters showed up?

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42

I did, had a lovely time. Hanging out with Tia and washerdreyer for the second time, and LizardBreath, Idealist, The Modesto Kid, and dagger aleph for the first time. Clownaesthesiologist: did I not get to meet you, or were you introduced to me under a different name?

Scott Lemieux seems like a really decent upstanding fellow, and Lindsay Beyerstein is as charming, funny, and gracious as her blog depicts her.

I got hijacked for a little while by non-blogger acquaintances defending my love of Ben Jonson's self-deprecatory poems and missed at least one pitcher of beer, which seems kind of tragic now.

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43

Scott Lemieux seems like a really decent upstanding fellow, and Lindsay Beyerstein is as charming, funny, and gracious as her blog depicts her.

I realize on re-read that it sounds kind of sexist to describe them in this way, but I'm hoping someone backs me up here, as it's descriptive of their IRL personalities. I think.

Oh God, I have to go soak my head.

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44

Clownaesthesiologist: did I not get to meet you, or were you introduced to me under a different name?

Ouch.

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45

43: I did noticed that you conspicuously avoided mentioning her appearance.

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44 - Teo's all scared about his meetup now. We'll remember you, Teo!

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47

Nah, it's just that he posted on his blog about how great it was to meet AWB.

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48

And that she's his favorite blogger.

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49

Is that ModKid's new name?

Shit, dudes, I can't keep up if you're going around changing your damn names all the time.

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50

AWB, check your email.

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51

(please)

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49: Yep.

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53

I did, and responded.

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54

Clown = TMK, silly bear.

And I'll back you up that Scott really is an incredibly nice guy, and pretty extroverted (i.e., easy to talk to) and gracious. I really like him. (Actually I'd describe Weiner the same way.) Lindsay is a wee bit shyer, but not for long I don't think, and she's super smart and yes, also very gracious (she let me stay at her place!), and I really like her too.

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55

52: I saw his post, and just imagined CA was some other person. This clears up many past mysteries, as he still comments as TMK on mine. He knows we're slow learners at ITNSII? It took us a month to learn how to peel a banana.

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56

It took us a month to learn how to peel a banana.

Unsuccessfully, as I recall. By the way, I have also started Tristam Shandy.

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57

54: Tia and I were pretty nervous about meeting LB and crashing her party, so T brought her a plant (that got a little smooshed on the train) and I brought a card. We didn't know how to approach her, so I sort of blitzed her. We were a little awkward.

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58

In order to tell you that I've started Tristam Shandy, it will be necessary first to tell you of all the other things I've done in the five years since I purchased the book. It will also be necessary for me to start reading it.

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59

Yay, teo! That thread may have to split off and become multiple, one for each volume.

Ben Wolfson has promised a video explanation of the peeling. I was hoping for "Ben Wolfson Eats a Banana," which would put it in a camp with these, but apparently he doesn't eat it, just peels it.

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60

58: Metashandean excuses for not having finished it are welcome.

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61

I haven't read any of the thread, since I've only just started. The first three chapters are awesome, though.

(He doesn't eat the banana? What does he do with it?)

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62

61: Haven't seen it yet. I think he just peels it and displays it, perhaps to avoid it becoming the most highly fetishized (and linked) "guy eating banana" vid ever.

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63

That would be bad?

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64

For me, no. That's what I was hoping would happen. For Ben, yeah, it might be a little weird since everyone knows who he is. I was going to post it with a "ITNSII EXCLUSIVE! MUST CITE ITNSII!!!" but not if he doesn't bite the banana.

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65

There is something uncomfortable about eating a banana when you know you're being watched. I was eating one in the airport yesterday and some creepy guy was watching me. I switched to breaking off chunks with my fingers and eating those, which made me unhappy because my hands probably had airport germs on them.

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66

Something b said upthread reminds me that I may need a place to crash when I'm in NYC. Just fyi.

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67

(And I got catcalled the worst I ever have in my life in San Francisco when I was sightseeing in Telegraph Hill while eating an ice cream cone. I couldn't even finish it, I was so embarrassed.)

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68

(66 is, of course, addressed to everyone.)

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69

Teo -- I will be out of town, as I mentioned, but I will help arrange something, if there's anything I can do.

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70

67: Did you go down the steps?

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71

Thanks, AWB. I'm going to try some IRL friends first, but if I can't find anything I may appeal to the Mineshaft.

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72

Teo, I might be able to help out, too. Email me with your dates for more info.

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70 - Hmmm...they don't look familiar. I did walk up to Coit Tower.

I should really go to bed now. 'Night all.

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74

I want to say that you'd remember the steps if you'd been on them, but that might be a matter of taste: I just happen to like that area.

Either this blog needs more pacific time zone commenters, or I need to go to sleep earlier.

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75

Clarification in re 42: Though I often don't post about my travels -- I like to make you think I'm always in Lubbock so I can get maximum sympathy points -- it is OK to disclose that I was there too. And thanks in re 54.

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76

It was such an unexpected pleasure to see you, Matt. One that caused double and triple takes.

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77

49 -- just like to keep people guessin.

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78

Likewise, although AWB had said you'd be there. Online pictures don't really convey what anyone looks like -- while I recognized your forehead from that shot of you peering over your cat, I'd somehow thought you were shorter. Of course, I'd pictured AWB as a six-foot Nordic blonde along the lines of Brigitte Nielsen, which was also pretty far off.

Dagger Aleph I'd managed to avoid forming any mental image of at all, so was completely surprised by. I do love having voices to put with the text. Anyone I've met I can hear reading their comments.

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79

Of course, I'd pictured AWB as a six-foot Nordic blonde along the lines of Brigitte Nielsen, which was also pretty far off.

sniff.

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80

76/78: Thanks! And right back atcha.

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81

Shoot. I thought about making the trip up to NYC for the meatup but decided I should stay and get work done.

I'm allergic to bananas.

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82

79: Well, of course now my problem is that I won't be able to stop thinking of you as the American version of my immensely cool Kiwi friend from the Peace Corps. The resemblance was really pretty striking (although I haven't seen her for a decade, so goodness knows what she looks like now.)

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83

the meatup

ATM

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84

six-foot Nordic blonde

Represent, yo.

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85

It's funny, because last night I had a dream that Max von Sydow was my college calculus professor, and that I failed the class and wangled it into an affair.

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86

80 -- Hey, 'dja notice the CTY-blogging happening on the summer camp thread?

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87

Ah, no, thanks.

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88

Oh, sorry.

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89

Anyone else think Weiner looks kinda like Bradley Whitford from The West Wing?

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90

Not a whole lot. More than he looks like Martin Sheen, certainly.

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91

Um, sorry, 87 meant "I hadn't noticed, thanks for pointing it out to me." (Becks: Huh? Also, Becks does happen to be one of the Unfoggetarians I have met in my seekrit travels.)

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92

Having looked at pictures of Bradley Whitford, I redouble my "huh?"

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93

Hair texture and shape of the hairline have to be what Becks is talking about, (and assuming she's working from the cat picture, all that she's seen), but there isn't any actual resemblance.

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94

I think I'm mainly going on hair texture and head shape and not actual features. Then again, I tend to make "huh?" comparisons for people.

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95

Nah, not really Bradley Whitford. But huh? comparisons to movie stars are fun.

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96

I've occasionally heard Tobey Maguire. My huh? comparisons would be Isabelle Huppert for dagger aleph and maybe Natasha Lyonne (non-mug shot) for AWB.

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97

I already said Bernadette Peters for AWB.

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98

And therefore no one else can compare her to anyone else ever.

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99

Isabelle Huppert? Hot.

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100

Oh, that's much better.

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101

The AWB comparisons are both reasonable, as movie star comparisons go. I'm not seeing the Isabelle Huppert thing, but that may be because I haven't found an old enough picture of her.

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102

With some eyeshadow, I think Armsmasher would look like Tre Cool from Green Day.

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103

100 to 97. 99: Based on Gabrielle, IH has weirdly huge nipples. This was not part of the comparison.

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104

Bernadette Peters works for AWB's voice, too. Not perfectly, but there's some resemblance.

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105

On further review, I think I have to go with "From certain angles, maybe."

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106

movie star comparisons

I thought The Modesto Kid looked about like Clark Gable.

</cock puppet>

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107

Based on the da's Flickr pictures, I would have gone with Juliette Binoche or similar.

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108

("eyeshadow" s/b "eyeliner")

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109

107: Much more so, IMO.
and for 106, I would have thought more Cooper than Gable.

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110

(And actually:)

I thought people looked moderately glamorous. Especially w/d, who I remembered from the previous meet-up as being kind of scruffy -- he is one dapper, handsome dude.

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111

109: Thanks

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112

Oh wait, did you mean Jackie Cooper?

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113

42: If I hadn't gotten to this thread hours late, I would've questioned the absence of Weiner from that list.

54: So at one point, fairly late in the party, I'm sitting at a table with Scott and the remaining Unfogged people. Realizing I haven't said hello to Lindsay and the people she was sitting with, I turn around and do my usual (for this kind of get together) "Hi, I'm [name]. I comment on blogs as washerdreyer." Except that I paused between [name] and washerdreyer to shake hands, and when I said "washerdreyer" Lindsay, says (assume paraphrasing throughout), "Oh, I thought you were a woman." To which I respond, "I guess people might associate laundry appliances with women." And she says, "no, it's because you've always seemed like a good feminist." Which is very nice, except that the laundry comment maybe wasn't so good along those lines. That's my story about meeting Lindsay or, alternatively, one about saying stupid things when meeting good-looking women.

110: Thanks. If I look different, it's probably in large part the difference between rolling out of bed for school and actually having to deal clothes, shaving, and other crap for work.

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114

"I guess people might associate laundry appliances with women." And she says, "no, it's because you've always seemed like a good feminist."

Too, too funny.

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115

I have been trying to come up with a movie star to which compare LizardBreath so that those who have not met her can get an idea. So far, I have come up with a cross between Dan Blocker and Minnie Driver, but with blue eyes. But maybe others can do better.

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116

Mmm, young Elizabeth Taylor?

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117

w/d, I put Weiner on the list, but Becks was unsure of Weiner's willingness to be named.

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118

104: Hers is higher than mine, but she was always doing the kind of roles I wanted in theater, and doing them so well that I then had to do them in completely different ways so I wouldn't lapse into a BP impression. Oddly, the first thing I saw her in was The Jerk, and I loved her from that moment to this day.

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119

115: in my mental image, LB looks like Kristen Johnston, but with freckles. Also slightly disheveled, maybe carrying a briefcase.

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120

slightly disheveled, maybe carrying a briefcase.

Drop the 'slightly', and you're in business.

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121

My dad says I look like Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth, but I think I look as much like Cate as she looks like Katherine Hepburn, which is to say, not much, except in the 'kind of odd looking' department.

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122

Based on the da's Flickr pictures, I would have gone with Juliette Binoche or similar.

Juliette Binoche? So, DA, how you doin'.

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