Do I get any points if I have the book?

Good evening BLBC members,

still need to comment on Stieg's first book

still need to select my August books

still need to read the June and July titles

but I just opened an Amazon box and there was The Cookbook Collector it was ordered before I saw Bethie's selection!!!

here it comes

everything is connected!!!!!

just don't give up on me

tootles,

brenda

The BLBC Book List

Since we're an "unstructured" book club I think a can get away with this:  I'm changing my book selection for June.  My alternate selection was Eat Pray Love ... I think I was unduly influenced by the new movie (not yet seen).  I have since read something I really liked and want to make the it the new June alternate.

Our new, improved schedule:

June (Ann)
Main Selection - The Lincoln Lawyer, Michael Connelley

Alt Selection - The Help, Kathryn Stockett

July (Bethie)
Main Selection - Think of a Numb3r, John Verdon
Alt Selection - The Cookbook Collector, Allegra Goodman

August (Brenda)
Main Selection -
Alt Selection -

September (Susan)
Main Selection -
Alt Selection -

Opening Argument: Gretchen vs. The World

Dear Unborn Fauns: I think I'm the only one of us obsessive enough to read the musings of the Commentariat on the TLo board, so I believe it is my sacred duty to alert you all when something priceless turns up written by one of our fellow bitter kittens.

Here's a riff by someone screen-named Brooklyn Bomber who is one of the 400 people logging on to articulate how much they hate (or love...some do) our Villain du Jour, Wretchen Gretchen. Read it and see how it a giggle like this can immediately enhance your (gray, drippy here...YAY!) day.

Ann has already had to listen to me to an live enactment of this so I hope she won't mind being exposed to it again!

8/27/10 4:54 PM

Brooklyn Bomber said...

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we stand before you, asking for mercy. At this desperate hour, we find ourselves on our knees, urging you to think not of what you have seen today, but of what you have seen before, and of what you may yet see.

Citizens, spare these humble lives. Keep us from the gallows this day, for truly, if one is guilty, all are guilty. And yet, if you are to spare one, spare all, for through us runs the common thread (no pun intended). Are we not all, each in his own way, but humble tailors: sketching, cutting, stitching? When we prick ourselves with a straight pin, do we not bleed? Do we not want what you want? A humble home, a loaf of bread, a straw mat on which to rest, $100,000 from L’Oreal Paris to start our own line and a $50,000 HP technology suite?

Despite what some here would have you to believe, our collection is not the devil’s child. We are neither coven nor cabal. We are neither more nor less than a humble community, united by common cause and unshakable mutual love and respect. If loyalty is a crime, find us guilty. Yet we have broken no laws of the state and, most significantly, we have upheld the laws of the greatest judge of all, He who sees all and who knows the purity of our hearts and the superiority of our design and sewing skills.

Or, that is, the superiority of the design and sewing skills of most of us. A few of us, anyway. Well, me and my little friend over here to my left. The rest, I’m not sure. Especially the guy to my right. I mean, if you’ve gotta off someone, I recommend him. He’s kind of a fuck up. Yeah, sure, the law doesn’t allow you to choose him, but rules are made to be broken, right, ladies and gents? Okay, okay, if you can’t take him, how about Marcel Marceau down there at the end of the line? We can carry on without him if we have to, know what I mean, ladies ‘n germs?

PR: S8E5 Brenda's Blast

Good morning gang,

Chairman Ann:

love thingy #1

thingy #2 see I can learn -- please note the correct acronym in the title of this post!!!!!

well bitter kittens episode 5 -- as Bethie predicted -- did have more drama than I could handle ... those teams reminded me of ALL those classes I had to take at GNE ... the crucial conversation, critical thinking, diversity, being on the bus, thinking outside the box, being in the house, personality testing (i.e. Myers/Briggs, etc.) ... it was all too uncomfortable for me ... there was Gretchen making lists ... oh god that is so me ... but then I thought ... "wait, I actually know my strengths and weaknesses -- I am not really all that artistically inclined, but I am organized" ... I flashed on that recent film Valentino: the Last Emperor ... Valentino does not spend his days making lists of how many zippers should be ordered for the work rooms ... I think that might fall to the business guy/boyfriend -- Giancarlo ... deeply disturbing episode

on a happier note Casanova provided so many wonderful moments (a great example of winning editing*):

shiny black turban ... so Rudi Nureyev

"I am getting fat"

* it would be most helpful for me if we could create an "editing" glossary

crone editing

whiny editing

winning editing

etc.

Valerie also had some great screen time:

does Valerie speak Spanish? ... Valerie asking Casanova "why" in Spanish

they are going "cray-cray"

GrandPa sweaters? ... where did that come from? ... I agree with Michael D ... Team Luxe should have all

gone home just because of that phrase ... what was that jacket with the evil-eye opening in the back panel?

... scary ... what was with those riding breeches/leggings that AJ sent down the runway? ... did they come

off the accessory wall or were they sewn? ... poor AJ, got thrown under the bus and out of the house

did you see Heidi smirking when Gretchen got all emotional? ... it so warmed my heart ... okay, Heidi can stay

Tim was so masterful in the green room at the end. What a speech!!!!! Hope the remaining designers took

notes and will be on their Gretchen Guard!!!

... and now to read the TLo boy's take on last night!!!

tootles,

brenda

Two new things

Thing 1:  I updated the blog settings so that you get an email when there is a new posting or comment ... hmmm, I'm sure it works for posting but forgot to test comments ... let me know if you like this or if I should turn it off.


Thing 2:  Let's try adding to our blog with our Project Runway comments ... good practice for your blogging skills.

PR: S8E4

I watched this episode twice ... once with Susan while rebuilding/repairing her computer and once while I was assembling my new kitchen chairs.  This means I probably watched a total of one third of it ... so much for multitasking.

Kristin:  totally deserved the auf ... and explain to me how an orchid is "architectural" ... what a missed opportunity. And she got the "whiney" editing.

Valerie:  better than Michael C ... was channeling Jeffery Sabelia (?) with the zippers ... nice counter to mask/hat.

April:  what was she thinking ... she should have listened to Tim! And that back zipper in the diaper ... beyond bizarre.

Gretchen:  I can't remember what she did.

Peach:  I can't believe I'm going to say this:  Peach needs to work with Michael C on choosing fabrics.

Christopher:  his dress/coat was a great match to the hat ... the judges were all wrong ... maybe a little editing with the belt and skirt but not a bottom 3 piece.

Michael C:  he makes Casanova look good ... predicted bottom 3 ... the judges were all wrong ... but I did love the fabric.

Casanova:  what is with that Boy Scout shirt?

Ivy:  her self affirmations didn't help ... boring

Mondo:  I always choose big polka dots for my butt

Michael D:  should have won!  His outfit was perfect for that lima bean hat.

A book Twit from Stephen Fry - August 13th 1:24am

Perhaps a good site -- Five Books -- for us book types!

Thanks to @elvis717 forhttp://fivebooks.com/archive truly wonderful site...

Five Books

Every day an eminent writer, thinker, commentator, politician, academic chooses five books on their specialist subject. From Einstein to Keynes, Iraq to the Andes, Communism to Empire. Share in the knowledge and buy the books.