Betty Crocker, Scaring Kids Since 1936

I don't know what started me down my Betty Crocker hunt today, but hunt I did, and this Web site with its images of the "official" Betty Crocker scared the bejeezus out of me. I think I started because it was about one of the first cookbooks I owned as a teenager and while basic, it served a good introductory purpose, but if someone had put this lady on the cover, I would have thought twice. No I wouldn't have needed twice to walk away from this Arsenic and Old Lace school of cookery.

The chick from 1955...maybe I would have let her cook for me, or even write a recipe, but the others look like Nazi dominatrixes or Stepford Wives. Vould you like your beating now or avter the peach melba?

But overall, my favorite is the 1996 "subtely multiethnic" Betty...what I like to think of as "Botox Betty."

Oh yes, you can darken her brows and eyes, and take away that Teutonic I vill cook for you but I vill never enjoy it!-look, but it seems that every Betty embodies the shame of her generation. Even here you can see her wanting to frown, or possibly drop a brow, but alas, it is not to be.

Calling all Roomies

Anyone going to the ALA conference next month interested in a roommate to split costs?

I'll be there the 9th through the 12th and while I don't have a room yet I'd be willing to bunk with someone or get the room myself and have someone bunk with me.

Pass it on y'all!

It's Your Job

If you are a horse race announcer, you know you are going to see Spanish names, both from riders and horses, so I find it unacceptable that the Monmouth announcer repeatedly called Hermosillo, Her-mo-sil-o.

Even the new announcer at Churchill has some problems along this line (although Johnson is probably following that British tradition of ignoring pronunciation if it isn't English. I notice that even Gordon Ramsey makes Pie-ella). Luke prided himself on getting the names right. Let's get back to that shall we?

More Reasons Librarians Rawk!

Wandered down to the library last evening to pick up some of the books I have scheduled for the summer. Had on my Ozomatli tee and this librarian asks if it is, in fact, an Ozomatli tee. She not only knew who they were, but gave me the names of a couple of other artists I might enjoy and still tried to rope me into the Saturday language cafe. Multitasking at its best.

Forgot to ask her name, but wherever you are cool librarian, thanks! Hope I turn out half as well as you did.

PS: been walking home from work and really enjoying the weather.

ALA bits

Two things. A new collaborative called In the Library with the Lead Pipe looks like an interesting resource for librarians and provides some overview and review of library-centric matters. One word of warning and praise, it is text intensive. After so long reading short articles with a plethora of hyperlinks, you'll have to turn on a couple of extra brain cells. This weeks article is a review of ALAConnect, a new ALA site that looks like it can work on several social levels for current members.

Second, my excitement about attending the annual ALA conference has been tempered by the fact that I will miss Sherman Alexie on Monday afternoon. Quandry.

Back to The Regularly Scheduled Madness

So, my 636 class is over--library technology? computer use in libraries? I don't know, something like that--and I can return to blogs about things I really care about, like meat cards. These are the kinds of people I really want to meet. I'm sure with enough liquor and time we could rule the world. I would hand out my meat cards with a side of bacconaise (yeah it's kosher and vegetarian but I can overlook that).

I used to put these up on MySpace, but really, how many social networking sites can one undermotivated chick keep up with? Well, if you're this undermotivated lump o' female, the answer is one.

Mooshu

My baby had a pituitary tumor and after a couple of weeks of hand feeding and watering she finally gave in on Monday night. I think this picture says it all. What a good girl.