I'm so not starting off 2009 on the right blogging foot...
...but moving on.
I've been actively following Obama Foodorama since its inception. The mix of politics, food, and snark is absolutely winning.
Not a fan of Ann Coulter? Then you must check out the post about Ann Coulter's thoughts on food. Foodorama quotes from an interview Ann Coulter did with Fave Foods of the Famous:
Fave Foods of the Famous: Choose some foods that are typically conservative, and those that are typically liberal.
Ann Coulter: Conservative: Things that taste good. Liberal: Things that are grown within fifty yards of where you're eating.
There really isn't anything else for me to say about that. Except that one of the staunchest conservatives I know (my dad...who doesn't read this) loves to mix up a protein shake in a blender in the morning...filling the whole thing...and drink it straight out of the blender. And that's his breakfast. Oh, and then there was the time he wanted to eat our garlic naan with his black-bean-and-corn salsa. None of that tastes good.
Eat, drink, and keep hoping the Obamas turn the White House lawn into an organic garden.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
9.24.2008
Not so OT: Books for Barack
Novelist Ayelet Waldman has started the organization Books for Barack to raise money for Barack Obama's Presidential campaign (Note: the website actually refers to it as "Books 4 Barack" but I just can't bring myself to use that damn "4"). The idea is that you donate $250 to the campaign and you get a mystery bag of 10 books in a canvas tote with the Books for Barack logo on the bag - though it's been so popular that Waldman has now said she isn't sending out any more bags...and she has raised $40,000 so far! I'm unclear whether all 10 of the books are signed, but the website seems to indicate that they are. Naturally, she is still encouraging people to donate, even if she can't send out any more mystery bags.
Check out the food, children's, and YA authors who have contributed signed books:
Mario Batali
Judy Blume
Jamie Lee Curtis
Elizabeth Gilbert (I totally considered Eat, Pray, Love a foodie book!)
Dan Gutman
Barbara Kingsolver
Ursula LeGuin
Steve Martin
Megan McDonald
Tamora Pierce
Cynthia Rylant
Lemony Snicket
Sara Varon
Judith Viorst
Alice Waters
...to name a few.
Eat, drink, and support grassroots campaigns!
9.05.2008
Friday afternoon linkage
Obviously, there’s been a dearth of blog posts from me lately – apologies, etc., etc. Luckily, there are lots of people out there with brilliant things to say so I’ll provide you all with some happy linkage:
- Trust Roger Sutton to put this whole Palin-as-Banner-of-Books issue into perspective. Palin inquiring about some “objectionable” books is ranked about 20th on the long list of many, many issues I have with her politics… Did she actually censor or ban anything? No. Thank goodness for librarians. Want to know something that really scares me about Palin? Go to Maureen Johnson’s blog NOW and read this post. That’s right, I said, “NOW”. I order you electronically to do so.
- Educating Alice’s post about the importance and value in daydreaming really struck a chord with me. I was a daydreaming child, and now I have a daydreaming daughter of my own. Her teachers and her father and I have all been guilty of telling her to “focus” and “pay attention” over and over again. I pledge to be more cognizant of this in the future.
- I’m on a kick to read all the recent YA fiction featuring food. I finished A La Carte by Tanita Davis, of which I was not a fan. Clearly, Davis is not a food writer – good food writing makes you want to jump in the page and experience the food for yourself.
Good food writing allows you to smell, taste, and feel. Davis’ food writing was bland and overly demonstrative, very heavy on the adjectives. I have just started High Dive by Tammar Stein and, thus far, I’m enjoying it very much – I love the European locations and the writing style. I’ve also got Dear Julia by Amy Bronwen Zemser waiting in the 
wings. Yesterday, at my children’s book selection committee, we reviewed a picture book, The Snow Show by Carolyn Fisher. It’s narrated by “Chef Kelvin” who explains, in a cooking show format, how snow is created. There’s even a “BAM!” moment. We all agreed that the format was “crazy” and “silly” and we thought the illustrations paired very well with the subject matter and style. We’ll be buying it at QL.
- Again, children’s literature and food intersect. I know I’m ridiculously late chiming in on this, but Jamie Oliver’s wife is writing a children’s book, The Adventures of Dotty and Bluebell. You’ve got to read the article from the Daily Mail for a bit of a giggle: I don’t think I’ve read such a fawning interview in all my life. Jamie Oliver is “a national treasure” and the Olivers’ living room is “filled with an astonishing array of tasteful toys.” And that’s not even the most flowery example – the whole thing is just sickeningly sweet. And as far as her darling daughters not smoking or doing drugs or not having sex “until you are…well, old enough”? Refer to the Maureen Johnson link above. And don’t get me started on the Breck Girl photos. Ultimately, I resent celebrities (or spouses of celebrities) that try to convince us that they’re “normal” and just like the rest of us. Uh, no. You’re not. Shut up.
The really crap part of this matter? Of course I’m going to buy this for the library. Just like I bought Laura Bush’s book…and Madonna’s books…and Sarah Ferguson’s books…
Thanks to Chair, Fireplace, Tea Cozy for the info (and the spectacular rant) who got it from Big A little a.
- Trust Roger Sutton to put this whole Palin-as-Banner-of-Books issue into perspective. Palin inquiring about some “objectionable” books is ranked about 20th on the long list of many, many issues I have with her politics… Did she actually censor or ban anything? No. Thank goodness for librarians. Want to know something that really scares me about Palin? Go to Maureen Johnson’s blog NOW and read this post. That’s right, I said, “NOW”. I order you electronically to do so.
- Educating Alice’s post about the importance and value in daydreaming really struck a chord with me. I was a daydreaming child, and now I have a daydreaming daughter of my own. Her teachers and her father and I have all been guilty of telling her to “focus” and “pay attention” over and over again. I pledge to be more cognizant of this in the future.
- I’m on a kick to read all the recent YA fiction featuring food. I finished A La Carte by Tanita Davis, of which I was not a fan. Clearly, Davis is not a food writer – good food writing makes you want to jump in the page and experience the food for yourself.
Good food writing allows you to smell, taste, and feel. Davis’ food writing was bland and overly demonstrative, very heavy on the adjectives. I have just started High Dive by Tammar Stein and, thus far, I’m enjoying it very much – I love the European locations and the writing style. I’ve also got Dear Julia by Amy Bronwen Zemser waiting in the 
wings. Yesterday, at my children’s book selection committee, we reviewed a picture book, The Snow Show by Carolyn Fisher. It’s narrated by “Chef Kelvin” who explains, in a cooking show format, how snow is created. There’s even a “BAM!” moment. We all agreed that the format was “crazy” and “silly” and we thought the illustrations paired very well with the subject matter and style. We’ll be buying it at QL.- Again, children’s literature and food intersect. I know I’m ridiculously late chiming in on this, but Jamie Oliver’s wife is writing a children’s book, The Adventures of Dotty and Bluebell. You’ve got to read the article from the Daily Mail for a bit of a giggle: I don’t think I’ve read such a fawning interview in all my life. Jamie Oliver is “a national treasure” and the Olivers’ living room is “filled with an astonishing array of tasteful toys.” And that’s not even the most flowery example – the whole thing is just sickeningly sweet. And as far as her darling daughters not smoking or doing drugs or not having sex “until you are…well, old enough”? Refer to the Maureen Johnson link above. And don’t get me started on the Breck Girl photos. Ultimately, I resent celebrities (or spouses of celebrities) that try to convince us that they’re “normal” and just like the rest of us. Uh, no. You’re not. Shut up.
The really crap part of this matter? Of course I’m going to buy this for the library. Just like I bought Laura Bush’s book…and Madonna’s books…and Sarah Ferguson’s books…
Thanks to Chair, Fireplace, Tea Cozy for the info (and the spectacular rant) who got it from Big A little a.
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