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I'll be reading Growing Up with Tamales for story time at Blue Willow Bookshop, in Houston, on Thursday morning, May 15. Tell everyone you know with kids in the Houston area. How do you find and support local indie book stores like Blue Willow? By going to Booksense.

On Saturday, May 17, I'll be in Dallas, reading and signing at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, for the 13th Dallas Children’s Book Fair & Literary Festival.

On June 22, here in Houston, I'm going to do a poetry workshop. It's free and open to the public, y'all, and they're having one every Sunday in June, taught by local poets I love and respect. So come on down.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Linkelodeon

Tom Cruise promotes Scientology in a scary way, in a video that is apparently exclusive to Gawker right now. (Remind me to post later about my varied experiences with cult members.)

I didn't want to let this happen again, but I'm addicted to American Gladiators. And so are my kids. After only two episodes, too. My favorite Gladiatrix so far is Crush, because she has awesome hair.

Pretty Indian wedding dresses! If I were to wear one for my own wedding, it'd be this one. Not that I'm trying to appopriate anyone's culture. I'm just saying -- I want a fancy pink dress, and that's the best one I've seen so far.

I know this chick who took a class on lampworking, and then started her own little side business making and selling glass beads. She's doing really well at it, and I've been meaning to tell y'all that I admire her. She thought up an idea, then just went for it. You know?

My favorite site that I can't read.

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6:05 PM #

Comments:

 Argh, cute Japanese wallpapers! I used to buy a lot of San-x stuff. Then I moved away from Vancouver and now I can't find anything.

(I'm the "anonymous" from the January 8th post's comments.)

Also: An excuse to wear a pretty sari means wearing a pretty sari. Go for it!


# posted by OpenID pudding-monkey : 5:00 PM  

 That video gave me the shivers, as did my one encounter with a scientologist who was thoughtful enough to give me a copy of the unreadable Dianetics and the questionnaire, which cracked me up.


# posted by Blogger Jane G. : 6:38 PM  

 I love the indian wedding dresses. If I ever get married I'll probably wear one. I figure it's ok as far as the apropraiting thing goes as long as you don't go too overboard and do the whole sari/ bindi/ nose ring/look like you just fell out of a Bollywood movie thing. That way it's just "hey, your culture makes pretty dresses! I like pretty dresses! Awesome!" rather than basically turning their culture into a costume for your entertainment. If that makes any sense.


# posted by Blogger lumenatrix : 2:45 AM  

 Crush's name is Gina Carano, but ya probably already knew that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXlyQyzGl3M


# posted by Blogger Jay : 7:01 AM  

 Pudding-monkey: Where did you move to? (I can look for your blog and find out, I guess.) I love to buy San-X stuff in real life, and would probably cry if Houston didn't have those places.

Jane G.: I think they're creepy on purpose, to intimidate you. Congratulations on escaping.

Lumenatrix: It makes sense. I totally agree with you. I asked Tad if he thought it would be tacky to wear one, and the first thing he said was, "Do you mean just the dress, or the bindi and the henna and all that, too?" And I was like, "Uh, just the dress. I'm not trying to look Indian." And he was like, "Oh, then it's fine."

I was telling Letty the other day... I remember that last time I went to a sari shop, the owners coaxed me into trying on a few tops. They were like, "A lot of non-Indian people wear our clothes for fashion! It's trendy!"
So, if they were okay with it...
(None of the tops fit, though. :))

Jay: Thank you. I knew, but only because I googled her in order to find that link.
It never even occurred to me that the Gladiators had pre-American-Gladiator careers, many on the weight-lifting circuit. It's like I imagined them springing fully formed from the head of Hulk Hogan. Or like they were actors who bulked up real fast in order to play their roles. :)


# posted by Blogger Gwen : 8:19 AM  

 Oh wow, what a gorgeous dress. Your taste is impeccable!

I love san-x too, but my favorite is Monokuro Boo. My friend L. and I like to wait until they update the flash movie and then describe what's going on in it all, "White Pig is curious to see you. It peeks out. Black pig is also curious to see you. It peeks out. A bee flies around. Both pigs gather their courage to peek out at you TOGETHER. A bee flies around some more to celebrate this bravery."

We have also delighted in finding merchandise that announces white pig is QUEEN OF PIG, which we suppose makes black pig the royal consort. We also found something referring to them as the "lovely pig couple." We agree. Only recently, we found a line of "Baby Boo" pigs. There are like seven. This amazed us because the tagline for MonoKuro Boo is "Simple is best."

"Oh Monokuro Boo," we said wisely, "with seven babies, the simple life is OVER."


# posted by Blogger Ali : 8:37 AM  

 ITAW lumenatrix!

--smarticus


# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 9:52 AM  

 Gwen: I post on a shared blog, but it's not on blogger anymore (due to a hacker).

I moved to rural SW Ontario for some reason. I'm scared to drive to Toronto by myself, so no san-x for me so far. :(


# posted by OpenID pudding-monkey : 11:08 AM  

 Gwen, I totally want to hear about your experiences with cult members! Those interactions are usually so weird / sad / scary / unbelievable that they are fascinating to discuss. Unfortunately, it always seems too tacky to put together a group of essays entitled, "Cult Members I Have Known," because it feels like taking advantage of someone else's misfortune.

Also, I'm with Lumenatrix about the Indian dress being OK if you don't try to wear lots of Indian cultural emblems with it. Get an Indian seamstress to custom-make you a dress! I'm sure you could get something gorgeous for way less than the dresses on that website.


# posted by Blogger Katherine : 1:34 PM  

 I too love those dresses but those girls wearing them are completely stunning and they could wear a sack and possibly a dogturd corsage and still look hot. Hey Gwen congrats on your engagement and happy new year...

PS I think Cult Members I Have Known sounds like a great essay.


# posted by Blogger OvaGirl : 5:04 PM  

 I totally make fun of non-indians in indian outfits. (my intolerance for white women in saris is the main reason I can't eat at the culty indian place down the street.) But that is bc I am EVIL. It is so much fun.

Congrats on the book and the engagement! Happy happy!


# posted by Blogger pooja* : 9:49 PM  

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