Be The Boy

It’s @slackmistress with a big dog in a cone.

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:17:08 -0700

It’s @slackmistress with a big dog in a cone.

At the Santa Fe train station in San Diego.

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:06:03 -0700

At the Santa Fe train station in San Diego.

Where Superman gets lunch.

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:47:10 -0700

Where Superman gets lunch.

Very serious baseball faces.

Thu, 16 May 2013 21:37:59 -0700

Very serious baseball faces.

LA Union Station. Traveling by train with @slackmistress

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:23:32 -0700

LA Union Station. Traveling by train with @slackmistress

slackmistress: I personally find “pussy” way more relaxing than...

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:39:14 -0700

slackmistress:

I personally find “pussy” way more relaxing than “butt naked.”

Where are you shopping while I’m at work?

Pitbull pillow. #napteam

Tue, 14 May 2013 20:26:12 -0700

Pitbull pillow. #napteam

Angelina's breasts, Angelina's choice.

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:23:00 -0700

annetdonahue:

Whenever something monumental/important happens, the internet tends to rally together and react appropriately.

Minus the idiots. Minus always the idiots.

Today, the idiots came out in droves when it was revealed (via Angelina) that Angelina Jolie would undergo a double mastectomy to lessen the 87% chance she has of developing breast cancer. So she could live for her kids, and her partner, and her friends, and her family. She willingly signed herself up for a long, arduous, and painful procedure to prevent chemo, radiation, and god only knows what down the road. Pretty brave. Pretty terrifying. So what could someone possibly say about that?

Well someone always has something to say. And in the case of a famous actress and her breasts, more than a few men (see: my last Tumblr re-blog) stepped up to comment on “the great loss” via “poor Brad” jokes, and any number of badly-written puns. Because when a woman takes something away from herself — FROM HERSELF — it becomes automatically about how (sexist) men will suffer.

Sexist men. Not some men, and certainly not all men. Sexist ones. The ones who believe a woman’s body somehow owes them something. The ones who consider breasts their turf. The ones who feel they’ve earned the right to ogle Angelina — or worse, that Brad Pitt slums amongst them, and will somehow see Angelina as less of a woman because … why? She wanted to save her life so she could spend more time with herself and the children? What actual kind of fuckery is this.

Well, we know exactly what it is. And we know that we see it every day whether via catcalls or via tweets or via any number of sexist, misogynist, and downright terrifying comments and actions. Our society is a sad one, but the increasing intolerance towards the “comedy stylings” of wannabe shit-disturbers is at least a sign that the times they are a-changing. (FYI gentlemen, as I tweeted today, if Tucker Max would laugh at something you’ve said, you may want to dismantle your laptop and hurl it into the sea.)

What Angelina Jolie has chosen is just that: a choice. Her choice. We’re lucky she chose to share it with us; to enlighten us on a deadly gene — to give us intimate, graphic, and vulnerable details about a procedure that some people might not even know existed. This isn’t about Angelina Jolie cutting her breasts for the sake of attention or for a role or for anything someone tweeted to earn a fav — this is about health. WOMEN’S health. And even if she were cutting off her arm or her leg or her hair, that is still all fine and good because again (say it with me!) it is her. choice. HERS.

Women’s bodies, women’s choices. The reasons are irrelevant. The backstories are unimportant. The only person who gets to have a say in what a woman has chosen to do is the woman choosing, and the more “jokes” about “Brad’s loss,” the more we’re telling women that what they want is everybody’s business, too. It isn’t. Angelina chose to use her celebrity to educate and enlighten. But even if she walked up to everyone on the street and told them her story in person, that still doesn’t invite a response. Same goes for every other woman out there — but you guys all already know this. I’m saying this mainly for the idiots.

Posted without further comment as Anne has made it clear enough for even the dummies to understand.

Replacement Players Podcast » Episode 7: The Christian Laettner Game, with Daniel Ralston

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:52:04 -0700

Replacement Players Podcast » Episode 7: The Christian Laettner Game, with Daniel Ralston:

“There was a place where you could write THAT WORD on a bed sheet and hang it out your window and adults were powerless to stop you.

Where is this place and how do we get there?”

-Matt Callan in the introduction to the latest issue of Replacement Players, one of my favorite podcasts. Check it out.

"I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a “faulty” gene, BRCA1, which sharply..."

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:07:39 -0700

“

I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a “faulty” gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman.

Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 percent risk of getting it, on average.

Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy.

”

- My Medical Choice - NYTimes.com

Angelina Jolie is BRCA-1 positive.

I’ve been adjacent to this world for a couple of years now. My father tested positive for the gene mutation, and told my sister and I we needed to be tested. I was negative. But Dana tested positive.

She elected to have the surgeries. They were long and torturous but she’s come through the other side. She now does a lot of work with the advocacy group FORCE. My father also does work with them, fundraising and about genealogical research.

The thing you need to know, that is of the essence, is that last month the Supreme Court head a case about the right of the lab that developed the test for the BRCA-1 mutation to hold a patent on the gene and charge whatever they want. The test can cost anywhere from $300 to $3000.

When Dana first found out, we all did a lot of research and reading. These were the ones I found most helpful:

In The Family, a documentary by Joanna Rudnick.

Pretty is What Changes, by Jessica Queller.

(via jaybushman)

Important information from Jay, who knows what’s what. Pass it on.

uglypodcast: jakefogelnest: #nuts Oh my god. Several weeks...

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:02:58 -0700

uglypodcast:

jakefogelnest:

#nuts

Oh my god.

Several weeks ago I scheduled a mid week day off for Thursday. Now I’ll have something to do.

nakedcomedy: Picture This! is back LA!!! Let’s do...

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:26:42 -0700

nakedcomedy:

Picture This! is back LA!!! Let’s do this!!!!

picturethisshow:

Picture This! is back at the Nerdist Showroom!

COMEDY BY:
Andy Kindler (Maron, Bob’s Burgers, CBS, NBC, ABC)
Todd Glass (The Todd Glass Show, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing)
Chris Garcia (WTF with Marc Maron, The Business)
Katie Crown (The Nerdist, BBC)
Rye Silverman
Lauren Ashley Bishop

ANIMATION BY:
Griffith Kimmins
Mike Mayfield
Mike Moloney
Parker Simmons
Phylicia Fuentes
Marina Gardner
Edward Artinian

HOSTED BY:
Brandie Posey (Lady 2 Lady) & Alex Rock (Set List)

FRIDAY 5/31
Doors at 7:30pm. Show 8pm
at the Nerdist Showroom at Meltdown Comics
7522 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046

FREEEEEE SHOW!! + (donation only) BEER!!

GET TIX HERE: https://nerdmeltla.com/tickets2/index.php?event_id=477

Reserve free tix now so Nerdmelt likes us, OR DON’T WHO CARES IT’S FREEEEEEE

“What is Picture This!?”

PICTURE THIS! is a new show from Sam Varela, Brandie Posey & Grif Kimmins: two girls & an animator who want to push the boundaries of what a comedy show can be. Picture This! is a live comedy show with stand-ups performing while they are drawn live by some of the best animators, cartoonists, and other artists in Hollywood, CA NYC and Portland. With the recent addition of our international producer, Alex Rock, Picture This! has also debuted in Toronto, New Zealand and Australia! The comedians don’t know what the animators are drawing and the animators don’t know how the comedians will react. It may be weird. It may different. But it will be a unique comedy experience every time!

This seems too amazing to miss so I’m not going to miss it. If you are reading this and you’re married to me, I’ve gotten you a ticket too.

Sentimental Accidents: My Dad and The Bird

Sat, 11 May 2013 10:01:16 -0700

Sentimental Accidents: My Dad and The Bird :

willstegemann:

Today would have been my fathers birthday had he not passed away a few years ago. Here is the very brief retelling of a conversation he and I had once about 10 years ago.

My dad was a talkative guy unless there was something he didn’t want you to know about, which was often. Several years ago I…

Sentimental Accidents: Sunday Mornings Never Change

Fri, 10 May 2013 22:39:59 -0700

Sentimental Accidents: Sunday Mornings Never Change :

When I wake up tomorrow it will be May 11th, which would have been my father’s 58th birthday. Unfortunately I will be unable to call him but I have moments like this story to look back on so I’ll be okay.

willstegemann:

Two weeks ago I found myself driving through my hometown at 7 AM looking for a place to get coffee. I pulled into the parking lot of a Dunkin’ Donuts and walked inside. It was Sunday and the line was shorter than I expected. I looked around for a newspaper but couldn’t find one so I walked up to…

billcorbett: mkupperman: Weird ad in The New Yorker! Genius.

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:54:02 -0700

billcorbett:

mkupperman:

Weird ad in The New Yorker!

Genius.

The 6 Most Important Things I've Learned In 6 Years of Marriage

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:33:00 -0700

Talking to your ex is fine but don’t drop everything to take their call.
If you ever ask yourself “Will they be mad about this?” you probably shouldn’t be doing whatever it is you’re about to do.
If you don’t know what the other person wants or needs, ask.
If you want or need something, it’s your responsibility to say so.
It’s important to be honest but more important to be kind.
Disagreements do not need to have a winner and a loser so don’t keep score.

As I mentioned earlier, today is my 6th wedding anniversary. The...

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:02:10 -0700

As I mentioned earlier, today is my 6th wedding anniversary. The video above documents the first challenge of our married life which occurred a mere 10 days after our wedding. It involved a terrible mess. Also, my wife somehow looks the same age as she did 6 years ago.

6! 6! 6!

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:34:22 -0700

slackmistress:

We’ve been married SIX YEARS MOFOS.

Will finally tells the entire story of the night before our wedding. (With my coda, here.)

Our entire marriage can be summed up in this exchange:

@betheboy LEAVE MY DESIRE TO HAVE SEX IN PUBLIC BATHROOMS OUT OF THIS.

— Nina Bargiel (@slackmistress)

May 10, 2013

In honor of our 6th anniversary, here is the program that Nina...

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:02:14 -0700

In honor of our 6th anniversary, here is the program that Nina made for our wedding.

6 years in 9 pictures.

Thu, 09 May 2013 20:54:00 -0700

6 years in 9 pictures.