Tag Archives: culture

Cultural confusion

Posted on December 14, 2012 | 2 Comments

Soft, warm pretzels with a side of spicy mustard.

german pretzelsI love ‘em.

And I’ve always attributed my taste for them to my German heritage.

But while working with some colleagues from Germany this past week, I learned a disturbing fact –

Germans don’t put mustard on their pretzels.

In fact, the big soft pretzels that we know and love are typically only served in the morning.  With butter.  If they do venture onto the lunch or dinner menu, they are paired with cheese or meat.

No mustard in sight.

And here I thought I was enjoying an offering from my homeland.  But the majority of mustard, as it turns out, comes from Canada.

What’s that about?

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Posted in Commentary, Foods, Humor, Life, Restaurants, Travel

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Mixed messages

Posted on November 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

I’m feeling very two-dimensional today.

Or that’s what the Huffington Post would have me believe.

I like Huff Post.  I find myself reading it most days…either by going there directly or via a link from another source.

But today I noticed — for the first time — that Huff Post defines issues of interest to women in a pretty narrow way.  Just check out their navigation.

Business, politics and tech are all broken up into six sub-categories apiece.  Entertainment has eight, culture 10, lifestyle 12.

But women?

Complicated creatures that we are, Huff Post sums us up in two — healthy living and parents.  That’s all they got.  Sure hope you fall into one of those buckets.

Of course, it could be worse.

Men didn’t even rate the header.

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Posted in Blog, Blogging, Blogs, Commentary, Humor, Internet, Life, Relationships, Writing

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Making faces

Posted on September 8, 2011 | Leave a comment

Poor celebrities. We just can’t seem to leave them alone.

So why start now?

I discovered this website via a tweet from the Vulture, New York Magazine’s entertainment and culture blog:

And that’s exactly what it is — pics of celebrities that have been Photoshopped so we can see what they look like without eyebrows.

Vulnerable. Alien. Ridiculous.

Depending on how you feel about at it, it’s either mean-spirited or good, clean fun. (I vote fun.) And to show that I am willing to take what I dish out — or erase in this case — here is how I look both with and without eyebrows:

 

 

Well..there’s egg on my face!

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Posted in Blogs, Celebrities, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, Photography

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First impressions

Posted on August 9, 2011 | 2 Comments

Did Newsweek go too far?

Their latest cover features a wild-eyed Michele Bachmann and the headline “The Queen of Rage.”

I’m not questioning their word choice.  I mean that photo — that maniacal look on Bachmann’s face.  Does it step over a line?

Or merely capture the real essence of Bachmann?

She is the Republican candidate for President who said — and I quote — “not all cultures are equal.”  Who called global warming “voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax.” Who said we were “running out of rich people.”  Who wants to abolish the minimum wage.   And who said “gay marriage is probably the biggest issue to impact our state and our nation in the last 30 years.”

Huh.  Whadda ya know?

You can judge a book by its cover.

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Posted in Advertising, Celebrities, Commentary, Design, Humor, Magazines, Photography, Politics, Writing

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Lock me up

Posted on June 15, 2011 | 1 Comment

Every two years, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University publishes their “Freedom in the 50 States” index.

This year’s most free state?  It’s a virtual tie…between New Hampshire and South Dakota.  And the least free state?

New York

Lady Liberty, look the other way.  (Oh good, she is.)

Turns out my beloved Empire State got dinged for our particularly high taxes, health insurance regulations, anti-smoking laws, lack of medical marijuana and no same-sex marriage (only one vote away!).

Oh…that.

Jason Sorens, co-author of the study and assistant professor at CUNY Buffalo — who (ahem) lives in New York — admits the state has other benefits.

“New York City has a lot going for it…if you like culture, the arts, music, having lots of things to do, nightlife — you’re going to value having more things to do even if you feel more impinged upon.”

Exactly, Jason.  And the things that may make other people feel ‘impinged upon’ — not being able to smoke in Central Park, for example — don’t make me feel any less free.

That’s the beauty of the USA.  There are 50 different states.  If you don’t like the one you’re in, you can move to one you like better.

Like I did.

Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose…” Me & Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin

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Posted in Commentary, Education, History, Home, Philosophy, Politics, Travel

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Dyno-mite!

Posted on May 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

From time to time, The Sticky Egg not only highlights things that are cool, kitschy or culturally significant…

It points out stuff I simply gots to have!

For instance, in late January, I was inspired by an over-sized representation of a Marvel Comic strip panel that I felt had an important message for women everywhere:

“I simply haven’t met a boy yet who interests me! And until I do, I’d rather walk alone than date just anyone.”

I think I held out a whole week before I ordered that one.

And then earlier this month, I got all excited about the new — well, new to me anyway — iPhone icon pillows being sold by Craftsquatch, a store on Etsy.

I wrote that particular blog entry just a couple of days after my birthday, and mentioned what a wonderful gift they would make.

Well, one of my best friends took the bait, and I am happy to report…

There be iPhone pillows in the house!

Just look at them — it’s like the Marvel canvas and the pillows and my red leather couch were made for each other!

Since you are there for me through the silliness and the surreal, I wanted to celebrate my way cool decor with you as well.

And people say blogs don’t amount to anything…

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Posted in Art, Blog, Blogging, Blogs, Comics, Commentary, Crafts, Design, Fashion, Furniture, Home, Humor, Life, Shopping

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Characters accepted here

Posted on May 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

I’ve lived in New York City for almost five years now, and people still ask me if I like it.

I do.  But, surprisingly, not for the reasons I thought I would.

Yes, I like going to Broadway shows whenever I want.  I like being able to dabble in TV and film work (translation: audition a lot, get cast very little, do extra work a bit).  I like having access to lectures and writers and museums and all the culture that New York City provides.

But what I love most of all about this city?

The characters you find here…and the city’s total acceptance of them.

Case in point:  Yesterday I was on the 1 train coming back uptown from a meeting.    A guy got on, turned on his iPod — playing the Star Wars theme for some reason — and announced “The king is here!”  Then he started showing large photos to the car; in each one, he was posed with a different celebrity.

He wasn’t trying to sell anything.  He just wanted to show people his pics.  And he kept saying “The king is here” in a very proud way.

The people in the car?  They just ignored him or smiled.  One women talked to him and was quickly dubbed “The queen of the car!”

When he left a few stops later — saying “The king is leaving!” — folks just went about their day.  There wasn’t any drama.  No one was clasping their child in terror or calling a cop.   He was just another character in the city that accepts them as their own.

Yep.  I like it here.

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Posted in Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Movies, Museums, Television, TV

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