It's way overdue...

You're gonna' drive me to draw Garth in a nipped-waist tank top with wooden beads on the spaghetti straps, aren't you?

Now we'll all have to post something here so she won't feel slighted.

HWW, if you know any good recipes featuring half-and-half, post them. We have half a quart from New Years that we ended up never opening, and it's only going to be consumable for a couple more days.

Recipes? If I can't nuke something, forget it.

I wouldn't nuke half-and-half on the cusp of expiring. Probably that's the rejected explanation of how Mordru really escaped from his mystical prison.

Half-and-half? I'd buy some Vodka and Kahlua and enjoy some White Russians.

I could make White Russians for my entire subdivision with that much half-and-half. [yikes] Dogs and children included.

[calls cops on self]

GOOD LORD-- you can DO that? Hecks YEAH!!!!

I want to go to there!

Anyone who doesn't post here hates Cleome and kicks puppies! You will notice that HWW and I love puppies!

Annnnnnnd SEGUE!

I keep typing "CLEOMOE"... signifigance level speculation starts NOW!

"CLEOMOE" was my ancient and evil ancestor. He was also the true Fourth Stooge. Kind of like that one guy who everyone says could have been in the Beatles but became a milkman instead.

So you understand why he turned evil.

Well, sure. So long as you don't expect it to be a good drawing!

Post about Cleome and, somewhere in the world, another flower blooms.

Post here and Pandora heals.

Post and you're automatically entered in the WIN A TRIP to COSTA RICA with CLEOME!!! Sweepstakes.

The more you post, the better your chances!

Ram Boy's letting me borrow his wintertime digs in Costa Rica for the sweepstakes. Everything you've heard about them is true, BTW. Even Oprah's palatial estate on that private island in Hawaii pales in comparison.

At long last, a thread I expect to dominate the MMB for weeks to come!

Yes, the all-cleome thread WILL crush all other threads! Prepare yourselves for the New Legion World Order!

(I'm gunning for the position of Minister of Propagandaz)

and just imagine how it'll grow once spring arrives!

Ssshhh... c'mon, People! We agreed not to talk about the [cough] "flowers" until after 10PM! We'll get in trouble with the FCC again!

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Quislet insists that spoilers are NOT a legitimate legal defense! <span style="font-size: 11px;">Hah! "Bold new administration," my fanny... [grumble grumble...]</span></span></span>

Oh, and it's Cobie's turn to go on the 1AM taco run, so make sure you all give him exact change, or as exact as you can manage. [cough] Remember what happened last time...

My goodness, I haven't posted in the Cleome thread yet. I must remedy that immediately.

Oh, wait...

for Cleome.

The cleome thread scares me a little bit...but in a GOOD way!

"What a really crummy mummy."

"What a really crusty crunchy crummy mummy."

"What a really crummy...BILLY MUMMY!"

"Uh...it's Billy MU-MY, and I'm a fan."

Er...was this the Non Sequitor thread?!?!

It's a "Mystery Science Theater 3000" reference. Cleome and I are both MST-ies.

Yeah it's a mystery why some people find that show funny! ZING!

<ducks, covers, pops tiny umbrella over head in vain attempt at safety>

My dad would agree with you, Lardi.

****Cue Judy Tenuta's "My Dad"****

I watched MST3K and tried to like it--I really did! I guess that's one of the very few geek favorites I couldn't get into.

Eh, it's okay, Lardi. I've only seen about seven (non-consecutive) Buffy eps in my whole life. I didn't hate it, honest. It just didn't send me like it did every other geek I know.

My reaction to Serenity was likewise "meh."

Touche!

You'll be happy to know that today at work, when they played the inevitable Big Name Crappy Beer Ad (for the 752nd time this month) and the announcer went into the spiel about how said BNCB is "lovingly slow hand-crafted with the finest hops, malt, rice, and yadda yadda yadda," I could not resist booming (a la Tom Servo):

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text"><span style="font-size: 14px;">...AND YET <blink>THIS</blink> IS THE RESULT!!!</span></span></span>

<span style="font-size: 10px;">It's okay that my immediate supervisor looked at me like I was nuts, because I hated her guts all day anyhow.</span>

(Vampire Women offer their Queen a goblet of blood.)

CROW: "Is it a Merlot?"

That show robbed me of all shame. I'll MST anything now, even stuff I'm really, really fond of.

They play beer ads at your work?!?!

Well, the radio's on all the time. I'm the only person who's occasionally enough of a snob to request public radio. Heck, even THAT isn't ad-free anymore, but at least the ads are less strident on "public" radio.

NPR RULZ!

You're listening to WCLM - All cleome, all the time.

Ex!

The weird part is: ADM is a major sponsor of public TV and public radio-- and I used to work for them years ago. Or at least, I worked for some other giant soulless food conglom that they ultimately swallowed up.

Cool avatar, cleome!

Thanks!

I clipped it from a 1930s postcard . That's Mt. St. Helens in the background. (No, I wasn't living here when it blew its stack.)

Volcano Lass - exploiters of labor, watch out!

If only, FC. If only.

Are you trying to say with this avatar that we can expect you to explode some day and spread your hot, ashy residue everywhere?

According to my sources at Volcano World ;

"It is likely that Mt. St. Helens will have one or more small eruptions during your lifetime, but probably unlikely that it will have another big one."

So, in theory, it's possible cleome is giving us an early warning before she blows her stack. I'd advise evacuating this thread just to be on the safe side.

Don't trample each other racing for the door, unless Ram Boy produces some kind of Naltorian credentials or something.

The way they're running me around at work, I'm lucky if I can blow bubbles through a straw into a glass of skim milk at the end of the average weekday.

Run for your LIVES! She could BUBBLE OVER at any minute (provided it's after 6 pm)!

Quote

...Cool down, Papa
Don'cha' blow your top...

-- The King Cole Trio

We need volcanoes that spew champagne.

Or White Russians.

I have a "White Cuban" recipe somewhere that replaces vodka with rum. I suppose there's no point in looking for it until I can afford to buy some rum, though.

Say, the All-CLEOME thread is starting to look a little boozy. To get our minds off the sauce, here's my submission for this thread's official poem.

cleome

cleome, cleome, cleome
what a wonderful LMB poster is she-ome
Rainbows and blue skies
Laughter and...umm

cleome, cleome, cleome

How about:

All hail our dear Cleome.
She's my favorite Legion World homey.

I loooove it, Rocky! It's so...finished!

Once the Committee for the Poetic Beautification of the All-CLEOME Thread sobers up, I'm sure they'll decide between the two.

I'm speechless.

<span style="font-size: 10px;">Perhaps I need a beer or two to help me decide which verse is the most fabulous.</span>

I'll send you a case of of my current favorite brand, simply known as Pilsner

We need to commission a Cleome brand beer from some microbrewery! What qualities should it have?

organic, kosher, brewed in Oregon... and both fresh and refreshing!

Pilsners are wonderful, deddy! Though at this time of year, I usually prefer stouts.

The day I got laid off from temping (again), I popped over to a nearby brewpub for Happy Hour consolation and tried their Apricot Ale. It was pretty tasty. Also, when the bartender heard I'd just been sacked, he bought me a second pint. (Don't worry. I tipped him really well.)

Miss Cleome should visit the Victorian Flirting Thread, in which a contingent of young men await her presence, with glasses of illicit lemonade. (Warning: knock before entering)

Can Miss Cleome also read my fortune while she's at it??

Lardi, you're like that old Louis Armstrong version of St. Louis Blues where no fortune teller could look into your mind without doing this:



at least once.

BTW, I probably won't be available for any scheduled post-a-thon/roleplays, since I'm really trying to finish a story chapter right now.

I may declare this thread some kind of rest zone where those confused by roleplays can seek shelter and post recipes or something, though.

I'd like to take a moment and offer a little story that will demonstrate, once and for all, the truly heroic nature of our dear friend and associate cleome.

The story involves a kitten, a tree, a crying child, a frantic mother, yarn, a stick, some gum, a couple of pairs of shoes, a rock, a slingshot, an even louder crying child, an eye patch, a phone booth, a firetruck, a hunky fireman, a motel room, dawn, coffee, a change of clothes, a ladder and plenty of gumption. Now, one day, as cleome was walking down the lane to choir practice...

Wait, I think I should save this story for the all-CLEOME TESTIMONIAL thread.

TOM SERVO: "Joel, I'm pregnant with your child!"

JOEL: "SSSSSPPPPPFFFFFTTTTTT!!"

[wonders if Stealth actually owns a jumpsuit]

Nah, although after I first saw Kill Bill I fantastized about getting a yellow number like the one Uma Thurman wore. I never did, and as for the movie itself, it didn't hold up to more that one viewing, typical of Tarantino films (except for the ones that suck at FIRST viewing.)

You have to want to have mind numbing fun watching his stuff.

Last time I was accepted to art school, I had designed a Kill Bill poster as part of my portfolio.

GYPSY: Tom, I don't get you.

TOM SERVO: Nobody gets me. I'm the wind, baby.

Tsk. I'm at least seven or eight films behind on my Cinematic Titanic viewing! Joblessness bites!

My last commissioned portrait. I think the artist did a wonderful job, don't you?

Very nice. Especially with the black beans, or huckleberries, although I'm uncertain what that symbolizes.

Those are grapes, meant to symbolize the heart of a true warrior. Whereas the vase dimensions symbolize my child-bearing hips.

Beautiful. I take it you're open to new ideas via the symbolism in the portrait.

That, and she really likes picnics!

It's very nice.

Oh, like I have a choice around here.

That was never in dispute, I hope.

I ran across this just now, and it reminded me of cleome and the recipes she often shares, some of which I've tried.


by maplekia

Awww...

I keep thinking a Pot Luck thread would be fun, except I hate the thought of scandalizing the dieters any more than I already do.

Also overdue:

A post from Cleome in the thread I painstakingly began for her!

I'm having this daydream right now where I break 8,000 posts before my volunteer shift begins (30 minutes from now). Sad, huh?

It's good to have goals.

Illogical and utterly pointless goals, but nonetheless...

BTW, they changed my volunteer shift and I'm pretty relieved. Monday at work + two hours of volunteering afterwards was making cleome a very, very tired-out camper.

Ooh, that's a tough Monday!

<visits from the all Crymsun thread>

Hi cleome! Nice place you've got here!

Cleome: Fandangoed.

Please pardon my pitiful attempt at windows-painting a cleome flower logo...

Amazing! That's the EXACT expression I picture on her face while she's posting!

And that's the exact HAIR I picture on her when she's posting!

Sweet Fanny Adams! I'm bleeping gorgeous!

[hugs LASH. promises to come back later and gush more when not so much one of the living dead]

*GASP!*

I don't actually have black hair. It's just dark brown (with some gray in it). But don't tell MLLASH. I prefer the drama invoked by black hair, actually.

Do you have violet eyes ala Liz??

Sadly, no. They're just traditional ol' brown. But I'm willing to pretend, since I adore cartoon Shrinking Violet, and she totally rocked the violet eyes!

Say, I was just thinking that cleome should get herself a sidekick. You know, like Green Hornet had Kato, and Batman had that orphan kid.

cleome and GORGOMAX the Fifty Foot Killer Cyborg sounds a bit much, but I do believe cleome and Lady Bug has a nice ring to it.

Well, Ram Boy, I've always admired Ladybug from Cricket magazine, if that helps.

Also, in honor of the big Four-Four being only one week away, I think I should change my online handle to either "Sawed-Off Sister" or "Sawed-Off Lass," but just for one week. Which one do you all think has the better initials?

Sawed-Off Babysitter?

How about Sawed-Off Sister and Annie the Axe? Ladybug would be good when you revert to Cleome.

Didn't Cristina Applegate star in that?

Annie the Axe? Is she the Rule 63! version of Hrun?

If she didn't, she should have.

rhino, luv, I'm (you should excuse the expression) green with envy.

Some plants can look good wearing anything...

Today Legion World watches and speculates over Cleome's potential achievement of Time Trapper Status!

She's pretty chatty...

Yes. She's so chatty, she should change her name to Cathy.

Or Elizabeth Cady Stanton!

Since Legion Tracker asked for my slaw recipe, here it is!

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">
CALICO SLAW:

Allow yourself at least an hour or so before serving. Better yet, make it the night before.

A food processor is your friend here. Though it will be easier to get large/coarse pieces if you cut by hand.

Ingredients:

1 sm, or ½ a large head of red cabbage
2 sweet peppers, any color(s) you like. (Or one sweet pepper and one large carrot)
4-6 stalks celery, include the leaves if they’re there
1 10 oz can of corn (NOT creamed), drained, liquid reserved in a small mixing bowl.

¾ C white or cider vinegar
½ C olive or other vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp dry mustard
1 T caraway or poppy seed

Directions:

Rinse all veggies.

Remove the core and the outermost leaf (or leaves) from the cabbage and discard them. Shred or chop (fine or coarse is up to you) and place in a (very large) mixing bowl. There should be 10-12 cups. It will shrink/pack down a little after seasoning.

Remove stem, seeds, and membrane from the peppers. Chop them coarsely and add to bowl. (If using carrot, peel and remove the ends. Then chop or slice thinly.)

Trim any dried or brown ends from the celery stalks. Use a vegetable peeler to remove any discolored areas. Slice thinly and add to bowl.

Add the drained corn. Mix everything gently to combine.

Prepare the dressing: Combine all remaining ingredients with the corn liquid that you’ve reserved in the small mixing bowl. Mix well to dissolve sugar and salt. (There should be 1 3/4 to 2 C of dressing altogether.) Add them to the chopped veggies and mix/toss gently but thoroughly.

Pack the mixture into one or two large containers and cover tightly with lids. Let “steep” at room temperature for at least one-half hour, turning and shaking occasionally in the covered containers to mix the dressing around well.

Taste the slaw and correct the seasonings if you like. (The proportions here are pretty mild. That is, only moderately salty/sweet/sour/spicy.) If you correct them, let the slaw sit out again at room temp for another 30 mins. Refrigerate once you’ve got the seasonings as you want them, at least 1/2 hour before serving.

Makes about 10 cups of slaw. Keeps well in the refrigerator for at least a week.</span></span>

Question!

Can I substitute vodka for the white vinegar?

Only really, really expensive vodka, though.

The recipe looks calico-licious, cleome. I'll have to make it for the next potluck. Thanks for sharing!

That DOES look good C ... the wife and I will give that a try the next time we're making a mess in the kitchen!

Get your mind out of the gutter!

[sulks]

I wasn't gonna' say anything about it, Dude.

[whistles, looks at ceiling]

BTW, still eating the leftovers. Not as photogenic as they were on Day One, but still tasty.

Leftovers are always better anyways!

Did somebody say... <span style="font-size: 18px;"><font face="cursive">Gingerbread?!</font f></span>

(This stuff is not for weaklings. It's dense and it's DARK. Don't be surprised if when you pull it out of the oven, it looks more like chocolate cake than like traditional gingerbread. Cover any uneaten portion loosely after it's cooled. Good the first day, better the second.)

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">
Ingredients:
1 T cider vinegar
3/4 C Milk
2 C Flour (sift once before measuring!)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves OR coriander OR cardamom
1/3 C sugar
1 egg
1/2 C dark molasses
1/4 C honey

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8" x 8" x 2" pan.

Add the vinegar to the milk, and set aside. Sift together twice the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the shortening. Add the sugar gradually and cream well. Add the egg and whip until fluffy. Add the molasses and honey and mix.

Add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture, about 1/4 at a time, alternately with the (by this time) curdled milk. Stir only until mixed after each addition.

Turn into prepared pan and bake 40-45 minutes, or until bread rebounds to the touch when pressed gently in the center.
</span></span>

I can't believe I missed this! Thanks for the recipes, cleome. I'll definitely give them a try soon.

Count me in too. I already showed this to my wife and she's game to try.

Cleome, I was looking through your flicker account again.

I especially was taken with this pic - http://www.flickr.com/photos/xenophora/6188833810/in/photostream

here's the comment i was gonna post -

Very classy! I especially like the "swirls" in the background. Makes the girl look like she's stepping on... well, a nautilus shell is the nearest shape I can think of. (PS - you sent me from LW Thanks for the gingerbread recipe!)

And I really like this one too!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xenophora/6180851220/in/photostream

The red cherries and the red uniforms of the marching band make such a good image of red. And the bar cutting across the cake is really interesting. Makes me think, is that really a cake, or... well, something else.

Thanks for checking out my pics, IB.

And thanks for sharing them with us, cleome

Less than ten posts to go until I hit Double Time Trapper.

Help me out here, Minions!

really? wow. where was I?

Um...

...I think Cleome should give episodes of the orignal Transformers cartoon a chance, because one of the heroic Autobots is named after one of her favorite kinds of music: Jazz.

Well, when we first met, you were something of a Disaster, I believe...

I think we should watch it together. Then you can chime in every couple of minutes with lots of facts about characters and storylines.

Sort of like how I "helped" poor mr_cleome along when we were watching the DC 'toons together.

cleome has trapped time TWICE!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Did you use a better trap this time?

Congratulations, cle! I'm going to have to step up my game to keep ahead of you.

[bows]

HWW, if you're starting one of these Top 40 threads every week or so, I don't think you'll have to worry.

I don't know if I'll do one every week. We'll see how it goes.

In fact, since I have more than ten years worth of charts, I may do one every day.

[Just kidding. HWW runs for the door.]

Nope. The same trap, but rebooted.

This thread (and the poster it is celebrating) is too awesome to not be on the first page! Congratulations, cleome!

Thanks, IB!

Sessions™ beer for everyone! I'm buying!

Yay! Beer with cleome, no better way to spend a weekend!

(I'll bring the nachos!)

CLEOME'S BACK!!!

No nachos tonight, unfortunately, but mr_cleome's got a nice lamb curry going on the stove for later on.

That sounds divine! Have a good dinner with some good wine

Huge Happy Birthdays Cleome!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Cleome.

Happy, happy, happy birthday/week, cleome!

Oh goodie, happy birthday Cleome!

What, I missed the party?!

(Dang those defective Time Bubbles!)

Happy belated birthday!

Cleome partied with us on Friday night, but she wasn't here at all last night.

Time for some CLEOME BAIT.

I'll bring the martinis!

And some Philippine fruit wine!

Sorry. I got busy with silly RL stuff.

I don't care that Marshall hardly still has any hair. He'll always be my dreamboat.

Also, I just had two fresh blackberry margaritas. I thought that you should know.

And now I am happy for you, and also slightly envious.

I don't think I've ever tasted actual blackberries before.

Time for more CLEOME BAIT.

I have some Ethiopian tej and some Korean soju for us to share!

And of course, some Philippine lambanog.

I miss Cleome!

Yeah, where has she been?

I worry that I drove her away because I'm into astrology, which she despises.

Perhaps we can lure her back with some good wine.

And some jazz.

and some good conversation.

Well, Cleome is a semi-regular again.

As the saying goes, a taste of honey is better than none at all.

Strike up the jazz.

Honey! and cinnamon and gingebread!

And home-made granola!

Yay! And lots of good wine and tea!

I just had some really divine cinnamon tea, BTW. Thought you should know.

j'adore. [sniff!]

Mmmm! I'm envious, I'm going to go brew some apple-cinnamon tea mix too.

This was actually a thank-you gift from my co-op. Almost down to the last teabag. I hope they still carry this brand.

And now I think I'll cut up some fresh veggies to have with my tea. It's not beer and nachos but (small portions of) that could happen later tonight. I'm an optimist.

Started a new Willa Cather book this week and every time I do that, I always think of the wonderful Cleome, whose recommendation brought her to my attention!

Plus, fresh veggies and tea sounds really awesome right now.

I'm almost finished with the last story in that collection I mentioned in the Reading thread, Cobie. It's called "The Enchanted Mesa." I'm trying to read super-slow, because I don't really want it to end.

I read a couple of Cather books: The Professor's House and My Antonia. Cather wrote in a very different style than I'm used to . . . sort of rambling and taking its sweet time to get to a point, but the journey was worthwhile and there were all those vivid descriptions.

Yep. It's not a style that's been in vogue for a long time. It takes more patience from a modern reader than it would've taken her contemporaries.

I do love My Antonia, but haven't read The Professor's House. At least not yet.

Was thinking my next reread might be some of Bernard Malmaud's short stories, but we'll see...

Her prose is just so beautiful and potent. For me, it's refreshing and effective.

I thought O Pioneers was one of the best novels I've read in years. I truly didn't want it to end.

My sister is a huge fan too now.

O Pioneers! just gets me in the gut every time. No matter how often I know the end is coming, it's still... [leaves out spoilers for anyone who still wants to read it]

I haven't read that first one, but the second is a favorite. I often wonder what the real-life Bohemians I'm now related to by marriage would make of their depiction in Cather's stories.

On another note: I think when I hit 22,222 posts, we should have a party. Or do I need to wait for 33,333 so we can have a Cargggian theme?

Why not both?

Yes, both!

Been re-reading the last few pages of this thread, and...OH, MY GAWD...based on He Who's description of her writing, I must be a distant descendant of Willa Cather! Will seek out her writings today, as I'd already planned a trip to a nearby branch library to do research for future fics. Thanks, all, but, of course, special thanks to Cleome.

What is cleome's super-power? Can she change into various plants or does she perform magic based upon plants? Or is it something else entirely?

I thought that she imparted others with the gift of photosynthesis. The increased metabolism resulting in little happy flurries of posting when she passes by.

I haven't read enough good fiction in several years (too many work-related books to cover). This year is fiction year. I just added O Pioneers to my list.

[waves]

I'm glad my latest prolonged disappearance has been forgiven so easily.

I'm still not getting enough offline reading done, though. I got a copy of June Jordan's We're On from the library two weeks ago, but I've only picked at it a bit.

On the other hand, my Photoshop doodling is progressing nicely. Don't forget to click the sig line link if you like seeing open-faced sandwiches morphed into propellers, etc.

cleome, happy happy happy birthday!!!!! you wonderful person you!

HA...............

....................... BIRTH


................PPY


......CLEOME

..................................DAY

!

A Happy Birthday text collage in your honour. Have a great day!

Break out the morning margaritas! Or decaf, if you prefer.

Have a great birthday Cleome!

mmmmmmMargaritas!!! It's Friday, so why not!??

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Cleome!

This is also a good place for me to tell her about that Stanley Dance book, "Jazz Age: The 40s", which she inspired me to borrow from the library.

It's basically a jazz guide with a very long introductory essay by Dance (the individual artists are reviewed by Dance along with several other writers.) I found it very informative and well-written, as well as a good primer for someone like me who only knows a handful of jazz artists by name. The one part that made me raise my eyebrow was Dance's seemingly disdainful attitude towards the Bop movement, and in particular its visual signifiers (berets, dark glasses, etc.) At the same time, since the book was written in 1960, just before all the young white college kids started appropriating those very same signifiers, made it hard for me to not indulge in a chuckle.

That's interesting, because Duke Ellington, who was so close to Dance, had lots of praise for bop founders like Monk and Mary Lou Williams. (He wrote a piece called "Frere Monk," in fact.)

Happy birthday Cleome.

Hap birth

Having an early morning cup of tea in your honour.

Huge Happy Returns Cleome! Have a great birthday!

Happy happy happy birthday cleome, cheers to a wonderful, kind, funny person - you!

Happy Birthday, Cleome!

Thank you, my darlings.

How do I love Cleome?

Let me count the ways.

...

I'm up to 3000, as in Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

I bet if you saw all the Cleome brithday threads on a sitemap, they would be positioned in inspiring and artful ways.

Deep breath to blow up those lower case letters....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLEOME!

We need more cleome in our lives!