Consuela,

I actually went to NF's twitter feed and you might be right about him trolling her by not paying attention, but does he do that kind of shit for fans? He seems to have a different relationship with fans than say Wil Wheaton does.

There are some stars who would be game for that kind of thing, and I'm not sure I'd put him in that category. I could be wrong.

Allyson, those sound completely awesome.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm also somewhat ashamedly envious of the family Bloggess living standards. I don't know that I'd trade for the severity of her anxiety and arthritis issues. I think blogging is as close as she gets to a "dayjob" - her weekly round up includes a number of columns for newspapers and such. The Bloggess, as I understand it, is her personal "Blog for Bloggers" which has gotten wildly popular (the "Wil Wheaton collating paper" photo is her response to ad/endorsement solicitations for really random shit).

ION, recycling problems: what do I do with (a) mostly-unused shampoo and conditioner I used until I decided I didn't like them, and (b) the basically (but not totally) empty foundation bottle?

Your not-quite-totally empty foundation bottle can go in the recycling (assuming it has an appropriate number for your local program). For the other stuff, if you don't mind the scent you could go the Flylady "soap is soap" route and use it to clean your toilet. You could also offer it up to friends who might want to try it. And really, it's not the end of the world to put it in the recycling bin if it's not empty. The rinsing thing is largely to keep away pests that would make people go "eww" and not recycle.

Huh. Public opinion is shifting away from the Republicans: [link]

Longish. Some highlights:

The Republican brand is in a state of collapse – over 50 percent of voters give the Republican Party a cool, negative rating. The presidential race and the congressional battles are interacting with each other to drive down their lead candidate, the party, and perceptions of the congressional Republicans.

...

The biggest story here is unmarried women. President Obama now leads Romney among unmarried women by a margin of 65 to 30 percent, up from 54 percent Obama, 37 percent Romney at the end of last year. These voters are approaching the same level of support (70 percent) they showed the President in the 2008 elections.

Thank you, Rush Limbaugh!

...

More broadly, voters may wonder why the Republicans are consumed with pushing back health coverage for women rather than continuing to focus on the economy, spending and debt.

We may yet look back on this debate and wonder whether this was a Terry Schiavo moment.

...

Obama and Democrats lost the country in 2010 and many disillusioned voters were ready to give the Republicans a chance and were very open to new presidential options.[2] Instead, they see a party and leaders determined to stop President Obama rather than work with him, stuck in an anti-tax mantra with few economic ideas, seemingly hostile to the middle class and aligned with the 1 percent and, more recently, obsessed over social issues when the economy still looms as the biggest problem. That performance, coupled with an improving economic mood in the country, may be locking in perceptions that may be hard to unlock over the summer and fall.

She has severe rheumatoid arthritis.

smonster beat me to it, but she does have some severe anxiety issues, too.

Speaking of arthritis, though, Ginger, the Biofreeze is really helping my finger joints. Thank you!

I don't know that I'd trade for the severity of her anxiety and arthritis issues. I think blogging is as close as she gets to a "dayjob" - her weekly round up includes a number of columns for newspapers and such.

Ah-ha. That I did not know.

She's the one who made the haunted doll house, right? Because that I am WILDLY and unashamedly covetous of.

Hmm, I might need to try Biofreeze.

If The Bloggess came to an f2f, she'd spend the whole thing in a stairwell. [link]

PS. I’m also co-hosting the 5th annual People’s Party at Blogher this year. As always, I will be hiding in the bathroom the entire time, as my anxiety disorder has never actually allowed me to attend any of the parties I’ve hosted. This is not an exaggeration.

tommyrot, fingers crossed those trends continue.

eta yes, she made the haunted doll house. Is making, I think it's a work forever in progress. Did you see the baby duck vampire slayer she made, Jilli?

If The Bloggess came to an f2f, she'd spend the whole thing in a stairwell.

There are a lot of reasons like this that some writers like to be at home, writing.

Biofreeze is great stuff.

ION, recycling problems: what do I do with (a) mostly-unused shampoo and conditioner I used until I decided I didn't like them, and (b) the basically (but not totally) empty foundation bottle?

smonster already said, but I will add that hair conditioner is a great substitute for shaving cream.

Your not-quite-totally empty foundation bottle can go in the recycling (assuming it has an appropriate number for your local program). For the other stuff, if you don't mind the scent you could go the Flylady "soap is soap" route and use it to clean your toilet. You could also offer it up to friends who might want to try it. And really, it's not the end of the world to put it in the recycling bin if it's not empty. The rinsing thing is largely to keep away pests that would make people go "eww" and not recycle.

Awesome, thank you! The shampoo/conditioner is now-ancient drugstore stuff, so I'll just dump it. Possibly in the toilet and/or tub, for cleaning purposes.