He ... he ... he looks ill to me. It'll take me a second to adjust.

I've heard a crazy story about him going around the clock and not sleeping for days, then getting Bryan Singer to come and direct for a day so he could sleep.

OH! and HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!!

summer summer summertime (summertime)

Clark's does have sandals with adjustable straps over the top of the foot, as well as at the heel. For the tall-footed, that may be ideal. (A bit granola-looking, as shoes go, but under $100, comfortable, and not made of plastic.) Ecco and Dansko also make comfortable shoes, but I don't know how well they fit the tall-footed.

"That's mighty white of you."

I have never heard this expression in my life, sarcastically or not. I have overheard someone complaining about being handed manual labor by asking, "What am I, black?" The woman in question had probably met 5 black people in her entire life (this was rural Maine), but sheesh.

In related news, the Boston Globe has a big article today about Native American mascot names on teams. The NCAA is asking schools for justifications of their racist mascotry -- big schools, like Illinois and Florida State. UMass used to be the Redmen, complete with be-feathered mascot, until 1972 when, with no outcry at all, the student body voted to change it to Minutemen/Minutewomen. It looks like you will pry the Seminoles and the Illini out of their respective colleges' alumni associations' cold, dead fingers.

Coincidentally to that, the Red Sox played the cleveland Indians last night, and I spent the evening cringeing at their idiotic emblem and doubly idiotic fan behaviors (drums, etc.). The Atlanta Braves are almost as bad, but at least they manage to avoid the caricature fron and center on their caps.

Sometimes, screaming liberals come off as namby-pamby "Oh I didn't mean to offend you" cakes. But, you know, happy to be holed up in the no-offend corner, even if that means I occasionally am required to sing Kumbaya.

The gold medal for thoughtless offensive speech has to go to my uncle who cracked some tasteless joke and then apologetically introduced himself to my cousin's new husband as "the black sheep of the family." The new husband being, of course, the first African-American to marry into our family. I felt like crawling under a rock after that one, and I was only a bystander.

See now that doesn't bother me at all.

Don't know how reliable this is:

black sheep: figurative use is supposedly because a real black sheep had wool that could not be dyed and was thus worthless. But one black sheep in a flock was considered good luck by shepherds in Sussex, Somerset, Kent, Derbyshire. Baa Baa Black Sheep nursery rhyme's first known publication is in "Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book" (c.1744).

black sheep: figurative use is supposedly because a real black sheep had wool that could not be dyed and was thus

Hey, I LIKE black sweaters - what gives?

Plei, have you tried Clarks? My mom has good things to say and what I have tried on have been comfy.

My poor Clarks are one of the pairs of shoes that almost fit, but anything other than the velcro-strapped are too narrow. Also, for some reason, all my Clarks have managed to get stinkyfoot within about three weeks. My other shoes don't have that problem. Don't know what's up with that.

I'm guessing the Sussex goth scene hadn't really gotten going yet in 1744.

The Atlanta Braves are almost as bad, but at least they manage to avoid the caricature fron and center on their caps.

No, but they do the frelling tomahawk chop, which drives me up a wall. I don't really see a problem with teams calling themselves Seminoles or Illini, or other tribe names, as it seems that it's mostly to honor the group that lived there. I am glad that St. Johns did away with "Redmen." Still waiting for the Washington Redskins to have a clue.

Plei try Keen's. They are a bit on the sporty side, but Lori and I both like them, Lori especially, because they accomodate wide Fred-Flintstone-like feet that both of us have.

I like the style called Saratoga, fwiw. Though I have mary janes from Keen that I bought in children's sizes and they fit great.

Plei, these shoes are 6C and are named Buffy.

Kinda cute.

Vaguely witchy.

Pricey but comfy and mostly fug-free slip-ons.

More slip-ons, these in suede.

It is so much more entertaining to virtually shop for someone else than to do anything actually productive. The Lutherans are looming just around the corner, but I can't really see them through all the shoes.

I have "thick" feet and the Danskos love me. But if Birkenstocks fit you well (I get blisters!!) you might look at the Tatami styles. I like Scarlet: [link]