Go Steph!

Good luck, Steph!

I was reading an interview (of an author) on the Splendid Table blog and came across this:

LRK: There is something in the book -- corn creates vampires?

RR: Well, there's a theory. Corn isn't a complete protein source, it lacks a couple of essential amino acids, and it doesn't have much of anything in the way of niacin, which is vitamin B3. A diet that's really, really heavy in corn can lead to a vitamin deficiency disease called pellagra, which was a real problem in the American South in the late 1800s and beginning of the 20th century.

Pellagra came to Europe neck-and-neck with when people started eating American corn. Sufferers from pellagra were first called the butterfly people because they'd have this butterfly-shaped rash on their face. But as the disease progressed, the symptoms included sun sensitivity, dementia and a slow-wasting death. It was really an awful disease.

All these thin, pale, peculiar, light-avoiding people -- a couple of researchers in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine in Britain postulated -- were the source of vampire legends. They sounded a lot like vampires. One theory is that maybe Dracula just needed a dose of vitamin B3 and he might have been fine.

From The Splendid Table's interview of Rebecca Rupp the author of How Carrots Won the Trojan War.

Pete Hautman did a YA novel called Sweet Blood that played with that idea, but from a diabetic perspective. It was really good.

I can't think of a reason why you'd need to buy a dress for a funeral if you already have one--is it a thing?

I've never done it. Even when I didn't really have anything appropriate to wear, I did the best I could with what I had.

Amy, that sounds like an interesting read.

ION Underwater Sink Holes Swallows Tress in Louisiana.

I am at a workshop (pray for me) and the moderator using the whiteboard wrote a word:

"b i t...."

and I'm like "omg, this workshop is going to involve bitches."

it was a bit.ly address.

So this is apparently old news but it's the first time I've seen it, and it's just as wonderful as it sounds:

Peter Dinklage and Lena Headly hula-hoop in a Canadian gay bar.

So glad everything went well, Teppy!

I usually have something in my closet appropriate for a funeral. The exception was Rob's. I had appropriate clothing, but I wanted to be able to wear it again. I haven't worn the dress I bought for his funeral since that day. It's now four sizes too big, but even if I could, I wouldn't. Too many memories. Too much baggage. Too much everything.

The workshop is not a waste of time as I feared. But the current presenter is saying something controversial:

in dance and art and other creative endeavors, research may not be as important.

Uh...half the faculty in the room started objecting strongly to this statement. Good grief.

even if I could, I wouldn't. Too many memories. Too much baggage. Too much everything.

I completely get that.

in dance and art and other creative endeavors, research may not be as important

I'm not sure what he means. Like ... researching an area or a time period for a particular novel? Or simply knowing the history of your medium?