Books for Left-Handers [books]

I recently did a post on Lefty's in San Francisco, the only store in the US that caters specifically to left-handed people. Though us lefties are in the minority, there are many books written about left-handedness; two of my favorites are "The Natural Superiority of the Left-Hander" and the considerably more dense read, "The Left-Hander Syndrome: The Causes and Consequences of Left-Handedness."

Is Eliza Dushku in a Toilet Paper Commercial?

Is Eliza Dushku (yes, the one in Wrong Turn and Tru Calling) in a Quilted Northern commercial?

Perhaps horror and TV aren't her true calling after all.

Teeth & Vagina Dentata [film, phenomenons, cake]

I watched Teeth (2008) last night with my girlfriend. Yes, that whole movie about a girl with teeth in her vagina doing (horrid!) damage to the males she encounters. Basically, a man's worst nightmare.

While we were watching it, we were actually surprised. The film was done a lot better than either of us thought it would be and we actually enjoyed it (even me, the penis-possessor of the pair!); the film wasn't just a vagina-chewing-penis horror flick that most seem to expect in line with the Scream-born modern era horrorgore without a story line, and wasn't pornographic or overly gory as I thought it might be.

I admit I don't have much faith in modern horror.

M. commented on the cinematography and the well-thought out shots (as opposed to most modern horror films, people!) and I enjoyed the purposeful pacing and the fact that they actually explored the real cultural phenomenon of vagina dentata without being exploitative in any way.

Note: this film could be triggering to some, watch with caution.



"Vagina dentata" is a male cross-cultural myth seen in numerous cultures around the world (Native American, Greek, African, Egyptian, etc.) in which the man is afraid of inserting his penis into a woman's vagina for fear of his penis being injured by the supposed toothed vagina.

From The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara Walker:

"Toothed vagina," the classic symbol of men's fear of sex, expressing the unconscious belief that a woman may eat or castrate her partner during intercourse. Frued said, "Probably no male human being is spared the terrifying shock of threatened castration at the sight of female genitals." But he had the reason wrong. The real reason for this "terrifying shock" is a mouth-symbolism, now recognized universally in myth and fantasy: "It is well-known in psychiatry that both males and females fantasize as a mouth the female's entranceway to the vagina."

When I did a Google image search for "vagina dentata," the only blog-appropriate images were cakes. Yes, cakes inspired by the film.

If you'd like to see a more "adult" photo, click here.

Vagina Dentata cake via Cakes and Comics and Cartwheels.

Another vagina dentata cake via Miss Cakehead's Flickr stream:

Cakes are not the only culinary items adorning the vagina these days; click here for an earlier post with a recipe for Vagina Muff-ins.

Even if you are not a baker, at least click to see what a muff-in looks like!

1974 was a Golden Year for Film [film, 1970's]

Wow. 1974 sure was a golden year for film; it was also quite a year at the Academy Awards!

I’m currently watching The Conversation, which was filmed here in San Francisco and directed by one of my all-time favorite directors, Francis Ford Coppola. I have a slight obsession with movies filmed here in the Bay Area.

I also adore The Towering Inferno, which came out the same year and was also filmed in San Francisco. It was up against The Conversation for Best Picture (they both lost to another Coppola film, The Godfather III). It did end up taking home the award for Best Cinematography, and it truly is a visual treat.

My all-time favorite film, John Cassavetes’ “A Woman Under the Influence” also came out that year, and Gena Rowlands was nominated for Best Actress but ended up losing to Ellen Burstyn for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

Lifetime Movie Network: My Neighbor's Secret [movies]

One of my indulgences is the Lifetime Movie Network. I am taking advantage of the rainy day to watch "My Neighbor's Secret," starring Nicholas Brendon, whose career was pretty much over after his run on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, save a few episodes of Criminal Minds and Private Practice as well as some minor film roles here and there.

He still has that slight lisp, too.
Up next is the much-anticipated "And Baby Will Fall," based on the novel by Hallie Ephron, and starring Clea Duvall. Yes, Clea Duvall.

No, I don't know why she is doing Lifetime movies either.

William Ayers in San Francisco.

I'm disappointed I missed William Ayers last night at The Green Arcade in San Francisco.

I was first introduced to William Ayers via his involvement in the Weather Underground, a 1960's militant student political organization.