AKA delicious things to look forward to after a long day.
Get the recipe. Serve with roasted Chinese broccoli and brown rice. (To roast Chinese broccoli, toss it with oil and salt, put in 500 degree oven to 5-7 minutes, chop into smaller pieces then serve.)
Faith Durand / Via thekitchn.com
Now 36, the former teen star continues to make bold career choices without shying away from his Dawson’s Creek past.
Jason Merritt / Getty
James Van Der Beek isn't the most casually dressed person at Soho House, a members-only club in West Hollywood, but he's still more dressed down than you'd expect given his surroundings and the fact that, on a quiet Monday afternoon, he's the biggest name in the place.
On the whole, there's little to suggest that Van Der Beek spent six years as one of the biggest stars on television. He's amiable and down-to-earth, smiling consistently as he sips his iced tea. When your most notable acting roles are an impossibly sincere teenager and an exaggerated version of yourself, maintaining a good sense of humor and humility comes with the territory.
Which is not to say that James Van Der Beek doesn't take his work seriously. On the contrary, he's fully committed to his craft. But Van Der Beek, who stars on the upcoming CBS sitcom Friends With Better Lives, has come a long way since he played softhearted Dawson Leery on the WB's iconic teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 until 2003. And that meant learning to stay grounded and keep his ego in check.
"I think probably in my younger days I was a little put off by having to prove myself, but now it's just part of the game," he says. "Part of being a working actor is having to prove yourself every day, every project, every scene, every season. It is what it is. And I've come to accept it, and enjoy it, and enjoy the challenge, and enjoy auditioning."
Now 36, Van Der Beek is a more developed actor than ever before, displaying his range as he moves between sitcoms and serious dramas, like Jason Reitman's Labor Day, released in January. And while no longer a teen heartthrob, Van Der Beek hasn't lost his good looks, maturing from Tiger Beat cute to movie star handsome.
But Van Der Beek is less interested in being a star these days: The more opportunities he gets, the more he realizes he's drawn to strong characters over big roles.
"The size of the role matters almost none to me, as long as there's something to it that I feel like I can grab on to," he says. "I can totally take three great scenes, two great scenes, one great scene in a great movie … I had an agent who called me a 'character actor trapped in a leading man's body,' which to me was the highest compliment of all, because those are the guys I love watching."
Options aren't something Van Der Beek always thought he would have. When he signed on to Don't Trust the B–––– in Apartment 23 in 2011, there was concern that playing a parody of James Van Der Beek could prove limiting. Where do you go after playing yourself?
"In a weird way, it's almost like the playing field is wide open after you do that," Van Der Beek says. "I remember some of the conventional wisdom at the time when I was offered the opportunity was a question of 'Will people be able to take you seriously in serious roles? Is this going to take anything away?' In fact, it did the exact opposite. It actually opened the door to a whole lot more."
Van Der Beek and co-star Katie Holmes as Joey Potter on Dawson's Creek.
Sony Pictures Television
Before James Van Der Beek was James Van Der Beek on Don't Trust the B––––, he was Dawson Leery on Dawson's Creek. Along with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Felicity, Dawson's Creek defined the WB as the premier network for smart, sensitive teens. It helped that Dawson was a soulful aspiring filmmaker, wise beyond his years. As played by Van Der Beek, Dawson was iconic for his good nature and unwavering sincerity.
"At the very core of this, we had to find someone who was the leading man of our show, the man around which all of these characters rotate," recalls Paul Stupin, the Dawson's Creek executive producer who approached Kevin Williamson to write the series' pilot. "He had to have a star quality and a real sense of presence. And he also had to combine that with a sense of emotion, a sense of passion, a sense of intellectuality."
To some extent, that perfectly describes Van Der Beek. Dawson's relentless earnestness, however, was a bit much.
"Dawson's sweet, but he's the kind of guy I'd find myself making excuses to not hang out with," he admits, echoing an earlier statement he made to Paper Magazine that stirred up some tabloid controversy.
Van Der Beek isn't being cruel, just honest. But despite their differences, Van Der Beek has long been linked with the character he played for six years. While he was aware of the challenges of being typecast before he joined Dawson's Creek, he wasn't prepared for Dawson's long-lasting influence.
"There was a time when it was frustrating because I always felt very capable of things that had nothing to do with that," Van Der Beek says. "I never felt like I would be trapped or only be able to do that type of character. It seemed so odd to me."
It wasn't just the character of Dawson but that he was so omnipresent, a clear symbol — like Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar and Felicity's Keri Russell — of teen drama's potential.
"It did hold me back," Van Der Beek continues. "'He's so recognizable, is he gonna pull us out of this more serious movie?' And I know that's come up from time to time. When I've gotten opportunities, that has not been the case, so then you think, All right, are we past this now? Are we over it? But at the end of the day, it just makes you work that much harder."
167,903 emails: “Someone would like to add you to their professional network! :)”
Kevin Tang
Well done, BBC.
If you’re stressed about the right and wrong ways to sit, you can stop.
Christina Lu / BuzzFeed
It's not "chivalrous" to let women off the elevator first, as if it were the sinking Titanic. It's just annoying, and a little condescending, especially when the women in question are at the back of the elevator. Besides, waiting for them often just slows the exiting process down. "The basic rule with elevators (and subways, buses, and trains) is to let people off before you get on. Letting women off first does not apply here," said sex educator and therapist Jo Langford. "If a guy is standing in an elevator full of ladies, but he's closest to the door, [he should] get the hell out of the way."
The importance of following up a job interview with a brief thank you can't be stressed enough, but it no longer has to come in the form of a handwritten note. Business Insider Managing Editor Jessica Liebman speaks in strong support of the thank-you email, especially if the position is in the media industry. The main benefit is speed: While the handwritten note might seem more personal, it inevitably comes with a delay. "I'm a firm believer in following up with a thank-you note less than 24 hours after the interview, while you're still fresh in the interviewer's mind," Liebman wrote. It's also guaranteed to arrive in their inbox, and more likely to get a response. "Sending a handwritten note just feels ancient to me [...] Be current."
There are a lot of very passionate declarations floating around that A MAN MUST NEVER WEAR A HAT INDOORS, but none provide any compelling reasons to support that claim. Is it because the hat is tracking in all of the dust, soot, and dirt from these new industrial cities (which, miraculously, avoided the rest of the body)? Or is it because the wearer is speaking with someone who resides in a higher social class? Or is it because he is speaking to a woman (who, incidentally, can leave her hat on [as long as it isn't a baseball cap])? Even Emily Post acknowledges "these customs are now historical footnotes." Who needs them? Unless you're going to an event with a specific dress code or you're visiting a place of worship that calls for the removal of hats, you can feel free to keep it on. Just don't be surprised if you get a couple of raised eyebrows in response.
C’mon, Hollywood, let’s revisit Dorothy Gale in Harlem, N.Y.
Original actor: Ted Ross
CeeLo Green is perfect for this role because he's cute, adorable, and it would be interesting to see him play the timid King of the Jungle on screen.
Via Universal Studios / Bryan Bedder / Getty Images
Original actress: Mabel King
Alfre Woodard would make a wonderful Wicked Witch because of her incredible range as an actress. While most of her roles are serious, it would be a nice change of pace to see her play someone as evil and wacky as Evilene.
Via Universal Studios / Jennifer Cooper, E!
Original actress: Theresa Merritt
Octavia Spencer could easily play Aunt Em, the doting maternal figure in Dorothy's life. Her natural charm would ooze off the screen.
Universal Studios / Getty Images
Original actress: Thelma Carpenter
Couldn't you see Nicki Minaj, the eccentric rapper totally owning this role? And not only that, she would be the leader of the Munchkins, which can't be a far stretch from her Barbz fan base, right?
Via Universal Studios / Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic
It’s called “Mark Ditto Mark.”
The Chrome extension "Mark Ditto Mark" is designed to turn every first name that appears in your brower to "Mark" and every last name to "Ditto". Its creators, the "media artists" A. J. Patrick Liszkiewicz and Lucas Miller, built the tool for one express reason: To create an epic, generative fictional narrative about a person named Mark Ditto:
Mark Ditto Mark is a conceptual novel generated by a browser extension. When installed and activated, the extension will alter any names of people which appear on the currently displayed Internet page: first names are changed to "Mark," and last names are changed to "Ditto." In this way, Mark Ditto Mark transforms the Internet into a gigantic, sprawling novel about someone named "Mark Ditto."
So I decided to install "Mark Ditto Mark" and see what I could find out about the novel's title character.
The competition was tough, but glorious.
Macey J. Foronda/BuzzFeed
Giuliana and Bill Rancic are a husband and wife who manage to work together, travel around the world, raise a child, and feature it all on their reality show — all while still actually getting along with each other. We tested their knowledge of each other with a classic game of "He Said/She Said," and even though they both identify as severely competitive people, they managed to remain best friends throughout the competition, eliciting many "aww"s from our staff. You might even call it "amazeballs."
Macey J. Foronda/BuzzFeed
Thanks for playing, guys.
Bill Rancic: We're very competitive.
What's Giuliana's favorite Italian food?
Both write down the same answer: "Mama Depandi's Pasta."
Giuliana Rancic: Well, that was easy.
Welcome to babedom.
Is your cat secretly an artist, or is your cat a total suit? Find their true destiny within!
Should I know what the hell I’m doing with my life?
HBO / Via wifflegif.com
1. What is a 401(k)?
2. My student loans are HOW MUCH a month?
3. What do you mean I need to get on my own phone plan?
4. Can I take a nap?
5. What were all those forms I just signed?
6. What do you mean by "good health plan"?
7. Why does going to the dentist cost so much money?
8. What does this light in my car mean?!?!
9. Is that what I spent four years in college for?
10. Why did I want to graduate?
11. Can I buy a good credit score on the black market?
12. What about a retirement plan?
13. Should I be cleaning my oven?
14. How the hell do those people on House Hunters even afford a house at my age?
15. Should my car be making that noise?
16. Should I start eating kale?
17. Why does literally everything cost money?
18. Should I buy groceries or have a social life this week?
19. Should I be drinking something classier?
20. Should I start throwing dinner parties?
21. WHY WON'T ANYONE HIRE ME?
22. Should I stop staying out until 4 a.m.?
23. What the hell do people want in a cover letter, anyway?
24. What should my résumé actually look like?
25. Should I get out of bed?
26. Am I having a midlife crisis?
27. How do people just KNOW what they want to do?
28. Should I go to grad school?
29. How does anyone afford anything?
30. Should I sell plasma?
31. Why doesn't anyone prepare you for this?
32. Why won't anyone email me back about my applications?
33. Is this job application worth writing a cover letter for?
34. Am I ever going to find a job?
35. Why is chocolate so good at making me feel better?
36. What the fuck kind of interview question was that?
37. What do they mean by "writing samples?"
38. Should I delete that tweet?
39. Why hasn't anyone liked my status yet?
40. Should I buy my own Netflix account or keep using my friend's?
41. Should I get Tinder?
42. Is it normal to cry when paying my rent?
43. Should I do laundry or just buy more underwear?
44. Should I learn how to cook or just buy some Lean Cuisines?
45. Sneezing is working out, right?
46. Was that my refrigerator or an intruder?
47. Should I stop texting when I'm drinking?
48. Should I try online dating?
49. Should I get takeout?
50. Should I just have wine for dinner?
51. Why is Simply Orange $76?
52. How did I graduate college?
53. How did they get a job?
54. Why am I crying?
55. Should I know what the hell I'm doing with my life?
HARD HAT = WORKING.
They like to show up to work in pant suits and power suits.
AP
Goats get a bad rap, but do you think you could do what they do? It’s harder than you think.
He's always one step ahead.
Bummer.
tumblr.com / Via tumblr.com
C'mon, man.
tumblr.com / Via tumblr.com
Sucks.
i.imgur.com / Via reddit.com
The lesson here is to NOT try to take photos with elephants. They simply don’t have time for it.
BrianPrahl / Splash News
BrianPrahl / Splash News
BrianPrahl / Splash News
BrianPrahl / Splash News
That story and more in today’s gossip roundup!
Lorde is taking a stand against photoshopping after she noticed two photos of herself from the same concert looked very different. She tweeted the photos side by side with the following comment:
i find this curious - two photos from today, one edited so my skin is perfect and one real. remember flaws are ok :-)
Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry got married this past Sunday.
Jason Merritt / Getty Images
Kaley Cuoco admits in the pages of this month's Cosmopolitan magazine that she is "obsessed" with reading about herself online.
Cosmopolitan
When will their reflection show, who they are inside?
Reddit: joeyboybriggs / Via i.imgur.com
Reddit: Marneysmommy / Via i.imgur.com
Reddit: karaleecupcake / Via i.imgur.com
The president said Tuesday 7.1 million Americans enrolled in health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act before the March 31 deadline. He said his health care law has not fixed the health care system, but has improved it.
THE PRESIDENT: Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you so much. Welcome to the White House.
Six months ago today, a big part of the Affordable Care Act kicked in as healthcare.gov and state insurance marketplaces went live. And millions of Americans finally had the same chance to buy quality, affordable health care -- and the peace of mind that comes with it -- as everybody else.
Last night, the first open-enrollment period under this law came to an end. And despite several lost weeks out of the gate because of problems with the website, 7.1 million Americans have now signed up for private insurance plans through these marketplaces -- 7.1. (Applause.)
The truth is, even more folks want to sign up. So anybody who was stuck in line because of the huge surge in demand over the past few days can still go back and finish your enrollment -- 7.1 million, that's on top of the more than 3 million young adults who have gained insurance under this law by staying on their family's plan. That's on top of the millions more who have gained access through Medicaid expansion and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Making affordable coverage available to all Americans, including those with preexisting conditions, is now an important goal of this law. (Applause.)
And in these first six months, we've taken a big step forward. And just as importantly, this law is bringing greater security to Americans who already have coverage. Because of the Affordable Care Act, 100 million Americans have gained free preventive care, like mammograms and contraceptive care, under their existing plans. (Applause.) Because of this law, nearly 8 million seniors have saved almost $10 billion on their medicine because we've closed a gaping hole in Medicare's prescription drug plan. We're closing the donut hole. (Applause.) And because of this law, a whole lot of families won't be driven into bankruptcy by a serious illness, because the Affordable Care Act prevents your insurer from placing dollar limits on the coverage they provide.
These are all benefits that have been taking place for a whole lot of families out there, many who don't realize that they've received these benefits. But the bottom line is this: Under this law, the share of Americans with insurance is up and the growth of health care costs is down, and that's good for our middle class and that's good for our fiscal future. (Applause.)
Now, that doesn't mean that all the problems in health care have been solved forever. Premiums are still rising for families who have insurance, whether you get it through your employer or you buy it on your own -- that's been true every year for decades. But, so far, those premiums have risen more slowly since the Affordable Care Act passed than at any time in the past 50 years. It's also true that, despite this law, millions of Americans remain uncovered in part because governors in some states for political reasons have deliberately refused to expand coverage under this law. But we're going to work on that. And we'll work to get more Americans covered with each passing year. (Applause.)
And while it remains true that you'll still have to change your coverage if you graduate from college or turn 26 years old or move or switch jobs, or have a child -- just like you did before the Affordable Care Act was passed -- you can now go to healthcare.gov and use it year-round to enroll when circumstances in your life change. So, no, the Affordable Care Act hasn't completely fixed our long-broken health care system, but this law has made our health care system a lot better -- a lot better. (Applause.)
All told, because of this law, millions of our fellow citizens know the economic security of health insurance who didn't just a few years ago -- and that's something to be proud of. Regardless of your politics or your feelings about me, or your feelings about this law, that's something that's good for our economy, and it's good for our country. And there's no good reason to go back.
Let me give you a sense of what this change has meant for millions of our fellow Americans. I'll just give you a few examples. Sean Casey, from Solana Beach, California, always made sure to cover his family on the private market. But preexisting medical conditions meant his annual tab was over $30,000. The Affordable Care Act changed that. See, if you have a preexisting condition, like being a cancer survivor, or if you suffer chronic pain from a tough job, or even if you've just been charged more for being a woman -– you can no longer be charged more than anybody else. So this year, the Casey family's premiums will fall from over $30,000 to under $9,000. (Applause.)
And I know this because Sean took the time to write me a letter. "These savings," he said, "will almost offset the cost of our daughter's first year in college. I'm a big believer in this legislation, and it has removed a lot of complexity and, frankly, fear from my life. Please keep fighting for the ACA." That's what Sean had to say.
Jeanne Goe is a bartender from Enola, Pennsylvania. Now, I think most folks are aware being a bartender, that's a job that usually doesn't offer health care. For years, Jeanne went uninsured or underinsured, often getting some health care through her local Planned Parenthood. In November, she bought a plan on the marketplace. In January, an illness sent her to the hospital. And because her new plan covered a CAT scan she wouldn't have otherwise been able to afford, her doctor discovered that she also had ovarian cancer -– and gave her a chance to beat it. So she wrote me a letter, too. She said it's going to be "a long tough road to kill this cancer, but I can walk that road knowing insurance isn't an issue. I won't be refused care. I hope to send a follow-up letter in a few months saying I am free and clear of this disease, but until then, I know I will be fighting just as you have been fighting for my life as a working American citizen."
And after her first wellness visit under her new insurance plan, Marla Morine, from Fort Collins, Colorado, shared with me what it meant to her. "After using my new insurance for the first time, you probably heard my sigh of relief from the White House." (Laughter.) "I felt like a human being again. I felt that I had value."
That's what the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is all about -– making sure that all of us, and all our fellow citizens, can count on the security of health care when we get sick; that the work and dignity of every person is acknowledged and affirmed. The newly insured like Marla deserve that dignity. Working Americans like Jeanne deserve that economic security. Women, the sick, survivors -- they deserve fair treatment in our health care system, all of which makes the constant politics around this law so troubling.
Like every major piece of legislation -- from Social Security to Medicare -- the law is not perfect. We've had to make adjustments along the way, and the implementation -- especially with the website -- has had its share of problems. We know something about that. And, yes, at times this reform has been contentious and confusing, and obviously it's had its share of critics. That's part of what change looks like in a democracy. Change is hard. Fixing what's broken is hard. Overcoming skepticism and fear of something new is hard. A lot of times folks would prefer the devil they know to the devil they don't.
But this law is doing what it's supposed to do. It's working. It's helping people from coast to coast, all of which makes the lengths to which critics have gone to scare people or undermine the law, or try to repeal the law without offering any plausible alternative so hard to understand. I've got to admit, I don't get it. Why are folks working so hard for people not to have health insurance? Why are they so mad about the idea of folks having health insurance? Many of the tall tales that have been told about this law have been debunked. There are still no death panels. (Laughter.) Armageddon has not arrived. Instead, this law is helping millions of Americans, and in the coming years it will help millions more.
I've said before, I will always work with anyone who is willing to make this law work even better. But the debate over repealing this law is over. The Affordable Care Act is here to stay. (Applause.)
And those who have based their entire political agenda on repealing it have to explain to the country why Jeanne should go back to being uninsured. They should explain why Sean and his family should go back to paying thousands and thousands of dollars more. They've got to explain why Marla doesn't deserve to feel like she's got value. They have to explain why we should go back to the days when seniors paid more for their prescriptions or women had to pay more than men for coverage, back to the days when Americans with preexisting conditions were out of luck -- they could routinely be denied the economic security of health insurance -- because that's exactly what would happen if we repeal this law. Millions of people who now have health insurance would not have it. Seniors who have gotten discounts on their prescription drugs would have to pay more. Young people who were on their parents' plan would suddenly not have health insurance.
In the end, history is not kind to those who would deny Americans their basic economic security. Nobody remembers well those who stand in the way of America's progress or our people. And that's what the Affordable Care Act represents. As messy as it's been sometimes, as contentious as it's been sometimes, it is progress. It is making sure that we are not the only advanced country on Earth that doesn't make sure everybody has basic health care. (Applause.) And that's thanks in part to leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Dick Durbin, and all the members of Congress who are here today. We could not have done it without them, and they should be proud of what they've done. They should be proud of what they've done. (Applause.)
And it's also thanks to the often-unheralded work of countless Americans who fought tirelessly to pass this law, and who organized like crazy these past few months to help their fellow citizens just get the information they needed to get covered. That's why we're here today. That's why 7.1 million folks have health insurance -- because people got the word out.
And we didn't make a hard sell. We didn't have billions of dollars of commercials like some critics did. But what we said was, look for yourself, see if it's good for your family. And a whole lot of people decided it was. So I want to thank everybody who worked so hard to make sure that we arrived at this point today.
I want to make sure everybody understands: In the months, years ahead, I guarantee you there will be additional challenges to implementing this law. There will be days when the website stumbles -- I guarantee it. So, press, just -- I want you to anticipate -- (laughter) -- there will be some moment when the website is down -- and I know it will be on all of your front pages. It's going to happen. It won't be news. There will be parts of the law that will still need to be improved. And if we can stop refighting old political battles that keep us gridlocked, then we could actually make the law work even better for everybody. And we're excited about the prospect of doing that. We are game to do it. (Applause.)
But today should remind us that the goal we set for ourselves -- that no American should go without the health care that they need; that no family should be bankrupt because somebody in that family gets sick, because no parent should have to be worried about whether they can afford treatment because they're worried that they don't want to have to burden their children; the idea that everybody in this country can get decent health care -- that goal is achievable.
We are on our way. And if all of us have the courage and the wisdom to keep working not against one another, not to scare each other, but for one another –- then we won't just make progress on health care. We'll make progress on all the other work that remains to create new opportunity for everybody who works for it, and to make sure that this country that we love lives up to its highest ideals. That's what today is about. That's what all the days that come as long as I'm President are going to be about. That's what we're going to be working towards.
Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless America. (Applause.) Thank you.
LINK: Listen To The Parking Lot Champagne Toast Celebrating Obamacare’s 7 Millionth Enrollment
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Via YouTube.com
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From 8-bit humor to painterly moving comics, artists are using using GIFs in mind-blowing ways.
