Well, we made it through our “first” day, and discovered a lot about our own limitations, both technical and spiritual. We thought we’d give you a chance to tell us about what sort of things you hope to read about on The Toast, or, you know, just what kind of week you’re having.
Ours has been BUSY. But exciting! Thanks for showing up so soon into the process, we were afraid we’d throw a party to which no one came.
Now, you. How’s it going?
I think you’re doing great! More everything, basically.
I already asked this but I’ll say it again here: Is there (or can there be) a way to see who gave thumbs up to your comments?
That is a good question! I too love obsessively checking who’s liked my comments, and wondering why someone whose comments I ALWAYS like doesn’t reciprocate. I’m not sure if that’s a function our current comment system can support, but I’ll find out.
Wait, could you do that at the Hairpin? I feel so exposed all of a sudden.
I also would like to know this because I was never able to find a way to see that there either.
On the pin you can click on someone’s username and then see what comments they’ve liked. Unless you’re going to look at everyone, you can’t see everyone who liked your comment. But if you want to know WHY MELIS DOESN’T LOVE YOU then you can do that.
Hypothetically. For example.
Craftastrophies! Hi! I haven’t seen you around in awhile. It’s good to see you. 🙂
I second all the requests in this thread. It would be cool to be able to see who liked your comments.
Speaking of which, what if a troll comes on and starts voting down a whole bunch of people? Is there a way you guys can handle that? If the mods ban someone, would their upvotes/downvotes go away?
Oh! I didn’t realize the thumbs-down went away. Problem solved!
Hi! It’s good to be back (?). I’ve been gaunting other internet areas but I missed this bunch o’ people. 🙂
<3
It’s a pretty great bunch, isn’t it? 🙂
You said gaunting. <3
I’m having fun imagining that you were one of the thumbs-up I got on my comment calling your face garbage, though, so that’s a plus of the mystery. Who knows who is reading and liking your comments? MAYBE GEORGE CLOONEY JUST LIKED MY COMMENT AND IS TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW TO CALL ME RIGHT NOW
LEGITIMATE CONCERN IM HILARIOUS
FYI my comments always automatically have 1 thumbs up and please don’t fix that thanks.
Heartily seconded.
Right? I love that so much. LOOK SOMEONE LIKES MY COMMENT. Or I have a dedicated fan who’s following me around and liking everything I do because they just love me that much. As stated above, I’m going to pretend that it’s George Clooney.
Damnit, I was going to login as a Guest with the name George Clooney and tell you that I love you, but that would require logging out of IntenseDebate. HILARIOUS JOKE RUINED.
It’s the thought that counts!
Oh, damn.
In a related-to-the-thumbs-up point I would like to say I am really glad you guys disabled the thumbs down! I see it on some other sites that use this commenting system and I feel like it’s just such a bummer to see a negative number there.
Unless it’s well-deserved. Then it’s not such a bummer.
I’m choosing to believe that no one who posts here could ever deserve a thumbs down.
Except maybe “hi did u know u can make $40000/week CLICK HERE” … those people can DIAF.
Aw. 🙁
I hope ChrisRobers@Facebook is listening
I didn’t realize the thumbs-down was disabled! I’m glad for that. I agree that no regular commenters would deserve a thumbs-down, nor would they give any regular commenters a thumbs-down. It would only be utilized by and against trolls, and I see that we have a way to report them so that’s awesome.
If need be, we can all just thumbs-up the first comment-reply which states that the sucky comment is sucky. (I am always thinking ahead re:how to be a jerk.)
Thumbs-upping a comment calling a sucky comment sucky is not being a jerk. Boy, that was a confusing sentence.
FYI
Nooooo too much The Toast will just make us all fat. 🙁
Fat in the best way, like a pre-revolution French monarch. Imagine us, sitting atop a pile of The Toast, laughing and jiggling our rolls and enormous wigs. Ahh, contentment.
Also, today is the day that the bizarrely great Krulwich Wonders section of NPR.org puts up a strained metaphor for Democracy in its Caribou v. Toast post. All mainstream media-types be subliminally messaged by the launch of The Toast!
I heart Robert Krulwich.
“gotta love that toast!”
L i s t e n, I’m gonna tell you guys what I told my new roommate: stay away from my Chobani, and we won’t have a problem. Now let’s build a pillow fort.
CHOBANI IS GARBAGE
YOUR FACE IS GARBAGE
oh, really? That’s not what Hillary Clinton said at our monthly Snack Sleepover and also you’re stupid and I hate your guts.
When you say “Cold Comfort Farm fanfiction”, what exactly are you looking for? I guess what I am getting at is are we going to be having a Ray Wars-style shipwar? (Please say yes. Now that I am older and wiser, shipwars are pretty much my favorite.)
Alternately, I can have a Cold Comfort Farm/Twilight fusion for you within, like, a month, because I am pretty sure that’s the fic I was born to write.
Really hoping Ray Wars means what I think it means, and also that someone writes a feature about it at some point.
Maybe shipping wars could become a regular column. Lots of regret and shame for everyone!
It almost certainly does mean just that! And oh my godddddddddddddd I will write that column. I will write it so hard. And then I will go down in flames when I get to Buffy/Angel vs. Buffy/Spike and I explain that the real answer to that question is Buffy/Giles, with occasional detours into Buffy/Faith, and everything will be beautiful.
Uuuuh we are gonna have to step outside when you get to that article (“occasional” detours?!) but as long as you take a reasonable position on Harry Potter (and DS, why am I so embarrassing), I think we’ll be okay.
The obvious solution here is polyamory.
DO IT. We can have reenactments just like we used to!
Oh man, now I am considering pitching a Fandom History series, ahhhhh.
I would read the crap out of a Fandom History series. I’ve spent my internet life on the fringes of fandom without ever being as involved as I’d really like, so I’m curious about what I’ve missed.
Oh my god, the Buffy/Angel vs. Buffy/Spike wars. They are still unsettled. The fans never rest.
(My judgment in this matter cannot be trusted because I liked Riley and I also like Alone!Buffy.)
I pretty much ship Buffy/everyone ever, if I’m being honest. Including characters from outside the show, and Buffy/being happily single. Mostly I just want Buffy to be happy.
And yes! I was fond of Riley. He was so goofy and nice, I wish they’d found a better way to write him out than by undoing a lot of what I had liked about him.
OH GOD PLEASE WRITE THIS ARTICLE.
I just today had a pages long email discussion with my cousin about shipping in a show I don’t watch. (Teen Wolf, if you must know, and we were dissing Sterek BECAUSE IT’S CREEPY there I said it oh god).
I tend to ship either completely boring ships or really weird ones that no one gets cranky about cos they’re not a threat. And also BROTPs FOREVER!! I just want everyone to be friends and hang out and be nice, basically. Brotps or else ‘grudging respect’… t… ps?
Do you know that I have actually never considered the shipping possibilities of Buffy? Not ever? Except, obviously, everyone/me. This is going to require some mulling. Some mulling in my bunk.
Minor character ships are the best BECAUSE they have like 2 lines, so obviously every time they’re offscreen they’re having mad sex. Ever had a crackship sneak its way into your heart and become a for-real ship so far as you’re concerned?
Oh man have I ever. My crackships tend to be crossover ships, if I’m honest. John Winchester canonically has a thing for cute little blonde demon fighters and Buffy Summers canonically has a thing for tall, dark, handsome, broody older men! ~M F E O~
Ha ha ha oh man, I get so unfairly mean about Teen Wolf. I am kind of mean about fandom in general, as much as I love it, if I’m honest, because, as with pretty much everything ever, once more than one person is doing something there are going to be disagreements, and as with any group ever there are plenty of prejudices and baggage and wrongness and straight-up jerks. (Honestly any group that I am a part of is going to have at least one jerk in it.) Now I am coming up with a list of topics for a Fandom History column, ahhh maybe I will actually pitch that.
I love boring ships and broTPs!!!! They are so much fun! I just like characters who like each other. I can see the appeal of rivalry ships and hatesex and all, and I absolutely acknowledge the importance of conflict, story-wise, but I just like it when people genuinely like and respect and care about each other, too. Hatesex and enemy ships just stress me out a lot; this is why I can’t get into Buffy/Faith, even though I totally see where its shippers are coming from. It just stresses me out and I want it set in a very narrow part of S3 when they are getting along or post-S7 when they’re still kind of bickering but also back on the same side and respectful of one another and grudgingly allowing themselves to like one another again.
OH MAN. Buffy is great because there is an actual quote from Joss back in the day saying something along the lines of the show being “BYO subtext” and that every relationship on the show is, at some level, romantic, so you should just ship whatever the heck you want. As I recall it was actually in response to discussion of Buffy/Faith, and how he hadn’t expected it to be a thing but he thought it was cool that fans did.
YES! I am also unfairly mean about TW/fandom in general, which I think is a sign of how much I am also implicated? I mean, if I wasn’t like that a lot of the time then it wouldn’t provoke me to be mean. But I must say I am bewildered by a lot of ships that are hate ships, or have this huge power imbalance. Essentially what I want is for everyone to like each other, and have sleepovers, and braid each other’s hair and have hot chocolate and MAYBE make out but that’s optional. Except that I’m also drawn to dark, broken characters, so that becomes complicated.
For example, Buffy/Faith had not even occured to me (my Buffy years were pre- my internet fandom involvement) but when you said that I immediately thought of S3 and was like ‘ye-es? I can see that maybe?’ Because in S3 I want them TO BE BUDDIES. Because I really love Faith, in that sort of desperate way you love someone going off the rails. But I also don’t want her to be in unhealthy relationships, obvy, because that won’t help her either.
SOMEONE HELP ALL THE SAD CHARACTERS.
Also, PLEASE pitch this column and can it be called The Shipping News?
I am completely ready to write, at any given time, a post about why Flora should have married Reuben. I can have it to you by the time the sukebind hangs heavy from the branches.
I would read the shit out of that. Just sayin’
Likewise.
okay Mallory Nicole I have a complaint to register, apparently I can only like comments once, please address this immediately
THISSSSSS
just have to say, I’m a little disappointed. i was hoping for a blog that would take away my lower leg pain and help me meditate more, all while drinking my 8 glasses of water a day. STEP IT UP, TOASTERS.
I was hoping to learn how to make money from home in the comments, personally.
~*~My sister makes $2000 a month on the internet working at home and you can too! asdfasdfv~*~
Just kidding, I don’t have a sister.
Also, I want to know where to get many high and cheap stuff online.
We’re Toasters… does that make us Cylons?
Toastrons.
Or just Toasties?
That word is racist! I don’t like it!
ALL I want in a blog is the kind of commenters who would make this joke. I am totally at home now.
TOASTERS. Ahhh, I love it.
Can we be Toastadas? Are Nicole and Mallory our Toastesses?
I approve of Toastesses.
They’re our Toastmaestras. Anyone who says otherwise, pistols at dawn.
Did someone say pistols?
I was hoping this blog would just be cover letters to jobs I haven’t yet applied for, but instead it’s just distracting me from writing those cover letters. I hate this blog.
Yeah, The Toast this morning is such a disappointment compared to The Toast of yesterday. I miss my The Toast of 24 Hours Ago!
j/k I am super excited to see where you all go next!
Frankly, I was hoping for more actual toast around here.
Daily toast recipes, etc. Yes.
The bread kind or the booze kind?
Why not both?
I feel like “The bread kind or the booze kind” should be the tagline for this party.
But yes, both, always.
I’m pretty sure both is an option, in the form of eggnog bread (not the nicest thing, but still a thing).
Spread peanut butter on a piece of bread, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, stick in toaster oven, enjoy.
OMG doing this tonight
Just, you know, more.
Maybe there will be toast like, eventually, so let’s keep the faith.
Guys, my finger is swollen, and I looked up on WebMD and the first two options were “gout” and “pseudogout” and now I’m worried I’m some sort of gluttonous king and no one told me.
What is “pseudogout”? Is that, like, gout that wears all black and smokes Gauloises and pretends to be all into Sartre?
No, that’s “poseurgout.” Pseudogout is gout wearing those Groucho Marx glasses.
Gout-cho Marx?
Oh no, I’m no good at puns. I’ll have to bow gout.
Once I went to the doctor and told her my big toe was swollen and I was pretty sure it was gout and she laughed at me.
IT’S YOU, BEN FRANKLIN, IN TIME TO CELEBRATE AMERICA’S FREEDOM! How many prostitutes would you like delivered to your new meatsuit residence?
If you ride a Horse, sit close and tight, If you ride a Man, sit easy and light, AMIRITE?!?
god, check your equestrian privilege
also my heart bc i think you STOLE IT
Madam, are you crump footed?
ma’am, you clip the king’s english
I went to the doctor with a randomly swollen Frankenfinger in April and his first thought was gout. I was furious. As it happens I’ve torn a ligament and it has taken a chunk of bone off with it, and it’s going to be about 18 months to heal, which is a royal pain in the backside as it’s the index finger of my dominant hand. After three months of going round with it bandaged and strapped to the next one with electrical tape, I am heartily bored of it and kind of wishing it had been gout.
I feel like it’s the first week of school, and we’re all in our best clothes and we are in starry-eyed awe of our new teachers. “On my summer vacation, I accidentally read the comments section of that Atlantic article on women’s fertility odds!”
no, really, this weekend I accidentally scrolled down to the comments on a HuffPo article related to parenting. Is the right place for processing that?
I accidentally read a NYT Room for Debate on abortion! I almost smashed my phone!
THE WORST. I also read through too many comments on that “cost of birth in America” story the other day on NYT, and while most were reasonable, a few had me reaching for my fainting salts.
Earlier today I read the comments on a Slate XX piece on rape and rape trials. I was two seconds away from smashing my face in with my stapler before my computer froze and I had to reboot. Saved!
At lunch today I read a column on The Daily Beast by someone not in support of Wendy Davis.
I unfollowed The Daily Beast on twitter, and I tweeted that I had done so. I SHOWED THEM
I was going to say that you should start a new news site called The Daily Breast, but apparently thedailybreast.com redirects to The Daily Beast. BASTARDS! *shakes fist*
Congrats, you two! I must say, however, I don’t think as much effort was put in to publicly shame and mock the nerds who hacked your site. I love hackers! I also love the movie Hackers, and hackers in movies.
Oh, my God, don’t make them mad. “They’ll be back soon, and in greater numbers.”
WE SHALL ALWAYS DEFEAT OUR MENEMIES
I am so excited for your new venture, and you’re only Internet Familiars to me! I hope to be a frequent contributor, and thanks for that opportunity.
Oh, I’m so excited about The Toast! I just wanted to add my voice to the long list of well-wishers. Also, this time next week, I hope I can ACTUALLY toast your success; my due date is today, I am still very much pregnant, and what I wouldn’t give for a big glass of wine right now.
(I’m a Hairpin lurker who has always been a big fan; I’m trying to reform my lurking ways.)
Good luck and congratulations!
your username is amazing
Thank you! After way-too-smugly patting myself on the back/chuckling to myself about that for a long time, it’s nice to hear someone else is amused. 🙂
I will have one as soon as I get home in your honor! A glass of wine, I mean, not toast. Well, maybe toast, too. Definitely not a baby, though.
On a deeply serious note: I like that the site is geared towards longer features with slightly more substance than 100-word cilckbait or 20 gifs from that one tumblr your staffer couldn’t just link to because reasons, or the longreads that I send to my kindle and will never, ever read. ALSO YAY TOAST.
I do kind of like clickbait/gifs from Awl family sites now and then, but I respect the choice not to do as much of them. Plus, I mean, those sites still exist, so I can definitely get that stuff from them, which I appreciate. As long as I get my hilarious alt-text fix from somewhere.
Right! Exactly! There’s a niche for more-than-gifs/less-than-my-entire-morning-reading-one-thing and someone’s crammed some toast into it.
To your health.
TO YOURS. YOU HANDSOME SUMBITCH
Simply looking forward to more. In “me” news, I’m re-reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (aloud, to my fiance) in anticipation of THIS!!! http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/08/bbc-… So, that’s fun.
I read an article on Grantland referring to the miniseries and calling that book “Victorian” and I almost had a rage blackout. I feel like this is a good place to bring that up.
Didn’t you know that “Victorian” applies to any point in history where people wore long dresses and talked funny and didn’t have sex before marriage?
I have a professor friend (Victorian specialist) who has determined that the general public understands four periods of history: 1) Back in the day: 1950s – 1960s, when there was still racism and sexism; 2) Victorian: from Shakespeare through the first World War; 3) Ancient Rome: anything on vases; and 4) prehistory.
look I have a history degree I can tell you it goes like this
Dinosaurs
Biblical times
Dark Ages
Victorian
America saves everyone from Nazis
America fights commies
9/11
Napoleonic Wars? What Napoleonic Wars?
I am so excited and impatient for this to happen. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is one of my favorite books of all time and if anything is going to do it justice on the screen, a BBC miniseries will.
Rereading that article, I realize Matt Smith will now be available! I think he was poorly served by Who writing and has a good range, so would be pleased if he were to be involved with JStrange & Norrell. Also, I hope they put dry historical-magical footnotes on the bottom of the screen during the episodes…
I actually do like the idea of using Matt Smith (and footnotes)! But Benedict Cumberbatch? NO. ENOUGH. THE LINE MUST BE DRAWN SOMEWHERE.
Ughhhhhhh agreed, with both you and Bibliophile. Matt Smith was terribly ill-served by Who, and really, so was Eleven. I have been over Cumberbumber for awhile, though.
also pro-Matt Smith, meh on Cumberbatch, but who would he play? I don’t think he should be either of the leads…maybe Lascelles? I think he could do a good Lascelles.
I saw a suggestion somewhere to have Tilda Swinton play the gentleman with the thistle-down hair, which is perfect.
Is this where I can shamefully admit that I could not finish JS&MN? Admittedly, I was listening to the audiobook version and driving through Illinois at the time, so maybe I should try it as an actual book. My roadtrip ended just as things started to Happen, but it felt like a lot of exposition going on and my brain just wasn’t in it. Convince me to pick it up again?
I WILL ATTEMPT TO CONVINCE YOU!!! Here is a passage I read last night (very early on in the book) that I really loved:
“The night before Mr Norrell was due to perform the magic, snow fell on York and in the morning the dirt and mud of the city had disappeared, all replaced by flawless white. The sounds of hooves and footsteps were muffled, and the very voices of York’s citizens were altered by a white silence that swallowed up every sound. Mr Norrell had named a very early hour in the day. In their separate homes the York magicians breakfasted alone. They watched in silence as a servant poured their coffee, broke their warm whitebread rolls, fetched the butter. The wife, the sister, the daughter, the daughter-in-law, or the niece who usually performed these littles offices was still in bed; and the pleasant female domestic chat, which the gentlemen of the York society affected to despise so much, and which was in truth the sweet and mild refrain in the the music of their ordinary lives, was absent. And the breakfast rooms where these gentlemen sat were changed from what they had been yesterday. The winter gloom was quite gone and in its place was a fearful light — the winter sun reflected many times over by the snowy earth.”
Okay, sorry, that was long and potentially boring. But seriously, this book is so delightful. In spite of the fact that ‘m reading it to someone, it reads better with eyes than with voices. (Delightful long-winded footnotes!)
I’ve tried to read it at least 3 times, and have never made it more than about 25% of the way through (if that). It’s been recommended to me umpteen times, it’s just my sort of book, but I just canNOT get into it.
Are you two stopping before or after Jonathan Strange shows up and actually becomes a magician? Because I have to admit I really skim the last two-thirds or so of part 1, but once Strange starts doing magic everything gets so much better. So, so much better.
I mean, if you have gotten past this point and it’s still not doing it for you, I can respect that, but IMO if you really want to find out if you’re going to like the whole thing, just start reading from part 2.
I think (it’s been a few months) JS had shown up, but I don’t recall if he’d actually become a magician yet. I’ll take another gander – I’m between books right now and I’m in a Mood and don’t know what to read.
I did take me a few tries — once I got into it I just couldn’t put it down, but it definitely didn’t click for me right off the bat. Take that as encouragement to give it another try at some point, or as validation for not being able to get into it, as you will! You definitely need to be in the right mood for it.
Yay, you’re here! I’m already so happy to see what’s here, and excited for more. More books, feminisms, weirdness, and food please! I look forward to oversharing in the comments and getting in on the ground floor of inside jokes.
Also big thanks to Nicole for being terrific when my commenting account broke my author account.
I feel like this too, like because I’m here on the first day there is NO WAY I will ever not understand a reference here.
Hey Toast! Is anyone having trouble loading an avatar or is it just me? 20 bucks it’s just me because, of course.
Nevermind, there’s Winnie!
You’re not the only one having troubs. Hence my unintended-vagina-stained-glass avatar.
That was unintended? I’m so upset.
I am a huge fan of what I’ve seen so far here! I’m going to add the site to my Feedly — as soon as it lets me. It’s been whining “over capacity” at me all day and then when I finally got in, all my sites were gone, so I’m hoping that was a glitch? Please, baby jesus in your golden fleece diapers, with your tiny little fat balled-up fists, let it be a glitch?
I’ve heard stories of folks having troubles importing sites to Feedly if they do it via ipad or other mobile device, instead of a “proper” computer…could that be your glitch?
Is feedly any good? I am so behind on all my ~blogs~, and I think I need a new reader, but I don’t really know what people use or what is good. Are there other things? What are my options here?
I’m enjoying it (aside from the fact that it did, apparently, wipe out all my sites, so I had to rebuild from scratch). You can set it up to look pretty much like Google Reader, or you can set it up in a few other, very pretty ways. Now that you can access it via the web and not just in a browser add-on or a mobile device, I’d say it’s a pretty fantastic thing.
I’m thinking it wiped my sites because I did something user-errorish in importing my GReader feed, so I’m not feeling too cranky about it, to be honest. I know most of my favorites by memory anyway. Thankfully.
EXCEPT that stupid Feedly doesn’t work on stupid IE8 which is what my stupid work uses so I am stupidly out of luck. NOT THAT I AM BITTER or anything on a day at work that is VERY VERY SLOW.
Pout.
Hello Toast! I’m so excited! I just got home from one social obligation (um, happy hour) and now I’m headed out to another (bar) but I’ve been waiting all day to check my computer and see if you were here! Cheers!
I’m so excited for The Toast! I’d like space for discussion of TATLER magazine every once in a while. (Okay, more than that.)
I just learned about Tatler and I cannot get enough of it. Please, let’s talk about Tatler forever.
Oh I’m so, so glad!
Also I’m here to complain about the false advertising because I want my computer to hand me a cocktail right about now.
I really want my computer to spit out some pieces of freshly toasted and buttered bread. I know what I’m picking up on my way home tonight..
Hi? I’m a hairpin lurker who thinks everyone in these comments is hilarious, so it’s time to step up and say some things.
About me: I read lots of books and write haiku about them on my blog. I love that the plural of haiku is haiku.
I’ve had double vision for almost two years (double monocular diplopia, if you want to get technical) which is strange and no doctors have figured out what to do with me so I’d love to harness the power of the internet to figure that out one day. (This is the first time I’ve announced this on the internet. I believe in you, Toasters!)
Welcome, strange one! You belong here with us.
WE ACCEPT HER, WE ACCEPT HER, ONE OF US, ONE OF US…
And good luck figuring out your weird eye problem! It sounds difficult.
HAVE YOU GOTTEN AN ALLERGY TEST LATELY? PROBABLY YOU JUST NEED TO STOP EATING GLUTEN, AMIRITE LADIES? <—-power of the internet
I’m so excited we’re all here!
I have an important question about the site though: how come when I go to “the-toast.net” in my browser, I get a blank page? Also if I click the “home” or logo buttons on any of the pages here…
I got that too and then I refreshed and I got the home page?
Idk. I’m no help.
Oh, that worked! I guess it is not a permanent solution but it gets the job done.
Hi Toast! This feels like a really big adult (but not sexual, or maybe sometimes) sleepover, and I’m cool with that.
I’d like to see more (lots!) on lady filmmakers, screenwriters, and journos.
Cheers!
This is even more awesome than I thought it would be (and I thought it would be awesome, considering who started this site). Also, I love love love that you’re going to put out a lot of features, instead of mostly little links and one line stuff (although that’s cool too). It almost makes me wish I knew how to write, so I could submit something (I have ideas, just nothing to do with them).
Real offer: Do you need a front-end person to make your comments section prettier/more readable? Email me??
I’d pay a pittance to anyone willing to tend to the comment trees on my youtube channel.*
*No one actually comments on my youtube videos.
yesssss so if we could do something about this font that would be great — I admit I might need a stronger prescription but it’s not at maximum legibility for me. I want you guys to be artsy and freebird-looking, but any consideration to adjust the font would be tremendous.
I’d really prefer a font that keeps the letters at standard heights.
Seconded!
Oooh! So it’s not just on my computer that the font looks a little wonky/blurry?
I’m now on my home Macbook and things are a lot more readable! I don’t know if it’s a computer change (work is a PC, home is a Mac, both use Chrome) or if they’re hauling ass to get things worked on or what. (If that’s the case, thanks, font fairies!)
Am I the only one for whom everyone seems very small and far away?
I mean, I’ll take it. I can zoom in on the page, that’s fine. I’ll take it over having to scroll back up after making a comment that deposits you at the bottom of the page.
Maybe there’s an anti-aliasing font display setting you can adjust on your system? I have both a Mac and a Windows machine, and I know small type tends to look wonky on my Windows but I don’t use it much so I don’t really worry about it.
It might be a nice option for people to be able to choose from a handful of fonts, if that’s not too much trouble on the back end.
Get in touch with us! [email protected].
I love everything I’ve seen so far! I can’t wait for more.
Also, I bought Dune last night because I feel like there will probably be posts about Dune on this site and I want to understand them.
But I also bought Murder on the Orient Express, so I’ll probably read that first.
Yay! Just yay. That’s all.
I’m going to take this as an implicit endorsement of my recent about-face on the issue of drinking when I feel like it. I am for it, though we don’t really have much of a cocktail culture in Colorado (miss u, Manhattan). I live a block away from the hippest metal-themed brewery in Denver so I have been imbibing only the palest of ales. Cheers!
Also if anybody’s in Greensboro NC this week and knows of a good place to eat, I will pay for lunch if you’ll have me. I’m going to a family reunion out there and it would be nice to take a break.
Also I just assumed the first day outage was due to technical difficulties. A hack? Seriously? I swear, so many hackers have the dumbest pet causes. I guess it shouldn’t be surprising given their demographic makeup.
ALSO I feel as though this new site has reinvigorated my comment writing to the state it was in before I became lazy and started using shorthand all the damned time. It’s a good feeling.
Have you been to Green Russell in Denver? It’s slightly ridiculous but in a good way, and the cocktails are good.
I’ve heard of it! We had the same sort of pseudo-speakeasies in Manhattan. But c’mon, it’s Denver, you can’t not drink beer here!* Besides, I like beer because it’s a slow drink. You get to a certain level of inebriation and drinking to excess starts to seem like a pretty acceptable idea. Beers, however, are filling enough that you can only go so far so quickly. Cocktails and I have… disagreements on that front.
* So much for those commenting skills
I won’t be in Greensboro this week, BUT can recommend the corner of Elam and Walker Avenues as a great place to find delicious food! Fishbones and Sticks & Stones are both lovely. Plus if you need some booze to help you through the family reunion, there’s a little grocery store right there called Bestway that has an INSANE beer selection (known for good reason as “The Wall of Beer”).
Writing all this down. Thank you!
AH! I live in GSO and was going to recommend both of those joints!
Sounds like you’ve enough for a pinup out there!
I live in Greensboro but am out of town until Friday & then work all weekend BUT I will second ZouBisouBisou’s recommendations and ALSO add Crafted to that list. It is downtown on Elm street and it’s fantastic. It’s a taco joint that makes everything from scratch and has some neat ingredients. You must have their guacamole. If you find yourself downtown and want dessert, I work at a cheesecake bakery a block down from the taco place and our stuff is pretty tasty. What are you up to in Greensboro?
Family reunion, sort of a 4th tradition in my family. I’ll try to make it out to have some cheesecake!
I work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights but have Sat & Sunday free before 3. If you’d like to get lunch, I’m down. email me– phishnalgene at gmail dot com
I’ll email you!
Wait, we have more than one metal-themed brewery in Denver? I clear don’t drink enough beer.
hehe, just the one I’m afraid. But it’s so good! Their first anniversary batch is a pale ale that tastes like passion fruit, it’s great.
You should come on out and we’ll get sundaes and drink salt beer sometime!!
I’m glad you’re here! Kept refreshing the site all yesterday. Loved the piece from Kate Harding, looking forward to the Toast to come.
I am so excited for this! I want to start peppering you with submissions that are probably not that good!
I just wanted to duck my head in and echo what others have said — namely, how glad I am that we’re all here! This is not my username on The Hairpin and I feel like I’m brand new and born again. Sooner or later, though, I’ll repeat an anecdote I told over there and reveal my not-actually-secret identity.
Obviously I love you, and I love toast, and I love The Toast, and this is great and I’m so proud of you. Tiny weeny things:
1) Can you let me comment through my Facebook?
2) Can you change the font/design of the comments sections? This font is hard and probably impossible on a phone.
/resume regularly scheduled excellence
Can someone explain the reputation score to me? Is it the sum total of all the +1s you’ve gotten? (Help I Am A Luddite.)
I don’t give a damn ’bout my bad reputation.
I think it’s probably something along the lines of sum of +1s divided by total number of comments? Some kind of average-likes-per-comment thing will factor into it, I think. Cursory exploration in search of the formula didn’t turn anything specific up, and it seems likely the comment-management company would keep that private for proprietary purposes, but that would probably be my guess.
I think it’s just there to make us worry that no one on The Toast likes us or that we aren’t cool enough. Kind of like commenter number over at the Awl.
Because anxious readers of awesome blogs cannot be happy unless they have a way to express these sorts of feelings.
Mine is giving me major Impostor Syndrome! I can’t live up to that number, y’all. I’m not actually that clever.
I think it also ties in to the number of replies to comments that you’ve made – so for example, this comment should up YOUR score as well as my own. Maybe?
Real talk, I’m absolutely thrilled that y’all made a point to say this strives to be an intersectional place, especially trans-inclusive (WAY TO HATE LESBIANS, GUYS). This is all so exciting!
Nicole, I loved your poetry posts on The Hairpin and would LOVE to see more of them.
Ditto! I also love-love-loved the ‘Pin Picks book selections. I always felt like I was in such good hands with your recommendations! More, please.
‘Pin PIcks was one of my very favorite things — and not just because Nicole recommended me a seriously engaging set of books to read (I am woefully still working through them, life got in the way and I have not read a damn thing in half a year. I feel so bookless and miserable!)
Yes! I’ve been missing those “big book-y posts” over on the hairpin.
Gah, also I bought Pride and Prejudice and Zombies yesterday and oh wow where have you been all my life?
‘Have your ninjas left you?’
‘We never had any ninjas.’
‘No ninjas! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home with no ninjas!’
Have you seen the video trailer for it? I personally like the one for Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters best.
Yay for you guys! The content, so far, is wonderful! I think the bright teal or seafoam green or whatever that is being used for headers is really hard to read, so would suggest a darker color, or maybe as someone above said, a different font might resolve some readability issues. I trust the looks will get worked out, and I want to reiterate that the content is TOPS. xoxoxox p.s. this is not my hairpin name either, new name, new face!!
The commenting section…looks weird to me? Maybe I’m just expecting a starker one? But I’m just afraid of everything, so no need to listen to me!
Love the content!
LOVE. The pube comments article was pure brilliance. Keep it up, you’re already in my feedly.
Loving the new site ladies.
Who else is crazy excited for Anne Helen Petersen’s post as detailed in the first introductory post??
Also Nicole and Mallory, LOVEEEE the Morgentaler series idea. YES YES and YES some more. Please and thank you.
Love, a fellow Canadian.
Aaaaand immediately into the Feedly.
Hurrah! I was damn near in tears yesterday because my internet was wonky and I thought I couldn’t access The Toast or subscribe to RSS because of that. So glad it is up and running and full of deliciousness.
Um, guys, I can’t seem to log in? I created an account but when I log in it just refreshes the page, nothing changes. Halp.
Are you logging in via intensedebate or WordPress? I had to log in through WordPress. Also, possibly an issue with cookie settings or popup blockers?
So far I’m a fan, although I’d like to apologize for calling Mallory Melissa, your hairpin username always confuses me 🙁
Actually, also, I do have a question – is there the possibility for content to be posted after 5pm EST, for us west coasters? The internet starts to get pretty dead around 2pm and it’d be great to have something new to look at in the mid-late afternoon.
I always just considered that a call for us on the West Coast to Take Over The Internet.
Which is weird, right, because both Nicole and I ARE West Coasters, or at least Westerners. We’re definitely open to staying open after-hours in the future.
I am very excited about this site!! My only request is that the Mitford sisters story actually runs, PLEASE.
AGREED.
Is there a way to see all comments including replies, without having to click on them to make them expand?
I want to know this too
I’m the most excited about the Cold Comfort Farm fanfic. And everything else, too.
I was going to do a comment to ask about whether we would be able to gif up the comments – now I don’t have to!
I was wondering this as well, and also wondered if we can use simple html for things like bold, italic, and hyperlinks.
Edit: We can! 🙂
This is everything I hoped for and more! Great second day, ladies. Chomping at the bit for those other posts that you teased.
Yaaaay toasty goodness! Good luck, ladies!
Re: comments/fonts on phone – they are fine for me on my android/Motorola phone where I will be doing most of my toast-munching.
Re: social media stuff – yes please to FB buttons!
Hello friends! Everything looks lovely! I’d prefer the comment section to be a bit more stark myself, but I can adapt. <3
Hello! I’m helping our fearless leaders work towards a better Toast. Can you please describe what you mean by stark? And are you referring to the comments on a phone or overall? Feedback is helpful and appreciated!
hello! As a caveat, I am about the least tech savvy person alive.
Overall, I guess my eyes are too lazy to understand some of the features? If that makes sense. The seafoam colour, and the wordpress logo under profile photos and the number with the p beside it, and the embedded replies are a bit visually confusing, for me.
I like embedding, but I don’t like that I have to “open” replies to comments – I would prefer that they were all on display by default, please
I agree, I like the embedding and being able to close threads, but I would like them to be open by default, too.
I love all of this. But I second the social media buttons. I know wordpress has some pretty good plugins that will work well with the site. Also, I really love the disqus commenting system. Might be worth looking into.
Hehe, I have it on good authority that disqus is not in the cards. I’m just really unhappy with the system over at, say, the AV Club and its sister sites. The way you have to manually reply after like the third tier of a thread? And the total lack of reply notification after that point? Shameful business.
Is it sad that I’ve never made it to the third tier of a Disqus thread? If the answer is “yes,” I will slink away back into my hole.
Erg, disqus is so terrible (It’s obsessed with people having only the newest and greatest browsers) in this latest iteration…I don’t want this place to ‘disappear’ the way the Atlantic has for me!
I would like to humbly withdraw my request. I do like the interface and the options for multiple logins. But the notifications aren’t tops. I’ll comment here if I have to submit it in writing like the pioneers did.
I’m just bitter about it – don’t mind me too much. It *was* a great commenting system, and very clear, and so forth. But something happened in the last rewrite of whatever their programming is.
I think this commenting setup here will be okay if the colours/font display are fussed with a bit more?
Social media buttons will return shortly! When they do, go forth and share with vigor!
I am always all about the truly excellent longreads that you guys are so good at hunting down for us, so more of those, please! And interviews with extraordinary everyday women. You guys are doing so great! I emailed Nick earlier and he got back to me right away, it was lovely. Cheers!
Very excited! Also very confused about the difference between logging in on wordpress and The Other Thing!
If you don’t have a WordPress account, you can use The Other Thing, I guess (that’s what I did). I hate sites that require you to have a WordPress account to comment, so I’m really glad this is an option.
I tried the Other Thing but it refused to send me an email, wordpress it is!
Awesome content is awesome and all that but the real question is CAN WE ADD GIFS OR IMAGES TO COMMENTS?? I feel like I’m JUST starting to get good at gifs and it’d be a shame to lose my skillz for lack of practice.
Looks like static pictures are good, don’t know about gifs but I assume they’re also solid. Standard HTML formats by the look of things.
“You’ve already got The Toast in your favourites.” “Yup.” “…” “There was an article about pubes. You will like it.” Me and boyfriend, just now.
What everyone up there said: you’re doing great, and we are all excited!
The site is looking good ladies! I was very excited to see Canadian content right off the bat, but I guess that shouldn’t have been so surprising. One teeny comment, the seafoam green text colour is hard to read.
I’m just sad someone already has my username on these stupid other sites.
Yeah, mine is too long for this site, and then my preferred shortened version was taken. Sigh.
I decided to just use my twitter name, which I had originally used on the hairpin but then I switched to kirs just because it felt more right. Oh well. Maybe I’ll just switch my hairpin username to this. Because, consistency!
I had to shorten mine, too! But if you go to your “edit profile” page there is an option to change your display name.
Ah! Many thanks! I was so sad before!
There you are! Yay, you have a full name! I was so pleased to see that option. 🙂
Yes! I’m confused enough by this type of commenting system, so it is very comforting to at least have my true name. Also, I am dizzy from going back and forth between here and Hairpin (and I’m barely commenting as it is July 4th season and I work for the parks department) but damn, it’s like a sport. Anyway, thanks dude!
No prob! I’m actually worried that I will get nothing done at work, because I already spend way too much time on The Hairpin. How am I going to keep up with and comment on two equally awesome blogs and still keep my job?
Ah, thank you! I was using a different name before because my Pin name was taken. I hope this is not going to be confusing, though.
Fondue, this is valuable information! But now I’m torn between the idea of being brand new and the (slight) possibility of name recognition. Why is internetting so hard???
FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET ON THE HOMEPAGE, WOOT!!!
I already love the-toast!
This comment system is new to me but I think I got it.
What, I can’t like my own comment?! No one else will!!!
It has recently come to my attention………..that I love toast.
<img src=”http://www.laimyours.com/wp-content/uploads/Drew-Droege-Taking-Chloe-To-The-Stage.jpeg” target=’_blank’ >=” <a=” href=’http:// <a href=”http:// <a href=”http:// “” target=”_blank”>;http://www.laimyours.com/wp-content/uploads/Drew-…/></div>”>” target=”_blank”> ;http://www.laimyours.com/wp-content/uploads/Drew-…/></div>”>
(p.s. also – loving the content but the font is hard to read)
You guys are awesome and this site has gotten off to such a grand start.
Cocktail hour! yay! I hope this will happen every day. I like cocktails! and talking about our spiritual development, folks. mine is going at pace!
I’m not so in love with this popularity rating thing but that’s my own dog
Yeah, I don’t like it. The system’s explanation is that it’s meant to be an indicator of how well-regarded the commenter is.
It’s a flawed system bc I have like, a 12p rating and I’ve only written 7 comments and none of them have been +1/thumbs-upped, so how does anyone know that I’m well regarded? Nothing I’ve said has been endorsed!
I definitely thumbs-upped at least one of your comments further up on the page. YOU ARE WELL REGARDED TO ME 🙂
I don’t think it’s so much a popularity thing as it is a way to weed out the bad people. As time goes on all the regulars will see their scores increase, and the trolls will be more obvious as a result.
YOUR NEW USER NAME. <3 <3 <3
Oh I am so glad this is here.
So RAD.
Another Hairpin lurker coming out of my cave to say HUZZAH FOR THE TOAST! I love it already.
Also, Nicole: are you going to write about your lifting / training? As someone who is on an Epic Pullup Quest myself, I am super curious to hear more about yours (after seeing your occasional mentions of it on The Hairpin), and am thirsty for more sensible-lady-lifter internet voices in general.
Yes! We are going to lift things, together.
YES! I am also in pullup training. It’s rad/horrible.
If you learn the secret to this dark art, please can you tell others how? I am meant to be in pull up training and can only manage an exhausted flail. *sobs all over weak self*
I will! So far, we’re doing a lot of arm strength work (push-ups, a series of vile things on the Bosu, tension band stuff) and assisted pullups. I need to shed some serious pounds before I can really think about trying an unassisted one, so we’re just doing the training prep now while I take off this pesky weight. THEN IT WILL BE PULLUP CITY BABY! [cries]
LET’S HAVE A PARTY IN PULL UP CITY! I plan on joining you there … eventually.
Sometimes I like to just try and hang there for 5 seconds as it at least looks like youre doing something pull up related. Or do the thing where you just raise your knees. Argh it’s difficult.
I need to do some pushups. Now Im thinking of Salt’n’Peppa – PUSH UPS REAL GOOD!
I AM PISTOL PACKIN’ MAMA AND I AM GLAD YOU MADE THIS COMMENT SO I DON’T HAVE TO!
So happy! Was linked from yet another “i miss Shapely Prose but holy shit moderating comments is a lot of work and burns people out” conversation.
I got a job this week after being unemployed for almost a year. A real, professional librarian job with an adequate salary and in my hometown! Best week I’ve had in a loooooooong time!
Congrats! That’s brilliant!
I haven’t commented anywhere since the world was new, but I’m so happy you two are doing this that I made an account and everything. (Which I’ll probably be too shy to use! But!)
Really looking forward to lots of kickass writing by women and the occasional unusually excellent dude.
Also there’s going to be Alan Alda/Peter Falk fanfic, right?
LORD YES
If you do decide to do smaller posts, like linking to other things to comment on them, you could call those posts ‘crumbs’.
And I’ll show myself out.
Soldiers? Fingers?
You know… for…. dipping in… eggs?
Nevermind.
Oo, and theme weeks could be named after toppings.
Articles about music/dance would be jam features.
The people demand more cinnamon and sugar!
jk you guys everything is toasty perfection so far.
Pretty sure this is going to surpass Morecambe and Wise’s breakfast dance as my favorite toast-related piece (slice?) of media. Especially looking forward to book recommendations! Toast Tomes?
Actual question, though probably dumb. Is there a link to an RSS feed somewhere? I recently switched to The Old Reader, which–as far as I can figure out–won’t let you search for feeds. Not that I’m opposed to obsessively refreshing the site all day.
i would love to see some alternative social and political articles here. like news where the writers actually write how they feel about it and shit.
unregulated znaaaatches
Casually late or is the party over? Just do your thing, I have total confidence in where this is going.
this is seeww exciting
I’m really enjoying everything so far, please give me more. Thanks bye!
Any possibility of an “edit” button, to go back and get rid of shameful grammatical errors, or to click on the “subscribe to replies” button when one has been too quick to click on “Submit Comment”?
+1 this needs to happen!
*clinks glasses* Loving the site so far and I look forward to being less of a lurker!
I am so very very excited about this site! I do wish I could have a longer username, though, I am short one ‘s’!
An “s” is an “s” is an “s” is what ‘they’ say but I say that is bullshit when it comes to pluralizing things…especially huge geographic impressive things ya knowwwww?
Then again, my underscore is not allowed and maybe that’s for the better? So many changes. Really: new car, new office my company is moving to, new girlfriend, and most importantly: a new website to comment on outside the hairpin/awl (notice the order). I’m serious, I nerdout on the few sites I like. (Campari laden ramblings)
I got way cut off so I feel like a whole new person. Apparently The Everpresent Wordsnatcher has too many letters AND spaces and is generally unacceptable. I feel so sporty now!
I would like to read about drinking wine in bed and discovering wonderful new blogs, way after one should be asleep, and how much online dating sucks.
Oh wait, that’s my life.
Carry on.
So I love the number of people who have sort of introduced themselves! (Especially former lurkers!)
I love toast and toasting.
I am enjoying how many Variations On the Theme of Your Hairpin Name there are here. Lots of names too long/ already taken/ whatever out there. Creative solutions ahoy. (Although if commenters are Pinners and their names are really really different, maybe say so?)
Okay, ok. OKAY. I hanged my display name because I realized bread actually factors in quite nicely with my Hairpin name/persona.
So intensedebate is not letting me change my icon? Apparently I have to sign up for WordPress if I want to change my “gravatar”? WHAT IS THIS.
Hurray! This is fabulous so far.
I don’t remember how I got here, but I have this warm fuzzy feeling inside and I don’t want to leave…is this heaven?
Even though it’s only day 1 (2? kinda?), I know that this site is my JAM. There’s a good username to be found with that – thetoastismyjam? – but I’m not quite there.
Might I suggest some sports type posts? Someone asked for a post on lifting which would be SO RAD, plus perspectives on sports events or athletes or other activities. I want to hear from a die-hard ultimate frisbee-er!
Oh and on the off-chance anyone’s still reading this, just other tips about exercising and fitness generally would be great – reading about fitness on the internet usually means wading through “fitspiration” cheerleading & stories of super huge weight loss sagas, which are fine, but I think there’s lots of room on this ol’ internet for new perspectives.
Oh yeah, you asked US how it’s going! I’m going camping with my boyfriend on a Lake George island next week, for SIX DAYS and I’m super excited. My depression has really kicked my ass the last few months, and this is going to be really good for me. Nature FTW.
I’m another Hairpin-lurker-type that is going to try really hard to be less lurky here because I am very very excited about this place and you people.
I feel like a new person today because I actually got to SLEEP last night. I’d forgotten how much early pregnancy hormones kick my sleep in the nads.
I'll email you!
Fondue, this is valuable information! But now I'm torn between the idea of being brand new and the (slight) possibility of name recognition. Why is internetting so hard???
hehe, just the one I'm afraid. But it's so good! Their first anniversary batch is a pale ale that tastes like passion fruit, it's great.
You should come on out and we'll get sundaes and drink salt beer sometime!!
YOUR NEW USER NAME. <3 <3 <3
Articles about music/dance would be jam features.
Hola! I’ve been reading your web site for a while now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from
Lubbock Texas! Just wanted to tell you keep up the great work!