Let's start off by saying that your editor is a believer in Martha Stewart and her teachings. She's one of the few living philosophers able to infiltrate the common world from a comfortable distance. And her masterpiece, Entertaining, stands as a prideful Mrs. Dalloway-like acceptance of female hysteria in a modern Western world (of particular importance are her notes on what to do with nervous energy before a party), as well as a strong argument proving the existence of God via elaborate crudité.

That being said, we are saddened and surprised to hear that, during an interview with Bloomberg News this week, Stewart attacked the work of lifestyle bloggers.

"Who are these bloggers? They aren’t trained editors at Vogue magazine," Martha chides, going on to say, "Bloggers are writing recipes that aren’t tested, aren’t necessarily very good or are copies of things that really good editors have created and done. Bloggers create a kind of …umm…popularity but they are not the experts. We have to understand that."

We can only assume that, since she doesn't name names, she's referring to such sites as Smitten Kitchen and the like. (In the same interview, though, she does verbally roll her eyes at Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP.)

Kimberly Grabinski, from the impossibly named What's That Smell?, rebuts the noted thinker in a blog post, saying: "We are all experts in lifestyle topics in our own way. This is not rocket science or brain surgery. This is making a cupcake, creating a new quilt design, or knowing just which flowers to mix together. We can all be experts in the topic of ‘lifestyle’."

Stewart, we should point out, isn't alone. Well-intentioned chefs and slippery public relations types often marginalize bloggers and online media in favor of out-of-date and elitist print rags and newspapers. Food and fashion, once championed as harbingers, are now woefully behind yet pridefully ignorant when it comes to media and thus the world around them.

We can only hope that Stewart, who gave the keynote at the 2012 BlogHer event, comes to her senses and gets her head out of the past. She later apologized (sort of) to "great friends and trusted allies."

[Babble]
[Bloomberg]

Is your barbecue grill making you ill? Could be. Who knows. This handy chart by the FDA, CDC, Mayo Clinic, and International Food Council will tell you at what temperatures one should prepare their meats on the grill in order to prevent foodborne illness. Sure, some might disagree with the suggestions here. (We prefer our steaks barely introduced to the patio grill from the other side of the street. Rare is the only way to go.) But it's pretty good for those who don't abide by artisan law, or are unsure from where their meat came.

Here are some other less frightening suggestions for throwing your own BBQ fete this summer:

• Never use lean ground beef. Or pre-made patties.
• Do not start spraying lighter fluid after more than two cocktails -- ask a more sober friend to light the grill. We're not kidding.
• Please keep 2:1 ratio of beer to (white) wine. A lack of dry wine makes for unhappy blog editors.
• Classic barbecue sauce is only a suggestion, not a requirement.
• Please keep soft blankets at the ready. We enjoy sitting on the grass, but not on the grass. While we're at it, a colorful selection of parasols make for a lovely melanoma-free afternoon.
• Thighs and legs > breasts
• New Edition or En Vogue are ideal Pandora stations for barbecue under the sun. Dunno why. They just are.
• Clean your grill before using.
• Stop moving the meat around constantly like your dad did. Let it sit on the grill for a bit. Also, never press on your patties. The juice will run out and you will have dry burgers... and a dry frowny face.
• Got any weed?
• Screw it. Grilling, like math, is hard. Grab some ribs from Pican instead. Or, better yet, get some meat from B-Side BBQ in Oakland, care of chef Tanya Holland. She's a wizard when it comes to the art of barbecue.

Happy grilling, people!

Life/Style DJs Ts, Roll, and various special guests consistently rock the party on Thursday nights at Beauty Bar, featuring weekly vodka specials and no cover.

Selected tunes/genres include "shoegaze, Prince, New Order, raw soul, fun house, Primal Scream, party music, C86, Mary Jane Girls, new wave, Roxy Music, glam pop, George Michael, anything, indie, brit, Fleetwood Mac, Daft Punk, dark pop, psych, dance, dance, dance! Whatever we feel like whenever we feel like it."

The Life/Style crowd is reliably fun, diverse, and ready to dance.

Life/Style | Beauty Bar, 2299 Mission St, at 19th, SF | Thursday nights, 10pm - 2am | No cover, vodka drink specials