music faves

i might be one of the few people who still buy cds. i do research before buying tho. i go on youtube and listen to a few songs off the album. if i only like one song, i just buy the song. of all the cds i've bought (or received as gifts [tho i did ask for those ones specifically]) in the last year, i have one standout favorite: miike snow. and awesomely enough, i hear their songs being played all the time in random stores.

others i've bought in the last year or so (in no order): fight club soundtrack, maria taylor - lady luck, anberlin - cities (special edition), grace potter and the nocturnals (self titled), honeyhoney - loose boots ep, daft punk - tron legacy soundtrack, mumford & sons - sigh no more, elie goulding - lights.

and yet i think my favorite song in the last couple years is dan black's u+me=

god changes you

from abc's primetime nightline: beyond belief - the miracle mysteries (7/13/11)

"well, we certianly know that there are differences in the brain between people who are religious and those who are not. and that implies that there are people who are more likely to be predisposed to having religious beliefs or spiritual beliefs compared to those people who don't." (as said by dr andrew newberg, author of how god changes your brain)

two things. 1. is your brain already that way so you're predisposed to believe in religion (as he says), or do your religious belief change your brain (as is the title of his book)?

2. i'm a big believer in evolution, so this is interesting since there are so many more spiritual people than not. assuming that it's mostly not people killing people because they're not religious, and instead religious people really do just breed better or whatever, it adds a whole new dimension to pascal's wager.

icy

irene nemirovsky - fire in the blood

 "it's the same with love. you call out for it, you plan its course. the wave crashes into your heart but it's so different from how you imagined it, so bitter and icy."

with this ring...

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did you know that newlish-wed prince william does not wear a wedding ring? he doesn't like jewelry, apptly. ...i'm not sure what to make of that. i get that a ring is a piece of jewelry, but it's not some random accessory worn for the simple sake of it being pretty, you know what i mean?

i guess all traditions aside, a wedding band is a simple way of telling others that you're married. in that way i guess prince william doesn't need it, since anyone who knows who he is also knows that he's married. the above article says that it used to serve as a reminder for sailors of home and family, which i think still works, and for non-sailors as well. but i think for a lot of people a wedding band is also a symbol of pride. "i'm married, i'm happy i'm married, and i want everyone to know it."

i get that wedding rings can come off and that marriage is a state of mind; it certainly isn't anything tangible. but i would hope my husband would want to, and i honestly expect him to, wear a wedding band. i would actually be really weirded out if he didn't want to wear one. i'd probably even be offended.

btw, rip said a few months ago that he's glad he doesn't wear jewelry (and no, i don't think he was cryptically trying to tell me something).but it'll be pretty interesting to see what he decides should the occasion ever come up, no?

stayin' alive

hilarious and instructive video on how to do "hands-only cpr."



i love ken jeong!

sex vs "violence"

anti-porn groups boycott new nbc show "the playboy club"

"I can say without hesitation that every episode of "Law & Order: SVU" is more "adult" than the pilot of "The Playboy Club." And KSL has aired almost 300 episodes of that show."

this is a crazy bad analogy. in all those crime shows, the bad guy is punished. but "the playboy club" will glorify porn. the behaviors being rewarded on "law & order" are honesty (in cops), tenacity (in detectives), courage (in victims), perseverance (in law enforcers)... you get my point.

"the playboy club" will show... what? probably lots of married men having dubious relations with pretty young women who take off their clothes for money. and what will the moral be? as a man you should work hard so you can afford these women whose only job it is to satisfy you sexually. and a woman's aspirations should probably be to get lucky enough to be born beautiful so you can take off your clothes for money from men who want to sleep with, but not respect (or love, talk to, marry) you. well, no, that's probably too harsh. i'm sure the occasional bunny will have real goals. like, using playboy as a stepping stone to bigger and better things: fame as a singer / dancer / performer / sex object. ...

yeah, i can't believe they let "law & order" on tv.

little animals

rather than spending tons of money on cheaply-made mass-produced plushies at the mall, how about going onto etsy and buying things made with love?

etsy has way more than just animals dolls, but i like em, so eh.

1. nonesuch garden - handmade designer wool plush dolls
2. violoa studio - handcrafted creations made repurposed materials
3. oh ma felt - plushies with cheek
4. story builder toys - quality handmade wooden and stuffed toys

no books = no sex

John Waters - "If you go home with somebody, and they don't have books, don't fuck 'em!"

:) the more i randomly find out about john waters the more i love him. another post in his honor.

girl or boy?

if you could only have one child, would you prefer it to be a boy or a girl? here's america's take.

i think it's pretty obvious why people would prefer boys, tho after reading through the comments, i guess my definition of "obvious" is all wrong because not one person said what i think is the most compelling reason to have a boy.

i'd prefer a boy because i feel like i'd have to worry less about their safety and overall well-being. you hear ALL THE TIME about young girls who get taken advantage of, either sexually or emotionally. of course, boys aren't at all exempt from sexual abuse (hello catholic church!) and the world is probably safer for your lesbian daughter than for my gay son, but the victims of nearly every non-fatal crime are female.

even if somehow our kids escape abuse and crime, our daughters will likely get paid less than her male counterparts. she'll find it more difficult to find a job, get her first loan, get proper medical attention, become a politician, get taken seriously, play professional sports, get a high ranking job... and those are just the "tangible" things. she'll likely also be more likely to suffer from eating disorders, emotional disorders, and low self-esteem. gah, the list goes on...

anyway, yeah, if i had to choose the sex of my only kid, i would probably prefer a male. tho, honestly, i'd probably be unhappy with any kid, boy or girl. ...wait, i mean, i'd be happy with any kid, boy or girl. ...

wax off

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because i'm pretty flat in the chestal region, i look more like an adolescent than i'd care to admit. and for that reason, i'd never get a full wax. (well, never say never, but seriously, it's never). and if i ever dated a guy who wanted me to be completely bare down there, i'd probably immediately run a background check to make sure he's not a registered pedophile.

personal issues aside, i think full waxes are just weird. i mean, young girls don't have hair there. part of growing up and becoming a woman is getting hair. so why would either he or you want to you to look like a child?

to be clear, i think bikini waxes are fine. get them in whatever shape you like. i think a lightning bolt is pretty hilarious. but do leave a badge of your adulthood down there, okay? you've earned it.

brains > beauty

"how to talk to little girls"

i think this is a really thought-provoking article. i'm a big believer in nurture (vs nature) and i can absolutely see how consistently getting complimented on looks at such a young age would cause little girls to strive to be more physically attractive. it would be great if we could compliment both their beauty and brains but since most of us aren't really looking to connect with the child and are only looking for something to say so as to not appear rude, it's best to not focus on her outward appearance (although it is often the easiest thing to say), as there are many physical things one can't control anyway. compliments should be based on merit rather than luck.

i'm really glad bloom offers a suggestion for what to actually say. of course, i don't like kids, so i wouldn't want to carry on an extended conversation with them, and complimenting their looks is an easy way to be friendly but not involved. i wonder what might be a better passing comment?