Magazine Rant

I read the magazine Shape. I have for a long period of time. I like the features that highlight some of the scientific findings in health and fitness, and I like to read a magazine about empowering women to be fit. I like the "work outs" because I am normally so intimidated by the weight machines and weights at the gym (or by figuring out how to target muscle groups, etc). I like it as a reference and an easy read. Some of the stories are inspirational, and the magazine highlights some "normal" women who are "just like you!", which is kinda nice. They also purport to not airbrush the women on the cover (although they are heavily make-upped, lighted and "done up", I always liked that honesty. As in, these women have worked their asses off to look like this, we're not going to change a thing, right? However, they have recently changed the format of their magazine, and I have been getting more and more irritated with the changes they have made. The most recent issue might be my last. While I understand these magazines can be slightly ridiculous, this magazine was one that I used to enjoy. However...well, let's just see what you think...

In their regular feature, "Shape your life: Sex", all three of the tidbits of advice apply to the guy, not the girl. As a women's magazine, I think this is absolutely ridiculous. The first piece of advice is to have morning sex. While not the most shocking thing, it goes on to say that women aren't often "in the mood" in the morning, but the guy is. Therefore, you should sleep naked to get him even more aroused, and then morning sex could make your day better. The second tidbit of advice is to not let the man in your life see you do things like floss, shave, or pop zits. You should close the door to retain a bit of "mystery". And lastly, you should take a vacation to a tropical island so the man in your life can get some vitamin D, boosting his testosterone levels, and upping his sex drive.

• OK, are you kidding me? There are thousands of women who report not being satisfied by their sex life, and you go and report on how to turn him on? I mean, lets just ignore the fact that none of these pieces of advice should be repeated. Why not talk about how women can get more satisfaction out of their sex life? Why not talk about how to find the time in the day, what to do if you're tired, the kids are screaming, there's laundry to be done? How about how to find time for yourself? How to maintain work/life balance? Hell, how to satisfy yourself? How to communicate in bed? How to find the G-spot (sorry, I went there...)? Were all of these things not valid? What if your significant other's sex drive is higher than yours? Yours is higher than his or hers? Were there no tidbits of information that might help a woman out? At all? All of them had to be about the guy? Oh, I could go on and on...

In another feature, the "Get Fit Workout of the Month", the magazine chooses to highlight the thighs and what moves to do to work them out. I usually like this feature because it includes a little breakdown on the muscle groups here, and it shows you ways to work them with machines at the gym. As an introduction, the magazine wrote this is highlighted, bold pink lettering, "If your thighs rub together, you know exactly what we're talking about, and if they don't, you probably work hard to keep them that way." Below this is written, "This month, we're going to help you conquer this common trouble spot so you can expend your mental energy on more important things - like which heels make your legs look sexier."

• Once again, are you kidding me? Firstly, your legs are a part of your anatomy. They are shaped that way for a reason!!! Thigh "jiggle" and thighs touching? OK, it's now become patently clear that our view of womens' bodies is so distorted because models' already thin thighs are photoshopped to not include that area of your thighs that (horror!) touches. Why not highlight things about your thighs that you might want to improve on. Or things that you might not realize. Like running only works part of your thighs, cycling might work another. Balancing your muscle proportions out might help you get better at the sport you enjoy. Secondly, please don't patronize me by saying that I am spending "mental energy" on why my thighs touch and what to do about it. Please also don't make a blanket statement about how I want to spend my mental energy on shoes. I spend my mental energy on things like current events, family, friends, work, school, and books I enjoy. My thighs (as ugly and imperfect as you think they are) carry me to all these events where I spend my mental energy, so just shut your trap about that, would ya?
• This idea that women are constantly worrying over distinct parts of their bodies really worries me. Why focus on discrete parts of your body when, for the most part, all things function? Why not talk about wanting strong thighs so you can pick up your kids? Because weight bearing exercise helps prevent osteoporosis? Because you have always wanted to try out spin class? Why not put a positive spin on things, instead of pointing out the things that they think might be "wrong" with you?

Besides these two glaring points, it includes an interview with Sofia Vergara, an actress, talking about her "killer curves". This article is written from an odd point of view. Instead of celebrating the way she looks, the writer seems almost incredulous that she's happy in her skin. Vergara doesn't seem to work out to look good (and she even says it's a part of her job, which I actually enjoyed for the honesty). The cover includes an "overlay" of Vergara in a dress - they you can peel that off and find her picture in a bikini (which is what most covers look like). Why is she not in a bikini for the regular cover? I just don't get it. Also, the magazine is chock full of ads for botox, quick weight loss supplements or pills, and food supplements that are awful for you. I realize that a magazine has to pay it's bills, but, honestly, I am just sick of it.

In the US, there is an obesity epidemic that will lead to terrible consequences. Lying to people by saying that diet and exercise don't matter is not going to help the cause at all. Exercise and diet choices need to be made accessible for everyone. And while I realize that Shape Magazine is not the spokesperson to the world, it's down to earth message of "You can do this!" is a great place to find motivation. However, not everyone has a super skinny body, not everyone is super concerned about touching thighs or the little fold of skin in the armpit. Everyone should be concerned with ways to fit in exercise on a daily basis. Ways to make healthy diet choices, how to shop for better food. How not to pass on these ridiculous ideas on body snarking and body image to our sons and daughters, who will likely bear the brunt of this obesity epidemic. How to cut back on processed food. What are processed foods? Where do they come from? How do I exercise with a toddler? How do I get my significant other to support my goals? How do I sign up for a race? How do I find other people who want to go to the gym with me? How do I live to be 100? How do I do all of this while being depressed about losing my job and my home?
Seriously, I think there are so many things these magazines could focus on. Positive spins on ways to get motivated, get moving and be active. But they disappoint me month after month, with their crap about ridiculously inane ideas of how my body should look. Well, I'm sorry, Shape, but you've just lost a subscriber.

Clothing/Working Rant

I'm defending my thesis in about three weeks. I need to purchase some type of business clothing (as a grad student, I just don't have any!) so I headed to Ann Taylor Loft on Penn campus the other day. Granted, I realize this was not the best idea. Ann Taylor has some nice business attire, while Ann Taylor Loft seems to cater to the younger kids with more casual things (that are still kind of dressy to this CA native! Ha!). So, I realize this was my first mistake - any time I try to utilize a business on campus, the customer service is terrible. I usually just chalk it up to college students working part time and not really caring about their job. I was fully aware of this at the time that I chose to look at this store, so you can absolutely blame me for what transpired.
Like most stores in our area, the minute you walk in, someone says "Hi! How are you today?!?!?!" It's not so much of a greeting or a question, it's more of a statement. Like, proving they are there in the store. There is never a question like, "Do you need help finding anything?" So, I start to wander around the store. They have a few things that are potential, so I pick up pants and shirts and a couple dresses in two to three sizes each (more on that later). I've got my hand full. The workers are standing by the "folding table", perhaps putting away clothing...having a loud and involved conversation about Friday night, Jason, a party and "that girl". It takes them several minutes to notice me drowning in clothing (I absolutely could have asked for a dressing room) and one of them offers to get me a room. I continue to shop, grabbing this, that and the other thing, trying to make a business outfit out of what they have. I even pick up some Blanche Devereaux-type billowy, flowery blouses since they're everywhere and I think, "Well, I don't know what they look like unless I try them on." Occasionally, I have looked at something on a hanger and it looks terrible, but on, it looks great. So, I try to be open minded in the whole process.
Finally, I get my stuff and head to the dressing room. I start trying on clothing, and some of it looks OK, some of it not. I usually wear about a size 8. However, I have clothing in my closet that ranges from a 6 to a 12 (my wedding dress? a 14 - go figure!). I'm also short, about 5'3", so I sometimes wear things in petite because the regular size can be way too long (who wants to wear shirts that literally come down to my crotch?) So, I'm pretty much an 8 on the bottom and usually a 10 or 12 on top. The problem is mainly the boobs. I am between a 36-38C in the chest department. I have the impression that, although they appear large on me and my frame, that this size is rather common. So, I picked up dress pants in an 8 and a 10. The 10 was way too big - I looked like I was wearing saggy pants! and the 8s were just a bit too small. They created those "lines" across my hips, which I hate. I tried on another pair, and even though they were marked "petite", they bunched up in the crotch region, which I also hate. I understand that nobody can make pants that fit everyone, but I feel like these are common problems with a lot of my friends.
The shirts were ridiculous too. The Blanche Devereaux shirts? Yup, they made me look like a 65 year old Floridian in the 80s. The dresses bunched up in weird places, or were exceedingly short (I mean, like I said - I'm 5'3" - how could they be short on me?). One of the dresses (although a size 10) I could not even zip up in the back because it smashed my boobs so much. Ugh. Trying on clothes is a drag!
I found a shirt I really liked, white button down, short sleeves with a little ruffle collar around the neck and in the front. It wasn't too low cut, but did have a nice shape. Well, the 10, I could not even button. The 12? In petite, I couldn't button it, and in regular, it extended past my hips - for a shirt that I would tuck in to likely somewhat form fitting pants? Not gonna work!
In the meantime, there is no one in the store. It's a Monday afternoon, and the working girls are gabbing away. At one point, one of them came in to offer help, get me a new size, etc. She did do that, but she never returned after that to see if those sizes fit. I finally ended up packing up my things and heading home - they didn't even spend a minute to say "Bye!!!!!"
To a certain extent, I'm not really what the point of this post is. But, for the record, I occasionally want help at a store. Not all the time, but when I have something in particular in mind, it would be really helpful to have someone familiar with the merchandise to guide me. I realize the days of excellent customer service are long gone. I guess, mostly, I am asking that people actually do the job they are paid for. It's clear these associates are not paid on commission, otherwise, they would have fallen all over me, trying to sell me stuff (I'm not sure if that's what I wanted, either).
I'm not sure if perhaps I was judged on my appearance. I was wearing jeans and a waffle-T that says Jackson, WY. I had on a fleece and a North Face jacket. My bike helmet was hanging off my overly large backpack, and I may have been a little sweaty from wearing too many layers in the Spring. I've often thought about the scene in Pretty Woman where she walks into a snobby store she had been kicked out of previously and shows them she has the money to purchase anything in the store. Of course, she leaves (and that's something that I couldn't pull off, for sure! Ha!). I guess common courtesy and kindness are just missing. I could be like that Facebook guy who always wears grubby clothes, but they would never know.
I guess it's obvious that a company cannot just force their employees to say things ("Hi! Welcome to Ann Taylor!", "Would you like to put your purchase on your Macy's card?", etc) that don't really mean anything. The majority of the time, the employees do not want to help you, especially if they are making $6 an hour at a crappy job. I'm not sure if there is an answer to this, other than retail stores should value their employees more to create a work environment in which people want to work, not just where they show up and stand around all day. Don't get me wrong, I know that working retail is a pain. I realize that customers are demanding, and having a do-nothing at work day might be restful and meaningful. I could have asserted myself - I could have just walked into the middle of their conversation and told them I wanted help. That wasn't beyond me. I guess I just don't want to force people to work if they don't want to.
And lastly, why have clothing makers not caught on to women's different body types? Honestly, I am so tired of trying to find clothing that fits, trying to find an 8, then a 10, then a 12 and being really disappointed because the 12 fits my boobs, but I'm swimming in it everywhere else. I also realize that I am shopping at cheaper places. I honestly can't afford much higher than Ann Taylor, although I would love to use the personal shopper at Nordstrom's for a day. I'm unclear why women's clothing is not more like men's clothing. A waist size and a length? Fine by me (although it would have to have different cuts, for those with a booty like me!). A bra size when shopping for shirts (and then a choice of Small, Medium or Large, or something like that?) Hallelujah! Dresses that come in different sizes on the top vs. the bottom? Stores that do alterations? I know that, likely, at the more expensive stores and the places where clothing costs way more that I would probably find these things. I realize that a nice suit could cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. I'm just unable to afford that right now. And I understand that manufacturing has to be "cookie cutter" to a certain extent, since things are made in such large quantities. Its funny to think about because my Grandma made a lot of my Mom's clothes when she was a kid (even her high school graduation dress) and my Mom hated it. She wanted clothes with the designer labels on it, clothes that didn't look like they were made at home. Now, here we are, 40 year later, and I would love to have someone make me some clothes - especially clothes that were tailored for my body. It's funny how time moves backwards, isn't it?
Wow, so this turned into an exorbitantly long post - sorry about that. I guess I needed to get something off my chest -like these too-tight shirts these damn stores sell!

Pet Peeves about the Snow (because, really, what else would I talk about on Feb. 1st?)

• Able bodied people who do not shovel their sidewalks, and leave them to just turn into an icy death trap for one and all. 
• Enormous puddles of melted snow at every corner of the street, making it impossible to cross the street without stepping into them.
• People who drive very quickly through enormous puddles and splash you.
• Dirty snow. Yellow snow. Orange snow. Vomit snow.
• Having to ride the bus daily. Having to take two buses to work.
• Not being able to run or bike outside.
• The panic/frantic-ness of a visit to the grocery store. You would think everyone is stocking up on food for the apocalypse, the way people shop during the winter. 
• The lack of quality sunshine.
• The cold.
• Unplowed bike lanes.
• The general lack of plowing in my neighborhood.
• I miss the feeling of sunshine on my face. Oh, and probably a little bit of Vitamin D as well.
• The loss of motivation, positivity, and a feeling of general malaise. I feel sleepy without adequate sunshine, I then sleep too much (or, alternatively, not at all) and then I walk around feeling like a zombie for the rest of the day.
• The general absence of fresh, ripe, tasty fruit at the grocery stores.
• Snowy streets and sidewalks force me to wear the same damn hiking boots every day. Because, apparently, nobody can be bothered to put a decent sole on cute shoes (all of mine are ridiculously slick on ice/snow).
• Falling down for no real reason.
• We just get "dug out" after a snow storm, and another is on it's way - this time, it will leave a lovely inch of ice on everything.

Oho, will I be glad when March gets here (and, boy is March usually nasty with rain and wind, but, man, I will take that anyday over this icy-snowy crap!). And I'm sure we're in for several more storms before the jig is up. Welcome, February. Can't wait till you're over!

Politics as Usual

• Sometimes I wonder if Republicans are naive or just plain dumb. They're screaming and yelling about balancing the budget and are threatening to cut everywhere but the biggest budget of them all - the DOD! I'm not talking about cutting troops, or cutting benefits. I'm talking about the two useless wars we're in, the ridiculous Drone operations, the CIA operatives who torture people and operate secret prisons and Guantanamo Bay. Seriously - there isn't anywhere in the UNLIMITED Defense budget that could be cut? No, it's much better to cut people's Medicare or Medicaid. Old folks don't need healthcare anyways, right?
• Speaking of balancing the budget - why has no one thought about the positive effects that both legalizing gay marriage and legalizing pot could have on the economy? Seriously, you're opening up the wedding business (which is a whole ridiculous thing in and of itself) to a percentage of the population that historically spends money on the finer things. And pot? Tax the hell out of it, just like you do for booze or cigarettes. Has nobody thought of this?
• It bothers me that people have decided to censor Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. I understand that some words in the book may be offensive, but I think it opens up a dialogue that absolutely must be approached and talked about. I think the minute we start to censor history is the minute we begin to repeat it. 
•  I am really glad that the President and Congress repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". I can't imagine what the big deal is if someone's gay and they're serving in the military. It just seems like some insecure Marines are going to have to get over themselves. And mostly? It seems like to old guys were the ones with the biggest problems with it. Hopefully homophobia is one of those things that will die out with the older generation. 
• Not only was the initial study linking vaccines to Autism retracted from The Lancet, but it was found to contain fabricated data. It disturbs me that people will continue to believe that vaccines cause autism (no matter how reliable and reproducible the science disproving that link is). I suppose if it only affected those people then I wouldn't really mind that much. But since it affects all of us (and most of all the newborns babies) it really bugs me that people could be so selfish. I guess it doesn't surprise me, though. Autism is likely caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors which we haven't fully identified. The truth is that we don't know how the brain works and how it processes different kinds of information, but we are learning new things every day. And with earlier and earlier diagnoses and interventions, I believe we are on the right path to identification of the causes of autism. It's just a shame that a fraudulent scientist and a bunch of idiotic celebrities have created a monster that is not likely to go away anytime soon.

Gym Confessions

I used to be real embarrassed to head to the locker room in the gym here on campus. I hate changing in front of people and I thought everyone was looking at me and how fat my ass is and all my cellulite and all my flaws. Turns out? No one even looks at me. Huh, guess I'm not that interesting, eh? So, I started swimming, and I have to take a shower after the swim, since I have to get the chlorine out. So, I essentially have gotten over the whole showering, changing, naked thing in the gym. I've been taking a 7:30am yoga class at the gym, which is usually pretty great. Afterward, I head to the locker room to get showered and changed. Apparently, there are other women who are not entirely "over" the whole changing in the gym thing. I've seen women stand there with towels that are too small trying to cover all the bits and pieces, and desperately trying to find their chonies or bra in their locker. Seriously? I just drop the towel. Haha! Probably terrifying for all involved, but she doesn't have anything I haven't seen before, right? I've also seen women butt naked running around the locker room, so I guess it takes all types. But the rule of thumb apparently is there is no talking in the gym. Unless its absolutely necessary, like someone is standing in front of my locker or something like that. I've made minor small talk with some women (like, oh my gosh it's cold today, or I love that lotion or that dress or whatever) and I'm always met with blank stares and shocked looks, like I've broken a covenant or something. Who knows? Maybe it's just a Penn gym thing, but it kinda cracks me up. I'm turning into that old, naked lady who parades around the gym, talking to people.
LOL, who knew?

Disturbing.

My folks sent me to private school, which, in Oxnard, turned out to be pretty conservative Christian school. I had a few friends who were big fans of Jesus, but I didn't think much of it. With the advent of Facebook, and being able to get in touch with all these people now, as adults. Sometimes, it's pretty scary. I try to not publish my political or religious views on FB, mostly because I'm friends with my family and just don't want to get into stuff like that. I'm more interested in seeing pics of people's cute kids or their latest vacation, and seeing what people look like now, you know, that kind of stuff. For some reason, I am friends with a guy, we'll call him Tom, who's apparently a minister somewhere in the Midwest. Tom sends out different messages daily, like "God's blessings to you!" and "Nana Bishop was called home to her Lord and Saviour today! Praise Jesus!". Honestly, these types of things kinda crack me up, so I kept him around. However, I think it might be time to kick him to the curb (on my friends list, that is). He's recently published a manifesto-like thing which explains why he can no longer be a fan of the baseball team he's been rooting for his whole life. To give the short version, it's because they have a float in the gay-pride parade and they support gay rights. Are you kidding me? What on earth is wrong with these people? He basically said that since his religion says being gay is "wrong" he can no longer support the team that supports something that is "wrong". While I am all for the 1st amendment and I believe everyone, no matter how ignorant deserves their own opinion on things, I just can't help but wonder if he sees they hypocrisy staring himself in the face? Sports teams, no matter how bad, are enormous promoters of sloth, greed, gluttony, etc. Baseball, especially, promotes cheating since there is no comprehensive drug program preventing steroid (or performance enhancing drug) use. Don't get me started with football. But all those are "OK" sins? It's OK to overcharge people for a bag of popcorn and bulldoze a couple neighborhoods to put in a new stadium because those are "acceptable" while being gay is not? I'm just so sick of people choosing which "sins" are the OK ones and which ones are eggregious. And I'm pretty sure that there's a lot in the Bible about being judged by god and god alone (not that I am in any way religious). To a certain extent, I just wish people would worry about their own, and not place their judgments on other people. I'm just trying to live my life the way I want to live it. No harm no foul.

Live and Let Live

I don't necessarily consider myself to be a granola crunching natural woman type, but I find myself slowly leaning that way. I have tons of friends having kids right now, and I have a lot of friends who have had kids or who plan to have kids. All of this has got me a little bit closer to some debates which really rile people up. Like breast feeding. Who knew? To state it (in case you couldn't tell) I am for breast feeding. Even in public. I'm actually a "live and let live" kinda gal. I won't give you my opinion unless you ask for it. Everyone's got their issues and situations - who am I to judge? And, as a bike commuter who lives in the city, I know sometimes kids get hungry at the most inopportune times. I'm not exactly sure why people are so offended by breasts. I understand there is a sexual connotation about them, but honest to god, could you put that aside for a few minutes and let a lady breastfeed? Or, there's always the argument about the "children". Oh my god. The kids. How can they ever see anybody's breast? How traumatizing! How scarring! Honestly, the shit people come up with is astounding. In my mind, the benefits far outweigh your uncomfortableness at seeing a mammal feed their child. Breast feeding gives babies much needed gut flora (ever wonder why there's so much IBS and intestinal problems?), gives kids antibodies they need early on in life. Breast feeding bonds mother and child, provides nourishment, and has even been shown to improve kids academic and social lives long after breast feeding has stopped. What could the problem possibly be?
Well, let's see. Many jobs don't provide areas for women to pump breast milk (I am hoping this will change soon) and many public places only provide bathrooms for women. When I was a kid, the women's restroom in Broadway had a lounge and a bathroom. Mothers could go into the lounge to breastfeed, change diapers, etc. That seems perfect - why aren't more places like that? I don't know about you, but I don't want to feed my kid while sitting on a public toilet - blech!
So, I am hoping that people can get over this ridiculousness. Of course, I am sure, my friends are much more comfortable at home feeding their babies. But, you know what? Life happens. And sometimes you just gotta feed your kid. Get over it.

Left out

Yesterday, I got the saddest email from Alex. His lab had gone to lunch for some people's birthday and he was not invited. They even had the gall to ask him to sign the birthday cards. At first, I just felt that blow to your stomach, that feeling of rejection, and I just felt so bad for him. How rude, right? I mean, I know there are probably people you work with who you may not like that much. But, you know what? We're all adults, and everyone should be included, no matter who they are. EVERYONE.
That's my public service announcement for today.

Things I don't understand

• What about gay people is threatening? We happened upon the Pride Parade this past weekend, and as far as I could tell, it was a bunch of people dressed up, dancing to some club music and throwing a parade. Why are there people threatened by this? What is threatening about homosexuality? Are you afraid they might "getcha"? Like the boogeyman? Lordy.
• Why would the powers that be allow shallow water drilling technology to persist when drilling deep water wells? I'm no engineer, but I could tell you that the pressure of water that deep is so high, I would automatically think it would require different technology, and for that matter, different permits and liabilities. But that's just my opinion.
• Along the same lines, why would you let the same government agency regulate the oil companies as well as collect fees from them? Seems a little incestuous, if you ask me.
• Why would we blame Obama for everything? Why is it his fault that there was a financial crisis? Did we forget that it started to happen (in fact was well under way) when Bush was still President? Also, why is Obama blamed for the oil spill? I am pretty sure the oil spill is the result of faulty engineering and greediness, not from Obama pushing some magic button somewheres and causing the Gulf to explode.
• Why is this oil spill not causing a more serious discussion of alternative energy sources? Literally half (if not more) of the country could run off geothermal, solar or wind energy. Why is there not more discussion of this? Do we only discuss this when gas is too expensive? Lack of forethought sound familiar?
• Why are we not investing more money in infrastructure, public transit, making our suburbia more walk-able and bike-able? Europe has been focusing on this for years and years, making train and bus travel very convenient, sometime even moreso than flight. High speed train lines would do wonders, especially here in the Northeast, if they were made a bit more affordable. But public support of public transit is really lacking.
  
• On corruption: why are people not forced to pay back money they stole? For example, the person in charge of taking care of juries here in Philly apparently stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the city. That money was to go towards providing coffee and some sort of breakfast food to jurors when they came into serve. Granted, it's a perk, but it was nice (and relatively cheap). Since the woman stole the money, jurors are no longer provided with any perks, and the lady got off scott-free. No retribution to pay, and she's moving to another state. Shouldn't she at least have to pay the money back?
  

Current Pet Peeves

For whatever reason, I'm a bit snappy lately. Not sure if it's the fact that it's gorgeous weather outside and I'm stuck inside with an endless list of experiments to do. Or that we're moving in about a month and I'm not at all prepared. Or the myriad number of things I should be doing instead of killing time reading the internet. Who knows? Therefore, I present a list of things that bug me:

• Tiger Woods - anything and everything Tiger Woods. I could honestly care less about him, his golf game, his misogynist golf club where he's playing or the fact that he missed his son's first birthday. Hello? You're the jackass that decided to screw everything in sight! You're the one who screwed up, you should pay for it. I don't feel one bit bad for you and I wish your wife would take you for all you're worth.
• The local news here in Philadelphia. No matter what station, no matter what time, the news is SO bad. The stories presented are not presented well. There are blurbs (short, with very little detail) about SERIOUS CRIME here in the city. However, apparently, because they involve minorities or poor neighborhoods, the get little, if no, air time. Instead, I have to listen to a nearly 5 minute discussion about "going green" while having sex. Seriously - they said NOT to use latex condoms! Hello, HIV?? STD?? Anyone??
• I hurt my hell somehow. I have no idea, but I'm sure it has something to do with my flip flops and walking about a hundred miles in them (whoops!). Now, my heel is killing me, I am back to wearing actual shoes and I have dance lessons with Alex tonight. Ugh. My entire life is walking - to/from work, all over my lab and my workplace. And every step hurts. Plus, I need to continue training for this 10 mile run in less than a month. Great.
  
• We have a paper towel dispenser in our bathroom at work. The paper towels are on a roll and sometimes the paper towels get stuck, or need to be re-loaded in the dispenser. Does anyone on this floor do this? I fix it every day. Is it hard to fix? No. Sometimes, I just wonder about people.
• Now, I am not usually one to complain about the weather. For the last few days, it has been gorgeous and amazing and lovely. However, it has been 90! Don't get me wrong, I like sunny warm days. But seriously? 90 in the beginning of April? Holy moly - what will summer have in store for us?
• I am so irritated about the way people are allowed to treat kids. I am not OK with a school deciding to cancel prom simply because a girl wants to bring her girlfriend. I am also not OK with kids not being able to express themselves in school. Granted, anything promoting hatred should not be allowed. But wearing clothing that depicts your religion, your sexual orientation, your identity should be fine. Even is it's screaming "I'm gay!". It would do a lot of people a lot of good to open your fucking eyes and see the world around you. A gay kid is not a threat to the fabric of society. But ostracizing one is.
  

All right, I think I'm off my soapbox for now....

Pointless

Every morning I walk through the center of campus, an area called College Green, which contains some large sections of grass, among other things. This is an area, for those of you unfamiliar with the campus, that contains the main library, a large button sculpture, a large statue of Ben Franklin, a miniature "LOVE" sculpture, several large, Ivy-League-looking buildings and "The Castle", a frat house that literally looks like a castle. For the last few mornings, there have been college kids "camping out" on the green, either hanging out on a big tarp, or relaxing in folding chairs outside a big tent. Usually, these things are some kind of charity work, like, "We're sleeping outside to raise money and awareness for the homeless", or "We're pedaling our stationary bike for 48 hrs nonstop to raise money for kids with cancer" or some type of raising money/awareness for some bad situation. These people have no signs. They have no information sheets, no flyers to hand out, nothing. The women have Coach purses and Macbooks, designer jeans and high heels and look a little bedraggled from being outdoors. The men have aviator glasses on, wearing designer ripped jeans and polo shirts, and are constantly checking their Blackberrys. Alex and I have postulated that perhaps they are all pledges for fraternities or sororities? But that doesn't make sense, since the Greeks would be all over them for hazing. Nobody knows...

Dear State of New York,

Could ya get it together? You and CA are supposed to be the trend setters - instead you let places like Iowa take the lead? What the hell is wrong with you? Who are these damn people who oppose gay marriage? Can we just give them one of the shitty states and the rest of us non-discriminators can just have the rest of the country? I'm so sick of this shit - where are these people coming from and where do they get off restricting access to state sanctioned institutions?

Arrrrrrgggghhhhvoldknsrbo;erinbsozeibfhjwiorg pbthhhhhht!

And thus concludes my rant for the day....

What Would You do to Graduate?

A recent article in the NY Times highlighted an interesting tactic in college graduation. Lincoln University, a predominantly African-American college a bit outside Philadelphia, has declared that students with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30 need to take a gym class to graduate. BMI is a ratio of your weight to your height and is a crude (although somewhat effective) way to determine if people are overweight. Granted, if you are Peyton Manning (quarterback of the still undefeated Indianapolis Colts), your BMI is pretty skewed because he's 6'5" and a ton of muscle. But for the rest of us, it's a pretty good indicator of size. And I realize that obesity is an American epidemic that especially hits lower income families and minorities the most. I applaud Lincoln University for recognizing the epidemic, and for trying to do something about it, but I think the approach is wrong. I think the majority of us could use an extra gym credit, a health class, a cooking or nutrition class. When I was in college (back in my day...), I took some dance classes that I loved. It was a great way to burn off steam, and there was no homework! Just show up. I understand that perhaps these classes are not for everyone. Someone commuting to school, or paying on a per credit basis, would probably not appreciate the little one-unit class that made them drive all the way to campus for no reason. But, for students attending college and living on campus, as the majority of students at Lincoln are doing, an extra class dedicated to nutrition, how to use the gym or a plethora of sports, could be a great addition to the curriculum. For ALL students. Not just those considered technically obese. I think it's pretty prevalent that a lot of us get out of college and don't know how to take care of ourselves. I had late nights filled with pots of coffee, dinner consisted of Spaghetti Os or Ramen noodles, or those Pasta-Roni boxes, and I drank copious amounts of alcohol. It would have been nice to have a nutrition or health class, or, heck, even Home Ec in high school (please, without the sexist agenda!). I guess what I'm saying is that the sentiment is right at Lincoln, the execution is just off. Let's make eating healthy and taking care of yourself part of our education, but let's not single out one group of people to force that education on. I think we'll all be better off if we do.

Dear Bicycle Riders,

You are a moving vehicle - stay off the sidewalk and don't try to run over pedestrians. There is a bike lane for your use. It's clearly marked. Use it, not my sidewalk.
Thank you.

Dear Christian Fascists,

Please don't hand out an edited version of Darwin's book On the Origin of Species as a cheap ploy to get me to listen to your intelligent design/creationism bull shit. I don't take your Bible and edit it to support my views on life (oh, wait, you already do that!). I am perfectly happy with the absence of religion in my life and I don't need you to hang out on the campus of a medical school, for Christ's sake and try to trick people into believing you are celebrating the publication of Darwin's groundbreaking work. I am sorry that you feel the need to edit and alter Darwin's work to serve your own goals. I am also sorry that your arguments are so thinly veiled and so easily discounted. I think it's sad when you take quotations out of context and you use the wonderful openness, and peer review process of science to attempt to prove your points. It's also a shame that all of your bibliography consists of references to Newsweek articles and Creationist publications and websites. What? You couldn't find any legitimate, peer reviewed articles to quote? Not even from your friend Richard Beehe? The fact remains that you are trying to force your brand of religion on the rest of us, on our schoolchildren, and on the public in general. This is precisely why there is a clause in the Constitution regarding the Separation of Church and State. If you are so concerned about your children learning false viewpoints, then, by all means, teach them all you want. Just don't usurp our scholarly and scientific texts to try to shove some Christian Fascist bullshit down our throats. Your book will be stoking our Thanksgiving Day fire. And so concludes my rant for the day.

"Teaching intelligent design in public school biology classes violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States (and Article I, Section 3 of the Pennsylvania State Constitution) because intelligent design is not science and 'cannot uncouple itself from its creationist, and thus religious, antecedents'."

Phila Fail

see more Fail Blog

I actually like the name of this store - esp since it's in the gayberhood and full of totally kitschy stuff.

Some thoughts...

• Screaming "You lie" at a President - really, South Carolina? Really?
• A woman was murdered in her lab at Yale. Scary? Yeah....freaked out? Just a little...
• Health care: why are all the people screaming and yelling about health care? You're required to insure your car, but not yourself? Makes no sense to me. And to prevent insurance companies from gouging us, there should be a public option. Doesn't seem that complicated. Trust me, Medicare/Medicaid will still be there, so stop bitching about it. And stop hating on the poor people.
  
• Americans are ridiculously opposed to change. Change is good. It keeps us moving forward. What's so scary about that?
  
• Philadelphia is in the worst way. The city needs money to function, but the state won't allocate it. We are facing shutdown of city business on Oct 2, if a budget is not written by Sept 18th. Personally, I don't want to live in a city without police and fire officials. The signs on the libraries (all of them, this time) states they will close on Oct 2. How sad.
  
• I think women should run things for a while. Men have had their fair share of governing, and look where it's gotten us. Let's give the females a try.
  
• I guess I am in the minority when I say that I still approve of President Obama. I think he's doing a great job, trying to focus on the issues, while hearing all sides. I do, however, this that this health care issue will make or break his presidency.
• I can't believe how ridiculous people are about their kids. Thinking that Obama will "indoctrinate" their kids into "socialism" when all he really wanted to do was tell kids to work hard and stay in school? Get off your high horse, conservatives. Have a little respect for the Office of the President. And let him inspire minority and inner city kids across the country.
• As far as I can tell, the "deficit", or the "debt" or whatever you want to call it has no effect on my everyday life. Why do I care if we borrow money now so that it's better in the future? This is the worst depression in nearly 100 years! I think this calls for some fancy finances.
  

A Rant

While understandably excited to watch the confirmation of our first Latina woman on the Supreme Court (and only the THIRD woman to serve), I can't help but be pissed off at the conservative conversations happening in the media. Here is an intelligent, hard working woman who graduated from Princeton undergrad and Yale law School. She has, as far as I can tell, risen from a working class family (in which her father had a third grade education and did not even speak English) to become a judge in the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. I am not sure how much hard work it requires to become a judge. I don't even know how much work Yale Law School might be. I know that grad school takes a lot of determination, intelligence, perseverance and the right attitude. I imagine Sotomayor has all of these and more. I would like to think that Obama saw in her the same pragmatic attitude he has, having come from a working class family and having risen to the Presidency. I would like to think her decisions as a judge have been well thought out and have been based on precident as well as the laws on the books. Nobody really knows. However, I will not stand for this blatant racism, saying she is the product of affirmative action - that she never would have made it this far without racial quotas. I'm sorry, but what? We are talking about a wildly sucessful 55 year old woman, here. Someone who has clearly planned her life journey according to certain values, one who has worked her ass off to get where she is today. It has nothing to do with her race! Don't diminsh he accomplishments by saying they only occurred because of affirmative action. Don't deny young women a role model they can look up to; don't deny the Hispanic culture the right to celebrate this nomination.
I guess the idea is taken with a grain of salt, right? If that's the worst thing they can come up with to say about her, so be it. You and I know the real story. She's an amazing woman, a role model we can all admire. And I dare her to confront those stuffy old white men on that damn Supreme Court. Let's see how well "affirmative action" works for us!

An Affair to Remember?

I have attended several weddings this year (and last). A fair number of my friends are now married and I have watched most of them stand up in front of friends and family and take the vows of a lifetime. I have witnessed as they fell in love and chose a partner (and even as some have reproduced - eek!). We've all formed families of our own choosing, with our own unique signature. A lot of my friends are in science - we are apparently the "educated elite" that was so reviled in this past election (good God, no! not a smart president!). We are or will be significant contributors to society and most of us will hold pretty powerful positions. We are all driven and determined and many of us have put off having a family in order to pursue a career. To each his own. What I am not understanding is this connection between holding positions of power and cheating on your spouse. For one, how long are you going to be in said elected position? Seriously, Bill, can you keep it in your pants for 8 years? It's not that long? Do you have to go AWOL, fly to Argentina to get laid? Really? Hire a prostitute? WHILE IN OFFICE? I realize, people have sex drives and egos and that not all marriages last forever. I realize that sometimes you don't think and you make mistakes and you need to apologize. I get that. What I don't get is the forethought part of it. If you are so calculated as to have reached a position of power (trust me, it's a long hard climb), don't you examine your priorities? Your actions? Watch your steps? Don't you know that people are depending on you? Looking up to you, even? Do you think about that? Have you seen others fall? Have you learned from their mistakes?
I realize that nobody's perfect, that people living in the public eye might have it harder than I do. I'm just disappointed and disgusted. I have no idea how this affects a family and a career and a life. I just feel like this betrayal is so prevalent - and I'm sorry, but a PRESS conference to announce it? Oh, you are so full of yourself. How about doing YOUR JOB - showing up on a daily basis and letting people know where you are? Is responsibility that hard?
I guess I'm an idealist. I just hope that all my friends' marriages and relationships are built on more steady ground than these peoples'.
getting off my soapbox now...

Crunchy Granola

I think I've gone hippie. I didn't really mean to, but it just kinda happened. I'm not sure when it started, but I stopped washing my hair every day. Partially because I have a lot of hair and partially because I dyed it (and thus, want to make the dye last as long a possible), I just stopped washing it. It was a little greasy at first, and on those days I would just wear it in a ponytail. Soon, though, my hair started realizing that I wasn't washing it as much, and the grease really went away. Now, I've turned into my mom, washing my hair twice a week. And you know what? I love it! I take way less time to get ready in the morning. My hair feels great, and I'm using less water and less shampoo (both good money saving things).
Alex and I planted a garden (much of it still in the spare bedroom, thank you April Frost!) and we are really looking forward to harvesting our own food that we've grown ourselves. Gardening, for us, has turned out to be a bit of zen. It's a nice escape, it's satisfying, and it brings my mood down after the insanity of a long day. We've also just recently joined a food co-op. Local farmers from outside the city provide fresh fruits and veggies for us throughout the growing season. We're really looking forward to it for several reasons. Firstly, it's going to cut down on the time we spend going to the local farmer's market each week - hello, free weekend time! Yay! Secondly, we're supporting local farms and foods, which makes me feel better in terms of the amount of oil that goes into my food (prefer it to be a very small amount). And lastly, we are eating things that naturally grow in this region, things that are grown without pesticides and on sustainable farms, and thus helping to make a positive impact on our environment. We've been making more food at home, bringing our lunches, and trying to cut back on the amount of waste we create every day. Being a scientist, it's not very realistic to cut back on the amount of waste I create in a given day (unless I just stop experimenting all together), so I figure it's best to cut back on how much waste I create in the rest of my life.
Alex and I love to "trash pick". It's not what you think - living in a city with no trash bins (meaning, people put their trash out on the sidewalk), means that lots of people put their unwanted things out on the sidewalk, for anyone to take. We've scored lots of stuff this way. Walking home the other night, we noticed some plastic bins being thrown away and decided to schlep them home. For what, you might ask? We're building a worm bin. That's right. Worms will eat my garbage. I realize I've gone over the edge now. It's only a matter of time until I buy some Birkenstocks, start dredd-ing out my hair and start bathing in patchouli. Oh well, I guess I'm OK with that. All I know is that I will be so stoked when the worms make a nice little compost for our garden and we aer munching on tasty produce grown in our own backyard. Oh, and don't worry - I still shave my pits....for now :)