Thursday, March 03, 2005
My brain is on fire!!!
Seriously!!! My brain is on FIRE! I'm having one of those brilliant epiphany moments (well, brilliant and highly entertaining to me, anyway). I'm having all sorts of swirling ideas about chick lit., how it fits into our society, is it just a bunch of pot boilers or is there something deeper going on there, what's it's worth, what is its downfall, where does it fit in among the beauty myth and the Rites of Beauty. Ohmagod! I'm so excited. I had an idea for a book this morning, I'm having an idea for a Bust article, and I'm having an idea for a Master's Thesis all at once. This is an intellectual orgasm of the highest order!!! AND I'VE GOTTA GO TEACH READING! Fuck me! I'll be back to actually explain all of this.
American Idolatry and Inane Ramblings
I admit it....I watch American Idol. It all begins with the oh-too-tempting "These are the losers" shows, and it just balloons from there. American Idol is really just an exercise in cruelty. These poor shmucks are paraded in front of the nation and then bashed by a panel of has-been or never-were judges. We're watching torture!!! Or maybe they're just trying to torture those of us watching at home (did we all see Constantine's rendition of "Kiss from a Rose?").
There also seems to be quite a bit more sexual harrassment occuring this (almost said semester) season. First Simon wanted to be the Latin chick's microphone, and last night Paula got sloppy after the dark man with the glasses did his rendition of "Let's Get it On." Hornballs.
The one Dallasite went home tonight, and I can't say that it was a bad decision to send her packing. Celena Rae (Ray?) sounded strained with every note during her last performance. Bye-bye Celena....even though you look like Martina McBride.
Bo Bice...make me proud, brother!!
**********End of American Idol Post***************
In other news, I went to my daytime book discussion group today (Books Sandwiched In...we bring our lunch). Joe and Hazel (80-year-olds) weren't there, but Sammy (my cousin the retired postman), Nancy (40'ish-never-married-YMCA-morning-worker), and Carol (slightly-stuffy-intelligent-well-traveled-older-local-newspaper-writer) showed up. It seems to be the pattern that I've just finished some oddly titled book whenever I go to "report" at these meetings. Today I discussed The Sex Lives of Cannibals, and I actually coaxed a guffaw out of Carol. I think that's gonna be the highlight of my week. As I recall it was the diapers on the reef that really threw her over the edge. I freakin' love this book. You all have to go get it. It'll be a napkin by the time I mail it to all of you blog readers.
I've been swearing off library books until I whittle down my own stacks, but at Valerie's recommendation I picked up Bet Me, by Jennifer Crusie, today. I don't know what's going on with me and this chick lit/romancey jag. Sooooo very unlike me. I'm slightly terrified by the image of high heels and cherries on the cover of this one (that's just too much!), but I'm trusting you, Val.
Jennifer Weiner is still a goddess. I spent the better part of my evening reading her blog entries from as far back as 2002. I'm determined to work my way through her blog in its entirity 1) because it's educational if you're a wanna-be writer 2) it's fookin' hilarious. Her dog's name is Wendell. What's not to LOVE!! *Note: Dash (our one-eyed weenie dog) got himself buried so thoroughly under a blanket tonight that all you could see was the black tippy tip of his nose. There are pictures coming.
I don't have anything more intelligent than this in me tonight. Sorry my lovelies. Maybe the porn post will come tomorrow (no pun intended). And it appears that I'm bound and determined to push parentheses to the apex of their possibilities. And my collar bones are protruding nicely due to the aforementioned diet/exercise regime. It's all about the small pleasures in life.
On TV: Nothing! I turned the mofo off!
MP3: Bruce Hornsby....That's Just the Way It Is
Reading: The Beauty Myth....didn't make much of a dent today
In my head: gray matter...I assume
There also seems to be quite a bit more sexual harrassment occuring this (almost said semester) season. First Simon wanted to be the Latin chick's microphone, and last night Paula got sloppy after the dark man with the glasses did his rendition of "Let's Get it On." Hornballs.
The one Dallasite went home tonight, and I can't say that it was a bad decision to send her packing. Celena Rae (Ray?) sounded strained with every note during her last performance. Bye-bye Celena....even though you look like Martina McBride.
Bo Bice...make me proud, brother!!
**********End of American Idol Post***************
In other news, I went to my daytime book discussion group today (Books Sandwiched In...we bring our lunch). Joe and Hazel (80-year-olds) weren't there, but Sammy (my cousin the retired postman), Nancy (40'ish-never-married-YMCA-morning-worker), and Carol (slightly-stuffy-intelligent-well-traveled-older-local-newspaper-writer) showed up. It seems to be the pattern that I've just finished some oddly titled book whenever I go to "report" at these meetings. Today I discussed The Sex Lives of Cannibals, and I actually coaxed a guffaw out of Carol. I think that's gonna be the highlight of my week. As I recall it was the diapers on the reef that really threw her over the edge. I freakin' love this book. You all have to go get it. It'll be a napkin by the time I mail it to all of you blog readers.
I've been swearing off library books until I whittle down my own stacks, but at Valerie's recommendation I picked up Bet Me, by Jennifer Crusie, today. I don't know what's going on with me and this chick lit/romancey jag. Sooooo very unlike me. I'm slightly terrified by the image of high heels and cherries on the cover of this one (that's just too much!), but I'm trusting you, Val.
Jennifer Weiner is still a goddess. I spent the better part of my evening reading her blog entries from as far back as 2002. I'm determined to work my way through her blog in its entirity 1) because it's educational if you're a wanna-be writer 2) it's fookin' hilarious. Her dog's name is Wendell. What's not to LOVE!! *Note: Dash (our one-eyed weenie dog) got himself buried so thoroughly under a blanket tonight that all you could see was the black tippy tip of his nose. There are pictures coming.
I don't have anything more intelligent than this in me tonight. Sorry my lovelies. Maybe the porn post will come tomorrow (no pun intended). And it appears that I'm bound and determined to push parentheses to the apex of their possibilities. And my collar bones are protruding nicely due to the aforementioned diet/exercise regime. It's all about the small pleasures in life.
On TV: Nothing! I turned the mofo off!
MP3: Bruce Hornsby....That's Just the Way It Is
Reading: The Beauty Myth....didn't make much of a dent today
In my head: gray matter...I assume
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Something comment-worthy?
*Note: There would be an amusing photo here, but Villagephotos is still crap.
I've been trying to think of something comment-worthy, but I'm lacking. I have a small notebook that I use for lesson plans and keeping track of attendance, and last Thursday I got bored while my students were taking a quiz and started writing down possible blog entries. Some of them include:
The Sex Lives of Cannibals, by J. Maarten Troost
"Teacherhood"
Weird Students (they abound this semester)
The appeal of shoes to fat women (being hippy with a lot of shoes)
Why pornography is hurtful to women.
But do I feel like thinking enough to post about any of these juicy things right now? Not so much. My eyes feel like little blue ticking bombs...ready to explode and make a huge mess at any second. I think I finally fell asleep around 1am....had a lame sex dream...and the alarm went off at 7:00. I snoozed until 7:18, got ready, and here I am. I almost forgot the jump drive with all my quizzes for today which would've been a bloomin' disaster.
My first class took a homonym quiz, and they were so spread out that I didn't have to worry about cheating. I sat on a table in the back of the room and read The Beauty Myth. Don't ask me if I believe the rumors about Harold Bloom groping her back in the day. I don't care (although I don't really like Harold, so I would tend to say yes, he did grope her).
This morning's reading addressed women's mass culture and I found the part about women's magazines particularly interesting. Wolf claims, and I agree, that women's magazines have a tendency to perpetuate the "beauty myth" and make women feel even shittier about their wardrobe, makeup, and sexual prowess than they already do. I was a Cosmo reader for a couple of years, and while the magazine operates under the guise that it's trying to pump up women's independence and self-esteem (the monthly Fun Fearless Female, for example), it's a catch-22. They're still trying to sell cosmetics and clothes, and the cover still has a scantily clad, airbrushed model or other celeb on the cover every month (same pose, same general feel....can we say Stepford Wives?), and it's all a big beating over the head with the beauty myth. "You've gotta be feminine and gorgeous and fit to be worthwhile and for things to happen to you." Read the chapter and you'll know more about that quote.
I started reading Bust instead of Cosmo. It focuses more on herbal, do-it-yourself makeup and skin fixes, actual fearless females that do graffiti art, are mystics and witches, that started their own 'zine which later became what we now lovingly call Bust. Does it still fall into the beauty myth?? I dunno....still struggling with that. There's fashion, there's makeup, but there's a hell of a lot more substance, too. Book reviews, music, "odd-girl-out" celebs. I guess I don't feel like I'm being beat over the head with the same old shit when I'm reading Bust. I don't feel like I'm being pushed toward a stereotype when I'm reading Bust. I'm not expected to be the girl next door OR the ugly, man-hating feminist ogre.
Anyway, still struggling with my thoughts on the beauty myth and how/if/why I'm a part of it. That was actually a half-way decent post for a "eyes-as-bombs" day. Whoda thunk!
On TV: There isn't one, thank God.
CD player: Evanescence Live
In my head: my wild curly hair that's grown inward and begun to seize my brain
I've been trying to think of something comment-worthy, but I'm lacking. I have a small notebook that I use for lesson plans and keeping track of attendance, and last Thursday I got bored while my students were taking a quiz and started writing down possible blog entries. Some of them include:
The Sex Lives of Cannibals, by J. Maarten Troost
"Teacherhood"
Weird Students (they abound this semester)
The appeal of shoes to fat women (being hippy with a lot of shoes)
Why pornography is hurtful to women.
But do I feel like thinking enough to post about any of these juicy things right now? Not so much. My eyes feel like little blue ticking bombs...ready to explode and make a huge mess at any second. I think I finally fell asleep around 1am....had a lame sex dream...and the alarm went off at 7:00. I snoozed until 7:18, got ready, and here I am. I almost forgot the jump drive with all my quizzes for today which would've been a bloomin' disaster.
My first class took a homonym quiz, and they were so spread out that I didn't have to worry about cheating. I sat on a table in the back of the room and read The Beauty Myth. Don't ask me if I believe the rumors about Harold Bloom groping her back in the day. I don't care (although I don't really like Harold, so I would tend to say yes, he did grope her).
This morning's reading addressed women's mass culture and I found the part about women's magazines particularly interesting. Wolf claims, and I agree, that women's magazines have a tendency to perpetuate the "beauty myth" and make women feel even shittier about their wardrobe, makeup, and sexual prowess than they already do. I was a Cosmo reader for a couple of years, and while the magazine operates under the guise that it's trying to pump up women's independence and self-esteem (the monthly Fun Fearless Female, for example), it's a catch-22. They're still trying to sell cosmetics and clothes, and the cover still has a scantily clad, airbrushed model or other celeb on the cover every month (same pose, same general feel....can we say Stepford Wives?), and it's all a big beating over the head with the beauty myth. "You've gotta be feminine and gorgeous and fit to be worthwhile and for things to happen to you." Read the chapter and you'll know more about that quote.
I started reading Bust instead of Cosmo. It focuses more on herbal, do-it-yourself makeup and skin fixes, actual fearless females that do graffiti art, are mystics and witches, that started their own 'zine which later became what we now lovingly call Bust. Does it still fall into the beauty myth?? I dunno....still struggling with that. There's fashion, there's makeup, but there's a hell of a lot more substance, too. Book reviews, music, "odd-girl-out" celebs. I guess I don't feel like I'm being beat over the head with the same old shit when I'm reading Bust. I don't feel like I'm being pushed toward a stereotype when I'm reading Bust. I'm not expected to be the girl next door OR the ugly, man-hating feminist ogre.
Anyway, still struggling with my thoughts on the beauty myth and how/if/why I'm a part of it. That was actually a half-way decent post for a "eyes-as-bombs" day. Whoda thunk!
On TV: There isn't one, thank God.
CD player: Evanescence Live
In my head: my wild curly hair that's grown inward and begun to seize my brain
An "Eh" Kind of Day...
Today was "eh." Know what I mean? Nothing spectacular, slightly lazy, but not overly unfulfilling.
I got up this morning and went for my usual workout. So far, in the last 3 weeks, I've lost about 10 pounds. My collarbones are sticking out nicely and my pajama pants are barely hangin' on. Gotta love it.
After my workout I finished up Little Earthquakes. Jennifer Weiner is a goddess. Given, the books are chick lit, but she's soooo funny. I was beginning to go into convulsions because she hadn't blogged since last Wednesday, but she finally posted an entry today. Now I can sleep. Whew! It was touch and go there for a few days.
What else did I do today? Ummmm, stuff for tomorrow. My classes are going to be a breeze for me tomorrow. Here's the schedule (like you care, but I don't want to go to sleep yet).
8:40-9:40 - English Lab - Homonyms quiz should take up the whole hour
11-12 - English Lab - Vocabulary quiz #1. Better not take the whole hour.
12-1 - English Class - one-on-one conferencing about their essays they wrote over the weekend
1-2:15 - Reading Class - We're covering the 2nd Relationships chapter. They're doing group work so I don't have to lecture for a change.
I'll be taking a book with me, for sure. I think I'm going to attempt The Beauty Myth again. Non-fiction sounds good right about now. I got extremely bored reading the "Work" section tonight...about how beauty is used against women in the workplace. There were technical terms, blah blah. I skipped to the "Culture" section, and now I'm much more amused.
The rest of my day:
I got up this morning and went for my usual workout. So far, in the last 3 weeks, I've lost about 10 pounds. My collarbones are sticking out nicely and my pajama pants are barely hangin' on. Gotta love it.
After my workout I finished up Little Earthquakes. Jennifer Weiner is a goddess. Given, the books are chick lit, but she's soooo funny. I was beginning to go into convulsions because she hadn't blogged since last Wednesday, but she finally posted an entry today. Now I can sleep. Whew! It was touch and go there for a few days.
What else did I do today? Ummmm, stuff for tomorrow. My classes are going to be a breeze for me tomorrow. Here's the schedule (like you care, but I don't want to go to sleep yet).
8:40-9:40 - English Lab - Homonyms quiz should take up the whole hour
11-12 - English Lab - Vocabulary quiz #1. Better not take the whole hour.
12-1 - English Class - one-on-one conferencing about their essays they wrote over the weekend
1-2:15 - Reading Class - We're covering the 2nd Relationships chapter. They're doing group work so I don't have to lecture for a change.
I'll be taking a book with me, for sure. I think I'm going to attempt The Beauty Myth again. Non-fiction sounds good right about now. I got extremely bored reading the "Work" section tonight...about how beauty is used against women in the workplace. There were technical terms, blah blah. I skipped to the "Culture" section, and now I'm much more amused.
The rest of my day:
- Played with the pups
- Watched Ellen
- Looked up my 1098 forms so I can get my taxes done this week
- Showered
- Cooked dinner (pan-seared cajun tilapia, corn, and hushpuppies for Mom)
- Watched American Idol with Mom (Bo Bice, you make me proud!)
- Played SIMS2
- Blogging as we speak
See, just a regular, lazy'ish day. I need to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow so I can be at the DMV to get my new address put on my license when they open. Somehow, I don't think it's gonna happen.
On the docket for tomorrow:
- Corral my crazy hair
- Teach
- Work out twice
- Grade journals
- Read more Beauty Myth
- Get to bed EARLIER
G'nite my lovelies. Expect a post about Lori Earley very soon. She's the one that painted the picture I have posted on my profile.
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