Powerfully Shrinking Women

If I were to write a serious, well-thought-out blog post, I know just what topic I would choose: "The Inverse Proportionality of Female Empowerment and the Ideal Female Form."


The essay would focus on how, as women's lives grow larger in terms of their personal power, available choices in public and private spheres, and overall equality, their physical selves - or at least the ideal of them - grows ever smaller. It's as if, by taking up space in other spheres, women need to cede the space they allow themselves in their very bodies.

(Caption: FEMINISM: Okay, ladies, this has gone on long enough!)

I'd bring up statistics on things like:

• Body image issues and eating disorders among ever-younger women and girls
• Comparisons of what is considered sexy/desirable in the 21st century versus in past decades
• An examination of whether this phenomena happened at other times when women's rights surged (such as following the suffragette movement, or how the sexual revolution hit when Twiggy became "big")
• Anything to demonstrate the ways in which women are on more equal footing with men now than ever before

I'd also raise questions about this as being a backlash against women, or if it's something that is somehow done by women. It is possible that this isn't some kind of subconscious reaction by men and counter-feminist women to "keep women in their place," but is, in fact, a manifestation of inner conflict women have as gender roles expand and change.

But, like I said, that's IF I were to write a serious blog post. Right now, it just seems like a lot of work, and I do have toenails to paint and cookies to bake...

My Obsession

Confession: If I could figure out how to make a living doing it, I would spend my whole life making soundtracks, road trip playlists, and theme "mix tapes" for myself and anyone who wants one. I have very eclectic musical tastes, everything from pop to alternative country, classical to blues, gospel to classic rock, and I love mashing a few different genres (usually variations on rock, blues, and country) into approximately an hour of good tunes.

It's an addiction, and I have an online enabler: 8tracks.com.

It's a forum where you can upload playlists of eight or more tracks, then publish them for other people to enjoy. Not only is it something that I like putting out there for other people, it is also a great way to be introduced to other people's favorite bands and songs.

My most recent addition is called Rockabilly Wonderland. I'm pleased with how it turned out, and a few people have "liked" it or started following me as a result.


But like a junkie, I'm already seeking my next fix. A super 1970s summer song list? Songs to sing along with in the car? My favorite choral works? ...It's all so tempting!

Holy Pajamas!

(That's actually a quote from one of my all-time favorite chick flicks, Shag.)


I lost my job in November 2010 and started my own business - something I've wanted to do for years but never allowed myself to try. It's been scary at times, and still is when I look at my finances and compare them to what they once were, but overall, it's one of the best things that's ever happened to me. It has, however, had one completely unanticipated consequence:

I'm wearing out my pajamas.

Before, I used to spend most of the day in business casual attire. These days, I only leave the house a few times a week, and those are the ONLY occasions that seem to merit being fully clothed. This means I'm spending most of my time in pajamas. Soft cotton pajamas, sweetly scented with fabric softener, gently covering my unmentionable bits. They are so comfortable, and allow me to lounge about thinking of nothing but work, I swear.

I don't think I've purchased any shoes or clothing since November; there hasn't been a need. But this week, I discovered something horrifying: my PJs are slowly falling apart! I am going to need a few new sets, which will be fine once I get a little more work in.

Still, I wonder: Do you think I could claim pajamas as a business expense on my taxes? Surely they could be considered as helpful to me as software or phone service.

Impressively Filling In The Blanks

I had a fairly important business conference call today. By which I mean, I was "meeting" for the first time, through another associate, a guy who could potentially send thousands of dollars worth of work my way. Not only that, but the initial project we're working on sounds like exactly the kind of work I love to do, so it's sort of a dream scenario.

Okay, so it was more than "fairly important."

Unfortunately, he was conference calling using a phone that almost constantly cut out on me. I don't know what the trigger was - maybe background noises were being interpreted as conversation by the phone? - but whatever was causing it, it made the call almost unbearable. After three attempts to hang up and call back to resolve the issue, it was clear that the issue wasn't going to go away.



Thus I began an audio version of Mad Libs, during which I would hear:

"CEO... CFO... 'no-bullshit leadership' session to introduce... 30th."

And then I would respond positively, as if I were certain that I had been told that the company's top execs were going to kick off the program with a session they were jokingly referring to as 'no-bullshit leadership' and that they wanted to do this pretty much right away, as in by August 30th. It was a lot like trying to navigate a maze in the dark, so I was verbally bumping around while still trying to sound like I totally know my shit...

Which I normally do!

...but without overstepping or overcommitting myself based on what was essentially a series of tenuously achieved assumptions.

I hadn't realized how little pressure I have had to deal with lately until I felt the tight coils of it wrapping around me, and I am just thankful that I didn't muck things up horribly. In fact, to my relief, my associate called and told me I really impressed the guy on the phone, and that there were future projects that I might earn as a result.

Still, if possible, I'm going to avoid playing this particular game again anytime soon. Hope he likes exchanging e-mail messages!

Thoughts Keeping Me Up Tonight

There are several things that have circulated through my head recently that I find mildly worrisome, and hey, what's the point of worrying if you're not going to share it with others?

So... Internet dating may not be a good option for me.

In the past month or so, I've come across pictures of this famous/recognizable guy on a few blogs and other online sources. And each time I see him, I think, "He's kinda cute" or "That guy has a really nice smile."


In case you're wondering, that's Ted Bundy. Cutest. Serial. Killer. Ever.

For all my suburban sensibilities (and mock-worthy hipster aspirations), I may actually be more white trash.

Case in point: Driving down Main Street late at night, passing used car lots, tattoo parlors, women of questionable virtue in exceedingly tight clothing, and plenty of bars, I turn up the radio. It's AC/DC's Highway to Hell. It just feels... right.

I'm on the verge of becoming totally uninformed.

I had my days of media saturation, when I'd read most of the News and all of the Politics sections in The Washington Post. And I'd watch local and national news. I'd start out my mornings with CNN, too. But without the pressure of a job that requires me to know so many details, and with less of an outlet for discussing what I came across, my interest began to wane. The downward spiral went like this:

1. Reading The Washington Post, watching CNN and local/national news most nights
2. Reading MSNBC.com, watching local/national news some nights, and CNN when there was breaking news
3. Starting my morning by watching The Today Show, reading "Top Stories" from the feed that automatically popped up on my Yahoo! mail account, watching local news occasionally, reading the local paper (okay, mostly editorials and obits)
4. Watching The Today Show and following up on bits of Jon Stewart's Daily Show monologues by reading an occasional national news story in The New York Times
5. Watching The Today Show and listening to Ed Schultz on liberal talk radio
6. Watching The Today Show and yelling at Sean Hannity on conservative talk radio, since the liberal one went off the air
7. Watching The Today Show
8. Reading political arguments on a completely unrelated professional bulletin board, and occasionally doing searches using Google News when a comment makes me think, "That's just ridiculous!"
   

Thank God for The Daily Show. Otherwise, by the time the 2012 election rolls around, I'd have to write-in candidates from previous elections because I would have no way to recognize any current candidates!

Random Commentary Not Fit for Facebook

I'm not entirely certain why I'm starting this blog, except that I'm compelled to write and I desperately need a place to corral all of the bizarre and amusing things that flit through my head on any given day. So my hope is that this will be a place to vent all of the stuff I try not to inflict on innocent passers-by.

You may wonder why I don't try to spare innocent blog readers the same fate. Well, I've seen your computer search history, pervert. The simple truth is, no one is innocent online.

Okay, maybe my grandma, who recently joined the Facebook nation. On the other hand, I've heard rumors about her wild, younger days, when she was in her 40s...