How about this for a look: a Gummy Bear dress? It's colorful, though I think it would probably get squished once you sat down. And possibly pretty sticky too. Though, if it has those Coke bottle ones, I'm totally sold and will be wearing it to my next red carpet event.
Saturday, July 07, 2012
Thursday, July 05, 2012
Music time
I just realized I haven't posted a music video in a long time and when going through and trying to fix my iTunes, I came across a song I haven't heard in a while: "Desi Girl" from the film Dostana. This song is so much fun, so catchy and infectious. And no, there's no one quite like a Desi girl.
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
Clarification
I realize my previous post might have sounded like I was anti-breast feeding, and I'm not. It's just that it's difficult, far more difficult than I expected, and it does feel like a marathon -- just one more mile to go, one more, if I can make it to that next marker. We've all been in that position and I wrote that post at a time when I was really mentally, physically and emotionally struggling with breastfeeding. I think we owe it to women to be truthful about the experience, that it's NOT for everyone, and it's not the end all and be all if you don't breastfeed. I think this last point is really what I wanted to get at.
There's such pressure and guilt put on mothers by society and other women regarding this topic that any deviation for whatever reason feels like a major failure. It's not a failure to say breastfeeding isn't for you. Feeding is such one piece of a complex algorithm on how one raises her (and his! fathers included!) child and there's no surefire way that everything you do is going to be exactly right on setting your child on the way to Bill Gates awesomeness. There are so many questions to answer along the way, so many decisions to be made. So as plaintive that post sounded, I needed to say what I said, and I'm calmer and more reassured about the decision I made. And that's all any parent can really do.
I realize my previous post might have sounded like I was anti-breast feeding, and I'm not. It's just that it's difficult, far more difficult than I expected, and it does feel like a marathon -- just one more mile to go, one more, if I can make it to that next marker. We've all been in that position and I wrote that post at a time when I was really mentally, physically and emotionally struggling with breastfeeding. I think we owe it to women to be truthful about the experience, that it's NOT for everyone, and it's not the end all and be all if you don't breastfeed. I think this last point is really what I wanted to get at.
There's such pressure and guilt put on mothers by society and other women regarding this topic that any deviation for whatever reason feels like a major failure. It's not a failure to say breastfeeding isn't for you. Feeding is such one piece of a complex algorithm on how one raises her (and his! fathers included!) child and there's no surefire way that everything you do is going to be exactly right on setting your child on the way to Bill Gates awesomeness. There are so many questions to answer along the way, so many decisions to be made. So as plaintive that post sounded, I needed to say what I said, and I'm calmer and more reassured about the decision I made. And that's all any parent can really do.
Friday, June 15, 2012
LotD
I've been hemming and hawing over this one for a while and have finally decided to post it*: The Case Against Breastfeeding. I've been of two minds because I do think there are some definite benefits to breastfeeding (I can't speak to the accuracy or completeness of Rosin's 'findings' in the article), but there are downsides to it that are rarely discussed. Instead, you get these lovely pamphlets and books with pictures of mothers staring beatifically at their children and all is well with the world. Just master the right hold, go skin to skin, and voila, life is good and wonderful and your child will grow up to be Bill Gates.
I'm still trying to gather my thoughts on the subject, because this is an intensely personal choice and I'm still trying to understand how I feel. What I will share is that I didn't have the beatific experience that everyone seems to emulate and that it took a lot of support from various parties to get me through the first 10 weeks. Around months 7 to 8, I felt that tug of, "Okay, I've reached my goal, let's get on with life. I want to wear a dress again." And then I felt immediately ashamed, as if my desire to wear a dress trumped the well-being of the child. I didn't necessarily feel closer to the baby because of the breastfeeding. I mostly felt a bit of panic, some frustration, some angst -- why isn't this working? Where is the milk they said would be coming in days? Why won't the baby latch? Isn't it instinctive? Didn't I follow all the rules?
The rules, mind you, came from a breastfeeding class and as a result, I had made up my mind prior to delivery that the baby would a) not have a pacifier and b) no bottles and c) no formula. Within 12 hours of birth, all three rules had been broken; the lactation consultant was confuzzled and told me she'd be back in the morning to try again, but not before she bottle-fed the baby a bit of formula. And she came back twice the next day and again, the baby wasn't interested in nature's best and instead, once again, there was formula in a bottle. On the third day, the day I left the hospital, another consultant came, and after an hour, told me, "You may need to just pump. Some babies take time to get it." Her tone of voice made pumping sound like a weekend in the Swiss Alps.
So we rented the hospital grade pump and retired the one I had bought -- a rather inexpensive double electric, bought on the premise that it would be used sparingly. Instead, I was hooked up to this loud, monstrous yellow box 6 to 8 times a day at 15 to 20 minutes a pop, sometimes as long as 45 minutes. And then there was the cleaning and sanitizing of all pump parts and bottles. It was enough to make anyone go crazy. When I couldn't pump enough milk, which happened more than I liked, we supplemented with formula. And I kept trying and trying to get the baby to latch. Week 10, I was about to give up and give in and lo and behold, the magical latch happened.
I made it to the six month mark, pretty happy that I was a) disengaged mostly from that pump, b) had less bottles to wash on a daily basis (and oh, the dishwasher basket saved my life for sure) and c) it was relatively to easy to feed the baby when the baby was hungry, regardless of where I was. But something changed after I hit the six month mark. Was it that I had reached the goal set by the AAP -- six months of exclusive breastfeeding?** Or may be it was the baby was getting wiggly and knocking my cover off in public. Or that it was getting hot in the summer and I was tired of wearing the same old t-shirts and skirts and wanted back into my pretty dresses. Maybe it was the baby always seemed hungry (at six months, the baby regressed to newborn sleeping habits) and I felt like a nursing zombie. Still, I made it through month six because then I thought it was cruel to wean a baby just like that. And the pediatrician assured me that the baby would lose interest as solids were introduced.
But not losing interest fast enough for me. And that's when I realized I had come to the end of my rope. I wanted off the nursing bandwagon quickly and as minimally traumatic to all parties. And yet, even though I had made it longer than most women, I still felt guilt. My heart and mind were no longer in the process and I found myself reaching for the bottle and formula often. Suddenly breastfeeding no longer seemed easy and I wanted my life back.
* I'm pretty sure I haven't posted this one yet as an LoTD, though it's been on my 'to do' list for quite a while. I find the article provocative in every way and it's never far from my mind in its dissonance from what society/culture dictates. If this is a rerun, I apologize. ** I always had to supplement with formula, but I would say at the 6 month mark, the baby was on 80% breast milk and 20% formula.
I've been hemming and hawing over this one for a while and have finally decided to post it*: The Case Against Breastfeeding. I've been of two minds because I do think there are some definite benefits to breastfeeding (I can't speak to the accuracy or completeness of Rosin's 'findings' in the article), but there are downsides to it that are rarely discussed. Instead, you get these lovely pamphlets and books with pictures of mothers staring beatifically at their children and all is well with the world. Just master the right hold, go skin to skin, and voila, life is good and wonderful and your child will grow up to be Bill Gates.
I'm still trying to gather my thoughts on the subject, because this is an intensely personal choice and I'm still trying to understand how I feel. What I will share is that I didn't have the beatific experience that everyone seems to emulate and that it took a lot of support from various parties to get me through the first 10 weeks. Around months 7 to 8, I felt that tug of, "Okay, I've reached my goal, let's get on with life. I want to wear a dress again." And then I felt immediately ashamed, as if my desire to wear a dress trumped the well-being of the child. I didn't necessarily feel closer to the baby because of the breastfeeding. I mostly felt a bit of panic, some frustration, some angst -- why isn't this working? Where is the milk they said would be coming in days? Why won't the baby latch? Isn't it instinctive? Didn't I follow all the rules?
The rules, mind you, came from a breastfeeding class and as a result, I had made up my mind prior to delivery that the baby would a) not have a pacifier and b) no bottles and c) no formula. Within 12 hours of birth, all three rules had been broken; the lactation consultant was confuzzled and told me she'd be back in the morning to try again, but not before she bottle-fed the baby a bit of formula. And she came back twice the next day and again, the baby wasn't interested in nature's best and instead, once again, there was formula in a bottle. On the third day, the day I left the hospital, another consultant came, and after an hour, told me, "You may need to just pump. Some babies take time to get it." Her tone of voice made pumping sound like a weekend in the Swiss Alps.
So we rented the hospital grade pump and retired the one I had bought -- a rather inexpensive double electric, bought on the premise that it would be used sparingly. Instead, I was hooked up to this loud, monstrous yellow box 6 to 8 times a day at 15 to 20 minutes a pop, sometimes as long as 45 minutes. And then there was the cleaning and sanitizing of all pump parts and bottles. It was enough to make anyone go crazy. When I couldn't pump enough milk, which happened more than I liked, we supplemented with formula. And I kept trying and trying to get the baby to latch. Week 10, I was about to give up and give in and lo and behold, the magical latch happened.
I made it to the six month mark, pretty happy that I was a) disengaged mostly from that pump, b) had less bottles to wash on a daily basis (and oh, the dishwasher basket saved my life for sure) and c) it was relatively to easy to feed the baby when the baby was hungry, regardless of where I was. But something changed after I hit the six month mark. Was it that I had reached the goal set by the AAP -- six months of exclusive breastfeeding?** Or may be it was the baby was getting wiggly and knocking my cover off in public. Or that it was getting hot in the summer and I was tired of wearing the same old t-shirts and skirts and wanted back into my pretty dresses. Maybe it was the baby always seemed hungry (at six months, the baby regressed to newborn sleeping habits) and I felt like a nursing zombie. Still, I made it through month six because then I thought it was cruel to wean a baby just like that. And the pediatrician assured me that the baby would lose interest as solids were introduced.
But not losing interest fast enough for me. And that's when I realized I had come to the end of my rope. I wanted off the nursing bandwagon quickly and as minimally traumatic to all parties. And yet, even though I had made it longer than most women, I still felt guilt. My heart and mind were no longer in the process and I found myself reaching for the bottle and formula often. Suddenly breastfeeding no longer seemed easy and I wanted my life back.
* I'm pretty sure I haven't posted this one yet as an LoTD, though it's been on my 'to do' list for quite a while. I find the article provocative in every way and it's never far from my mind in its dissonance from what society/culture dictates. If this is a rerun, I apologize. ** I always had to supplement with formula, but I would say at the 6 month mark, the baby was on 80% breast milk and 20% formula.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
LotD: Everest 2
I thought this was an interesting post on how much it costs to climb Everest. It's certainly not cheap! The skinny answer is that it will cost you around $83,000, if not more. Puts a bit more perspective on the people who actually make the climb -- it's not just having a dream, it's putting money where their mouth is.
I thought this was an interesting post on how much it costs to climb Everest. It's certainly not cheap! The skinny answer is that it will cost you around $83,000, if not more. Puts a bit more perspective on the people who actually make the climb -- it's not just having a dream, it's putting money where their mouth is.
LotD: Everest Edition
Check out this article about the four people who died on Everest this past weekend. What's astonishing is the enormous line of people -- 300, per the article -- who are lined up to make the ascent. Truly amazing.
Check out this article about the four people who died on Everest this past weekend. What's astonishing is the enormous line of people -- 300, per the article -- who are lined up to make the ascent. Truly amazing.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
LotD
Happy Valentine's Day! In honor of the pink and red, I bring you my favorite cultural commenter, Jon Stewart, weighing in on the recent birth control controversy. The most important point regarding the issue is at the very end.
Happy Valentine's Day! In honor of the pink and red, I bring you my favorite cultural commenter, Jon Stewart, weighing in on the recent birth control controversy. The most important point regarding the issue is at the very end.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| The Vagina Ideologues | ||||
| ||||
Monday, February 06, 2012
Follow-up
I think, I think Celo Green was on The Today show this morning. I'm starting to suspect my deep thought from yesterday is indeed true. Celo Green is property of NBC!!! If anyone can confirm, please let me know as I just saw the tease for his appearance. If it is indeed true, bottoms up!
I think, I think Celo Green was on The Today show this morning. I'm starting to suspect my deep thought from yesterday is indeed true. Celo Green is property of NBC!!! If anyone can confirm, please let me know as I just saw the tease for his appearance. If it is indeed true, bottoms up!
Sunday, February 05, 2012
Deep thought of the Day
Does Celo Green live at NBC? So far this year, we've seen him on the following shows, all NBC:
* The Voice
* The Today Show
* Parenthood
* The Macy's Parade
* Super Bowl Half Time Show
He may have also been on America's Got Talent, but I can't quite remember. The point is, Celo Green is on NBC a lot, so I don't know why I was surprised when he showed up during halftime during tonight's ballgame. Next time you see him, specifically when you see him on NBC, take a drink!
Does Celo Green live at NBC? So far this year, we've seen him on the following shows, all NBC:
* The Voice
* The Today Show
* Parenthood
* The Macy's Parade
* Super Bowl Half Time Show
He may have also been on America's Got Talent, but I can't quite remember. The point is, Celo Green is on NBC a lot, so I don't know why I was surprised when he showed up during halftime during tonight's ballgame. Next time you see him, specifically when you see him on NBC, take a drink!
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Friday, February 03, 2012
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Deep thoughts for today
Remember this post? It was something I took to heart and followed. I swore off most news sites, contenting myself only with what was on the "Today Show" and for those of you who watch that, you know any real news content ends after 7:20 am. In general, the less I know what goes on in the world, the less anxious I feel. After all, I'm a rehabilitated journalist -- I know that "what bleeds, leads"; it's been a good change now that I'm unaware of all the Very Very Bad Things (tm) that happen in Sweat Sock City.
This week, for personal reasons, we made the decision to keep the television off. J, of course, watches in the morning when he wakes up and starts work. Once I wake up, we turn it off. We have been television-free now for four days (if you don't count J watching the news from 6 am to 7 am). The end result is a surprisingly calm household and better sleep and we both finished 400+ page novels in a matter of days. And oh, all evening chores such as cooking dinner and doing the dishes (among other things) were done. We were actually discussing the other day how much we enjoyed not having the television on. Big change for this former fanfic writer, huh?
Remember this post? It was something I took to heart and followed. I swore off most news sites, contenting myself only with what was on the "Today Show" and for those of you who watch that, you know any real news content ends after 7:20 am. In general, the less I know what goes on in the world, the less anxious I feel. After all, I'm a rehabilitated journalist -- I know that "what bleeds, leads"; it's been a good change now that I'm unaware of all the Very Very Bad Things (tm) that happen in Sweat Sock City.
This week, for personal reasons, we made the decision to keep the television off. J, of course, watches in the morning when he wakes up and starts work. Once I wake up, we turn it off. We have been television-free now for four days (if you don't count J watching the news from 6 am to 7 am). The end result is a surprisingly calm household and better sleep and we both finished 400+ page novels in a matter of days. And oh, all evening chores such as cooking dinner and doing the dishes (among other things) were done. We were actually discussing the other day how much we enjoyed not having the television on. Big change for this former fanfic writer, huh?
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
LoTD
It's been a while since I've posted about Everest. Well, actually, it's been a while since I've posted much of anything. I'm going to try to be better about the posting, but no promises. Anyway, here is a neat Everest-related post: 360 panoramic view from the summit. No reason now to climb it yourself just for the view!
It's been a while since I've posted about Everest. Well, actually, it's been a while since I've posted much of anything. I'm going to try to be better about the posting, but no promises. Anyway, here is a neat Everest-related post: 360 panoramic view from the summit. No reason now to climb it yourself just for the view!
Friday, January 27, 2012
LoTD
I'm about to go on a screed re one of my least favorite companies in the world, and how (in the words of Mitt Romney) I wish I could fire them. But while I was striving to bring myself down from red hot fury and frustration, I found this stunning story a girl who has only ever eaten chicken nuggets -- a real life Super Size Me. Scary, scary.
I'm about to go on a screed re one of my least favorite companies in the world, and how (in the words of Mitt Romney) I wish I could fire them. But while I was striving to bring myself down from red hot fury and frustration, I found this stunning story a girl who has only ever eaten chicken nuggets -- a real life Super Size Me. Scary, scary.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
What the heck?
"Entertainment Tonight", that self-serving and glossily packaged entertainment 'news' program, has been airing clips about the filming of the epic movie Titanic as its angle on the recent cruise ship disaster off the coast of Italy. It strikes me as misguided, even a bit callous, as the anchors breathlessly describe the hardships and intricacies of the movie filming as compared to the ACTUAL SINKING OF A SHIP. Yes, poor Kate Winslet was cold while filming, but she did not DROWN. Old interviews from actors are dredged up and they talk about the 60 degree water, the 40-foot drops they had to make and it's all fascinating and interesting stuff, it really is. But the fact remains that "ET" is serving up a decade-plus old disaster movie (albeit real life disaster) as its hook/comparison to a real life tragedy. The more they milk the filming of Titanic in relation to the Costa Concordia, the more disgusting and annoying it becomes. If you can't cover a tragedy properly, then it's probably best to move on and not do it at all.
"Entertainment Tonight", that self-serving and glossily packaged entertainment 'news' program, has been airing clips about the filming of the epic movie Titanic as its angle on the recent cruise ship disaster off the coast of Italy. It strikes me as misguided, even a bit callous, as the anchors breathlessly describe the hardships and intricacies of the movie filming as compared to the ACTUAL SINKING OF A SHIP. Yes, poor Kate Winslet was cold while filming, but she did not DROWN. Old interviews from actors are dredged up and they talk about the 60 degree water, the 40-foot drops they had to make and it's all fascinating and interesting stuff, it really is. But the fact remains that "ET" is serving up a decade-plus old disaster movie (albeit real life disaster) as its hook/comparison to a real life tragedy. The more they milk the filming of Titanic in relation to the Costa Concordia, the more disgusting and annoying it becomes. If you can't cover a tragedy properly, then it's probably best to move on and not do it at all.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
LotD
"Is It Time For You To Go On An 'Information Diet'?"
"Is It Time For You To Go On An 'Information Diet'?"
"Our bodies are wired to love salt, fat and sugar. ... Our minds are really wired to be affirmed and be told that we're right. ... Who wants to hear the truth when they can hear that they're right? Who wants to be informed when they can be affirmed? What we do is we tell our media that that's what we want to hear, and our media responds to that by telling us what it is that we want, and sometimes that isn't what's best for us."
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
One more thing...
Netflix apparently has all seven seasons of both "Voyager" and "Deep Space Nine." I did get DS9 on DVD prior to the whole streaming versus DVD debacle, but never really got past the first couple of discs. I'd forgotten just how tedious the first three seasons of DS9 were, to be honest, and I just wanted to skip forward to season 4, which is when the true awesomeness began, but couldn't because I was introducing J to the best Trek of all time and well, plodding through the first few seasons was a necessary evil. I haven't even though about going through the first season or so of VOY -- not sure actually that I saw a lot of those first few episodes, mostly because I was in denial that anything could take DS9's place in those early days. It might very well be a time to re-attempt that trip down memory lane now that both shows are completely available on Netflix.
Netflix apparently has all seven seasons of both "Voyager" and "Deep Space Nine." I did get DS9 on DVD prior to the whole streaming versus DVD debacle, but never really got past the first couple of discs. I'd forgotten just how tedious the first three seasons of DS9 were, to be honest, and I just wanted to skip forward to season 4, which is when the true awesomeness began, but couldn't because I was introducing J to the best Trek of all time and well, plodding through the first few seasons was a necessary evil. I haven't even though about going through the first season or so of VOY -- not sure actually that I saw a lot of those first few episodes, mostly because I was in denial that anything could take DS9's place in those early days. It might very well be a time to re-attempt that trip down memory lane now that both shows are completely available on Netflix.
LotD
Hidden images in famous logos. I'm super tired tonight for reasons that are neither here nor there but cannot yet go back to sleep due to waiting on a phone call. This article amused me and killed made time go a little bit more quickly (seriously, time crawls when you wake up jarringly from a dead sleep and then need to stay awake for at least another hour).
Hidden images in famous logos. I'm super tired tonight for reasons that are neither here nor there but cannot yet go back to sleep due to waiting on a phone call. This article amused me and killed made time go a little bit more quickly (seriously, time crawls when you wake up jarringly from a dead sleep and then need to stay awake for at least another hour).
Friday, August 05, 2011
LotD
Jordan gets a 'Star Trek' theme park!
Though the flight simulator is the only ride to be confirmed thus far, the Jordan park could be as immersive an experience for the Starfleet faithful as Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter is for the magically inclined. Imagine the possibilities! Restaurants serving targ and Vulcan-endorsed baked-beans washed down by Romulan ale — with raktajino to accompany gree-worms for dessert. If you visit the adjoining bar, remember: two tranya minimum.
Forget targ, what about gagh????
Jordan gets a 'Star Trek' theme park!
Though the flight simulator is the only ride to be confirmed thus far, the Jordan park could be as immersive an experience for the Starfleet faithful as Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter is for the magically inclined. Imagine the possibilities! Restaurants serving targ and Vulcan-endorsed baked-beans washed down by Romulan ale — with raktajino to accompany gree-worms for dessert. If you visit the adjoining bar, remember: two tranya minimum.
Forget targ, what about gagh????
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