In Gina Kolata's Rethinking Thin, I was reminded that the feminine ideal of the early 1900s was just as unreal as today's photoshopped magazine covers. The Gibson Girls were drawings of otherwise slender women with large breasts and lush hips and buttocks. Their waists were tightly cinched to form an hourglass figure, and they were tall, with bouffant updos that further increased their statuesque heights. Women did their best to emulate the Gibson Girls, despite the fact that they were drawings--idealized versions of a man's vision of feminine beauty. Kolata also claims that flapper girls were a similar invention of artists, leading to the teenage-proportioned body (small breasts and hips) being the new ideal for that era.
Here we are, a hundred years later, still being mocked with unreal images of beauty that we are expected to emulate. Even women who already conform to the ideal are photoshopped to remove the tiniest details, until their faces resemble porcelain dolls. Not only are blemishes, wrinkles and other "flaws" removed, the very proportions of a woman's body and face are altered--eyes made bigger and moved to a different position on the face, lips plumped, widened, and repositioned, waists whittled down, breasts pumped up and lifted. It's ridiculous.
Manufacturers of beauty products absolutely rely upon women's low self-image to sell their products. While I enjoy putting different colors on my face, as humans have done for millennia, the cosmetics industry goes far beyond that. If we are not panicking over every pimple, freaking out over each wrinkle, and becoming hysterical at the sight of a gray hair, they aren't making money. These "too perfect" magazine covers are absolutely designed to shame us, to make us hate ourselves. There is BIG money to be made on our self-hatred.
We bind ourselves in Spanx, strap ourselves into tight bras, slather eight kinds of goop on our faces, pay for the privilege of having someone tell us how and what to eat (and shame us when we haven't lost weight), run on human sized hamster wheels (big big bucks there), dye our hair so we don't look old (instead of for the fun of, say, having purple hair), and then continue to buy the magazines that make us feel like we HAVE to keep doing these things, because we still don't look like the photoshopped cover girl, even though the magazines never actually say anything new (and trust me folks, Cosmo never has any real new sex tips, no matter what the cover hype says).
Well, screw that. I'm sorry, but I don't have the money to support low self esteem. If I felt like I wasn't good enough to be seen in public without buying all of the stupid crap these companies are selling, I wouldn't be able to afford the "privilege" of leaving my house.
Throw those damn magazines out. Stop buying them--they are preying upon you; they are deliberately designed to make you feel bad. Who needs that nonsense? Unsubscribe, and either find a less damning periodical (Bon Appetit, Cat Fancy, Aquarium Fish), or invest your money in some good books instead. If you're a feminist, or at least have feminist leanings, I can highly recommend the works of Sheri S. Tepper, and many of her books can be found for super-cheap used on Amazon. Or, build up your FA library with Gina Kolata's Rethinking Thin, Paul Campos' The Obesity Myth, Roberta Pollack Seid's Never Too Thin (note: Get this one while you can; it's out of print, and only available used), and Barry Glassner's The Gospel of Food.
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
300th post! Hooray!
Dear friends,
I have not yet worked on the blogroll expansion. If you would like to be added to the list of blogs in my sidebar, please leave me a comment with a link here.
To celebrate my 300th post, I want to share with you the snow sculpture I made yesterday while I kept my snow-shoveling housemate company.
My husband appreciated the surprise when he got home that evening. Don't worry; it's in the backyard, and the neighbors are all young non-childed folks like us :)
I have not yet worked on the blogroll expansion. If you would like to be added to the list of blogs in my sidebar, please leave me a comment with a link here.
To celebrate my 300th post, I want to share with you the snow sculpture I made yesterday while I kept my snow-shoveling housemate company.
My husband appreciated the surprise when he got home that evening. Don't worry; it's in the backyard, and the neighbors are all young non-childed folks like us :)
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Guest Post: The things you learn about people... or don't.
One of my livejournal friends, 
shaysdays, had a wonderful post today, and I was generously granted her permission to post it here.
My first issue of "Good Housekeeping" arrived today. It's a gift from my mom- a whole year of the magazine she says I always flip through at her house. I probably do, but that's because I read like people watch TV- if it's there, I will look at it.
There is something vaguely creepy about this magazine. Creepy besides Dr Phil snuggling his rather diamond-bedecked wife while offering marriage advice. Let me give you the headlines:
The Makeover Issue- 122 Quick Changes for your health, body, home and happiness
Lose 30+ lbs Without Trying 9 Easy Food Changes
Save $100s on heating bills (and stay cozy)
ReDo a Room in 48 Hours On The Cheap
Look 5 Years Younger, Fast! No Diet, No Surgery
Dr Phil and Robin Share 5 Secrets of Happy Couples (Yes, you can fall in love again!)
In other words- you can totally be someone better, thinner, younger, and more organized... without any investment of real time or effort.
But well, it was a present. And so I sat down to read it.
Every article is telling yoiu you're not _____ enough, or that you need to ______. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't really call them articles, for the most part. They're bossy advice pieces.This magazine is so insidiously horrible I'm amazed women don't burn it in effigy so they don't have to actually touch one.
This is a direct quote from "5 years younger:"
Look closer- who's that lurking under all those dark, shapeless layers? "It's sort of an unwritten rule in New York that you wear black," says Linda, and this self-described utilitarian is totally with the program (we didn't try to talk her out of it- just persuaded her her to go for a tp with a little more shape, opposite). More colorphobia: she never wanted to cover her gray hairs, even though they made her mane frizzy and unmanageable, and had never been big on color cosmetics, tending to leave her beautiful face bare."
Y'ALL I AM SMACKING MY HEAD AGAINST THE PIANO. (I moved the computer to on top of the piano for Superbowl.)
Let me reword that paragraph the way it plays in my head:
Who's that frumpy little thing? Awww... look! You picked up one style trend, let's work with that so it looks like you're actually dictating things. Now, that streak of gray hair in front you've got? That's making your hair unmanageable. It's not that you have naturally curly hair. (Let's straighten that, which takes about 10 minutes, add some hair color, that's an hour and half every few weeks) Also, we'll give you props for having a beautiful face, but no makeup? That is a crime against nature (and our advertisers) so let's slap some pigment on your beautiful (BARE!) face.
Seriously, this magazine is like an abusive boyfriend- it gives you just enough compliments to build you up, then with the other hand, whallops you with diet, 'fashion' tips to 'minimize your figure,' and a healthy helping of, "relationships, home, and children are pretty much all on you." At least Cosmo has the decency to give tips on orgasms. The closest thing to sex here is a note about their new (online) sex columnist talking about how she'd rather have a good night's sleep than sex.
NEXT MONTH IN GOOD HOUSEKEEPING: How to vacuum in pearls.
Okay, it's not all bad- I found three things I like. One, is a nice picture of Jaimie Lee Curtis with a haircut I'm going to steal. (A gray haircut, by the way! How they didn't airbrush it blonde is beyond me) A recipe for Balsamic Chicken and Pears that looks really good. And there was a piece on how to stop procrastinating, which, although it didn't actually include the phrase, "Limit Livejournal Time," was still relevant to my interests.
So I don't think I'll cancel the subscription. I'm sure my mom meant well. I just can't help but be angry that Cosmo gets blamed for making women hate their bodies and change their lives to fit some gender construct, when they're not actually giving you tips on how and why to do it- all these housekeeping magazines seem to be less about the house and more about the keeping- a man, your 'figure,' your sanity,' and most importantly- your status quo.
shaysdays, had a wonderful post today, and I was generously granted her permission to post it here.My first issue of "Good Housekeeping" arrived today. It's a gift from my mom- a whole year of the magazine she says I always flip through at her house. I probably do, but that's because I read like people watch TV- if it's there, I will look at it.
There is something vaguely creepy about this magazine. Creepy besides Dr Phil snuggling his rather diamond-bedecked wife while offering marriage advice. Let me give you the headlines:
The Makeover Issue- 122 Quick Changes for your health, body, home and happiness
Lose 30+ lbs Without Trying 9 Easy Food Changes
Save $100s on heating bills (and stay cozy)
ReDo a Room in 48 Hours On The Cheap
Look 5 Years Younger, Fast! No Diet, No Surgery
Dr Phil and Robin Share 5 Secrets of Happy Couples (Yes, you can fall in love again!)
In other words- you can totally be someone better, thinner, younger, and more organized... without any investment of real time or effort.
But well, it was a present. And so I sat down to read it.
Every article is telling yoiu you're not _____ enough, or that you need to ______. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't really call them articles, for the most part. They're bossy advice pieces.This magazine is so insidiously horrible I'm amazed women don't burn it in effigy so they don't have to actually touch one.
This is a direct quote from "5 years younger:"
Look closer- who's that lurking under all those dark, shapeless layers? "It's sort of an unwritten rule in New York that you wear black," says Linda, and this self-described utilitarian is totally with the program (we didn't try to talk her out of it- just persuaded her her to go for a tp with a little more shape, opposite). More colorphobia: she never wanted to cover her gray hairs, even though they made her mane frizzy and unmanageable, and had never been big on color cosmetics, tending to leave her beautiful face bare."
Y'ALL I AM SMACKING MY HEAD AGAINST THE PIANO. (I moved the computer to on top of the piano for Superbowl.)
Let me reword that paragraph the way it plays in my head:
Who's that frumpy little thing? Awww... look! You picked up one style trend, let's work with that so it looks like you're actually dictating things. Now, that streak of gray hair in front you've got? That's making your hair unmanageable. It's not that you have naturally curly hair. (Let's straighten that, which takes about 10 minutes, add some hair color, that's an hour and half every few weeks) Also, we'll give you props for having a beautiful face, but no makeup? That is a crime against nature (and our advertisers) so let's slap some pigment on your beautiful (BARE!) face.
Seriously, this magazine is like an abusive boyfriend- it gives you just enough compliments to build you up, then with the other hand, whallops you with diet, 'fashion' tips to 'minimize your figure,' and a healthy helping of, "relationships, home, and children are pretty much all on you." At least Cosmo has the decency to give tips on orgasms. The closest thing to sex here is a note about their new (online) sex columnist talking about how she'd rather have a good night's sleep than sex.
NEXT MONTH IN GOOD HOUSEKEEPING: How to vacuum in pearls.
Okay, it's not all bad- I found three things I like. One, is a nice picture of Jaimie Lee Curtis with a haircut I'm going to steal. (A gray haircut, by the way! How they didn't airbrush it blonde is beyond me) A recipe for Balsamic Chicken and Pears that looks really good. And there was a piece on how to stop procrastinating, which, although it didn't actually include the phrase, "Limit Livejournal Time," was still relevant to my interests.
So I don't think I'll cancel the subscription. I'm sure my mom meant well. I just can't help but be angry that Cosmo gets blamed for making women hate their bodies and change their lives to fit some gender construct, when they're not actually giving you tips on how and why to do it- all these housekeeping magazines seem to be less about the house and more about the keeping- a man, your 'figure,' your sanity,' and most importantly- your status quo.
Friday, February 1, 2008
A favorite artist: Charley Harper
One of my all-time favorite artists passed away last year. Unfortunately, because he wasn't hugely famous, I didn't know, until I looked up his art today.
Charley Harper was a brilliant modern artist who was able to capture nature in a unique way, using drafting tools and minimalism. His works ranged from endearing baby animals (Armadittoes, Family Outing, and, one of my favorites, Convivial Pursuit, as well as Vowlentine and Foxsimilies), to predation (Arctic Circle, Tall Tail, Owl on the Prowl, among others), to even animal sex (Romance On The Richter Scale, The Wedding Feast). There are some that are just plain cute or funny, showing cool little things about the animal world, such as Unzipped, which depicts a moulting crayfish, or Dolfun, which shows an adorable pair of ocean friends.
The cool thing about Harper's work is that, while the lines are simple, there are so many little quirks to nearly every piece. Sometimes, I look at one, and it takes me a minute to realize what I'm seeing--and once I do, I am amazed! His titles are usually hilarious, and each piece has a little story to go with it, usually one paragraph, that is often cute or funny. If you're a nature lover, you will catch the little in-jokes, which gives you a good feeling. Even if you're not, though, his art is beautiful, entertaining, and so variable that there is something for everyone. He has a number of works with raccoons, and he is also especially fond of owls. Personally, I am thrilled with the number of woodpecker pieces he has done.
I own Beguiled by the Wild: The Art of Charley Harper
, which is a wonderful book containing quite a few of his paintings and the accompanying paragraphs. I would LOVE to have Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life
, but it is pretty expensive. The gallery that sells most of his stuff, Fabulous Frames & Art, has several limited editions of the book--some of which are $400.
He also did some posters for the National Park Service, which I'd love to have copies of eventually:
Barrier Islands is probably my favorite one.
The Alpine Northwest
The Canyon Country
The Desert
The Rocky Mountains large - small
The Sierra Range
Edited to add: He also did a poster for the Cloud Forest School of Costa Rica. Sweet!
I am deeply saddened at the loss of Mr. Harper. He was unique, funny, and a real boon to the appreciation of nature. Thank you, Mr. Harper, for your life's work.
Charley Harper was a brilliant modern artist who was able to capture nature in a unique way, using drafting tools and minimalism. His works ranged from endearing baby animals (Armadittoes, Family Outing, and, one of my favorites, Convivial Pursuit, as well as Vowlentine and Foxsimilies), to predation (Arctic Circle, Tall Tail, Owl on the Prowl, among others), to even animal sex (Romance On The Richter Scale, The Wedding Feast). There are some that are just plain cute or funny, showing cool little things about the animal world, such as Unzipped, which depicts a moulting crayfish, or Dolfun, which shows an adorable pair of ocean friends.
The cool thing about Harper's work is that, while the lines are simple, there are so many little quirks to nearly every piece. Sometimes, I look at one, and it takes me a minute to realize what I'm seeing--and once I do, I am amazed! His titles are usually hilarious, and each piece has a little story to go with it, usually one paragraph, that is often cute or funny. If you're a nature lover, you will catch the little in-jokes, which gives you a good feeling. Even if you're not, though, his art is beautiful, entertaining, and so variable that there is something for everyone. He has a number of works with raccoons, and he is also especially fond of owls. Personally, I am thrilled with the number of woodpecker pieces he has done.
I own Beguiled by the Wild: The Art of Charley Harper
, which is a wonderful book containing quite a few of his paintings and the accompanying paragraphs. I would LOVE to have Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life, but it is pretty expensive. The gallery that sells most of his stuff, Fabulous Frames & Art, has several limited editions of the book--some of which are $400.He also did some posters for the National Park Service, which I'd love to have copies of eventually:
Barrier Islands is probably my favorite one.
The Alpine Northwest
The Canyon Country
The Desert
The Rocky Mountains large - small
The Sierra Range
Edited to add: He also did a poster for the Cloud Forest School of Costa Rica. Sweet!
I am deeply saddened at the loss of Mr. Harper. He was unique, funny, and a real boon to the appreciation of nature. Thank you, Mr. Harper, for your life's work.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
A favorite artist! Also, 250th post! yay!
Even though I am primarily a scientist, I have a strong love for art and literature. My husband is a professional picture framer, and we have an almost obnoxious amount of art on the walls. Many pieces are local artists--although some are local to other places, but still more famous regionally than otherwise. One example is Liza Phoenix, a Seattle artist whose work I fell in love with when I visited Pike Place Market; I have links to two of my favorites by her in the sidebar. Another example is Hannah Ingmire, an artist local to Hannibal, MO, which is 20 minutes from my hometown. I love Hannah because she was my preschool teacher, and she was the one who taught me to look for all colors in everything. Even a red apple has a little blue in it, if you're looking at it right.
So last night, I was sick*, and I missed out on Troy Night Out, which I'm sad about, because Bob Gullie was going to be there, and he is a really neat local artist. His stuff is really unique. Some of it is just lovely, while a lot of it is creepy and weird (that's my favorite stuff). He hand tints his photos, which is just cool. He did a "Stoop Project" a couple of years ago, and he had Brian make wood squares with nice edges, paint them black, and mount the pictures on them, and they turned out REALLY nicely--and I got a sneak peek at the photos in the project while Brian was putting it together. He makes me look like I take pictures with a 110 and a shaky pair of hands and my thumb in the way. The picture of him on his "about" page is all stern and frowny, which is hilarious, because he's the opposite of that.
Anyway, if you are local, I highly recommend following his work, and getting to a show if you can.
*Stomach bug. I don't even want to LOOK at food today. Food can just go to hell dammit.
So last night, I was sick*, and I missed out on Troy Night Out, which I'm sad about, because Bob Gullie was going to be there, and he is a really neat local artist. His stuff is really unique. Some of it is just lovely, while a lot of it is creepy and weird (that's my favorite stuff). He hand tints his photos, which is just cool. He did a "Stoop Project" a couple of years ago, and he had Brian make wood squares with nice edges, paint them black, and mount the pictures on them, and they turned out REALLY nicely--and I got a sneak peek at the photos in the project while Brian was putting it together. He makes me look like I take pictures with a 110 and a shaky pair of hands and my thumb in the way. The picture of him on his "about" page is all stern and frowny, which is hilarious, because he's the opposite of that.
Anyway, if you are local, I highly recommend following his work, and getting to a show if you can.
*Stomach bug. I don't even want to LOOK at food today. Food can just go to hell dammit.
Friday, December 21, 2007
YUM!
My sister is awesome. She sent me a box of stuff from Cakes and Candies by Maryellen.
This is the company owned by her best friend, Maryellen, who also made my awesome purple wedding cake, which you can actually see on the page, sans the cake-topper, which was put on after the cake was transported here.
The chocolate she uses is absolutely delicious, and we also ended up with a batch of the best cookies ever. I've already noshed on a chocolate-covered pretzel that she rather innovatively covered in rice krispies. OH MAN. That was a good idea!
There's no way Brian and I could possibly eat all this chocolate, but we fortunately have frequent guests :)
I should have posted about this sooner, but the last week, well, you know. I apologize, sis and Mares.
This is the company owned by her best friend, Maryellen, who also made my awesome purple wedding cake, which you can actually see on the page, sans the cake-topper, which was put on after the cake was transported here. The chocolate she uses is absolutely delicious, and we also ended up with a batch of the best cookies ever. I've already noshed on a chocolate-covered pretzel that she rather innovatively covered in rice krispies. OH MAN. That was a good idea!
There's no way Brian and I could possibly eat all this chocolate, but we fortunately have frequent guests :)
I should have posted about this sooner, but the last week, well, you know. I apologize, sis and Mares.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Cool Switchplates!
I ordered some switchplates a little while back to go in my foyer and downstairs bathroom. I finally received them a couple days ago; they are apparently made-to-order, but they are absolutely worth the wait. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the plates I received are high-quality, with screws painted to match the portion of the plate they screw into. The plates themselves are made of metal, with a decoupage technique used to put the image on them. You are able to order them in just about any configuration of outlet, slider switch, GFI, and flip switch, and if the configuration you need isn't present, they'll happily do custom work if you call. If you want switchplates, I very very highly recommend their products.
I purchased these items:
Dragonfly switchplate, one single and one double, for the foyer.
Cat in the bathtub, single, for downstairs bathroom light switch.
Cats in the toilet, single, for downstairs bathroom fan switch.
There are a LOT of really cute designs available, and I was tempted to get more than I did, but I shouldn't have even purchased these (we are way broke). And no, the company isn't paying me to write this; I was just so very happy with the products I received that I wanted to share their site with other people!
Edited to add: Their products are handmade in the USA, and they are a small company. That alone makes me happy to purchase from them. :)
I purchased these items:
Dragonfly switchplate, one single and one double, for the foyer.Cat in the bathtub, single, for downstairs bathroom light switch.
Cats in the toilet, single, for downstairs bathroom fan switch.
There are a LOT of really cute designs available, and I was tempted to get more than I did, but I shouldn't have even purchased these (we are way broke). And no, the company isn't paying me to write this; I was just so very happy with the products I received that I wanted to share their site with other people!
Edited to add: Their products are handmade in the USA, and they are a small company. That alone makes me happy to purchase from them. :)
Sunday, November 11, 2007
KITTENS!
I haven't been posting lately. Instead of staying inside with the blinds down like a good little fatty, sparing the fragile eyesight of fat-haters, I've been BUSY!
I have been volunteering with a local cat rescue. I participated in their craft fair ("Holiday Furry Frenzy"! Cute!) and have been fostering kittens. Kittens have attracted guests, so I've entertained company many days this past week, spending a lot of time cooking, making tea, baking things for guests to have with tea, and enjoying life (how dare I).
I also had seven more snakes land in my lap this weekend. Long story, to be told later, with pictures.
But, the best reason for this post is, KITTENS! Kittens are good for the soul. They're entertaining, endearing, warm, purry, furry, appreciative of love, and, most of all, in need of help. I was more than happy to open my home to these fuzzy, cute passers-through, and they have provided many photo ops! So, onward with the pictures!
Ptera with her extra toeses:
Charlotte, fluffy and cuuuute and sweet as pie:
(she's such a little princess)
Anya on top of Charlotte; Charlotte tends to let everybody pile on. Anya doesn't have many pics because she is the super active one, and she is a blur most of the time:
My beautiful, wonderful, cat-loving, sweet, cuddly, uber-hawt husband with all three:
A man who loves cats is a man worth keeping.
I have been volunteering with a local cat rescue. I participated in their craft fair ("Holiday Furry Frenzy"! Cute!) and have been fostering kittens. Kittens have attracted guests, so I've entertained company many days this past week, spending a lot of time cooking, making tea, baking things for guests to have with tea, and enjoying life (how dare I).
I also had seven more snakes land in my lap this weekend. Long story, to be told later, with pictures.
But, the best reason for this post is, KITTENS! Kittens are good for the soul. They're entertaining, endearing, warm, purry, furry, appreciative of love, and, most of all, in need of help. I was more than happy to open my home to these fuzzy, cute passers-through, and they have provided many photo ops! So, onward with the pictures!
Ptera with her extra toeses:
Charlotte, fluffy and cuuuute and sweet as pie:
(she's such a little princess)
Anya on top of Charlotte; Charlotte tends to let everybody pile on. Anya doesn't have many pics because she is the super active one, and she is a blur most of the time:
My beautiful, wonderful, cat-loving, sweet, cuddly, uber-hawt husband with all three:
A man who loves cats is a man worth keeping.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Ebay stuff
I have two ebay sales up right now. Both are photographs I have taken, and they're matted and ready to frame, in sizes that are standard, so you can just buy a frame off the shelf.
I am having a hard time making ends meet right now (one job interviewer actually told me I was too fat for the SALES job he was offering), so if you could just take a look and decide whether or not they're something you'd enjoy, I'd appreciate it.
Both photos are of rare fish from Australia that do not get imported very often. They usually range between $700-1500 retail. I snapped these two at my next-to-last workplace; I was responsible for learning how to care for the fish and making sure they didn't die. They were $500 wholesale, and the price tag on them was $1500 because that's what the wholesaler recommended.
The first one is a barred boxfish; the photo is 8x10, but it's double-matted to fit into a 12x26 frame.
The second one is a western blue devil, in a 5x7 photo double-matted to 11x14.
Both of the above items sold today. Here are a few more:
Blueberries photo. - SOLD!
King cobra photo
Blue-breasted roller photo
Radish photo
Thank you for looking.
I am having a hard time making ends meet right now (one job interviewer actually told me I was too fat for the SALES job he was offering), so if you could just take a look and decide whether or not they're something you'd enjoy, I'd appreciate it.
Both photos are of rare fish from Australia that do not get imported very often. They usually range between $700-1500 retail. I snapped these two at my next-to-last workplace; I was responsible for learning how to care for the fish and making sure they didn't die. They were $500 wholesale, and the price tag on them was $1500 because that's what the wholesaler recommended.
The first one is a barred boxfish; the photo is 8x10, but it's double-matted to fit into a 12x26 frame.
The second one is a western blue devil, in a 5x7 photo double-matted to 11x14.
Both of the above items sold today. Here are a few more:
Blueberries photo. - SOLD!
King cobra photo
Blue-breasted roller photo
Radish photo
Thank you for looking.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
World Wide Play Day
Today, my best friend Adam came over to hang out. He reminded me that today was World Wide Play Day, and suggested that we go out to a park. So, we packed a lunch (Tofurky cranberry & stuffing slices and cheddar cheese slices with wheat bread for sandwiches, a package of fresh snap peas, a bag of apples, and two fresh homemade lavender and dark chocolate brownies), grabbed a blanket and my camera, and set off for a favorite location of mine: Plotter Kill Nature Reserve.
While we didn't take the portion of the trail that goes past the waterfalls, I did manage a pretty long hike, and Adam was patient with my slower progress, giving me a hand to steady me for steep downward portions. We saw and heard blue jays, chickadees, a downy woodpecker, a gray catbird, and many other species. I introduced him to the carroty scent of Queen Anne's lace and pointed out what poison ivy looks like. I saw no reptiles or amphibians, but I wasn't looking for them.
Five years ago, I would have completed the circuit with no trouble. I actually rescued a kitten in Plotter Kill back then (her name is Akira, and she lives with someone that I worked with at the time), and it was a favorite spot for me to visit with friends. Now, I'm going to take a couple days to recover from the exertion, but it was well worth the effort.
While we didn't take the portion of the trail that goes past the waterfalls, I did manage a pretty long hike, and Adam was patient with my slower progress, giving me a hand to steady me for steep downward portions. We saw and heard blue jays, chickadees, a downy woodpecker, a gray catbird, and many other species. I introduced him to the carroty scent of Queen Anne's lace and pointed out what poison ivy looks like. I saw no reptiles or amphibians, but I wasn't looking for them.
Five years ago, I would have completed the circuit with no trouble. I actually rescued a kitten in Plotter Kill back then (her name is Akira, and she lives with someone that I worked with at the time), and it was a favorite spot for me to visit with friends. Now, I'm going to take a couple days to recover from the exertion, but it was well worth the effort.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Brilliant Post: You Don't Have To Be Pretty
http://www.dressaday.com/2006/10/you-dont-have-to-be-pretty.html
Excerpt:
You Don't Have to Be Pretty. You don't owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don't owe it to your mother, you don't owe it to your children, you don't owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked "female".
Excerpt:
You Don't Have to Be Pretty. You don't owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don't owe it to your mother, you don't owe it to your children, you don't owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked "female".
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Cats: Perfection In Companionship
The domestic cat has been a part of human civilization for at least 4000 years, and possibly as long as 9500 years. Their top-notch hunting skills and adaptability to human cohabitation made African wild cats invaluable to ancient societies for the purpose of controlling vermin. These small, fierce, and agile hunters were willing to devour agricultural pests including mice, birds, and insects. They can adapt to and thrive in a variety of climates, including deserts, chilly northern lands, cities, and even on board sailing vessels.
Cats are a fairly efficient companion animal, requiring less food than dogs, being readily litter-trained, and having a great deal of social independence. While I am not going to say that they are better or worse than dogs, I will say that they are different, and they do not require as high a level of social conditioning and interaction as a dog. A pet cat, if treated kindly and well-habituated to human contact, will become well-socialized without a great deal of training and effort on the human's part.
The cat body makes them a particularly pleasurable companion animal. They are large enough to not be terribly fragile, while they are still small enough to be relatively easy to handle, carry, and have on one's lap. They have an attractive appearance, with large, inquisitive, forward-facing eyes, a beautiful form with interesting curves and shapes, large, endearing pointed ears, and, usually, a lovely tail. Most have a soft, thick fur coat that is pleasurable to stroke and nuzzle; those that do not have fur have very warm, soft, suede-like skin that also feels good to our human fingers.
Cats typically are pleasant-smelling in and of themselves; their litter habits can generally be trained so that they are not too intrusive to our noses. They make pleasant sounds, rewarding kind treatment with a rumbling purr that soothes humans, even though we do not make that sound ourselves. They sometimes make other vocalizations, which vary from one cat to another, but it is quite rare for them to be as loud and unpleasant-sounding as a barking dog. Some of them walk around our homes, singing to themselves with bright miaowing; my Dom does this, apparently just to hear the sound of his own voice, and I enjoy his musical talents during these sessions.
Cat behavior is the very best part of their companionship. Even a homely feline can bring joy to his humans with his sensitive, loving presence. They seem capable of sensing our feelings, and come to us in our times of sadness to comfort us. They can be loyal, and they often attach themselves to a single person as their One and Only. They are playful, amusing us with their ability to switch from gentle friend to instinctive wild hunter with the flick of a favorite toy. They show us the very best of sensuality, dignity, and patience, serving as role-models for those of us who sometimes set those qualities aside.
Cats are brightly intelligent, highly emotional, and amazingly communicative. With tail, ear, and whisker movements, they are able to express themselves more clearly than most of us manage to with words. They roll their eyes at us, sigh in resignation, frown when confused, and smile when contented. A lashing tail will tell you when they're through playing, and an ear turned to the side is a cat's equivalent to a raised eyebrow--you can practically hear them thinking, "Oh, REALLY now." Their sheer range of emotion rivals our own, and their ability to express it perhaps even surpasses ours.
Most amazing of all is how we can generally turn these little creatures loose in our homes, trusting them to wander about as they please, and, in most cases, not giving a second thought to leaving them to their own devices while we are away. There is an incredible bond of trust, and it is simply inexplicable how both our species and theirs are able to comfortably cohabitate as if it is the most natural thing in the world. Cats and humans somehow learn to interpret one another's languages so naturally and artlessly that it is easy to imagine that we are somehow designed to fit together as two parts in a symbiotic whole. While other creatures have become domesticated, cats are unique in the way they are harmoniously accepted into families as essential members.
Their adaptation to life with our species--and our dependence on them, not just as workers, but as companions--is a testament to their success in evolution. We are quite lucky that they decided we were worth bothering with in the first place. A life without them is hardly worth living!
Cats are a fairly efficient companion animal, requiring less food than dogs, being readily litter-trained, and having a great deal of social independence. While I am not going to say that they are better or worse than dogs, I will say that they are different, and they do not require as high a level of social conditioning and interaction as a dog. A pet cat, if treated kindly and well-habituated to human contact, will become well-socialized without a great deal of training and effort on the human's part.
The cat body makes them a particularly pleasurable companion animal. They are large enough to not be terribly fragile, while they are still small enough to be relatively easy to handle, carry, and have on one's lap. They have an attractive appearance, with large, inquisitive, forward-facing eyes, a beautiful form with interesting curves and shapes, large, endearing pointed ears, and, usually, a lovely tail. Most have a soft, thick fur coat that is pleasurable to stroke and nuzzle; those that do not have fur have very warm, soft, suede-like skin that also feels good to our human fingers.
Cats typically are pleasant-smelling in and of themselves; their litter habits can generally be trained so that they are not too intrusive to our noses. They make pleasant sounds, rewarding kind treatment with a rumbling purr that soothes humans, even though we do not make that sound ourselves. They sometimes make other vocalizations, which vary from one cat to another, but it is quite rare for them to be as loud and unpleasant-sounding as a barking dog. Some of them walk around our homes, singing to themselves with bright miaowing; my Dom does this, apparently just to hear the sound of his own voice, and I enjoy his musical talents during these sessions.
Cat behavior is the very best part of their companionship. Even a homely feline can bring joy to his humans with his sensitive, loving presence. They seem capable of sensing our feelings, and come to us in our times of sadness to comfort us. They can be loyal, and they often attach themselves to a single person as their One and Only. They are playful, amusing us with their ability to switch from gentle friend to instinctive wild hunter with the flick of a favorite toy. They show us the very best of sensuality, dignity, and patience, serving as role-models for those of us who sometimes set those qualities aside.
Cats are brightly intelligent, highly emotional, and amazingly communicative. With tail, ear, and whisker movements, they are able to express themselves more clearly than most of us manage to with words. They roll their eyes at us, sigh in resignation, frown when confused, and smile when contented. A lashing tail will tell you when they're through playing, and an ear turned to the side is a cat's equivalent to a raised eyebrow--you can practically hear them thinking, "Oh, REALLY now." Their sheer range of emotion rivals our own, and their ability to express it perhaps even surpasses ours.
Most amazing of all is how we can generally turn these little creatures loose in our homes, trusting them to wander about as they please, and, in most cases, not giving a second thought to leaving them to their own devices while we are away. There is an incredible bond of trust, and it is simply inexplicable how both our species and theirs are able to comfortably cohabitate as if it is the most natural thing in the world. Cats and humans somehow learn to interpret one another's languages so naturally and artlessly that it is easy to imagine that we are somehow designed to fit together as two parts in a symbiotic whole. While other creatures have become domesticated, cats are unique in the way they are harmoniously accepted into families as essential members.
Their adaptation to life with our species--and our dependence on them, not just as workers, but as companions--is a testament to their success in evolution. We are quite lucky that they decided we were worth bothering with in the first place. A life without them is hardly worth living!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Cats: Perfection In Nature
I regard cats as one of the most perfect specimens of the natural world. I am referring to both wild and domestic species, as the similarities between all cat species are remarkably great; the same essential design is present from the diminutive Pallas cat to the enormous Siberian tiger. Felines have adapted to nearly every habitable terrestrial climate, including frosty Himalayan peaks, arid African deserts, and bustling human cities. They capture our eyes and our imaginations, they inspire our awe, fear, and love, and they reflect our sensuality and intelligence in an uncanny fashion.
Cats have superb senses. They have night vision, and they are very good at spotting moving things. While they do not see much color, this allows them to see a camouflaged animal more readily than we can. Their sense of smell is fourteen times better than ours, which allows them to use odor to demarcate and detect territories, locate mates, and track prey. Their hearing is superb, picking up frequencies higher than even dogs can detect, and distinguishing variances that are as minute as a tenth of a tone. This, coupled with their big, cup-like ears that swivel as much as 180 degrees, allows them to hear the vocalizations of rodents underground or behind walls, pinpoint a sound's origin very accurately and quickly, and hear and recognize the distress cries of their lost young from a distance.
Cat whiskers are probably the most underrated of sense organs they possess. If you find a shed whisker from your cat, hold the thick (root) end tightly between your thumb and finger. With your other hand, brush the fine end of the whisker. Flick it gently, then harder; you will feel the root end's vibration very strongly when you do this. Imagine, then, having dozens of these on your upper lip and cheeks, several on your eyebrows, and a few on your wrists! Don't believe me about the wrists? Check your cat's wrists; they are shorter than the ones on his face, but they work the same way. The wrist whiskers, or carpal vibrissae are especially useful in landing and feeling for prey. The facial vibrissae have a variety of uses; brush the ones above your cat's eyes, and she will blink. The ones on their muzzle are helpful in detecting minute changes in the breeze, determining whether kitty can fit into a crevice, and navigating in the dark. They also use their whiskers to detect signs of life in their prey and find the proper spot on the prey's neck to bite and kill it. They also have an excellent sense of touch. Their paws can detect very slight vibrations, and they can sense temperature changes very well in both their paws and noses. There are many whisker-like hairs scattered throughout their fur to serve a similar purpose as whiskers, called tylotrichs.
Running and jumping with speed and agility that inspires envy in the most fleet-footed human, cats are well-engineered for speed and leaping. They can move quietly, with incredible economy of motion (meaning, they don't bounce up and down as they're walking or running, or use a lot of excess body movement--we're pretty ungainly creatures ourselves, compared to the majority of the rest of the animal world). They have long, strong back legs, a wonderful tail for balance, and incredible flexibility to increase their stride. In fact, it seems that their only flaw in this regard is their lack of endurance; if a cheetah could keep its pace going for longer than 400 yards, they would be a far more successful and prolific creature than they are.
Cat reproduction is another model of evolutionary success; they become pregnant quite readily, have a fairly short gestation period, and are generally able to give birth with few complications. Their young, while born blind and helpless, grow and learn quickly, and, compared to other intelligent mammal species, mature fast. A domestic cat is mature within a year, and a tiger within four. Compare this to a human's sexual maturity at around sixteen years (although they are capable of reproduction earlier), and the elephants' 9-12 years. Additionally, while cats do carry their neonates when moving to a new den, the young are capable of moving around on their own and don't need to be carried all the time like human infants.
The intelligence of felines is well-known; they are clever, adaptable, resourceful, and strong-willed. They are born with a number of instincts, but they also teach their young and learn quickly. They adapt quickly to new situations and changes in their environment. Most species are solitary in nature, and they must learn complex rules of territory and social interaction because of this. Many animals live in groups, and their survival is based upon safety in numbers; a cat must be self-reliant and very cautious and sneaky to survive. Studies have shown that they are capable of problem-solving and forming "learning sets". Cats view their world three-dimensionally, too; they take into account branches, ledges, and other variations in terrain, while we tend to be more two-dimensional. Since we cannot tiptoe along a fence top, it does not register on our mental map, while a cat takes it into consideration in its circuitous route--routes that seem inefficent and roundabout to us are often utilized to avoid others' territory, place one's own territory markers, and investigate one's domain. Indeed, my little Aakhu will patrol the entire house, and if you attempt to distract him while he is making his rounds, you will have a difficult time getting his attention for very long.
The bodies and minds of cats are marvelous and successful; they are often the apex predator of their habitats, and they are capable of taking down large and dangerous prey, including elephants, giraffes, venomous snakes, and, the deadliest of all potential prey animals, human beings. They are adaptable to different climates, terrains, food sources, and human interaction. Their heightened senses predict earthquakes, accurately dectet prey and danger, and allow them to find shelter and water quickly. There is very little about the cat's design that isn't a model of perfection, and it is quite understandable that humans would admire and envy their grace and beauty.
Recommended reading:
The Tribe of Tiger
This book describes the evolution of cats and gives remarkable insight into their behavior and biology. It has a lot of anecdotes, and some readers did not like its focus on wild species, but I really liked it.
The Secret Life of Tigers
This is one of the best books available for learning about the natural history of tigers.
Becoming a Tiger: How Baby Animals Learn to Live in the Wild
Becoming a Tiger is about how animals develop into adults; it is about more than just tigers, but it's good reading nonetheless.
(I also welcome your suggestions for books)
Cats have superb senses. They have night vision, and they are very good at spotting moving things. While they do not see much color, this allows them to see a camouflaged animal more readily than we can. Their sense of smell is fourteen times better than ours, which allows them to use odor to demarcate and detect territories, locate mates, and track prey. Their hearing is superb, picking up frequencies higher than even dogs can detect, and distinguishing variances that are as minute as a tenth of a tone. This, coupled with their big, cup-like ears that swivel as much as 180 degrees, allows them to hear the vocalizations of rodents underground or behind walls, pinpoint a sound's origin very accurately and quickly, and hear and recognize the distress cries of their lost young from a distance.
Cat whiskers are probably the most underrated of sense organs they possess. If you find a shed whisker from your cat, hold the thick (root) end tightly between your thumb and finger. With your other hand, brush the fine end of the whisker. Flick it gently, then harder; you will feel the root end's vibration very strongly when you do this. Imagine, then, having dozens of these on your upper lip and cheeks, several on your eyebrows, and a few on your wrists! Don't believe me about the wrists? Check your cat's wrists; they are shorter than the ones on his face, but they work the same way. The wrist whiskers, or carpal vibrissae are especially useful in landing and feeling for prey. The facial vibrissae have a variety of uses; brush the ones above your cat's eyes, and she will blink. The ones on their muzzle are helpful in detecting minute changes in the breeze, determining whether kitty can fit into a crevice, and navigating in the dark. They also use their whiskers to detect signs of life in their prey and find the proper spot on the prey's neck to bite and kill it. They also have an excellent sense of touch. Their paws can detect very slight vibrations, and they can sense temperature changes very well in both their paws and noses. There are many whisker-like hairs scattered throughout their fur to serve a similar purpose as whiskers, called tylotrichs.
Running and jumping with speed and agility that inspires envy in the most fleet-footed human, cats are well-engineered for speed and leaping. They can move quietly, with incredible economy of motion (meaning, they don't bounce up and down as they're walking or running, or use a lot of excess body movement--we're pretty ungainly creatures ourselves, compared to the majority of the rest of the animal world). They have long, strong back legs, a wonderful tail for balance, and incredible flexibility to increase their stride. In fact, it seems that their only flaw in this regard is their lack of endurance; if a cheetah could keep its pace going for longer than 400 yards, they would be a far more successful and prolific creature than they are.
Cat reproduction is another model of evolutionary success; they become pregnant quite readily, have a fairly short gestation period, and are generally able to give birth with few complications. Their young, while born blind and helpless, grow and learn quickly, and, compared to other intelligent mammal species, mature fast. A domestic cat is mature within a year, and a tiger within four. Compare this to a human's sexual maturity at around sixteen years (although they are capable of reproduction earlier), and the elephants' 9-12 years. Additionally, while cats do carry their neonates when moving to a new den, the young are capable of moving around on their own and don't need to be carried all the time like human infants.
The intelligence of felines is well-known; they are clever, adaptable, resourceful, and strong-willed. They are born with a number of instincts, but they also teach their young and learn quickly. They adapt quickly to new situations and changes in their environment. Most species are solitary in nature, and they must learn complex rules of territory and social interaction because of this. Many animals live in groups, and their survival is based upon safety in numbers; a cat must be self-reliant and very cautious and sneaky to survive. Studies have shown that they are capable of problem-solving and forming "learning sets". Cats view their world three-dimensionally, too; they take into account branches, ledges, and other variations in terrain, while we tend to be more two-dimensional. Since we cannot tiptoe along a fence top, it does not register on our mental map, while a cat takes it into consideration in its circuitous route--routes that seem inefficent and roundabout to us are often utilized to avoid others' territory, place one's own territory markers, and investigate one's domain. Indeed, my little Aakhu will patrol the entire house, and if you attempt to distract him while he is making his rounds, you will have a difficult time getting his attention for very long.
The bodies and minds of cats are marvelous and successful; they are often the apex predator of their habitats, and they are capable of taking down large and dangerous prey, including elephants, giraffes, venomous snakes, and, the deadliest of all potential prey animals, human beings. They are adaptable to different climates, terrains, food sources, and human interaction. Their heightened senses predict earthquakes, accurately dectet prey and danger, and allow them to find shelter and water quickly. There is very little about the cat's design that isn't a model of perfection, and it is quite understandable that humans would admire and envy their grace and beauty.
Recommended reading:
The Tribe of Tiger
This book describes the evolution of cats and gives remarkable insight into their behavior and biology. It has a lot of anecdotes, and some readers did not like its focus on wild species, but I really liked it.
The Secret Life of Tigers
This is one of the best books available for learning about the natural history of tigers.
Becoming a Tiger: How Baby Animals Learn to Live in the Wild
Becoming a Tiger is about how animals develop into adults; it is about more than just tigers, but it's good reading nonetheless.
(I also welcome your suggestions for books)
Monday, September 3, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Photography - Metals Series
I'm still busy putting my new home in order, but I thought I'd share this photo gallery. It's my "Metals Series". I have a thing for taking pictures of metal objects. I hope you enjoy it!
Metal Series Slideshow
Metal Series Slideshow
Sunday, August 12, 2007
He can't be this old!
My best friend and soulmate turned nine today. Aakhu, my beloved ocicat, is the best companion a girl could ever want. He has been there for me through thick and thin, and my life would have been crap without him in it.
I had to take some photos to mark his special day!
I had to take some photos to mark his special day!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Economics 101
Let's say that you're having a particularly good year, and you manage to set aside a savings fund for "Emergencies Only". You swear to not touch it unless absolutely necessary.
Then, you get laid off. While you get some unemployment, it's not enough to cover your bills, so you spend the savings fund. Unfortunately, the fund runs out before you get back to work, so you're having some really hard times for a while.
Later, you get back to work, and it's just as good as before. So you start saving up, and to avoid getting caught short like last time, you save about 10% more than before, just in case.
Of course, you get laid off AGAIN, and somehow, you run out of the emergency fund this time, too. So, once you are working again, you save up even more than the last time. You also become more frugal, trying to get more for your buck. That's pretty wise, right?
I'm guessing that y'all see where I'm going with this. Your body does the same thing when you diet. It stores up a reserve, and when that reserve gets used up, it does a very frugal thing and stores up even more once times are better. It also becomes more efficient, slowing down your metabolism so that you use less energy to do the same things you did before. This is an autonomic survival strategy, folks. It's not a disease, and it's not a sin. We evolved* this way because it makes sense.
Nowadays, food is plenty in our society. We need to do less physical labor than our ancestor's ancestors, and we have more sustenance than ever before. This is not a bad thing! So why can't we accept our progress and be happy that we now have the capacity to eliminate hunger? Why do we have to guilt-trip ourselves for having easier lives than any other people in human history?
I once said that, maybe I'm fat, and EVEN IF that made me more likely to develop heart disease or diabetes (which it doesn't, but let's be hypothetical for a moment), I'm still better off than people in undeveloped nations that are starving to death or dying of preventable contagious diseases. It's a crime to focus so much time, money, and energy on battling excess adipose tissue when 30,000 children are STILL dying every single day of malnutrition and preventable disease. It's abominable and vain to complain that we'll die "early" at 70 of "overweight" when many people are still dying so young of starvation.
I propose that we focus our energies on bringing everybody up to par (that is, fed adequately and vaccinated as needed) before we continue to wring our hands about the "fat" illnesses that are really a product of advanced aging. I would like to see frivolous weight loss surgery and cosmetic surgery** put on hold until every sick person who needs surgery for real medical reasons is treated. You don't get your breast implants until every cleft palate is repaired; you don't get your stomach amputation until every bad knee is repaired.
* Yes, I accept evolution as a fact, because it is. :P Deal with it.
** With, of course, the exception of reconstructive cosmetic surgery, or cosmetic surgery needed to fix real problems--NOT "my nose needs to be perfect, and I'm starting to get wrinkles"
Then, you get laid off. While you get some unemployment, it's not enough to cover your bills, so you spend the savings fund. Unfortunately, the fund runs out before you get back to work, so you're having some really hard times for a while.
Later, you get back to work, and it's just as good as before. So you start saving up, and to avoid getting caught short like last time, you save about 10% more than before, just in case.
Of course, you get laid off AGAIN, and somehow, you run out of the emergency fund this time, too. So, once you are working again, you save up even more than the last time. You also become more frugal, trying to get more for your buck. That's pretty wise, right?
I'm guessing that y'all see where I'm going with this. Your body does the same thing when you diet. It stores up a reserve, and when that reserve gets used up, it does a very frugal thing and stores up even more once times are better. It also becomes more efficient, slowing down your metabolism so that you use less energy to do the same things you did before. This is an autonomic survival strategy, folks. It's not a disease, and it's not a sin. We evolved* this way because it makes sense.
Nowadays, food is plenty in our society. We need to do less physical labor than our ancestor's ancestors, and we have more sustenance than ever before. This is not a bad thing! So why can't we accept our progress and be happy that we now have the capacity to eliminate hunger? Why do we have to guilt-trip ourselves for having easier lives than any other people in human history?
I once said that, maybe I'm fat, and EVEN IF that made me more likely to develop heart disease or diabetes (which it doesn't, but let's be hypothetical for a moment), I'm still better off than people in undeveloped nations that are starving to death or dying of preventable contagious diseases. It's a crime to focus so much time, money, and energy on battling excess adipose tissue when 30,000 children are STILL dying every single day of malnutrition and preventable disease. It's abominable and vain to complain that we'll die "early" at 70 of "overweight" when many people are still dying so young of starvation.
I propose that we focus our energies on bringing everybody up to par (that is, fed adequately and vaccinated as needed) before we continue to wring our hands about the "fat" illnesses that are really a product of advanced aging. I would like to see frivolous weight loss surgery and cosmetic surgery** put on hold until every sick person who needs surgery for real medical reasons is treated. You don't get your breast implants until every cleft palate is repaired; you don't get your stomach amputation until every bad knee is repaired.
* Yes, I accept evolution as a fact, because it is. :P Deal with it.
** With, of course, the exception of reconstructive cosmetic surgery, or cosmetic surgery needed to fix real problems--NOT "my nose needs to be perfect, and I'm starting to get wrinkles"
Monday, August 6, 2007
Weekend out of town
I've been gone for the weekend, visiting family in NH. It was a good time, but travel is really hard on me. We rented a van that had seats which could not recline even the slightest bit, so I spent the trip sitting bolt-upright. Thank goodness for dramamine!
On the trip, I busied myself with writing in a notebook and drawing bad art. No camera work, as I didn't see much that inspired me to take photos.
Part of our trip involved a picnic at the lake. My in-laws live in a gated community situated on a lake, where the houses are anywhere from half a million to several times that. While we sat under the huge tent, I had a strange feeling being among all of the people there, and it took me a little while to put my finger on it.
I had not seen such a gathering of all white people since I moved to Albany, NY from Quincy, IL. I've lived in NY for almost ten years now, and I've grown very accustomed to the diversity here; so accustomed, apparently, that I'm actually uncomfortable without it. My brother-in-law, who lives in the Washington, D.C. area, said that it weirds him out every time he visits as well.
Albany, NY has an enormously diverse population. Any race or nationality you can think of is represented here. The tech and engineering industries have brought in a ton of Asian and Middle Eastern people, for example. When I lived in Schenectady with my first husband, we were one of maybe two non-Indian/Pakistani families in our huge apartment complex. All of the men of those families worked for GE doing engineering and computer stuff, as did my husband. The block where we currently reside is mostly a mix of Black and white families, and we are moving to a neighborhood that is similar, with fewer whites than here.
One of my most recent jobs was in a neighborhood where our customers were incredibly diverse. There were many immigrants; countries represented included Russia, Germany, The Dominican Republic, Columbia, Japan, Australia, England, and Poland--and that's just the few that I can think of off the top of my head. I got to hear about all kinds of places, and I felt so lucky to learn from so many different people.
When I read about people who struggle to find salons that even know about, let alone specialize in, African hair, I want to invite them to Albany, where I can direct them to at least four places that I know pretty well. I had to do a photography gig for an area merchant association, and every business in that small area knew who I was. The sheer number of African hair places, including one that was specifically devoted to braiding only, was striking to me. It's a nice little community where you can get just about every service under the sun, including a fantastic manicure, amazing pizza delivery, delicious specialty chocolates, and the best homemade pumpkin ravioli in the entire world, and it's because so many different people have come together to create a neighborhood that is relatively safe, clean, and friendly.
I felt very much NOT at home in the sea of Caucasian faces on the shores of that lake. I don't know if it was the lack of diversity, or the careful masks that everyone wore, but I never thought I'd be so glad to get home to the unruly neighbor kids that run absolutely wild in the streets here (all races, all heavily unsupervised; they're not really naughty, just loud and not very cautious around cars*!). Seeing homes that looked "lived-in" instead of the cookie-cutter McMansions, being in a neighborhood with history, all of this is comforting to me.
Is it any wonder that I was not inspired to pick up my camera? Every ounce of "wild" had been squeezed out by perfectly manicured lawns. There was no architecture to capture my interest, no urban graffiti that made me think, and no broken-down items at the curb to tell stories. Just perfect lawns, perfect houses, and perfect people with perfect children, 2.5 in number, and primarily blonde, blue-eyed, and indoctrinated with the absolute knowledge that they are the Be-All and End-All, and that all attention should be entirely focused upon them, no matter what. I suppose the up-side to this is that I was pretty much forced to rely on introspection and imagination to write and draw. In the presence of a sterile environment, we have only ourselves for inspiration.
*One day, I came within inches of running over the little neighbor girl who is ~6 years old. We have diagonal parking spaces on our block, and she was sitting and playing in one of them, next to a car, but in the space next to it, by the tire. I could not see her at all when I turned into the space, and I glimpsed her at the last possible moment and braked hard. She did not even look up. Her mother was nowhere in sight, as usual, and I was extremely freaked out. She's a nice little girl, and she loves to see and touch my snakes when I bring them out, but I wish someone would talk to her about playing in the street, which she does quite frequently.
On the trip, I busied myself with writing in a notebook and drawing bad art. No camera work, as I didn't see much that inspired me to take photos.
Part of our trip involved a picnic at the lake. My in-laws live in a gated community situated on a lake, where the houses are anywhere from half a million to several times that. While we sat under the huge tent, I had a strange feeling being among all of the people there, and it took me a little while to put my finger on it.
I had not seen such a gathering of all white people since I moved to Albany, NY from Quincy, IL. I've lived in NY for almost ten years now, and I've grown very accustomed to the diversity here; so accustomed, apparently, that I'm actually uncomfortable without it. My brother-in-law, who lives in the Washington, D.C. area, said that it weirds him out every time he visits as well.
Albany, NY has an enormously diverse population. Any race or nationality you can think of is represented here. The tech and engineering industries have brought in a ton of Asian and Middle Eastern people, for example. When I lived in Schenectady with my first husband, we were one of maybe two non-Indian/Pakistani families in our huge apartment complex. All of the men of those families worked for GE doing engineering and computer stuff, as did my husband. The block where we currently reside is mostly a mix of Black and white families, and we are moving to a neighborhood that is similar, with fewer whites than here.
One of my most recent jobs was in a neighborhood where our customers were incredibly diverse. There were many immigrants; countries represented included Russia, Germany, The Dominican Republic, Columbia, Japan, Australia, England, and Poland--and that's just the few that I can think of off the top of my head. I got to hear about all kinds of places, and I felt so lucky to learn from so many different people.
When I read about people who struggle to find salons that even know about, let alone specialize in, African hair, I want to invite them to Albany, where I can direct them to at least four places that I know pretty well. I had to do a photography gig for an area merchant association, and every business in that small area knew who I was. The sheer number of African hair places, including one that was specifically devoted to braiding only, was striking to me. It's a nice little community where you can get just about every service under the sun, including a fantastic manicure, amazing pizza delivery, delicious specialty chocolates, and the best homemade pumpkin ravioli in the entire world, and it's because so many different people have come together to create a neighborhood that is relatively safe, clean, and friendly.
I felt very much NOT at home in the sea of Caucasian faces on the shores of that lake. I don't know if it was the lack of diversity, or the careful masks that everyone wore, but I never thought I'd be so glad to get home to the unruly neighbor kids that run absolutely wild in the streets here (all races, all heavily unsupervised; they're not really naughty, just loud and not very cautious around cars*!). Seeing homes that looked "lived-in" instead of the cookie-cutter McMansions, being in a neighborhood with history, all of this is comforting to me.
Is it any wonder that I was not inspired to pick up my camera? Every ounce of "wild" had been squeezed out by perfectly manicured lawns. There was no architecture to capture my interest, no urban graffiti that made me think, and no broken-down items at the curb to tell stories. Just perfect lawns, perfect houses, and perfect people with perfect children, 2.5 in number, and primarily blonde, blue-eyed, and indoctrinated with the absolute knowledge that they are the Be-All and End-All, and that all attention should be entirely focused upon them, no matter what. I suppose the up-side to this is that I was pretty much forced to rely on introspection and imagination to write and draw. In the presence of a sterile environment, we have only ourselves for inspiration.
*One day, I came within inches of running over the little neighbor girl who is ~6 years old. We have diagonal parking spaces on our block, and she was sitting and playing in one of them, next to a car, but in the space next to it, by the tire. I could not see her at all when I turned into the space, and I glimpsed her at the last possible moment and braked hard. She did not even look up. Her mother was nowhere in sight, as usual, and I was extremely freaked out. She's a nice little girl, and she loves to see and touch my snakes when I bring them out, but I wish someone would talk to her about playing in the street, which she does quite frequently.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Self-portraiture
I've been doing some drawing lately. I've never been any good at it, and I'm probably not going to be, but it's fun to pick up the colored pencils and create something. A lot of this work has been self-portraits.
For the fat girls out there, I have a challenge for you: Get out a pencil and blank sheet of paper and draw a sketch of yourself, focusing on the body. I find it's easier to draw my back than my front, because it's less complicated, but whichever view you like is great. Side, back, front, whatever. It doesn't have to be good, detailed, or even realistic. Abstract curves are just fine.
Then, I want you to imagine a thin runway model or emaciated celebrity. Try drawing that person on another sheet of paper. It's hard, isn't it? You want to draw comfortable curves, rounded hips, generous thighs--but drawing someone who is very thin is difficult. Your drawing probably won't look quite as good as the self-portrait.
This isn't to upset the thin folks out there, by the way--it is simply to show that we can perceive ourselves in ways other than mirrors and photographs.
For the fat girls out there, I have a challenge for you: Get out a pencil and blank sheet of paper and draw a sketch of yourself, focusing on the body. I find it's easier to draw my back than my front, because it's less complicated, but whichever view you like is great. Side, back, front, whatever. It doesn't have to be good, detailed, or even realistic. Abstract curves are just fine.
Then, I want you to imagine a thin runway model or emaciated celebrity. Try drawing that person on another sheet of paper. It's hard, isn't it? You want to draw comfortable curves, rounded hips, generous thighs--but drawing someone who is very thin is difficult. Your drawing probably won't look quite as good as the self-portrait.
This isn't to upset the thin folks out there, by the way--it is simply to show that we can perceive ourselves in ways other than mirrors and photographs.
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