April 2011
Arrived at career office for meeting.
Everyone was wearing tiaras and fake jewels and drinking mimosas to celebrate the Royal Wedding.
First rule of Kyle Gallner:
If he’s on a TV show, he’s almost definitely the killer.
Having a glass of wine and reading fashion magazines to prep for an interview.
Can’t really complain.
Please to send good thoughts my way.
Item of note
Broke up with person I love dearly but am not in love with. Cried a bunch because this breakup shit is getting old. Friends cheered me up by laughing at all my jokes (which they do anyway — they are nice!) and going out for drinks and burgers. My friend Court says I probably won’t get hurt again (“I mean, it could happen, but it probably won’t”); I’m inclined to believe her as she is fairly pragmatic.
Apologies to my mother for having to find this out via my blog. Also apologies to my brother that he won’t be brothers-in-law with the future CEO of a Fortune 100 Company.
“I support any female entrepreneur.”
—one of my besties, on Rebecca Black
In class.
Prof just Rickrolled us.
Geoffrey Canada speaking here today and I can't go because of class :-(.
“I am confused by people who do not use Gmail.”
—
If you have an email address at Hotmail, lose my fucking phone number.
“I wish you could buy willpower online.”
—
Do You Suffer from Netflix Streaming Syndrome? →
gawker.com
welcome to my weekend (but it was actually HBOGo Syndrome - I’m already 1/2 way through season 2 of True Blood) thank god I have to go to work tomorrow and have book club at night.
Ahahahahaha guilty as charged:
- Insomnia brought on by watching every episode of a compelling series in a row at the expense of getting a good night’s sleep.
- Anti-social behavior as a result of staying in and making it a “Netflix night” rather than going out in public and seeing other human beings.
- Blackouts induced by spending an entire day watching movies back-to-back.
- Pop culture knowledge that is a shade outdated and limited only to topics that are offered as part of the streaming package.
- A glut of intense information about things most people don’t care about, like the oeuvre of Meg Ryan or the subversive aspects of the first season of She-Ra: Princess of Power
- A gnawing impatience when you can’t watch what you want to watch when you want to watch it coupled with fits of rage when movies are not available for streaming and you must wait two whole days for an actual disc to arrive in a little red envelope in the mail.
OK, time to go watch the rest of Season 2 of Medium!
Rolling In The Deep
Adele
Finally found the song.
I have a little voice entirely devoid of character and best-suited to offerings from late-90s boy bands. I wonder if she wants to trade.
A Dad Testifies for His Transgender Teen Daughter
In Maine, proposed bill LD 1046 would allow the operator of a restroom or shower facility in that state to decide who can use which gender’s restroom based upon “biological sex.” One father of a transgender daughter spoke before the Maine Judiciary Committee about this bill:
My name is Wayne Maines, I live in Old Town. I have a 13-year-old transgender daughter. In the beginning, I was not onboard with this reality. Like many of you I doubted transgender children could exist, I doubted my wife and I doubted our counselors and doctors. However I never doubted my love for my child. It was only through observing her pain and her suffering and examining my lack of knowledge about these issues did I begin to question my behavior and my conservative values. I learned that the medical standard of care requires parents seek assistance from a panel of experts. We did this and our team of doctors recommended my daughter to live fully as a girl. We cannot turn back now.
When my daughter lost her privileges at school and both children and adults targeted her, I knew I had to change and I have never looked back.
When we moved to Maine, it was clear my daughter was transitioning from male to female with us or without us. She used the girl’s bathroom with no fanfare; she was confident and very social. Her strong personality helped the entire school transition right along side of her. She was proud and secure with herself and when people asked at the young age of six she openly stated that she was a girl trapped in a boy’s body.
The transformation was amazing, but her happiness would not last. Unfortunately the fears of others would destroy everything that our team of doctors, teachers, school counselors, friends and classmates had work so hard to establish.
I know that it is difficult for some of you to understand the needs of transgender children. You only need to spend some time with these kids to see that they are struggling and suffering beyond your imagination only because they are singled out and misunderstood. They are just like your children and grandchildren; they have the same hopes and the same dreams.
In the fifth grade because of significant negative exposure we had to take drastic measures to protect her from harm, including splitting our family up to go in hiding and we are not the only family that has had to do so. When she was told she could no longer use the appropriate bathroom her confidence and self-esteem took a major hit. Prior to this my daughter often said, “Dad being transgender is no big deal, my friends and I have it under control.” I was very proud of her. It was only when adults became involved with their unfounded fears that her world would be turned upside down. “She came to me crying and asked, “Daddy what did I do wrong? Daddy please fix this?” That is what dads do — we fix things. I had to break her heart and say, “You have not done anything wrong sweetie, but Mommy and I do not know how to fix this, but we will try.”
Continuing to single these kids out is not necessary. Having the opportunity to use the bathrooms of their true gender is essential for these kids’ well being. This bill places transgender children in a position of doom and hopelessness. This bill tells my daughter that she does not have the same rights as her classmates and reinforces her opinion that she has no future. Help me give her the future she deserves. Do not pass this bill.
this ain't livin': The Class Boundaries of Veronica Mars →
meloukhia.net
There is a tendency in US television to avoid class issues, at least in recent years. Most shows focus on middle and upper class people and the things they do; their jobs and their lives. Poor people rarely show up except as objects for the other characters to interact with. And these shows very rarely present viewers with challenging material, when it comes to class. You are not supposed to ask why some people are poor and other people are not,why the lines shake down the way they do.
Veronica Mars was willing to push back against that and not only bring in some class analysis, but some nuance. And I think that might be one of the reasons I keep coming back to it, because Veronica and I have some things in common. I feel a commonality with her, as a character. Except for the whole teenage detective thing.
Reblogging to read later, because awesome topic.
Most ridiculous thing on my to-do list:
Buy my cat a leash so I can take him outside because he is driving me crazy.
We we we so hung over, we so hung over, we gonna have a headache all day.
This is what happens when you intentionally drink too much to deal with the embarrassment of being featured in a sketch comedy routine.
Some stuff is happening:
- Was offered a phone interview with #1 company I want to work for.
- Scotch Club tonight (probably with less dancing to Katy Perry this time, unfortch).
- Helping run one of my favorite school events, our free (OK, included in tuition) weekly happy hour, tomorrow night.
- Asked to sit on a panel about nonprofit work experience in early May.
- I get to meet a personal hero, male anti-sexism activist Jackson Katz, because of my role as a board member at our local rape crisis center.
- Oh, yeah, I got the board fellowship.
- Realized this week that I am probably ready to start trusting men again.
- Had an amazing time at Admitted Students Weekend. I love the members of next year’s first-year class, and I am thrilled about the level of visibility of LGBTQ members of the class. This is my dear friend Brian’s legacy, and I am so proud of/happy for him that this is what he’s leaving behind.
- My best friend from last year’s Admitted Students Weekend, who deferred, is definitely coming here this fall. Cannot wait to hang out with him all the time.
- The mini-elective I just started is apparently a class about the Internet and social networking.
- The fashion show I attended on Sunday night was AWESOME. Time to start stalking the boutique owner about giving me some buying/merchandising work like we talked about!
- Going on a beer tour around the Upper Valley on Saturday. Cost: $5. (Ohhleary is jealous.)
- Starting casting/rehearsals for the sketch comedy thing I helped write/will be acting in.
- I will be featured in a friend’s stand-up performance tomorrow night (wait, that’s actually terrifying).
- Representing NYC in a fashion show on the 29th. I get to design my own outfit!
- Toga party on Friday! (Wait, that is kind of terrible.)
My homework for one of my classes this week involved submitting a description of "Friday" by Rebecca Black.
School is sort of starting to get awesome.
Play
We had to give impromptu presentations in class today.
Mine ended up being about Hey Dude and Salute Your Shorts. Also Troop Beverly Hills and Rilo Kiley. If I could figure out how to rip the DVD they sent me home with, I would post the video.
The only time it's OK to roll up to a fashion show and find yourself wearing the same dress as two other people:
When one is the designer and the other is a model in the show. Bonus points if the designer tells you you’re the first person she’s ever run into wearing one of her pieces.
Benefits of living in a small town:
Went back to get the vintage ’70s Pucci jumpsuit I put on hold two weeks ago, and not only was it still there, but they still had it on “24-hour” hold for me.
So my roommate has been using one of my water bottles for months.
I just found it in the dishwasher (bottom clearly says “Hand wash only”). It now has a dent in it and the coating is peeling off. Is it bad if I just hide it in my room so she won’t use it anymore? She has like three of her own water bottles and for some reason uses mine instead.
ETA: It was only like $5 at Old Navy but they no longer sell it and so it is irreplaceable. I am really annoyed.
How to Fake a Clean House | Real Simple →
realsimple.com
You’re welcome.
Just in time for the arrival of the prospective student we’re hosting this weekend.
Fab.com →
fab.com
Fab is a new design-focused flash discount site (similar to Gilt Groupe or ideeli) that offers merchandise at up to 70% off retail. It’s currently by invite/waitlist only, but you can sign up using my link above.
This cat is trying to butter me up so I will take him outside.
I swear to God he thinks he is a dog.
One of my homework assignments for Monday is to read an HBS case called "Obama versus Clinton: The YouTube Primary."
I think I’m going to like this class.
@hosullivan: An Irish goodbye is when you drunkenly leave a bar or party without telling the people you're with that you're leaving.
If the term is hurtful to anyone, let me know and I’ll take it down. I definitely just pulled that thing I hate of thinking it’s OK to perpetuate a stereotype because I’m part of the group being stereotyped.
Dudes, man.
So one of the guys I mentioned last week came up to me the next night and told me that he had meant what he’d said the night before. Oh, and he kept randomly kissing me on the cheek. Meanwhile he is supposed to take me out to dinner to thank me for a favor I did him. This is also the guy I was supposed to go to Disney World with, but obviously that is no longer a thing that can happen.
Anyway, personality-wise this is the guy I usually go for; he’s really friendly and outgoing. He’s serious about his career but not in an irritating way. He has his shit together but is still a ton of fun. He actually told me that he didn’t like another guy because it was clear said guy didn’t respect me. I feel like he is honest and has good values, which is what’s most important to me at this point. He sends handwritten thank-you notes. Meanwhile now that I’m trying to get to know him better (in a totally appropriate, non-cheating way), he’s being sort of aloof, but in a confusing way. Like, he’ll act significantly less interested in talking to me than usual, totally Irish goodbyes if we’re at the same party, doesn’t respond to emails, etc. — but then he’ll turn around and invite me to dinner at his apartment (group dinner).
Whatever, I guess it doesn’t matter. It’s sort of a toss-up as to who’s wasting whose time here as I am otherwise ensconced and he’s moving back to TX in two months.
I have been watching that new Body of Proof show with Dana Delaney.
It’s kind of like Bones, only terrible! But it might as well be called Sarcastic Lady with Great Hair, which is one of my many aliases, so I’ll watch it anyway.
ETA: I don’t even know what the thing is called! It’s actually Body of Proof, not Body of Evidence, as originally written.
