Book Commercials & Misanthropic Observations

Why Barbie is not evil

Once again, let’s give a quick nod to the main argument against: “her success comes at the considerable psychological expense of hoards of impressionable girls, who will spend half their lives hating themselves because they look like ordinary women instead of an overhyped caricature”

Seriously? Who doesn’t know that Barbie is a freak? Barbie’s statistics in a live human being would produce a woman over 7 feet tall with a 44-inch bust, a 17-inch waist and 40-inch hips. Miss America she ain’t.

AND, haven’t we all by now seen the pathetic old women who had plastic surgery in the 80s to look like Barbie and now they have absurd 18 year old D-cups perched still perky on their 55 year old bodies? That neck skin and those breasts do not match, Ma’am.

What once may have been a legitimate first wave feminist issue is now a cartoon. Relax, Gloria Steinem, our cynical post Gen-x girls are not vulnerable anymore.

But, what they are missing in their new found freedom is wisdom in the fine arts of standing up strait, sucking in their stomachs, knowledge that bra straps should never be an acceptable “part of the outfit”, and wearing tasteful, nude toned makeup.

Barbie would not be caught dead in that Goth eyeliner, sweetie. I don’t care if Kim Kardashian wears hers that way, you need to have some class.

I’m coming out FOR Barbie

I know, I know, she ruins girl’s self esteem. Barbie has singlehandedly caused eating disorders and body image issues…. Blah blah. I’ve said it all myself.

You know what else causes eating disorders? Vestibular spasticity – really, look it up. I threw up for years, and it was not because I wanted to look like Barbie. Mostly, I was just nauseous all the time, unless my stomach was empty. Now they have vagus nerve and/or stomach pacemakers for girls like I was, that controls the nausea. Thank you, western medicine! (P.S. parents: seriously look into this- I wasn’t trying to be skinny. Your daughter may be in the same boat.)

I still struggle with this, which is why you see me eating Cheezits all the time, they settle my stomach, AND Mendota springs water helps me belch.

Well, that was a completely different topic than I started with. I’m still for Barbie, but best to keep blogs short and sweet. I’ll come back to this again later.

Hannah called this morning

She sounds wonderful. If I had any reservations or concerns they were allayed by her bright voice. They have 4 or 5 days to explore the city before orientation and it sounds like she and Lisa dove right in. She says they slept on the plane and aren’t really suffering any jetlag.

They have been to the flower market, bazaars and bookstores. They have ridden in water taxis (she was happy for the canvas you can drop down on the side to prevent splashing with the nasty water). She could say “hello” and count to 5 in Thai; she also knew the number 10 for some reason. They have made friends with a coffee vendor who now waves whenever he sees them.

She said it’s really hot and humid and she loves the spicy food. Tomorrow they will be attending Lisa’s uncle’s 50th birthday party; Lisa’s mom, Peg Scott, has 2 brothers in Thailand.

Their apartment is 7 blocks from the school and it sounds like that’s been perfect, allowing them plenty of exciting activity to and from. There are closer places to stay and it sounds like Hannah will be dissapointed to move and loose some adventure when Lisa leaves next month. But you never know what will happen in a month. I am just so excited for her and can see how God has orchestrated so much this far.

I buy domain names like other women buy shoes

I’ve been thinking about my habit of rolling over my blog from time to time. I do it as a hobby to get to know different blog engines. 

It occurred to me that my inclination to use a clean, shiny new address folder, even though it’s consistently on Dopkins.net, is at odds with my larger philosophy of, for example:

·         1 email address for life, (brandy@dopkins.net) and

·         One phone number through the years. I’m a fan of stability.  

While I use redirects, as a regular user of blogging RSS feeds I am aware that unless I remember to .htaccess  ALL my redirects, someone may just get cut off.

AND, linky blogging friends, it’s not your job to babysit your links every time I change a blog address.

So, as a result of this morning’s introspection, I have purchased a domain name that will without fail point to my blog, no matter what I do with my folder structure.  

Here it is: http://www.iheartdeweydecimal.com/

a new skill

ahem…  drumroll….

I sent a text message this morning.

ta da! (fanfare)

Like water to my parched soul

“Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job”

- 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (The Message)

Dear Pat Stream

I deleted the last post only because it was a test of sorts. I was trying out “share this” on my own blog. It was cool.

Dear backyard bunny

Yes, you are very big and strong. You outweigh Frito by more than a few pounds. I’m quite taken with your Fluffy Power and find it very funny that you just sit there while Frito barks at you from 5 feet away. Our deck must look like a great place to live, inside the gate and all, no danger of coyotes there.

BUT- Spud will eat you. You will put up a good fight, she will be hurt in the process. However, I’ve seen her take down a woodchuck. You are no match.

Please leave, bunny. As much as I am thrilled to see you, I don’t want to see you dead. Next time I will not be in the back yard to physically stop Spud when she corners you.

F****ing turing tests

Read this facebook- I HATE your dumb little turing tests. AND if you want me to activate my mobile, the least you could do is actually SEND and activation code to my correct phone- that is, AT&T not SPRINT. I know your records might say sprint, but we switched this week. Not off to a good start, people. I will SO be deactivating this account by the end of this week if I have to prove I am human every time I make a selection.

Seriously considering Facebook

I know, I have even blogged about why I am not a facebook girl. And I can’t tell you how many of those email invitations I’ve received and guiltily ignored, as if I am actually rejecting the person who sent it, rather than just not adding something new to my life.

Paul is having fun on facebook- he fills me in on who he’s connected with that week, and laughs when he gets a flood of high school kids from FCC youth group suddenly “finding” him and then he has 50 new “friends” that day. I am enjoying his fun- and still not personally interested in the least.

Until last night-I looked over his shoulder and he was on our cousin Chad’s page. I really grew love and appreciate Chad and Lisa last week. And had so much fun finding out my cousin Eric is a book nerd like me. And our daily lives are not that intertwined. Could this be a connection to my cousins? Dang, I’m getting sucked in!