Winter Ducklings

Tuesday's Tidbits

First things first, I am severely geeking out about how awesome my school notebook is this semester. I don't actually have it yet, but I saw it in person at Walgreen's and then ordered it for cheaper from Amazon. I needed something that wouldn't get destroyed in my backpack, wouldn't take up my entire backpack, had folders, subject dividers, and was able to hold notebook paper as well as powerpoint slides that I print out. I know, I have impossibly high standards. Not so! Five Star hath met the challenge with their new Flex Hybrid Notebinder. Told ya. Geeking. Out.

Secondly, I forgot cash this morning so no bike cart coffee. However, of the Green Mountain K-cups, I recommend Dark Magic. Is that a euphemism? Who cares? I'm just excited that it's actually good... and that I looked up the definition of that the other day and finally have a real grasp on what euphemism means :)

Lastly, NPR is awesome. I've learned about everything from olive oil to Jay-Z to now "Girl Land" from them. Last week, Caitlin Flanagan was a guest on their show and she's written a book called "Girl Land" where she says we need to protect girls in their girlhood and adolescence from the evil lurking everywhere, waiting to prey upon them. I'm not even done listening to the interview, and I was making faces and scoffing while listening on the train. (Apologies to my fellow passengers who probably think me quite the angry morning commuter.)

Flanagan starts off implying that women advancing professionally and into fields dominated by math and science somehow is linked with the increasing sexualization of our culture. That's absurd and clearly not even worth fully teasing apart. I'm sure people much smarter than I could link these two together and perhaps discuss it for an entire semester, but I'm just trying to rant a little bit. So, onward!

Then, Flanagan continues by making some really sweeping generalizations about girls, who apparently are "drawn to romance" and who need protection from the boys, who will wait online until the girl gets unmonitored access to the Internet when they can finally lure her into performing oral sex on them. (I'm sorry, how would that ever happen?!) Like many others, I have a problem with her demonizing boys, which she claims not to do after she repeatedly makes adolescent males these manipulative, sex crazed beings capable only of being strung along by the ever cunning woman. I also have a problem with her lack of recognition of women as sexual beings themselves, who sometimes (gasp!) are uninterested in long term companionship.

The last bit I heard before going underground on the train was her calling comprehensive sex education "pornified culture"... Needless to say, she has some research to do about the effectiveness of different sorts of sex education (hint: she isn't going to like what she finds). It's a forty-five minute interview and I'm only slightly more than halfway through, and I'm already excited to listen to more of it after work.

I am well aware that I was focusing on poking holes in everything she said because she and I likely would not be friends. Anytime someone wants to treat an entire group of people a certain way based on their sex or skin color or sexual preference or country of origin or religion or even favorite flavor of ice cream... I am not on board with them (Except if you like rum raisin. Really, that's not okay). How can anyone be so drastically unreasonable?

It's unfortunate that she's got two sons that she's pounding all of her ideas into, but I am encouraged by all of the protesting of the host, other guests and callers on the show ...as well as this unromantic little girl.

Phenom Mom

I know I said this already (on facebook... does that count?), but I keep thinking about this really awesome mother-daughter moment. I can't imagine facing such a vulnerable soul with such sad thoughts about themselves... but her unconventional approach is wonderful. I'm sure there are similar sad-made-opportunity-for-laughter-and-growth moments everywhere between mothers/fathers/guardians of all kinds and their children and, well, props to all of you.

Compassion for Paula

In light of Paula Deen's now public Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis (job security!), I thought this article should resurface to develop compassion and deeper understanding of what many people struggle with. Weight loss and management is something a lot of people really focus on; they're not adding entire sticks of butter to their meals and they exercise only to see those few extra pounds stubbornly run all of those miles or attend all of those spinning classes with them. So, while we're all thinking, "I told you so" about this recent peak into Ms. Deen's health status, let's ...try not to. Just like digging into the pint of Ben and Jerry's won't solve any problems, neither will pointing fingers at the chef making delicious, albeit buttery and fattening, foods.

Perceptive of the Pink

This girl's name is Riley, and she should basically just be my mini-me. Pretty high-level thoughts for a five-year old, I must say. What Riley doesn't know is that she's in for a long life of this kind of silly gender segregation.

The dad does a lovely job of cultivating her stereotype analysis, too. Yay for good parenting.

What a bahgain!

I love saving money. I love traveling. Who doesn't, really? It's as if someone wrote this article for the love of those two things. If you're me, bargain hunting and using sites like these means you can actually do stuff once you get to your destination. That's nice.

We started composting recently. I'm not sure if I've written about it but I was quite thrilled about the whole thing. Especially when we found a video that showed us how to make our own composting bin (thank you Ben!) for much cheaper, hence leading to being able to buy things to go in the compost bin. See a pattern here? Originally, we were saving food waste in a separate plastic container because without a disposal, the trash gets pretty stinky after a week of various fruit peels and vegetable stems hanging out in there. People kept asking if we were composting and after answering "no" enough times, an investigation ensued as to what sort of effort composting would actually take. The answer is basically none. It means bringing out the compost with the trash. And it's good for your garden, good for the earth, and good for the pipes in your house. Triple yay.

Speaking of compost... there's another awesome website that gives you money for doing things you already do! It's sort of like someone is paying you do to your chores, like in the good old days of allowance. There is a little extra effort involved, since some of them require finding codes on the inside of the box to enter before recycling them, but I'm willing to give it a shot for a little while and see what happens. I don't foresee turning off the tap anytime soon, especially when it's so frigid outside, but others are completely doable. Seems like a win-win: reinstate the days of allowance, keep the world a little healthier.

Okay. That is all. I'll have to update about the progress of Recyclebank. Oh, and some sad news to end this bargain hunting, environmental shpeal: no Longfellow pictures, as they were all maliciously wiped from my camera phone by the little miscreants in there. But foliage 2012, watch out!

Stop this Train

This morning, "Stop this Train (Acoustic)" by John Mayer popped itself on my David Gray Pandora station. I chuckled and thought it ironic that I was listening to such a song while riding a train. And joked with myself that I didn't want the train to stop because I wanted to get to work early, to start my day before the rest of the office arrived and this amazing place started by this amazing dude started to buzz at its usual amazing speed.

Instead of reading while listening to music as I usually do, I listened to the words and started to really identify with some of the words of the song. Then I started to wonder if we're all our own train, and have parallel tracks with the people we surround ourselves with, or if we're all passengers on one giant train and move ourselves about in the different cars to be with the different groups of people in our life. Pretty crazy thought, right? I couldn't decide which idea I liked more, and still can't, but I like different parts about either option.

Chugga chugga choo choo.

I also really like the line that says, "turn 68, you'll renegotiate. Don't stop this train. Don't for a minute change the place you're in." A nice reminder to stay present, which is healthy for pretty much anyone involved in any situation / on train car you're in / track your train is on at that moment.

I may be taking the train thing a bit too far. But it was a refreshing reminder while en route to my first work day of 2012 - think about what you're doing, in work/school/home/anywhere else your train takes you, be mindful of your pace, wherever it be, and considerate of your fellow passengers ...always.

Happy New Year!