Coordinate Brain and Mouth

I Want This Shit Forever

2012-01-26T19:27:00.001-08:00

Ever feel like there isn't a "right time" for anything ever?

Will I Ever Know Silence Without Mental Violence?

2012-01-21T20:15:00.000-08:00

Often, people cry not because they are weak but because they have been strong for too long.

via

Goats on Skateboards Exist

2012-01-19T21:20:00.000-08:00

Difficult but everything is going to be amazing.

via

Optimism!

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

via

You Had Me At Bacon...

2012-01-15T08:18:00.000-08:00

I was up early this morning so I decided to be ambitious and make a fancy breakfast for myself. I was inspired by this post to try two things - one, baking bacon and two, making it into heart shapes.

Baking bacon is the smartest thing on the planet. Here is what to do:

Line a baking sheet with foil.
Arrange bacon on foil lined sheet. Put into cold oven.
Set temperature for 400 degrees. Go do other shit for about 15-20 mins. Look at it for the last few minutes to know when it is done.
Remove from oven and immediately drain bacon on paper towels.

SO EASY. And hot bacon fat won't pop in your eye like traditional pan frying does. Also, lining with foil makes clean up so simple - you can funnel the bacon fat into a container and save it for later if you want.

HEARTS: This was not so easy. I first tried cutting one strip of bacon in half and arranging it - not so effective. I also tried with full strips of bacon which was a major fail (didn't even picture it). I had mixed success with my final methodology which was to quarter each strip and then arrange into a heart. The meatier parts of the bacon work way better for this so you might want to just take the fattier parts and lay them flat instead of trying to make them into a heart (see how it shrivels in the top left corner of the fail picture).

This would be a nice breakfast in bed/Valentine's Day meal. Try it out. Let me know how it works out!

Adorable

Meat Candy

oops

Just The Juicy Bits

2012-01-14T23:00:00.001-08:00

So I decided to declutter my house a little bit. I had stacks and stacks of magazines piling up with post-it flags of recipes, outfits, hair-dos and all sorts of things marked for use someday. After a while it just became too much to remember and sort through. Solution: Idea Binder!

I went through each of my magazines and clipped, snipped and tore out the things I wanted to save. Because, really, no one needs to keep around a magazine that is a bunch of ads and junk you aren't actually interested in (I'm looking at you "should I get Botox" article). There are some really great tips, ideas, crafts, recipes etc in magazines, but it is often so hard to get thorough all the clutter to find what you really want to save. So why not make it more accessible.

I took all my clippings and put them in sheet protectors and then into a chic binder (purchased at Target for $5). I am also planning to add in dividers so the fashion/beauty clippings don't blend into the recipes etc. Maybe eventually each topic will get its own binder, but for now I don't have the volume to necessitate that.

Give it a try! I am finding that I am actually trying out a lot of what I marked as interesting instead of just thinking about how I should and then getting intimidated by my magazine pile.

Old and Busted

New Hotness

!!!

New Year, New You Part Threeux

2012-01-13T16:14:00.000-08:00

Fact: Thinking about going to the gym burns between 0 and 0 calories.

Things I have learned at the gym:

1. If you aren't sweating, you're not working hard enough. Seriously, sweat is just your fat crying. Hurt that fat's feelings. ~~Bully it like you want it to make a "it gets better" video and then kill itself a week later.~~ (that joke is in poor taste, I'm sorry).
2. Grab your towel and don't panic. Listen, you're going to sweat and need to mop off. Bring a little towel with you. Gyms sell these OR you can get packs of them on the cheap at Target (hand towel size is perfect).
3. A little grunting is okay. Grunting like you are having a difficult and painful bowel movement isn't okay. If you are making that much noise, you probably are not at the right settings. You'll rupture, strain, sprain or pull something.
4. Wipe down your machine. I know, I know - that little spray bottle of who knows what kind of cleaner and a couple swipes with a paper towel probably doesn't do much... but it is just nice to know that the person ahead of you made the effort to at least get the visible puddle of sweat off or whatever else gross. (p.s. don't think about how icky the gym actually is... working out is worth it and take hot showers, use soap etc).
5. Do not fear the weight machines. I have lived this culture of fear and am just getting over it. They aren't that scary - they have labels that show you how to do it properly and you should do a resistance that is comfortable yet challenging. Ask someone if you are unsure and if all else fails go home, do a work out tape or follow those "perfect arms for party dresses" workout tutorials in fashion magazines.

You're Great

2012-01-12T22:15:00.000-08:00

Some days you just need someone to tell you that you're doing a good job being you.

That you're not too shabby at this whole being adult thing and that you're downright gosh darn special.

I don't need an ice cream cone.
It's not an ice cream cone.What's an ice cream cone?
You know. "Here's a little something to make you happy. Something sweet that melts in five minutes." I'm completely cool with anything you want to say or not say. I don't need it.

except for how today, I did need someone today to say something sweet.

New Year, New You Part Deux

2012-01-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

Here are more tips for getting healthy:

1. Use a smaller plate. This really helps with portion control. I try to only use my salad plates for all my meals so that I am not tempted to eat too much because I filled up a regular dinner plate.

2. Don't always get Low Fat & Fat Free. When cutting calories, all the fat free this and low fat that can be such a trap. Get to know your tastes and read ingredients. Fat free cheese is not awesome. It doesn't melt and doesn't have good flavor. It is made of like quadruple processed oil or something... I usually do not substitute cheese - it is too delicious to half-ass. However, 2% milk cheddar is quite good if you do want a low cal alternative. Be conscious of this stuff and like I said before experiment a little (maybe you like fat free american cheese slices!).

3. Don't keep your vices in the house. I was a serial snacker and I often would munch on candies, cookies, cheeses etc. I had no self control. I tried hiding them from myself etc but really I just needed to not have them around. Make these things not an option. This also helped to force me into a better system of eating meals AND to cook more.

4. Speaking of cooking... do it more! It is fun and there are so many easy recipes that are no fuss and healthy. I used to be intimidated of cooking - thinking it took too long post-work or whatever. Wrong. It takes virtually no time to throw together microwave steamed veggies and pan seared meat. Start simple.

5. Prep things ahead of time. I am a big fan of marinating meats (chicken and flank steak primarily) and freezing individual servings. Take a bit of that "bleh I'm bored" time and prep some easy meals for later in the week. You won't be as tempted to say "screw it, I'm going to Arby's" when you have easy meals just waiting to be thawed and cooked.

6. If you can, grill! GRILL GRILL GRILL! It is magical how a little olive oil, salt, pepper and grilling can make veggies & proteins taste amazing. It is so easy too. Do this. Always.

7. Remix your meals. I was so bad at leftovers before I started to try and be healthy about my eating. I finally got in the groove though of making simple items that can be used in many ways instead of making enough pasta for a family of 8 and then struggling through eating it for a week+. Recently I got steaks on sale and I went ahead and grilled both (instead of freezing one for a later date). I had a nice steak meal the day of purchase and then was able to make a steak salad the next day and a steak burrito the day after that. This also really helps you stretch your budget. I try to make basics like rice very neutral when I initially cook them and then add flavors when I put my meal together that utilizes that leftover. This works really well with ground meat too! Brown turkey with just salt, pepper and a bit of oregano (or whatever you want) and then use one serving size of it for multiple meals (like meat sauce for pasta or for tacos or whatever you want).
8. Do what it take to get you to the gym. I used to think it was so silly to have matching sneakers, sweat bands and gym clothes. No one cares what you look like at the gym. But now I am realizing that if you need to have a coordinated outfit to get there, do it! I am a wear whatever t-shirt has a little stain that prevents it from being a regular shirt and yoga pants/capris kind of gym person, but do/wear/bring whatever you need to get going. ALSO, try a get a gym buddy - accountability to another person will help you get in your groove. A gym buddy will not only help you get to the gym, but also make time pass by quicker while you are working out (hopefully - make sure your gym buddy is interesting to talk to... :P)

I'll post more things as I think of them. Happy New Year, New You!!

New Year, New You

2012-01-04T21:09:00.000-08:00

So as many of you know, over the last year I have lost a ton of weight and worked to become healthy & active. AND since it is a new year and people are making resolutions to get healthy I thought I would share some of what worked for me.

Track Yo' Self
I counted calories religiously for most of the year (I have since memorized a lot of them so I don't track as hard now) and I used loseit.com to do it. Find something that works for you to know what you're eating and how much you're exercising. I found it really helpful to have it on my iPhone.
I think it is especially important to not all of a sudden try to starve yourself and stay under a certain calories number or exercise for 4 hours just so you make up for a bad lunch decision. Step 1: Just track yourself. Do it for a week or so. Know where your good and bad decisions are coming from. Step 2: Identify where you can make adjustments. Maybe you are eating healthy but just need to step up your exercise game. Maybe you drink 90% of your calories in Dr. Peppers. Step 3: Do your research. There are plenty of sites that will let you know what a healthy weight is for your height etc. Talk to your doctor - ask lots of questions. Be informed. Step 4: Make changes! Get motivated! Want to change (this is critical - if you don't want it, you won't stick to it). Do it! Stick to it! Step 5: LOOK AMAZING.

Adjust Your Eating Habits
After you have identified the places where you are eating a lot of calories (or points if you are doing weight watchers or whatever other tracker), do a little research into making adjustments. I eat a lot of yogurt and a lot of my calories went to the sweet yoplait kind. I needed to find a way to get in my sweet treat without breaking the bank, so I started by trying low fat yogurt then fat free and adding my own fruit. I finally settled on greek yogurt. I am in love with the stuff now. You can get pre-made flavors. Get plain and mix in a bit of honey. Take that honey kind and add fresh fruit. Also, greek yogurt can be subbed in a lot of recipes for mayo and to make salad dressings etc. Shit's amazing. Google the crap out of things and look for recipes that further your goals. But my best advice for this stuff is to experiment a little. Buy one and see how you like it. Sometimes you just can't substitute things - be okay with this (for example: fat free sour cream is gross and should be illegal in all 50 states). Find a different place to make an adjustment. EAT MORE VEGETABLES - they are practically zero calories. They are delicious - try out new recipes! Email me if you want some ideas (for recipes or substitution dos and don'ts). Grilled asparagus is great. Garlic green beans... also amazing. To be perfectly honest with you guys, I was not a vegetable fan and I really had to work my way into this. It started with broccoli with various cheese sauces until I just started to eat the broccoli without the sauce. Now I prefer the vegetables to fries or fried anything. I can't promise that you'll have the same experience but I do know that now that I eat healthy most of the time, I don't feel as good when I eat poorly for no reason.

Adjust Your Drinking Habits
Let's be clear. I do not, by any means, advocate quitting alcohol or anything like that. I am still a big fan of whiskey, beer and all sorts of cocktails. And I pretty much always drink as much as I want whenever I want - one of those where I don't substitute (how are you going to substitute craft beer... seriously?) and make adjustments elsewhere. What I mean by adjust your drinking habits is drink more water, put down the sugary drinks, drink diet cola, don't have giant sweetened starbucks drinks or juice smoothies that are actually the caloric equivalent of a whopper (which I still love - get it without mayo and sometimes skip the cheese). The biggest thing with making sure that your nights out (or in) don't break your new healthy eating lifestyle is to be aware of the calories you are drinking. You can't just stop counting calories because you went to the bar. Sub diet or sugar free mixers. Make up for all those beers at the gym the next day. It is super important to have fun and not feel like you are denying yourself. I really feel that it is important to not treat losing weight and getting healthy as a diet because a diet implies that it is for a particular duration (i.e. until you hit a certain number on the scale or a dress size). No. Make your lifestyle healthy and go from there.

Get Active, Stay Active
Exercise!!! I don't care what you do, just get out there are do physical activities and keep at them regularly. Some people do best by joining a sports league or doing a regularly scheduled workout class, but for me it is just gym gym gym. I know a lot of people hate being on a machine pedaling or running to nowhere, but it works for me. Because I was mad fat, I could rely on just massive amounts of cardio to get my weight off, but find a program that works for you and is enjoyable. I feel invigorated after a workout and enjoy being able to listen to my music, watch a tv show or read a book while I do it. Maybe you need your doctor to recommend a program - do it. Maybe a personal trainer is what you need - get one. (Now that I have shed my inches and pounds, I am considering doing some personal training sessions so I can get strong and toned - One Ab To Rule Them All). ALSO, find the frequency that works for you. Not everyone is a daily gym person. Some people do well with a MWF routine or something like that. I do best when I have it on my daily agenda and only skip it if there is a good reason (social activity, dead tired, errands that can't wait etc). Weekends count too - in exercise, eating and drinking! You can really ruin yourself by acting like weekends aren't part of your new healthy lifestyle. Again, don't deny yourself fun, just be aware and make sure that you are making smart choices that are worth it (that smart choice can be to go ahead and have the pizza or an extra beer etc and be way good tomorrow or to just call this week a wash [don't do that permanently] and get back on the wagon with a little extra exercise next week).

Don't Forget to Treat Yo' Self
Don't starve yourself. Don't exercise yourself to death. Have fun getting healthy. Enjoy a better you. AND TREAT YO SELF sometimes. Some days you just need caramel cake or ice cream with sprinkles or bacon wrapped bacon or carne asada fries and a california burrito just for you.

FINALLY. Don't be afraid to ask questions - I am more than happy to be a resource. The internet is a great friend when you are trying to navigate what a healthy lifestyle is for you. Ask your doctor. Ask the people at the gym.

Happy New Year, New You!

Maybe

2011-12-29T22:15:00.000-08:00

Maybe I am wearing a party dress and high heels listening to a compilation album called "Dance Like No One's Watching."

Maybe I am doing this while cleaning my apartment.

MAYBE YOU SHOULD DO THIS TOO.

Song list:
I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
New Attitude - Patti LaBelle
Dancing in the Street - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
Ladies Night - Kool & The Gang
Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations
Baby Love - The Supremes
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) - Marvin Gaye
I Love The Night Life - Alicia Bridges
Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Gladys Night & The Pips
Last Dance - Donna Summer

I think I've been asleep most of my life

2011-12-28T21:06:00.000-08:00

I want to watch Elizabethtown with you.

Trust me, everybody is less mysterious than they think they are.

2011-12-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

Brought to you by the letter MmmMMmmmmmm....

Bitches Be Cray

2011-12-20T16:22:00.000-08:00

Has someone ever told you "that was a good one" about something you do with them quite frequently and then in the back of your head you start to think "what? did the rest of them suck? why didn't you say something? did you think I couldn't take a little constructive criticism??? blah blah blah"

And then you have that split second where you are about to say some of these thoughts out loud and you realize that you are sort of like those terrible cartoons about how men and women don't understand each other and women are so crazy and complicated etc etc... and you just shut up and remember that probably a closer meaning is, "that was particularly good in the long string of good ones we've had."

Moar Holiday Decor

2011-12-19T22:14:00.000-08:00

Here are the two things I actually spent some cash money on.

"Dining Room" table display:

Runner - $16.99 at Target. It is snowflakes with embroidery. I just adore it and it is the biggest ticket item I got for decorating. I think it is elegant and neutral enough that I'll get a lot of use out of it with different themes.

Tree candles - Free from my mom - they lived in a box in her garage for probably 10 years. They are in just plain ol' Ikea candle holders which you can get for only 49 cents (and they flip over to hold tea lights).

Votive display with nature-y things - $9.99 at Big Lots. I think this was a really great deal! I got three votive holders (which are plain enough that they can be for not the holidays), a display plate (again, neutral and not holiday specific) and then some little glittered pine cones, silver globe ornaments and snow frocked pine floral picks. If I had tried to recreate this all on my own with individual items, I am sure I'd have to spend a lot more than ten bucks.

Overall, this was the most expensive thing and I had originally planned to only have this one display for the holidays... but, well, raiding my momma's Christmas bins in her garage gave me a lot of free things to work with so I went a little wild.

BLURRY!! Sorry

Window display:

Candles - I was gifted these candlesticks and got the red candles on the cheap (maybe a $1 each?) at Michael's Craft Store. I ended up having to shave the bottoms of the candles because I bought the wrong diameter but it all worked out.

Garland and sparkle and lights - I took some plain fake pine tree garland (Mom's, but this is cheap during and especially after the holidays - get that shit on sale, dudes) and embellished it with a bunch of cheap/free things which ended up looking really nice. I bought the red, white and silver lights for around $6 at Target (I will defs be using them again because they are really pretty). Then I took a collection of glittered pine cones & sticks and placed those throughout. I got a long strand of silver beads for $1 and also put that with the garland.

I went a little over budget on this display, I really only wanted to buy the candles (since I had the glittered nature-y things already for free and have other xmas lights) but I really couldn't resist buying the special lights - they really made the whole thing special and I don't regret it as I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of this display. Just goes to show how easy it is to a. overspend at Target and b. overspend in general on holiday decorations.

2011-12-19T08:49:00.001-08:00

Y.E.S.

Get Your Holiday Decor On

2011-12-16T23:04:00.000-08:00

I decorated my apartment for Christmas this year and I tried to be as cheap as possible. I bought only a couple things and I am going to try and document some of them in a few posts (but as with most of my blogging plans, I'll get lazy and forget slash need to be cryptic and share half emotions and animal pictures with the ether).

My philosophy for holiday decorating is: reuse things you already have and steal from your mom.

My overall color scheme for this year is red & silver. I tried to incorporate silver bells and some glittered natural elements, as well, as a running theme.

This is the centerpiece for my coffee table (instagramed, of course):

Glass bowl: 50% off at thrift store - $4, will become either a centerpiece, fruit bowl or something post holidays.
Silver strands: Tinsel (saw this for $1 at rite aid) but I took this from my mom who probably bought it at a post-christmas sale for like a nickel.
Ornaments: Already had these from several years ago. I bought a set of red & gold ones that have a whole bunch of different shapes (globes, hearts, stars, etc); some smooth others textured and they are also an assortment of matte and shiny finishes. Probably one of the best xmas decoration buys I've ever made because I can pick out just one shape, color, style etc and build a whole theme on it. For this, I just picked out matte and shiny red globes.

This is an example of how I modified all the candles around my apartment to be holiday themed (instagramed, again).

Usually this candle has shells around its base, but I decided to take those glass rock thingers you put in flowers and crap like that and add tiny jingle bells to the mix. Again, this was made possible by the generous donations of my mom's old christmas stuff, but I think this same thing can be accomplished relatively inexpensively. This would work especially well if you already have decorative displays with these pebble things - just add jingle and BAM! HOLIDAZE! I did this for just about all of the candles in my apartment - I thought it added some nice continuity across the rooms.

MOAR LATER IF I DON'T GET LAZY AND/OR FORGET.

Dream Big With Me, Honey

2011-12-16T14:19:00.000-08:00

"Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations. For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live." ~Henry David Thoreau

2011-12-14T15:31:00.000-08:00

I can't watch.

You Don't Want What I Want

2011-12-13T09:16:00.001-08:00

Really, what I want is some stability, a garage and a family (yes, babies).

Oh, Mom...

2011-12-11T21:16:00.001-08:00

Mom: It all started to go downhill when you started to watch that cartoon. The one with the girl in the boots.
Me: Daria?
Mom: Yes, she was dark and didn't like things.

Aren't All Diamonds Organic?

2011-12-07T20:54:00.001-08:00

Christmas Wish List:

Give to Heifer International on my behalf
BOOKS
Curling iron that will not break when I accidentally drop it a short distance one time because I accidentally touched the hot part and burned the shit out of my finger.
Gym clothes. Especially sports bras that do not suck.
Diamonds (organic)
A trip to see the Survivor Tree
Hair ties
A black purse that is exactly like my brown purse
New stereo (organic)
Scrabble pillows. Spell some really cool word that I can have in my apartment and my mom won't be scandalized.
Binders (decorative, not plain please please) and Sheet Protectors (go green)
Romantic dinner. Just you and me and everyone that reads this blog.
[Edited] - Recommendation for a good jewelry repair place in the Ocean Beach or surrounding area.

I am only a little bit serious.

1 & 5!

This Happened to Me Once, Too

2011-12-06T21:12:00.001-08:00

I am reading this book of advice from comedians.

Here are some things that made me laugh while at the gym and then the weirdo next to me that was wearing a fanny pack across his chest looked at me strange. WHATEVER terry bradshaw looking, only "working out" to watch the tvs stranger!

People think sperm is just a great source of protein, and it is, but it's also loaded with carbs. The twist? They're the good kind of carbs. The baby-making kind.

Your Lady Flower is a gift to be shared with anyone who asks. Or shouts at you. Especially if they keep shouting at you. That's really macho.

A transvestite is someone you fuck. A transsexual is someone you marry.

What kind of bear was it? Grizzly? Polar? Teddy? Chicago?

IN OTHER NEWS...

I kinda feel like this:

Worms, Book Variety

2011-12-04T19:55:00.001-08:00

I finished reading a couple books this weekend and now am just waiting for my local branch of library to be open so I can pick up the next two I have on hold. I'll have to wait until after 12:30pm on Tuesday to get 'em.

If you have a chance, I recommend reading I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley. It is a collection of essays and I enjoyed them quite a bit. Some of them were too New York for my California self, but the underlying sentiment relatable. And others still were too "successful person" and "had a job straight out of college" for my "been laid off before and having a job is the new raise" self, but nonetheless enjoyable anecdotes. The essays are easily digested (especially when at the gym or laundromat) & often quite funny.

Here is one of my favorite tidbits from one of the essays:

People are less quick to applaud you as you grow older. Life starts out with everyone clapping when you take a poo and goes downhill from there. If you stop and think about it, it's a miracle that we get out of bed everyday and brush our teeth and remember to buy toothpaste. We all deserve to be congratulated but sadly that would mean there's no one left to do the congratulating.

And finally here is a cat that understands me:

2011-12-02T20:26:00.001-08:00

Thissssss.

Tonight, YOU!

2011-12-01T19:16:00.001-08:00

(Gemma Correll via BuzzFeed)

This War Was Worth It

2011-12-01T11:39:00.001-08:00

Jordan is in this video:

Harshing My Mellow

2011-11-21T20:21:00.001-08:00

My mom visited me this weekend and she shared the following story:

When I was a very small baby, unable to sit on my own, my mom put me in my little baby seat and she sat on the floor with me. She had lit a bunch of candles and was attempting to teach me to be mellow. My dad then arrived home from work and angrily inquired, "why isn't the TV on? Is it broken!?!" To which she replied, "we are trying to chill out" and my dad shook his head & turned on TV.

I feel like this explains so much.

We Are All Stumbling Human Beings

2011-11-17T10:43:00.001-08:00

We are all dying to give our lives away to something, maybe.
— David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest

I decided that the Death Cab song I posted yesterday is pretty creepy.

A Perfect 4 out of 5 Stars

2011-11-16T19:06:00.001-08:00

I've been searching for the right way to say how I feel... through song, prose, pictures etc etc... but they are all falling short.

so here are a bunch which sorta get it right-ish:

“No matter what, nobody can take away the dances you’ve already had.”
— Gabriel García Márquez, Memories of My Melancholy Whores

Maybe I'll continue this later because this still isn't enough.

All of These Skittles!

2011-11-11T17:57:00.001-08:00

Revisit this glory.

Who knows - maybe I'll touch a spider later.

Suffer Peacefully

2011-11-11T16:50:00.001-08:00

Soooo.... I was listening to some old playlists today and this song came up. Kinda speaking to me right now.

As angry as I sound
That’s just the way I cover up the way I feel.
I've been that way for years and years
Slave to broken hearts and sex appeal

She was a termite
Eating away at my roots.
I was just a lost soul
Who needed a home
I was filling a void with you

You Go Geek Girl!

2011-11-10T20:41:00.001-08:00

I realized that I sort of sounded like a pompous jerk when I said I read a whole book the other afternoon, but really when most of the pages have pictures and are a series of lists... I feel any competent reader could breeze through 200 pages in an evening. [check out the speed reading skills on erin]

http://geekgirlsunite.com/

But really... I read this book so you don't have to. Here are some of the things I found disappointing (mostly because of my own expectations and wishes... I know).

The introduction has 1 page describing the different terms that are generally used synonymously (geek, nerd, dweeb, dork etc). I felt this needed more explanation and historical context.
The introduction has one section (a little less than a page) talking about she-geeks vs he-geeks. I felt this was insufficient setup for why she wrote a WHOLE BOOK on women geeks.
Most of the pages have pictures and are a series of lists (hypocrite for making my own list but whatever). I felt this work would have been more powerful if there was a more in-depth analysis of the history of each geek realm, the current landscape and perhaps even how feminism and current economic conditions have influenced girl geeks.
There are very few examples of women of color.
The music geek chapter is basically only about one genre of music. I understand that you could write whole books on geek-ery about music with each genre covered (and people have, I've read a couple). And in an overview type book, you have to pick & choose... but it seems you could pick and choose over a cross section of music - not just pick several pixie singer/songwriter types.
Zooey Deschanel is not a geek.
Each chapter has a section about geek love. How to snag a geek girl that is interested in one of these geek specialties. Umm... please.
Each of these geek love sections describes a male-female relationship. How heteronormative... bleh.
The fangirl-geek section seems to not have an awareness of Henry Jenkins.
It seems like the basic premise of the book was "Girls have interests! They are passionate and that is cool!" I wanted more.
This is only a half disappointment - I wanted to feel like I belonged to one of these "specialties" of geek... but I didn't. There were bits and pieces of each that I felt spoke to me and the kind of person I am... and then I got to wondering if I am a geek at all... I always fancied myself one, but maybe not because according to this book a geek is defined as "a person who is wildly passionate about an activity, interest or scientific field and strives to be an expert in said avocation" and well... while I think I am pretty passionate, it's not about 1 or 2 specific things and I am not an expert on anything. Guess I am not part of this club. sigh. peace out, sisterhood.

All this being said, there were some interesting bits of knowledge and resources listed. Not a total waste and it is always refreshing to read something that makes you think that you'd like to expand upon this body of knowledge etc.

And now for some quotes about music from movies. My pseudo-geek passion:

What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery, and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music? - Rob Gordon High Fidelity

They don't even know what it is to be a fan. Y'know? To truly love some silly piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts. - Sapphire Almost Famous

You gotta hear this one song, it'll change your life, I swear. - Sam Garden State

2011-11-10T10:18:00.001-08:00

Afternoon Blitz

2011-11-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

Today I:

1. Went to the gym
2. Made curry for dinner
3. Read Geek Girls Unite

And all after 4pm. I feel accomplished. I'll try to remember to do a write-up on the book since I have about 100 thoughts about it but they are too all over the place to make any sense right now.

ALSO,

this just happened.

She's Crafty and She's Just My Type

2011-11-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

In addition to a bunch of minor cleaning tasks (which I am still doing) and hitting the gym for a bit, I did a craft project today!

Heather shared this article a while back and I did my own variation on it with the following result:

I used black yarn and silver pipe cleaners. They now live in my bathroom.
Total cost: $3.75 (I could make about 1 zillion more too)

Side Note - I am going to miss that tissue box when the tissues run out... which is soon.

DO!

2011-11-06T23:42:00.000-08:00

My plans for the week include:

Ice skating
Craft project
Movie
Clean & Launder all of the things
Respond to a bunch of emails.

AND GYM FOREVER.

BABY HIPPO KISSES

2011-11-04T10:54:00.001-07:00

game changer

The Failures of New Google Reader & Google Plus Integration

2011-11-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

So, as many of you know, I was a religious sharer on Google Reader. It was my internet hub but they recently rolled out a redesign which eliminated the key feature of sharing. Basically, the whole internet hates it. Google has since responded to the backlash but I feel like they are missing the point of the reader community and content sharing.

Take a look at this video (which I incidentally shared on reader before they destroyed its usefulness). The key take away quote for me comes pretty early in Poole's speech:

It's not the audience. It's your context within that audience. It's not who you share with but who you share as and your context within that group.

I've spent the last several years sharing a ton of content and creating an identity within the Reader community. I know most of the people I share with personally, but I think they would agree with me that Reader-Erin is just one part of the larger online identity which I maintain. My twitter feed and my facebook profile are both very different in and of themselves and different still from my reader identity. I'll be the first to admit that my Reader shares were probably the closest to exemplifying my offline personality, but I am not just memes, recipes, geekery and Juggalo documentaries. (Though Heather has many a time claimed that I am the internet).

I came to take a lot of pride in who I was within and to my reader community. I often shared new memes or viral videos not because I thought they were so hilarious or topical, but because I felt it my duty to my community. Almost as if I was the person in charge of letting everyone know that this video is going viral (though I totally ignored Nyan cat because I hate it and that shit is HUGE now). I like and enjoy cultivating and parsing all of these internet hate machine blogs/sites/etc for the best of the day not just because I get personal satisfaction, but because it was part of my context within my community. The changes to google reader have eliminated that entirely and moved it awkwardly into Google Plus (G+). Reader-Erin had a particular personality and context within the group that was active there. Now, my G+ profile is being forced into being Reader-Erin in a strange and unsettling way. The ability to create circles of contacts which can view particular pieces of content that I post to G+ seems like a half-ass way of creating community. Poole goes on in his Web 2.0 Summit 2011 speech to say, "We all have multiple identities. It's not something that is abnormal; it's just a part of being human." Segregating who I post content TO is not the point. It is who I am posting content AS. Facebook & Google Plus profiles are asking me to separate my contacts into circles and smart lists in order to satisfy my multiple identities but this really misses the point. I think reader is a particularly good example of how miserably this fails. As I mentioned earlier, I know most of my reader followers personally and speak to many of them daily through other means than reader. However, we have developed a robust community of discussion via comments and shares on reader that often never got spoken about in real or other digital life. Reader-Erin talked to Reader-Courtney/Heather/Matt/TJ/etc etc. The personalities they cultivated on Reader is who I was talking to as the personality I was on Reader. Forcing me to take something like my G+ profile, which is a reflection of my real life educational, professional and geographic history, and make it also be my content sharing identity is an ugly hack that ignores my content sharing community needs. My reader friends fit into many circles and smart lists. Having a space which was dedicated to who we were as content sharers and what we thought as those people is far more valuable than having to define who each of my online contacts is to me and if they are worthy of seeing the articles, pictures and videos I find interesting or relevant to my content sharer personality. My content voice was first in old Google Reader and the community that lived there. Not my IRL personality or extraction thereof that lives on G+. Content was indeed king on old Google Reader. New Google Reader remains a great way to aggregate and consume content but it doesn't have the true community element which made it amazing.

And now for some changes to reader and integration with G+ which make me incredibly angry and leave me searching for a viable alternative:

Content not being content first...
What content looks like in (new) Reader:

What the same content looks like when shared via G+:

What content looks like in (new) Reader:

What the same content looks like when shared via G+:

particularly awful!

I don't know what the hell they were thinking with this... the beauty of (old) Google Reader as a content aggregator is that you could consume & share multiple RSS feeds from all over the internet in one window/tab/site (and new Google Reader is still a great content aggregator). Now when I share content to G+ I am adding to these mindless feeds of content that my new "reader" circle sees... they can't consume or engage with the content in that feed in a meaningful way. They have to click through which I am sure most everyone will elect not to do except for a couple things here and there. Before, I believe, the likelihood that a reader-friend would read the whole article (provided the RSS feed provided it) or watch the video or SEE THE GIF MOVE was much higher if they didn't have to click through or open new anything.

No more note in reader bookmarklet. :(

Perhaps there is an alternative that I am not aware of (tell me, if so) but it seems to me that they have eliminated my ability to "share" content on the fly. I really liked this for sharing ridiculous photos I found or longer essays that I found via clicking through about a million links. I understand I can +1 this, but this doesn't get the content into my feed (as I understand it). Also not all sites have integrated the +1 functionality. SO DISAPPOINTING!

What's hot with people I don't give a shit about:

CAN I DISABLE THIS?? I DON'T CARE. I've got 92 different RSS feeds that I monitor and read to tell me what is hot on the internets... and they are all on topics I give a crap about. I'll do my own curating thanks.

Commenting and the Lack of Community Discussion

Email Notification of a Comment on Something I shared

Notification Center on Google Top Bar

I don't want a zillion emails saying that people commented on my items (though I am hesitant to turn this off because monitoring comments isn't easy in G+). I really liked the "comment view" of old Google Reader. It allowed me to see discussions and conversations developing on the items that my reader community was engaging with regardless of if I commented myself... Now it seems like I have to hope that I check older items to see if others commented (because notifications seem to be only on those items that you share, not others in your community).

This isn't community. This is just a mess.

Too Many Clicks to Share & Confusing Logic

Click to +1

Click to Share on G+

Final Click to Share (regardless of if you add note/comment)

Old Google Reader you could just 1-click to share. Or 2 clicks to share with a note. Now it seems like I have to jump through about 1 zillion hoops to share and it requires me to +1 everything even though all I want to do is post to my stream for my new reader circle to see... I am not trying to boost search results for these blog posts or have my name come up when you google shit. I just want to show it to people in a more convenient way than spamming everyone's email... SHEESH. (p.s. how great are my screencaps of that gif [look at it backwards]? Cheers to Courtney for finding it)

Hopefully, this will get better and maybe I will find a new space where I can share and engage with a community. Who knows. But for now, I am just so disappointed.

Ahoy!

2011-10-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

I think my eyes are different sizes, shapes and level on my face. Pirate-y.

BONUS:

Greatest Photo in the History of Photography (via Kate!)

2011-10-31T12:49:00.001-07:00

Topical

2011-10-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

Topical As Hell.

Matrix of Loneliness

2011-10-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

Read this.

Also this is terribly beautiful and sweet and it makes me inconsolably sad.

Intervention

2011-10-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've been really self-destructive over the last few weeks. Not sure what I need to do to right myself. Sigh.

Starting an emailing campaign to all my friends has been the best decision I've made in recent memory. (if you haven't gotten one yet, it is coming or you can take the initiative to start the dialogue)

This Bunny is a Nerd (via)

I've always been the kind with easy confidence...

2011-10-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

Confident enough to honestly believe that nothing out there stopping me...

Cleaning Up

2011-10-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

I am going to scrub this place like a crime scene... which it is because you murdered joy. - Cam, Modern Family

The Truth Always Happens

2011-10-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

How did I not know about Peter Tunney?

trufax

2011-10-19T23:16:00.000-07:00

fuck, i miss it so much.

Science.

2011-10-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

Why are women in science (computer or otherwise) portrayed like this on the television:

Instead of like this:

p.s. I am sure there are plenty of other examples of this being done well AND Abby & Penelope are cool characters and their lifestyle choices are totally fine... blah blah blah. I really just wanted to put a picture of Sonya doing SCIENCE.

There's Your Sign

2011-10-18T17:57:00.001-07:00

All signs are seeming to point toward it being the time to leave San Diego.

:(

not for me.

Wisdom

2011-10-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

My mom sent me this poem which her grandmother sent to her when she was going through a rough time.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

Crisis

2011-10-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

Increasingly it feels as though I have been striving to adhere to this plan that was set out for me by who knows what and I've been doing pretty much everything "right" to stay on script but the promised outcome isn't showing up.

I don't even know if I like this plan... but what would I do instead?

I guess this is what all the Occupy stuff is sort of about.

goodness gracious.

Moms: How Do They Do It?

2011-10-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

I basically just cried for an hour on the phone to my mom about my life.

In other news, she is going to get all the trees around her house cut down.

This Moment for Life

2011-10-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

Someone once told me that they admired the way I live. And I thought that was a pretty amazing compliment and that they should just do it with me because it would be so much fun.

I guess that is what we're all looking for... someone to live and really be alive with.

Whopper Lair

2011-10-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

I'd be much fatter and Burger King much richer if they would deliver.

also, I plan to do zero things today.

Some Things

2011-10-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

1. I wonder when you decided to stop being open and honest with me.
2. My mom didn't really know who Steve Jobs was.
3. I am actually really sad about his passing. iSad
4. When I told my mom that I was thinking about going to see a movie tonight, she suggested Bridesmaids. ohhh Mom.
5. The movie Drive doesn't have all that much driving in it.

Probably Wasn't But Whatever

2011-10-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

I am going to go ahead and consider the last day or so a victory. Including this meh soup I just made.

okay!

In Big Hard World

2011-10-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

I think I like this.

This video version too.

You Got Me Folding at the Knees

2011-10-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

Best song by the Pixies not by the Pixies.

How can you not be romantic about baseball?

2011-10-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

Things I saw today:

1. The Cowboys collapse
2. Some fishermen on the pier catch a lobster and a sting ray
3. Moneyball (go see it too)
4. Surfers being awesome. It seems like even when they aren't doing well, they fail infinitely more elegantly than I must look when I am out there.
5. A wonderful sunset

The Prius is Made Out of People!

2011-09-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

This commercial freaks me out and I want it to never air again.

Watch this for the last time:

You Should See Me at Dinner

2011-09-29T09:50:00.001-07:00

Make it real.

Big Days

2011-09-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

This is real
So take a chance and
Don't ever look back,
Don't ever look back

fingers crossed.

2011-09-26T15:19:00.001-07:00

Trying to Figure Out Just Who You Really Are to Me

2011-09-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

haunting.

Some wait their whole life just to feel something right
And it grips you like a wave you wish never goes away
Then it does...

All the Splendor and Romance of 11th Century Spain

2011-09-24T12:13:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering... I want to go here.

angels!

Sigh

2011-09-20T17:32:00.001-07:00

At some point, we'll figure out what's going on. right?

I'll help you see it through

2011-09-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

But in the meantime, I'll just wait here and listen to you when you speak... or scream

(check these guys out)

I Guess This is Growing Up

2011-09-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

If you're worried about having kids because you're not sure if that's what you want in your life right now, that's a bad sign.If you're worried about having kids because you want to make sure you don't fuck up the kids, then you're probably fine.

This is the difference between me then and me now regarding everything.

perspective and questioning things from a better POV.

Recommendations

2011-09-12T19:16:00.001-07:00

Listen, go to The Arizona Cafe and order the turkey tacos.

enjoy.

love,
erin (the mayor)

2011-09-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

hugs hugs hugs

We Will Live to Fight Another Day

2011-09-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

If ever you wondered who the real talent in Oasis was, it was Noel - the songwriter.

If I had the time, I'd stop the world and make you mine.

2011-09-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

You should want this now because everything is amazing.

trust me.

let's go.

For the Lulz

2011-09-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

I had been eagerly anticipating Epic Win for Anonymous for sometime now and when it arrived on Friday I could barely hold back, but PB with coworkers (p.s. I am officially not cut out for that town), then Saturday football & Sunday aftermath prevented me from delving in.

However, Labor Day meant that I could dedicate some serious time to Cole Stryker's little ode to 4chan. I didn't originally plan to read it all in one sitting (and truthfully, I finished the last chapter after work today) but I found myself unable to pull myself away except for a quick trip outdoors (only to be foiled by rain) & a trip to the store for food (and again, if I am going to be honest, I actually did a lot of other stuff like wash dishes, clean my apartment, frame a print, watch television [including the Fast and the Furious], pay bills, re-organize a shelf in my storage closet, read & share a bunch on google reader, buy some sandals at Sports Chalet, etc etc - seize the day!).

While the book wasn't exactly what I expected, it was entertaining, informative and thought provoking nonetheless. You all should pick up a copy (or if you are nice to me, I will let you borrow mine).

Top things we can discuss once you've read it:
1. memes
2. trolling
3. anonymity, authenticity, identity and creativity
4. content or creators - who wins?
5. anonymous vs. Anonymous

Enjoy the lulz and I look forward to discussing.

Get Your Own Box

2011-09-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

your timing is suspect and motives questionable.

i think i'm paranoid.

Trojans

2011-09-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

and a sunburn

Also: Epic.

Fight On

2011-09-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

via

Maybe this is a fool's errand and maybe I am delaying a much larger hurt, but I don't want to give up. I won't.

Woe

2011-08-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

I am still the optimist though it is hard.

I Understand Nothing

2011-08-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

There Will Come a Time

2011-08-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

damage sort of makes you remember nights well lived.

Put A Ding in the Universe

2011-08-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
—Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Speech, 2005

Shattered

2011-08-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

My San Diego Beer Week glass fell from the dish drying rack while I was at work today and shattered all over the floor.

Sometimes it feels as though the universe does things like break the glass I received as a Christmas gift to put exclamation points on my sorrow.

rest in love, my sweet cup

There is Always (the) Craigslist (killer)

2011-08-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

So, as many of you know, I have signed up for my fair share of dating sites in my years. And most recently (i.e. for like 2 years) I have been on OKCupid. It is free which is the main reason I have stuck to it.

I message approximately 1 dude per week. I take my time reading their profile and put together a thoughtful message.

I am direct and open in my responses to the messages I receive as well.

I have had absolutely zero success with this site. I think I have a good summary and some nice photos of myself. I am willing to go out and actually meet people for things (which is something I wasn't really into when I did this when I lived in LA when I think about it honestly). My only victory was to have a good message chain back and forth with a guy and almost get to the point that we were going to arrange to meet until he decided to fall off the face of the earth.

This shit is rough. Maybe I need to be more aggressive and message more guys per week. Or I don't know... more cleavage shots?

advice?

maybe this site only works for the gays...

How I Feel

2011-08-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Grace in defeat. I need that.

Total Number of Times My Dad Called Me a Bitch This Weekend

2011-08-21T17:05:00.001-07:00

Trust Me

2011-08-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

Go call your mom.

Kids These Days

2011-08-16T12:02:00.001-07:00

I tried to post this from my phone last night but it didn't work:

Reading an essay in a book I picked up a couple weeks ago about youth culture and digital media. Was really into it until I read a paragraph that started with "Television, Facebook, iPhone, Photoshop, text messaging... they yield a whole new youth lifeworld"

Uhh... Photoshop? In this context, trust me, that totally doesn't fit. Now I will spend the rest of the essay thinking it was written by Andy Rooney.

Get off my lawn.

The Best

2011-08-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

Family!

2011-08-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

My Dad has his moments:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!

Sleep 18 Hours But Party 24

2011-08-06T22:56:00.000-07:00

I had not seen this before. My life is significantly improved.

thanks Matt.

Baby Beluga

2011-08-05T08:07:00.001-07:00

How to be happy, step 1:

Watch this.

Get On My Level

2011-08-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

Some people just exist on a different plane.

Hold These Truths

2011-08-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

Shopping won't really make you happy. Makeup won't truly make you pretty.

Work on your insides.

Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

2011-08-02T22:03:00.001-07:00

Am I allowed to be optimistic for you?

Two Cents

2011-08-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

How do you tell someone they need to be a more interesting person?

you don't. they are or they are not interesting. this is what i think.

2011-08-01T18:19:00.001-07:00

I want to be happy.

Forever Alone

2011-07-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

things I have considered googling today but didn't because i didn't want my ads to be about suicide prevention:

1. how many calories/hr are burned by crying?
2. how long can you go without eating?
3. can you live off of diet coke?
4. home remedies for depression

this is me

True Friends Stab You In The Front

2011-07-25T22:38:00.000-07:00

I need to move back to LA. I miss this too much.

courtney: i also may be a little drunk and untrustworthy.
me: arent we like that always?
courtney: yes.

Question

2011-07-25T21:37:00.001-07:00

At what point in digestion do the calories actually count?

If I puke up all my food, can I delete those calories...? Maybe only count 50%?

#notpurging

Thanks, Coach.

2011-07-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose.