My Blog

Up for debate

Wendy — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:24:52 GMT

What do you think of this? It comes from Desmond Morris' book _The Naked Woman_. Morris is a sociobiologist and personal hero of mine, but he is controversial and I don't always agree with his ideas. Do you think this info here is true? Does it surprise you? Make you mad? Larger image available at http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/8444/morrisbellydancevu3.jpg [Added later: Okay I'm not defending Morris here, because this *does* make me mad. And I don't know where he got it from. But here is a good example of the other side of the story, as posted in Suhaila's tribe on tribe.net: "Maria, MED dance was not started for men. It was a dance of celebration. And if I'm not mistaken, men were never allowed to see the dancing in the first place. It wasn't until the cinema exposed it and threw a different light on it, that it was "dancing to entice men." Okay, very reassuring, but what I want to know is where is *this* perspective coming from? I want to see some historical documents or well-researched papers to convince me that either side is true.]

To my K-Lee class friends

Wendy — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 21:36:10 GMT

Due to scheduling and other conflicts I have had to drop Tribal at 6:30. But Kahlea suggested I come to Fundamentals at 7:20, so I will still see you all there! Whee!

My life on the dancing D-list

Wendy — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 06:56:24 GMT

I went to class tonight and kicked my own ass. The physical workout felt good. Emotionally, it was all I could do not to cry. I got home and wrote my instructor an email, I decided it was time she knew what was going on with me. I also asked if she was teaching beginning tribal up in Phoenix and if I could go to those classes too. The only way I will feel better is if I *get* better, and that means doing everything I can. I have a private lesson Thursday night and was invited to a practice group that meets on Saturdays, but I think I'm willing to drive to Phoenix for more classes too. Can't say I'm not trying.

I don't like gin either

Wendy — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 23:25:06 GMT

First of all, if I'm just "rollin" down the street, my car has probably stalled. Secondly, if my money's on my mind and my mind on my money, I am NOT laid back.

String theory

Wendy — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 23:11:30 GMT

NO MORE RULERS NO MORE BOOKS

Wendy — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 23:23:54 GMT

The apt is still a factor in my stress, and it's about to get worse... they are replacing our cabinents and plumbing next week so we have to move EVERYTHING out of the kitchen and the bathroom and will have no water save from the bathtub, for three days. Don't you think we should get a rent break or something for this? Argh. But TODAY, all I want to do is party. I just took my final for Literary Analysis which means I will never again have to set foot in a university classroom. WOO HOO!!!! I was so excited when I finished I ran up to a random group of guys on a class break and shared my good news. Happily they were very nice and shared in my elation. Can I just say again... WOO HOO!!!!

India

Wendy — Sun, 06 May 2007 04:13:54 GMT

Someone tried to break into my sister's hut today and break down the door. I am scared for her. I wonder if pepper spray is legal in India?

Coin bra help

Wendy — Sat, 05 May 2007 02:53:49 GMT

Okay I'm trying to make a coin bra and I am totally frustrated. I don't know if I'm using the wrong kind of bra or sewing the coins on wrong. Has anyone done this? Did you sew and tie off each coin individually or were you able to do it in a string? I've been doing it in a string but the stitches are bunching up the back of the bra lining. Argh!

$$ and dreams

Wendy — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:18:54 GMT

So this is where I would like to live. I call it the Ewok Village because it's all woodsy, nestled in the forest. Overall it's in a pretty urban area outside DC. It's the only place I think I'd be truly happy living in the DC metro area, just because I love the houses so much. The apartment complexes I looked at when I was considering moving back were just depressing to me. However, what's also depressing is that these are not rentable, they're townhouses you buy through a realtor. Dan and I both have crappy credit and no money. We'd have to, like, get my parents to buy one and then rent it through them... not likely to happen. Ideally we'd like to live near the beach somewhere like in the wetlands of south Jersey but there are SO many jobs in the DC metro area. Mmmmm.... Ewok Village. Well, one can dream. My car's air conditioning doesn't work, which just sucks, already. It's in the 90s here and it hasn't been pleasant driving around. I took it in on Friday but it turns out when we hit that sign a few months ago the hood dented in and pushed down the radiator, which in turn locked up the AC fan and blew the freon out of the compressor. Sonofa... never underestimate what havoc low-speed, barely-any-visible-damage accidents can wreak. I have to take the car to a body shop to try and get the bent parts straightened before I can even try to fix the AC... who knows how much all this will cost. Can I just say... $*&!

Fat rant

Wendy — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:56:44 GMT

Thanks to Lucy for finding this! This is one of the smartest and most honest discourses on being "moderately obese" that I've heard. The opening bit about being with someone who bitches about fat while ignoring the fact that you're with them is SO true. This girl looks like me and thinks like me (well except for the part about being a bitch, I generally try to be nice =) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUTJQIBI1oA

Mass spectrometry

Wendy — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 04:38:24 GMT

I've been invited to a 25th anniversary celebration of the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry lab at the university. I have absolutely no idea what that is. I'm going to do some internet homework but I thought I'd ask you all first if you have some layman's terms with which to clue me in. I'd like to be able to talk to people about it at this shindig. Thanks! =)

Seeking job hunt advice

Wendy — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 22:59:53 GMT

There's a possibility that I will get hired on at the place I'm working when I finish the internship in December, but that's totally up-in-the-air right now. It depends mostly, I think, on whether they will have funding for another position (hopefully they are happy enough with my work that that won't be the issue.) I am looking for online editorial assistant positions that I could do from home, I could actually do that next semester when all I have to do is the internship. I'm having trouble finding listings for an online position though. I won't actually be applying until this summer, but I want to get a feel for what's out there and know where to look when I'm ready. Anybody have any ideas?

My last Friday as a 20-something... or, Further Thoughts On Turning 30

Wendy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:43:43 GMT

I remember when I was little I was wishing I could be a grownup, so I could buy gingerbread cookies whenever I wanted and maybe a talking parrot. My dad sadly told me not to "wish my life away", that I would lose my childhood soon enough and be forced into a world of bills and responsibility and stress. I've definitely been thinking about that a lot recently as I deal with lots of bills and a fair amount of stress. Being an adult is stressful. But good lord, so is being a child. Remember disappointment? It wasn't tempered. When something disappointed, the world came crashing down. Remember not understanding and people not giving you a good explanation? "It just is," "Because I said so," "You'll understand when you're older." Not understanding the world around you and not having the freedom to make your own choices SUCKS. Then I thought about being a late teen, early 20-something. People didn't get married yet for the most part, you could be best friends with a guy without pissing off his wife, or go out with your girlfriend without worrying about a babysitter. But no relationship was ever certain. People were still insecure enough that they were mean (hell, sometimes that never goes away, cough cough ex-best-friend). Jobs were insecure, you never had seniority, and if you did get sent on a business trip or get a paid vacation you couldn't rent a car. Being a kid was glorious, while it lasted. Being a 20-something rocked, for a while. But I wouldn't go back. Everything in its time. Peter Pan said to die would be an awfully big adventure... I think to be 30 will be too.