I came across this great website called About-Face.

On this website, they have a 'gallery of offenders', which show ads & other media that may/may not portray women in negative ways or reinforce negative stereotypes or ideals.  A few of them went a little farther than my imagination (meaning that I personally don't interpret the ad in the exact same way), but I can see their point.

I think the website is great because it talks about positive ways to empower yourself as a woman & I think this 'top ten' list is a great start, especially if you need a daily affirmation.  

One of the "offenders" was an article on the website, AskMen.com.
Check it out...

I was appalled!  First, can't anyone have an open, honest conversation? Weight is not an easy thing to talk about (regardless if it's about being over or under weight), but I would hope that I had gained weight that my guy wouldn't go to such sneaky tactics.  It's a bit insulting to my intelligence, among other things. Some of the things I just found a bit cruel.  I'd much rather have someone say it to my face, then to find out this 'plan' after the fact.  Second, I bet it'd be hard to find a woman's magazine / website that brought up this issue. If it did, I'd like to think that this article would also discuss more positive, less insensitive, yet direct ways to discuss your man's weight gain.  Third, I wonder how this all works for gay couples?  I'll have to ask one.

Pisces

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Someone close to you needs to distance themselves -- but it's almost certainly temporary! Everyone needs space sometimes, and if you set them free, they're almost sure to return to you soon.


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words of wisdom Yahoo!.  Words of wisdom.

Of course, I watched the funeral for Ted Kennedy. President Obama gave a touching, tear-inducing speech about Kennedy's life & service as a senator.  My favorite part:

"We cannot know for certain how long we have here. We cannot foresee the trials or misfortunes that will test us along the way. We cannot know God's plan for us.

What we can do is to live out our lives as best we can with purpose, and love, and joy. We can use each day to show those who are closest to us how much we care about them, and treat others with the kindness and respect that we wish for ourselves. We can learn from our mistakes and grow from our failures. And we can strive at all costs to make a better world, so that someday, if we are blessed with the chance to look back on our time here, we can know that we spent it well; that we made a difference; that our fleeting presence had a lasting impact on the lives of other human beings."

Probably the most eloquent 'meaning of life' summation that I've ever heard.

(To read the whole eulogy, click here) 

Pisces (2/19-3/20)

Every now and then, you need to get emotionally intense, experience a tender exchange of sentiments or just sit down and have a heart-to-heart with someone. This is definitely one of those times. You won't settle for anything that even remotely smacks of a surface encounter. You want depth, intensity and passion -- and if you don't get them, you'll take your toys and go home.

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word, Yahoo! horoscope. word.

Pisces

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You need to get serious about a choice that has been facing you for some time. You've got all the info you need -- now you just need to figure out what you really want on the inside.

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Is this "boy" related? Is this about possibly moving back to So Cal?  Damn you horoscope, don't be so vague!

Today I went into VS and saw the Red Sox gear.  It is really cute, however, it's definitely more suitable to lounge wear than anything. 

The t-shirts have glitter on them, the sweats say "PINK" on the butt, and they have ass shorts that say "Red Sox" in glitter (interestingly, i already have a pair of Sox ass shorts).   If I wear this anywhere BUT around my apartment, I will get laughed at.  Girls who wear the light pink colored Sox baseball hats get made fun of.  Obviously, this means not wearing it @ Fenway, which was my intention.  I may be able to wear it to the Orioles game in Sept because it's in Baltimore. 

I guess I thought it wouldn't be all "PINK"-ed out, like all other gear, which is a silly idea.
I still want the 3/4 sleeved t-shirt, and the sweats, but I'm either going to wait for them to go on sale, or get them as a Christmas gift.

SUPER CUTE!!  I know what I'm asking for as a Christmas present....
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/collection/?cgname=OSPNKMLBTMS&cgnbr=OSPNKMLBTMS&rfnbr=6378

I know that I'll get made fun of for wearing this ( like the women who wear the pink Sox hates do) but I don't care! 
I just wish the Red Sox stuff was on sale like the Mets gear is :(

I find this article so hilarious! According to Matt's brother (ha ha ha....), the typical Western diet makes people fat, lazy and stupid !

However, the bad thing about this study (besides it having animal subjects instead of humans)  is that their comparison group was a "low fat" diet where fat intake account for only 7.5% of total calories.   They should have had a moderate fat intake (say 20-30 %) which is way more realistic & is more inline with general intake guidelines.  You need fat in your diet.  Maybe it's mentioned in the actual article, but this little snapshot doesn't mention the type of fat that was being used in the study (saturated, unsaturated, etc) or if the fat came from pure source of fat (ie, lard, olive oil, canola oil, etc. ) or if they were fed food that contained fat (ie, almonds, red meat).

Hmm, so ok....this article is a bit misleading, or rather glosses over some important details that I mentioned above.
Still, the take home message (as my prof. would say):  watch your dietary fat intake for a multitude of health reasons.

Last Friday, the research study I'm working on moved into a new building on the other side of the Boston Medical Center complex.  The new building is near the Union Park area of Boston's South End, which is home to many great restaurants, bars, cafes and coffee houses.  It's very artsy, in a good way, as it has a large gay population (by Boston's standards).  It does not have the "hipster vibe" that I so loathe.  I liken it to West Hollywood (but less flash & flair) where as Cambridge and even parts of Somerville are waaayy hipster (kinda like parts of Hollywood & Silverlake / Los Feliz).  

I have never spent much time in this neighborhood before, as it's not really T-accessible & none of my friends live over here.  I've enjoyed the past week that I've been here.  I discovered that one of my favorite bars, JJ Foley's, is about a 10 minute walk from my office.  This could get dangerous, real dangerous.  But there is a yoga studio next door, so I can get my ommm on before I get my drink on. 

Yesterday, on my walk up to the T, I went down a different street and discovered a super cute cafe called the South End Buttery.  While waiting for my iced coffee, I noticed all the people sitting around, reading, yet not exuding "ironic hipness"*.  The inside is really cute & was filled with men when I arrived.  Unfortunately (as far as romance goes), a majority of these men appeared to be undoubtedly gay, but were snazzy dressers and friendly.  I may return tomorrow on my "extended" lunch break (aka 'leaving work early') & get one of their homemade "Harriet" cupcakes.  There are several other retail shops on the same street that calling me to "window shop" as well. There are so many places to try, but these are on my "to do" list:  Appleton Bakery, Clery's bar, and Lionette's Market (for locale, 100% grass-fed beef !) 

The office building itself is nice.  It's quite & chill and my PI has left me & the other research assistant to our own devices.  Downstairs, there is a cafe and French brasserie called Gaslight.  There is even a Boston Sports Club gym, which has me contemplating a gym membership because of the convenience (it's right downstairs!!), even though I can use the BU gym for no added cost.  The parking lot next to my building hosts the SOWA open market, a cute farmers' market / arts & crafts combo, which I may hit up this Sunday, since I can't make it to the Brookline farmers' market because of work.

So far, I'm quite happy & pleasantly surprised.  Keep it up, South End, and maybe you'll be a keeper.


*  For a brilliant essay on the ironic hipster, click here. Hilarious! 

Yesterday's (Tues July 28 2009) Horoscope:

'Misty' is good for waterfalls. It's not good for long-term plans, ideas or goals.

Overview

You're feeling a little unsettled about some new arrangement, and that means it's time to reevaluate. You should be able to spot hidden flaws and strengths and come to some surprising conclusions.

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Today's (Wed July 29 2009) Horoscope:

Overview

Someone is trying to bowl you over on their way past you, but you don't have to let that happen. It's a good time for you to make sure that you're using every last bit of your reserves.

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Again, Yahoo! horoscope, you are eerily accurate. Glad I listened to your warnings.  And "misty" is good for those people who cry over shit that isn't  worth a lick of their time.

I am not one of 'those' people.
 

"Lookout weekend cause, here I come
Because weekends were, made for fun"

Since I don't have summer school, I was able to find a full time, 40 hr /week job, which means that I haven't been working weekends.  The last weekend day I worked was June 6th.  I cannot tell you how great it is to have my weekends back.  I can actually have a life & do things & go out  & not have to wake up at the butt crack of dawn (4:30am on a sat or sun is rough!).  Although, I have chosen to get up early (by 7am) & run errands or go running on most of these days, it's been for stuff that I've wanted to do vs a job, which you have to do. (18 units doesn't leave a ton of time in the week to put in a decent amount of work).  Sleeping in til 9am (occasionally) is great & I even managed to sleep til noon one day (after going to bed @ 3am)!

I haven't done anything super exciting--it's not like I'm flying off to Europe every weekend--just the general going out, seeing friends & finally exploring more of Boston. It's definitely made me more relaxed & more of a happier camper :)

the only downside I see of this is that I've definitely 'live for weekends' now, whereas before, when I had school and work everyday, I didn't really care about the weekends.  Now, I definitely catch myself thinking, 'Is it Friday yet?'--not because I dislike my job (thankfully!) but because I'm excited to do what I really want on a weekend.

Pisces

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Settle an old score today, even if it means forgiving a long-standing debt or grudge. Your karmic balance sheet needs to be rezeroed before you can really feel right about how things are going.

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Hmm, I hope the FASFA peeps are Pisces too!!

Yesterday, I purchased yet ANOTHER pair of running shoes.  Here's the deal:

I got orthotics in mid-June but had to break them in before I could actually run in them.  Meanwhile, I bought a new pair of running shoes (Mizunos) since my other ones are on their last leg.  I had to break them in a little, so I wore them on the treadmill sans orthotics. No pain, no problems. I wore them in the Seattle half marathon & they didn't give me any pain. (They did give me a wicked blood blister because w/out the orthotics, they are waayy too big.)

After the race, I decided to give the new shoes + orthotics a shot.  Good news:  the orthotics felt really good, minimal to no ankle pain & helped make the heel feel a little more cushiony (I think this is because there's an extra layer....foot, orthotic, shoe, ground).  Bad news:  the supportiveness of the orthotic + a super sturdy shoe = shin pains.  After just 3 miles, my shins would hurt during or they would be sore after my run.  Considering I don't normally get shin pains AND recently ran a half, I knew this wasn't normal for me.

Last Friday I went back to the PT lady who made my orthotics and had me walk & run in the shoes again & do some other tests.  She suggested that the shoes I got are too supportive when I wear them w/ the orthotics and that I needed to get a less supportive running shoe.

Thankfully, the running store let me exchange them (keep in mind I have run about 30 miles in them.)  I got the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9, which is made with Bio MoGo, .  The shoe has a biodegradable midsole, which my environmentally conscious self loves.  (FYI--you can turn old sneakers/running shoes into Niketown & they recycle them into materials for playgrounds & gyms in poverty stricken areas.)   These shoes were actually less than the Mizunos, so I used the store credit to buy myself the new Nike+ band, in pink of course. 

The shoes are pretty comfortable & are much lighter than the Mizunos (9.4 oz vs. 11.4 oz .) 

Keeping my fingers crossed for no shin pain!

To get rid of those pesky fruit flies, my roommate made this handy trap.

You'll need a glass jar (or plastic cup), plastic wrap, a rubber band, a knife & an banana peel

• Place an old banana peel in the glass jar.  Don't put the lid on.
• Put a square of plastic wrap over the lid of the jar. 
• Tie  a rubber band around the neck of the jar & make sure the plastic wrap is taught.
• Punch 3-4 SMALL holes ( you don't need to put the knife all the way in, just a little bit; the holes should be slightly bigger than the fruit fly) in the CENTER of the jar (NOT along the edges)
• Set on counter top or wherever flies are near. The fruit flies will be attracted to the banana smell & get stuck in the jar!

Seriously, give this a try.  It really works!  They *love*  banana peels for some reason (maybe cuz they smell so bad when they rot!) 

Yesterday, I went to my 2nd Sox game of the season.  Considering I'm not a die-hard baseball fan, you may think this is no big deal, or you may wonder why I even went (besides the obvious benefit of a free ticket).

This is because you have never seen a game at Fenway Park. If you have, then you'll understand my love for America's oldest ballpark.

Oldie but goodie:  as I stated, it's the oldest ballpark in the US.  1912 folks.  The big 100 is just around the corner. I can't wait to see what kind of celebration that'll be.

Subliminal, latent messages supporting 'herbal' supplements:  There's a lot of green going on at Fenway.  Hilariously, the first opening day was on April 20, 1912.  That song "Dirty Water" is about the Charles River (or is it really about dirty bong water?) Author Chuck Klosterman has commented that a Celtics fan's drug of choice is likely to be weed (compared to a Lakers fan's choice of E) and seeing as how 99.9% of Celtics fans are Sox fans....well, you get the smokey picture.

Best people watching. Ever. :  There's something about daytime drunkenness, especially when people are sitting in the hot sun in tiny seats.  Boston's a pretty blue collared city & when blue collared people get drunk, it is awesome.  Uber white collared people would never dare to be *hit faced drunk in the day like this (college aged kids being the exception); at the same time, this is somewhat standard behavior for some, uh, 'socioeconomic groups' (PWT).  But the blue collared person? They know better and yet choose to ignore that little voice.  As a result, you see middle aged men with beer guts dropping F bombs (even in front of the kids!); overbaked, wrinkly women who are also middle aged but look like they're about to receive their AARP card any day; and of course, that person who thinks they still have the same body that they once had when they were 17 (lady, put a T-shirt on !!) 
All natural:  Fenway's field is dirt and grass, real grass, like it should be.

Sam Adams, the patron saint of beer:  There is nothing like a Sam Summer on a hot day while watching a game at Fenway.  While this beer costs $5 in the bar, somehow I don't mind the steep $7.75 price tag. 

"Where it began, I can't begin to know it....":  Half way thru the 8th inning, they play Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline". Every single game. Kids & old people sing, drunkards forget their arguments.  Baby boomers get all misty eyed. Tender.

Red Sox nation:  Red sox fans are the most diehard fans you'll find (save for some Cubbies fans, bless their souls).  When you walk into Fenway, you feel the love.  98% of the people are wearing a least 1 article of clothing--hat, shirt (sometimes multiple shirts), pants--that has the "B" or a pair of Sox on it.  (The other 2% are usually rooting for the other team & are about to get a beat down outside the Bleach Bar.)   At the game last night, people were telling me about this lady who had season tickets for over 30 years & she was still going to games in her 80s.  This little girl in front of us was scorekeeping the game in her program. Fans show up to the game on time and don't leave til it's over (None of this 'arrive in the 3rd, leave in the 7th' crap). Most games are night games so that people don't have to take off work.  People will attend games no matter how bad the weather.  Dedication. This may be my favorite of favorites about Fenway.

Sometimes, small is ok: With a seating capacity of <38,000, Fenway is small, which means there are few 'bad' seats (one noted exception is along the firstbase line, towards the outfield. You have to keep turning left the entire game).  Even if you're in the bleachers, it's still closer than most other ball parks.  (not that this is the best comparison, but the LA Coliseum holds almost 94,000 seats, so Fenway is SMALL)

"Get yah chowda heah":  Yes friends, Fenway Park sells clam chowder during ballgames. This might sound disgusting, but if you've ever gone to a night game in April, you know just how necessary this is.  They also sell Dunkin Donuts coffee.  And even the dietitian in me can't resist a Fenway Frank every now & then.

Pre-gaming--Car vs Bar:  Many baseball stadiums are surrounded by huge parking lots, thus allowing for 'tailgaiting'. Fenway does not have this option.  It does, however, have many many bars within steps of the entry gates.  While this may be a little heavier on the wallet (compared with tailgaiting), pre-gaming @ the bars does have benefits:  cheaper beers; (somewhat) healthier & cheaper food; airconditioning; someone to wait on you; endless supply of beer (vs whatever fit into your cooler); not having to worry about a DUI b/c you can take the T.  Plus, I don't actually have a car to tailgate in. 

Men:  Yeah, women go to the games too, but the ratio is still like 7:1, thus upping the odds in my favor.  Notice I said 'men', by which I mean the kind that don't wear trendy shirts and skinny jeans & act like their life is SO filled with angst.  And there's nothing like cute guys in baseball caps :)

I hope I'm back there soon (like Wednesday or Friday!!) 

Wicked pissah

I CAN'T...
* live without the beach
* sing very well
* stand reality TV
* wait til school is finished
* believe (sometimes) that I moved across the country!

BUT I CAN...
* swim pretty well, even when untrained
* bullshit my way out of (or into) many situations
* still recite "The Midnight of Paul Revere" by Longfellow
* take a shot of Jameson like a trooper
* rattle off random nutrition / food related facts

I WON'T...
*eat fast food unless forced to
*ever live south of the mason-dixon line
* own an SUV
* ever turn down tickets to Fenway
* do something just because i'm 'supposed to'

BUT I WILL...
*one day travel to Ireland
*be a registered dietitian soon (1 year to go!)
* accomplish everything on my master "To Do" list
* learn how to surf
*

I SHOULDN'T...
* whine so much
* daydream so much
* waste time on the Internet!
*
*

I SURELY SHOULD...
*stop to smell the roses more often
* not procrastinate
* visit NYC soon
* be grateful & appreciate everything that I've got
*