politics

+ & –

by Lara on October 5, 2010

in + & -

  • HEY! If you’re not reading this comic and crying in hysterical fits of laughter, I don’t know if we can be friends. Sneaky Hate Spiral is one of my favorites.

  • In addition to my October shopping ban on clothing, I’m also going to cut out junk like magazines and body/beauty products (unless I straight up run out of something I use daily and I don’t have an adequate replacement on hand. I won’t be walking around with furry legs, that’s for sure.) Christmas is fast approaching and I also need to chip away at my debt a bit more aggressively.
  • In case you were wondering where your tax dollars go, here’s a breakdown if your income was about $34K in 2009 (via)

  • Naked Without Lipstick did a great post on what life was like before she met the internet. Who remembers paging their teenage boyfriends with 143? Ahahah!
  • This past Sunday was my mom’s 64th b-day. I came over for a few hours, brought a cake, gave her a gold and citrine ring and a manicure to go with it, and ran out and picked up Mexican food. It was a fun little visit. Oh, and to update, she’s healing up quite nicely and stubbornly refusing the special air mattress hospital bed.

  • My pet rat Barnaby has a pea-sized tumor under his chin. I have called around and the cheapest tumor removal is $125 + $100 in lab fees to find out what it is. I’m sorry but I paid $5 for him and unlike a dog or cat, I don’t have a deep emotional relationship with him. I’ve already spent over $1,000 on my cat’s kidney disease. Rats are prone to getting tumors so, if he starts showing symptoms and seems ill or it gets bigger, it’s going to be $56 to have him humanely put to sleep.

He was just about a month old here.

  • In two weeks, I have to go to New Jersey for the weekend with the bf’s entire family in a rental van for his sister’s wedding. I don’t really need to go into any more details, now do I? Well I’m going to. I hate being held hostage by the transportation of someone else. My family has never been a big family family and I’m an only child so family isn’t really my thing. There will be much yelling by a little Korean woman. There will be drama, no doubt about it. I am in no mood. I never get to travel anywhere these days and when I do, it’s hardly for anything I want to do. Okay, I have bitched enough. Or have I? I better quit while I’m ahead.
  • City Kitty is gone. Remember that scrawny neighborhood cat I was feeding? Well, she fattened up a bit and then, all of a sudden, she was gone. We kept vigil for her with a full food bowl on the front porch for 3 weeks. Nothing. I finally brought the bowl up this weekend. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, the bf and I will quietly say, “I miss City Kitty.” I hope she’s okay.

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+ & -

by Lara on July 29, 2010

in + & -

 

 

  • Yup. This is pretty much me every night.

  • Marie of Agent Lover’s hilarious post on the evils of Target is so true. So true. Purge your soul and leave a comment.
  • I drew detailed pictures in pencil for about 20 years of my life and suddenly quit. These drawings by Marissa Textor are blowing my mind.

  • What a great DIY project!

via

 

  • Commercials where people talk with their mouths full really gross me out. Hardees (also called Carls Jr.) is the worst offender.

  • Inception = meh
  • Do we really need to talk about this disgusting heat? I love summer but come the hell on!

  • Online, I’m definitely of the “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” school. Except here (on MY blog), where I have given myself a chance to get some things off my chest. Sometimes these things are silly, sometimes serious. Only once here have I specifically directed any spite/jealousy towards a very young (in my opinion, over-hyped) fashion blogger. IFB has a post about fashion bloggers being cruel to their peers. It’s an interesting read with a lot of interesting comments. Only once has someone directly insulted me in my comments. I was told I was “a little too old” to opine that crop tops are unattractive. Also for good measure, the teenage guy (yes, a boy) added that I should go ahead and get a nose job. Wow! Never heard that one before! Anyhow… it didn’t bother me. I find that most people are of the sucking variety and when you put yourself out there online, it’s bound to attract assholes. We all need to get used to it and screen our comments. I enjoy the blogs that simply exist to be mean. Go Fug Yourself has a HUGE following. Those women are hilarious. Oh, and Goddammit, I’m Mad! is my absolute favorite. Let’s admit this simple math: most women dress for other women + women are catty = there will be pain. Here’s a good post on blogger etiquette.

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+ & -

by Lara on June 28, 2010

in + & -

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  • The Seventeen Magazine Project is a blog just recently started by an 18 y/0 girl who is attempting to follow all of the advice offered in the magazine for 30 days. She only started a month ago and is all done with the project. She’s a smart young woman who seems to have her priorities straight and has a great sense of humor so, it’s a really interesting read.  I’ve gone back to the very first entry for you! Just scroll past the comments and click on ”newer post” to keep reading!
  • this:

  • Oh, The Daily Show… ridiculed as being the only news source for my vacuous generation. I have to hand it to Jon Stewart for telling it like it is in this hilarious yet sad segment on the bullshit ALL of our modern presidents have fed us. 
  • I don’t have a baby but if I did, this would be the mobile above the crib:

  • MyShape is a new site that’s customized to your taste and your measurements… like 29 measurements to be exact. So get out your tape measure and follow along with the little video that stops in between each until you enter a number. It’s fun! Your body type is accessed and clothing that should fit and flatter will be shown. I chose not to trust completely in the site’s size choices since I was curious to see the size and WOW do they differ from brands! Tips are also given for your body type. I’m an S and the picks for my type were pretty right on!
  • I usually like bright rooms but I adore this dark bedroom. (via)

  • We don’t have a back porch/enclosed yard Ringo the cat can enjoy like he could at my parents’ house. I wish he could have a catio.
  • My friend Marisa took an insanely brave leap and moved to Texas in oh… a few days… to land a job. (She got it!) She’s waiting for her apartment to be ready and in the meantime has been collecting amazing furniture from Craigslist. I love the look she’s going for!

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  • Realizing that I’ve done a better job at fixing things in this apartment than my landlord’s crappy repairmen.
  • I thought you were suposed to lose weight in the summer?
  • The stores are already getting Fall season clothing in.

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+ & -

by Lara on May 27, 2010

in + & -

There will be no plusses this time around. I’m in a mood.

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  • Sex and the City 2. I do not care. As soon as Carrie took back Big after making a complete ass of her at the wedding in the first movie, I was done. Actually, I was pretty disgusted with her character the entire series for always taking him back. Low self-esteem? He was not that charming. The only one I ever really liked was Samantha. The woman had balls but seriously, has anyone ever done a tally of how many men they slept with? Hold on. Let me Google this. Ahhh, about 94 between the 4 of them.
  • The BP oil spill. Between rig inspectors on meth, inspectors of the actual part that broke not doing their job, Halliburton being involved, all the political back-scratching that goes on with big oil, the Coast Guard not doing their job, the Army Corps of Engineers not issuing permits or doing their job, BP openly defying the EPA, the finger-pointing, the loss of sea life, the loss of income for fishermen, the incomprehensible amount of destruction and pollution, the inaction of our president… I am at a loss for words.
  • Everyone getting so damned upset over Arizona’s immigration law. Once again, my political opinions will probably piss some of you off but honestly, I couldn’t give two shits. First off, I am the daughter of a legal immigrant. I am all for legal immigration. What a lot of people don’t know is that the U.S. allows more legal immigrants here than every other country combined. Things got a bit tighter after 9-11, as they should, but if you go through the proper process you’re welcome here, to get screwed by the government like everyone else. In fact, Mexico’s citizenship process is more strict than that of the U.S. We live in a country where states are afforded their own laws. Arizona (and the rest of the country) is in the midst of an illegal immigration crisis. Our budgets, job supply, and resources are getting sucked dry by people who don’t contribute to the tax base and are here illegally! Hello! What part of illegal does no one seem to understand? Is Arizona law enforcement not allowed to address an issue of legality (only with probably cause) when federal agents can walk up to anyone (w/out probable cause) and ask for papers no questions asked? The federal government has been sitting on their asses about taking any action against the flood of illegals in this country because they don’t want to lose the Hispanic vote. I congratulate AZ for doing something the rest of the country has been unwilling to address… asking for goddamn proof of citizenship in the middle of a crisis and actually doing something about it.
  • Losing your health insurance. I have had to make a ton of calls figuring out who sells my prescriptions for the cheapest amount (found them), calling my doctors (who I love) to see if they will still see me with a cash payment (they will), seeing if they can prescribe me generic versions (they can for one), seeing if cheaper options like Planned Parenthood carry my BC pills (they don’t), and researching other plans like health savings accounts. This is ridiculous.

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jobs

by Lara on November 26, 2009

in geek

In the spirit of the Secret Society of List Addicts, I’ll share with you some jobs I’ve considered over the course of my life.

  • Veterinarian – first job I said when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up… until we had to take the sick beagle to the vet and I saw how they took temperatures. I was done.
  • Animal cop – maybe I’ve been watching too much Animal Planet but I think I would actually do better as a vigilante because the red tape of the job ticks me off.

Watch – The Sick Kitten

  • Astrophysics – I adore math and thought I had the potential to be one of those math geniuses… until I had the worst physics teacher known to man in high school and was ruined on the physics side. The fact that almost everything in life can be explained with an elegant equation is something I can really sink my teeth into. My bf thinks I’m a freak.  Let’s do this.

  • Statistician – my psych major exposed me to data collection, manipulation, and analysis with delicious SPSS software, which pretty much taught me to never trust any stats you hear on the news. In all seriousness though, it’s a tangible and pretty reliable way to learn about the world.

CHECK! THIS! OUT! and THIS. (I promise, it’s worth your time.)

  • Florist – super green thumb here, think I have a good aesthetic eye… currently working on bonsai, would love to learn Ikebana. Who wouldn’t love to play with flowers all day?

  • Fleeting thoughts – architectural artist, cupcake baker (but Richmond already has a few), line cook (been there, done that for every station, miss it), blogger (yeah right), RN (horrible decision, bad school choice, dropped out), any type of psych research (will be trying to get my foot in the door eventually)…

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+ & -

by Lara on August 25, 2009

in + & -,decor

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  • Now tell me, who wouldn’t want a taxidermy armadillo!?

(photo via)

  • Katie Sokoler of Color me Katie is a super positive photographer and street artist. Her blog is neat.
  • Love love love this 3D printed nylon “Cell Cycle” cuff bracelet from Nervous System. Is it flexible or rigid?

  • This home is perfection.
  • the way the sun bleaches all your peach fuzz after being out all day

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  • InStyle Magazine, I am done with you. Your stylists are boring and it’s all feeling very ooooold. The September issue yielded nothing more for me than an Elizabeth and James twig bracelet and a drapey Derek Lam dress. Chain strap purses and tweeds are in for Fall? No way! Why is everyone playing it safe these days? Somewhere in internet land, another blogger was noting how happy she was that the styles haven’t really changed much from last year… that she could continue to shop her closet and stay current.  With everyone scared over the economy, I suppose that could be a relief. I just wouldn’t mind seeing a little more creativity in the styling department. That is all.
  • Bizarre rash… on my butt.
  • Those days when you dribble coffee on yourself 3 times before you’ve even finished your first cup.
  • Really not feeling the new Fall 2009 Marimekko fabric line. I’ve been looking for something grand to stretch onto a frame and hang up but I always end up leaning towards this 2003 design by Maija Louekari called “Hetkiä/Moments” (in any of the color variations). Sooo $$$ for a piece of fabric!

I’d also love this in the bedroom, from their Spring 2008 line. It’s called “Pelimanni” designed by Iiro A. Ahokas.

  • Depressing stuff - This article about FIJI bottled water was an interesting read. Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, FLOW is a documentary about the bottled water industry that I really enjoyed.

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what are we doing?

by Lara on January 7, 2009

in geek

Last night, I was curled up with the boy, perusing the interwebs. I wanted him to see Pinky Show. I’ve been a big fan for years but hadn’t caught up in a while. One of the newest episodes was “We Love Museums… Do Museums Love Us Back?” Check it out. It’s an extreme anti-intellectual viewpoint but it’s always good to see things through different eyes. (This one about the legalities of the Iraq war is my absolute favorite.)

So, this got me thinking about style blogs, especially NotCot.org and the like. This particular site is comprised of contributions by people like you and me (and probably a lot of self promotion) but it’s curated by these fine folks and their employees:

Founders, Jean Aw and Daniel Frysinger, are user experience obsessives (her background being a masters in interaction/ux design and his a BA in HCI/CS and was working for one of the few internet giants).

Sites like this as well and other fashion blogs, home decor blogs, tech blogs, and even this blog are telling readers what to value. These sites are little museums of sorts, showcasing the coveted and especially the NEW – everyone covets the new. What makes any of this important? I guess we all make our own personal decisions as to what we think is important or not but I have a feeling that our decisions are being carefully guided and sometimes I’m left feeling shallow and empty by all of this nonsense…

My google reader has over 600 unread posts and at this moment, I just don’t want to look at any of it. I’m going to go clean out my aquarium in my 7th grade gym shirt. Sometimes you just need to step away for a bit.

 

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read a book!

by Lara on December 11, 2008

in fashion,geek

This summer, I had the sincere pleasure of taking one of the most challenging classes I had ever enrolled in. I don’t know why I even signed up. It wasn’t a requirement. I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment but, International Political Economy sounded like a swell subject. I’m a nerd at heart.

Well, this was an online course. We were told to read a book each week and write a lengthy paper supporting our own thesis which either agreed or disagreed with a certain point of view held by the author. We also had to participate in heated discussions online. The professor was, for the most part, absent yet very harsh in his criticisms when he managed to be back from some economic journey to Russia. I got an A and I learned more than I ever have in one class, other than Physiological Psych.

These were my favorite books out of the class and I recommend anyone interested in the fashion industry to read these to have a broader idea of what is going on in the world and how manufacturing effects all of us, since clothing manufacturing is one the first things an impoverished nation resorts to when it’s pulling itself up.

The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy

The Bottom Billion

In Defense of Globalization

The Challenge of Global Capitalism

Markets and States in Tropical Africa

The focus of the class was globalization. Is it a good or a bad thing and how can both sides of the debate be satisfied? Sweatshop work and the textile industry was a huge focus of all the authors I read.

Recently, the blog, The Coveted, brought up the important topic (and had a huge debate in the comments) about cheap clothing and the supposed detriments to society because of it. I, of course, had to put my 5 cents in because nothing bothers me more than wrong assumptions and misinformation. I was questioned as to why I thought the used clothing markets of Africa are a good thing so I had to elaborate a bit further (I can get really long-winded on things I’m passionate about).

@Fair shopping fairy: I’m basing my opinion on the book I previously mentioned which elaborated on the purest of free markets which (at the time of publication) was the “matumba” market of used clothing. Used clothing in certain areas of Africa have allowed entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and has allowed people to have access to stylish clothing (which they are very selective about) that increases pride. There are many different countries in Africa with many forms of governments and laws that don’t allow free trade so the matumba is just sold on the black market since the people want it so badly. In the book, there was also mention of a man who had been selling used clothing for so long that he had saved enough money to buy and refurbish an old textile factory where he planned to create jobs for his community making new clothing.

This is not a matter of exploitation- it’s a matter of free markets at work, healthy competition, small business owners, pride, and giving impoverished people a chance to do something when their industrial and agricultural systems are so far behind everyone else that there is no way they can fairly compete.

Charities are overrun with so much clothing they don’t know what to do with it. This overflow is bought by the pound by privately owned family businesses here in the U.S. These companies employ people to expertly sort through the mountains of clothing (the highly prized vintage clothing is sold to boutiques and vintage stores) and there is a use for everything else. It is the ultimate form of recycling. The African clients develop a real relationship with the American sorting companies and there are pressed bale opening parties in Africa where other start-up sellers get first dibs on the freshly revealed items. It is an enjoyable social aspect of their culture now.

I could go on and on about the vagaries of African economies (and other regions in extreme poverty). Instead, I will recommend reading “The Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy” as well as “Markets and States in Tropical Africa” by Bates and “The Bottom Billion” by Collier.

There are so many side to every story.

So, there you go. That’s where I stand on that issue. I probably would’ve jumped on the “exploitation” band wagon too had I not read a damn book about t-shirts. It’s so easy to play the bleeding heart these days and instantly demonize everyone else who doesn’t but we all need to take a deep breath sometimes, before we go off half-cocked on a sensitive subject – especially a subject that involves people on the other side of the globe that we have no way of relating to whatsoever.

This leads me to the rest of what I want to say here. Not everyone wants to be like us. Not everyone has the same priorities as we do. Not everyone wants our interference. No one wants our damn pity. Everyone wants to get out of extreme poverty with dignity.

Sweatshops. Oh yeah. Let’s go there.

I will say that human rights organizations are a HUGE part in the fair treatment of what is usually an unskilled rural, docile, female workforce. When a country first decides to get industrialized (which is the first step in getting out of extreme poverty), it is primarily women from farms who move to the industrial zones to work. Textiles/clothing are usually the first things to get manufactured in these struggling countries and the women definitely work incredibly long hours in poor conditions. These conditions get better over time. The women gain experience. They ban together. They demand more for themselves and through their experience can look for better jobs when they become available. These women would rather work for 18 hours in a factory where they can make their own decisions, can spend their own money how they see fit, are away from their oppressive patriarchal farming families where their fathers want to tell them who they have to marry… and they still make 10 times more than their fathers do with less back-breaking work.

After these newly industrialized countries gather an experienced workforce, more advanced markets come in, like electronics and whatnot, which require more skill. These women (and men) go to night school, choose thier own partners, begin to work less hours, get promotions, make lives for themselves… and we pay less for a product.

So do you want to buy nothing but American? Well, then, do you want to have millions of people starving all over South Asia, Eastern Europe and South America? These people are relying on us to buy their products so that they have jobs to take care of their families. We rely on them to make things for less money so that we can save enough money to take care of our families. $5 here and $5 there are two entirely different things but we’re all just trying to survive.

I would also recommend you watch Frontline’s special China in the Red. It will explain so so much.

<3

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+ & -

by Lara on September 29, 2008

in + & -

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  • I know everyone in fashion blog land is going insane over the triple lace-up Ann Demeulemeester boots but, I just don’t get it. The lacing detail is exquisite but the heeled version is atrociously awkward and the flat heeled version has such a delicate sole. I’m craving a more serious footprint – a boot that could do some damage – a boot reminiscent of the 20 eyelet Dr. Martens I should’ve gotten instead of the wimpy 8-eyes when I was 13 years old. These are a steal – not leather but not something you would wear every day anyhow. This is what I’m talking about.

There’s also a size 8 pair left at Hot Topic of an identical style for $24.98!!!!

  • I pretty much want everything by MK2K.
  • This is probably one of the most gorgeous bags I’ve ever seen.

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  • Being sick is the absolute worst, especially when you have a mountain of reading assignments piling up. I really shouldn’t have gone to karaoke last night!
  • Every fall I’m continually disappointed with the fur ads in fashion magazines. I can’t believe that after all the protests and campaigns, people can still stomach buying fur. I’m espcially ashamed of Rick Owens, one of my favorite designers, with the saturation of fur in his Fall 2008 collection. This is just hilarious!
  • I have desperately wanted to discuss current politics with someone who is bipartisan and reasonable. Unfortunately everyone is so sucked up in Obama mania that I don’t feel I can have an unbiased conversation based on rationale and an intelligent understanding of how our government and economy works.
  • Sometimes it’s when people are about to move away that you realize how you should’ve spent more time with them when they were near.
  • Is it wrong that I found the Disney villains to be more beautiful than Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, or that I had a major crush on Tim Curry as the Prince of Darkness in Legend when I was a child (he oozed masculine power and sex appeal), or that I was obsessed with Vincent D’Onofrio in The Cell?

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