100 Issues for 100 Days: #34

#34: Insomniac

I've had a difficult time sleeping the past couple of nights. I'm averaging about five hours of
sleep per night. I go through these sleepless periods about once to twice a year. If I was the therapy type, I could probably tell you what triggers it but for the most part it's just happens.

It's not necessarily bad. I don't feel extra tired. For example, today I went to see the San Francisco Opera simulcast at the SF Giants Ballpark. I ate sandwiches, cheese, olives and other goodies while drinking mimosas and then had an Irish coffee at 21 Amendment before riding the bus home. Although I'm physically tired (I walked a lot more than I was expecting to this evening), I could probably stay up a few more hours. I guess the thing that bugs me is that I'm awake but I'm not doing anything productive. Instead of cleaning my apartment or working on projects, I'm YouTubing (yes, it's a verb when you do it recreationally and/or without purpose) or texting The Ex-Boy, who seems to be texting me pretty often since my last birthday. In other words, it's not the lack of sleep that I mind but the lack of productivity.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #24

#24: Sideways

I recently discovered (and kicked myself in the head for missing) Kevin Smith's podcast with Scott Moisier, the aptly titled SModCast. For the most part, I like to listen to podcasts that discuss television shows but the SModCast is essentially just two guys shooting the shit and I must admit, I'd probably pay the few measly sheckles that I have to listen to these two guys.

It's fairly explicit language but it's highly entertaining. So much so that I find myself laughing out loud on the bus to and from work. The topics range from censorship to Canadian hockey icons and it's all done with Kevin Smith's trademark style of self-deprecation and forthrightness.

I went back to listen to the episode in which the two producers talked about the resistance they got around the ads for Zack and Miri Make a Porno. The entire episode basically devolved into a conversation about how parents need to deal with the changing world and take responsibility for what their children will see and how they explain it to them. This is an issue where I've noticed you seem to have two extreme opposites. On one end you have the parents who police everything their child sees, from television to books to what's in their neighborhood. And on the other hand you have parents who take their 5 year-old's to R-rated movies, curse in front of their children and basically let them watch or read whatever they want. In my opinion, in both situations, no one wins. The former creates a completely sheltered child who can't navigate he world or in an attempt to navigate the world, rebels. The latter is the kid who grows up far too fast, and in this country where children are hyper-sexualized and violent, a child doesn't need their parents to initiate the beginning of that process.

So what's the solution? From what I've observed it's all about talking to your children and giving them boundaries. In the podcast, Smith noted that the objection people had about the ad was the use of the word "porno". They were afraid that their kids would ask them what it meant. If I was a parent, I'd much rather my child ask me what a porno is than learn the answer somewhere else. And if you've set proper boundaries as a parent, a simple "It's an adult movie and it's not for children" will suffice. Yes, children are inquisitive but for the most part, they understand when something is not for them. Why are parents so afraid of what their children will ask them? There's always that moment of awkwardness but in the long-run, isn't it better coming from you? I know this is a bit easy for me to say since I'm childless but I welcome having those discussions with my (future) child. At least then I can say all the shit I have to keep to myself when talking to my students.

100 Issues for 100 Days :#16

#16: It's Just One of Dem Days*

Today has been one of those days that ran fairly smoothly but ended on a bad note. So when I have a day like this there's a few things that make me smile:











1. The Carlton:



This is what reruns are made for people. To make you smile when you least expect it.

2. Jesse Spano Freaks Out



Whenever I feel stressed out, I think ... at least I'm not Jesse

3. Center Stage



Cheesiest thing ever. How can you not love her 4 outfit (and make-up!) changes with no intermission?

4. Cry for You



When a young Ryan Gosling hits that high note, how can you not love it? Don't forget the shoulder lean, "Baby I'm beggin' !"

5. Like You

This link gave me and my college roommate hours of procrastinating fun. And it's only a 30 second video.

Sometimes the interwebs really come through.

*Bonus in honor of the post title:

100 Issues for 100 Days :#15

#15: Does Anybody Hear Me?

Ok, it's been two weeks of me attempting to blog regularly. I know two weeks is nothing in the span of 100 planned entries but I'm starting to feel like Atreyu. I've started out on this quest and I don't know where it's leading or if I'm getting anywhere. For all I know this could just be the means of getting a shy little boy to give an Empress a new name.


Basically, I'm asking for a grain of sand people.
Just one comment to let me know that I'm not writing into the ether. And if I am, maybe I need to get the word out. Feel free to tell your friends. But right now I just want to know: Does anybody hear me?

Take it away Shannen!

100 Issues for 100 Days: #2

#2 Premium or Unleaded

Today is the day my cable bill is due. Don't get me wrong, any other day I would happily pay my cable bill and keep on truckin' but there's one tiny problem: I am BROKE. And I don't mean broke like I'm skimping on that new pair of shoes (I saw a great pair of second-hand yellow pumps for $35 at this store, by the way). No I'm broke like "I'm on a week-long cleanse cause it means I can draw out the time until I have to buy groceries" - broke.

Back to the cable bill. I also have a huge weakness. I LOOOOOOOOVE my television. It's kind of sick. When I add up the amount of television I watch per week it's at least a part time job. So while I'll never give up my cabe outright, I am thinking of cutting back on my premium channels. What does this mean? No more HBO and Showtime. For most people this is a small sacrifice but every time I come close to cutting the cord I think, "No more True Blood? No more Weeds? and my hand hovers over the "remove" button with trepidation. And I know I can find these things on the interwebs somewhere but for the same reason I can't get myself to commit to a Kindle, "it just ain't the same".

Right now I hover on the brink. But my (empty) wallet will push me over the edge.

It's Different for Girls

Recently, there was an outrage over at Jezebel due to two of its editors. Tracie and Moe, appearing on a local show called Thinking & Drinking and, taking the latter part to heart, the former took a backseat to some questionable comments. The interview then caused a lot of lamentation about the editors letting down girls & women who saw them as their new "feminist heroes" and others wondering why anyone would see these women as such in the first place.

Moe has since moved from Jezebel to Gawker.com, although I believe she will still continue to do some of her regular Jezebel features. Tracie on her personal blog eventually posted this statement where she questioned the idea of whether there can be a "good" or "bad" feminist. Although I found her final post on the topic to be the most well-thought out and honest viewpoint of the situation, her blog was littered with comments such as:

You are putting women, not even feminists, to shame with your attitude, outlook, and disregard. You words are trash and shouldn't be taken with any more validity than a cheap add in a porno mag.

and:

You're not a "bad feminist"...you're just an immature, cold, insensitive, self-centered bitch

Now while I do believe everyone is entitled to their opinions, I find that when addressing the issue of feminism, many women seem to believe that they have the definitive or the authentic feminism locked up somewhere. And throwing around the words "bitch", "whore" and "slut" don't help anyone.

Am I not a feminist (or a "bad" feminist) because I haven't read the literature? Is my feminism less authentic because I believe that being a good mother is the best job a woman can do? (On an aside: I also believe that being a good father is the best job a man can do. When you work with children, you realize how important good parenting is.)

I'm just wondering because it seems as though feminism, the way it has been set up, is still largely about middle-upper class white women who have time to contemplate these issues and denounce other women who don't because they are trying to survive economically or a stay-at-home mom or a sex worker or something else that doesn't jibe with the idea of a woman throwing down her apron and entering the workforce.

As I see it, the truth is that it's different for girls. There's always going to be a barrier to breakdown, an image to overcome, a double standard to navigate. But lately it seems like women are throwing extra barriers at each other to further judge your authenticity. I believe that a women should be able to have responsible sex with as many people as she wants, but I don't think anyone should be running around putting their sexuality in people's faces (male or female). I think a woman can do any job a man can do if she puts her mind to it. I also think there is a certain grace and beauty that women have and that should never be lost in the attempt to "equal" men. I don't know what kind of feminist that makes me but I also believe that this whole thing is a process. And it's still happening everyday.

Full interview of Thinking & Drinking (I really suggest watching the entire thing as the clips are a bit taken out of context): Shoot the Messenger

Flashes Before Your Eyes

Some things on the interwebs just make me giddy, so today (and subsequently), I'm going to post the ... links that made me giddy.

1. Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog:

Unfortunately the ginormous amount of Whedon-verse fans out there crashed the server but you can go to iTunes and watch this latest installment of wonderfulness by Joss Whedon starring Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Nathan Fillon (Firefly, Drive). It's one of the funniest things I've seen in a while.

2. Heidiwood:
For those of you who (fortunately) don't know about Heidi Montag's clothing line, it's horribly awesome. And this link will take you to not only a preview of her fall collection but you can look while you listen to her new track "Fashion". It's so horrible it circles back around to awesome ... and then horrible again.

3. Feist on Sesame Street: 1234
Singing chickens ... nuff said.

And for your enjoyment: