response: saudis in bikinis

Nicholas D. Kristof brings up a touchy subject with his essay, “Saudis in Bikinis.” While I appreciate his view of women needing choice and the ability to decide the type of lifestyle they would like to lead, whether it be through more or less of a display of their bodies, I think his opinion and the mocking of a culture he is not a part of is not a constructive or intelligent way to make a point. He seems not to realize how contradictory he is when he denies the paternalistic manner in which he condescends upon these women. “Is it paternalistic of us in the West to try to liberate women who insist that they’re happy as they are?” (177). Yes, Mr. Kristof, I’m afraid that it is. 

boy toy

i love this band. this is from their first EP (my pal sam gave me a copy last fall and i've been hooked ever since) and i just got my pre-ordered vinyl of their first full length album, "grackle", in the mail yesterday. it's super bad ass and you should get yourself a copy or pick up a cassette tapes at one of their shows during their tour! i get to see them on the fifth of november! if you like empowered chick singers and killer guitars/drums, you will enjoy this. buy it. you won't regret it. http://boytoy.bandcamp.com/

rebounding.

it's been years since i've been on this thing. today, i came to the library to do some homework and print hard copies of some essays and somehow got sucked into this rehabilitation project for my long lost blog for the past two hours. i did my best to update my snapshots section with my favorite photos from the past four years - save the film ones i haven't been able to scan as of late (which, let's be real here, are far superior to my cell phone photography) - and i've redone the template to try my best to combine my blog i began when i moved to boston with this one. it's been a trip skimming over all my old snapshots and posts and remembering the past headspaces i've lived in. #nostalgia

in the past month and a half since i've turned twenty-five, i've gone through more changes than i can count; i have the stress acne to prove it. since i've always been a talker and a writer, i'm trying to use all of this chaos to harness the writing outlet over the talking in order to keep my thoughts more cohesive and allow them to be a public thing that i can return to when in need. i'll try to share things that interest me from school, my new surroundings (seattle), and events and arts i may come across.

here's a good reminder from the cutest, laney sayer. she spent the last year or so living in los angeles, and while seattle is no L.A., i think these are good reminders for everyone. 

if heart break is a creative outlet all i can do is harness it and hope for the best, right?