When I first read about Shulamith Firestone's behaviour, I was kind of appalled. I thought that, at times, she acted insanely immature-- she threw temper tantrums that seemed awfully childish to me. When she stood on a desk and ripped up papers, I thought that she couldn't sink much lower. I've always been taught that if you want to be treated with respect, you should treat others with respect. It's the golden rule, for crying out loud, Shulamith! 'Get your act together,' I thought to myself. 'Blowing up on other people because you disagree with them is no way to get what you want.' That may be the case today, but maybe it wasn't the case back then.
Shulamith and I live in different time periods. In the 20th century, nobody was listening to women and treated them with disrespect when they voiced their concerns about inequalities. It may have been the only way to bring attention to her cause at the time. It's hard for me to truly say what I would have done and what I would consider appropriate, were I in her shoes. Nowadays it's easy for me to post on Facebook or tumblr or twitter how I feel, and hundereds of people can see. It wasn't so easy back then.
The situation then reminded me to consider how I act when someone says something I disagree with. I may have been known to over react in my day (NOT because I am female). Sometimes, it just really makes me upset when someone is being ignorant and rude.
For exapmle, I have a male friend, who, for the sake of his reputation, shall remain unnamed. We'll call him David. So David and his friends were hanging out with a group of ladies. david's friend was showing David some pictures on his phone. The two were giggling and laughing as they scrolled through what we later found out to be photos. Curious, I asked them what they were laughing at. "Just some slut's profile pictures," David said.
My blood was boiling. I tried to stay calm, but it was to no avail. "WHAT MAKES HER A SLUT, MIGHT I ASK?"I gritted through my teeth. My roomie, also in the room, backed me up. "Yes, David. Please share."
"You can see her tits in like every single one of her profile pictures!"
"She can't help that. Are you serious?"
David laughed and my roomie & I lost it. We began ranting and yelling at him.
In retrospect I wonder if that was really the right way to go about arguing my point. Obviously there are a million things I thought David did wrong, but should I have been so immature about arguing with him? Shulamith would have yelled at David & co. She would not have tolerated their behaivor, as my roomie and I did not. Maybe I over reacted by yelling and calling him a mysoginist (this was not the first sexist remark I'd heard David utter). Maybe I should have kept calm and reflected. Is it okay for me to make such an outburst to get my point across? Will it make David reconsider his actions, or will he just laught at me and talk to his friend about me being an emotional woman? I have to reconsider how I go about fighting my battles in this day and age, where I could channel this emotion into a more positive outlet (like this blog post).
Don't be sexist.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Sunday, November 30, 2014
9 Ways to Make Your Dorm Feel Like Home for the Holidays!
Christmas is a time for fun and cheer.... and lots of decorations. What is a tradition for most families in their households can be carried over to your dorm room (your roomie permitting...) with ease. Here are 9 ways you can "spruce" up your room to make it feel homey in time for the holiday season!!
1. Set up a Christmas tree (if you celebrate Chrismas)
The Christmas tree is iconic. It brings people together, and a light into your home. Why not bring a tiny version into your room?? I got my tree at Jo-Ann's on Black Friday for ~$5, along with a set of 10 snowflake lights for $1 at the Dollar Tree. Not very cost effective at all! PLUS!!! You and your roomie/friends/enemies can come together and make ornaments for funsies. It'll be a good bonding experience.
2. String lights and garland around your room
Easy peasy. It'll take 10 minutes, and costs about ~$5 for a 100 sting lights from Walgreens. That's about enough to go over your windows. Also, if you're lazy, you can leave them up all year and it won't even be a big deal!
3. Window sticky thingies.
Now everyone outside can see that you're filled with Christmas/Hannukah/your holiday of choice spirit!! It'll make ya smile when you open your blinds in the morning too. You can also put them on your mirrors for a little extra somethin'!
4. Scents
Scented pinecones and/or a holiday themed scented candle bring the holiday vibe together. There are some fascinating visual effects you can bring into your room, but you can't forget the smells!! My roomie and I have cinnamon scented pinecones for decoration and a pine tree scented candle-- a fantastic combo. Bring the smell of Christmas out of the cold and into your cozy room.
5. Wear Christmas PJ's
When I wear my jammies I just feel so cozy. This season is a time to feel happy and cuddly, and what better way to feel so cozy than with special PJ's and maybe a fuzzy blanket? Snugglin' is great, and if you have a fab roomie like I do, maybe you'll even snuggle together!
6. Play Christmas music every waking hour of the day.
My roomie and I have a record player, so you best believe I brought my Nutcracker vinyl back to school with me after break! Set up a playlist on YouTube of some of your faves and play them when you need something to get jiggy with during a study sesh.
Here are some of my personal favorites to get you started:
All I Want for Christmas is You (Mariah Carey)
Let is Snow (Dean Martin)
What Christmas Means to Me (Hanson)
Santa Baby (Eartha Kitt)
7. Lots of Ho-Cho.
After a long day of sledding as a lil' kiddo, I would always look forward to coming home to a nice big mug of hot chocolate! Now when I come home from walking through the cold all the way up to my room, I like to warm back up with the same drink I enjoyed in my youth.
8. Paper Snowlflakes
CLASSIC. They are so easy to make and take such little effort that it's hard to say no to this (unless you're a lil' Grinch). You can tape them up, hang them from places, whatever. It's honestly so hard to go wrong with these!
9. Watch Frozen....(Or a classic holiday favorite)
Rudolph, Frosty, The Island of Misfit Toys, A Christmas Story.... everyone that celebrates Christmas has a favorite movie to watch
But Frozen, man, I just really like that movie. I even have Elsa pajamas that I got on Black Friday this year. Trust me--just watch this video!
1. Set up a Christmas tree (if you celebrate Chrismas)
The Christmas tree is iconic. It brings people together, and a light into your home. Why not bring a tiny version into your room?? I got my tree at Jo-Ann's on Black Friday for ~$5, along with a set of 10 snowflake lights for $1 at the Dollar Tree. Not very cost effective at all! PLUS!!! You and your roomie/friends/enemies can come together and make ornaments for funsies. It'll be a good bonding experience.
2. String lights and garland around your room
Easy peasy. It'll take 10 minutes, and costs about ~$5 for a 100 sting lights from Walgreens. That's about enough to go over your windows. Also, if you're lazy, you can leave them up all year and it won't even be a big deal!
3. Window sticky thingies.
Now everyone outside can see that you're filled with Christmas/Hannukah/your holiday of choice spirit!! It'll make ya smile when you open your blinds in the morning too. You can also put them on your mirrors for a little extra somethin'!
4. Scents
Scented pinecones and/or a holiday themed scented candle bring the holiday vibe together. There are some fascinating visual effects you can bring into your room, but you can't forget the smells!! My roomie and I have cinnamon scented pinecones for decoration and a pine tree scented candle-- a fantastic combo. Bring the smell of Christmas out of the cold and into your cozy room.
5. Wear Christmas PJ's
When I wear my jammies I just feel so cozy. This season is a time to feel happy and cuddly, and what better way to feel so cozy than with special PJ's and maybe a fuzzy blanket? Snugglin' is great, and if you have a fab roomie like I do, maybe you'll even snuggle together!
6. Play Christmas music every waking hour of the day.
My roomie and I have a record player, so you best believe I brought my Nutcracker vinyl back to school with me after break! Set up a playlist on YouTube of some of your faves and play them when you need something to get jiggy with during a study sesh.
Here are some of my personal favorites to get you started:
All I Want for Christmas is You (Mariah Carey)
Let is Snow (Dean Martin)
What Christmas Means to Me (Hanson)
Santa Baby (Eartha Kitt)
7. Lots of Ho-Cho.
After a long day of sledding as a lil' kiddo, I would always look forward to coming home to a nice big mug of hot chocolate! Now when I come home from walking through the cold all the way up to my room, I like to warm back up with the same drink I enjoyed in my youth.
8. Paper Snowlflakes
CLASSIC. They are so easy to make and take such little effort that it's hard to say no to this (unless you're a lil' Grinch). You can tape them up, hang them from places, whatever. It's honestly so hard to go wrong with these!
9. Watch Frozen....(Or a classic holiday favorite)
Rudolph, Frosty, The Island of Misfit Toys, A Christmas Story.... everyone that celebrates Christmas has a favorite movie to watch
But Frozen, man, I just really like that movie. I even have Elsa pajamas that I got on Black Friday this year. Trust me--just watch this video!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
But Not This...
This summer I stumbled upon a YouTube channel with my best friend and we instantly became hooked on his videos. I've shown them to essentially everyone that matters to me, which is why I'm sharing this with y'all. Now, I've gotten mixed reactions from my friends/family/etc. when I showed them. My mother was confused, my roomie died laughing, and sometimes my friends just didn't understand why I found these videos as hilarious as I do (as they are). I don't expect you to laugh, but if you do, it's probably becaus you understand irony.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU5w5OMfVj4
Follow the link.
As silly as I personally think this video ( and the rest of his videos are), he makes an important point: Everyone has a limit. To quote 'MDE forever,' "There is a lot that a man can be put through in life before he reaches his limits." Sometimes the smallest things can set you off!! This can be surprising to those around you, and, on occasion, yourself!
Now obviously this guy is just joshin' around. He isn't actually upset about his chocolates. He didn't actually get duped by someone he "led into his castle." This video was clearly created with intentions of getting a laugh out of people, but this does not make it void of an arguement!!!
Say we really WERE to take this fellow seriously. Say whoever he is addressing in this video "tuched his chocolates," even after he specifically asked the addressee not to. That would stink!! Giving people second chances based on faith that they will have learned their lesson and then having your faith be shattered into a million pieces would be quite infuriating. Trust is a very fragile thing, and forgiveness can be quite difficult to give. To be mislead once is bad enough, but being stabbed in the back twice is an exceptionally awful feeling.
Should we take this video seriously, it appears that it is very easy to set people with a broken sense of trust off. Something as small as chocolates can cause a man to expose his bloated belly and film himself as he rambles about his disappointment in the addressee. This same concept applies to people universally! Anyone could be upset if something they really cared about was tampered with.
SO... be kind to others! You don't know what's going on in others' lives, and something you could say as a joke or do unintentionally could really upset someone. Be curteous and thoughtful; pay attention to what they say and how they appear to be feeling. You could end up sending them over the edge, and that is not a very nice thing to do.
ALSO, if you are in the position of frustrated human being, be patient. Not everyone always understands that maybe you've had a bad day, or week, or month, etc. Also, try to communicate your feelings in a sane way instead of ranting in front of a mirror and making threats to someone you're upset with. But hey, whatever works.
THANK YOU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU5w5OMfVj4
Follow the link.
As silly as I personally think this video ( and the rest of his videos are), he makes an important point: Everyone has a limit. To quote 'MDE forever,' "There is a lot that a man can be put through in life before he reaches his limits." Sometimes the smallest things can set you off!! This can be surprising to those around you, and, on occasion, yourself!
Now obviously this guy is just joshin' around. He isn't actually upset about his chocolates. He didn't actually get duped by someone he "led into his castle." This video was clearly created with intentions of getting a laugh out of people, but this does not make it void of an arguement!!!
Say we really WERE to take this fellow seriously. Say whoever he is addressing in this video "tuched his chocolates," even after he specifically asked the addressee not to. That would stink!! Giving people second chances based on faith that they will have learned their lesson and then having your faith be shattered into a million pieces would be quite infuriating. Trust is a very fragile thing, and forgiveness can be quite difficult to give. To be mislead once is bad enough, but being stabbed in the back twice is an exceptionally awful feeling.
Should we take this video seriously, it appears that it is very easy to set people with a broken sense of trust off. Something as small as chocolates can cause a man to expose his bloated belly and film himself as he rambles about his disappointment in the addressee. This same concept applies to people universally! Anyone could be upset if something they really cared about was tampered with.
SO... be kind to others! You don't know what's going on in others' lives, and something you could say as a joke or do unintentionally could really upset someone. Be curteous and thoughtful; pay attention to what they say and how they appear to be feeling. You could end up sending them over the edge, and that is not a very nice thing to do.
ALSO, if you are in the position of frustrated human being, be patient. Not everyone always understands that maybe you've had a bad day, or week, or month, etc. Also, try to communicate your feelings in a sane way instead of ranting in front of a mirror and making threats to someone you're upset with. But hey, whatever works.
THANK YOU
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