sundries

[rm]

We train girls early and often to police and abuse other girls; we eat our own. Seriously, are slut lists a revelation to anyone?

Someone get this guy out of the air before he plows his plane into her house in vengeance. The FAA is apparently too stupid to understand how this sort of thing _is_ a threat to air safety.

I covet Coventry. I went to the Fluevog store yesterday to try on the sexiest shoes ever. They were not in stock. Now I can't decide whether to pursue this. It's annoying.

There's going to be another 1940s event at the Player's Club. And it actually works in our schedule. Yes oh yes oh yes. I felt bad about not wearing a suit last time, and I think I'm going to continue to feel bad about it, because it was all so funny and loud and AWESOME. I promise not to drop redstapler again. Patty might be less safe, but ideally I won't drop anyone.

Governor's Island on Sunday! -- Although it's looking like rain. Anyone know what the plan B is on that (if there is one). marchek? I know you've emailed with Michael once or twice....?

I said it on Twitter yesterday, but it's still funny (and I still have to write the article) -- Note to self: Do not use examples from Torchwood in an article on "First Date Disasters That Lead to Second Dates."

Speaking of Twitter: today the girlnumber9 characters are tweeting about their cats. Points for realism, but really?

Are any of you people who are obsessing on Eastwick (which I haven't seen yet) familiar with the novel or the film? Is it still awesome if you have context?

You may have noticed that skinny, skinny 60s-style suits are in right now. Against my better judgment, I really do think they look great on some men, and in truth, I wish I could wear them. But as I've written about before, my hips mean I don't get to be a certain sort of guy. It's pretty interesting. But guys, if you're going to wear those suits and, we're going to see your socks when you walk (and we are, as the trouser length on these things is a bit short), wear cool socks.

If I owe you fic bits on collaborative projects, my goal is tonight, but the rest of today is going to be BUSY.

Comments

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Note to self: Do not use examples from Torchwood in an article on "First Date Disasters that Lead to Second Dates."

Ahahah, so true. As you say, still funny.

[bare-bear.livejournal.com]

I went to the Fluevog store yesterday to try on the sexiest shoes ever. They were not in stock. Now I can't decide whether to pursue this.

See, I live by the phrase "if it's meant to be, it'll be there when I come back" when I go shopping, especially if I'm wavering whether or not I really want something (I'm cheap and also living on a small grad student stipent). If it's out of stock, then it's not meant to be.

HOWEVER, when it's something I desperately want and it's out of stock, then I usually inquire whether the item will be back in stock, then give myself one more visit to find it.

It can really suck to be so strict on ones spending. :(

[drfardook.livejournal.com]

I was wondering about the picnic sunday as well. According to the gov's island blog the rain date is next weekend.

http://govislandblog.com/

I'm looking at a 2 1/2 hour trip out to the Island in a suit so I wish they'd just say yea or nay ahead of time.

And those shoes are totally fab. I'll need to stop by the Fleuvogs store when I'm feeling solvent again.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Well, if that happens, we'll be at the airshow -- but thanks for the info!

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

According to the e-mail I got,

In the unfortunate event that we will need to reschedule the Lawn Party due to inclement weather, we will be sending out an email notification by 8am Sunday morning, as well as updating the Dreamland website and the Facebook event page. Please refer to the www.dreamlandorchestra.com for all up to date information.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Brilliant. I hope the forecast changes, as I'd so love to go.

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

Me too!

Coincidentally, that’s Paul Gross under the brolly in my icon.

Eastwick

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

I saw the movie ages ago, of course, since it was filmed two towns over from where I grew up, and I stood in line for a long time to try to be an extra! Which was fun, of course.

I liked it, though some of the character details and reshuffling of the characters annoyed me a bit (splitting Sukie's defining characteristics between two characters, for example) but not so much that I didn't enjoy watching it. The powers are clearly defined, and the characters are fun, though I think Kat (Jaime Ray Newman, the reason why I'm watching it in the first place!) has the most complex situation.

Re: Eastwick

[rm.livejournal.com]

So worthy checking out? I saw the film when it first came out -- I was probably about 12 and I don't think my parents got how sexual it was going to be and were later really appalled they had taken me to see it -- and loved it, probably in some toxic, formative way. So fun? Worth watching? Does the guy have the charisma to carry it off?

Re: Eastwick

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

Does the guy have the charisma to carry it off?

Paul Gross is charisma with legs.

Re: Eastwick

[rm.livejournal.com]

Okay, because in the stills I was like "I DONUT CARE."

Re: Eastwick

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

This is the same man who brought us Due South, Slings and Arrows, Men With Brooms, Wilby Wonderful...

And sucking on razor blades.

Re: Eastwick

[rednwhiterose.livejournal.com]

I THOUGHT HE LOOKED FAMILIAR!!!

Thank you for helping me *not* go crazy.

Re: Eastwick

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

I think it's worth watching the pilot, though I personally felt that the women are much more interesting to watch than Paul Gross. Definitely fun and a bit cheesy. I think the pilot will give you a good idea of whether or not you want to watch it regularly.

On the Governor's Island thing...that sounds really fun, and I might go by!

Re: Eastwick

[rm.livejournal.com]

The Governor's Island thing is awesome -- check the comments for the possible rain-out info though...

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

Re: Eastwick, I saw The Witches of Eastwick a few years before reading the book in my early teens, so my memories are pretty hazy — as best as I recall, my reaction to both was “Strong start, nasty turn, disappointing ending.”

So far the biggest difference between this TV incarnation and its source material is that this time around, the women don’t already know each other when their powers manifest.

[marchek.livejournal.com]

Governor's Island on Sunday! -- Although it's looking like rain.

I just sent an email to you regarding this.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Thank you! You know things.

[marchek.livejournal.com]

It's my job.

[gina-r-snape.livejournal.com]

Oh please please please please PLEASE let it not rain on Sunday.

[abnormal-apathy.livejournal.com]

Interestingly enough, when I actually WAS a slut, I wasn't on any lists. Yet, I seemed to top them when I wasn't sleeping with anyone. Hmmm.

[ckd]

In too many cases, the definition of "slut" seems to be "woman who won't sleep with the person calling them a slut".

[rm.livejournal.com]

Or "woman sleeping with the guy the woman saying 'slut' wants."

[ckd]

Too true, and in that case also prone to said guy calling them both sluts on the grounds that neither will allow his Magical Wand of Heteroness to penetrate them.

Bleah.

[malle-babbe.livejournal.com]

Or "girl who has the bad taste to hit puberty earlier (or more dramatically) than her peers".

I often wonder if folks are upset about the use of social media (MySpace pages, YouTube footage of beatdowns) to perpetuate this kind of abuse are upset that the technology is being used to glamorize this kind of behavior, or that by publicizing it, such behavior (that has persisted for decades) has become more difficult for adults to ignore.

[lolliejean.livejournal.com]

Oh I have Coventry LOVE. Stop tempting me!!!

[browneyedgirl65.livejournal.com]

Those boots ARE gorgeous. Thankfully between the price and the comments which note they seem best for narrow feet (which I decidedly do not have), I'm resisting. But oh, they are gorgeous...

[woogledesigns.livejournal.com]

Coventry was targeted for bombing during WWII because it appeared prominently in a British tourist brochure read by Hitler.

[luke-jaywalker.livejournal.com]

I thought Coventry *wasn't* especially targeted - plenty of other cities got the same treatment from the Luftwaffe.

The only reason we know of Coventry in particular is because of the persistent rumors (which apparently began shortly after the raid itself) that the government knew about the planned raid but didn't do anything for fear of giving away to the Germans that they'd broken Enigma.

[ckd]

I suspect the high concentration of industrial sites had more to do with it. (Back when the phrase "British auto industry" wasn't a joke, Coventry was in some ways the Detroit of Britain.)

[luke-jaywalker.livejournal.com]

Re: slut lists: I'm fairly sure that's *not* new. I remember seeing a note (passed across my desk from one girl to another, not folded, glanced at it) in which the two girls seemed to be rating girls from another set in terms of "who is the biggest skank and why?" That'd have been the mid-`90s.

But - I don't think teenagers need any "we train" in order to abuse each other. Guys bully other guys all the time, too - just that the bullying takes the form of physical violence/destruction, not verbal slander. Guys fight all the time, too.

It's just that teenaged males bullying and fighting each other happens out in the open and is taken for granted as a permanent, if undesirable, "how things are." Girls slandering each other happens in private and so it's considered "news" when something like this surfaces.

So far as I'm concerned, CNN's headline may as well be "BREAKING NEWS! JOCKS ABUSE NERDS!" or "FOOTBALL TEAM PLAYERS PRESSURE NEWBIES INTO HUMILIATING INITIATION RITUALS!" This ain't news, guys.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I'll agree that people will be assholes to each other without encouragement. However, I refuse to believe that we are biologically wired to think people who have sex are terrible people, so girls policing each other about sexual activity as a way to establish social hierarchy is the result of messages about both jealousy and shame that they are getting somewhere.

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

The girlnumber9 tweets fascinate me. I love how they pop up in my feed among all the other stuff.

[marcmagus]

While the existence of slut lists shouldn't be a revelation, this quote from their expert reveals...something. "...unfortunately, the girls on the list are the popular ones."

WTF was that supposed to mean?

[airspaniel.livejournal.com]

When is this 1940s event at the Player's Club? It's relevant to my interests.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oct 9.

[airspaniel.livejournal.com]

Damn. Maybe next time.

[isil-helyanwe.livejournal.com]

You may have noticed that skinny, skinny 60s-style suits are in right now.

I have a (male) friend who dresses in these and takes great care to match his socks with his shirts. It is an essential consideration, but doesn't stop us mocking him.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

The "girls will be girls" excuse is exactly why, throughout high school, I resisted doing anything "girlie." It seemed to me at the time that all the overtly "feminine" girls were just mean.