sundries

[rm]

Trying more of this hyper-focus thing today. Yesterday I got scads done, cleaned all the things and got to have a nice night with Patty. I may also have solved the cruise conundrum (anyone have feelings about Celebrity as a line?).

I may also have solved the dress conundrum. Yes, I say I don't like one-shouldered numbers and worry black is too sedate, but this is a good dress-up/dress-down dress and it's not about the dress anyway, it's about my neckline and my tattoo. I don't want people to be looking at the dress. I do worry it's too safe, or that it won't fit right, but I suppose, order now, have time to solve issues later (because, among other things, I might want to get it shortened so it's just above my knee instead of just below it).

How and why false confessions happen.

Report cards from the Manhattan Trade School for Girls. Weirdly enough, I used to live across the street from there in the Russell Sage building. During the years I lived there there was one shop room on the first floor with frosted windows that someone had leaned a big teddy bear up against on the inside. I can't tell you how many times I walked by their at night with friends who were startled by this shadowy figure and, then, after noticing it that first time, never, ever stopped being creeped out by it.

Vodoun, stigma and status in Benin.

The next steps in the marriage equality battle in New York.

theferrett has something on real names vs. usernames. I cannot speak to the developer-related aspects of this, but one of the valuable things about usernames are that they make engagement with pseudonoymous identities explicit, as opposed to the murky world of "yes, you can just lie about you real name if you need a pseudononymous identity." Being out, about all sorts of things, is a privilege, and I think it's more generous to users and better for online culture, when we can say "here is my mask or shield and I stand by it as my identity and my brand" as opposed to "here is my real name I may or may not be lying about."

Last night on Angel: Monster of the week episode; girl gets turned into a werewolf, plot stolen from half-a-dozen places. On the other hand, I feel like in my ongoing "OMG, RTD, I see what you did there!" tirade, this is the most important episode yet.

There's the end -- where we have this gorgeous team, chilling out, awkwardly, in their fearless leader (to whom they can't quite connect) pad overlooking the city. There's Spike and his struggle against hell (is something moving in the dark, Blondiebear? That's what I want to know). There's the discussion of Angel and his ability to have relationships. There's the mistrust of Gunn and his enhancements (don't use alien artifacts for your own amusement, kids). There's Wesley inability to say anything without sounding slightly smarmy (is that intentional in the performance or just an awkward side-effect of my having seen Torchwood first and the way Denisof sort of smirks his way through every line?) There's the way Angel's like "fine, eat the other guy, I don't give a shit."

All the brutality and love hung on a sort of pointless frame that I think of as so emblematic of the first two seasons of Torchwood is all so right here.

Comments

[spiderine.livejournal.com]

I like that dress and can see you in it. What you need is a big, chunky, gorgeous necklace with that. I have a glorious chunky polished amber necklace that I wear with my "little black dresses" that simply jumps off the black and makes my entire face glow (or at least I feel that it does!).

[frackattack.livejournal.com]

I find the report cards fascinating, a piece of history that needs to be treasured. I can't believe these were almost thrown out! It pays to be nosy. :)

[elisi]

The dress is gorgeous! And interesting enough not to be 'safe' I think?

And it's fascinating to see Angel through the lens of Torchwood - I always saw it the other way, of course, but S5 really hits the similarities since Team Angel really are 'outside the government etc'. Well, they're also attached to Evil Inc, which makes for a different sort of moral dilemma.

The episode is one of the weakest of the season, although it does encapsulate a lot of the themes. Also it has some truly excellent lines:

ANGEL: What I'm trying to do, Nina, is help you.
NINA: Said the psycho rapist. How do you know my name? What do you want with me?

Because really, 'psycho rapist' is a pretty spot-on description of Angelus...

Anyway, I must now run out the door to pick up the children after spending most of the day cleaning a fraction of the things... (There are SO MANY THINGS!)

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

You really cannot go wrong with that dress. You are not "too safe."

Stop Staring runs small. I am a Large. Order accordingly. Will still fit like paper on the wall (in a good way).

[rm.livejournal.com]

It also seems to run top heavy. Their size instructions say to order a small, but I'm afraid my ass will bust out of it. I'm afraid I don't have the tits for a medium though. Hence my order now, so I have time when I am disappointed later.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Also, am I right, no jewelry except maybe a bracelet?

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

My ass fits the hip measurements exactly for a L and I am not ripping out of it. Are your hips bitter than the Small?

And what are you usually, a S or XS?

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Bracelet and, if you can stand it, earrings of any kind.

[rm.livejournal.com]

My hips are SIGNIFICANTLY bigger than the small. Even the medium is pushing it.

[rm.livejournal.com]

The question is finding the right clip-ons, since they won't be pierced in time. Also my hair is all shaggy. Do I just try to work that or cut is as short as I usually do now and figure some really red lipstick will carry the day? (because if you have not heard me quote this before, this is a critical time to mention the four things that can usually go wrong in any situation: communication, transportation, accommodation and hair.)

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Ha, I asked if your hips were bitter. ARE THEY BITTER???

Trust the measurements, buy the Medium and get the top taken in. It will be worth it.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Any antique store worth its salt that deals in jewelry will have amazing clip-ons.

Get the haircut to reduce margin for error, but get it now so there's time to fuss with it.

Absolutely red lipstick.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Right. It's not as if I don't believe in tailoring as a nearly religious obligation. On the other hand, it does sort of inherently offend me that my body just won't do off-the-rack, because seriously? It should.

[rm.livejournal.com]

What sort of earrings? I have, in some ways, really unerring fashion sense, and in others, er, do not know how to be doing this. Do they dangle? Do they glitter? Are they chunky? What color are they? Remember, my hair hides nothing, so a big fucking earring is a big fucking earring on me.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Tell me about your bracelet and I will tell you about earrings.

[rm.livejournal.com]

The bracelet is fictional. I don't own any because I have freaky tiny wrists. On the other hand, I could, theoretically, acquire one. I assume it's not delicate though.

[eandh99.livejournal.com]

You're buying a Pam dress - seriously, she has it in red, looks amazing. Go with the measurements, not the size label - stopstaring thinks a size 18 is a 3X. And the earring should coordinate with the chunky bracelet - do you have a bracelet you want to wear? Take that with you when you're earring-shopping, and I'd recommend vintage shops as well. Okay, ETA you need a bracelet too. I'd stick to vintage for both pieces, I think you'll have a better change of finding a substantial bracelet for a small wrist that way. The tiniest flavour of Mad Men to the styling here.

[dulcinbradbury.livejournal.com]

I sympathize (and never would have guessed from the cut of the clothes I've seen you wear). I'm a small up top & a large on bottom too.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I really don't look like that's the case, because it's not a spread thing, it's a bubble-butt thing. So I look proportionate, but NOTHING EVER FITS.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Go to the same place you'll look for earrings, then. Do word of mouth or check Yelp reviews, go vintage all the way. Since the bracelet is harder to fit, get that first and then the earrings. A good vintage dealer will be able to help you with proportions. i.e. this is how my mom trained me!

What style would you tend toward if it didn't matter? The bracelet I mean.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Chunky and red, and my gut still says that's right, except I've gone from "red!" to "NO RED!" also I don't want to be too matchy matchy with accessories and makeup.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

I cannot for the life of me think of the word, but you can also go red and black, carved or embossed or whatever it is. Red and black. Red and gold. Or big red 60s bracelet which would frankly be awesome.

Remember all this stuff is classic for a reason. The point is to see the woman and not her stuff. Your lips echoing your bracelet is not a tragedy in this scenario.

[rm.livejournal.com]

You know, I should totally mooch off my mom for this one, as she has very small wrists like me, and has a red/black carved with roses sort of thing that I think is like what you're describing. Of course, then I'd have to Tell Her the Story or talk to her about my class reunion, neither of which are deeply appealing prospects.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

YES mooch off Mom. "Mom, I bought this amazing, classic dress you would totally love. Could I borrow your bracelet to see how it'd look? I've been invited to a cocktail thing with important film people and this might just be perfect."

Done.

[rm.livejournal.com]

See, this works, but it also provokes the world in which my mother still wants me to marry a movie star.