No offense but “fifteen” is one of Taylor Swift’s most important songs bc it addressed what it’s actually like to be a 15-year-old girl and looking back on it from an older perspective without being condescending and lets young girls know we’ve all been there and we’ve all survived and it makes me mad that the media ever singled out the line “Abigail gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind” as a bad example for young girls because not once did they ever address that line in context and how at 15 getting your heart broken literally does feel like the end of the world and how the line literally right before it was “back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday but I realized some bigger dreams of mine” and I know the media has become a lot nicer towards Taylor but I’m still pissed about all those years they held that one line in fifteen against her and tbh I trust no one bc of it.
My choir director loved to tell this story where she was in Italy singing in an Italian opera, and totally forgot the words, knowing that a horribly mean critic was watching. She just spewed a bunch of random Italian, and at one point ordered a pizza in Italian. The critic commented on her beautiful diction and connection to the text.
That is the most amazing diction substitution I’ve ever heard.
Still, [Junot] Diaz admits that writing in a woman’s voice comes with certain risks. “The one thing about being a dude and writing from a female perspective is that the baseline is, you suck,” he told me. “The baseline is it takes so long for you to work those atrophied muscles—for you to get on parity with what women’s representations of men are. For me, I always want to do better. I wish I had another 10 years to work those muscles so that I can write better women characters. I wring my hands because I know that as a dude, my privilege, my long-term deficiencies work against me in writing women, no matter how hard I try and how talented I am.”
For one of the most lauded writers of his generation to say he needs another decade of practice to write better women is no small thing. But Diaz told me that he’s often appalled by the portrayals of women in celebrated novels.
“I know from my long experience of reading,” he said, “that the women characters that dudes [write] make no fucking sense for the most part. Not only do they make no sense, they’re introduced just for sexual function.”
He gave a high-profile example, though he wouldn’t name names.
“There’s a book that came out recently from a writer I admire enormously. A woman character gets introduced. I said, ‘I promise you, this girl is just here to throw herself at the dude, even though the dude has done nothing, nothing, to merit or warrant a woman throwing herself at him.’ And lo and behold. This brilliant young American writer, that everybody sort of considers the god of American writing, turns around and does exactly that. When I asked my female friends, we all had a little gathering, and I was chatting. I was like, ‘Have you heard of a woman doing this?’ They’re like, ‘Are you fucking nuts?’”
On the other hand, Diaz said, “I think the average woman writes men just exceptionally well.” He cited Anne Enright, Maile Meloy, and Jesmyn Ward as examples of younger writers who write great male characters—and pointed to two of his idols, Jamaica Kincaid and Toni Morrison, as timeless masters. But he also detects an across-the-board improvement even in woman-penned books that are less than high-brow, especially in Young Adult fiction. “Look how well the boys are rendered in The Hunger Games,” he said.
It’s come to my attention that I have not yet made a post
about Farmer’s Market Hot™.
Farmer’s Market Hot is a specific kind of aesthetic that is
the result of me watching Orphan’s Black and trying to describe the hotness of
Cal to others.
See my point?
Farmer’s Market Hot is a wholesome kind of hot. Rugged but approachable.
It’s not the kind of hot where you immediately go, “Oh my god they’re so
perfect, I want to take them home and photograph them/tear their clothes off.” That’s
for later.
This is the kind of hot for people who would visit the farmer’s
market to buy some organic cheeses on their way to pick up their kids from
their Creativity Through Music class. It’s the look that says “I’m here to
support our local beekeepers.” You see them and it makes you want to settle down.
You want to do your taxes with them, raise dogs together.
It’s borderline hipster without the elitism and irony,
borderline country without the sound of Tim McGraw. If they’re white, racist
shit like dreads automatically disqualifies them.
Guys will most likely be stubbly, or bearded, but not to the
point of lumberjack. Think Chris Evans in between Marvel movies.
Pictured: a man who wants to buy artisan bread from a stall
and be polite to the merchants.
Imagine a woman with a sunflower tattoo, wearing a high-low
dress and clunky dependable boots, holding a dog’s leash while she waits at the
knife sharpening booth. Imagine a man wearing flannel and holding a baby while
talking about ethical alternatives to quinoa.
okay, listen…corn flakes are the best cereal b/c they’re driven by some mysterious higher power. like, you eat some and they taste like cardboard and you’re appalled, but the box is right there so you have a few more and maybe it’s not that bad? and then you’re zoned out sort of, watching netflix or reading a book or whatever, and then you realize they’re just the right amount of sweet without being overpowering and that they’re probably the best damn thing you’ve ever put in your mouth, but then you stop eating them for like ten seconds, you gotta go to the bathroom or something, and by the time you come back you have to start the process all over again. corn flakes make you work for it, but that’s part of their charm
I, your Friendly Neighborhood Librarian absolve you from all literary sins and encourage you to go and read what you like on the platform of your choosing.
Never feel guilty for reading fan fic at 3am. Everything is fanfic in the end. From fanfic you were made, to fanfic you shall return.
Read that which has been panned by literary snobs. Read novels churned out by the dozen by authors with a dozen pseudonyms.
Read your US and People. Flip through Popular Science just for the gadgets section. Read articles about the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
Read books outside your comfort zone. Don’t finish them if you don’t want. It’s the book’s fault, not yours.
Read in your comfort zone. Read a YA and romance and science if and fantasy.
Skip over the boring bits. Read it because you heard about it from Oprah or because everyone else is reading it.
Giggle yourself silly at something so poorly written and full of author wish fulfillment that you just can’t stop reading it.
Don’t listen to the keepers of taste and culture. Their reward comes every time they pat themselves on the back for their superior taste.
Don’t listen to the academics that bemoan the downfall of society and learning. They have been doing that since Socrates’ time.
Don’t listen to the tv presenters who insist you are not cultured if you haven’t read from this list of books.
Audio books count as reading. Ebooks count as reading. Fanfic of questionable quality counts as reading. Rereading books for the third time counts as reading. Reading to your child counts as reading. Reading from the back of the cereal box (and doing the puzzle) counts as reading.
TL;DR: read what you want. Don’t be ashamed. Never let someone try to make you feel bad for how or what you read and enjoy. Tell them that I, your Friendly Neighborhood Librarian have absolved you from your guilt and have given you special blessings. Go forth and read, my child.
But still interested in feeding yourself? What if I told you that there’s a woman with a blog who had to feed both herself and her young son…on 10 British pounds ($15/14 Euro) per week?
Let me tell you a thing.
This woman saved my life last year. Actually saved my life. I had a piggy bank full of change and that’s it. Many people in my fandom might remember that dark time as when I had to hock my writing skills in exchange for donations. I cried a lot then.
This is real talk, people: I marked down exactly what I needed to buy, totaled it, counted out that exact change, and then went to three different stores to buy what I needed so I didn’t have to dump a load of change on just one person. I was already embarrassed, but to feel people staring? Utter shame suffused me. The reasons behind that are another post all together.
AgirlcalledJack.com is run by a British woman who was on benefits for years. Things got desperate. She had to find a way to feed herself and her son using just the basics that could be found at the supermarket. But the recipes she came up with are amazing.
You have to consider the differing costs of things between countries, but if you just have three ingredients in your cupboard, this woman will tell you what to do with it. Check what you already have. Chances are you have the basics of a filling meal already.
Bake your own bread. It’s easier than you think. Here’s a list of many recipes, each using some variation of just plain flour, yeast, some oil, maybe water or lemon juice. And kneading bread is therapeutic.
She has a book, but many recipes can be found on her blog for free. She prices her recipes down to the cent, and every year she participates in a project called “Living Below the Line” where she has to live on 1 BP per day of food for five days.
Things improved for me a little, but her website is my go to. I learned how to bake bread (using my crockpot, but that was my own twist), and I have a little cart full of things that saved me back then, just in case I need them again. She gives you the tools to feed yourself, for very little money, and that’s a fabulous feeling.
Tip: Whenever you have a little extra money, buy a 10 dollar/pound/euro giftcard from your discount grocer. Stash it. That’s your super emergency money. Make sure they don’t charge by the month for lack of use, though.
I don’t care if it sounds like an advertisement–you won’t be buying anything from the site. What I DO care about is your mental, emotional, and physical health–and dammit, food’s right in the center of that.
If you don’t need this now, pass it on to someone who does. Pass it on anyway, because do you REALLY know which of the people in your life is in need? Which follower might be staring at their own piggy bank? Trust me: someone out there needs to see this.
i taught the cats to high five for treats, but now nova thinks highfiving will get anything he wants. i just tried to eat some pringles, he tried layin a sick five down, but no these are my fukkin chips cat! i hid my hands to stop him…. and the little fucker climbs on my lap, looks deep into my eyes, and slowly, gingerly, lifts one paw and boops me on the fukkin nose what the fuck even are cats
I swear Fury Road is made up of 90% dramatic/ironic/painful echoes by volume.
For instance, Max and Angharad both fall off of the Rig after rescuing the driver (Angharad using the boltcutters on the harpooned wheel, Max body-checking multiple polecats away from Furiosa).
And both times Capable and Dag try to save them by reaching out from the backseat. They only succeed once.
It occurred to me the other day that Angharad dies in the back of the Gigahorse, where the Organic Mechanic does his impromptu c-section. The same place where Furiosa almost dies but is saved by Max.
one thing though - what the Organic Mechanic does is not a c-section imo. a c-section is a surgery during which the woman/pregnant person is treated as a person/a patient. what the Organic Mechanic did was cut a woman open like breaking open a Christmas cracker to get the goodies inside. He’s treating her as a thing, an incubator whose only worth is to create a male heir.
It’s dismemberment, not surgery.
The reason why I’m pointing this out is that it’s not just that Angharad dies in that palce and Furiosa lives, but that Angharad is treated as a thing by OM whereas Max… revisits his own physical exploitation and being treated as a thing to treat Furiosa with infinite care.
The thing that remains the same btw is that a woman/women are with both Angharad and Furiosa, loving them and grieving them. Miss Giddy holds Angharad as she passes away, always seeing her as a person; the Vuvalini and the sisters comfort/hold Furiosa.
The major difference is the definition of humanity/masculinity the man involved is working from - are you capable of giving life of yourself or do you just take from those who can, ripping it out of them?
The final note is that OM is the man that violated Max’s body, though it’s Max’s choice that makes him different/in community with the women there not merely having been victimized.
AND ANOTHER THING
The 3 people helping Max save Furiosa are the Dag, Capable, and the Vuvalini played by Melita Jurisic. Each of them lost someone they were particularly close to during the final chase–Dag lost Keep, Capable lost Nux, and while I’m arguing Joy Smither’s Vuvalini was ‘Melita’s’ BFF we might, even if headcanon fails, say she’s lost her sisters as a whole (Valkyrie and Maadi, too!). And I’m very into the symbolism and emotional punch of having the people who are grieving most being the ones to keep Furiosa from dying, too.
I really loved that bit about Angharad being treated like a thing but Max revisits his own exploitation. Like you know when Slit throws a lance past Max’s face at the beginning, kinda using him to aim and later Furiosa uses the same side to make that awesome shot? This reminded me of that. But seriously there is so much deep thinking going on and my thoughts are just ‘I wonder if the war pup at the beginning is taking Max’s hair so he can make some kinda cuddly toy for himself’.
Okay but imagine women in Jurassic World like there actually being women soldiers and a woman in Pratt’s role who’s the raptor alpha and action hero and a little girl obsessed with Dinos and her and her sister surviving the island imagine women in movies wow
I just want everyone to know that your microwave has a button that says “defrost.” It’s not the same as heating it. 30 minutes on defrost will thaw a chicken to the same temp as if it’d been sitting out all day.
Has absolutely zero reservations about dancing in public, no matter what she looks like.
Always carries out a dare until the very end.
Harbours a strong, courageous streak, which, despite all of her other wonderful characteristics, is her underlying, most potent trait, which is why she ended up in Gryffindor.
That bravery also involves standing up for what is right.
Sticks up for those she loves.
Even when people are beyond her help (*cough* Snape *cough*).
Jumps in puddles.
Loves - and loves to help - animals, big or small.
(‘Would you consider James an animal?’ ‘Shut up, Marlene.’)
Isn’t necessarily allergic to lilies, but tells everyone she thinks they’re clichéd. Loves lilies anyway.
Likes plants in general, even though she has two black thumbs.
Never one to be intimidated by an opponent.
Snarky.
Although, she can be easily flustered (*cough* James *cough).
Often talks back to her teachers, but never in a disrespectful manner.
The above is pretty much canon, according to Slughorn.
So she always uses cheek, but never in an ignorant manner.
Loves sweets, but nothing too sickly.
Adores marshmallows.
She loves bonfires and sparklers, so she can roast marshmallows.
Likes dogs, but is a cat person.
Can’t blow bubblegum.
Likes Queen.
Likes Quidditch, but doesn’t trust herself on a broom.
Doesn’t trust herself with fire, either, but still uses sparklers religiously.
Always takes part in Bonfire Night.
Collects candles.
Chases butterflies (with Peter).
Doesn’t cook an awful lot, but is very good at slow-stewing meals, such as casseroles and soups, seeing as it’s so similar to Potions.
Loves cupcakes.
And loves to decorate cupcakes, even though she makes a mess.
She’ll bake them with Peter (well, he does most of the baking), and she’ll help to decorate. Peter’s decorating skills usually trump her’s, though.
She just adores the pastel colours of the icing.
Sets up bird houses in her backyard.
Doesn’t mind one bit when visiting owls use them.
Probably visits the Owlery more often than she sends letters.
Likes stargazing.
Does it often, with James, even before they were dating.
Usually involved tears and cigarette smoke.
Prefers cloud-watching, though.
Likes astrology, sure, but doesn’t set a lot of store by it (at least, that’s what she tells people).
Mildly superstitious.
Loves to climb trees.
Broke her arm when she was kid, once, from falling out a tree. Healed a little too quickly (from da MAGIKS).
Will fiercely defend everyone she loves until her dying breath. Which she did.
Loves making - and wearing - daisy chains.
Her favourite thing about Summer is the fashion.
She wears sundresses, sunhats, and sandals religiously.
But, she prefers to go barefoot.
Loves the beach.
Sticks her tongue out at people.
Likes strawberries, and strawberry-flavoured things (especially strawberry ice cream).
Gets hay fever, but will put up with it in the Spring, because everything is fresh and bright and new.
Seems to ladder every pair of tights she owns.
Always manages to loose her quills.
Likes art, but doesn’t set much store by her talents.
Can cartwheel.
Can only do handstands underwater.
Used to do gymnastics as a kid, not ballet.
Paints her toenails pink.
Adores her Doc Martens.
Likes maxi-skirts.
Tried to write a journal, but couldn’t stick with it for more than a few days.
She’s not bad swimmer.
Accidentally swum to the deep end when she was young, and nearly went under before someone dragged her out.
Her worst fear is drowning.
Loves to ride her bike. Only wobbles a little bit.
Loves gingerbread, and whacks James over the head when he suggests that it’s because of her hair.
‘Shut up, you prat.’ ‘You love it, Ginge.’
Likes tennis.
Lily in her white tennis skirt evokes a few snarky comments from James.
She throws her racket at him.
And then starts pelting tennis balls at him.
Lily in a visor.
Has a great friendship with each of the Marauders.
Bonds with Sirius over their family issues.
She worries greatly about her family, not her blood status.
Steals Remus’s jumpers from him.
Makes her own jewellery.
Made a friendship bracelet for each of the Marauders.
Peter accepts his happily.
Remus smiles and wears his proudly.
Sirius wears his with a multitude of wristbands.
James refuses to wear it, at first, because ‘I’m your boyfriend, Lily, not just a friend.’, so she kisses him on the cheek and tells him it can be a Boyfriend Bracelet.
He never takes it off, after that.
Squeals when Sirius gives her rides on his motorbike.
Doesn’t wear a lot of makeup, because she doesn’t like how it feels on her skin.
In fact, she used to wear more than she does now.
She would cover up her freckles.
But she stopped when James points out how much he likes her freckles.
However, she knows that she doesn’t need the attention of a bloke to make her feel comfortable in her own skin.
Her favourite colour is mint green.
Because they would come in her drink, she chews on mint leaves in Summer.
She does the same thing when she’s pregnant.
Buys chew toys for Sirius for his presents.
(Gets him the vinyl album he wanted, anyway.)
Calls James ‘Fork’ when she finds out why the boys call him ‘Prongs’.
Puts a cheeto on each fingers and eats it that way. Always.
Plays piano.
LOVES SCI-FI.
LOVES STAR WARS.
(Owns Star Wars pyjamas.)
LOVES DOCTOR WHO.
IS THE BIGGEST DOCTOR WHO NERD YOU WILL EVER MEET.
Grew up watching it with her family.
Elven-year-old Lily asks older Muggleborn Hogwarts’ students if everything in Doctor Who is real.
They just smile and ruffle her hair and laugh and tell her, ‘No, of course they aren’t.’
Loves her stuffed toys.
Still sleeps with one and whacks people when they tease her about it.
Always says that if she were to ever have a girl, she would name her Petunia.
Likes the rain, even though it means that she can’t go outdoors.
Likes tea, including herbal, and hot chocolate, too. Isn’t a huge fan of coffee.
Wants to travel to India, one day.
Will fiercely defend those she loves until her dying breath. And she did.
“i want to drive a car that doesn’t break down all the time”
“i want to one day consider buying a place instead of renting”
“i’d like to not be in so much debt”
we are the least entitled generation but we get the most shit
The truth in this tho
The other day, I started thinking about all the things I would do if I had a ton of money. They were almost all about paying off debt, buying a house, fixing my car, and getting more education for a better job. The most frivolous thing was getting a dog.
Yeah, I think my plans if I ever got rich would be “pay off all of my debt, acquire a nice apartment, pay off my parent’s debt, pay off Adler’s debt (I got you, sweetie), get a dog…start a charity?”
i really hate the effect our hypersexualized society has on young girls. do you know how fucked up it is for an 11 year old girl to be scared of heterosexual sex because she thinks its inevitable? when i was 11, guys told me it would be painful, that penetration was mandatory, and that guys will want blowjobs. when i said i didnt want to do that ever, everyone made fun of me, and my parents told me i’d want that when i got older. guys always look forward to sex but little girls not even in their teens yet are anticipating it in fear because they think it’s mandatory for them to experience pain and humiliation to please men honestly what the fuuuck
Okay, so Darcy Lewis, right? She’s pretty much been comic relief this whole time. She’s the one who talks about boys, points out the obvious, and calls Mjolnir “myao-myao”.
But what if one day they’re in the heat of battle, and Thor is knocked out and Mjolnir is lying on the ground, and Darcy comes out of her hiding spot thinking she’s got nothing to lose and grabs the hammer and she ACTUALLY LIFTS IT.
And everyone is watching her like “OH MY GOD WHAT DON’T WE KNOW ABOUT YOU?” As Darcy saves the day, and eventually Thor wakes up and sees her with the hammer and gets this huge grin on his face like “FRIEND DARCY, YOU HAVE BECOME A FINE WARRIOR!”
“i just got turned into an incubus or a succubus and i’m like the least smooth and most self-conscious person on the planet so i’m literally starving because i don’t know how to seduce people” AU. BONUS POINTS IF THEY ARE A VIRGIN.
“i’m a siren and i keep accidentally forgetting that i have roommates now and and end up putting them in my thrall when i’m singing taylor swift songs in the shower” AU
“i’m a newly-turned werewolf without a pack and i can’t really control myself well on full moon nights yet and you keep finding me passed out naked on your lawn” AU
“i got cursed and turned into an animal and taken to the shelter and ended up getting adopted by someone who is really hot OH NO” AU
“i’m a med student who has a huge crush on the hot guy who works at the coffee shop who always gives me free drinks when i’m stressed and calls me princess even though i pretend i think it’s annoying but i’m extremely concerned about him because he always smells like smoke so i always give him lectures about how terrible cigarettes are for you and i may have made a powerpoint which is probably excessive but lung health is extremely important and oops it turns out he’s part-dragon or something hahahaha oops” AU
“my best friend got turned into a frog and now i’m being the best wingman/woman/person ever by carrying them around to bars and getting hot people to kiss them in hopes of hooking them up with their true love” AU
“i’m a history major and i keep getting into arguments with one of my classmates about things because they keep saying i’m wrong so i finally scream, ‘how would you know?!?’ and they’re like, ‘because i was THERE!’ and that’s how we all find out that there is a centuries-old vampire taking our British history class” AU
Okay, dudes, so I saw mad max yesterday and AM STILL REELING.
Like, I had heard all the feminist hype about this movie and was very excited to go see it, but I had the secret fear that it would still let me down. Like, I was afraid it had been OVERhyped. So I tried to go in calmly. CALM, COOL, AND COLLECTED. That was me.
WAS.
WAS IS THE KEY WORD THERE. Because I walked out of it FUCKING GRINNING AND I WAS NONE OF THOSE THINGS ANYMORE BECAUSE MAD MAX WAS THE GREATEST THING EVER!!!!!
Here are the ways that Mad Max was AWESOME (not comprehensive and in no particular order. Putting it in list form just makes me look like I am a little less crazy than I actually am. Note: there are spoilers! and cursing- lots of cursing.)
So the beginning is kind of what I expected. Max captured by weird dudes, Furiosa is like the most honored warrior and in charge of driving the biggest truck (coolio) and the escaping wives are very explicit in their message (also coolio. gotta be explicit with these things) but, still, LETS SKIP FORWARD TO THE GOOD PARTS:
In the first meeting of Max and Furiosa- THEY BOTH TRY TO KILL ONE ANOTHER. Like… there is no instant friendship of “I will help you with these women” or “We need your help because we are women.” NO. THEY BOTH ATTACK. FURIOSA THROWS THE FIRST PUNCH.
Also, THE WIVES FUCKING TAKE PART IN THIS FIGHT! They are not fighters and don’t know what they’re doing but they fucking GRAB THE CHAIN that is attached to that fucker’s head and START YANKING. WOMEN WHO DON’T HAVE THE SKILLS STILL FIGHTIN BACK. oh god, just… it’s too good.
Within like a DAY of meeting her, Max is following Furiosa’s orders like it’s his MUTHAFUCKING JOB. Just does whatever she says. he is still holding a gun on the wives UNTIL SHE TELLS HIM TO GET UP AND DRIVE. and then he does that. Because she’s a badass. and you listen to the badass.
Okay, this is one of my biggest things in life so maybe other people won’t even notice it- but BOTH MAX AND FURIOSA DRIVE. Like, it’s not assumed that because Max is the man, he is going to drive all the time. It’s her car. She can drive it. He can take a nap in the passenger seat. GAH, YAASSS.
The gun scene. You’ve all already heard about it. Max is a bad shot. Furiosa is a better shot. HE JUST LETS HER USE HIS SHOULDER. Just take me up now. I am done.
Okay, but don’t take me up because then i would miss this next part and this is great. This might be my favorite part. Are you ready? Because Mad Max, the title character of this movie, is about to go on a solo-mission. A dangerous, manly mission by himself to beat one of the big bads and steal his supplies. He’s going alone, as men do, into the night. It’s probably going to be violent and badass and - OOPS NO WAIT. WE DON’T EVEN SEE IT. Like… I don’t think people realize what a big deal this is. Because it’s harder to see things that aren’t there but… BUT GUYS. This could have been a BIG FREAKING DEAL. MAX’S SOLO MISSION AND IT IS NOT IN THE MOVIE. Like, let that sink in. Nope, no solo mission for you Max. We don’t even care enough to watch that. That’s boring. It’s been done. WE DON’T EVEN NEED TO SEE IT.
