one of my absolute favorite things is listening to the rain when I'm in bed and going to sleep. so peaceful. although I'm not generally too happy with the amount of rain were getting here in Atlanta, I am pretty comfortable with it at the moment.
probably time to cut the internet cord for the night (figuratively haha)
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
happy easter weekend!
I am pretty excited for this easter weekend, mainly because I haven't been home and able to celebrate easter with my family in a really long time. I also get to spend some time with friends in Atlanta, and it'll generally be a nice weekend.
Now, I am not all that religious. I mean, raised Catholic, know how to go through all the motions, but easter isn't as important to me as it is to my parents, and the rest of my family. However, there are a lot of things I still love about the weekend. First of all, I'm excited to spend time with my family. My grandparents are in from North Carolina, and my siblings are home (well, they always are), but I have had an increasing appreciation for down time with my family as I have gotten older.
Also, the Game of Thrones premier is on Sunday. I know that everyone says this, but I am completely obsessed with the show. I've read the books too, but I'm pretty excited to see what happens. Also, all the leadup articles to the premiere have been pretty awesome. AKA, this: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/1554536/game-of-thrones-character-playlist-25-songs-for-season-3?page=0%2C0. You're welcome.
I'm also pretty excited because its actually starting to get nice and look like spring around here. Usually by this time, its very warm in Atlanta, but last weekend it was cold and rainy, and its been cold most of the week. Today, its sunny and in the 60s, so I am pretty hopeful that the rest of the weekend will be pretty nice (okay, it is supposed to rain this weekend but its also supposed to be in the 60s, I'll take that over the nasty 40 degree weather and rain. Seriously, I thought I lived in the South. What is this?)
I'm also having a particularly nice Friday because most of my office is out. I've been able to catch up on some long-term projects and listen to my bonnaroo playlist without feeling self conscious about listening to music at work, like I usually do.
Basically, I'm in good spirits. The weekend will be low key and nothing particularly glamorous, but that's sounding exciting to me for some reason.
Happy easter weekend everyone!!
Now, I am not all that religious. I mean, raised Catholic, know how to go through all the motions, but easter isn't as important to me as it is to my parents, and the rest of my family. However, there are a lot of things I still love about the weekend. First of all, I'm excited to spend time with my family. My grandparents are in from North Carolina, and my siblings are home (well, they always are), but I have had an increasing appreciation for down time with my family as I have gotten older.
Also, the Game of Thrones premier is on Sunday. I know that everyone says this, but I am completely obsessed with the show. I've read the books too, but I'm pretty excited to see what happens. Also, all the leadup articles to the premiere have been pretty awesome. AKA, this: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/1554536/game-of-thrones-character-playlist-25-songs-for-season-3?page=0%2C0. You're welcome.
I'm also pretty excited because its actually starting to get nice and look like spring around here. Usually by this time, its very warm in Atlanta, but last weekend it was cold and rainy, and its been cold most of the week. Today, its sunny and in the 60s, so I am pretty hopeful that the rest of the weekend will be pretty nice (okay, it is supposed to rain this weekend but its also supposed to be in the 60s, I'll take that over the nasty 40 degree weather and rain. Seriously, I thought I lived in the South. What is this?)
I'm also having a particularly nice Friday because most of my office is out. I've been able to catch up on some long-term projects and listen to my bonnaroo playlist without feeling self conscious about listening to music at work, like I usually do.
Basically, I'm in good spirits. The weekend will be low key and nothing particularly glamorous, but that's sounding exciting to me for some reason.
Happy easter weekend everyone!!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
roma
If I end up back in Paris, the first trip I make will be to go back to Rome. One of my favorites
before we hate on other countries for not respecting human rights....
For work today, I am helping a colleague read through a report on human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This specific report focused on the way that mining companies violated basic human rights because of their negative impacts on the environment, which have caused burns, Parkison's disease, and the displacement of about 6,000 people. However, as well know, these aren't the only human rights violations that occur in the war-torn country. Sexual violence against women as a norm, and human trafficking have both been problems in the DRC for decades now, problems that NGOs and individuals all over the world have been attempting to combat.
Such behaviors are deemed barbaric by many of us in the United States, and rightfully so. Rape is a horrible crime, one that should never be taken lightly, and one that should never be blamed on the victim. However, before we deem such behaviors in other countries barbaric, perhaps we should look at the barbaric practices concerning rape in our own country.
I am sure we have all heard quite a bit about the Steubenville rape and trail. To refresh everyone's memory, this trial involved a 16-year old girl who was raped on camera by members of a local school's football team while she was passed out. Pictures and video were later splashed all over the internet. Prior to this traumatic ordeal, this girl was a honors student at a local school. When I first read about this case, I read about the judge who recused himself from the case because of "personal ties" to the football players accused, and about a town completely split in two about whether or not this girl deserved what she got. The entire thing was sickening at best, and at worst, it made me question the fundamental values of American society in a way I really didn't know what to do with.
Both football players were convicted, something which, shockingly, didn't seem like a sure thing throughout the case. However, both of them got 3 years for their crimes, and even a major news network, CNN, covered the trail and outcome through the eyes of these two football players, and how disappointing it is that their futures were shattered. What about the 16-year-old girl who has to live with those pictures all over the internet, the very public trial, and the millions of horrible things said to her face, behind her back, and on the internet? That isn't something you forget. No wonder the majority of rape cases go unreported. I don't know why we expect women to come forward when they're treated the way she was for reporting such egregious violations.
This girl will live with what happened to her for the rest of her life. Her children will know, her parents know. What was quite probably the most traumatizing event in her 16 years of life was made public for scrutiny from the entire US population.
When we think about the countless women who are raped as an act of war regularly in the DRC, we have to examine what a disservice we are doing these women by blaming a 16-year-old girl for her rape because she was drunk and passed out. I shouldn't even have to stipulate that there is no excuse for violating someone that way.
I know that the girl probably feels horrible, completely shamed and is wondering how she will recover from this ordeal. But I hope she knows that there are plenty of women all over the United States that are proud of her for standing up to her rapists, something that was extremely difficult in the town she lived in. I hope she knows that her case shed light on an extremely negative rape culture, and has caused a huge outrage at such culture from other people. I hope that one day, she can be proud to say that she pursed her attackers, and brought some seriously horrible double standards to America's attention.
Such behaviors are deemed barbaric by many of us in the United States, and rightfully so. Rape is a horrible crime, one that should never be taken lightly, and one that should never be blamed on the victim. However, before we deem such behaviors in other countries barbaric, perhaps we should look at the barbaric practices concerning rape in our own country.
I am sure we have all heard quite a bit about the Steubenville rape and trail. To refresh everyone's memory, this trial involved a 16-year old girl who was raped on camera by members of a local school's football team while she was passed out. Pictures and video were later splashed all over the internet. Prior to this traumatic ordeal, this girl was a honors student at a local school. When I first read about this case, I read about the judge who recused himself from the case because of "personal ties" to the football players accused, and about a town completely split in two about whether or not this girl deserved what she got. The entire thing was sickening at best, and at worst, it made me question the fundamental values of American society in a way I really didn't know what to do with.
Both football players were convicted, something which, shockingly, didn't seem like a sure thing throughout the case. However, both of them got 3 years for their crimes, and even a major news network, CNN, covered the trail and outcome through the eyes of these two football players, and how disappointing it is that their futures were shattered. What about the 16-year-old girl who has to live with those pictures all over the internet, the very public trial, and the millions of horrible things said to her face, behind her back, and on the internet? That isn't something you forget. No wonder the majority of rape cases go unreported. I don't know why we expect women to come forward when they're treated the way she was for reporting such egregious violations.
This girl will live with what happened to her for the rest of her life. Her children will know, her parents know. What was quite probably the most traumatizing event in her 16 years of life was made public for scrutiny from the entire US population.
When we think about the countless women who are raped as an act of war regularly in the DRC, we have to examine what a disservice we are doing these women by blaming a 16-year-old girl for her rape because she was drunk and passed out. I shouldn't even have to stipulate that there is no excuse for violating someone that way.
I know that the girl probably feels horrible, completely shamed and is wondering how she will recover from this ordeal. But I hope she knows that there are plenty of women all over the United States that are proud of her for standing up to her rapists, something that was extremely difficult in the town she lived in. I hope she knows that her case shed light on an extremely negative rape culture, and has caused a huge outrage at such culture from other people. I hope that one day, she can be proud to say that she pursed her attackers, and brought some seriously horrible double standards to America's attention.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
love in the time of apartheid
this picture shows a woman trying to get to the Himza checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah. Cross-checkpoint weddings have caused quite the stir in Israel, but its hopeful to see the "love in the time of apartheid" campaign, even if its using marriage to make a political statement. It gives me some hope.
lean in
At the urging of my friend, and particularly because I find myself in such a tough spot as I try and figure out my career and professional goals, I have begun reading Lean In, a book by Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook. I can tell you, so far, the book has been pretty life changing.
Sandberg urges women to be assertive and confident in the workplace, and not to shy away from being leaders in our field. Its a common assumption in this day and age that women are easily able to do that, that we have equal opportunity. However, as the book highlights, women who try and get ahead in their careers are viewed as less likeable than men, particularly because society assumes that men should be trying to get ahead in their careers. In theory, we assume that women are allowed the same privilege, but when they do, they aren't given the same praise as men, and are rather somewhat threatening.
Though I don't agree with everything the book says, I would definitely say if you're a young woman trying to make a name for yourself and find yourself afraid of trying to do so (the position I was in before I read this book), it'll give you some hope, and skills to be more assertive and feel more confident in getting ahead in your career, and trusting that you have the ability to do so.
Basically, Sheryl Sandberg is a badass, and I one day to aspire to be as badass as she is
Sandberg urges women to be assertive and confident in the workplace, and not to shy away from being leaders in our field. Its a common assumption in this day and age that women are easily able to do that, that we have equal opportunity. However, as the book highlights, women who try and get ahead in their careers are viewed as less likeable than men, particularly because society assumes that men should be trying to get ahead in their careers. In theory, we assume that women are allowed the same privilege, but when they do, they aren't given the same praise as men, and are rather somewhat threatening.
Though I don't agree with everything the book says, I would definitely say if you're a young woman trying to make a name for yourself and find yourself afraid of trying to do so (the position I was in before I read this book), it'll give you some hope, and skills to be more assertive and feel more confident in getting ahead in your career, and trusting that you have the ability to do so.
Basically, Sheryl Sandberg is a badass, and I one day to aspire to be as badass as she is
Thursday, March 21, 2013
oh maxi skirts....
writing tools i am currently using
because I get writer's block... http://www.carrieelle.com/2013/01/writing-prompts.html
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
make an impression
not trying to pull a ke$ha or anything, but this definitely speaks to making an impression
control
Yesterday, I was watching Bridesmaids (for probably the 1000th time), and one scene stood out to me like it hadn't in the past. When Annie is super down in the dumps, and has lost a lot of her friends and had a total meltdown, she won't leave her house or get off the couch (for those of us that have seen Bridesmaids, remember her watching Castaway and crying "Oh wilson"). Her friend, Megan, comes over and persists to beat her up, telling her that she is life and is trying to get Annie to fight for her shitty life. The scene is absolutely hilarious, and that was what I usually focused on, but for the first time I actually thought about what was happening in the scene.
I don't know about any of the rest of you, but I have serious control issues. All of my issues stem from when I feel as though I am not in control. Though there are some lucky people out there that may not care about having control over their own lives, but I am one of those people that really does care about control. Its everything to me. When I feel like I've lost control of a situation, its easy for me, and many people, to spiral into a complete state of crazy. Its also easy to feel like things are out of your control. I am 23, and everything feels out of my control. I don't know where I am going to go to graduate school, I don't know when, I don't know what I am doing next year, or in 5 years.
For the first time in my life, I understand why the main character in Into the Wild wanted to disappear, and leave his life behind. In this day and age, we're told we can be whatever we want, do whatever we want, but, for me at least, this is more tremendous pressure than it is a reassurance that I'm going somewhere.
That is, until I start to realize how much is in my control. The reason the Bridesmaids scene stood out to me is because Annie is forced to fight back when her "life" (in this case, her large friend Megan) starts to beat her up. I then realized how much is actually in my control, because when life does that, I can fight back. I'm currently trying to figure out how to do that with the myriad of ways that I find my life slapping me around, but its at least a positive message that you can figure it out, right?
I don't know about any of the rest of you, but I have serious control issues. All of my issues stem from when I feel as though I am not in control. Though there are some lucky people out there that may not care about having control over their own lives, but I am one of those people that really does care about control. Its everything to me. When I feel like I've lost control of a situation, its easy for me, and many people, to spiral into a complete state of crazy. Its also easy to feel like things are out of your control. I am 23, and everything feels out of my control. I don't know where I am going to go to graduate school, I don't know when, I don't know what I am doing next year, or in 5 years.
For the first time in my life, I understand why the main character in Into the Wild wanted to disappear, and leave his life behind. In this day and age, we're told we can be whatever we want, do whatever we want, but, for me at least, this is more tremendous pressure than it is a reassurance that I'm going somewhere.
That is, until I start to realize how much is in my control. The reason the Bridesmaids scene stood out to me is because Annie is forced to fight back when her "life" (in this case, her large friend Megan) starts to beat her up. I then realized how much is actually in my control, because when life does that, I can fight back. I'm currently trying to figure out how to do that with the myriad of ways that I find my life slapping me around, but its at least a positive message that you can figure it out, right?
Friday, March 8, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
how i wish it could look when i got bangs
my summer of music festivals
Now, I'm a blonde 23 year old girl that works 40 hours a week minimum at a nonprofit, so you'd probably think that the whole music festival scene isn't my thing. I felt the exact same way before September of this year. I went to Counterpoint, a mainly electronic festival outside Atlanta in Fairburn (in a giant horse park I might add). Though I was extremely skeptical, it turns out I had a great time.
Now, don't get me wrong, I can't festival like the best of them. I mean, I washed my hair in the water spicket on several occasions, I brought baby wipes, I made it a point of actually sleeping at night (thanks once again for your many blessings Xanax), and I definitely had a couple times where I just needed some chill time in the tent solo.
HOWEVER, none of this stopped me from buying tickets to both Bonnaroo and Firefly this summer. Bonnaroo is an excursion for my sister's 21st birthday. Firefly is a nice reunion for me and some friends from Austin.
You wouldn't know it from my general life, but I actually closet listen to some what could be considered hipster music. I know the majority of bands at both, so I am actually pretty excited.
However, it's actually pretty crazy that I signed myself up to go to two music festivals in 2 weeks. For real now, I don't know if I am that hardcore. Remains to be seen. By the end of June I could be dead. Lets hope I'm a champ enough to make it through.
MKD
Now, don't get me wrong, I can't festival like the best of them. I mean, I washed my hair in the water spicket on several occasions, I brought baby wipes, I made it a point of actually sleeping at night (thanks once again for your many blessings Xanax), and I definitely had a couple times where I just needed some chill time in the tent solo.
HOWEVER, none of this stopped me from buying tickets to both Bonnaroo and Firefly this summer. Bonnaroo is an excursion for my sister's 21st birthday. Firefly is a nice reunion for me and some friends from Austin.
You wouldn't know it from my general life, but I actually closet listen to some what could be considered hipster music. I know the majority of bands at both, so I am actually pretty excited.
However, it's actually pretty crazy that I signed myself up to go to two music festivals in 2 weeks. For real now, I don't know if I am that hardcore. Remains to be seen. By the end of June I could be dead. Lets hope I'm a champ enough to make it through.
MKD
that time when i thought i could teach myself a language...
i spent most of my undergraduate career focused on the Middle East, and wrote an entire honors thesis on it (again, thank you Xanax for your many blessings, like keeping me sane in my attempts to produce 70 pages on the intellectual history of islamism). however, through some odd twist, it was possible for me to have that be my focus and French be my language.
now that i have been working at the carter center and realizing more and more that i do wanna stay focused on the Middle East, i figured that having a working knowledge of arabic would raise my level of usefulness in that area from what it is now, which is pretty much next to nothing. i could have enrolled in a class through the carter center, but they are further along than i am since when i began this endeavor, i had yet to even have a working knowledge of the alphabet. i could have also taken night classes, but i seriously value my evenings of doing yoga and watching law and order.
so i decided it would be a good idea to teach myself arabic. i found myself some book on amazon, which has actually been quite useful. and, i recently gathered a bunch of arabic movies so i am able to try and match the script im learning to sounds, because i realized when someone tried to speak arabic to me that i had no ability to speak.
however, pretty often, i stop and wonder what i actually think that i'm doing. only ridiculously smart people teach themselves languages, and its probably going to take me like 5 years minimum to actually do it, but i'm on a path to become more useful to the world than i currently am.. wish me luck?
MKD
now that i have been working at the carter center and realizing more and more that i do wanna stay focused on the Middle East, i figured that having a working knowledge of arabic would raise my level of usefulness in that area from what it is now, which is pretty much next to nothing. i could have enrolled in a class through the carter center, but they are further along than i am since when i began this endeavor, i had yet to even have a working knowledge of the alphabet. i could have also taken night classes, but i seriously value my evenings of doing yoga and watching law and order.
so i decided it would be a good idea to teach myself arabic. i found myself some book on amazon, which has actually been quite useful. and, i recently gathered a bunch of arabic movies so i am able to try and match the script im learning to sounds, because i realized when someone tried to speak arabic to me that i had no ability to speak.
however, pretty often, i stop and wonder what i actually think that i'm doing. only ridiculously smart people teach themselves languages, and its probably going to take me like 5 years minimum to actually do it, but i'm on a path to become more useful to the world than i currently am.. wish me luck?
MKD
Saturday, March 2, 2013
See you around
After finally catching up on the newest episode of girls, and Jessa's potential exit from the show, I was, first of all, pretty depressed. An episode about crappy home life and the ramifications this have on her life are the most depressing subject matter I've seen on girls yet.
However, the fact that Jessa once again exits the life of the other characters in girls after facing the dysfunctional truths about her family life by leaving Hannah, one of her best friends, a note that says "See you around love" is pretty indicative of the escapist tendencies of this generation in general.
I don't want to glorify Jessa's inability to hold a normal life, and tendency to flit off to various different places to avoid the problems of her real life, I can't say I'm not jealous. Even though I'm a fan of my job, there are definitely plenty of days I wish I could find a way to flit off to Paris and discover plenty of new places, and in the process discover things about myself. Right now, I'm sitting on my couch, knowing that Sunday will approach and then I start my weekly routine all over again, and I'm not one for routine.
Jessa is pretty willing to change her life because of her unhappiness, and though I get restless often, I would hope I don't have the desire to change my life up because I'm unhappy. Rather, I don't like routine and I understand that I'm 23, and there isn't any other time that I can do something like move to another country and discover the world before I get to the point where the kind of career I want and don't have the opportunity for that.
Now, I won't ever leave my friends with just a note that says "See you around", I think there is some admiration I have for someone who is ready to leave behind certain comforts to learn something new elsewhere. Jessa does it for all the wrong reasons, but there are a lot of broader reasons that exploring new places and life paths when you're young that are right
I've been talking about moving back to Paris for forever, for real, maybe I should.
MKD
However, the fact that Jessa once again exits the life of the other characters in girls after facing the dysfunctional truths about her family life by leaving Hannah, one of her best friends, a note that says "See you around love" is pretty indicative of the escapist tendencies of this generation in general.
I don't want to glorify Jessa's inability to hold a normal life, and tendency to flit off to various different places to avoid the problems of her real life, I can't say I'm not jealous. Even though I'm a fan of my job, there are definitely plenty of days I wish I could find a way to flit off to Paris and discover plenty of new places, and in the process discover things about myself. Right now, I'm sitting on my couch, knowing that Sunday will approach and then I start my weekly routine all over again, and I'm not one for routine.
Jessa is pretty willing to change her life because of her unhappiness, and though I get restless often, I would hope I don't have the desire to change my life up because I'm unhappy. Rather, I don't like routine and I understand that I'm 23, and there isn't any other time that I can do something like move to another country and discover the world before I get to the point where the kind of career I want and don't have the opportunity for that.
Now, I won't ever leave my friends with just a note that says "See you around", I think there is some admiration I have for someone who is ready to leave behind certain comforts to learn something new elsewhere. Jessa does it for all the wrong reasons, but there are a lot of broader reasons that exploring new places and life paths when you're young that are right
I've been talking about moving back to Paris for forever, for real, maybe I should.
MKD
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