'My Boss Told Me My Hair and Makeup Were Holding Me Back' Jezebel.com

I realize in probably the "real world" this is absolutely true. I just can't relate; I've always avoided, or chosen, another path. Fortunately, where I live, combined with the job I have -- and the union -- I'm kept from ever having to experience this total bizarre bullshit. Also, I'm close to retirement and don't give a damn.

Rosalind Russell, His Girl Friday 1940

In many ways what Jezebel went through is for the reasons stated: getting ahead, and the corporate world rewards those who look the part. But another part of this is simply the game of control. I've had crummy jobs that paid minium wage or less, if you were in the food industry, since tips were considered part of your wages. I worked in places that held inspections. One chain restuaurant had us -- adults, mind you, -- line up while a female corporate executive walked up and down, making the most personal and rudest of comments about our hair, faces, looks, size, breasts, jewelry, make-up, you name it. I was told once by a male boss to "wear a bra" -- I was! -- and from then on he made it a point to have me stand off in a corner while he looked at my chest for five mintues to make sure I was wearing a bra. Oh I could go on but you get the picture.

My Boss Told Me My Hair and Makeup Were Holding Me Back

On Ghost Hunting Theories: Sexy Steampunk and Costume Fashions

The Ghost Hunting Theories blog has a neat post with photos of steampunk type fashion: Sexy Steampunk and Costume Fashions. I love steampunk; the fashions, the machines, -- something sexy about it to me.( I'd love to see Helen Mirren in a steampunk movie; something for the sexy older woman. I think she'd carry that off very well.) I particularly like these shoes Ghost Hunting Theories posted, but I know I couldn't wear those heels!

Girls' Shape Ups X F - Mary Jane - SKECHERS Official Site

Skechers is now targeting preschoolers and grade school girls with their shape up type shoes. Messaage: you're never too young to start obsessing about your body or feeling like a huge bag of dung for not having the right body image. They're $50.00 which is not even in the equation for a lot of families; these days, or, ever...

Girls' Shape Ups X F - Mary Jane - SKECHERS Official Site

Mad Makow: 'It's OK to be a Woman!'

My favorite madman, Henry Makow, inspired once more by the promises Spring brings, has reposted his 2008 article It's OK to be a Woman! Whew, now that I know it's okay, I can relax. I was getting worried ... of course, I don't count, since I'm over 50 and don't have children. But to young women Makow advises:

You are in the Springtime of your life. Just as flowers blossom now, the years 18-26 are when you are at the height of your fertility and most attractive to males. This is the time when you must marry and have children if you want to be surrounded by loved ones when you are older. We are part of a natural cycle and we can't get a raincheck from nature...

Do not compete with other women on the basis of sex. Let the sluts have the sex.  You are looking for a permanent lifetime commitment. Therefore cultivate the qualities and skills desirable in a wife and a mother.

Oh, there's so much more, including sinister ravings about lesbians, Jews, and the Illuminati (yes! all in the same article! I know!) and I might rant on the rest here or elsewhere, probably Women Of Esoterica. But for now, it's time to get out those pretty dresses and the ironing board, curl your hair, and charm the lads!

Study: Women with large breasts are smarter - by Terrence Aym - Helium

Study: Women with large breasts are smarter - by Terrence Aym - Helium


Do we even want to go here?

Shopping!

After our UFO conference meeting today I headed over to a local shopping area called Uptown.  My plan was just to go to Trader Joes, but then I decided to also do a quick walk through of the open air mall.  I came across a shop called Francesca's Collection.  I had never been there before and what drew me in wasn't the clothing, but the accessories!

I bought way more accessories than I need considering the boxes and boxes I already have.  What could I do?  They were on clearance and really cheap!  Most of the clothes were too youngish for my taste, but I did buy the vest in that photo and a leopard print scarf. :-)

Anyhow, a fun day for me!

Mad Henry Makow and Women in Jeans

Henry Makow, or "Mad" Makow, as I like to call him, is ... well, ... hmm. He's a pundit actively promoted by Jeff Rense, a Christian, but he's Jewish, he's the "inventor of the board game Scruples," he's a right wing, Illuminati fearing, paranoid bigot, homophobic and misogynistic male, stuck in a Twilight Zone version of the 1950s. His latest rant is an "annual update" about women in jeans. Every year he republishes his article Female Gender Confusion is in the Jeans,  with some tweaks.  It's funny, and would be even funnier, if it weren't for the fact Makow is serious, deadly so, and that he has fans. Admirers. Men, and women, who agree with him. Scary, that is. Be sure to read the comments after his post at his site; many are from women.


He opens with a quote from Deuteronomy, so that tells you something, then proceeds to enlighten us as to what it is about jean wearing women that is so wrong:

Jeans are a fitting feminist symbol. They are farm workers' and miners' clothes. Feminism is an invention of the central bankers who also created and financed the socialist and communist movements to control people.

Makow is an anti-Semite, and uses code words for Jew like "central bankers" a lot. One of his pet theories are that Jews, er, bankers, invented feminism to destroy men and take over the world.

Makow offers advice to men, warning them of jean wearing pinko commie lesbian feminist women:

Men, a woman wearing jeans is a red flag that you might be dealing with "GID" --"gender identity disorder." Her jeans are saying: "I don't want to be a woman. I don't want to look good for men. I fear and distrust men. I want male prerogatives. I want to look like a man. I want to be a man."

He weaves all this into Stalinist Illuminati take overs, you just have to read it to see for yourself. He ends with this:

There is nothing more beautiful than a women wearing a summer dress. I can still remember a young woman I saw five years ago wearing a frock. That's how powerful femininity is. Let's not let highly-paid pious feminist and lesbian "change agents" destroy it. It's time for real women to relegate jeans to garden or farm work.

Did he just say "frock?" I haven't heard that term since I was a kid when my grandmother used it, and I'm old!

Makow's website is savethemales.com. Yep, "save the males." Oy.

Need to add something to previous post...

I was just at the Cato website.  Really - these women are the plus sized models?  For some reason I feel angry and irritated again.

Yeah, I take out my anger by buying clothing. So what?

OK, so I am thinking I can get out of my grumpy mood by talking about girlie stuff and then go to sleep - we will see.

The nearest clothing store to my house is Cato, it is less than 5 minutes away.  Not sure if that is good or bad.  Anyhow, whenever I feel, not sure what the word is - not really depressed, but more like irritated and angry (normally for no real reason) I head up there to relieve my pain for a short while.  All girls know the shopping high doesn't last long, but it is good while it does last.

Cato, is not only close to my house, but I actually like a lot of their clothing.  Number 1, because a lot of it is 100% cotton.  Honestly, I can't stand rayon or polyester.  Well, I could wear it for a short time if it was something really awesome looking, but it isn't something I would feel comfortable in or want to wear all day.  My favorite thing about Cato is all those cotton blouses!

This year there are lots of plaid prints.  Not just your normal plaid shirts, a lot of them have beads or studs and really cute cuts.  That was how I ended up spending around $100 in their clearance racks.  About 8 shirts, some sunglasses and the cutest leopard print scarf ever!  That was Saturday evening and it was enough of a high to last until Sunday!

I wonder if men ever do that?  Only instead of a clothing shop they head to Home Depot or somewhere like that?  I don't think any of them would ever admit it.

A Dress A Day: From Ugly Thrift Store Finds to Style

  Marisa Lynch was inspired by the film Julie and Julia, that, and being laid off, to transform ugly thrift store dresses into stylish pieces:

Marisa Lynch set herself a challenge: Transform 365 unattractive frocks in 365 days, for $365. Just before her 30th birthday, she got laid off. To some, losing a job means hitting the streets with a resume or wallowing in grief. But for Marisa, it meant getting the sewing machine out and upcycling thrifted fashions. Every day.

“I was just in this not-feeling-good, crummy kind of mood, and I didn’t know how to kick it,” says Marisa. That’s when Marisa saw the movie, Julie & Julia. “[Julie] was finding something to do every day that made her feel great. I was jealous. I thought, I want to find that.”

Thus, New Dress A Day entered the blogosphere. The task: To make a new fashion piece a day — on a budget of a dollar a day — for an entire year.

Think the uber-frugal budget and tight turnaround requirements can only mean shoddy, unfashionable duds? Not for Marisa. All you have to do is take a quick glance at New Dress A Day to see that while this West Hollywood resident may be short on money and time, she’s never short on style.

I love it; I wish I could do that. I love thrift store shopping but the most I'll do is maybe change buttons or something like that. I'm not a sewer by any means, but admire those that are creative with needle and thread.

The Traveling Red Dress on The Bloggess Blog

Photo by Karen Wolword, via the Bloggess

I love this blog: The Bloggess; I found it thanks to Deirdre O'Lavery of The Interstellar Housewife, a blog I also love. The dress is beautiful, and I agree that it's impractical, and very very red, but I would wear it! Bloggess writes, of the poppy red dress:

For one thing, it’s not sensible.  It’s impractical.  It’s bright red and vibrant and shocking and “inappropriate for a woman my age”.  And I have no shoes to go with it.  And I have no place to wear it.

I'd find a place to wear it, and one thing about getting older, once you realize you're not going to wake up one morning and suddenly find yourself magically 21 again, (or a size 9) you say "fuck it" and do what you damn well please. There's more to the article than just the red dress; it's also about what the red dress inspires.  Anyway, the entire blog is witty, funny and check it out.

More Fleece Skirts and Hats

I went ahead and ordered the long fleece skirt in the argyle pattern, and a hat in the leopard. I wanted the long skirt in leopard but it's no longer available. I didn't really need the hat, but then again, in Oregon, you can always use a warm hat!



They also offer short skirts, shown here, but I ordered the long. The hat looks a lot better in person; a co-worker was wearing it and it looked great; can't wait.

Fleece Skirts and Hats

A woman at work was wearing the greatest skirt; a long skirt made out of fleece. Very warm and comfy, but looked good too. I've also seen her in a great hat; fleece, leopard print.  They're made by a woman in Oregon; here's here website: fleeceskirts.com.

You can choose your color and pattern, or they'll do custom work. I'm going to order the blue skirt, though I'm torn between the olive and some of the prints. Hmm, wait, maybe I'll do the leopard print!

Another Threadless Sale

Threadless is having a $9 t-shirt sale. I got the 4 above because I can't be expected to work out in normal looking t-shirts. The second one down is called 2012 Disclosure. :)

Fall Closet Cleaning

Most of you (unless you live in Florida or somewhere really warm) know that this is the time of year that us girls clean out our closet and try to remove all the summer stuff and replace it with sweaters, jackets, jeans and so on. Winter is a bitch for my closet. Not only do winter clothes take up more space, but there is a lot of summer stuff (like tank tops, t-shirts, yoga capris, work-out type shorts) that I need all year. I literally have already removed 2 large yard type bags of clothes that went to charity (too small or just one of those things that you wonder whatever possessed you to buy it) and 1 bag of summer clothes to storage and I seem to have only a little more room than when I started and that has already been filled with sweaters that I brought in from storage. One of the things that bothers me is that I never know how winter will be here in New Mexico. Sometimes I need my cozy sweaters and some winters they get almost no wear. There are always at least a couple weeks that are miserable cold, but some winters that is it. Other winters it seems like several months of that. Don't get me wrong, there are few things that I love as much as a cozy cable knit sweater or some soft cashmere, but they do take up a lot of space. I guess I am saying all that to motivate myself to finish the 1/4 (or there about) of the closet that I haven't finished with yet. There is no sense in having great clothes that you love if you can't find them under everything else.

Green Living and Clothes Disposal

I do give my unwanted clothes to places like Goodwill, but have to admit I'd never thought beyond the impact of clothing and recylcing, etc. Here's some good info
NRDC: Natural Resources Defense Council site about this topic.

Exercise -- an excuse to shop!

So after almost a week away from "the spa" (due to the dog bite) I went back on Sunday. Any weight I had lost that previous week I had managed to gain back. Not that it was any surprise. On the bright side, my neck and back still feel great from swimming.

I swam enough laps last night that my arms are actually a little sore. I am going to see if I can lose those few pounds again this week.

Something I discovered now that I am "working out" -- sports bras are wonderful! Much more comfortable than most regular bras. I have been wearing them everywhere lately. I didn't know that some come with actual cups. Seriously, I love them!

Of course, I had to buy more yoga clothes and I have ordered a couple more swimsuits. Now I just need some new shoes. I am not a big fan of athletic shoes, but surely I can find some that I like. After all, they are shoes and I have never had a problem finding shoes that I want to buy. :-)

10 Summer Fashion Rules You MUST Break, Dahlings

Really! Wear white whenever you want, and black too. Patent leather is always in, and please, I don't care if you're 5, 15, 50 or 92, do NOT match your purse and shoes. Oy, such a doofus!

Read more rules here.

The Brassage and Breast Cancer

The brassage is promoted as being a benefit to "the girls" and possibly preventing breast cancer. The idea behind this is that toxins become trapped, and that's one cause of cancer. By wearing the brassage, which massages the breasts, toxins are released.

A news clip takes exception to this; they interview promoter Christina Erteszek, daughter of Olga, the famous bra designer. At one point Erteszek becomes upset and walks off the set, but returns later. They show a clip of a woman who had breast cancer ten years ago, who is very angry with the idea of the brassage, saying it "exploits women." Female doctors are also interviewed; one says the brassage is "crazy." The promoters of the brassage insist they don't say it will prevent, or cure, breast cancer, just that it might help keep breasts healthy. Erteszek says, when asked if the bra will prevent breast cancer:

"Yes. Of course." But, she went on, "I say, 'help to prevent.' I'm making no medical claims that it does prevent."

The news clip calls the brassage promoter "angry," (this before she walks off), derides the inventor as not being a "real" doctor but a chiropractor, then moves on to the next clip, which talks about more cancer: young people are getting it, and drinking hot beverages can cause it.

All very interesting in its juxtapositions, and blatant marginalization of anything remotely alternative, such as the idea massaging the body can help rid it of toxins.

My point here isn't whether or not the bra does what it says it does but the slant the media put on this. According to the news clip, the bra is no longer being manufactured. In this context: the juxtapositions, the marginalization, the slant on alternative ideas, no matter how low key, the segue into cancer alarmist "news," the use of women as spokespeople in the appeals to authority,and pointing the finger at money making makes for a Big Pharma, medical infrastructure propaganda campaign; under the guise of being informative and pro-women's health, there seems to be another agenda behind their disingenuousness.

"We Must Take Away Your Boop-boop-da-boop"

Clip of Betty Boop sexuality, hidden drawings in the cartoons: