Reading List

Summer 2011 = Racism and Sexism in the American Classroom at New Paltz.

This is the first book on the list: Still Failing at Fairness, by David Sadker and Karen Zittleman. The follow up to their 1995 edition Failing at Fairness , offers a look at gender in the American education system. Sadker and Zittleman have done quite a bit of research on their own, mostly field observation, but they’re also well versed in the science, writing, and history of the subject. I left feeling like an expert!

The key points?
* Contrary to popular belief, women are still overshadowed in classrooms.
*Minority boys fall even further behind women. Minority women do better than minority boys, but not as well as white women.
*Boys feel they’re targeted for behavior in school.
*Both boys and girls feel pressure to be perfect but in different ways: boys want to be white, rich, smart, athletic. Women want to be white, pretty, dateable, smart (but not too smart) and rich.
*Minority women fare better in self-confidence and self-respect than white women.
*Women trail men in SAT/ACT/GRE testing despite higher grades in school. This points to inequities in the test itself.
*Women are lagging in enrollment in Math and Science despite efforts to recruit.
*Women make about 75 cents on the dollar even with higher education.
*Single-sex classrooms have proved inconclusive in helping bridge the gap.

You can get a new copy on amazon for around $6. Happy reading!

Bonnaroo 2011

Since we’re in the spirit of sharing things, here’s a pic summary of the glam-fabulous time that was Bonnaroo. I was a newb. I was beside myself with excitement. I had high, HIGH expectations. It did not disappoint. Couldn’t have gone with better folks: The gf, her bro and his gf. Chill, happy, drunken, sloppy times had by all.

Since I was delirious/euphoric with heat and musicgasm I regret to say I didn’t take a single picture. Instead, I scoured the internet for images that I thought may sum up the experience.

My Morning Jacket: Main Stage.

The Bonnaroo sculpture next to the cob house that I drooled over:

Bodies: No holds barred. Wanna sleep in the entrance/walkway/bathroom? Whatever.

The Acclaimed Ferris Wheel:

Bodies

Bonnaroo Main Stage HOT AND SUNNY x100000

Ratatat. So good. Sooo good.

Dude at Girl Talk. ❤

Girl Talk set.Crowd was unreal.

How do you describe something that defies gravity, words, sound? Suffice to say it’ll challenge everything you think you know about music, people, your own will (sooo hot). Legends like Loretta Lynn and Bootsy Collins (Bonnaroo was named after one of his songs) grace the same stages as The Black Keys and Gogol Bordello. I was lucky enough to catch Florence and the Machine, Robyn, My Morning Jacket (a fave of the festival), Beirut, Black Keys, Scissor Sisters, Wavves, Sleigh Bells, Bassnectar, !!!, Man Man, The Drums, Pretty Lights, Ratatat, Girl Talk and STS9.
Scissor Sisters stole the show for me. Each of them were on point as individuals and they were clearly thrilled to be at the Tenth Anniversary of the ever-growing event.
To the guy who gave me a cigarette at STS9, you are a good man. To the guy with the clear umbrella with LED lights that looked like a jelly fish, I’ma steal that.
Thanks, Bonnaroo. See you next year.

Soooooo

It’s been a looooong while. In my post-college haze, I forgot that I was supposed to be adding content to this little thing. As you can imagine, things in my life have changed and so in that spirit, I’m thinking the focus of this page shall shift as well.
“But, where have you been?” you stammer in shock.
Well, friend, after the great graduation 2008, I went to Burlington, Vermont for a hot second. That was fun.

Then I got a job offer to work at a very prestigious Culinary school in New York. That sparked my heart aflame and sent me on a two year tail-spin of a few new loves, and a few old ones. I’ve added rugby

which is one wicked sport that I’ll add more on later. I’ve added running, which is no easy feat for a 200lb lady such as myself. I’ve added some graduate work, which has highs and lows. And I’ve found someone who is way cooler than me and thinks I’m cool, so that might work out…
I also got a cat, after years of hateful speech about how they don’t have souls and they’re not fun or smart. I admit it. She’s probably smarter than I.

Long post short, I’m back and I’ll be working on changing the format/content/fun-ness of this page. Thanks for stoppin’ by.