Drama in the Drama Department

I started out my college career as a theater major, but never really had the passion for it that I saw in many of my fellow schoolmates. I left with seven units to go with the idea that I'd come back and finish it up. That was almost five years ago. Now I'm back in school to get a BA in Psychology, but I plan on finishing my theater degree as well. It's turning out to be like getting a divorce from an unsupportive, indifferent person who expects me to jump through hoops cause he knows I'll do anything to get out. Sigh.

I'm a bit pissed off.

But I'm going to go with the flow and take it easy on myself. What is best for me? Should I stress out and try to convince my department head that I did work production hours even if I didn't get the credit for them? Nope. I'm not gonna try because he's just gonna tell me that he can't help me. Or won't help me. Whatever. I think the reason I've been putting this off for so long is because I knew that I would get absolutely no support from my department. It's one of the reasons I hated that place.

It's not the end of the world. I just have to prolong my involvement in that department for one more quarter. One good piece of news, I will finish my senior project this quarter!

So suck on that.

CUTE OVERLOAD!

Now, I love CuteOverload.com.

Where else can I see a French Bulldog learn how to bark:



Or watch a cute engineer (I got a thing for geeks) give a symposium on the artistic habits of the feline:



Love it!

Free to be me!

Lately I've been trying to get in shape, enjoy the outdoors and get out of the house by walking/running down a local street about three or four times a week. It's five miles round trip so it's a workout and I'm all gross and sweaty by the time I finish. I love it. On the good days the sky is so blue, the air is cool and there are butterflies flying around me and I feel like I'm in a Disney movie.

What I don't like is the underlying fear, as a woman, when I'm alone in public. I'm always looking over my shoulder to make sure no one is following me. And it just makes my beautiful day suck when some jackass ogles, honks or yells at me. I'm also tired of thinking that it's my fault, like my running pants are too tight or my boobs are too big, or that I've committed some sort of wrong by letting my guard down and enjoying my freedom and autonomy. It's not me! It's the responsibility of the men who feel the need to put a woman in her place and feel entitled to work out some pathological sexual fantasy on every woman they see.

I'm not talking to the men who appreciate a lovely woman like me in a respectful way, which I believe applies to most heterosexual men in society. I'm talking to the men Jessica Valenti, from Feministing.com addresses in her kick ass video:



I long to live in a world where straight men are free from the pressure to "be a man" by means of disrespecting women and can express their sexuality in a non-threatening way. I long to live in a world where I can listen to my iPod while taking a run and know that I will be safe.

Get outta town...

Okay fine! I will!

My friend Jen is going through some personal issues and asked me to take a trip with her up the coast. I'm rather excited because I've wanted to get away for a while. I love getting away! I love going on trips! I love packing! I love hotel rooms! I love coming back home! I love it all! I've just been too poor to do it.

In fact, I am planning some sort of big trip, most likely to Europe, next summer. My dream is to travel across Europe visiting all the major (and some minor) museums I can cram into a three or four week trip. So, I'm gonna do that.

The last time I took a trip up the coast, though, was a year and a half ago. I was at the point where I was either going to jump off a bridge or shave my head, I was so restless. So I drove up to Monterey and stayed at a semi-fancy hotel for a few days. It really helped in a weird way, like I had some choice in how I could live my life. That there were options. At the end of it I realized that things would change. My life would change, either for the better or worse, but it would change. That was oddly comforting.

(Don't worry the story ends well! The heroine takes charge of her life and rides off into the sunset. Or at least in the direction of graduate school.)

Anyways kiddos, I'm leaving tomorrow and won't be back until Monday! Have a good weekend!

This is really why America hates France...

For PSAs like this:



And this:



And this: