Confessions of a Thirty-Something Career Girl

Daily Mail's article, "Confessions of a Thirty-Something Career Girl Who Pays for a Male Escort" is more than it seems to be. It is not just a titillating glimpse into reverse stereotyping, but rather an interesting foray into the future of the sex industry (boy, my relatives are gonna love this post). It reminds me of a Marie Claire article, "Where Women Pay $12,000 for Male Affection" I read eons ago about the rise of "Host" clubs in Japan (heavens, did I really read it in 2003?). That article lead to a conversation with my good friend, Sarah, about how the "Lady's clubs" that exist for women in the United States are completely unappealing because the are the exact opposite of "Gentleman's clubs". A bunch of meatheads squelching against you in a bar and trying to get into your pants? That's what women avoid on a day-to-day basis. What women really want is the REVERSE of a "Gentleman's club". A nice place to sit down after work, engage in some flattering conversation and let nice guys fondle your knee, chat you up, and buy you drinks (even if you are the one really buying them). Peek at the articles and decide for yourselves.

Six Ideas That Will Change the World

“Six Ideas That Will Change the World” from Esquire magazine introduces you to a few, little known technologies that are likely to change the face of humanity as much as coming down from the trees. From “flexible” electronic circuits imbedded in plastic that eliminate the fragile rigidity of electronics and can be applied to prostheses, to the invention of a plastic that is made from the biodegradable oils of orange peels, to (one of my favorites) the downfall of capitalistic internet censorship. (If you've read CandyBuffet’s comments (see the Candy Machine), you know that Internet Censorship is not just for developing countries but is just as prevalent in corporate and military installations at home). None of these ideas are idle, expensive technologies that are unlikely to make it out of a lab, but instead each one is an exciting, new look at a promising horizon.

Excellent Blog Designs

Ever notice how utterly important it is for your blog to not look like a blog? “30 More Excellent Blog Designs” from Smashing Magazine comes in handy. It totally fills in the infinite loop of how a “blog” seems to fill one's head with an infinite amount of ghastly images taken from the page of another's electronic journal and replaces them with the clean, well-thought out designs of free-lance writers with design departments and more wisdom than can fit in their own novels. As if.

Things Female Gamers Hear on Xbox Live

"Things Female Gamers Hear on Xbox Live" is just a bit of fun and I Dug it (with a capital "D". Don't know what I mean? Well, when are you going to visit Digg?). Anyhoos, its going to be my new online script sheet. The same old questions should get the same old answers, by everyone.

The Tattoo Issue

Well, I have been doing the hard think about a) touching up the tattoo and b) getting a new one. Yep. Can't help thinking about it. After spending years deliberating during ages 15 to 19, I took the plunge in 1995 and got a beautiful blue-gray tattoo of a crescent moon and stars. My brother (with whom I was living) went ape-shit. My mother (with whom I was not living) was rather accepting, especially since the whole dealy fit under a quarter. Nowadays, very small, very meaningful tattoos are quite popular. My sister-in-law sports the script words "be the change you wish to see in the world" in fine black ink on her back, just under her ribs. I also remember fancying the tattoo of three dime-sized, five-pointed stars a saw on this one woman's back, perfectly evenly spaced out along her spine and only revealed by a backless top.

When I got my tattoo twelve years ago, I remember choosing blue-gray, because it was the closest thing I could get to silver. While metallic inks still aren't available to the skin-art crowd, there are other intriguing options on the market. Ultra-violet tattoo ink is available that is nearly invisible to the naked eye, but glows a brilliant bluish-white when under a black light (it FDA approved and has been tested for over ten years and semi-permanent tattoos can be zapped away with one lazer treatment.

The Death of the Stars

A friend sent me this thought provoking article (Shout out Emily), "The Dark Side" from the New Yorker describing civilization's assault on the stars. For instance, for someone standing on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on a moonless night, the brightest feature of the sky is not the Milky Way but the glow of Las Vegas, a hundred and seventy-five miles away. To recapture a night sky of equivalent darkness that Galileo must have gazed at one needs to travel to the Australian outback, the mountains in Peru or (in my opinion) right smack dab in the middle of the ocean with no running lights--(my lucky brother).

Read more to learn how excessive, poorly designed outdoor lighting wastes electricity, imperils human health and safety and increasingly, deprives many of us of a direct relationship with the nighttime sky, a powerful source of reflection, inspiration, discovery, and plain old jaw-dropping wonder.

Candies of the Glaucous Witch

Anyone who was at my last birthday party will know that I have an absurd fascination with Death in the Afternoon (No, not the Hemmingway novel, you ninnys). Well, like minders may finally be able to throw out their disgusting bottles of Pernod for the real thing (which didn't have to be smuggled from Amsterdam like mine). Read the New York Times Article, "the Glass Half Full of Mystique and Misery" for a look at Absinthe's triumphant return.

Women in the Workplace

This article, "Success In the Workplace: Be A Woman Only Not So Much" came as a neato nicety in my in-box from my dear friend, FreshSnaps. It hits the nail on the head in so many succinct ways. In four short paragraphs, Jezebel points out that women have come a long way in the work place and it hasn't been that far at all. Acting like a man garners just as much criticism as acting like a woman. If you really want to get ahead in the business world, you have no choice but to thumb your nose at the man and (gulp) act like yourself. Oh yes, and don't forget to find a suitable outlet for your resulting rage.

The 10 Most Terrifyingly Inspirational '80s Songs

It's been awhile since I visited my old friend Cracked.com and its list of Terrifyingly Inspirational '80s Songs has shown me the error of my ways. Do not mistake this list for a jot down of soul searching, bubble-gum, positive-thinkin', crooners that 80's radio stations loved to rocket to the top of the charts. Every song on this list is "terrifyingly inspirational" because they're about taking names and kickin' ass. And oh, yes, the succinct description of Number 7, Pat Benatar's "Love is a battlefield" is worth the price of admission alone.

Bush's Reign

CandyBuffet has a sincere interest in the personality of the current President of the United States not only because they share an astrological sign, but they also share the same birthday (along with, thank goodness, the current Dalai Lama). In Anthony Lewis's NY Times article "The Imperial President", he reviews Robert Draper's book, "Dead Certain" about the Bush Younger's Presidency. In spite of the mean-spirited frat boy pranks, "the President is not stupid", Lewis suggests. His homespun manner is well-liked by the American people and his clumsy "plain folks" talk is guileless and comes naturally. However, King George's informed tactics are as ruthless as they are shockingly effective and seem "to lack the intellectual curiosity that makes for an interesting mind" or perhaps (in my opinion) an ethical one. Take a gander at the article for yourself.

The Angels have the Phone Box!

Zeno Apparel is the source of my new and utterly fabulous Doctor Who t-shirt. They also had a surprisingly extensive collection of cleanly designed geeky shirts (the large Power Button shirt was a keeper as was the Trashy Hearts shirt). They don't take credit cards but they do take Paypal and shipping was super fast and secure.

By the way, the Doctor Who Episode "Blink" by Stephen Moffat was given an 5.5 rating ("Off the Scale") by the BBC's "Fear Forecasters". Whether you are a child or not, I suggest viewing it in the daytime. Preferably behind a sofa.

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Really Save

We know it makes good economic sense to switch from Incandescents to compact fluorescents (CFLs) but finally someone breaks down the mumbo-jumbo, feeling good greenness into hard concrete dollars in "How Much Do Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Really Cost?" from Get Rich Slowly. Let your next expensive light bulb purchase make you feel all glowy inside, not only because you're saving energy, but also because you are simultaneously saving up for that new Halo game.

Excellent Blog Designs

Ever notice how it is utterly important for your blog to not look like a blog? “30 More Excellent Blog Designs” from Smashing Magazine comes in handy. It totally fills in the infinite loop of how a “blog” seems to fill ones head with an infinite amount of ghastly images taken from the page of one's electronic journal and replaces them with the clean, well thought out designs of a free lance writer with a marketing department and with more wisdom than can fit in their own novels. As if.

Minimalistic Website Designs

You've heard it time and time again, but here is viable proof that Less is More. Laid out in stunning array by VandelayDesign, these 25 Beautiful Minimalistic Website Designs should be studied over and over again by any person hoping to have a clever and attractive webpage. The important elements that make these websites work are helpfully pointed out by VandelayDesign. Examine how these websites use stunning imagery, very few colors and well-defined columns to augment their ideas, then take the little lessons you've learned and, er, imitate their layout shamelessly.

Eight Keys to a Happier Marriage

Zen Habits article on the "Eight Keys to a Happier Marriage" not only make good sense for married people but for maintaining healthy relationships with your close friends and family. They also make good tenants for living a self-accepting life full of healthy relationships and should be taped to your bathroom mirror.