A good representation of today....

We'll be back to our regularly scheduled broadcast tomorrow after a LARGE glass of wine :0) Thanks for stoppin' by.

-DBC

Gloria who?

*** Open warning*** I may lose readers over this post. Hell, I may lose friends and family over this post. But I am so flabbergasted that this post has to exist. If you aren't the type who believes I'm entitled to my opinion and your love, please stop reading now. Or don't. I'll take my chances.

Last week I went to the Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas Luncheon, featuring speaker Gloria Steinem. I was invited by a very well respected community member and was thrilled the she thought of asking me to attend.

                                                        
                                                        Ms. Steinem

You see my friends, it's time that I come out as a feminist. To make my argument short and sweet, I believe:

• That men and women are entitled to live their lives under their own moral code and in a way which is authentic to them. 
• That we have created a false dichotomy where the only options are pro-life or pro-choice. Well, I'm here to say that there is probably a middle ground but I don't believe it has any business being regulated by the government. 
• That all young men and women deserve to be taught about sex and sexuality in a way that is biologically accurate and values neutral. 

I had these beliefs prior to attending the luncheon, which is probably why I was invited in the first place, but listening to Ms. Steinem speak made me realize something- I need to up my game. It's not enough that I believe in equality for men and women in the workplace, but that we need to expand that definition to the home. 

                       
Via Philip N. Cohen, PhD

I've always thought it perfectly acceptable for men to stay at home with their children, so Ms. Steinem didn't have to articulate to me that value of allowing parents to explore all sides of themselves including roles 'traditionally' reserved for the other gender. But what I never even considered, was the financial impact of a parent staying home with children or other dependents.

                                       
Ms. Steinem argued in order to move forward as a society, we need to recognize the financial value of a caretaker. She went on to argue that because women are still the primary caretakers in our society, women make up the largest group of unpaid workers possibly in history. THIS was mind-blowing to me. I've been using the verbiage working 'outside' or 'inside' of the home for years, largely to recognize that stay at home parents work just as hard as I do in my office, but I had never considered the fact that this is uncompensated work. In order to make the equation more equal, Ms. Steinem recommends developing some sort of compensation mechanism and specifically suggested a 'caregiver' tax credit.

I'm not saying this is a perfect fix, but it is definitely an idea that is new to me and something I feel deserves the proper amount of consideration. I think that by compensating stay at home caretakers, we would make advances on 2 major issues: 1. strengthening equality in pay for women and 2. ensuring that staying at home is an option for either gender because fair compensation is available.

This post is actively helping me work those considerations out, but it's also written in part to educate my, hubs who, when told the event was great and Ms. Steinem thought provoking, asked 'yeah, but what did ya'll do? Was there a keynote speaker or something?'. Now, considering he went to a school which teaches about the rapture in history class (just let that sink in for a second.... I'm giving the stink eye to you Calvary), I'm not surprised he wasn't familiar with specific theories or faces within the feminist movement. But the 'Gloria who???' comment really rattled me. Here's my effort towards a little re-education :0D

-DBC

Because it's (a rainy, foggy) Tuesday

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are hands down one of my favorite bands- so favorite that they were on the very short list of bucket list bands that I had to see if they ever toured again.* On October 3rd I was sick as a dog and living on cold medicine, but the happiest girl in Texas when they performed at the AAC.

 

 

You can't tell in this photo, but my reaction to seeing the RHCP was very much akin to Kristen Bell and her sloth birthday surprise. Basically, I cried like a baby through half of the show because I was so excited. As a side note, I'm certain that if I were ever to meet Kristen Bell we'd be best friends.

 

                                     

 

When Jason and I got married, there was really only 1 non-negotiable for me- he had to dance with me to the RCHP song Hard to Concentrate. I decided to leave it as our last song because to me, unlike the first dance where everyone is watching and expecting some big grandious example of love, the last dance is for the couple. This song, more than any other, is for my husband.

 

                                      

 

* Wanna know who's on that bucket list?

 

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Check

Coldplay- Check

Dave Matthews Band- Check

Greenday- Check

Fiona Apple- Check (I'm still SO sad no one would go with me when she toured recently)

Girl Talk- Check

Beck

Brittany Spears- Check

Regina Spektor- Check

The Spice Girls (what??! Don't laugh this is my list)

 

 

 

Letting it roll off your shoulders

We all have those days- you woke up late, your client is unreasonable, you're covered in dog fur (oh wait, that might just be me)- days where things just don't gel. Since today is one of those days for me, I thought I'd share a few ways that I get a handle on things:

• Organize, organize, organize. When I'm feeling flustered or can't focus I take a few minutes to do a to-do list. It's amazing how much easier things flow when armed with a list. I'm a fan of paper so an old school legal pad is just fine for me. If you want something a little more tech savvy, try Remember The Milk. 

                                                           

• Music. Let's face it, sometimes screaming music with your car windows up is the only thing that will make it better. Build a custom station on I Heart Radio and rock out to your hearts content. My favorite? Awol of course. 
• Put down the email. and the googles. and the twitter. and go for a walk. Seriously, go for a walk without your iphone and see how much better you feel. Plus you really don't want to be the ass who winds up in one of these videos. 

• When you're done with that walk, watch a funny video from the safety of your own couch. 

• Snuggle with your favorite 4 legged friend. 

Let's make it a good day people. 

-DBC

An ode to LEGO

LEGO has long been one of my favorite companies. Sure, we all acknowledge that there is no pain worse than accidentally stepping on a lego in the dark, but they sure do a lot to make up for that :0D

Exhibit A: 
                

                                                
Sensei Wu approves.

Exhibit B: 

LEGO's customer service is really exemplary. Plus how can you deny the greatness of a product that clearly makes so many kids happy???!!! Well, now it also makes adults happy. Or at least this adult. 

To celebrate it's 55th anniversary, LEGO created 55 brian teaser posters featuring it's ubiquitous product. The posters reference stories, songs, films and are really fun. Here are a few of my favorites: 

You can view the entire list and answers over at Gizmodo.com.

Want an inside look at how those little nuggets of pleasure and pain are made? Check this video out.

A very happy birthday to LEGO!

-DBC

Fresh Art Friday: Yinka Shonibare

Today I'm THRILLED to share my favorite current work by artist Yinka Shonibare.

                                              

Shonibare (sounds like Shaw-Knee-Bar-A) is a British/Nigerian artist who is currently exploring colonialism and the way it shaped cultural identities. He is well know for huge installation pieces and the use of a fabric called Batik. By clothing his figures or designing objects in this traditional fabric, he 'Africanizes' subjects that we generally associate with colonialism, subversively pointing out the complicated narrative of history and identity (1).

 

This is a close up of his piece The Scramble for Africa, which I think is a great example of installation and the materials choice. It's huge and challenging and visually appealing. You can read more about this interesting piece here. 

While a great piece, this The Scramble isn't my favorite. This is: 

Meet Odile and Odette. Approximately 14 minutes of mind blowing film. Here's a little snippet: 

                 
Odile / Odette from Doug Haywood on Vimeo.

You might be thinking 'what the heck is this??' but those of us ballet nuts will instantly recognize the title from the famous ballet Swan Lake (or the more contemporary Black Swan). In this film piece, 2 dancers are performing a role typically danced by the same dancer. The details are amazing, all the way down to those batik pointe shoes. When talking about the film, Shonibare said "The roles- one as the ego and one as the alter- in my version are more ambiguous: you would not necessarily be able to tell who is the bad swan and who is the good one." It's a gorgeous way to subtly draw the viewers attention towards and, in my opinion, away from race simultaneously.

In large scale the film is fascinating, beautiful, heartbreaking and a stunning piece of art. If you want to see the entire film, hop over to the Modern of Fort Worth and enjoy Focus: Yinka Shonibare through March 24th.

Care for a tour? Touch base with me at DoriTheDocent@gmail.com.

Enjoy!
-DBC

Whatcha' snacking on?

I've always been one of those people who eats all day. I just feel better eating 5-6 small snacks rather than 3 big dishes. In an effort to continue fitting into all of my cute J.Crew dresses I try to make sure my snacks are healthy too! By no means am I a nutritionist, but here are a few of my reasonably healthy favorites:

                                          

Sabra Hummus Singles with

                                                      
Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps! Yum! I tend to favor salt over sweet and this combo just does the trick for me. BTW, if you've never tried pretzel crisps you're really missing out. I've heard the flavored ones are great too but I stick to the original.

Because I don't like the idea of using a plastic bag for everything, I use a little LunchSkins bag like this to carry all of those thin pretzels:

                                            

If I'm craving something sweet, my hands down favorite is a Fage CHERRY greek yogurt.

                                               

I am a total texture person. I hate regular yogurt, bananas and cottage cheese with a passion so I was really surprised that I could get behind Greek Yogurt. It's much thicker than regular yogurt and, I'm not sure if this makes sense, but not slimy. If I'm having an off day or if I need a little bit of carbs, I'll add a sprinkle of Archer Farms Granola and that usually does the trick.

                                               

And saving the best for last, my beloved Plum Kids Sammy Jammy's are always a great option. I have these things hiding everywhere- in my car, in my work drawers, in my work bag- because they are the perfect 'get me stable until dinner' snack.

                                           

I'm not sure how they do it, but these things actually taste like a PB&J without the soggy bread :0) At only 100 calories they are perfect when I'm feeling a little depleted but don't want a major snack or meal.

So those are my favorites. What are you snackin on?

-DBC