salonika!

further saturday/saturnight (non-)adventures.

woke up with a massive! headache. so, i took the T out to the arnold arboretum. i used to think harvard was the best-smelling subway station thanks to the dunkin donuts there, but the fruit and vegetable stands at forest hills beat it hands down. the arboretum is 265 acres of trees from everywhere between here and timbuktu (maybe). unfortunately, all the trees were bare, and it looked like something out of a horror film, which is nice too. it reminded me of sleepy hollow. so i chilled with the trees for an hour and went back into boston, browsed around utrecht, looking at paints and brushes and pencils and papers. but i didn’t buy anything. i walked through the christian science plaza — probably my favourite spot in the city, although the arboretum might displace it later in the spring — where i saw a little pink thing running around in the drained reflecting pool. it turned out to be a baby girl, which i thought was something to be happy about. and there were some people having a photo shoot dressed up as dorothy, the wicked witch of the east, etc. after getting brunch — a sandwich and a chocolate chip cookie — i came back home, and then decided to go on a spending spree at target to cheer myself up. my guilty pleasures: detergent, conditioner, socks, and razor blades. i can get up to some pretty wild stuff with the things on that list. and then i saw another baby when i was leaving, who also made me smile pretty foolishly. and, now, i just got back — 1am — from a three-and-a-half-hour walk from my place past mit, slowly over the charles, past berklee, back through the christian science plaza, past parts of northeastern, stopping for a slice of pizza at 11.30 (where, fittingly, i heard “(i can’t get no) satisfaction”), back over the charles (slightly quicker this time), stealing into the restroom at mit while waiting for a bus, seeing the bus leave as i came back out, and then back home. about 6miles all the way round. not too shabby, yeah?

marco:

Study: ‘Weight-ism’ Is Bigger Than Racism (via emilyposts)

… weight discrimination is spiraling upward, and that’s a dangerous trend that could add fuel to the obesity epidemic.

The study argues that discrimination against fat people should be illegal, just like discrimination based on race, age, or gender.

Personally, I don’t see the connection… being overweight is just as much of a lifestyle and personality decision as smoking, being annoying, or listening to bad music. Sure, it’s hard to change it once you’re there. But it’s not impossible, and it’s not the world’s fault that you got there in the first place.

People shouldn’t be prohibited from thinking negatively of people who are overweight because of their decisions.

(Also, this picture… they couldn’t have picked a better representative? Is that a pair of 2-liter soda bottles in that shopping bag?)

there is a sentiment here that i find pretty darn repulsive. i’m not going to write an essay, but a few relevant words should suffice: genetics. metabolism. poverty.

jessicalouise:

Men go for the curvy girls

According to the figures, the jury is in: men will choose a Rubenesque size 14 over a stick-figure size 8 when it comes to their ideal woman.

It is based on an online survey — not the most accurate means of obtaining information — of 60,000 men conducted by laddish men’s magazine FHM. The relevant issue is published tomorrow. The mag found that when shown pictures of three bikini-clad models, four out of five men said they were more attracted to the size 12 and size 14 models than the model who was a slimmer size 8.

The majority of votes went to the size 12 woman, with 41% saying that she had the body shape of their “ideal girlfriend”. Almost as many men voted for the Nigella Lawson-esque size 14 model.

Professor Marika Tiggemann from Flinders University said that the results supported academic research on the topic. “We find women want to be thinner than what men find attractive,” she said. “Men’s idea of what is ‘thin’ is larger than that of women. Unfortunately, a lot of people think being thin demonstrates being in control or being disciplined, while being fat is a sign you’re weak.”

The editor of women’s magazine Cleo, Nedahl Stelio, said that most women did not diet for men but for other women.

“Most men I know would go for more boob over thinner thighs, but women, by nature, are competitive with other women,” Stelio said.

“And if the society and celebrity ideal is thin, that’s what she’s going to aspire to, just to get one up on other women.”

Full article here.

i added the emphasis to a couple of lines up there. i think they relate to the last post.

partial list of listenings for a course in the contemporary youth culture of england.

1. Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994), The Great Escape (1995), and Think Tank (2003), by Blur.
2. Definitely Maybe (1994), and (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (1995), by Oasis.
3. Different Class (1995), by Pulp.
4. Coming Up (1996), by Suede.
5. Lovelife (1996), by Lush.
6. When I Was Born For The 7th Time (1997), by Cornershop.
7. OK Computer (1997), by Radiohead.
8. Parachutes (2000), by Coldplay.
9. Up The Bracket (2002), and Don’t Look Back Into The Sun (2003), by The Libertines.
10. Boy In Da Corner (2003), by Dizzee Rascal.
11. Silent Alarm (2005), and A Weekend In The City (2007), by Bloc Party.
12. Back To Black (2006), by Amy Winehouse.
13. Myths Of The Near Future (2007), by Klaxons.
14. The Good, The Bad & The Queen (2007).

these are some records which, i think, describe life in england for young people over the past decade and a half. a few of them have songs which make pretty direct references to everyday life in england. since i haven’t lived there during this time, i’ve definitely left out a lot. that’s where you come in. suggest!

» pangea day // 10.05.08

the tank driver video, and the anthems.

looking through mutations by rem koolhaas, i came across some fascinating photos by jordi bernadó, edgar cleijne, and alex maclean. unfortunately, only maclean has an on-line portfolio.