Friday, March 31, 2006

The PINK Line!!!

The new Chicago el line is going to be pink! I'm so excited.

I don't even care where it goes. I'm going to ride it!





Thursday, March 30, 2006

9/11 Tapes Revive Lost Voices, and Families' Pain

Wow. The article starts out talking about some families who don't want to hear the tapes of their family members' voicess. I don't know that I would be able to not listen.

Will Sept. 11 ever be over, Debbie Andreacchio wondered...

I can't imagine what it must be like for the people who lost someone on 9/11. I still get teary when I read an article like this. And, really, I'm not an easily-gets-teary girl. I still get surprised at myself sometimes.




Tuesday, March 28, 2006

So, House is featuring a couple who acts out their sexual fantasies. Fine. Except the couple, both the husband and the wife, are gorgeous. (is gorgeous? -- damn grammar.) So, uhm, no. Not believable. Sorry, I don't buy it.




Jellybeans.

The problem with jellybeans is that they are so small that it's not very satisfying to eat just one, but since each color has its own distinct flavor you either end up with a jumble of flavors in your mouth or you have to be really ridiculous and sort out a bunch of the same flavor to eat together.



Wednesday, March 08, 2006

PostSecret

Yeah, Yeah. I know it's been around for a while now and there's even a book. But, still, I had to say...

I think PostSecret is one of the mostest beautiful things out there on the web.

No. Really.

There's more talk more about the internet isolating people than there is about how it unites people. Not that PostSecret unites people exactly. But, would you ever really really believe that there's truly someone else out there who writes letters they don't send? Or secretly enjoys life? (Just two recent examples...) I even find it enlightening to read the secrets that I don't empathize with. Tangent: I'm from Chicago. I'm allowed to end a sentence with "with."

Go ahead. Laugh. I'm sitting here feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.



Biological Psychology

I just discovered this journal. It's so cool! There's a bunch of articles about the biology of, ahem, arousal. I find that kind of stuff fascinating. The science of sex.

Some sample article titles:
  • Women's preferences for sexual dimorphism in height depend on menstrual cycle phase and expected duration of relationship. [Abstract]
  • More frequent partner hugs and higher oxytocin levels are linked to lower blood pressure and heart rate in premenopausal women. [Abstract]
  • Men's ratings of female attractiveness are influenced more by changes in female waist size compared with changes in hip size. [Abstract]
  • A preliminary report relating frequency of vaginal intercourse to heart rate variability, Valsalva ratio, blood pressure, and cohabitation status. [Abstract]

I'm so easily amused...






Tuesday, March 07, 2006

The Game by Neil Strauss

I loved this book. For those that don't know, it's about a community of guys who become experts at seduction. It's non-fiction. There's a gazillion communities online that most people have no idea about. I'm sure they exist off-line, too, but I'm mainly aware of the ones that have grown over the internet.

Anyway, I'm really not good at summarizing what books are about. If I were, I'd probably spend a damn lot of my time doing it since I read so many books. So, if you want a summary, go to the one on Amazon.

So, as a female, why would I love this book? It's not because it lets me in on all the tricks these guys use, though that is kind of neat. First, I like the idea of there being these guys interested in seduction out there. I enjoy being seduced. It's a great feeling. I like that this book tells how it can all go wrong if too much effort and attention is put on the technique rather than enjoying the "game" itself. I enjoy being seduced by a guy who really enjoys women. I don't enjoy being seduced by a guy who's trying to get back at women who have rejected him. That's like that game where you're supposed to fall backwards and trust that the other person will catch you. But, they don't. Or, when someone tries to trick you into doing or saying something that makes you seem stupid. And then they laugh at you. I HATE that.

The thing is, even though I've read the book and read about the techniques, I'm completely confident that they would work on me. Even if I was aware that the guy was using them. Seriously. It's good stuff.

Oh, except there's a technique they talk about in the book called negging. It's basically playfully insulting the girl so as to rile her up a bit and also to show that he's not one of those guys who's just blown away by her looks. That technique, at least with me could seriously backfire. Not always, but sometimes. How do I explain? If a guy negged me about something I was sensitive about, I'd be pissed off, not intrigued. However, if he negged me about something I was kind of secretly proud of, I'd probably fall for it. Trying to think of concrete examples... oh well. Hope it makes sense anyway.

I wish there were instructions out there for women to seduce men. Supposedly The Art of Seduction can be used by either gender, but I haven't read it yet.