Human brain now registers smiley face emoticon as real facial expression. OH MAN I FUCKING LOVE THE INTERNET.

If you haven't read the essay from the Duke University Porn Star, I encourage you to do so.

"I, like all other sex workers, want to be treated with dignity and respect. I want equal representation under the law and within societal institutions. I want people to acknowledge our humanity. I want people to listen to our unique narratives and dialogues.

To the anti-pornography feminists out there: I very much respect your opinion. Nevertheless, I want you to consider how you marginalize a group of women by condemning their actions. Consider that when you demean women for participating in sex work, you are demeaning THEM, and consequently, YOU become the problem.

Please do not continue to make the mistake you have made in the past of ignoring the voices of minority communities. Listen. Listen to the women who have for so long been silenced. Listen to their thoughts and their needs. Only then can we achieve solidarity and true progress within our movement."

Along a similar vein is this video starring Carmen Carrera, a transwoman and model. NSFW, but amazing.



Carmen's personal essay about the experience and her motivations for doing the video is here.

I want to leave something behind so people can look back one day and say, "Wow, remember when transpeople were discriminated against the most? This person was like, ‘Screw everybody! I’m going to parade around half-naked and be superproud, because that’s how everyone should be!’"

This weekend I spent money I didn't have on a neutral matte makeup palette from Stila. I need a neutral palette for travel because I'm tired of carting around a bag full of single pot colors and I wanted a matte collection because Reasons. It would've been nice to shop around a bit more before purchasing, but no time (or gas money) to hit Sephora in Kansas City. So picked this up from the local Beauty Brands (also, BB has a faboo return policy and they're local, so no driving to KC for a return). I was able to combine a $3.50 off coupon with my 10% off voucher that I've been holding onto for ... a year? and saved nearly $8 so my total came in just under $35. This is my second day wearing the colors from it and I'm *this close* to chucking all my old single-pot eyeshadows and replacing them with the other Stila palettes. THIS COLOR IS AMAZING. It doesn't look so much like pigment resting on my skin as it looks like my skin is actually stained/pigmented. And it lasted all day yesterday, through kitchen chores and laundry and even an occasion when I rubbed by eye because I forgot I was wearing eyeshadow. Very happy I took a chance on these.

My session with Andrew wasn't quite as thrilling, but it was good and informative. Last week wasn't a good week for me, physically. I felt worn down and fatigued, I had some swelling issues, and I started spotting on Wednesday. On Saturday I started bleeding for real (five days early) and the cramps were pretty bad. But I went to my training session on Sunday and just warned Andrew that I wasn't feeling at peak fitness. After the session he said it was interesting to watch me perform all the lifts with perfect mechanics and form, but at twenty to twenty-five percent less strength than previously. On the push press and bench press I struggled with just the empty 45lb. bar. We talked a little bit about how people can psych themselves out of lifting a weight because they think it's too heavy for them and he said he could tell that wasn't the problem (and he's seen me psych myself out of lifting a weight). He could see me reaching for it, could see my arms shaking with the effort, but the weight just wouldn't go up. So now I have something close to actual proof that my occasional weakness and fatigue isn't psychological. My body is actually chemically, physically weaker when I'm having A Spell. FASCINATING.

And then I spent pretty much the rest of the day alternating Couch Time with Folding Laundry. So grateful mckitterick was home most of the day so he could carry the laundry baskets up the stairs for me.

Update: Well shit. Harold Ramis died.

These chocolates sound amazing.

Today's Tumblr is Tuesday, October 15: Mechanical.

Saw this on ontd_political yesterday. It's awesome and distressing. In memoriam: After years of health problems, Facts has finally died. Ha ha!

I think I mentioned here that I've completely stopped taking all OTC pills and supplements with the exception of Cod Liver Oil, Bio-Sil, Vitamin D drops, and a super-expensive allergen-free probiotic. The elimination of supplements and pills means no ibuprofen. This seemed like a really good idea at the time. And by "at the time," I mean "before I started Crossfit." I shouldn't complain, though. mckitterick went with me last night and he's hurtin' this morning. The absence of analgesics also makes dealing with my period kinda rough. It'll be interesting to see how my body (if my body) can handle CrossFit when I'm cramping--which started, like, an hour ago (it's what woke me up this morning). Who knows? Maybe hard exercise will help with the cramping. Yeah, right. I should be so lucky.

You know you come across some people on LJ and you think "hey, s/he sounds cool--I bet we'd get along okay in real life" and then s/he posts something and you're like "WHERE IS MY FUCKING TRANSPORTER TECHNOLOGY SO I CAN HANG WITH THIS PERSON RIGHT NOW"? That's happened to me twice this year. First with alryssa, who would be a kick even if we didn't share the due South love, and second is pennswoods, whom I just met via belluthien, last week and has already endeared herself to me by linking to an article reporting on research that shows porn-watching quiets the part of your brain that deals with anxiety. That's putting science to good use, folks.

I finished my last Crossfit Elements class last night and today I'm taking my "White Bandana Test" where I perform the learned movements to see if I'm safe to do WODs with the other kids. I'm also going to try the yoga class they have at the CrossFit box on Saturday mornings. I hope I like it. I want to resume attending a regular, active yoga class and that's just not going to happen if I have to go to a weeknight class.

Got seven hours of sleep last night. Not bad, but certainly not what I was hoping for. Can't say I'd call myself rested now. If I thought I would actually fall asleep, I'd go back to bed.

Dance Church was so awful I stopped dancing after thirty minutes and left after forty-five.

Time for Wine, Hookah, and Porn.

Here's something that not many women have occasion to say to their partners.

As mckitterick, phone at his ear, tries to lay his head in my lap:

"Can you please talk to your father elsewhere? I'm trying to read some porn, here."

It's a good life.