A screenshot of dresses at Forever21.com

For what career are these appropriate?

Leggings are too casual to wear to work so how are you supposed to cover up the rest of your thigh?

In my opinion, these are nice shirts. Nice shirts you’d probably also put a sweater over for any career world. Well, not any career but, you know, the careers where your pay isn’t crumbled $1 bills.

My favorite has to be Ms. Retro Geometric Shirtdress in the bottom row, center. Not only is this dress barely skimming the bottom of her tush, but it’s a nude color. Just in case the being mostly naked isn’t enough, let’s look actually naked from a distance.

Nothing says “respect me” at the office like accidentally showing the bottom of your butt cheeks.

I am sincerely sorry about neglecting this blog over the past week. I am even sorrier that I will be neglecting it for yet another week.

Please look for a new post around May 17. Links will be sent to Twitter and Facebook so you’ll see them.

I’ll miss you until then,

Cari

He surprised me and impressed me.

Granted, my expectations were low. I thought that O’Doherty would have two or three public relations-type quotes for me. I only went on the field trip because I wanted to provide a ride to a car-less classmate of mine.

I’m very glad that I went.

I recognize that O’Doherty sees Baltimore’s vacants from the governmental side of the issue. His perspective has to be positive and persuasive because the city government needs public support for the plan. Of course people are going to be displaced and displeased. There are going to be victims. But he can’t admit that.

I’m looking at the vacants problem through those negative aspects too. But O’Doherty shed light on the Vacants to Value initiative. He did a good job of explaining why the plan is gravely necessary. His arguments imply that Baltimore City’s government believes that the initiative’s benefits will far exceed those negatives, especially in the long-run.

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(Photo courtesy of healthyvending.com)

Yes! Vending machines that aren’t evil diet-ruiners.

H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending distributes tasty, healthy and natural snack options.

Healthy Vending sells popchips (low sodium, fat in 100-calorie bags), LUNA bars, Clif bars, Raw food snack bars, organic Horizon milk, coconut water, all-natural sodas without sugars, all-natural energy drinks, healthy cracker and cookie snacks, Honest Teas, Muscle Milk, pro-biotic drinks, organic yogurts and bottled water.

I hear the snack and drink options from Healthy Vending are more expensive than traditional ones, but I applaud the company’s efforts.

H.U.M.A.N. stands for “helping unite man and nutrition.”

I can’t wait until I see one of these machines. I’ll buy a product just to support their cause.

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I’ve met a few men that have not yet been ruled out as potential romantic partners, but I find increasingly that these men build up idealistic ideas of me and what my idea of a successful romantic relationship is.

Idealization leads directly to disillusionment and disappointment:

I’m told that I seem friendly, intelligent, interesting, passionate, etc. during initial conversations (if you can take those compliments as trustworthy when a man is trying to flatter you). I would love to meet someone to share my life with, and you never know who that could be, so I try to be receptive, respectful and polite when someone approaches me (respectfully, of course).

But what’s frustrating is that after 17 minutes of friendly “getting-to-know-you” conversation, it seems a man has already decided who I am and what I’m about.

That’s not fair.

Who can be sized up in a brief and generalized conversation? I’m set up for failure before I even get started. I’m not going to break into a lecture series about my opinions of social responsibility, politics or America or my ideas of parenting or my expectations of a husband right after the “my name’s Cari” introduction.

Suppose I don’t want any kids? Suppose I want eight? Maybe I want to home school our children. Maybe I expect my husband to spank our children. Maybe I want to raise a family in a city. Maybe I want to raise a family in another country. Suppose I want to be a stay at home mother? Or that I want to spend most of my time on activism? Maybe I disapprove of my kids ever watching television. Maybe I’m not willing to marry a man with health difficulties.

The approach to dating is far from realistic. Slow down, listen and analyze someone before you leap into thoughts of happily-ever-after. Don’t dismiss qualities of a person thinking that a person will magically compromise for your plans. And don’t make rash optimistic decisions that block your view of a person’s true qualities.

You cannot ever love or respect someone you idealize. You don’t know the real person.

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(Random, but I can’t help but think of Riley in The Boondocks worried about not “dick ridin’” someone.)

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An older White lady stands in an elevator, two large Black men step in with her. She steps backward and noticeably tightens the grip on her purse.

The two Black men see this, look at each other and start laughing hysterically.

The next day, the woman receives a note that says:

Thanks for the best laugh we’ve had in years.

Sincerely,

Michael Jordon and Charles Barkley

This story’s authenticity is highly debatable. But Professor John Bullock told it to my Urban Government and Politics class a few weeks ago. Then I saw this hilarious video on YouTube.com by Reckless Tortuga.

.

“Hi. Every 45 seconds, a Black man enters an elevator. And some stupid White bitch clutches her purse for her dear life. Now you might not think we notice. But we do.”

Black people are criminals. It doesn’t matter if a Black man is a millionaire, dressed in a three-piece suit, or ordinary. Racist people believe that Black people are all bad-intentioned.

White people: How offended would you be if you walked into an elevator and got this reaction? Ouch.

But let’s pretend like it’s not a big deal.

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I don’t have to. It’s a daily habit of students already.

I hate turning in garbage. If I haven’t done what I’m supposed to do, I don’t try to turn in some crap I whipped together. I’d rather take a zero.

That hasn’t worked out for me. This is my sixth year of college.

I’m in my final semester, and I’ve discovered that classmates are experts at just turning in bull.

They don’t care about learning. They care about passing.

Show up, turn in half-assed work, cram for your exams (so you can forget everything immediately after), pay tuition, and you get a diploma!

Yes, sleep through class. Yes, text through class. Yes, wear sweatpants to class. Yes, beg professors for leniency.

Examples:

• After clear threats on the syllabus about deadlines for a course, I decided that I would take a zero on two assignments because I couldn’t get them in by email on time. What did I find out this week? That other students just email them in late without explanation and get full credit without even a comment from the professor. Too cool.
• Another professor of mine preaches about strict deadlines, and so when I couldn’t get a story finalized on time, I unfortunately came to terms with my zero. After class, I find out that two students were granted an extension without hesitation. Great.

I haven’t even mentioned that most students admit their assignments are half-done, half made-up and mostly crammed together half-heartedly at the last minute.

Perfect.

So what the hell is the point of higher education? It seems like training for con-gaming to me.

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But crying doesn’t solve anything. It fuels emotional streams of consciousness and actually keeps solutions further from your mind.

Crying also fails to prove anything.

We cry because we care but wouldn’t showing you care be better? Actions speak louder than giving into the baser desire to cry. Not crying can actually prove that you care more. Refraining from getting hysterical could lead to reason and solution. Displaying self control could show that you want to take things into real consideration instead of feeling sorry for yourself and expecting attention or leniency because you’re shedding tears.

We also cry because it feels good. Rumors (or studies) say that crying is cleansing and helps to release strong emotions or stress, etc. But are we just, as women, allowed to cry and whine too much?

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