Thursday, March 17, 2011

On Irishmen, and Body Odor.


I like Irishmen.  Girls like Irishmen.  Generally.  I don’t know what it is, I think it’s something about the manliness, the rough and tough, “I’ll give you a knuckle sandwich if you look at me wrong” mentality.
 Or maybe it’s just the accent.

Mmmm, Irish accents.   What’s even better is when they sing with an Irish accent. 
So I’m personally, a fan of St. Patrick’s day.  I love green, Shamrocks are cool, it gives me an excuse to act like a heathen because everyone is drunk anyway,  annnd I like Irishmen.

Particularly ones with Irish names, and that sexy Irish face.

Yeah, you know what I’m talking about.  The manly jaw, broad shoulders, lean body ‘button-y’ nose, wavy hair, a few freckles and that sexy ‘devil may care’ attitude.  Om nom- okay, I have to cut into my ramble-  I’m currently writing this in the lounge of one of my buildings.  A very very short guy (in my major) just walked by COMPLETELY dressed in leprechaun garb.  I mean neon green and black striped socks, those strange man-capris, black buckle shoes, that strange green bowler hat…and a green waistcoat.  And I haven’t even been drinking.  It’s legit. There is a leprechaun on my campus.  Good god.
I’m completely distracted now.  Leprechauns.  Dear Lord. 

Anyway.
  
Oh, I guess there’s also the fact that I’m Irish.  But not enough to be going around telling people to kiss me because of it.  My Irish accent eventually turns into a British-Indian accent.  I’m honestly just Irish enough to appreciate the occasional potato product, and to blame my temper on my Irish roots.  And my reddish hair.  I’m sort of a melting pot of culture-  Lithuanian, French, Irish.  Eastern European and French mostly. 
I also like St. Patrick’s day, because I get to observe all of the drunks.  And I inevitably get a few drunk texts that are always an interesting part of the day after I interpret the meaning through all of the extra letters incorporated into it. 

This morning, I got an email from facebook telling me about a message that the local pub (whose owner I am somehow friends with on FB) is serving Irish breakfast; green eggs and green beer.  Yum.  (Not). Yes, let’s start the day off right with a yeasty green drink and some eggs.  I guess it doesn’t help that I don’t like eggs or beer.  I like to pretend I’m more refined than that. Although in reality I just think that beer smells and tastes similar to spoiled bread dough and vomit. Just saying.
I saw a shirt at an Irish festival that I went to a few months ago. It said “Kiss me I’m Irish, slip me some tongue, I’m French.”

If I had a shirt like that, it would have to say “buy me a vodka shot, I’m Russian, then kiss me I’m Irish, then try to slip me some tongue since I’m French, then be kicked in the cahones because I’m not a slut.”

Win.

Now let’s talk BO.

Yuck right?
No one likes BO.  But it’s a natural occurrence right? I mean , you hit puberty, and at some point you (or the person next to you is) is like, ‘wow, that game of dodgeball was hardcore…shit, what smells like onions?’
Naturally, in order to counteract this unfortunate phenomenon, you take showers regularly, and invest in some D.O for your B.O.  After that, it’s typically solved, except if you might forget to put it on after your shower and then run a few miles, or you just sweat profusely and forget to reapply.
Sooo, I find it unacceptable that in our 20 somethings, there are STILL people who reek of ze boday odeur.  I have encountered two such individuals (of many) that I come in contact with on a daily basis. HOW does this happen?  There is soap readily available EVERYWHERE! In fact, where I work, you can get it AND deo for FREE.  There is no excuse to not be deodorizing!
I mean REALLY? Do you NOT notice that while most people around you smell like perfume, cologne,  -(ohp, there’s a bald guy wearing a kilt and knee socks with a tee shirt…such diversity on this campus!) – or at least SOAP or neutrality, you are sending off stink vibes that would scare off Pepe le Pu and Pigpen??  How do you NOT smell the stench of onions and body oil emanating from your body?  How do you NOT notices that people hold their breath and make faces when you walk too close to them?  I mean, not to be a bitch, but REALLY? 

From now on, I’m going to carry axe with me.  If I smell BO, you’re getting sprayed.  That’s just it.  Think of me as your friendly neighborhood BO eradicator. 

So here are some fun facts about body odor-
·         Sweat doesn’t actually smell, it’s the bacteria on your skin reacting with the sweat that makes it smell.
·         Body odor can indicate health problems.
·         Research shows that a chemical in men’s sweat can cause women to be turned on, as well as to ‘regulate’ menstruation and the release of feminine chemicals.
·         People choose partners by odor.  If you don’t like the smell of your partner’s body odor, you should reconsider having a long-term relationship with them, as the odor is a significant factor is sexual attraction.  It has to do with different immune systems. (You naturally choose a partner who has a different immune system than yours, which you can sense by the smell of their body)
·         Body odor indicates what you eat.
·         Women’s sweat typically smells like onions, men’s smells like cheese. (ew, to both.)
·         Asians produce less body odor.
·         Body odor is just as unique as a finger print.
·         Women are more sensitive to body odor.


It’s very strange to think that you enjoy the smell of a person’s body odor if you’re attracted to them in an evolutionary, biological way.  I guess that explains the failure of my past love encounters. :p
Okay kiddies, that’s it today,
Erin go Bragh, Póg ma thoin, and Tá m'árthach foluaineach lán d'eascanna.
Ta!



Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Pornography, Body Odor, and Being Checked Out

I said I would stick to themes.
So, in the interest of sticking to said themes, I have chosen three. =]
Loophole? P'raps.  But while I'm a FANTASTIC ranter/rambler (there goes my giant ego again. :p) I prefer to jump around a bit.

Okay, so, first subject. Pornography.
I started thinking about it today when we had a discussion about feminism and pornography in my 'Women in Soc' class.
There are compelling arguments FOR pornography, and AGAINST pornography.  The logical side of me can't choose which side I'm on. The emotional, neurotic part of me just screams "I hate pornnnn!!" retpeatedly while I try to think logically. However, let's examine this topic a bit.
--Logic
      -FOR pornography

  •  says that it empowers women, allows them to make money in an industry they may be interested in.
  • shows freedom of women, who can now flaunt their bodies in ways that society never allowed before
  • 'censoring' or making pornography illegal takes away 1st amendment and sets women's rights back again.
  • Allows women, and couples to learn sexual things they previously didn't know.
  • Is a sexual outlet for people who don't have a partner, don't want a partner etc.
  • Allows accommodation of 'darker fantasies'
   -AGAINST pornography
  • Causes objectification of women
  • Causes violence towards women as a result of objectification
  • Some women in the sex industry are there due to manipulation or drug control
  • Disrespectful of women
  • Focuses on the pleasing of MEN, not women
  • Focuses only sexuality of women, not other attributes.
  • Erotica (sexually pleasing literature, film etc that respects all people and animals involved) is ok, however Pornography (depicting the degredation, humiliation, abuse,disrespect etc of people, animals, genitalia etc) is NOT ok.
  • Builds "sexual tolerance" in people who watch it too much, forcing them to pursue more and more extreme forms in order to fulfill sexual appetite.
   -MY views
  • I really have no idea.  I can see both sides.  I believe that by McKinnon's definition of  "pornography" (featured in the 'against' section) is terrible, and SHOULD be censored.
    • as a person who has been through a relationship in which I was abused, I can safely say that I hate pornography, and I do believe that it had some part in my abuse.  The person who abused me read it, watched it, 'participated' in it constantly, even in front of me. I would even venture to say that it was an addiction, and he took out the side-effects on me.
    • My emotional side, hates it, and can't approve, no matter what the logic behind it is.  This is probably for the aforementioned reason, as well as that I come from a religious family, and am uncomfortable with complete nakedness, my own, and that of others. I'm highly private, especially sexually, I don't like PDA (my own or others') and something about seeing other people in such an intimate, physical situation makes me twitch, and not in a good way.  (If you want to see how red and fidgity a person can get, put a nudy mag in front of me.)  I mean, I freaked out when my computer got a virus that popped up about 80 windows of porn on my computer!  I yelled loudly, slammed the laptop shut, and handed it to my boyfriend, telling him to fix it.
    • I supposed my emotional hatred also stems from the insecurity that stemmed from my teenage years, and from my abusive relationship. At least if we're being completely honest.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I've grown up, I know many many people, not only men look at porn in some form.  But that doesn't mean that I like it, I just know I can't change it.  My logic is mixed between "I hate it b/c it makes me feel like I"m not good enough to get you going" and "I guess it's ok b/c at least you're not out somewhere cheating on me."
      • In conclusion- I'm basically stuck.  
Okay okay, enough about naked people. 
Now that I'm thinking of it, forget BO and Being checked out. I'll cover those oh-so-important topics later. 
Yay me, sticking to one theme!  

NEXT TIME- check in for 'Body Odor, really?' on 'Ramblings of a Real Girl!'

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Just another Narcissistic 20-something

Okay, so in reality I'm exactly 20 (and a half! I never grew out of the 'counting halves stage').  And I'd hardly say that I'm a narcissist.
However, blogging seems narcissistic to me.  It's like "oh hey, I feel that my words are important enough that I should publish them and everyone should stumble upon them and read them on the internet."
Although by that logic, writing books is narcissistic as well. 
And I love books.
So it should be clarified that I'm writing a blog to ease my Facebook Withdrawal.  
Yes, I quit facebook. 
Temporarily that is.  
Like the good little Catholic that I am, I gave something up for Lent.  That being Facebook, (aka the college student scapegoat)  
I'm sure you, my darling anonymous reader, are wondering why I would choose to sacrifice such an important part of social life, instead of giving up chocolate, or promising to exercise like all the other Catholics.
Well, mostly it's because people think I can't do it. Mix that with equal parts 'needing chocolate to survive' and 'already have a close relationship with the treadmill downstairs' and you get one, Facebook Lenten sacrifice. 
So here I am now, typing away, watching Jersey Shore, trying to find some solace in bloggage.  
I have to say it's not working well.  But maybe I'll keep it up.
In previous tries to blog, I've written completely random drivel.  I believe that this time I'll try to stick to a theme.  Which means that I need to start talking about narcissism and 20-somethings.

Really though, what is it with my generation and arrogance?  And vanity? I mean, sure my generation is pretty bad with that, but the younger generations, the kids who are 15 now? They're terrible!  Browse yahoo answers, 'health and beauty' section.  See how many adolescents and prepubescents are on there posting pictures of themselves, asking people to 'rate' them, and tell them if they're attractive!  Honestly, it's sad, Pathetic sad, and just sad sad.  that they need that gratification, that the insecurity that comes with being a teenager has to come to such a point that they need strangers on the internet (probably pedophiles) to tell them that they look good.  
God, my 15 year old self was insecure, but I didn't WANT to know what other people thought.  I was of the "f^$# you, I don't care what you think of me." mind.  I didn't care what the celebrities looked like, I didn't want to dress like them, or do my hair like them.  And I knew a lot of people who were the same way! What's with the younger generation that they have to follow the media to tell them what to do? That they're so unhappy with themselves?
Naarrrcciiisssiisssmmm.  
Mmmm.  Yes.  Not that a compliment or two isn't nice.  But I don't think I'm some sort of Goddess. (Not all around at least, although I'm definitely a French Breakfast Muffin Making Goddess.  And a Procrastinating Goddess, and a Rationalizing Goddess, and a Bubble Bath Goddess, as well. Now THERE'S some narcissism for you kiddies!)  

I mean I'm rad, but you know, not the MOST rad I guess.

so I guess the moral of this terribly thought out first blog is "Love yourself, just not more than everything else." Kind of.

First blog? Score.