Mary Kay fail

My cousin won a "spa day" which was really a Mary Kay marketing gimmick. We did our own facials. The salesperson tried to tell me it was better than sitting in a dark room and having a stranger do my facial. It wasn't.

They also told me about a "business opportunity" in which I can "invest" $100 to sell Mary Kay products. Hey lady, why don't I invest the traditional way and buy a couple shares of your stock? That way, you can sell the product and I can get the money.

They also said I could take tax deductions for taking "clients" out for meals such as my girl friends who are interested in Mary Kay products. They said, "That's why doctors and lawyers do it." My cousin looked at me and asked, "Do you want to quit your job to sell Mary Kay?" I nodded. What a joke. 

International Women's Day

   I didn't know there was such a thing until someone started posting about it.

   That's a lie. I came here to talk about why my FB friend posted: "Are women still seeking equality?" Is that a serious question? I can't even talk about it, because the issue needs to be re-framed. The better question is, "Are some humans still facing disadvantages due to their sex/gender?" It irks  me to see important discussions obscured by the old battle of sexes rhetoric, but at the same time, I am too old and lazy to engage in more internet arguments/discussions.

   As I reflect on this question, I concede that I certainly don't face the same challenges as the women of generations past, but it's also premature to say that equality has been reached. Are some humans still facing disadvantages because of their sex and gender? Globally, yes. Domestically, yes, to a lesser extent.

  For me, I wouldn't use this day to celebrate simply being female. We've come a long way from a culture that led Simone de Beauvoir to designate us as the second sex. Girl power made sense in a time when women were powerless, but now, these girls-run-the-world Beyonce-type iterations seem almost like a perversion of what was once a powerful thought. These slogans further affirms the men-women dichotomy, and ultimately, that's not what feminism is about. It's about correcting the institutions that deny humans rights because of their sex/gender. Nothing too controversial about that. 

Shortnin Bread

Another extended lunch break. I wasn't too impressed with this place, but I'll reserve Yelp judgment unless it disappoints me again.

This cream puff was disgusting. The bacon chocolate chip cookie was okay. The salty bacon in the cookie reminds me of the salty pork in mooncakes. Meh. 

"Love doesn't just sit there like a stone: it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new....love is a verb - something I do, not something that can be given once and stored forever."

Eat Your Art Out in Hollywood

conversation with Yves about love

I guess to understand the context, you would have to understand us. We're snarky. We're cynical. We're lawyers. 

Yves: I don't even know what being in a relationship feels like anymore.

Me: Good. It's dumb. Infatuation is the best stage.
Yves: What about true love, Anh? (She said this ironically, not really meaning it.)

Me: I don't believe in true love, never have, never will. 

Yves: But you've been in love?
Me: Yes.
Yves: What does that mean, true love?
Me: What DOES that mean? If it means just one love, then no, I don't buy that. I think Mindy Kaling described it pretty well in her book. She says people treat love like a noun when it should be a verb. It's not something you find; it's something you do. Conceptually, I like that. I love Kevin. I think Kevin is worthy and deserving of my love, even if he's not the perfect guy. 

Airbrushed Adele

Vogue,

 I will never forgive you. What the eff did you do to Adele?? The whole POINT of being Adele is that you don't have to be tiny or gorgeous (which she totally is) when you are that crazy talented. Why would you put this amazing woman on your magazine and not allow her to look as much like herself as possible? She deserves to be on the cover, because she has such a great unique look- that pretty red hair, the signature cat eye and beehive hairstyle. She's glamorous and polished. Her look and style should be the focus, not the warped way you want her to look. Ugh.

 With disgust,
 Anh