December 2009
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In Which I Discover The Extent Of My Lactose...
Apparently, my mild dairy aversion has become full-blown lactose intolerance. I’ve never been particularly fond of milk but unlike my mother (from whom I inherited this condition), I drank it periodically and in small amounts, which helped keep my digestive system under control. Thus, I never realized 1) the extent to which my resilience could deteriorate or 2) how absolutely terrible one...
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Surprise, Hooking Up Doesn't Kill! →
I can’t count the number of times reporters have approached me hoping for a juicy sound bite about what the hook-up culture is really like, only to instead encounter a barrage of facts about the great majority of Americans having had premarital sex for, um, generations. Mainstream reporters either have a major aversion to peer-reviewed studies, or they don’t like being told that their granny...
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In Which I Spend 20 Consecutive Hours Traveling
Remember that time I lost all my IDs, cash, and credit cards in Greece and then got stranded in Paris en route home from spring break? The last 24 hours beat that.
The gory details are on Twitter but here’s the nightmare in full: I started traveling at noon in Boston on Monday and I only just got to Osnabrück three hours ago. Due to “Schneechaos in Frankfurt”, my three-leg...
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“Well, at least your break is a month. It may take a week to get to Germany.”
– Jason, on my ridiculously delayed three-leg journey to Osnabrück I’m currently in Dulles waiting on a flight to Frankfurt, where I will need to rebook a connection that I will almost certainly miss, all in order to get back to roomie and puppy dog in Nowhereville, Germany
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Lieber Thomas
I have to write an email to my German TF explaining the situation just in case I don’t make my final in the morning. I’m pretty sure I’ll still pass the class (and I’m pretty sure I’ll make it back?), but I don’t want to randomly not show up without explanation.
So. It’d be helpful if I currently possessed the vocabulary necessary to explain travel delays...
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I'm stuck in NY
I’m currently hiding out in the closest Starbucks to Penn Station. Thank god for Google maps and my iPhone or I would literally be lost.
My BoltBus for today was canceled yesterday afternoon. After a mild freak-out, my roomie swooped in to save the day by obtaining for me a train ticket which I would not have otherwise been able to afford. Amtrak, luckily, is the ONE thing running today.
...
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In Which Lena Goes To New York On The Eve Of A...
Because that is what one does before one’s last exam, hah!
Okay, to be fair, my last test is in German (so, it’s not terribly hard compared to, say, physics) and Patrick and the pup depart tomorrow for Germany. Instead of wallowing in my sorry lonesome all weekend, I am heading to New York tomorrow and staying until Sunday morning. I get Sunday night to pack, study, and cuddle with...
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“It’s when you have a x and it’s above an e and you have to get it...”
– Jason, explaining natural logs to me on the eve of my Reality Physics exam We’ve both come a long way since Calculus.
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Reader Poll: How Did You Get Here?
Despite very sporadic blogging through exam period, I’ve noticed a slight uptick in Tumblr followers and general traffic. On one hand, this makes me think, “Yay, I’m still relevant!” On the other, I’m kind of curious as to where people are finding out about this website, especially recently. The only thing I do that could even vaguely be considered “PR” is...
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The Long-Awaited New Translation Of "The Second...
The new English translation of Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex” has just been released in the U.K. on the heels of its 60th anniversary. Though long considered a founding feminist text, “The Second Sex” has never been adequately translated into English. The version most English speakers have seen was written by a male zoologist who taught at Smith College but was...
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Are Feminists Guilty Of Virgin Shaming?
I’m interested in hearing some opinions on feminism and virginity.
“Virgin shaming” is a common accusation leveled at feminists by social conservatives and the religious right. I’ve read countless books and articles about how feminism encourages sexual promiscuity and snubs sexual abstinent women, but much of this literature discusses feminism as a monolith and fails to...
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Angry Woman Beats A Sex-Crime Suspect On Subway... →
katoleary:
(via sarahmc)
I bet that guy thought twice before sexually assaulting another woman.
I don’t advocate violence as a solution. The entire Tiger Woods scandal, for example, is pissing me off, because mainstream media refuses to touch the domestic abuse issue. (Apparently, people deserve to be beaten unconscious if they cheat!) That being said, if you’re assaulted first...
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5 Reasons Why Women Should Consider An IUD →
My IUD piece is currently syndicated on Yahoo! Shine. There are a lot of personal anecdotes in the comments section about people’s experiences with IUDs, some positive and some very, very negative. I personally know of 5-6 friends who have IUDs and none had any problems, but it might just be that we have access to better care given university hospitals. If you’re figuring out your...
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Why Planned Parenthood Is For Everyone
I met the president of Planned Parenthood earlier this fall when she was a guest speaker at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. Though most people are familiar with the organization’s reproductive services, she said that many do not realize that PP offers comprehensive health care, often to those who need it most (those who are uninsured/not citizens/poor/etc.). When it comes to...
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“I saw you…reading Sex and the Ivy before frantically clicking a new tab as I...”
– a post on I Saw You Harvard, a new website for campus missed connections (via Very Noice) Good to know that reading my blog is still a source of shame.
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In Which Lena Attempts A $50 Christmas
Did I mention that I recently decorated my palm tree with CVS-acquired stockings and ribbons? (Less than $5 combined!) I plan on elaborate gifts, especially since I’m spending Christmas for the first time with Patrick’s family, but I don’t have a ton of money to spend so I’m going to make something tasty/pretty instead.
It’s probably a bad sign that I can already...
Up to $100 Off OpenSky (& Free Shipping) with Code...
Starting very, very soon, you guys will be able to access some of my favorite sex products on OpenSky, a recently launched website that allows experts to set up e-stores with products they recommend. My shop’s not open yet, but there are a ton of others that are — and for a limited time, the site is giving out major discounts, including coupons for $15 to $100 off and 10% to 50% off.
...
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“I am bit embarrassed to admit this, but the answer is Lady Gaga. Her music...”
– Professor Gregory Mankiw, on what he’s been listening to
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“It’s important for people to have a sharp, ongoing critique of marriage in...”
– bell hooks, who echoes some of my own sentiments on marriage
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German Full Immersion
Today was the last day of classes at Harvard. Now I’m only a paper and two finals away from four straight weeks of no-bullshit, full immersion in German language and culture. Not that boning my boyfriend isn’t a fully immersive experience, but ya know, doesn’t exactly do wonders for my grammar.
After my German final on the 21st, I leave that afternoon for Osnabrück, the lovely...
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GLAAD President on "Full Equality and How We Get...
From 4 to 5:30pm today, there’s an on-campus event that’s especially relevant given yesterday’s marriage equality defeat in New York:
Full Equality and How We Get There Jarrett Barrios, President, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
Sert Gallery at the Carpenter Center for the Arts 26...
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“In 2001, the average abortion at 10 weeks of gestation cost $372, according to...”
– Nicolas R. P. Lewine Today’s Crimson editorial about the Stupak Amendment is chock full of ignorance about the accessibility of reproductive care. To illustrate, I have an iPod and in September, before I cashed my financial aid check, I would not have been able to afford to pay for an...
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Oh Yeah? Male Student Calls Wellesley Women "Bunch... →
For further discussion of the Wellesley incident, check out Jezebel, which picked up the story today.
Commenters on Jezebel and my own site have pointed out that Pham’s outburst may have stemmed from his being teased or romantically rejected because of his height. While I don’t think this excuses his behavior, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to feel singled out or ostracized...
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