Funemployment

Ducklings!  So sorry for my lengthy absence.  I had a very good excuse. Or rather, a very bad good excuse.  As some of you know, right after I landed my part time teaching job, I lost my full time day job.  The economic turndown has hit my line of business especially hard and I've joined the ever expanding ranks of the under/unemployed.  I'm grateful for my remaining teaching job, but one night a week just isn't going to cut it.  So I've been super busy looking for another full time job, with very little success.

When you're unemployed, it goes without saying that Job #1 is finding another job.  You know, drawing on your contacts, pounding the pavement, scouring the internets, sending out the old resume, etc., etc.  But there will reach a point where you will become saturated with this activity.  It's scary and depressing and otherwise generally emotionally taxing to do the job search thing in this climate, especially when people in your particular sector of the industry are being sought after with the same zeal as stale baked goods.  Sometimes you need a little break.  Sometimes you need a little funemployment.

In this new semi-regular feature of The Daily Lalee, I will present you with ideas for recreation and entertainment that cost $10 or less.  First up:

 

The Getty Center

 

The Getty Center is free.  That's right - free.  You don't need to pay for admission, and you can spend all day traipsing around beautiful art, architecture, and gardens with a spectacular sea view.  Parking is $10, but Metro Rapid Line 761 will drop you off right outside the main gate.  You can bring your own lunch and enjoy a thrifty little picnic in any of the Getty's public seating areas.

Thank you, Mr. J. Paul Getty, wherever you are.  Knowing that I get to enjoy your museum for free makes me slightly less resentful of your outlandish economic success.  I am, after all, alive and able to enjoy lovely art, despite my regrettable unemployment (or arguably because of it!).  You, on the other hand, are dead and technically no longer rich.  Neener neener.

Oops.

When you're writing a letter to the police to refute claims of illegal drug use in your nightclub, it's probably best to use the stationery that's not covered in cocaine.

Speaking of being fruitful and multiplying...

I've been disturbed recently by what I perceive as radical antifeminist undercurrents in our culture. Antifeminist books like "The Surrendered Wife" are gaining a toehold in the collective consciousness, and reality shows featuring human overbreeding set against put-upon breadwinning husbands and housewife drudges are becoming increasingly popular. Take for instance, "Jon and Kate Plus 8," "18 Kids and Counting," and "Kids by the Dozen." The freak show aspect of these programs is undeniable. Kate presents us with a frank discussion of the revoltingly expansive slack pouch of her formerly overpregnant stomach (now tightened up with donated plastic surgery, thank you very much).

Watching the parents on these shows marshalling their kindermobs through simple tasks from breakfast to bathing to park outings provokes a blend of pity, awe and horror in me, not unlike what I feel when confronted with terrible congenital physical abnormalities.

Sideshow aspect aside, what these families often don't mention is that most of them are radical fundamentalist Christians who believe they are acceding to god's will by whelping litters of children. One of the moms on "Kids by the Dozen" referred to a gift of hand-me-down clothes as a token of appreciation from god for obeying him and raising so many of his warriors. That's right - his "warriors."

Radical fundamentalist Christians belonging to the "Quiverful" movement believe that Christian couples should engage in no family planning whatsoever, but should instead submit themselves to having as many children as god sees fit. Among the reasons for this is the notion that the more Christians they can raise, the more they can put into positions of power, where they can shape the policies that effect the lives of everyone in this country. In other words, they want a theocracy, and they will create as many new radicals as they can in the effort.

So before you dismiss these superbreeders with a self satisfied chuckle and change the channel, consider the fact that they think they're raising cultural warriors, and the people they're raised to fight against may be you.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/189763?from=rss

Luxury Bargains: Tasting Menus Part I

With the economy in the crapper, Los Angeles restaurants are coming up with new, creative ways to draw customers. One of these is the value priced tasting menu. Some of the best restaurants in town are coming up with tantalizing tasting menus at very reasonable prices. First up, AMMO.

AMMO's "Simple Supper" tasting menu is $30 and includes your choice of soup or salad plus entree (pasta, salmon or chicken) and a build-your-own sundae with the very highly regarded house made ice cream.

http://www.ammocafe.com/
1155 N Highland AveLos Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 871-2666

Nicely done, your holiness.

From the outrage files: Pope Benedict XVI has finally figured out what's hampering us in our efforts to eradicate AIDS in Africa. It's the distribution of condoms. That's right: promoting safe sex is contributing to the spread of AIDS.

Many devoutly religious people seem to take the view that if we don't talk about sex, or better yet, if we portray it as dirty and shameful, people will stop doing it. But the cold fact is that abstinence only methods do not work. People who make purity pledges get knocked up at about the same rate as their impure colleagues. God has commanded us to be fruitful and multiply, and damned if we aren't good at it.

It's one thing to object to the distribution of condoms in suburban American schools, but it's quite another to object to it in places where people are dying in droves every day from AIDS. In fact, I think the spread of religion has been more detrimental to the AIDS eradication effort than the spread of condoms. Specifically, I'd like to call out religious medical missions that will help you once you have AIDS, but will not provide you with the education or tools necessary to avoid getting AIDS in the first place.

It's bad enough not to give people the means to avoid dying of a horrible disease, but to criticize those who are providing that service is beyond comprehension.

America may have the greatest amount of white trash...

...but England's white trash is definitely the trashiest.

Former Project Runway contestant jailed for assault.

Guess who.
Guess how gleeful I am.

The Daily Lalee might get slightly less daily...

In addition to my day job, I've just accepted a night job at a local state university, so my time is going to get tighter and tighter as I have to work on lesson plans, grade papers, etc. I hope you'll be patient with me! I will continue to post material as often as I can.

Losing weight - with Jesus!

I was once told by a Mormon man that there's a serious problem in their church with obesity in women, especially older, unmarried women.  Part of the problem arises from the intense emphasis the church places on marriage.  In a Mormon wedding, the covenant doesn't last "til death do you part," but "for time and eternity."  I don't think it's going too far to say that devout Mormon women grow up believing that the sole purpose of their life on this earth is to get married in a temple wedding and raise a family.  Compound this with the fact that, as in most religions, there are more devout Mormon women than devout Mormon men and you've got a problem.  There's a population of older, unmarried Mormon women who feel like they've essentially failed at their life's purpose.

These older single ladies can't have extramarital sex, can't smoke, can't drink, can't indulge in recreational drug use (although the rate of prescription anti-depressant use in Utah is among the highest in the nation), but they can indulge in food, and they often do.  Mormon culture is permeated by good cooks and good food, especially sweets.  It places an emphasis on clean living, but it also places an emphasis on baking.  I think this concept is captured by a speech I once witnessed at a Mormon rehearsal dinner.  One of the female family members gave the young couple a Kitchenaid mixer and explained how "a mixer is a fixer" for all the problems of the family, then basically went on to explain how each problem could be solved by the appropriate food.  Kid comes home from school upset?  Bake cookies.  Husband stressed out?  Bake a pie.

I was also raised in the "food is love" tradition, so I get it.  I believe nourishing yourself, occasionally indulging yourself, and most importantly, forgiving yourself for that indulgence, is an essential aspect of self love.  I get how a depressed woman who felt like she'd missed out on the most fulfilling part of life would turn to seven layer bars and rocky road brownies.  But without moderation, and without the self-forgiveness, I can see how you'd have a massive backlog of toxic guilt.  And it's not just the Mormon church.  Extrapolate this trend out to any religious organization that emphasizes marriage and restricts pleasure and you've got a lot of sad fat single people.

How do you reach these people?  Do you tell them that being thin and healthy is a pleasure in and of itself that they deserve to enjoy?  Nope.  You tell them they need to get thin for Jesus.  Programs like Weigh Down, Thin for Him and What Would Jesus Eat are tailored especially for this population.  And evidence suggests that they're actually more successful than secular weight loss programs.  Is this because of the built-in support group?  Is it the intense guilt and shame factor?  Who knows?  Hopefully it will help these people to develop reasons to love and value themselves, outside of and in addition to the love god and Jesus have for them.

Things I Lurve: Veronica M

Whenever I need a new dress for a special event, a hot date, or just to spoil myself, I generally pop over to Veronica M. Most of their designs are in heavy, wrinkle resistant fabrics that travel really well. I've literally crammed a Veronica M dress in the bottom of a backpack and pulled it out a day later, completely wearable. Veronica M's fabrics also drape beautifully and her designs work really well on curvy women. I find her taste in prints to be hit-and-miss, but she knocks it out of the park often enough to keep me coming back. Best of all, prices are generally reasonable. Non-sale items don't run much higher than $100, and I recently picked up an adorable shift dress from the sale rack for $5, which garnered numerous compliments during my fabulous New York weekend.

Veronica M
7122 Beverly Blvd.
and
8512 W. 3rd Street
and
410 Broadway in Santa Monica
and
30 W. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena
and
13019 Ventura Blvd. in Studio City