Lang-8

I am absolutely obsessed with Lang-8.

I'm minoring in Japanese (though recently I've considered majoring in Japanese since I don't need many more to fulfill a major). But, I've only studied Japanese for the past two years, so my Japanese skills are sad.

But, I've finally stumbled onto a site that will help me improve my Japanese [writing skills and grammar]. Lang-8 allows users to type a journal entry in a language, and native-speakers of that language correct the mistakes. So, I write journal entries in Japanese, and native Japanese speakers correct my mistakes).

I can't get enough of this site. So far, I've only written two entries (then again, I've only known about the site for two days), but I've helped correct dozens. And, I've already made a handful of friends!

Things I Love

Getting an A on my Shakespeare paper
I've never worked so hard on an academic paper (I'm kind of ashamed to admit that considering I'm an English major). I was anxious to learn my grade because I'm a tad bit Shakespeare inept, but all my hard work and hours spent at the library typing away really paid off.

Chocolate
I bought a pack of Hershey's Dark Chocolate and Pomegranate as well as some fruit creams from Fannie May Chocolates, so I've been gobbling chocolate all week, and I don't regret it! Apparently chocolate is chock-full of good things like phenylthylamine and endorphins (the feel good chemicals) and anti-oxidants which protect the body from cardiovascular disease and possibly cancer. Can't argue with that; eat more chocolate!

Paris Hilton's My New BFF

Paris Hilton is searching for a new Best Friend, so she's holding a contest. Eighteen contestants compete to prove to Paris they can party all night, look good on the red carpet, and be true to her. It's a guilty pleasure of mine that I don't often tell people because they have unfavorable reactions. And, I suppose I can't blame them; I'm certainly not Paris Hilton's biggest fan. But, the show is fun and ridiculous, and it's just what I need after a long Tuesday.

Hula Hooping
Brooke bought a hula hoop a few nights ago to add a little spice to exercising. It works those tummy muscles and gets that heart pumping! We had some trouble hooping at first, but after determining the hula hoop was too light, she wrapped it in duct tape which added a little weight. Now we hula hoop like pros.

My New Computer
I spilled water all over my ancient Dell a week ago, and sadly my computer died. But, I can't lament too much because I bought a new Toshiba Satellite for $550, and it's pretty snazzy.

It's almost the week end! Hope you all have had a swell week so far.

Tuesday Top 10

Hopefully I can keep up with this Tuesday ritual.

Top Ten Totally Radical Women
(According to me)


10. Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven
Also known as The Baroness, she is probably my favorite gal from this list; she's quite eccentric and intriguing. This summer I read a book by Rene Steinke called Holy Skirts, and I fell in love. She's a German born, avante-garde, dadist artist and poet who spent most of her life in Greenwich Village, New York. She made art out of other people's garbage. She was chums with the likes of Marcel Duchamp and Djuna Barnes. Also, she was a Woman's Suffrage activist.

The Baroness

9. Eve Ensler
American playwright best known for her play The Vagina Monologues. She also created V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.

8. Katharine McCormick
Best known for funding most of the research for the birth control pill (nearly $2 million!), she also organized efforts to gain ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, and she smuggled diaphragms from Europe to New York City for [Margaret] Sanger's Clinical Research Bureau.

7. Victoria Woodhull
I'm certain you've heard of Hillary Clinton, but what about Victoria Woodhull? She ran for the US Presidency in 1872. You may not have heard of her because the government declined to print her name on the ballot. She was also a supporter of women's rights, labor reforms, and free love.

Victoria Woodhull

6. Caroline Norton
I was first introduced to Ms. Norton my second semester of my sophomore year at college. I took a British Literature class, and we studied one of her political pamphlets, A Review of the Divorce Bill of 1856, as well as letters she wrote to Queen Victoria demanding women's rights. Because of her terrible domestic life, Norton became involved in the passage of social justice laws (especially those that gave rights to married and divorced women). She also worked to pass laws for labor reforms as well as children's rights.

5. Elanor Roosevelt
No doubt you've heard of her-- First Lady, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and human rights activist. She chaired the Presidential Commission of the status of Women which helped start second-wave feminism. And, she chaired the committee that drafted and approved the Declaration of Universal Human Rights. She's also known for her work with child labor laws, labor reforms, and civil rights. Right on, Mrs. Roosevelt!

4. Yanar Mohammed
This Iraqi feminist is the co-founder and director of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq. She opened safe houses to protect women from domestic abuse and "honor killings". And she fights against the trafficking of young women to save them from a life of sexual slavery. Check out this interview with Yanar Mohammad from Guernica magazine. Totally awesome, right?

3. Maggie Kuhn

Perhaps the coolest old person that ever existed! In her early years, (circa 1930s and 40s), Maggie taught sex education (mechanics of sex, birth control, pregnancy, and sexual pleasure) at the YWCA. How taboo! But, she's probably best known for founding The Grey Panthers. Maggie was an advocate for nursing home reform and fighting ageism.

"Speak Your Mind Even If Your Voice Shakes!"

2. Margaret Sanger
American birth control activist who founded the American Birth Control League. Though, you may know it now as the Planned Parenthood!

1. Alice Paul
American Suffragist Leader who lead a successful campaign which lead to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. In July 1917, she and several other picketers outside of the White House were arrested for obstructing traffic, and they were sent to serve in the Occoquan Workhouse. She protested the Occoquan Workhouse conditions by going on a hunger strike, but Occoquan officials force fed her raw eggs through a plastic tube. Oh! And, Alice Paul was the original author of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Iron Jawed Angels, anyone?

Who are some of your favorite gals?

New Clothes

My mother visited me today. We had a nice lunch at Panera's, followed by a few hours of shopping.

I don't really understand fashion, and I'm certainly no good at mixing colors or patterns. But, I came away with a few nice items. My new jeans are the most noteworthy; they may actually turn in to my favorite pair (thanks the Gap!).

Sweater Vest from Forever 21
Brown Sleeved Shirt from Buckle
Totally Awesome Jeans from the Gap

The brown long sleeved shirt is really interesting. The gal at the store called it a "Burnout shirt". I don't really know how to describe it, but it's semi see-through which creates a subtle pattern on the shirt.

Scrumptious Sweater from Eddie Bauer

Oh, there's the face behind the Pink Panda.

The weather was nice all day until 8:00pm. Then I stood at my window lamenting over the snow that was hitting it. I admit, I do enjoy the occasional snowfall, but I'm not ready yet. Snow, please go away =[

[i]ndependent lens

I pride myself on the fact that I don't often watch television. But, a week and a half ago, I spilled water all over my laptop. Now, it no longer works, so lately I've had to find other ways to entertain myself. Unfortunately, that entertainment took the form of "reality" television shows: Paris Hilton's New BFF, anyone?

However, last Tuesday, I grew tired of my mind numbing television shows and started flipping through the channels. Somehow, I stumbled onto PBS, an often forgotten television station.

On screen was a cartoon version of an interviewer and a man I would later learn was Abbie Hoffman.
The interviewer asked, "Would you take $100 and call this whole thing off?"
Hoffman: Sure, I'd take the $100, but I don't know about calling it off.
Interviewer: What about $1,000,000?
Hoffman: Well.
Interviewer: How much would it cost for you to call this whole thing off?
Hoffman: What? A revolution? ...My life.

And I was hooked. (Minutes later, my roommate, Brooke, walked in the door and found herself hooked as well).

The movie is called Chicago 10: Speak Your Peace, and it tells the story about the Chicago Conspiracy Trial. During the 1968 Democratic National Convention, Anti-Vietnam protesters were denied permits to demonstrate, and continually clashed with the Chicago Police Department. The Chicago 10 were accused of conspiring to riot.
Chicago 10 is a partly animated film (containing, also, live footage of the 1968 riots), and definitely worth watching.

Looking further into the film, I discovered Chicago 10 is part of a PBS televisions series called [I]ndependent Lens. The [I]ndependent Lens airs on PBS weekly, Tuesdays at 10pm (EST, I assume), and the series introduces new dramas and documentaries filmed by independent artists.

Check out the [I]Lens Program Guide. I know Chicago 10 is supposed to air a few more times in the future, but there are also a handful of other films that may interest you. Personally, I hope to catch Lioness and March Point.

Why I Started the Pink Panda

10. I miss the good ol' days of maintaining my own website.

9. I'm procrastinating, yet I'm being productive. Instead of studying for my World Ecological Problems and Man test, I created this website.

8. Lately I've been inspired by the works of galadarling.com, nubbytwiglet.com, and wishwishwish.net.

7. Brainstorming ideas for The Pink Panda helped Shakespeare Seminar pass quickly

6. I love Livejournal, but I wanted to try a new approach to blogging.

5. I wanted a home for my sudden creative outbursts. The Pink Panda is a sudden creative outburst.

4. I've learned a lot this year (my junior year of college). I want to share about "going green" and feminism and recipes and the Japanese culture and personal epiphanies (or anything, really). Alternatively, I want to use The Pink Panda to explore these ideas further because I still have more to learn.

3. I want to share the things in life that inspire me or at least make me smile.

2. I've always wanted a Panda as a mascot!

1. Today was a rainy day.