Simply Mad (Mad I Tell You!)

Things I'm simply mad about (a.k.a a compilation of the seriously awesome things in life):

• Drinking tea and eating toast- I love brewing myself a cup of black tea, pouring in a spoonful of sugar (helps the medicine go down as my favorite nanny says) and a dash of milk then coupling it with toast buttered with jam. YUM! Seriously, life does not get any better then tea and toast, its the simple things in life which make me happy. 
• Joseph Gordon Levitt- I loved him on 3rd Rock From The Sun (even if he was a bit... gawky), 10 Things I Hate About You, 500 Days of Summer, and now Inception. What I think is so crush worthy about JGL is he is a "thinking women's type of man (which is how one magazine article described him as)" meaning he's someone who you could laugh with and have an intelligent  conversation with (he went to Columbia Uni... so you know he's smart). Now that's the type of guy I could go for (If you look good in a suit that doesn't hurt either). 
• Traveling- I love traveling, whenever I am on the road I always feel blissfully happy no matter where I am. Lucky for me, I have an upcoming trip to Boston planned for my cousins wedding, just thinking about it makes my wanderlust kick in!
• Nap time- Nap time is seriously underrated, well at least here in America, in Europe I know it is different. Almost everyday this past week I have taken a one-two hour nap thus waking up relaxed and refreshed. I don't understand why they ever got rid of nap time after kindergarten, I think now that I am older I need it more then when I was a elementary kid.
• Feminism- I recently changed the words under my blog title from "musings of an adventurous girl" to "musings of a feminist" because that's what I am. A feminist. Take me or leave me (just like it says in the song from Rent) because I am who I am. This is an idea which I've recently come to terms with and am now proudly proclaiming it to the world.
• Gingersnap cookies- These might just be the most unappreciated cookie (this and fig newtons) but gingersnap cookies complete me. I love the little ginger kick they have, sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet but always delish! 
• Bangs- I finally got bangs the other day and can I just say, they are totally banging (sorry for the horrible pun, it was hard to resist). I feel like a 60's school girl but a totally badass one, especially when I am wearing my Rayban esque sunnies. 
• Inception- I know I've already raved about this film in a previous post and about JGL (see above^) but I have to say just one more thing about Inception; I love it! Oh and also, I saw Inception for the second time on Wednesday and I must say its even better the second time around.

Jem

Dancing Shoes

I am so in love with these brogues from Topshop. I have been looking for the perfect pair of brogues to wear with all my dresses and It looks like I finally found them. And for fifty-five dollars, its a pretty good price point considering I would wear them a lot (I am notorious for wearing dresses all the time). So I might just buy myself a new pair of shiny shoes, slip them on and get dancing!

Jem

Blast To The Past

Sometimes I wish I remembered the 90's better but alas I was just a wee little child. Sure I have memories of dancing to Britney Spears, the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys or watching Boy Meets World but overall my memories of the 90's are limited. However I have managed to recreate the loss 90's memories I never had by watching the television shows which were popular then but I was too young to watch and understand. One such show is MTV's Daria. I vaguely remember watching a few episodes with my older cousins. It seems like Daria has recently come in vogue again, many bloggers and websites have been writing about this cult 90's hit. I am now proud to say, I've joined the band wagon, it is a pretty fantastic show. What I love about Daria is her witty, dry sense humor. Its hard to find a cartoon character, let alone a female one, who has such a sharp sense of humor. Daria also represents all those who go against the mainstream culture, all those who dare to be a little different. She doesn't care about what everyone else is doing and marches to the beat of her own drum.
The way women are portrayed by the media is horrific. Young girls have so few awesomely kick ass characters from movies and tv shows to look up to now days. It makes you wonder what went wrong, why didn't networks like MTV stick to characters like Daria? Now they produce god-awful shows like Jersey Shore and The Hills but I know I would much rather watch funny, pro-feminism shows like Daria then the crap which is currently on my television. I really wish the media would listen to all of us who are writing about awesome shows like Daria (while were at it, why don't we add Freaks and Geeks to the list) calling for the reform of the shows that are produced. So who's with me?
Jem

Inception

(How suave does Joseph Gordon Levitt look here? *swoon*)

Today I walked out of the theater gushing about the film I had just seen. It was the first film in months, perhaps in a few years, which I had seen in the theater which truly made me want rave on and on about it. So you may be asking yourself, what was this magnificent film that I saw? Inception, is the name. This is one of the those films which makes you repeat over and over while walking out of the theater, "holy crap! That was brilliant!" I don't want to give much away about the film, half of the charm is that it leaves you spell bounded and questioning everything, but the basic premise is it is centered around people who use technology to influence other peoples dreams. That is all I can write about the plot without spoiling the whole thing. Inception stars Leonardo Dicaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt (who I am totally crushing on), Ellen Page, and Marion Cotillard. Besides all of the actors giving standout performances, costumes were brilliantly cut (ahem... Joseph Gordon Levitt looked smokin' in his suits...), the musical composition by Hans Zimmer fit every scene perfectly, and the way the movie was film was genius. Inception is one of those films where its complex, but in a good way, you are always thinking to yourself "did that just really happen?" I personally love films which make me think, they are so much better then romantic comedies where you know the ending by the second scene in, because they change your perspective on things. So basically what I am trying to say is, get yourself to the nearest multiplex theater and see Inception, it would be impossible to regret watching it. Or if you have seen Inception, what did you think of it?
Jem

Feeling The L-O-V-E

My ultimate home must now include a pool/hot tub

which extends to the outside of the home where it

will over look the water down below after seeing

this picture.

I love the mosaics, the stained glass windows, the rugs,

the colors, and how light from the windows shines

onto the floor in this photograph. I would love to

know where this was taken, it is simply stunning.

This is from one of my favorite books Persepolis, which is a graphic

novel about growing up in Iran. This scene is also how I imagine

a meeting between Descartes and Karl Marx would occur (If

only in dream land....).

From the striking blue of the interior of housing complex to the

girls bright orange sari everything about this picture has me

completely enamoured. I love how real this feels, that it is

a snap into another persons life.

First off this is Meryl Streep (as if she needs any introduction) who I already adore from her roles in The Devil Wears Prada and Julie and Julia. Secondly, I also have so much admiration for Michelle Obama (seriously, she not only has a great personality, is incredibly smart, but has magnificent style and also radiates class). So when I saw Meryl talking about meeting Mrs. O this literally made my day, that someone like her still gets excited/nervous/shocked when someone she admires says "I love you" is comforting to me. Plus I couldn't help but post this because how often do you get to write about two of your favorite famous women within the same sentence?

                       

 Here is another round up of images and people I am currently feeling the love towards. All these photographs come from various tumblr sites, so I can't give proper accreditation, but just know that these aren't mine. So tell me, what are you loving this week?
Jem

I Am A Feminist!

OOOHHHHH some people make me SO incredibly angry! I wrote a blog post yesterday called Men + Feminist= Awesome and some one has been anonymously commenting on it. In fact I don't have a problem on anonymous commenter's what I do have a problem with is people who use anonymity to write horrible, sexists things. I choose to publish these comments not because I believe that this anonymous writer is speaking the truth but so you can see that what they are writing about, so you know what we are up against. Their are still people who don't believe that women have rights, that feminism is stupid, that men are better. We still a hell of a fight to finish and it is people like this anonymous commenter who fire me up even more so and want to make a difference in the world. Besides just publishing these comments I also thought I would share what this person has to say.
The first comment I received reads: "I pity Mr. McPherson as he must experience a good deal of self-hate. Since feminism has ceased to be about equality and has evolved into simply being a "special interest", men who believe in true equality can not and should not identify as feminists. Indeed, women who honestly believe in true equality should also not identify with feminism." First off, I don't understand why Don McPherson would experience self hate, in fact I bet he feels better about himself because he knows he is making the world a better place. Secondly, feminism is still about equality. You can't argue that we have achieved equality between men and women; women are still being raped and sexually abused, we still don't have equal pay, the United States still has never had a female President or Vice President, and sexism is still hugely prevalent in our society.
The second comment is: "I pity poor Don McPherson as he must experience much self-hate. Since feminism is no longer about equality and since feminists are merely part of a "special interest group" trying to gain advantages and not fight for true equality, no self-respecting man can actually consider himself a feminist. Indeed no self-respecting woman would really want to associate with those who represent the hate of 50% of humanity." I have to argue against this comment, feminist don't hate men. This is one of the biggest stereotypes which we have  to overcome, this idea that all women who are feminists hate men. This misguided belief could not be further from the truth, in fact I love men, I think they are a completely complex, funny, smart group of people. I know many "self-respecting men" who call themselves feminists (and I'm going to let you in on a little secret, they aren't gay either!), simply because they realise that feminism isn't just a "women's issue" but a issue of humanity. Also if you haven't gotten the memo, President Barack Obama is a feminist too (just look at the shirt he is holding), so who says men can't be feminist?
Lots of Love From A Feminist,
Jem

Men + Feminist = Awesome!

"You're a feminist if you care about women and if you care about what happens in their lives. You're a feminist if you care about women and the issues that women care about. It's not that complicated." ~ Don McPherson

I love, love, love this quote. I found it when I was reading feministing.com (this website is freaking amazing! Its my go-to site for all things feminist related) while reading an interview with Don McPherson. I think its great that the website constantly features men who are feminist, I mean we can't do this alone. When I first read the article I was surprised to find out that McPherson was the captain of Syracuse Universities football team and then went pro. I am ashamed to admit I made a snap judgement about him, I thought "what does a football player know about feminism?" Which I think stems from the fact that all the football players I personally know are complete tools. I regret that I thought this and instead am happy to say Don McPherson has broken the stereotype about athletes. After he finished playing football McPherson choose to devote his life to activism. As director of the MVP (Mentors in Violence Prevention Program) which aims to raise "awareness about violence against women and trains male athletes to be a part of the solution" he has spoken in high schools and universities around the United States. As the above quote testifies we need more men to not only identify themselves as feminists but to actually work with women in creating equality for all. I think so many men and women are afraid of labeling themselves as a feminist. The word has a negative connotation for so many, which is complete rubbish if you ask me, their really wasn't bra burning like everyone seems to believe. Also I think many men and women believe in the feminist ideas yet they don't like the word "feminist." Instead we need people to understand that feminist is a bad word and it's good to call yourself one. It is men like Don McPherson who will help change these negative perceptions of feminism.
Jem

UN Women

The United Nations voted on July 2nd to create an office to promote gender equality and female empowerment. This is a step into the future, a future where women have greater say in society and are treated equally. The newly established organization, called the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (wow! What a name!) but for short it's called UN Women, has two main goals. First, to develop global standards and policies which they want to eventually be accepted by all nations. Secondly, UN Women aims to uphold these policies and provide assistance to countries who are trying to maintain these standards. UN Women is also the combination of four separate former UN organizations which were for the advancement of women thus they also get an even bigger budget then expected; $500 million. Lets just hope that they put this money to good use and make some changes! Also I couldn't resist using a photograph of Eleanor Roosevelt, she after all did help to write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted by the UN. Plus I know she would have been ecstatic to see the progression of women's rights and the creation of UN Women.
Jem

Day One

It took me a long time to go through my ipod and choose a favorite song I wanted to get it right.This is pure anguish for me however I will just list my current favorite song. Currently I have been listening to the music of Harel Skaat (who I mentioned a few months back. I might have written a total fan girl post about him but I digress...) almost 24-7. I love how his music just speaks to me so, the songs are eloquent and meaningful (which is a lot better then the rest of the garbage the music industry seems intent on producing). It was difficult for me to narrow down my favorite song of Skaat's but I chose Millim. It is quite the power balled and shows off his full range of voice. I also chose Millim because recently he released a version sung in English (it's originally recorded in Hebrew) which sounds amazing. So really I may have chosen one favorite song but their are two great versions out of it (actually three, if you include when he sang the song in French). Since I am terrible at putting music on my blog I will just suggest to go have a listen to Millim on YouTube, their are plenty of versions to choose from!
Jem

Thirty

So I've found this awesome post where every day, for thirty days I have write about something specific. Each day has its own topic (which are listed below) and I love this idea because it will help me stay more on top of my blogging posts. So in addition to my normal posts I hope you look forward to these next thirty days, perhaps you will learn a thing or two about me (and maybe I'll learn a little bit about myself too). Feel free to join me in this little test, it could be very fun to see the results.
Jem

Day 01 - Your favourite song


Day 02 - Your favourite movie


Day 03 - Your favourite TV programme

Day 04 - Your favourite book

Day 05 - Your favourite quote

Day 06 - Whatever tickles your fancy

Day 07 - A photo that makes you happy

Day 08 - A photo that makes you angry/sad

Day 09 - A photo that you took

Day 10 - A photo of you taken over 10 years ago

Day 11 - A photo of you taken recently

Day 12 - Whatever tickles your fancy

Day 13 - A fictional book

Day 14 - A non-fictional book

Day 15 - A fanfic

Day 16 - A song that makes you cry (or nearly)

Day 17 - An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture etc.)

Day 18 - Whatever tickles your fancy

Day 19 - A talent of yours

Day 20 - A hobby of yours

Day 21 - A recipe

Day 22 - A website

Day 23 - A YouTube video

Day 24 - Whatever tickles your fancy

Day 25 - Your day, in great detail

Day 26 - Your week, in great detail

Day 27 - This month, in great detail

Day 28 - This year, in great detail

Day 29 - Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Day 30 - Whatever tickles your fancy

The Guide

Maureen Dowd wrote a piece for Vanity Fair magazine, titled A Girls' Guide to Saudi Arabia, which has me all in a frenzy. Dowd went to Saudi Arabia for ten days to investigate the recent attempt to lure tourists to the country. What transpires is much complaining on the authors part about the abaya (a garb worn by women, similar to the burka) and trying to break every government rule set in place. First off, let me state this, while I do not agree with many the laws in Saudi Arabia I understand that when visiting any country it is best to follow and respect the customs, whether you agree with them or not. It seems Dowd didn't get this memo. Instead she repeatedly stays "one step in ahead of the feared religious police" when she smokes cigars, sits in the men's section of Starbucks, ect. Just because she is one hot shot reporter doesn't mean she is above the law. Also her description of the abaya is it, "makes you look like a mummy and feel like a pizza oven" is rather snarky. Sure it maybe hot to wear, but seriously get over it, you are there to enjoy all the country has to offer, not to complain about what you are wearing. I think the article would have been more interesting if she had also interviewed women who live in Saudi Arabia, not just men. I don't understand how she could complain about how women had to be covered up, they weren't equal, and then not even really quote any Saudi women in the article. Is Maureen Dowd not just perpetuating these beliefs if she doesn't even write about the women too? I know this is huge criticism of this Vanity Fair piece however, I had to get my feelings off my chest, sometimes it seems to me journalist just get all wrong! Now if I had been in the authors shoes I would have made the most of it; I would have tried to find out more about how Saudi women live, write even more about the sites, and try to show the country in a positive light. Yes, Saudi Arabia has its faults but it can't be all that bad, surly their is some good within the country?

Jem

Glamour

God, isn't she fabulous? Alex Wek is on the Dutch edition of Glamour magazine's August cover. These are just a few of her lovely snapshots taken for the magazine. It seems to me that Wek just radiates beauty. The sort of beauty that cannot be bought and applied with makeup but the sort of beauty from within; confidence. Besides the fact that Alex Wek always appears to be confident with whatever she does, I also love how the bright makeup makes her shine even more. It really makes her whole face just pop! I really hope to see even more of Wek in future editorials, or even on the cover of American Vogue(quite frankly any American fashion magazine cover would be awesome)! Now that would be pretty amazing, wouldn't it?

Jem

Don't Look Back

I know I've said many times before that I have a total girl crush on actress and singer Zooey Deschanel and trust me I don't doubt that I will say repeat this statement even more. My latest reason to be fascinated with Deschanel is her hair. She has the coolest bangs of which I totally envy. So much so that I am going to take the plunge and go to my hair salon and get Zooey bangs. I had bangs when I was younger, in fact they looked almost exactly like Zooey's except they were not as long, but then I grew them out. Now I am wishing I had them again and so it seems I am off to the parlor for my appointment soon! What do you think of Zooey Deschanel's lovely locks? Or of her acting and singing? I for one am also enamored with her music, she is part of the She and Him duo, all the songs are so catchy and fun to sing along too. And please... don't even get me started on her sense of style! Its just tres tres chic (by now you have probably to see that I wasn't kidding about my girl crush on Zooey)!
Jem
P.S. If you are a fan of She and Him you will recognize the title is one of their songs!

Ballet Shoes

Doesn't this model look like a ballet dancer resting in between practicing her pirouette's and grand jete's? I love going to the ballet; seeing all the dancers, the costumes, and the story which they are telling the audience. Lucky for me I always go to the ballet once every summer since I live close to where some of the dancers from the prestigious New York City Ballet come to study. Every time I attend the ballet it always makes me want to put my dancing shoes back on and wear an outfit like the one above!
Jem

Exotic But Normal

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Have you ever thought about what we might consider ethnic or tribal really isn't exotic at all? I have. In fact I have been pondering this idea for awhile now, why is it that we label one thing as ethnic/tribal and another as classic or normal? As I see it the term ethnic and tribal are thrown around when applied to styles of dress, eating, or a culture when it does not originate from the west. Whereas classic is used to describe the European and American fashion, way of eating, and culture. However, what people fail to realize is what one person might consider ethnic is considered classic or normal for someone else. The culture and style of dress of the Masai people in Africa is considered tribal/ethnic by many in the west. The Masai's are semi-nomadic ethnic group which still practice many of the rituals of their ancestors and tend to shun many attempts by outsiders to get them to assimilate into society. Perhaps the Masai tribe see the way people in the United States live, with our huge consumerism culture and fast food restaurants galore, as ethnic. So really, who has the right to label one thing as exotic and another thing as classic and normal? Aren't all things "normal" if you look at it from a different perspective? Once these labels are striped away it is possible to appreciate everything and everyone for what they truly are, no labels needed. When it comes down to it we are all the same. We all laugh, we all cry, we all go though trying times, we all experience utter bliss. We are all human.
Jem

Independence Day

http://www.weheartit.com/

So I am back from my little sojourn to Disney World and just in time to wish you all a Happy Fourth of July! I had such an amazing time with my friends; we rode all the rides (yes, even Tower of Terror, which I was terrified to go on but ended up loving) watched the fireworks at Epcot, went shopping and shared many laughs. Although Disney was a magical trip I am glad to be back, I missed being able to blog! I'll share more details and photographs of my trip when I am not so tired. For those in the USA, I hope you have a wonderful Independence day (go out and enjoy the fireworks, that's what I am going to do after I publish this post)!
Jem