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    GELLA - LLAPDoug Barry
    2/23/14 6:59pm

    am I the only girl who loves food ( yes sometimes too much, but then food does your body good, starting diet tomorrow, don't feel like buying new pants in a larger size), but hates cooking?? for me its a chore.........

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      KEWLBEAAANSGELLA - LLAP
      2/23/14 7:03pm

      I second that! I love eating, but hate cooking. I can cook, I just cook very badly! That is why I either go out to restaurants, cook simple foods (think pasta or macaroni) or eat food that others prepare for me (voluntarily, of course).

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      GELLA - LLAPKEWLBEAAANS
      2/23/14 7:06pm

      I cook, I have no choice, its pretty much same food all the time.

      cooking now and drinking wine lol ( they said 1 glass is only 90 calories) lol

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    KEWLBEAAANSDoug Barry
    2/23/14 6:48pm

    Before I start my actual post, I want to share a link (I'm doing this as a favor for my sister). This is my sister's co-worker's blog, 1001 Movie Nights. She reviews movies. They are absolutely hilarious! Check it out of you'd like.

    http://1001movienights.wordpress.com/author/mabelsf...

    Anyway, my new job is just crazy! I have to deal with teenagers all day. I'd love to say what my new profession is, but I value my privacy (also, some of my co-workers are daily readers). Any suggestions, worries, etc. that I should know about today's youth?

    This gif sums up my feelings:

    GIF

    Kidding. They're pretty great kids (even though one did throw something at me for no apparent reason).

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      gruffolebenjaminKEWLBEAAANS
      2/23/14 6:52pm

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      jammers2112KEWLBEAAANS
      2/23/14 6:52pm

      What age are these youths? Teens? Preteens? I think preteens are hilarious because hormones. It's the weirdest part of life.

      Also, they threw something at you? I feel like we're missing a story here.

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    CopperboomDoug Barry
    2/23/14 6:39pm

    First, I want to thank everyone who replied last night to my issue with my less than supportive friend. I feel much better about the whole situation, and I'm glad to know I wasn't overreacting.

    Now, on to book recommendations! I've been on a huge nonfiction kick recently and I would love some recommendations. I'm drawn mainly to books that outline a major event and tell the story behind something, and I usually find books about the darker side of things more interesting. For instance, Dave Cullen's "Columbine" is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm currently reading "Under the Banner ofHeaven," and have "Five Days at Memorial" on my list as well. Can anyone add any more good titles to this list?

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      Celia the Vampire Slaying VampireCopperboom
      2/23/14 6:41pm

      Have you ever read The Professor and the Madman? Highly recommended!

      http://www.amazon.com/Professor-Madm...

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      Gabriel119Copperboom
      2/23/14 6:42pm

      I think The Way We Never Were by Stephanie Coontz might be right up your alley. It takes apart the idealized nuclear family/life of the fifties and all that.

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    NikkiDixDoug Barry
    2/23/14 8:29pm

    So, as the weather begins to turn a corner here in NYC, I finally feel like coming out of my Snuggie cocoon and spending time in the world. I also want to try to revamp my eating choices a bit. I'm not really looking to cut anything out (I'm a vegetarian with a HUGE addiction to carbs and will never consider de-carbifying at all), but I've been thinking that despite being a vegetarian, I don't actually eat enough fruits and vegetables. Mostly just pasta. :) Anyway, I just went to the veggie mart and bought a shit-ton of produce, and my goal is to try to eat the recommended 11 (?!?!?!?) servings of produce daily. For like a month. I'm giving myself this next week to try to ramp up to that. So.... I love to cook, and will cook/eat basically any vegetable or fruit under the sun, but I just can't wrap my head around how to make it to ELEVEN servings. I'm not sure I eat eleven servings of food daily! Any tips? Anyone want to join me on this crazy challenge? (As a side note, I really would blog about all of my veg adventures on my kinja blog if I thought anyone would read it/join me/if I understood how to work it!)

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      TyrannosaurusBataarNikkiDix
      2/23/14 8:50pm

      I made this last weekend and it's SO fucking good. http://pinchofyum.com/veggie-alfredo... I used 14 noodles and my filling was spinach, broccoli, shredded carrot, zucchini, yellow squash, onion and green pepper.

      It's my New Year's resolution to eat more veggies (and also to step up my calcium game), so I've been faithfully eating a big salad every single weekday with my lunch at work. Lots of spinach and arugula, with red onion, pepper, and tomatoes. It works because when I have something delicious like that lasagna waiting, I have to eat the salad first to get to the good stuff.

      Eleven servings is a lot, though. I'm not well versed in them, but lots of people LOVE smoothies. You can get a lot of servings in that pretty easily.

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      intherainNikkiDix
      2/23/14 9:03pm

      I have been juicing - not with a super fancy juicer, just my blender. I put stuff in there that I don't like to eat, necessarily - kale, cucumbers, celery - as well as more greens and other veggies that I enjoy, and a little bit of fruit to sweeten it. I put other stuff, like chia seeds and goji berries in, too.

      Also, I have become a fan of asparagus. Especially oven-roasted. Yum.

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    jammers2112Doug Barry
    2/23/14 6:42pm

    I got my first kitty this week! His name is George. Other than that, I've had a t-totally shitty week. SO, leave me some cute cat pictures/stores.

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      The Real Janellejammers2112
      2/23/14 6:46pm

      He's a darling! Congrats!

      Here's my cat, Valentino. I got him as a gift for Valentine's day last year from my ex - he wanted to win me back. He did not, but I kept the cat because KITTEH. Anyway, a couple weeks ago I put him on a leash and tried to walk him (so he'd see more than our apartment), but he was terrified the whole time.

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      MrsSgtPepperMDjammers2112
      2/23/14 6:47pm

      I have two cats. They are brother and sister (Simba and Bubastis) and have never left each other's side. They are super cuddly and sweet. Congrats on your new family member.

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    mathematicsstudentDoug Barry
    2/23/14 6:58pm

    Does anyone here have experience learning a new language as an adult (say, early-to-mid-twenties) starting with no knowledge? I have a really nice three-year postdoc job offer in Mexico that I am considering, but I am nervous about learning a new language so late in life... My plan would be to use tools like Duolingo and attempt conversations with bilingual friends for the six months before I moved there so I could hit the ground running as much as possible. I guess I would also watch TV or movies.

    Is it even possible for an adult to become thoroughly fluent in another language as an adult?

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      msrossettmathematicsstudent
      2/23/14 7:05pm

      Definitely, if you want it bad enough! My dad, a Greek speaker, learnt German in all but 6 months when he moved to Germany. And he only makes a few mistakes here and there. He did live there though, so he didn't have much choice. You learn way easier when you live in the country. Also, you learn way easier when you fall in love with a person speaking that language (i.e. my mum).

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      MRob the Math Snobmathematicsstudent
      2/23/14 7:09pm

      First of all, awesome user name! Hooray for math! As for learning a second language, I'll agree with msrossett—if you want it, and you work for it, it'll happen. Oh, and practice!

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    LisasaurDoug Barry
    2/23/14 7:24pm

    My husband and I adopted a dog last week. She's a 2 year old pit bull who is just so sweet and mostly impeccably well-behaved, but we have 3 cats and trying to integrate everyone has been a nightmare.

    I know these things take patience but I have been so stressed that things aren't going to work. When the cats do muster up the courage to come downstairs (which is rarely now) the dog fixates on them. She isn't aggressive but does try to chase them, which is only reinforcing to the cats that they should hide upstairs. We met with a trainer today and got a lot of tips on how to work with the dog and train her to relax, but I am still so worried things aren't going to work. We adopted the dog from a rescue, not the pound, and explained our situation to the owner who said we could bring her back if it didn't work, but that's obviously the worst case scenario. And I think once we hit the 2 week mark we need to decide if she is going to stay or not.

    Getting the dog was my idea, and I admittedly thought our cats would be better about it than they are, so now I feel a lot of guilt that I made a bad decision. We're going to practice what our trainer told us this week and I am just keeping my fingers crossed that it works. My biggest fear is that even if we get the dog trained, the cats just aren't right for a dog. How do I know if it's typical jitters or they are truly unhappy?

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      pibberLisasaur
      2/23/14 8:52pm

      My boyfriend's parents adopted 2 kittens and brought them into their home with a very skittish older cat. Initially, the older cat hardly left the bedroom upstairs because he was so terrified of the kittens. He would bolt as soon as he saw them. He's come around to it now to the point where they can all lie on the same bed. So I would say just give it time. I think if the cats are truly unhappy, they'd find some way to express it. I don't have much experience with cats, but from what I know an unhappy cat will become destructive or pee in the house and just act out in general. So I would say give them some time to transition and look out for any passive aggressive behavior. Good luck! I adopted a pitt a few years ago, she's the best.

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      MagratMakeTheTeaLisasaur
      2/23/14 9:10pm

      The woman who runs the rescue I adopted my dog from told me that anything that happens in the first two weeks is 100% normal. Everybody needs time to adjust to the new household member. Are you making sure the doggy gets enough exercise and has non-cat-related things to do? Kong toys or hollow bones are awesome—fill it with peanut butter and you have the next several hours of dog entertainment. In my house growing up the dogs and cats generally avoided each other, but coexisted peacefully enough. Hopefully after a few more days the dog will be accustomed enough to the scent of the cats that she won't try to bolt at them every time she sees them, and disarmament can commence.

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    spikespeigelDoug Barry
    2/23/14 6:42pm

    So, I mentioned yesterday that I had a doctor's appointment on Friday. That wasn't entirely true. I had a lab appointment to get some blood work done. You see, the doctor's appointment was on Monday. I went in because my insurance at the new job kicked in and I was in the process of seeing whether I have hypothyroidism since my mom was diagnosed with it. But I moved so the test had to wait until now.

    But when I was at the doctor's office, he said that he felt a lump on my thyroid. He then went on to ask me if my voice changed recently (it has), if I cough even though I don't have a cold (I do on occasion), and if my neck hurts from time to time (it does). I wasn't going to lie to the man, but those symptoms seem so unrelated that it was out of left field when he said that I might have thyroid cancer.

    Oooookay. That's a new one. My uncle died of lung cancer, but he wasn't related by blood. So to hear this, this was a new one on me. Had the blood work done on Friday, thinking that I'd hear back from the doctor what the results were. But since my next appointment isn't in a month's time, I'm starting to think I'm going to have to go through this month wondering if I've got cancer or not.

    To say the least, I've been all over the place emotionally. Internally, that is. On the outside, I'm just neutral. Life's going by, and I'm remaining professional because 1) I don't want anyone here to see me weak and 2) the last time I let my emotions get the better of me, I fell into a two month depression spiral.

    So, here's the question. For those of you that have gone through something similar (waiting for results), is there any way to get the results faster? Or is it going to be a frustrating wait? All I know is, I'm hanging on by a thread emotionally right now. Any suggestions?

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      OnMyMindGrapesspikespeigel
      2/23/14 6:48pm

      I'd call the office first thing tomorrow and ask when they expect the results to be in. I can't imagine that they expect you to wait a month for your results. I really hope everything works out ok. I'm sending you some positive thoughts!

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      The Real Janellespikespeigel
      2/23/14 6:48pm

      Oh, that sucks. Is there any way you can call the lab to get your results earlier? I don't know how medicine works over there (here in Chile you pick up your own exam results and then take them to the doctor - or not, they're treated as separate services). Anyway, I'm sending you a hug and hope it's not cancer. <3

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    The Real JanelleDoug Barry
    2/23/14 6:41pm

    I wanted to thank all the Jezzies who wished me a happy birthday yesterday. It was a good day and, today, I'm trying to eat a little cleaner to start taking care of myself.

    I mentioned that I got an emerald leather jacket - so here's a picture for you. It cost me the equivalent of US$120. I'm in Chile, though, so I don't think it's being sold elsewhere. I love it.

    ETA it is a little darker/greener in person. My webcam is weird.

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      KEWLBEAAANSThe Real Janelle
      2/23/14 6:49pm

      That's beautiful!

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      Celia the Vampire Slaying VampireThe Real Janelle
      2/23/14 6:51pm

      I told you I'd be jealous of your emerald jacket! So gorgeous <3

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    FlanneryCulp1Doug Barry
    2/23/14 7:28pm

    So over on the Celebrity Feminism article the author talked about how she become interested in feminism after reading the Da Vinci Code. I thought this could be a fun topic! How/when did you learn about/become interested in feminism or start identifying as feminist (or why did you choose not to) ? Mine's kinda a funny story because it was brought about by rap music and twitter. I always kinda new about feminism and would say "Yeah I guess I'm a feminist?" in high school but never did any digging about it until college after I broke up with my high-school/early college boyfriend. I started listening to Lil Kim's "Suck My Dick" on repeat and was like, yeah sexual equality I do what I want FEMINISM!! From this attitude I started hooking up with someone who would read Gawker a lot and from that I went to Jezebel. From Jez's recommendation I read How to Be a Woman which lead to the Female Eunuch which lead to the Feminine Mystique. I also read Bossypants.

    At the same time I was really into Das Racist and followed their members individually on twitter. They would sometimes tweet at @pushinghoops, so I checked out her page and started following her. From her twitter I learned more about intersectional feminism (she is so patient and awesome in her explanations) and was lead to read the works of bell hooks and Junot Diaz and many other contemporary PoC feminist writers, who I then also began following on twitter. These helped me look at my original feminist readings (Jezebel (!), Moran, Greer, Friedan, Fey) with much a much more critical eye.

    OITNB got me following Laverne Cox on twitter, opening the door for me to better understand transactivism & feminism's history with it.

    From all these twitter follows I started getting better recommendations from twitter, such as @feministwhore who is an advocate for decriminalizing prostitution (still figuring out how I personally feel about it but I love her input/analysis)

    I recently got Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism which is awesome & really drives home the idea that feminism IS for everybody, it's just that for everybody it's goals are going to be different and that's okay - and maybe even preferable because that way we have all these different groups of people working for equality in all these different facets of life.

    So that's it! Hopefully this doesn't get lost in the greys as this is my first SNS posting/posting that isn't a reply to someone else.

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      KEWLBEAAANSFlanneryCulp1
      2/23/14 7:43pm

      You are un-greyed, FlannerCulp1. I've always known what feminism is (or at least its basic core). I've always held those attitudes. As a kid, I thought one had to be a white woman to be considered a feminist. As I got older, I realized that wasn't true. I think I was in my early 20s when I felt comfortable enough to tell people I'm a feminist. I started using Jezebel as an educational tool. Not only did I learn from the website itself, but I also learned from other commenters. I even learned that there are different types of feminism (I didn't even know that existed!). I'm still learning, thankfully. I know, my story is very boring.

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      FlanneryCulp1KEWLBEAAANS
      2/23/14 7:48pm

      Thanks for the un-greying! Yours is not a boring story at all =)

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