(see here for background & thoughtful feedback)

So, I went & got my hair cut last night, and it looks pretty much the same as it did when I went in. Disappointing but true. There are a few reasons for this: a) I decided to stick with the growing-out project, at least for another couple of months, since I'm only now getting my ringlet-inclined curls back; b) I didn't go to work yesterday (pump malfunction > blood sugar ick), so didn't have exemplary photos-of-Kim to share; c) I didn't have a clear, confident feeling about highlight color (and wasn't ready to spend the money before feeling confident about that).

I really like my stylist; she hasn't steered me wrong & my hair's growing out & looking pretty good at the same time. I now have curls without lots of poof, no mushroom-top effect, and my hair frames my face nicely & isn't sitting flat & heavy on top. And she's nice: last night, she had me try on two of her old leather jackets & was ready to give me whichever one I wanted (unfortunately, her sister changed her mind about not wanting the one I liked -- with some tightly-fitted, goth dress-up potential -- when she saw me trying it on, so no go for me).

But she also always straightens the hell out of my hair when she styles it, and last night, she used some sort of product that ultimately made things worse instead of better (though she admitted the mistake, which I found endearing). So it's usually hard for me to tell how my hair's really going to look until I've washed it & let it recover. This morning, I realized that my bangs are pretty boring. And not short. And my morning-after letdown involved longing for the highlights-that-weren't. I still need help figuring out the color part, though. That could be a fine Thanksgiving-weekend project with April, or a task for locallibrarian's stylist (if we are, indeed, seriously considering a joint bang-trimming outing during my NYC visit).

Can't get enough of voting? Want to help me deliberate about my next haircut? Bored at work?

( click, click )

Can't get enough of voting? Want to help me deliberate about my next haircut? Bored at work?

( click away )

I looked up Matt & Kim on allmusicguide.com & am now totally excited about going to see them tonight with K. Here are the adjectives the guide uses to describe their sound:
* Bright
* Irreverent
* Boisterous
* Playful
* Giddy
* Effervescent
* Energetic
* Lively
* Exuberant
* Party/ Celebratory
* Freewheeling
* Fun
* Quirky
* Amiable/ Good-Natured
* Witty

I'd been into going based on a couple of myspace songs & knowing they'd performed with RMO in NYC this summer. And also because of my general tendency to say yes to whatever K. asks me to do these days. Looks like I've lucked out & have found an antidote to my case of the Monday blahs.

There's no list of descriptors for the opening band, Best Fwends, but the sounds on their myspace are compelling enough to make me want to get there early.

The show is early & all ages. I'm predicting we'll be surrounded by a critical mass of underage hipsters, which I hope will mean an audience full of youth in amusing outfits.

p.s. Real entry forthcoming.

Bitch Magazine still needs money.

I'm still feeling torn up about David Foster Wallace's death. Michael Silverblatt provides deeply insightful, heartbreaking commentary here.

I haven't been writing much here, but I'm staying pretty consistent with my posts here, if you feel like keeping up with me on an almost-daily basis.

xoxo

Clearly, I need to get with it & watch Middleman.

Inspired by desiringsubject and leayrdel, I worked more on my writing/revising this past week, and sent a draft of my fourth chapter to my advisor today. There are still three places where I need to insert quotes, but since the articles containing those quotes are in boxes, and the boxes are still at the old apartment (and take some effort to get to), I decided not to wait & just send the document along so that I could stop tinkering with it and start working on the second chapter. Next up is my chapter on The Watermelon Woman and Liebe Perla -- I got the draft into better shape early last spring, and so I feel confident that I can finish a close-to-final chapter draft before the end of the summer (or at least have it in good shape to share with the dissertation workshop in the fall).

So, for those keeping score at home, this means: 2 chapters down, 2 to go, plus intro + conclusion.

My horoscope for the week could pretty much be my horoscope for the year:

ARIES (March 21-April 19): "The only way to get a difficult feeling to go away is simply to love yourself for it," says author Christiane Northrup. "If you think you're stupid, then love yourself for feeling that way. It's a paradox, but it works. To heal, you must . . . shine the light of compassion on any areas within you that you feel are unacceptable." While I personally believe this is a crafty strategy, I suggest adding a twist in order to double its effectiveness: As you're loving yourself for your difficult feeling, literally laugh out loud at how crazily worried and wound up you are about it.

Oh how I love Rob Brezny!

		I will marry Tilda Swinton.
		After a wild honeymoon, We will settle down in Stockholm in our fabulous Mansion.
		We will have 1 kid(s) together.
		Our family will zoom around in a teal pickup truck.
		I will spend my days as a young adult librarian, and live happily ever after.

Yesterday's library catalog searching breakthrough (one I can't believe I didn't think to try before):

Keyword search for music by record label!

My search of the Minuteman Library Network retrieved results for:
"jagjaguwar"
"thrill jockey"
"drag city"
"touch and go"
"kill rock stars"
"too pure"
"sub pop"
"k records"
"chainsaw records"
"matador"

(you get the idea)

sadly, no results for "siltbreeze"

can you tell I paid more attention to indie labels in the '90s than anytime since? are there other labels you'd recommend i try?

mowe has his interview for the humanities reference librarian position at [Private University in our Neighborhood, where desiringsubject and imfvd are students]. At 9 a.m., he's teaching a research instruction session for the search committee & library staff, then he has a full day of interviews.

Please send good thoughts his way!

I am so excited about this! Queer liberation at Pride!

(I'm bummed I won't be in town for the forum on June 20).

I should clarify that when I asked about shorts, I was thinking about everyday wear. I'm totally pro-shorts for special queer occasions (Pride, Gross Anatomy, etc.), and plan to wear them this summer, a la Team Gina.

Stylish people (this includes any of you who self-identify as or aspire to being):

Under what conditions do you wear shorts? Nogoodforme.com draws our attention to some summer looks involving shorts that I really love, but I have issues with being 32 years old & short, with hips & thighs (in other words, not like those models in Vogue Paris).

Boston-area friends: What are you doing for Pride?

I'm thinking about going to Optionz, but would feel *more* like going as part of a pair or group (honestly, going alone to something this big kind of scares me). desiringsubject, if you're still looking for dance party opportunities, this could be for you!

Last year I was out of town, so I missed out on all the fun. If there's stuff you regularly do (or avoid), pls comment & let me know.

xoxo!

I came back from the Thinking Critically: Alternative Methods & Perspectives in Information Studies conference on Sunday, and my brain is still processing what I heard, and I'm still tired from back-to-back conference weekends. I'm trying to figure out what to do next, since this was one of those conferences where I left with many questions, some points of confusion, the desire to read/explore along avenues suggested by other participants, including: locallibrarian's talk on difference at the foundation of library space & praxis, Lefebvre's notion of 'everyday life' in the context of information-seeking research, "ethical surveillance" (I have questions about consent), resistance studies, globally distributed algorithms, and more).

I was also really happy about what happened in our free time: the folks from QZAP invited syndetic, locallibrarian, our new friend Nat, and me over to their house for an amazing meal & good conversation. It was nice talking about politics, personal histories, bodies, and identifications in that space, with that group of new friends -- especially after our theory-heavy day at the conference. We got to take walks through some neighborhoods on Friday evening & Saturday afternoon, and had drinks and read poems & back issues of L's zine, Deviant Recipes, at the Hi Hat Lounge.

Tomorrow morning, I head to Columbus to take care of E. for a week. She's recovering from her surgery on Thursday, but still can't be up and around much, and needs help with errands, cooking, stuff around the house. I'm so glad I get to go help. I don't know what my internet access will be like during that time, so if I'm not on email or lj much, that's why.

This will only have deeper significance for Columbus friends:
I am so jealous of mowe, he is eating at the Flying Pizza right now.

Dear everyone involved in FemmeCast,

You are fabulous (and smart, and funny, and have lovely voices), and the cast is amazing, and I want all of my friends to listen. Where else would I find whipsmart social justice commentary + BSG fangirl love + fashion tips + sex talk all in one hour? Already, you're improving my life.

Thank you!
xoxo a.

I will be in your city this weekend, presenting at the GLBT Archives, Libraries, Museums & Special Collections conference at CLAGS, surveying the state of hott queer librarian/archivist thought + fashion, and thanking my lucky stars that I work at a place that pays for me to have such adventures.

The conference is open to the public, and there's a $10 entry fee per event, and students/low income folks can register for the whole thing for $20.

I'm not planning any kind of late nights for Thurs. & Fri., and may have plans on Saturday night, but if you know of any good shows/events happening this weekend, please share!

xoxo