Thursday, April 18, 2013

Week's Best 4-18-13

It's been a rough week here in the U.S., what with the Boston Marathon bombing, poison being mailed to government officials, and now a huge factory explosion in Texas. Times of tragedy and fear can really wear us down, individually and as a whole, but I'm glad the internet is big enough to provide little moments of joy and distraction even in the worst of times. I don't know about you guys, but I found myself cherishing those moments more than ever this week.

For example, this water garden from the 2013 Ellerslie International Flower Show in Christchurch, New Zealand is just the kind of fairy land I'd like to escape to with a good book:

Look at that sunken seating area! My mind, it is blown. And I'm not sure I believe that's real grass; it looks too perfect. And soft. And I want to walk on it barefoot IMMEDIATELY.

This image is an oldie but a goodie, and never fails to restore a little faith in humanity:

These are the window washers at the Pittsburgh Children's Hospital. [sniffle] I'm fine. Really. Pass the tissues.

Apparently this is done at kids' hospitals across the country, too; here's another in St. Petersburg, FL:
 More pics here at USA Today. (Thanks to Teresa K. for sharing that first pic on FB.)


What better way to turn a geek into a big kid again than with some new Pop! vinyl toys from Funko?

Turtle power! (via NerdApproved)

But my favorite new release is, of COURSE:


The Rocketeer! I love the green highlights in his eyes.

These guys won't hit shelves 'til July, but you can pre-order them here for just under $10 each.


This Dove ad went viral this week, and with good reason. If by some chance you haven't seen it yet, definitely take the three minutes and watch:

 

And this 6-minute talk by Ze Frank on creativity is concise and rather inspiring - once I got past the fact that he sounds exactly like he does in his True Facts vids, so I kept waiting for him to say "SEA WHORES." Hehehhe. (Here's the link if you missed that one.) 


Nerdy aprons are getting pretty common these days, but most are for us girls and are on the frilly side. (NOT complaining, btw.) So this Krang apron for men absolutely cracked. me. up:

 
Krang Apron, $150

Then of course I had to look at everything else Haute Mess Threads makes - so many goodies! - and found this perfect R2D2 number:
 

Lots more over at NerdApproved, or hit the link up there to shop.


Really the best part of my week, though, has been moderating all of your comments on my bra post. It's been amazing watching you guys support each other (no pun intended), answer questions, make suggestions, swap stories, and just, you know, be a community. Not to mention all your success stories are making me grin - keep 'em coming, girls! (Btw, I haven't had a strap fall down ONCE in the past three days. THIS IS A MIRACLE.)

I hope you all are safe and well and happy, and here's to a better week next week!
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27 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 5:34 PM

    I love your blog. It's always a bright spot in my day :)
    And I love that pond... now I'm getting gardening ideas - oi, hubby is going to shoot me lol
    I've got one of those pop figures - I was given elphaba aka wicked witch of the west as a Christmas gift cos I'm such an oz nerd. So adorable.
    ~erin kristine

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  2. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 5:51 PM

    Thanks, Jen, for being my Happy Place on the interwebs.

    You have reinforced my desire to learn to sew. Those aprons are SO CUTE, but no way I could conceive of paying $150 for one.

    Thanks for giving this community a place to gather!

    Andrea

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  3. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 6:25 PM

    I have to tell you I sent my mom the bra post. She was all like, FLIP FLOP HANGERS!!!

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  4. RoslynApril 18, 2013 at 6:58 PM

    Awww, lovely post. You always do the world good.

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  5. amsieApril 18, 2013 at 7:31 PM

    Hey Jenn!
    While I do appreciate the Dove Beauty campaign I have to admit it does have its faults. I can't claim the thoughts presented in this link but I'm presenting this as another point of view.

    While I'm really, REALLY not against the Dove Real Beauty Campaign and I think anything that celebrates real women over retouched models and body types that very few women have is fantastic I agree with the other of this post that Dove is still presenting a biased western view of beauty.

    Why doves real beauty video makes me uncomfortable"

    And I love that water garden... I want one!

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    Replies
    1. JenApril 18, 2013 at 9:22 PM

      Good point, Amsie! I've read two or three articles today somewhat critical of the Dove ad (not including that one), and they all have excellent points. Fact is, Dove's main objective is NOT to make us feel better about ourselves: it's to make money. I still think it's ok to take away something positive from their ads, of course, and I'd like to see more ads go this way - but we're still being sold a bill of goods ... literally! ;)

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    2. AngelApril 18, 2013 at 10:24 PM

      I thought I was going to be the first to call out the Dove campaign. I'm glad other epbot readers also see some of the flaws.

      http://thisisthinprivilege.tumblr.com/post/48173063292/on-self-esteem-and-the-struggle-or-why-im-not-into

      Delete
    3. AliApril 19, 2013 at 9:40 AM

      Thanks for this, you articulated my feelings about it perfectly.

      Delete
    4. UnknownApril 19, 2013 at 11:09 AM

      Very interesting article Angel! I just started reading thisisthinprivilege blog and it has some good points. That Dove ad could be seen as mildly racist and body-biased("she had big beautiful blue eyes and was thin"). But, I was moved in the way the company intended me to be. I am studying nutrition science and am constantly surrounded by judgmental skinny girls. I am not skinny by any means, so I have a hard time feeling accepted or validated. Those Dove ads can often hurt one's feelings (thin is everything!) while intending to uplift the female race.

      Delete
  6. michelejApril 18, 2013 at 7:46 PM

    Thank you, Jen - just what my heart needed today. xo

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  7. JennyApril 18, 2013 at 8:26 PM

    I just watched that ad, and was going to link to it on the Epbot fb page. Heh. Guess I don't need to now. Isn't it amazing?? I wonder, though, how many men would be able to describe themselves accurately. This would be such an interesting experiment to do with a general population! Would people's own descriptions of themselves be more accurate among the young? old? male? female? Hmmmm. Clearly funding is needed. :)

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    Replies
    1. NaazjuApril 19, 2013 at 3:30 AM

      THIS. I kept thinking to myself that we also don't know if the other people who were describing the experimentees knew what they were supposed to be doing and were therefore kinder in their descriptions. I kept wanting them to hang a photograph of the women next to the sketches as well, so we could see how accurate some of them were, for the reasons you listed above. (I mean, would an older person describe themselves younger, since that's where most of their experience is? Or harsher/older, because they've become more cynical of their looks, etc.?) Lots and lots of funding is needed!

      Delete
  8. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 8:55 PM

    Ahh! I am pre-ordering my Rocketeer now! I heart you!

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  9. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 10:56 PM

    I really appreciate the stuff you find, the thoughts you write about, etc.
    Thank you.

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  10. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 11:00 PM

    Thanks for the uplift, Jen. Along with all the other nastiness, my town had its own crisis when a group of yahoos(not the company) decided to deliberately sever our fiberoptic phone lines, and then took potshots at the transformer. No phones, internet, ATM, credit cards, or cell use for at least 13 hours. It was more aggravating than horrifying, at least for my family. Thankfully they weren't able to take out 911. That would have been horrible. Sorry if this was a bit of a downer.

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  11. CathApril 18, 2013 at 11:01 PM

    What about the Patton Oswalt filibuster? I'm not even a Star Wars fan (I know, I know) and I couldn't stop sniggering at it at work.

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  12. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 11:09 PM

    Alas, my garden is not big enough to make a water garden like that, but I wants it precioussss...
    I love reading your weekly faves. I can always find something to make me grin.
    As for Dove, I'm probably way too cynical: my first thought was that the artist had probably been asked to make the first drawing look sad and the second drawing look happy.
    cheers, V (mother of tiny geek-in-training)

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  13. Ms. W.April 18, 2013 at 11:35 PM

    Thank you for the smiles. Love the reminders of fun and goodness and friends even more during times like these...

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  14. AnonymousApril 19, 2013 at 5:57 AM

    Here's a geeky quote that has been making the rounds among Tolkien readers this week:

    "The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater." ('Lord of the Rings', JRRT)

    Estelyn Telcontar

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  15. NZ JenApril 19, 2013 at 6:12 AM

    Squeee - popping in to one of my favourite blogs to find my city at the top of the page! It was real grass btw :)

    Isn't that an amazing garden - wish I could have taken it home - not sure my dog would have let the grass grow though...

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  16. D. CookApril 19, 2013 at 10:55 AM

    Ze Frank's face is so entertaining.
    That water garden... I don't think I'd ever leave it.

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  17. UnknownApril 19, 2013 at 11:10 AM

    I LOVED the superhero window washers. What a fantastic idea that was well executed that made those kid's days! ;)

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  18. AnonymousApril 19, 2013 at 11:20 AM

    The video of Ze Frank is awesome and totally inspiring! I love his facial expressions as he talks!

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  19. BeckyApril 19, 2013 at 3:13 PM

    I may have to get 1 or 2 of those figures...my fiance LOVES TMNT!

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  20. AnonymousApril 20, 2013 at 12:36 PM

    That video was amazing. The website Beauty Redefined is something every girl should look up. I don't know how to add a link, but I hope this will do.

    Maralyn, age 13

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  21. Bitten UsagiApril 23, 2013 at 1:11 AM

    The superhero window washers will never get old. <3 I loved that video by Dove, too. Sent it to all my family and they loved it. Good to be reminded that others don't see what we consider to be our flaws. And OMG how did I not know the TMNT were gonna become Pop! figures?!?! Must add to my wishlist!

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  22. LindseyDecember 4, 2013 at 1:48 AM

    I love the superhero window washers! I can only imagine how a sick child must feel when he or she happens to look over and see their favorite superhero looking in lol It's a wonderful idea!

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