Kidnapped, hope you're a MWW ... oh and rich

The media coverage for missing San Diego teen Hannah Anderson was wide and far reaching. I wonder, was this a case of MWWS: Missing White Woman Syndrome? This is the phenomenon of disproportionately more media coverage of missing white woman than for missing non-whites and for missing men. Read this blog for further insight. Rommy Rafael: What is Missing White Woman Syndrome? The post needs to be updated to include socio-economic status. I've written about kidnap survivor Michelle Knight previously Stress and Stature: What if.... Although she and her fellow victims were white women, they were also from an underprivileged neighborhood. Would they have been found earlier if they were not?

This Bandeau is a Ban - do!

Another exciting purchase. This one I've had my eye on since last year. (I'm getting quite proud of myself for not buying on impulse). I was looking to replace my swimsuit this year because my 3 year old, much-complimented, nautical stripe swimsuit has stretched out with wear. However, before I went out and bought a new one, I had some traits that I wanted to be sure I got.

For my body type, smaller on the top than the bottom, I've read that adding ruffles on the top would create balance. Also, I wanted a two piece because although I love monokinis, I find they don't fit me well because I've got a short torso. I think I've read that if the measurement from the bottom of your ribs to the top of your hips is less than 4 inches, you've got a short waist. (The supermodel in the picture seems to have a long torso). Thirdly, I though I might as well take advantage of my modest size and wear something that not everyone can wear - a strapless bandeau.

I had actually bought a pink ruffle bandeau bikini 2 years ago from eBay. However, I found out the hard way that a small from a Chinese eBay store is like buying child-sized in a North American store. Fortunately, fashion and shopping website www.shopstyle.com had plenty of options - my favorite being from Victoria's Secret. I went ahead and ordered the swimsuit but was a little bummed by the extra charges for duties. There was also a special free gift with purchase - a cotton beach tote.

Happily, the swimsuit arrived in 5 days - much quicker than the 10 - 14 day estimate. Despite following the size chart precisely, the bikini does fit snug but the most cleavage created is a nice side-effect. I find the lace pattern to be pleasantly contemporary and the laser-cut ruffles impressive. The bottom is a bit-low rise which complements my short torso. 

As for the the free tote - let's just say V.S. is lucky I didn't pay for it. I think the gold details would have looked much better on black or white instead of beige. 

Overall, I'm very pleased with my purchase. I've only now realized that my swimsuit has an added bonus it falls in line with the current lace trend. Nice!

"Blurred Lines" Crosses the Line

Like many I rarely watch music videos anymore. It’s as if I have the opposite of attention defecit disorder – I actually find it harder to pay attention to shorter videos than to tv shows and movies. So I’ve been a little behind on watching the much discussed Robin Thick video “Blurred Lines”. 

The Today Show and The View showed short clips of the “PG” version before the artist performed the summer hit on their respective shows live. Frankly, what I saw looked quite bland so I was quite surprised to hear about an alternate nude version. Boy was I disappointed when I saw it. I just didn’t understand the point. The nudity adds nothing to the video other than shock value. 

I assume the directors lack of creativity is what drove her to have the models strut around topless. It's a shame that a woman would actually create something so offensive to her gender. The models are made out to be sex objects in the video. Their only purpose in the video was to turn the men’s heads. They literally strut around in front of the men and that’s it. Its just plain gratuitous nudity.  It looks like they are prostitutes in a brothel giving the men a real life menu. 

I have no problem with topless women in National Geographic films, in paintings, in a photographic exhibit, or in sculpture. In fact I would be ok if they compilated nude paintings, photos, or sculpture and made that a video. At least it would be artistic. “Blurred Lines” is basically a Playboy Magaizne in video format. What they could have done was have both sexes nude and have their bodies digitally blurred – that way it would be less sexist and would actually promote the song.

Speaking of the song, I was out at a bar with a couple of girlfriends when I first heard it. I wondered why they were playing a cheesy 70’s song. My girlfriend told me it was Robin Thicke. I was surprised since the music didn’t really sound like what he has produced before. I was a fan of Robin Thicke before this huge misstep with "Blurred Lines". I love the song “Lost Without U”, "Magic", and "Can U Believe". If you’re looking for a real Robin Thicke video worth watching check out “Can u believe”. Hopefully, it will blur your image of "Blurred Lines".

Stress and Stature: What if...

Look at the picture on the left and you will likely notice how petite, Ariel Castro’s victim was. It made me think, what if the physical and emotional stress was the cause of her size. We’ve seen what physical stress has done to gymnasts’ bodies. The girls’ frames remain in a frozen state of pre-pubescence. So is it a far cry that years of abuse could do the same? I’ve seen the way abused women shrink into themselves – head down, chin pulled into their chests. Could the constant assault on the body and the soul have reduced this victim’s physical development? Or is it even possible that her body purposely stopped growing as a way of protecting itself – the way the mind can block out traumatic events.

Despite the young lady’s diminutive stature, she is incredibly strong for not only having endured the abuse but also for being able to speak in a court with the abuser not far from her.  On the inside, this woman is standing 10 feet tall.

Here come my flamenco feet

I'm so excited. I got these pair of Reeboks that I have been coveting for at least 2 years. I've always been a fan of retro sneakers. Nike Cortez, Puma Clyde's, and Adidas Gazelle's and Superstar's are in all real sneakerheads' closets (mine included). But if you're a lady, you've got to also include a pair of Reebok Freestyle. Super cute and super comfy, these shoes are retro AND feminine.

The Freestyles that I already owned were part of a special cities edition. Bright yellow with black markings, the hi-tops look like a taxi cab and represent the city of New York. I've owned them for about 3 years and are my most prized sneaker. However, I also liked the Madrid edition for just as long. After I went on a 2 week holiday to Spain, I knew the sneakers would be a great personal reminder of the trip. 

I had the shoes on my watch list on Ebay for the longest time. Finally, I saw there was only one pair left in my size. There's nothing that motivates like the last product available! So I bit the bullet and bought the Madrids. Ebay estimated they would arrive within 10 to 14 days so I was shocked and thrilled when they arrived in only 5 days! They look awesome and I've already had a friend confirm that they look really cool - nice to know that I'm not crazy. She probably thinks the ruffles are just a girly detail. But I  know that they represent a flamenco skirt and will always remind me of my trip to Spain.