In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Mr. J

I was reading How to Win Friends and Influence People today, and I came across a passage about smiling babies. I love smiling babies. They make me happy. So I couldn’t help but wonder, in a world with where the people in the White House are shredding the US Constitution and our civil liberties are going down the drain, what makes you happy?

60 thoughts on Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

  3. That it’s raining right now.
    “My” cats.
    Feminist science fiction.
    The Indigo Girls.
    Baking.
    Sex.
    Weed.
    Text messaging.

  4. Cooking an awesome dinner party and the good company that comes with it.

    Seeing my kids look proud of themselves.

    Possibly not in that order. 🙂

  5. Babying my houseplants. Buying Plants.
    Chocolate Gelato.
    My cat.
    A nice cup of tea.
    Volunteering.

  7. Chocolate eclairs.
    Laughing really hard.
    A great night’s sleep.
    Cool summer breezes.
    Book stores.
    Little things, really. It’s all in the little things, people.

  8. My brother asking me to drive with him to Burger King this afternoon. And many, many other things! But that was the first one that came to mind. =)

  9. Oh, and one of those many other things that makes me happy is my friend Maggie, who has made me laugh lots lately. I also credit her with introducing me to feminism!

  10. A good book.
    My friends.
    Summer nights.
    My “dog niece” Riley.
    Good TV.
    Getting the giggles for no apparent reason.

  13. friends. good books. knitting. ice cream. awesome music.

    in fact, i’m going to go ahead and recommend my favorite awesome music right now, los campesinos!, because they are super happy. they are welsh and adorable and super upbeat even when their lyrics are not. because isn’t that sometimes what we need? to be upbeat when things suck? plus, they are totally feminist friendly! they have a girl singer and a boy singer, and their debut album has a song about misogyny in the music industry. WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK?

    watch them sing and play and be adorable here (plus there are kittens!!): http://youtube.com/watch?v=Dc4GethJnBg

    also, xkcd. because it is awesome.

  14. my sourdough starter named “eleanor”, my plant named “planty”, my mom’s rosebush named “ester”, singing made up songs to my dog, i love lucy, cookbooks, babies dressed up as bugs and flowers, fresh from the garden tomatos, reading, punk rock, puppy kisses, violet perfume oil, violet candies, baking and cooking, art, magazines, home decor, thrift store shopping, napping during thunderstorms, the smell of dryer exhaust on a cold day, fireplace smell on crisp winter nights, seeing the cows and horses and goats out in the fields, when the crops come in, talking to the trees and animals, vegan rice crispy treats, playing old sonic the hedgehog games on sega genesis, when little kids say “hi” to me, the “cumberland general store” catalog, the 1920s, the mythical 1950s in my head where im a badass juvenile delinquent hot rod girl, and grocery and housewares shopping, good comic book stores, good record stores, and hanging out with my fiance and my amazing mom.

  16. The other night I was riding the bus home and saw a car in the lane over with the following bumper sticker:

    “Women make great leaders.
    You’re following one right now.”

    After a day of depression over our shitty Congress that really cracked me up.

  17. Pornographic Transformers fanfiction.
    Cats, especially when purring.
    Driving.
    Completing artwork that’s more than just a random sketch. (Also, some of said random sketches when they turn out really well.)
    Random pretty things (peacock feathers, those really big dandelion puffs, tornados, Saleens, waterfalls, luna moths).
    Orgasms, fantasies, & quality vibrators, especially when combined.
    Hearing a favorite song play on the radio.
    Clever mock successories.
    The feeling of laughing my ass off the first time I encounter something hilarious.

  18. I love Cats too but where be all my Dog lovers?!
    cuddling my dogs
    The new Slayers Revolution, a new series for an old favorite anime; a parody fantasy staring Lina Inverse the self proclaimed Beautiful Sorcery Genius.
    Playing Lord of the Rings Online
    chocolate
    reading tvtropes

  19. Really fierce poetry!
    Ani DiFranco
    Ginger ale
    Sendy naughty pictures to my man
    Getting naughty pictures back from him
    Photoshopping hilariousness
    My totally hot friends

  20. Smiling babies. Laughing preschoolers. Bookstores. XKCD and other sources of nerd jokes. Being in Europe instead of the US and watching the shredding of the US Constitution from a distance.

  21. Thursdays, when the comic books come out.
    Especially when I get to read Gail Simone’s writing in Wonder Woman.

  23. Cats.

    I have panties with a print that say “beautiful men and world peace” – I try to get as much of both as possible :p

    Sunshine and free time.

  24. Cats, dogs, pets in general
    Good books
    Sitting out on the porch chatting w/friends on a summer evening
    Running
    Sleeping late on a Sunday morning
    Coffee and the NY Times crossword

    🙂

    UnFit, I want a pair of those undies! Where did you get them?!?

  27. my s.o. who is the most amazing person i know
    my cat whom i love dearly
    cats in general, especially baby cats
    ice cream
    cool summer nights on a porch
    the memory of balmy nights on a beach in hawaii
    good music
    singing
    fall in new england
    hanging with my college girls
    visiting my alma mater

    Thanks Mr. J. ..this was a nice way to start my morning – now I’m thinking about all the things that make me happy 🙂

  29. all dogs
    Reading, especially Harry Potter
    Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    drinking with my friends and reminiscing
    cheese and potatos (preferably together)

  32. Oh, me too for comic-book Thursdays!
    Warren Ellis
    Smiling toddlers calling me “Auntie K”
    My 13 year old’s wry, sardonic sense of humor
    …and that he’s big enough now to do the grunt work
    sex
    green trees everywhere
    ice cream with chocolate-covered caramel bits in it
    music
    cheese
    my new bookshelf
    my new notepad with the Nancy Drew bookcover, erm, cover
    Elizabeth Bear’s writing

  33. The new Slayers Revolution, a new series for an old favorite anime; a parody fantasy staring Lina Inverse the self proclaimed Beautiful Sorcery Genius.

    Torri, have I told you lately that I love you? Every nerdy feminist should love Slayers.

    As for me, the list of little things that makes me happy would be too long to put here, but in the interests of brevity: good writing, stand-up comedy, my mom, my cat, my wonderful friends (be they near or far), mushy love stories, old movies, beautiful weather, learning languages and planning trips.

  34. cheese! especially goat cheese.

    tea! my very cute degus. having an income. having my library card. reconnecting with long-lost friends. all things related to Austin, TX.

  35. making my koi excited with shrimp
    futurama
    watching kittens try to act like tough, big cats
    laughing so hard i snort
    my amazing boyfriend
    receiving packages in the mail
    finding artists who share my inner vision like Remidios Varo and Vladamir Kush.
    previews before movies

  36. Sunny days, especially the morning when you see/fell the first rays of sunlight creeping in through the curtains.
    Genuinely witty graffiti.
    The right kind of schadenfreude.
    Seeing kids create something unexpected and cool.
    Hot showers, or better yet baths on cold, rainy days.

    And booze, natch.

  37. Catherine Tate
    David Tennant
    Watching The Catherine Tate Show
    Watching Catherine Tate and David Tennant in ‘Doctor Who’ (BLISS)
    Ani Difranco
    Tori Amos
    Listening to patronising meditation tapes and laughing my head off whenever the woman says something like ‘your heart is a beautiful lotus blossom’
    My period being over so I can, um, do that certain thing again
    Having all you ickle fluffy darlings to love on the internet (lol)
    Rainstorms!
    My lovely, lovely friend…
    Watching Heroes
    MY CAT!! And all cats.
    Sending silly pictures of cute kittens to my friends.
    Green Tea
    Ice-cream!
    Being over a certain asshole
    Dancing alone in my living room
    Being able to sleep all day if I want to! For weeks!

  38. The Backstreet Boys.
    I can’t help it, I love them!

    Melissa, me too!

    NormaJ, you’re welcome!

    I also like laughing so hard I roll on the floor.

  39. sex
    my cat
    my husband
    cuddling
    pizza
    the beatles
    presents
    olive garden’s breadsticks and alfredo sauce (can’t help it!)
    people enjoying my writing
    getting everything done that I need to get done (rare!)
    more sex
    more beatles

  40. My kitten
    A good book
    Slam poetry readings (like the one I went to last night)
    Hugs
    The Beatles
    Gays (inside joke)
    Folk music
    Pencil bouquets
    Sunflowers
    Chai lates
    Laughing
    Swimming/wave pools
    Family events
    Chicago

    p.s. to Cara you stole one of mine!! Not really, but I LOVE Olive Garden breadsticks with alfredo sauce. They think I’m crazy because I come in and only get that.

  41. my wonderful partner
    my parents + friends
    my dog
    having a backyard in NYC
    taking up skateboarding
    my other wheels (bike + xootr scooter)
    classical, hip-hop, and Latina/Puerto Rican music
    music in general
    food
    mild intoxication
    sex
    community organizing done right
    comic books
    looking at my tattoos
    the Invisibles t-shirt I’m wearing right now (it’s a comic book series)
    Netflix
    being self-employed (when it’s not driving me nuts)
    summer in Brooklyn
    amazing things coming together so that my girlfriend and i can take our first real vacation together (one that doesn’t involve visiting family in our hometowns!)

    also, hell yeah to Olive Garden breadsticks!

  42. DOGS!!!! Especially the adorable rat terrier/french bulldog mix puppy who was outside my apartment the other day. You cat people don’t know what you’re missing…
    Finding a perfect summer dress.
    Long lines of pre-school kids out for a walk, holding hands with their little friends and chattering all at once
    A simple and delicious pasta with a glass of wine
    Dining outside
    Pinkberry
    Brunch
    Did I mention wine already? Also, dark beer.
    Wearing fancy (but always soft and comfortable) underwear for no reason
    West Wing re-runs
    My best girls
    Boxing
    Cheese. With wine.
    The promise that once the bar is over, I’ll be able to read books again
    Thunder storms at night
    Gazela vinho verde (so delicious, and like $5); a good pinot noir; Italian island wines
    Upcoming vacations.

  43. Can we all agree that puppies, kittens, ice cream and feminism are THE BOMB?!’

    Things that make me happy:

    My dog (and all dogs)
    Hoegaarden
    Laughing til my stomach hurts
    Swinging on the swings
    Led Zeppelin

  44. I love when the family is all in one bed. It makes me happy to know that the people I love the most are so close to me. I also love hearing my kids laugh. It always makes me smile.

  45. Mozart’s and Beethoven’s piano concertos.
    My local pizzeria.
    Working from home (and having a great boss).
    “The Simpsons.”
    The New Yorker.

  46. Lots of good ideas here that I will have remember. My happy place is putting on some Ramones, setting the amp to 11 and playing along. Occasionally I will mix in other bands, but the Ramones are a catharsis that is simple, fast and fun.

  48. the fact that my son came home safely from Iraq
    watching my daughter study engineering, a man’s profession when I was her age
    my husband
    walking my dog, Lucy, preferably in the rain
    local peaches from the farmer’s market
    watching the baby swallows on the loading dock grow up
    English history

  49. My kittehs. Old commercials. Anderson Cooper. MST3K. Old social guidance films. Anthony Bourdain. YouTube. lolanything. Subversive Cross Stitch. My fiance in a playful mood. Cheeses. Awesome purses and shoes. A Bit of Fry and Laurie. XM’s comedy station. Studying Buddhism.

  50. Because I’m incurably dorky and the title of the post has the song stuck in my head….

    Black Metal music and drinking till midnight
    The sound of a fiddle and holding my wife tight
    The production of music and the joy that it brings
    These are a few of my favorite things
    The works of Carl Jung, and Alice Miller
    Electrical autos, and the scent of vanilla
    Heller versus DC, Bush gone by next spring
    These are a few of my favorite things

  52. Chai fraps.
    Twilight
    Damask
    cutie animals
    Gilmore girls
    Harry Potter
    NPR
    Strangers in Paradise
    Traveling
    Sniffing freshly washed blankets
    Movies, with friends
    New Music
    Sex
    Guitar Hero
    Air Conditioning
    When people ask me to bake cookies for them
    Baking cookies
    Buffy/Angel
    Varied/Positive/nonexotic representations of women/minorities in media
    Shopping
    New finger nail polish
    Fresh hair do’
    Playing bass filled music too loudly in my car
    Watermelon
    Iced Tea
    Lemonade (real, not that minute maid)
    Kathy Griffin
    Whoopi
    Submissions to my blog http://www.fortunecookiesinbed.blogspot.com b/c they’re pretty funny 🙂

  54. @RumTumTugger
    Sweet lordy, I loooooove David Tennant and Catherine Tate in Doctor Who!!!
    And just Doctor Who in general is amazing:^D
    Let’s see:
    Cheese
    Reading
    Singing along to music
    Masturbation
    Dancing
    RockBand
    Watching shows about science and the universe
    Driving at night
    Comic Books
    Bookstores
    Pomegranate Juice
    Nude photography
    The 1920’s
    Foreign Films (with subtitles!)
    Burlesque
    Lightening and thunder storms
    Marijuana

  56. my college (Mass Art)
    my Holga camera
    my crush
    my crush’s adorable Scottie dog
    dogs in general
    thai iced tea
    mythology
    environmental science
    night sailing
    musicals
    dystopian novels and movies
    buffy the vampire slayer
    top gear
    sci fi board games and rpgs
    e. e. cummings
    travel
    boxing
    running
    feminism
    accordions
    fake mustaches
    riding my bike

  57. Carol H: Actually I was more thinking about the fiddle getting more use in unorthodox areas of music and enjoying time with my wife. I’d never heard that song before, but thanks for the link. Awesome.

  58. The new Slayers Revolution, a new series for an old favorite anime; a parody fantasy staring Lina Inverse the self proclaimed Beautiful Sorcery Genius.

    I enjoyed Slayers too. Is it out on DVD, yet?

    my college (Mass Art)

    Kelsey Jarboe,

    Your college is barely a 10 minute walk from one of the areas I used to live when I worked in the Greater Boston area. Used to pass by Mass Art on my way to meet friends who lived in and around the Fenway/Kenmore area.

    Here’s my incomplete list:

    Hanging out with friends.
    Intellectually stimulating conversations….whether online or IRL.
    Finishing a book…whether intellectually stimulating or otherwise.
    A good night’s sleep.
    A 1/2-2 hour fast-stroll through various parts of NYC on a nice sunny day with or without the media player.
    Successfully solving/fixing a computer problem.
    Getting a chance to pet/play with friends’ cats.
    Visiting friends in the Greater Boston area
    Good food and drinks from a wide variety of cultures.
    Enjoy classical music, jazz, opera, and art in many forms despite the occasional snobby pretentious noise.
    Good movies, especially those from East/South Asia
    Seeing happy people go about their daily business while walking around.
    Observing the trees, leaves, flowers, grass, and other forms of plant scenery in my area(s).
    Good university seminars, lectures, and conferences in my area(s) of interest.

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