Kiki really does not want me to write this paper about late Ming dynasty Chinese Buddhist figure painters.

DIY cat treats

Well, I've officially gone both DIY crazy, and cat crazy. Seriously, though, if you need cat treats on the cheap, just whip 'em up yourself!

Whole Grain Cheesy Tuna Treats

You need:
1 can of tuna packed in water
All of the water drained from the packed tuna
3 Tablespoon cooked, chopped egg whites
1/4 cup powder-style parmesan cheese
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup water (as needed)

To make:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix the tuna, tuna water and egg whites (I fried mine up in a pan first). Add the flour, and parmesan cheese. If the mixture is still too dry to form a dough, add water in 1/4 cup increments until the consistency is good enough to knead into a ball. Once you have your stinky fish ball, roll it out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into one-inch sized pieces, or try a cookie cutter! Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Feed to kittiez.

DIY Sugar Scrub

Today I made my own sugar scrub! It was insanely easy, and smells delicious. All I did was pour about a cup and a half of raw sugar into a bowl, added about a half cup of olive oil (I used just about enough to coat the sugar, but you're welcome to use less if you want a more scrubby scrub, or more if you want a more moisturizing scrub), added about a teaspoon of vitamin E oil, a few drops of orange essential oil, and voila! I found and old jar, cleaned it out well, and filled it with the scrub. I find it works really well on those little bumps of the backs of my arms.

Thanks, Vin.

Everyone is all abuzz about Vinny from Jersey Shore sharing publicly that he battles anxiety disorder, and the difficulties that life as a reality television star can cause for someone prone to anxiety. As an avid Jersey Shore watcher (I'm sorry. I don't know how it started, but it's gone on this long, so here we are.), I watched two episodes ago when Vinny's anxiety came to a head and he decided to leave the Shore. I felt both saddened, and proud for a number of reasons. His exit was emotional, and what was equally emotional was his best friend Pauly's heartwarming, sincere reaction of sadness and care.

Never before in popular culture have I seen two men, not to mention men whose reality personas rely on their giant muscles, promiscuity, and other stereotypical markers of masculinity, being so honest and open about their feelings, their struggles, and their love and friendship for one another. Pauly and Vinny opened up a discourse about male friendship, and Vinny opened one up about the reality of anxiety disorder and depression, problems which many understate the severity of, problems which can be viewed merely as "unmasculine" and "weak". He also set a good example by doing what was best for his mental health, and leaving an environment of excessive partying, little privacy, and social stress.

Following his departure from the show, Vinny gave a special appearance on MTV further explaining anxiety disorder, how it has effected his life, and his decision to leave the Shore. He has also appeared on a PSA for a suicide prevention foundation. Besides just making it easier for me to defend my watching of Jersey Shore weekly, I think these recent events have been incredibly important for mainstream culture and the "MTV generation" to start thinking about gender issues and psychological disorders.

If you want to watch the episode, it is episode 2 of the current season of Jersey Shore, and is available to stream on MTV's website, as is Vinny's interview about anxiety.

Ira and Marcel invite you to their new home, Apt. #1 on Box Lane

Too comfortable and exhausted to even hold his head up by himself.

On top of the shower. How...?

New York

I am back from my east coast adventures with the wonderful Nigel! We were mostly upstate in a little town outside of Albany called Kinderhook visiting his parents, who were so lovely and kind to me. We also went to Boston, where he went to college (BU), and into New York City for a couple of days. In Boston we met some friends of his, ate delicious vegan Thai food in Chinatown, and visited a store called the Garment District where they sell clothes by the pound. I, of course, dragged him to the MoMA in NYC, which was a lot more exhausting than I remember. They had a great exhibit about Willem de Kooning, which even Nigel, who isn't modern art's greatest fan, enjoyed.

pile of clothes in the Garment District

Keith Haring in the MoMA