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Lake Street Dive - “Bad Self Portraits”

Finally, a  pop song that tackles this first world obsession with the selife! And it does so in the most infectious way possible. Love this record…an early favorite so far in 2014

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Only trust someone who can see these three things in you: The sorrow behind your smile, the love behind your anger, and the reason behind your silence.

(via teabythesea)

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I leave for college in seven days.

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…’cause I was just getting to know a girl, and started really reconsidering just how difficult everything was gonna be right as he was putting the needle in through my neck because I was still getting to know this girl and I wasn’t gonna be able to talk to her. And she was more incredible than I ever thought, because she would order for me- I would whisper in her ear and she would order for me with the waiter, or I would whisper in her ear and she would tell people ‘It’s nice to meet you, he says.’ And I did a lot of whispering. When I was in Montana and I wasn’t speaking, really bad cell phone service- really bad internet service out there, I mean- cell phone wasn’t great either, but the internet’s not great for iChat, and a lot of missed, a lot of dropped video frames. And so she was so patient as to even continue to get to know me and love me while we’d be on speakerphone and look at intermittent photos of each other that were coming through this really choked satellite internet. This is a long time coming for the both of us, and I wanna dedicate this next song to my Katy, who is my face to call home.

John Mayer’s dedication of “A Face to Call Home" to Katy Perry (via keepyourgravity)

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Why Society Still Needs Feminism Because to men, a key is a device to open something. For women, it’s a weapon we hold between our fingers when we’re walking alone at night. Because the biggest insult for a guy is to be called a “pussy,” a “little bitch” or a “girl.” From here on out, being called a “pussy” is an effing badge of honor. Because last month, my politics professor asked the class if women should have equal representation in the Supreme Court, and only three out of 42 people raised their hands. Because rape jokes are still a thing. Because despite being equally broke college kids, guys are still expected to pay for dates, drinks and flowers. Because as a legit student group, Campus Fellowship does not allow women to lead anything involving men. Look, I know Eve was dumb about the whole apple and snake thing, but I think we can agree having a vagina does not directly impact your ability to lead a college organization. Because it’s assumed that if you are nice to a girl, she owes you sex — therefore, if she turns you down, she’s a bitch who’s put you in the “friend zone.” Sorry, bro, women are not machines you put kindness coins into until sex falls out. Because only 29 percent of American women identify as feminist, and in the words of author Caitlin Moran, “What part of ‘liberation for women’ is not for you? Is it freedom to vote? The right not to be owned by the man you marry? The campaign for equal pay? Did all that good shit get on your nerves? Or were you just drunk at the time of the survey?” Because when people hear the term feminist, they honestly think of women burning bras. Dude, have you ever bought a bra? No one would burn them because they’re freaking expensive. Because Rush Limbaugh. Because we now have a record number of women in the Senate … which is a measly 20 out of 100. Congrats, USA, we’ve gone up to 78th place for women’s political representation, still below China, Rwanda and Iraq. Because recently I had a discussion with a couple of well-meaning Drake University guys, and they literally could not fathom how catcalling a woman walking down University Avenue is creepy and sexist. Could. Not. Fathom. Because on average, the tenured male professors at Drake make more than the tenured female professors. Because more people on campus complain about chalked statistics regarding sexual assault than complain about the existence of sexual assault. Priorities? Have them. Because 138 House Republicans voted against the Violence Against Women Act. All 138 felt it shouldn’t provide support for Native women, LGBT people or immigrant women. I’m kind of confused by this, because I thought LGBT people and women of color were also human beings. Weird, right? Because a girl was roofied last semester at a local campus bar, and I heard someone say they think she should have been more careful. Being drugged is her fault, not the fault of the person who put drugs in her drink? Because Chris Brown beat Rihanna so badly she was hospitalized, yet he still has fans and bestselling songs and a tattoo of an abused woman on his neck. Because out of 7 billion people on the planet, more than 1 billion women will be raped or beaten in their lifetimes. Women and girls have their clitorises cut out, acid thrown on them and broken bottles shoved up them as an act of war. Every second of every day. Every corner of the Earth. Because the other day, another friend of mine told me she was raped, and I can no longer count on both my hands the number of friends who have told me they’ve been sexually assaulted. Words can’t express how scared I am that I’m getting used to this. Because a brief survey of reality will tell you that we do not live in a world that values all people equally and that sucks in real, very scary ways. Because you know we live in a sexist world when an awesome thing with the name “feminism” has a weird connotation. Because if I have kids someday, I want my son to be able to have emotions and play dress up, and I want my daughter to climb trees and care more about what’s in her head than what’s on it. Because I don’t want her to carry keys between her fingers at night to protect herself. Because feminism is for everybody, and this is your official invitation.

Caitlin O’Donnell, Drake University. (via on-another-note)

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I want to get lost in a redwood forest.

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Just watched this movie the other day and fell in love. The plot is a little cheesy. However, the emotions from the characters are real and raw. Maybe it's all the sunflowers in the last scene, but there is something about this film that makes you feel dreamy.

“After all the terrible stuff that happened to me; it made me realize that, for every terrible tragedy in this world, there’s an equally miraculous thing that grows from it.“

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We would be together and have our books and at night be warm in bed together with the windows open and the stars bright.

Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast (via sundaylatte)

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I am surprised the weather this week has been so wonderful. I am taking advantage of every sunny day this summer, considering they usually are rare here in Pittsburgh. 

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On my days off I leave my apartment explore the city or grab coffee with a friend. The grocery stores here don’t make my hands sweat. I haven’t had the urge since I moved. I know who to call if I’m feeling sad. No, I haven’t even thought of it. I hurt myself once in high school, but not since. I have enough money to make it. I’m not nervous about moving. Yes, I ate dinner. I run five miles because I like it. I only hurt myself the one time in middle school, but that’s it. No, sex never scares me. I can tell my mom anything. I don’t really feel sad, I guess. I don’t care. I don’t need her. I never fight with my girlfriend. Yeah, I must’ve been. It was kind of an accident. Everyone in seventh grade. I’m friends with everyone. I know what that means. No, I didn’t read that in a book. I like having two bedrooms cause I have lots of toys. Yes, I understand why I’m here.

Miles Walser, “Lies I’ve Told my Therapists, in Reverse Chronological Order”, excerpt from “A Triptych of Anxiety” (via pigmenting)

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Pencil on paper portraits by No Thought Swordfish