Today’s WTF: French lingerie for girls?

By • August 18, 2011 • Musings, The Daily Dish

Every so often a segment on NBC’s “Today” grabs my attention enough where I’ll actually sit through it.

(The morning show hasn’t been the same since Meredith Vieira left.)

Anyway, the segment was about a new French lingerie line geared toward girls age 4 to 12.

And let me tell you, I was disturbed.

It wasn’t so much that this company was making pretty undergarments and loungewear for girls and teens. What’s disturbing was how Jour Apres Lunes showcased these young models. They’ve got big, teased hair; they’re wearing pearls over their bras. I’ll be honest, it borderlines child pornography. At the very least, it suggests that.

And why? Why in the world do we need to sell push-up bras — thank you, Abercrombie & Fitch — and slutty outfits to little girls? What’s the end result? Money? A second home in the Hamptons?

And it’s not like Jour Apres Lunes is the first company to do this. Turns out, according to a recent study that looked at websites of 15 retailers, one-third of the clothes marketed to tween girls are sexualized. I’m talking T-shirts with suggestive words, leopard-print bikinis, skin-tight jeans.

Honestly, this is ridiculous. The hyper-sexualizing of young girls — and boys, too — has got to stop. This does nothing for the betterment of our society or the advancement of our culture. Nothing. We’re just giving yet another outlet for disturbed pedophiles and another reason for females to feel less satisfied with their bodies.

Great. Like we needed that.

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Stuck in a meeting = no blog

By • August 18, 2011 • Musings, The Daily Dish

This is what I’m doing today.

Sitting in a meeting.

This is how I know the fall semester is starting soon.

So there’s no blog today. I can’t even think of a topic to blog about. Well, except for the fact that I’m Facebook-ing and texting when I probably should be listening and taking notes.

But I’m looking around — and I’m not alone.

One of my colleagues is doodling (old school) and the other is texting under the table.

I’m in good company.

So look for something a little later. I’m toying with some ideas on either a controversial French lingerie line for little girls or the latest trend of violent flash mobs.

But if you’ve got something more interesting, let me know. I’m just sitting here. I need distractions.

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Today’s happy shot

By • August 17, 2011 • Happy Shots, The Dog Dish

Look at those ears!

20110817-101416.jpg

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Advice to new teachers

By • August 17, 2011 • Musings, The Daily Dish

I’ve been teaching journalism at the college level for 10 years and, trust me, I still have a lot to learn.

Yesterday I helped organize our college’s new faculty orientation, where recently hired instructors and counselors meet to learn about the campus, the expectations and the basics about the job.

But this time we tried something a little different.

One of our colleagues invited students to share their experiences and offer advice to the new faculty. And what they said was, well, helpful.

One student told the new instructors to answer e-mails promptly. Another advised they meet their own standards. And still another emphasized showing excitement and passion for the subjects they’re teaching. “If you’re not excited about it, why should I be?” he said, rhetorically.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been a student, and as a teacher, sometimes we forget what that’s like. We tend to blame the change of attitude in or higher demands of this younger generation and not self-reflect as much as we should.

I mean, maybe it’s US!

So I’m asking you to dig deep — some of you deeper than others! — to back when you were in high school or college and find some tips or advice I can pass on to these new faculty members.

Got any?

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You tell me: your last meal

By • August 16, 2011 • Food

Maybe this is a bit morbid for a morning blog — but you can’t deny how provocative it is, even for a Tuesday.

A while back, the Nonstop Honolulu team had a discussion about the last meal you want before you die. And since then, I’ve been really thinking about it.

You’re supposed to envision what you’d request if you were on Death Row, say, so you could actually plan out your final feast.

But what always bothered me about the concept was that all of us, at some point, were going to eat our last meal — but we might not realize it at the time. (This is when I get depressed and gorge on Ben & Jerry’s.)

What I’ve decided, after all this, is we should try to eat something we love — and do something we love — every day. We shouldn’t hold back on that one bit of fried ice cream because we’re worried about fitting those skinny jeans. (Buy fat jeans!) And we should try to find something to enjoy every day. As morbid as this sounds, it might be our last.

So back to the original question: what would your last meal be?

Mari Taketa (@nonstopmari) of Nonstop posted the last meal requests of familiar bloggers and foodies including KITV’s Yasmin Dar (@yasmindar), Eat The Street organizer Poni Askew (@streetgrindz), foodie Jennifer Ozawa (@mrshawaii) and comedian Fernando Pacheco.

Here are my picks:

• Cheeseburger and fries — nothing from the Secret Menu — from In-N-Out Burger
• A teri beef plate lunch from the old Kewalo Basin lunchwagon run by the Kanda sisters
• A bowl of tomato basil soup and about a dozen crostinis from Nordstrom Cafe
• My mom’s chocolate cream pie with her homemade shortbread crust

I could die happy after that.

How about you?

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