Jessica Gottlieb

A Life In B Tween

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 23:51:26 -0400

A Life In B Tween

an0m0ly: Damage This is not my usual post. But it’s something I...

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:07:13 -0400

Damage

This is not my usual post. But it’s something I had to share. As you read this, imagine how your reaction would differ if this story were being told by a woman, talking about how her husband treated her.

I have been separated from my wife for over a year, though we continue to share a house. We live on separate floors. We share the house because we need to parent our son together, and because we can’t afford to maintain two households.

I’d like to tell you a story, illustrating one reason why I am divorcing her. This is an example of the treatment I have received over the past fourteen years.

This evening, while she was drinking her wine, my estranged wife took exception to the fact that I wanted to talk about how tense she’s been. She said she didn’t want to talk about it.

I left the room (so as to comply with her request).

I went upstairs to use our tiny guest bathroom. She began to yell and throw things around the kitchen, then eventually charged up the stairs and into the bathroom, just as I was finishing and getting ready to leave. She confronted me there, holding her half-full wine glass in her hand. Her voice got louder, her gestures wilder.

She complained that I had upset her by wanting to talk when she had told me she didn’t want to talk. As I began to feel uncomfortable, I said, “You’re saying it’s my fault you can’t express your emotions responsibly like an adult?”

She said, “Yes!! It’s because you want to go off and take a vacation with your girlfriend!” Then she threw the contents of her glass in my face and smashed it against my bare chest.

The results are pictured here.

I stood there, with shattered glass at my feet, glass shards sticking in my skin, bleeding, for five minutes or so. I asked her to move so that I could leave. She waved the broken stem of the glass in the air and said, “Leave!! Who’s stopping you?”

I told her she was standing between me and the door. I felt threatened.

She laughed and said, “You’re 6 foot 3 and 250 pounds! You can’t feel threatened by me!”

I said, “You just broke a glass on my chest and cut me. You’re standing there with the stem in your hands. Yes. I feel threatened.”

She said, “No, you don’t.”

I asked her to move out of the way and let me pass. I didn’t want her to think I was pushing her or threatening her.

She held her ground, waved the broken stem and shouted, “Go on! Leave! I’m not stopping you!”

After I asked her repeatedly, she finally moved a bit and I left, carefully stepping over the broken glass.

I have posted this here as evidence, and to help those who may think that size and gender make a difference when abuse is concerned. People who, like my estranged, think some have permission to feel threatened and some don’t.

Abusers come in all sizes and genders.

She and I went to a half dozen therapists over the years. At each initial session, every therapist took a look at me, then at her (5’4” 150 lbs.). Then he or she would gravely ask my wife, “Do you feel safe?”

None ever thought to ask me.

Thanks for listening.

Varsity Bookmarking: My Job Pt.1 — I have no idea what I'm doing

Sat, 14 May 2011 16:04:47 -0400

Varsity Bookmarking: My Job Pt.1 — I have no idea what I'm doing:

pieratt:

I am the CEO of Svpply, Inc., a social shopping S-Corp operating out of New York City. My company has been the recipient of over half-a-million in investor dollars, for the stated purpose of building an unknown, 3,000-member web service into a cultural phenomenon, and I truly have very little…

A Mother's Day Gift Pitch from Freud?

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:44:07 -0400

Give Your Mom The Support She Needs This Mother’s Day With

The Intimia™ Breast Pillow!

Hello [blogger],

Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift for your mom? How about The Intimia™ Breast Pillow? Our mom’s support us all year long but who supports them? The Intimia Breast Pillow, that’s who!

Let me introduce to you the hottest breast accessory on the market, The Intimia™Breast Pillow (www.intimia.com), the first pillow designed for your breasts. Designed by aesthetic nurse specialist, Irene Komsky, R.N., The Intimia™ Breast Pillow comfortably separates the breasts while you sleep in any position, preventing new wrinkles from forming and improving existing lines.

The Intimia Breast Pillow is new to the market, cutting edge, useful, affordable, stylish, versatile and practical. Don’t just give your mom any present this Mother’s Day, give her The Intimia™ Breast Pillow and give her the same support she has always given you!

Please let me know if you would like to request a sample of The Intimia™ Breast Pillowto review or set up an interview with the inventor Irene Komsky.

Best,

xxxxxx

I wonder if Nintendo’s next act will also be aimed at the...

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:43:21 -0400

I wonder if Nintendo’s next act will also be aimed at the under 10 crowd?

nancymartira: (via 20 Classic Pin-Up Girls Before And After:...

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:34:49 -0400

nancymartira:

(via 20 Classic Pin-Up Girls Before And After: Pics, Videos, Links, News)

Photoshop did not invent the concept of air-brushing, BTW.

nancymartira: via 170millionamericans.org Tell Congress that...

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:36:36 -0500

nancymartira:

via 170millionamericans.org

Tell Congress that you won’t stand for eliminating funding for public broadcasting. It only takes 5 minutes here.

stfuparents: Get Crafty You know what makes a really good art...

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:34:08 -0500

stfuparents:

Get Crafty

You know what makes a really good art project? The use of materials with sentimental value. Teeth, toenail clippings, placentas…use your imagination to dream up something special with real meaning!

Take Teri, for instance, whose daughter just had two baby teeth pulled at the dentist. Helloooo, JEWELRY ALERT!!! To most people, baby teeth are temporary chewing utensils that wind up in the garbage, but to people like Teri, they’re the essence of a truly great pair of earrings. Or a killer necklace like this one, IF you have the patience to wait for all of your kid’s baby teeth to fall out before you get to crafting (yeah, right!).

Why waste what used to be an essential part of your child’s bone structure when it could be lovingly handmade into art? Not only do you get to keep a part of your kid with you everywhere you go, you get to look fashionable in the process!! Do you know how much a glue gun and a couple of earring backs cost? Like five bucks!

Related: Mosaic Mirror Belly Cast

(submitted by Anonymous

Breaking the Michael Young News to a 3 Year Old

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:35:50 -0500

Breaking the Michael Young News to a 3 Year Old

"Garbage What can I say? I’m a sucker for wish-fulfillment. AND compliments! Laura Beth said she’d be..."

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:35:39 -0500

“Garbage
What can I say? I’m a sucker for wish-fulfillment. AND compliments! Laura Beth said she’d be honored to be part of this putrid site, and I want to deliver on that appeal. Plus, it’s been a while since we’ve seen the likes of a, “I know this is gross, but…CHECK THIS SHIT OUT!” post, and I for one had started to miss them.
I’ll never understand why some people decide to explain away their crazy status updates on Facebook. If you’re tempted to make a poo-related update, and you know it’s kinda gross, just keep it to yourself. You know the cardinal rule (according to me), “For every person who “likes” an update about your kid’s poop, there are 35 people who think you’re a douchebag.” That’s a loose approximation, but it’s probably extremely accurate.
(submitted by Anonymous)”

- STFU, Parents

juliaroy: OMG want. Umbrella with Goggle feature. via...

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:33:16 -0500

juliaroy:

OMG want. Umbrella with Goggle feature.

via www.25togo.com

Look what he does in a hotel room.

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 01:34:57 -0400

Sent from my iPhone

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La Quinta resort is dog friendly

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 01:13:07 -0400

But their water bowls are bigger than my dog :)

Sent from my iPhone

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“LAPD searching area of Mulholland DR/Ventura Bl/Coldwater Cyn/Laurel Cyn for murder suspect Omar Loera. ” from LAPD - North Hollywood : Nixle

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:12:15 -0400

LAPD searching area of Mulholland DR/Ventura Bl/Coldwater Cyn/Laurel Cyn for murder suspect Omar Loera.

The LAPD is currently searching the area bordered by Ventura Boulevard to Mulholland Drive and Coldwater Canyon Bl to Laurel Canyon Bl for murder suspect Omar Loera. Please stay in your residence and call 911 if you see anything suspicious. LAPD is also searching Fryman Canyon and Wilacre Park.

Address/Location
LAPD - North Hollywood
11640 Burbank Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 91601

Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 818-755-7679

via local.nixle.com

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Rare Asian 'unicorn' captured – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:13:37 -0400

via news.blogs.cnn.com

And if by “Unicorn” you mean “two horned” this won’t be disappointing at all.

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There's a drummer in the house

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:45:03 -0400

Sent from my iPhone

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Conchas!!!

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:29:42 -0400

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Jessica Gottlieb | Comment »

Google hit with new privacy problem, fires engineer | Reuters

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:34:56 -0400

* Google engineer snooped in teens’ accounts

* Latest in string of privacy problems
* Family asked for anonymity
WASHINGTON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Internet search and advertising giant Google Inc (GOOG.O) fired an engineer in July for violating users’ privacy, the company said on Wednesday.
The engineer, David Barksdale, was accused of accessing information about teenagers he had met in a Washington state technology group, according to gossip website Gawker, which first reported the incident on Tuesday. Google would not confirm details of the firing.
The breach comes at a time when Google is being scrutinized by various government agencies for its collection of unsecured personal data on Wi-Fi networks. The data was collected by Google’s “Street View” cars, which take panoramic pictures.
It also comes as federal regulators and lawmakers are considering moves to tighten privacy rules — something Google and other Internet companies oppose in favor of self-regulation.

via reuters.com

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Boy earns 1 cent a goat in slaughter trade

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:49:08 -0400

via cnn.com

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My Daughter's Search for a Gay-Friendly College - Newsweek - Education

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:17:29 -0400

Thanks to the Internet, a growing number of LGBT support groups and greater awareness fostered by celebrities who are out of the closet, conditions have improved for LGBT teens, as compared to the more negative environment of decades ago. There are now college guides aimed at gay teens and an increasing number of support groups for high-schoolers. But LGBT youth still face enormous challenges, living in a society “that rejects them far too much of the time,” says Charles Robbins, executive director and CEO of the Trevor Project, which operates a 24-hour crisis and suicide-prevention helpline for LGBT youth that receives 18,000 calls a year. This makes the inherently difficult teenage years even worse, he says. A survey by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), released in October 2008, found that 86 percent of LGBT students were verbally harassed, and 44 percent physically abused. For kids dealing with this kind of abuse in high school, a supportive college campus is more than just an academic matter.
My daughter hasn’t suffered outward persecution at her high school in the Midwest; her friends have been supportive of her sexual orientation, but she still feels like the odd woman out in a teen world dominated by heterosexual parties and proms. She believes that a love interest and relationship isn’t in her high-school future. “I feel weird at parties because everyone else is straight,” she says. At a recent LGBT teen leadership conference in Denver, she socialized with college kids and learned, for the first time, what it was like not to be an outsider. “Every single person around me was LGBT. It was incredibly refreshing and awakening. For once, I wasn’t a deviant from the norm.” So Alyson is making sure that her college years offer her that same comfortable feeling, vigorously researching schools to find that kind of environment.
Yoni Siden, 18, a college freshman, was also looking for a campus where he could feel comfortable. Siden came out three years ago to his parents and even in his liberal community of Ann Arbor, Mich., he has been called a “faggot” since sixth grade. During ninth and 10th grades, he was pelted with fruits and vegetables multiple times a week in the school’s lunchroom, and in his junior year he was run off the road by an SUV filled with boys from his high school. “It was clear to me that I was not welcome or accepted,” Siden says.
After spending his high-school years in fear, Siden made certain his college experience would be better. He methodically researched schools, interviewing the admissions counselor on the school’s LGBT-friendliness and openly discussing his sexual orientation in his application. He decided on Loyola University. The university’s location, in a large city, Chicago, helps him feel safe for the first time, and he can openly engage with a large community of gay peers. “I never have to wonder if the look that someone just gave me was going to result in a gay-bashing. It’s been wonderful in that way.”
Jacob Weldon, now 25 and living in New York, became estranged from his parents during his senior year in high school after he told his father, a police officer and former Marine, that he was gay. (He’s now reconciled with them.) Growing up in a conservative town in Texas, he became accustomed to having “fag” scrawled across his windshield. Now, at Columbia University, he says he’s blossomed. “I can hold my boyfriend’s hand if I want to” and not be afraid of being beaten up, he says.
Teens are coming out younger than ever before, and while that can mean more harassment of the kind that Weldon endured, it has also given rise to a host of social-support groups. Caitlin Ryan, director of the family-acceptance project at the Cesar E. Chavez Institute at San Francisco State University and an author of the first comprehensive study on LGBT adolescents and their families, says that while gays in the 1970s came out on average in their 20s, that age is now 13½. The number of high-school gay-straight alliance clubs has jumped from 1,000 in 2001 to 4,000 today, according to GLSEN. With more openness, and additional resources, it’s easier for gay teens to take sexual orientation into consideration when going through the college-selection process.
My daughter’s search began with college guides tailored to her interests. During this past year, it wasn’t unusual to see the The Gay and Lesbian Guide to College Life open on her bedroom floor. As out teens make a school’s gay-friendly atmosphere a priority in their college decisions, they now have several of these guidebooks available to help them find the right school.
The LGBT Students Guide to Colleges, Universities and Graduate Schools was the first, published in 1994, followed by The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students (2006). And mainstream publications, like The Princeton Review’s The Best 368 Colleges (2009) and The Fiske Guide to Colleges also include information tailored to assist college-bound LGBT youth. “As LGBT issues came to be more openly discussed, we devoted more attention to them,” says Ted Fiske, the author of the Fiske publication. He adds that more colleges are marketing to out teens.
The need and desire for this information is out there, says Candace Gingrich, youth and campus outreach senior manager for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights group based in Washington. “It’s the kind of information you’re not going to learn from a campus visit.”
Colleges are also conducting more direct recruiting and outreach to gay students, says Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, a nonprofit organization for LGBT student leaders. The group developed the Climate Index as a way to allow colleges to connect with openly gay students. Currently, 185 colleges participate, and an average of 35,000 students contact participating colleges requesting information. While LGBT teens want to find an accepting place where they can learn and be safe, “Colleges today want to be called ‘gay-friendly,’ ” Windmeyer says.
The guides were quite helpful to Alyson, who initially had nearly all-female schools on her list of potential colleges. I urged her not to nix well-regarded colleges merely because they were coed. The list had to be more “inclusive,” using a favorite term of Alyson’s. Acknowledging this, she added a few coed institutions to her list.
Even if Alyson is lucky enough to find an accepting atmosphere, it’s difficult for me, as her mother, knowing the prejudice, homophobia, and hostility she’ll inevitably face at some point during her college years. There will be times when people will, no doubt, gawk at her if she walks down the street holding hands with a girlfriend. This doesn’t bother Alyson, though. She’s completely open about her sexuality and has found allies and mentors as a leader in an activist teen LGBT group called Riot Youth, which, among other things, is pushing for changes in school curriculum to include LGBT authors and figures in history and full coverage of LGBT issues in health classes.
Yet, even with the support she’s been getting in high school, she’s truly excited about college. Regardless of where she attends, “absolutely, college will be better,” she says. “I think I’m going to end up being happy.” After all the research Alyson has invested in finding that special place, I’m comforted she will be.

via education.newsweek.com

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