gdp's Comments

The Toast : "You just get stronger": How Powerlifting Saved My Life

Mon, 27 Jun 2016 18:38:24 +0000

Oh, this is great. Thank you, Alyssa. I lifted consistently for about 3 years before a career change & interstate move drew me away from the iron. I'm inching closer to it again, but feeling apprehensive about my lost strength. This post makes me feel like I can rediscover it.

The Toast : Friday Open Thread!

Fri, 27 May 2016 16:29:31 +0000

Hi, today is the last day of my job and I'm feeling feelings about it! I'm leaving to focus on my postbac premed courses, which is Good because school + work left 0 hours for anything else, but school is not full-time. So I'm worried about shifting so quickly into a drastically lower gear, and also about not being the breadwinner in my household for the first time since... ever. How do you motivate yourself to get things done when you have whole empty days in which to do them??

The Toast : Why Everyone Is Attracted To Baristas (It's Because Of Late-Stage Capitalism)

Tue, 24 May 2016 15:42:54 +0000

Oh yes. An acquaintance of mine is a bartender, jock and former piano performance major. 100% piano bro.

The Toast : Cocktail Hour: Open Thread

Fri, 20 May 2016 19:04:25 +0000

I get alerts for my internet doppelgänger's cell phone bill. (It is an Irish company, and I do not live in Ireland). I tried emailing the company's customer service, which got it to stop for a while, but it's back now. Hopefully she is paying her bill despite the lack of email reminders. I suggest composing a form email that's neutral enough to deploy in all situations, something like "Hi, I think you meant this email for someone else! I am an [occupation] in [metropolitan area]. Please remove my email from your contacts. I hope you're able to get in touch with the [Firstname Lastname] you meant to contact. Best wishes, X"

The Toast : Cocktail Hour: Open Thread

Fri, 20 May 2016 17:37:58 +0000

Yes!!! Love that song!

The Toast : How Do You Solve a Problem Like Cosmic Acceleration?

Wed, 18 May 2016 15:49:18 +0000

"We must distinguish between the actual information we have about the universe and what we think it might be telling us. The universe doesn’t care what we think about how it should work. Our task is to figure out how it actually does work, regardless of our biases and preferences." This quote is a fantastic distillation of the scientific project, across all disciplines-- social, soft, hard, weird, etc!

The Toast : We Are Closing The Toast July 1st

Fri, 13 May 2016 14:45:22 +0000

Me too!!

The Toast : Cocktail Hour: Open Thread

Fri, 6 May 2016 20:16:52 +0000

I am doing a postbac right now, at Columbia! And I happen to know a bit about the other side of the admissions process at Columbia, as well. Many programs feature rolling admissions, but if you're applying to one of the ones that accept a smallish cohort (I think Goucher's is around 30 people), you're better off applying early in the cycle. As far as the actual work involved, it is... a lot! (full disclosure, it's finals week and I also work full-time, which I do not advise if you can avoid it) But the postbac environment at Columbia isn't cutthroat or competitive at all, people are always offering each other their notes, getting together for study groups, etc. Happy to talk more or email if you like-- you can reach me at mc4027 at Columbia dot edu!

The Toast : Buy Me This Immediately

Wed, 4 May 2016 18:41:28 +0000

Zombie Liz Taylor

The Toast : Resentments I Have Formed Against Characters From "The Face On The Milk Carton" By Caroline B. Coone

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 14:48:09 +0000

Peplum is graduating from preschool this month!

The Toast : On Money, Anxiety, and Marriage

Wed, 20 Apr 2016 16:07:31 +0000

I have considered placing a framed dental bill near my bathroom sink as a reminder to floss regularly.

The Toast : Thursday Open Thread

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 18:47:59 +0000

I did almost that exact trip in reverse a few years ago! (I tacked Bergen on at the beginning, just for the Bergen-Oslo train journey, which was breathtaking.) I loved the open-air Folk Museum in Oslo, the ferry to the Gothenburg archipelago, and basically the whole SoFo district of Stockholm. And there's amazing coffee and pastries everywhere. Enjoy!!!

The Toast : I Just Think Belgium Was Robbed In Eurovision 2015

Tue, 5 Apr 2016 18:58:20 +0000

It's been a few years since I thought hard about Eurovision (I used to have a LOT of Eurovision thoughts), but Kalomira's Secret Combination is still one of my faves.

The Toast : I Just Think Belgium Was Robbed In Eurovision 2015

Tue, 5 Apr 2016 18:53:43 +0000

Oh my godddd Eric Saade. I will never forget the impressive slant-rhyme of "I will be popular"/"My body wants you, girl."

The Toast : Link Roundup!

Mon, 4 Apr 2016 17:46:16 +0000

My final college paper soundtrack was International Feel on repeat, with similar reasoning! Because I was an RA my senior year, I had access to an office in my dorm, so (a) no other ears were harmed in the writing of that paper and (b) I didn't have to share my Smartfood popcorn with ANYONE.

The Toast : WHY YOU ARE ANGRY: A TEXT GAME

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 16:10:57 +0000

HAVE MISTAKEN “CONTROL” FOR “SILENCE” AND “SILENCE” FOR “PEACE” Oh look, my entire emotional life in 9 words

The Toast : Cocktail Hour: Open Thread

Fri, 11 Mar 2016 19:00:28 +0000

I am a big fan of the dress + blazer combo. It can be fun and artsy or conservative and professional-- when I was working for the government early in my career, a sheath dress made of suiting fabric + matching blazer was my favorite thing to wear for big meetings, because I often got mistaken for an intern otherwise-- but interns don't tend to wear Power Dresses.

The Toast : Cocktail Hour: Open Thread

Fri, 4 Mar 2016 19:52:10 +0000

I love the Freeman avocado and oatmeal clay mask! I've also used their charcoal and black sugar mask, which is good but messy.

The Toast : Cocktail Hour: Open Thread

Fri, 4 Mar 2016 18:34:07 +0000

Cosigning this recipe! I like replacing the sun-dried tomatoes with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes for a little more sweetness and juiciness.

The Toast : The Pledge I Assume All Dentists Have To Take

Tue, 1 Mar 2016 20:53:01 +0000

My dental hygienist puts Vaseline on my lips before my cleaning! It is one of those little, thoughtful things that keeps me going there, even though they always try to sell me veneers. (In fairness, I'd try to sell me veneers, too-- my teeth are pretty weird-looking. But I'm used to them!)