Friday July 7 was my last day at The Children's Partnership. If I mention that I first started there on June 20, 2005, perhaps you won't be surprised that I've left this job. That was after all, a span of one year and seventeen days between my first and last day, which is actually a record length of time spent at one job in my post-college life. In the three years since I graduated, I have had three jobs. This is the first job, however, that I have actually quit, since my first two jobs were offered and accepted with the understanding that they would only last for a year.
Quitting a job is awkward, especially when your office consists of only you and one other person at the time you give your resignation. But it was something I needed to do, and I survived even despite my abnormally strong dislike of any sort of confrontation. And no, it wasn't actually confrontational by normal standards, but considering I find returning unused items to a store to be a sort of confrontation, this was seriously confrontational for me. Ohh the discomfort. What exactly am I supposed to say to remarks like "I'm in shock" or "This is such a huge loss for us." I mean, I know it's a huge loss...I'm pretty irreplacable. But it's not like I can say that - I act humble, even if I'm not. (kidding, kidding)
I wonder what it says about me that I have had so many jobs in such a short span. Clearly, it hasn't hurt me as I've always had another job lined up to replace whatever job I'm leaving, but I haven't met too many other people who are on the same path as I am. I mean I know people who've worked at coffee shops longer than I've worked at professional jobs. I like to tell myself that I just haven't found the right job yet, and that when I do, I'll stay there. (I mean, I did stay at the Louisville Zoo for three years, so it's not like I have no sense of job commitment...) But part of me wonders if I just have unreasonable expectations and am too difficult to satisfy.
I have a hard time accepting the idea that work is just something I have to do, whether I like it or not. If I only get this one life, I don't want to spend most of it doing something I don't like. That can't be the point of life, can it? Working for a paycheck just doesn't cut it for me. I need stimulation and challenges. I want to think that what I am doing is important and is somehow leaving a positive mark on the world. I want to feel that although I may be able to think of other ways that I might want to spend my time, that just maybe I'd want to do what I'm doing at work even if it wasn't my job. I know that's probably not all that reasonable, but I don't think it should be entirely impossible. In fact, I'm hoping that my new job proves it even a teensy bit reasonable. I'll let you know. Tomorrow's my first day as Editor at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Wish me luck!
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Monday, July 03, 2006
Weddings Galore
At the time Jeff and I got married last year, a number of my friends were already married or engaged while very few of Jeff's were. Jeff loved to exaggerate this, acting as if I were dragging him off to a wedding every weekend. Well the table's have now turned and Jeff's going to have to shut his mouth, because it now seems as if every single person Jeff knows is getting married. While the only wedding I have on my agenda for the next year is Despina's (yay!), Jeff's list is exceptionally long. It includes
1. Chris & Jackie - Summer 2006
2. Phil & Rian - Fall 2006
3. Jayanth & Fiona - Fall 2006
4. Tony & Katie - Winter 2006
5. Alison & Chris - Summer 2007
So really it looks like Jeff's friends are just latebloomers. Although he claims the resason that they're all getting married now is because he showed them how you can be married and still be cool. Um-hum. Riiiight.
1. Chris & Jackie - Summer 2006
2. Phil & Rian - Fall 2006
3. Jayanth & Fiona - Fall 2006
4. Tony & Katie - Winter 2006
5. Alison & Chris - Summer 2007
So really it looks like Jeff's friends are just latebloomers. Although he claims the resason that they're all getting married now is because he showed them how you can be married and still be cool. Um-hum. Riiiight.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Questioning Israel
I don't get Israel. And I don't get why the United States is such a strong ally of Israel. I sometimes feel as if we all let Israel get away with things that we would not stand from any other country because of guilt. The world (aside from the Muslim world which suffers from denial) suffers from collective guilt over the Holocaust. Of course, the Holocaust was one of the world's greatest tragedies and its perpetrators, in various forms, were numerous. But there are three important facts here that we seem to overlook:
1. The Holocaust happened over sixty years ago. The majority of victims and perpetrators are gone. We are not guilty of the sins of our fathers. It is an event to remember and learn from, but not an event whose shadow we should always live in.
2. It is impossible to make up for the Holocaust. Millions of people lost their lives in extremely savage ways. Millions of others suffered horribly. Entire families were lost. No land, no looking the other way, no monetary gifts can make up for that.
3. Being wronged does not give you the right to wrong others.
My first question: Why exactly is Israel entitled to the land that they have been given or have taken over? The Israeli argument is that their land is the land promised to them by God. That it is, was, and always will be the land of the Jewish people. I don't understand how that argument holds any legitimacy in today's world. Why do we all bend to their religious beliefs when we certainly don't bend to any other denominations? How can historical ownership be the criteria for present day ownership? Wouldn't that then give older countries or former colonizers the right to land that they once held? And if it always was intended to be their land, why did so many of them give it up and disperse throughout the world before later reclaiming it (and what rights should they have had to it at that point)? Before the Holocaust, the land was the Palestinian territory and was administered by Britain. While many Jews did live there, the prevailing thought of many was that the land, once relinquished by Britain, was to become Palestine. Instead, partially because of the Holocaust, the land became Israel, and the Palestinians are still without a homeland. How can any of this be considered legitimate?
My second question: Why does Israel believe in exchanging violence for violence? I understand that it must be difficult to live surrounded by people who hate you, who don't recognize your right to exist, and who would love to see your country annihilated. And while a number of the countries are openly hostile to Israel, some have made great strides towards, if not being friendly, at least coexisting despite the tensions. As a nation of people who have been the victims of some of the world's worst violence, it seems to me that there would be a general abhorrence of violence and a desire to avoid it at all costs. But perhaps a desire for vengeance is stronger, even if the revenge is carried out on those not responsible for the original act of violence? The fact is that violence does not end violence, but instead breeds it. Missile attacks, which kill civilians intentionally or accidentally, do not create friends. The cutting off of entire villages from supplies does not breed goodwill. As the movie "Munich" depicted, whenever an evil is destroyed, another, usually stronger and more radical, pops up to take its place. There has to be a point when you quit playing tit for tat. Military force and violence should be reserved for the most dire of situations, not every act perceived as malicious. As long as military force is the first, or only, option, there will be no peace in the Middle East.
Clearly, I am no expert on these issues. And I don't mean to imply that Israel alone is at fault for the current situation. There is obviously plenty of blame to go around. I am simply trying to understand why we tend to heap the blame on the Palestinians while turning a blind eye to the equivalent actions of Israel. I do think that Israel deserves to exist. But I also think that Palestine does too. And I can't understand why we can't make that happen.
(And you know what I hate most about this whole issue is that by even asking these questions, one sets themselves up to be considered anti-Semitic or at best anti-Israel. Anyone who knows me knows that I am neither. I am simply for a more balanced view of the situation and in favor of a homeless minority finally being granted the statehood that they've had coming to them for decades.)
1. The Holocaust happened over sixty years ago. The majority of victims and perpetrators are gone. We are not guilty of the sins of our fathers. It is an event to remember and learn from, but not an event whose shadow we should always live in.
2. It is impossible to make up for the Holocaust. Millions of people lost their lives in extremely savage ways. Millions of others suffered horribly. Entire families were lost. No land, no looking the other way, no monetary gifts can make up for that.
3. Being wronged does not give you the right to wrong others.
My first question: Why exactly is Israel entitled to the land that they have been given or have taken over? The Israeli argument is that their land is the land promised to them by God. That it is, was, and always will be the land of the Jewish people. I don't understand how that argument holds any legitimacy in today's world. Why do we all bend to their religious beliefs when we certainly don't bend to any other denominations? How can historical ownership be the criteria for present day ownership? Wouldn't that then give older countries or former colonizers the right to land that they once held? And if it always was intended to be their land, why did so many of them give it up and disperse throughout the world before later reclaiming it (and what rights should they have had to it at that point)? Before the Holocaust, the land was the Palestinian territory and was administered by Britain. While many Jews did live there, the prevailing thought of many was that the land, once relinquished by Britain, was to become Palestine. Instead, partially because of the Holocaust, the land became Israel, and the Palestinians are still without a homeland. How can any of this be considered legitimate?
My second question: Why does Israel believe in exchanging violence for violence? I understand that it must be difficult to live surrounded by people who hate you, who don't recognize your right to exist, and who would love to see your country annihilated. And while a number of the countries are openly hostile to Israel, some have made great strides towards, if not being friendly, at least coexisting despite the tensions. As a nation of people who have been the victims of some of the world's worst violence, it seems to me that there would be a general abhorrence of violence and a desire to avoid it at all costs. But perhaps a desire for vengeance is stronger, even if the revenge is carried out on those not responsible for the original act of violence? The fact is that violence does not end violence, but instead breeds it. Missile attacks, which kill civilians intentionally or accidentally, do not create friends. The cutting off of entire villages from supplies does not breed goodwill. As the movie "Munich" depicted, whenever an evil is destroyed, another, usually stronger and more radical, pops up to take its place. There has to be a point when you quit playing tit for tat. Military force and violence should be reserved for the most dire of situations, not every act perceived as malicious. As long as military force is the first, or only, option, there will be no peace in the Middle East.
Clearly, I am no expert on these issues. And I don't mean to imply that Israel alone is at fault for the current situation. There is obviously plenty of blame to go around. I am simply trying to understand why we tend to heap the blame on the Palestinians while turning a blind eye to the equivalent actions of Israel. I do think that Israel deserves to exist. But I also think that Palestine does too. And I can't understand why we can't make that happen.
(And you know what I hate most about this whole issue is that by even asking these questions, one sets themselves up to be considered anti-Semitic or at best anti-Israel. Anyone who knows me knows that I am neither. I am simply for a more balanced view of the situation and in favor of a homeless minority finally being granted the statehood that they've had coming to them for decades.)
Monday, June 26, 2006
Some Say the World Will End in Fire, Some in Ice
I think we all just might drown. In the DC area, it has been raining for nearly 48 straight hours. And by raining, I mean torrential deluges of water. I mean four inch deep rivers of water on perfectly flat roads. I mean streams of water shooting up higher than your car from the middle lane of a major thoroughfare. I mean rain that bounces back up a few inches because it hit the ground so hard. Downpours. Thunder. Lightening. We're getting it all.
And it's causing problems. First, it was the power going out. It went out around 10:30 yesterday morning and didn't come back on until the afternoon. We headed out to the Smithsonian around noon, because sitting at home without any electricity isn't much fun. We all figured out why people worked so much before there was electricity - there's not really that much else to do.
And then the second, and more annoying, problem is that we have water leaking into our bedroom. The gutters are full of leaves and sticks, so they can't handle all the water (not sure they could anyway, but they'd be doing a little better.) So instead of being funneled down and away from the building, the water is running right up against the building and seeping in wherever there are cracks, which is apparently right along our bedroom window. By the time we noticed it, a good section of the bedding had been soaked through and the carpet was wet. So now the bed's in the middle of the room, all the stuff that was under the bed is all over the place, and the room is a general mess. Of course, since the rain hasn't stopped at all, no one can get up on the roof and clear the gutters, so every time the rain gets hard, the dripping starts. Hooray for Chinese water torture.
Seriously, if it doesn't stop soon, I think we might just float away.
And it's causing problems. First, it was the power going out. It went out around 10:30 yesterday morning and didn't come back on until the afternoon. We headed out to the Smithsonian around noon, because sitting at home without any electricity isn't much fun. We all figured out why people worked so much before there was electricity - there's not really that much else to do.
And then the second, and more annoying, problem is that we have water leaking into our bedroom. The gutters are full of leaves and sticks, so they can't handle all the water (not sure they could anyway, but they'd be doing a little better.) So instead of being funneled down and away from the building, the water is running right up against the building and seeping in wherever there are cracks, which is apparently right along our bedroom window. By the time we noticed it, a good section of the bedding had been soaked through and the carpet was wet. So now the bed's in the middle of the room, all the stuff that was under the bed is all over the place, and the room is a general mess. Of course, since the rain hasn't stopped at all, no one can get up on the roof and clear the gutters, so every time the rain gets hard, the dripping starts. Hooray for Chinese water torture.
Seriously, if it doesn't stop soon, I think we might just float away.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Welcome to the Hotel Blackinton
We have a fairly well stocked kitchen that usually serves three meals a day and is always available for self-service, a comfortable couch, an available air mattress, wireless Internet, and a bathroom with shower and tub. Laundry facilities are available in the building. A furnished patio is available for outdoor eating. And guests have full use of tennis courts and pools. We are conveniently located right next to the Beltway and are only a five minute walk from the Grosvenor Metro stop, which is on the Red Line. Best of all, we're free.
Since Jeff and I moved into our small one-bedroom apartment, we've played host to a number of guests. High school friends on their way through town. Family members up for a visit. Post-college friends stopping in for a night. A study abroad friend looking at graduate programs in town. Pretty much anyone who we know who has ever been in the area. If someone asks, we say yes, unless we're going to be out of town or we have a packed house. (Although the packed house part hasn't stopped us before, as we've had three guests in addition to the two of us at one point in the past.)
I think of it as traveler's karma. I've been fortunate many times in travels through Europe and the United States to have people who are willing to provide me with a place to crash, who don't mind playing tour guide for a day or two, and who make it much more affordable to travel. Hotels are expensive, not to mention lonely, if you're traveling by yourself. So when a friend calls, I say yes, with the knowledge that somewhere down the line, I'll be rewarded with the same hospitality. I also just enjoy having the company of friends and family.
This summer, our apartment has already played host to Matthew and to my friends Joyce & Jack. It's about to get another visitor, but this visit is going to be a new one for our establishment. This is going to be a long term stay. We're moving from the weekend B&B to the Extended Stay hotel. My brother Gregory will be arriving on Monday and will be calling our couch home until mid-August. In a very last minute offer, he received an invitation to intern at the Architect of the Capitol, which is a really great opportunity. However, by the time the offer was made, the cheapest housing to be found in DC (which is never cheap to begin with) was around $100 a day. Seriously. Unless he lived in the ghetto.
So arrangements were made for Gregory to come live with us for the summer. It will be cozy, for sure, but Jeff and I are glad to be able to help. Fortunately, Gregory is about the easiest person to live with that one could possibly imagine. And I've had plenty of experience living with him before, so we should be just fine. And I have to admit that I think Jeff's pretty excited to have someone in the house who might actually enjoy playing video games with him. It'll be interesting, but isn't life supposed to be?
Since Jeff and I moved into our small one-bedroom apartment, we've played host to a number of guests. High school friends on their way through town. Family members up for a visit. Post-college friends stopping in for a night. A study abroad friend looking at graduate programs in town. Pretty much anyone who we know who has ever been in the area. If someone asks, we say yes, unless we're going to be out of town or we have a packed house. (Although the packed house part hasn't stopped us before, as we've had three guests in addition to the two of us at one point in the past.)
I think of it as traveler's karma. I've been fortunate many times in travels through Europe and the United States to have people who are willing to provide me with a place to crash, who don't mind playing tour guide for a day or two, and who make it much more affordable to travel. Hotels are expensive, not to mention lonely, if you're traveling by yourself. So when a friend calls, I say yes, with the knowledge that somewhere down the line, I'll be rewarded with the same hospitality. I also just enjoy having the company of friends and family.
This summer, our apartment has already played host to Matthew and to my friends Joyce & Jack. It's about to get another visitor, but this visit is going to be a new one for our establishment. This is going to be a long term stay. We're moving from the weekend B&B to the Extended Stay hotel. My brother Gregory will be arriving on Monday and will be calling our couch home until mid-August. In a very last minute offer, he received an invitation to intern at the Architect of the Capitol, which is a really great opportunity. However, by the time the offer was made, the cheapest housing to be found in DC (which is never cheap to begin with) was around $100 a day. Seriously. Unless he lived in the ghetto.
So arrangements were made for Gregory to come live with us for the summer. It will be cozy, for sure, but Jeff and I are glad to be able to help. Fortunately, Gregory is about the easiest person to live with that one could possibly imagine. And I've had plenty of experience living with him before, so we should be just fine. And I have to admit that I think Jeff's pretty excited to have someone in the house who might actually enjoy playing video games with him. It'll be interesting, but isn't life supposed to be?
Friday, June 09, 2006
House Rejects Network Neutrality
Well, last night the house passed the Communications, Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act and killed a proposed network neutrality amendment. Now it's up to the Senate. Debate hasn't yet begun on the issue, so you still have time to contact your senators and ask them to protect network neutrality. Regardless of whether you support the COPE Act (which you probably do if you're just familiar with the bill as an anti-monopoly bill and not aware of the impact it could have on universal access or the ability of communities to negotiate their own franchises), you should be concerned about network neutrality. I am not a big fan of government regulation, but I'd rather have government say that big telecom doesn't have the right to regulate the Internet than have big telecom determine what I view over the Internet and how quickly I view it.
This article is worth reading for more information on the vote and its effects.
See yesterday's post for more on the issue and on getting involved.
This article is worth reading for more information on the vote and its effects.
See yesterday's post for more on the issue and on getting involved.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Network Neutrality - Clearly, I'm Serious About This
I know I recently blogged about network neutrality and current telecom legislation, but the battle is really heating up. I'm not sure it's being felt in other areas around the country, but it certainly is being felt here in DC. The big telecoms are bringing in lobbyists by the busload, taking out full page ads in the Washington Post, and running television commercials. Attempting to make companies like Google and eBay look bad by claiming they don't do their part to expand Internet services, and by making claims such as "The Internet can't be free," the big telecom companies are trying to gain control of the Internet. They want to be the gatekeepers of what you see and how fast you see it. They want to change the face of the Internet. The Internet's founder himself (no, not Al Gore) has come out in the favor of network neutrality. It is the way to ensure that the Internet remains what it was intended to be - a network for the free exchange of ideas. Please, please, please take action on this issue. By clicking on the image below, you'll go immediately to a site that will allow you to easily contact your elected officials. If you want to learn more, just go to Google News and type in "network neutrality". You'll get every side of the issue. This opinion piece co-signed by a UIUC and a Stanford professor presents the side I'm on.
Monday, June 05, 2006
A Few Notes On Politics
Kentucky Politics
I just noticed that Governor Ernie Fletcher is running for reelection in Kentucky. Seriously, what kind of superiority complex must he have? First he runs his campaign based on a promise of cleaning up politics. Then he spits in the face of everyone who might have been naive enough to believe that by running one of the more corrupt administrations in recent history, complete with an indictment to prove it. And now he decides to run for reelection? I can just see him sitting in his office sneering at the entire state, making out every single Kentuckian as a pure idiot. How stupid he must think his constituents are. I only hope he's not right. Voting for him is like kicking yourself in the head.
National Politics
And so Bush is back up on his platform railing against gay marriage. Interesting how this issue has been ignored since his reelection but is now back on the table as mid-term elections near. This couldn't be about politics, could it? Unfortunately, that's exactly what it is. It's not about what's right or what's fair, but about what will keep people so fired up that they will ignore all the other issues when it comes time to vote. It's disgusting.
I just don't understand the grounds for outlawing gay marriage. The only rhetoric I ever hear is that the Bible says marriage is between one man and one women. I don't know if this is true, because I've never read the Bible that closely, but I do know that we are a secular nation, so it really shouldn't matter one lick whether the Bible says marriage is between one man and one woman or between one man and one cow or between two women, a siamese cat, and three aliens. It's irrelevant.
As we all know, marriage is a civil institution. Just going to a church and having someone say you're married doesn't cut it in the eyes of the government. You have to apply for a marriage license and have it processed by the state. Marriage is an institution set up to provide protection under the law. Marriage guarantees the right to make medical decisions for a loved one who is incapacitated, it guarantees the right to joint ownership of property, it guarantees the right to file taxes as a couple, it guarantees the right to be covered by a spouse's insurance. Why should two people who love each other and are committed to sharing a life together be denied these rights? What good reason is there for it? What if you were unable to marry your partner of choice because the government denied it - maybe because your partner was the "wrong" race, or age, or weight, or political orientation? We'd all be up in arms over that. So tell me what is the difference?
Civil rights are meant for all people. Remember the "all [men] people are created equal" part of the Constitution? Marriage is a civil right, and thus a right for all people, regardless of whether they love someone of the opposite or the same sex. Gay marriage is not a threat to straight marriage. If you really think about, more than anything, it's a reinforcement of the importance of marriage.
I just noticed that Governor Ernie Fletcher is running for reelection in Kentucky. Seriously, what kind of superiority complex must he have? First he runs his campaign based on a promise of cleaning up politics. Then he spits in the face of everyone who might have been naive enough to believe that by running one of the more corrupt administrations in recent history, complete with an indictment to prove it. And now he decides to run for reelection? I can just see him sitting in his office sneering at the entire state, making out every single Kentuckian as a pure idiot. How stupid he must think his constituents are. I only hope he's not right. Voting for him is like kicking yourself in the head.
National Politics
And so Bush is back up on his platform railing against gay marriage. Interesting how this issue has been ignored since his reelection but is now back on the table as mid-term elections near. This couldn't be about politics, could it? Unfortunately, that's exactly what it is. It's not about what's right or what's fair, but about what will keep people so fired up that they will ignore all the other issues when it comes time to vote. It's disgusting.
I just don't understand the grounds for outlawing gay marriage. The only rhetoric I ever hear is that the Bible says marriage is between one man and one women. I don't know if this is true, because I've never read the Bible that closely, but I do know that we are a secular nation, so it really shouldn't matter one lick whether the Bible says marriage is between one man and one woman or between one man and one cow or between two women, a siamese cat, and three aliens. It's irrelevant.
As we all know, marriage is a civil institution. Just going to a church and having someone say you're married doesn't cut it in the eyes of the government. You have to apply for a marriage license and have it processed by the state. Marriage is an institution set up to provide protection under the law. Marriage guarantees the right to make medical decisions for a loved one who is incapacitated, it guarantees the right to joint ownership of property, it guarantees the right to file taxes as a couple, it guarantees the right to be covered by a spouse's insurance. Why should two people who love each other and are committed to sharing a life together be denied these rights? What good reason is there for it? What if you were unable to marry your partner of choice because the government denied it - maybe because your partner was the "wrong" race, or age, or weight, or political orientation? We'd all be up in arms over that. So tell me what is the difference?
Civil rights are meant for all people. Remember the "all [men] people are created equal" part of the Constitution? Marriage is a civil right, and thus a right for all people, regardless of whether they love someone of the opposite or the same sex. Gay marriage is not a threat to straight marriage. If you really think about, more than anything, it's a reinforcement of the importance of marriage.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Next Blog
Sometimes after I finish reading someone's blog, if I have nothing else to do, I press the "next blog" button to see what else is out there in the blogger world. Rarely do I find a blog that's as interesting as mine (but that would be pretty hard to find, now wouldn't it?). But I enjoy pressing the button anyways. But the problem is that eventually I always run into a deadend. Someone out there decides that they're too good for the blogger banner bar, and there's no "next blog" for me to check out. Then what am I supposed to do? Sometimes it takes quite a while to get to this point, but I just followed the "next blog" link after commenting on Matt's blog, and I was at a deadend in only two clicks. And the first blog was in a language I don't know and the second blog was a computer how-to blog. Didn't help much with my boredom.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
A Working Girl's Summertime Blues
Summer has arrived. Perhaps not according to the calendar and its obsession with solstices, but Memorial Day has come and gone, and the mercury has soared into the 90s. It seems to me that it must be summer.
It's harder to tell now when summer comes and when it goes. That clear demarcation of summer - the last day of school and a few months later, the first day of school - is no longer mine. I no longer have the luxury of a final bell followed by a walk down to the Dairy Queen for a dipped cone or a day of cramming a year's worth of stuff into my parent's car followed by a 17 hour drive back home. The first morning without an alarm clock or the need to be anywhere never comes anymore. No, summer is not the same when there is no break, no man-made delineation of seasons. It's hard when everyday is a 9 to 6 with no deference to the rising mercury, the jingle of the ice cream truck, or the allure of the pool. A week of vacation and a holiday here and there does not make a summer.
So I grasp at summer however I can, trying to keep it from slipping through the air conditioning vents of the office where I sit all day and lament its passing. I take my lunch outside in the Circle, sweating through the heat and humidity of midday DC, defiantly refusing to move into the shade. I savor the sloppiness of perfectly ripe peaches purchased from a farmer's market. I fight off mosquitos and wasps to have my hamburger and corn-on-the-cob on the patio. And I pray to win the lottery, which I unfortunately always forget to play, with the hope of taking back my summer.
It's harder to tell now when summer comes and when it goes. That clear demarcation of summer - the last day of school and a few months later, the first day of school - is no longer mine. I no longer have the luxury of a final bell followed by a walk down to the Dairy Queen for a dipped cone or a day of cramming a year's worth of stuff into my parent's car followed by a 17 hour drive back home. The first morning without an alarm clock or the need to be anywhere never comes anymore. No, summer is not the same when there is no break, no man-made delineation of seasons. It's hard when everyday is a 9 to 6 with no deference to the rising mercury, the jingle of the ice cream truck, or the allure of the pool. A week of vacation and a holiday here and there does not make a summer.
So I grasp at summer however I can, trying to keep it from slipping through the air conditioning vents of the office where I sit all day and lament its passing. I take my lunch outside in the Circle, sweating through the heat and humidity of midday DC, defiantly refusing to move into the shade. I savor the sloppiness of perfectly ripe peaches purchased from a farmer's market. I fight off mosquitos and wasps to have my hamburger and corn-on-the-cob on the patio. And I pray to win the lottery, which I unfortunately always forget to play, with the hope of taking back my summer.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Pomp & Circumstance
I'm heading home tomorrow morning for Mark's high school graduation. That's right, my little brother is all grown up. It's hard to believe. When I left for college, he was only 11 years old, and now he's turning 18. Where does all that time go? Sometimes Mark laments being the youngest for just that reason - the rest of us were often missing from some of his moments. But I must say that we've all been there for all the big ones. Hey, we were even there for him being born, and I don't think he can say the same for any of us. And while I'm sure there must be some downsides to being the youngest, I think there must be an awful lot of positives.
ICEEs, for instance. I received my license when Mark was only 9 years old, so I became a regular chauffeur for him. He didn't have to wait for my mom or dad to be available to take him somewhere, the way I did. Instead he'd talk me into taking him wherever he wanted or needed to go. And then he'd sucker me into buying him an ICEE on a whole lot of these trips. His plot involved chanting "K-Mart ICEE" every time we drove anywhere near the K-Mart, which being right down the road, was pretty often. And I, being a sucker for his "It's so hard to be the youngest" spiel, would stop and buy him an ICEE. Thank God they closed the K-Mart or I'd probably still be buying him ICEEs everytime I go home. Hard to be the youngest, huh?
And what about that trip to Greece and Egypt at age 15? I don't know too many 15 year olds out there who've rode a feluca down the Nile or trekked around the Pyramids. Hard to be the youngest, huh?
Or what about having 8th graders fighting to be your Big Brother/Sister when you're in 1st grade because everyone thought you were the world's coolest kid? Or what about never having to drive the 'Vrolet, because the rest of us had killed it by the time you got your license? Or what about getting to go hang out at with your older siblings at college when you're just in high school? Hard to be the youngest, huh?
Oh, I know there are downsides. There always are - oldest, youngest, middle, whatever. It's always a tradeoff, a balance of positives and negatives. But youngest looks pretty good to me. Especially when you're Mark, and you've got so many good things going for you.
But I wouldn't trade with him...I like being the proud big sister.
ICEEs, for instance. I received my license when Mark was only 9 years old, so I became a regular chauffeur for him. He didn't have to wait for my mom or dad to be available to take him somewhere, the way I did. Instead he'd talk me into taking him wherever he wanted or needed to go. And then he'd sucker me into buying him an ICEE on a whole lot of these trips. His plot involved chanting "K-Mart ICEE" every time we drove anywhere near the K-Mart, which being right down the road, was pretty often. And I, being a sucker for his "It's so hard to be the youngest" spiel, would stop and buy him an ICEE. Thank God they closed the K-Mart or I'd probably still be buying him ICEEs everytime I go home. Hard to be the youngest, huh?
And what about that trip to Greece and Egypt at age 15? I don't know too many 15 year olds out there who've rode a feluca down the Nile or trekked around the Pyramids. Hard to be the youngest, huh?
Or what about having 8th graders fighting to be your Big Brother/Sister when you're in 1st grade because everyone thought you were the world's coolest kid? Or what about never having to drive the 'Vrolet, because the rest of us had killed it by the time you got your license? Or what about getting to go hang out at with your older siblings at college when you're just in high school? Hard to be the youngest, huh?
Oh, I know there are downsides. There always are - oldest, youngest, middle, whatever. It's always a tradeoff, a balance of positives and negatives. But youngest looks pretty good to me. Especially when you're Mark, and you've got so many good things going for you.
But I wouldn't trade with him...I like being the proud big sister.
Friday, May 05, 2006
HR 5252
I would like to ask each of you to contact your Representative in the Federal House and ask him or her to Vote NO on H.R. 5252, The Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006. On the surface, this bill might look good to you - after all, it is supposed "To promote the deployment of broadband networks and services". Yay for broadband, right? Well, in this case, no, not exactly.
One of the main points of the bill, and a point which I find terribly troubling, is the allowance of national franchises. What this means is that large telecom companies like AT&T, Verizon, etc. can establish a national franchise for their services instead of negotiating with each community. Of course, the telecom giants are for this because it makes their lives much easier. But this will be a huge loss for cities. Right now, each city has the right to negotiate a franchise with these companies. In doing so, the city charges a franchising fee and the city bargains for services, such as technology service to schools and government and community facilities. With national franchises, cities will lose the right to bargain for the services that best benefit their citizens and franchising fees will now go to the federal government instead of the local government. For the services that best benefit you and your fellow citizens, it is vital to have franchising controlled at the local level. You can read an example of a city's gains through the negotiation of a cable franchise on one of the Web sites I maintain.
Additionally, the bill does not call for universal service, which is a requirement that companies provide service to all people in an area, not just the ones they pick and choose (ie the people in the most revenue-generating areas). Instead the bill includes anti-discrimination language which the bill's supporters say will, in effect, lead to universal service. However, the bill only protects against intentional discrimination based on income, which is, of course, quite hard to prove. Universal access is necessary to make sure that all Americans have access to technology services and thus have a fair chance at making it in our ever more technology-dependent world. Telecom giants say that "market forces" will ensure universal service, but I question what market forces are in act in a low-income area where only a small percentage of the total population of that area will subscribe to services. Or what market forces are in act in a rural area where it could cost companies more to extend services to those areas than they would be able to generate back from that specific area.
Another contentious area is what is referred to as network neutrality. There is much back and forth on whether the bill will or should include any provisions about network neutrality. It's a very tricky area, and I encourage you to learn more about it. The choices aren't that great: proponents say it will keep the Internet "open". Opponents say it gives the government too much control. Theoretically, without network neutrality, telecom companies could create a "tiered" Internet, in which content delivery would not be controlled by the consumer so much as by the content provider. Theoretically, telecom companies could create relationships with providers who are willing to pay more to have their content transmitted at higher speeds. Thus certain material would flow over high bandwidth and certain over low bandwidth regardless of what service the consumer subscribes to. With network neutrality, the government would have some regulatory powers over the Internet. So I have to say that it's somewhat of a no-win situation. But I don't like the idea of a tiered Internet. Afterall, isn't the great thing about the Internet the free flow of information?
Anyhow, I hope you are still reading and that you will take the time to learn more about this. For work, I've been attending a lot of Congressional briefings on the issue lately, so I do have some knowledge on the topic. This bill will have an effect on everyone in some way or another, but it will especially affect those who are low-income and underserved, so please consider speaking out both on your behalf and theirs. I do hope that after some consideration you will contact your House member and ask them to vote NO on H.R. 5252 based on the reasons I supplied above, particularly federal franchises and the lack of universal service.
One of the main points of the bill, and a point which I find terribly troubling, is the allowance of national franchises. What this means is that large telecom companies like AT&T, Verizon, etc. can establish a national franchise for their services instead of negotiating with each community. Of course, the telecom giants are for this because it makes their lives much easier. But this will be a huge loss for cities. Right now, each city has the right to negotiate a franchise with these companies. In doing so, the city charges a franchising fee and the city bargains for services, such as technology service to schools and government and community facilities. With national franchises, cities will lose the right to bargain for the services that best benefit their citizens and franchising fees will now go to the federal government instead of the local government. For the services that best benefit you and your fellow citizens, it is vital to have franchising controlled at the local level. You can read an example of a city's gains through the negotiation of a cable franchise on one of the Web sites I maintain.
Additionally, the bill does not call for universal service, which is a requirement that companies provide service to all people in an area, not just the ones they pick and choose (ie the people in the most revenue-generating areas). Instead the bill includes anti-discrimination language which the bill's supporters say will, in effect, lead to universal service. However, the bill only protects against intentional discrimination based on income, which is, of course, quite hard to prove. Universal access is necessary to make sure that all Americans have access to technology services and thus have a fair chance at making it in our ever more technology-dependent world. Telecom giants say that "market forces" will ensure universal service, but I question what market forces are in act in a low-income area where only a small percentage of the total population of that area will subscribe to services. Or what market forces are in act in a rural area where it could cost companies more to extend services to those areas than they would be able to generate back from that specific area.
Another contentious area is what is referred to as network neutrality. There is much back and forth on whether the bill will or should include any provisions about network neutrality. It's a very tricky area, and I encourage you to learn more about it. The choices aren't that great: proponents say it will keep the Internet "open". Opponents say it gives the government too much control. Theoretically, without network neutrality, telecom companies could create a "tiered" Internet, in which content delivery would not be controlled by the consumer so much as by the content provider. Theoretically, telecom companies could create relationships with providers who are willing to pay more to have their content transmitted at higher speeds. Thus certain material would flow over high bandwidth and certain over low bandwidth regardless of what service the consumer subscribes to. With network neutrality, the government would have some regulatory powers over the Internet. So I have to say that it's somewhat of a no-win situation. But I don't like the idea of a tiered Internet. Afterall, isn't the great thing about the Internet the free flow of information?
Anyhow, I hope you are still reading and that you will take the time to learn more about this. For work, I've been attending a lot of Congressional briefings on the issue lately, so I do have some knowledge on the topic. This bill will have an effect on everyone in some way or another, but it will especially affect those who are low-income and underserved, so please consider speaking out both on your behalf and theirs. I do hope that after some consideration you will contact your House member and ask them to vote NO on H.R. 5252 based on the reasons I supplied above, particularly federal franchises and the lack of universal service.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Friday Night Winnings
Last year I stumbled across an entry form for the Bethesda Literary Festival Essay Contest, and on a whim, entered the contest. The topic was "Home," which was a theme I felt well versed on and the topic of an essay I'd written in college, so I whittled the 10+ pages down to 500 words and entered. Happily, I won 3rd place and $150.
This year, I received the entry form in the mail with instructions that this year's topic was "Bethesda." I could write anything I wanted, but the essay or fictional piece had to include at least one place in downtown Bethesda. Hmmm. A little harder and definitely not something I'd written about before. But once I thought about, I came up with an idea and the essay flowed pretty easily. Last Friday, eight finalists were summoned to Barnes & Noble for a reading. The four Honorable Mentions were called up, and my name wasn't read. Then the four prize winners were called up, and I was among this group. (Pshew, I hadn't accidentally been called and was indeed a finalist.) Each place was announced, and the corresponding essay was read. I was definitely the youngest person in the adult category, with the oldest a self-declared 80 years old, and the rest primarily middle-aged. After 4th and 3rd prizes were announced, myself and the 80 year old were the only two left. And then they called her name (well, it wasn't my name and she responded, so presumably her name) for the 2nd place prize. Which meant that I had placed first. With this came $500 and a free class at the Writing Center...along with all the accolades I could handle. Actually one woman did ask if I had any books she could buy, but I think she was a little nutty.
Anyhow, for your reading pleasure, I'm including the essay below. It's a fictionalized personal essay, meaning the events are real, but they didn't necessarily unfold in the way they're portrayed, and the people are also real, but are more characters than real-life portrayals. (I'm including this disclaimer so as to avoid any James Frey incidents. Please no Oprah breakdowns, people.)
LIES OF OMISSION
As my husband and I pedal along the Capital Crescent trail, I keep a watch out for turtles, yelling out the number I glimpse sunbathing on logs or somersaulting into the canal, hoping that one of us will remember so that I can tell my grandma how many we saw. When I see her, which isn’t as often as I’d like, or when I talk to her, which isn’t as often as I should, I tell her about our bike rides. I talk about the leaves that catch on the breeze, pirouetting through sun and shadow before landing on the trail. I tell her about the kids pumping their legs so hard that the training wheels on their bikes lift off from the ground and they glide unknowingly on only two wheels. We laugh together about the freshman kayakers who can’t get their boats to go in a straight line, and she asks whether the little girls who were once selling sugary lemonade and gooey brownies were on the trail that day.
When there’s not a bike story to tell, I’ll recount my trips to the Bethesda Farmer’s Market, and together we’ll fawn over the earthy smell of ripe tomatoes and the way that smell always takes me back home to Kentucky summers and BLT sandwiches on the back porch. Sometimes I’ll mention the deer I spy out the window when I’m cleaning dinner dishes at twilight or tell her about the black squirrels so common here.
I keep track of details and file away images so that I always have a story to share with her. But there are so many details I leave out. I don’t tell her about sitting on the floor of Barnes & Noble, a teetering stack of books beside me, as I searched for the perfect guide to bike trails in the area. And I never make her laugh at stories about my attempts to conquer chopsticks during sushi dinners at Matuba. Art gallery hops and Barking Dog Friday night specials find no place in my stories.
It’s not that she wouldn’t be interested in those details, but that those details would complicate her world in a way that I wouldn’t know how to fix. She is at that age now where she spends most of her time looking backwards rather than forwards. She lives in memories—with brown hair, smooth skin, regal posture. She does not recognize the mirror’s reality—the grey hair, the lined face, the body being pulled towards the earth.
And so as not to shatter her fragile cobweb of memories, I don’t tell her that the town she remembers as Bethesda—a town of farmhouses and cornfields where my uncle lived when he once called Maryland home—is not, and was not, Bethesda. Instead, I filter my reality to fit her memory, pulling out the idyllic and removing the urban. Through lies of omission, I make my Bethesda hers.
Friday, April 28, 2006
April's Random Thoughts
I don't really have anything of substance to write about, but I thought I'd write something since it's been a while. So here are some random thoughts for your enjoyment.
- Tuesday was free icecream day at Ben & Jerry's. I caught it at just the right time and only had to wait about 5 minutes while everyone else I talked to had to wait around 30 minutes. Free icecream is quite nice.
- I think the lacrosse guys at Duke are innocent. I think they behaved poorly and didn't exercise good judgment, but I don't think they are guilty of rape. I think it's a false accusation, which, if it is, is absolutely terrible because it only makes true rape cases all the more difficult to prosecute. There are too many loopholes in the case and too little evidence. I believe the prosecutor, who is in an upcoming election, is pursuing the case for political gain (getting tough on crime, etc.), which is wrong, especially considering he is putting other people's lives and reputations on the line. If he had a legitimate case, fine. But since there seems to be no evidence to indict, a decent amount of evidence to acquit, and only her word to substantiate the claims (and she has filed a rape accusation before that appears to have been dropped for whatever reason), I think he's really stretching to make a case. While we'll probably never exactly what happened, I'll say that if I were on the jury, knowing what is known now, I'd vote not guilty.
- And on a travel note, Jeff and I have tentative plans to do an around-the-world trip when he gets out of school and before I start school. It would be ideal if he would finish in December 2007, because we'd then have until August 2008 when I'd like to start school to make our trip (But no holding our breaths here.) Anyhow, I'm so excited about the idea, that I've started thinking of all the places I want to go and flipping through guidebooks whenever I see one. Currently I'm focused on the South America portion of the trip. I'd never really been into South America before, but recently I've found it very exciting. Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Machu Picchu, the Amazon, Patagonia, Iguazu Falls, the Galapagos... Other than South America, I'd also definitely like to make it to Africa and parts of Asia. The rest can wait if time doesn't permit them from fitting into this trip. We're open to suggestions too, so if you know of somewhere cool, let me know.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
A Few Denver Photos
Skiing at Winter Park
A Slightly Fuzzy Picture of Us Before the Wedding 
Me at Balancing Rock at Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods with Pike's Peak in the background
Us at Garden of the Gods
Jeff at the Siamese Twin Formation at Garden of the Gods
Triple Rock Formation at Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods
Friday, April 14, 2006
A Long Accounting of our Weekend in Denver
There's something about airports that is disorienting. Inside, they're all the same. Long counters full of ticketing agents, security conveyor belts and TSA officers, monitors blinking with arrival and departure information, restaurants serving food that looks like it's been out all day, news stands, people talking loudly on cell phones, repetitive PA announcements... There's no real sense of place, especially after hanging around the airport for about 2 hours waiting to board and take off. While we were sitting on the jetway waiting to take off last Sunday, I actually had to think a minute to remember where I was. I'd become totally disoriented while sitting in the airport. I could have been anywhere.
But we were in Denver, which we were leaving after having spent 4 busy days there, getting up almost every day earlier than we do on work days.
Wednesday
Flew in Wednesday night and headed to Joyce and Jack's apartment, where we were staying. Great apartment Twice the size of ours with awesome mountain views.
Thursday
Up bright and early and off to Winter Park for a day of skiing. Jeff was really anxious to go as he hadn't been skiing all winter. I was a little less anxious, as I've only been skiing once before on a trip 4 years ago to the German Alps in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I'd spent most of those two days on my butt, but I was willing to give it another go. This time, I signed up for a lesson and spent the morning learning to stop, turn, and ski in general. Jeff took off to the top of the mountain (14,000 feet) and skied the more advanced trails. We met up at lunchtime and then skied together in the afternoon. I actually enjoyed myself and didn't even fall once!
In the evening, we went to a get together at Dave & Buster's so I could spend some time actually talking to Laura, my friend who I studied abroad with in Germany who was getting married on Saturday.
Friday
Woke up early again with plans to go to Rocky Mountain National Park, but when I stepped into the living room and looked out the window, I saw snow being blown every which way by crazy winds. The visibility was so poor we couldn't even see the mountains. Not wanting to test the oh so sweet Kia rental car we had and not wanting to drive two hours to maybe not be able to see anything, we scrapped those plans. So we spent the morning hanging out with Joyce and then in the afternoon, when bizarrely enough the temperature rose into the 60s, we went downtown and saw the capitol and walked along the 16th Street Mall.
That evening we went to Jeff's grandma's and then out for a Greek dinner with her and Jeff's aunt. Later on we went to a wine bar with Jeff's high school friend Ned and his fiance Kim, and Joyce and Jack met up with us there.
Saturday
Jeff was really interested in seeing the Body Worlds exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Jack was just as eager, and Joyce and I, while hesitant, agreed to go. It was a popular exhibit, so we headed out early and got tickets for the 10:15 admission. At first, I have to admit that I was pretty turned off by the whole thing, but it became oddly fascinating. I was particularly interested in the comparison of the sections of the obese and non-obese person. The amount of fat and the way it clogged everything, along with the way the organs were all pushed together was really disturbing. Also disturbing was the comparison of the regular lung, smoker's lung, and coal miner's lung. Don't know how people could leave that exhibit and go smoke or eat fast food. The preservation of the entire system of blood vessels from the head and all of the nerves from the central nervous system was really amazing. But I did still find some of it disturbing, particularly the way he tried to make a lot of it artsy. I can go for the scientific perspective on all of this, but not the art. That's just kind of vulgar to me. And I'm interested in knowing whether all of the money earned from these exhibits is actually going to fund research as claimed or if some of it is lining some pockets. I'm a bit uneasy about that. Especially because the exhibit is extremely popular - by the time we left around noon, all the rest of the day's tickets were sold out.
That afternoon Jeff went and played golf with a college friend, while Joyce, Jack, and I hung out around Denver. We went to the park, had some ice cream, and explored some really wealthy neighborhoods with absurd houses. The wedding was that evening, so we headed out in plenty of time but got lost and ended up running in, although we did make it before it started. The ceremony was really interesting, as it was led primarily by a Jewish minister with a blessing by a Catholic deacon, and I'd never been to such a ceremony. I liked it and thought some of the prayers were really thoughtful and nice. Laura looked beautiful and you could tell they were a happy couple. The food at the reception was great and we had a good time dancing.
Sunday
With temperatures in the 70s, we decided to get outdoors, so we headed down to Colorado Springs to the Garden of the Gods, which is a park full of really interesting red stone formations. (I'll post photos when I get home from work.) We did a few hikes and enjoyed the view and being outdoors before heading back to Denver. We then met up with Jeff's grandma and aunt to celebrate the day, which was Jeff's grandma's 88th birthday. After a birthday dessert, we headed to the airport and back to DC.
So it was an exhausting but great long weekend. It was crazy how many people we saw and how many events we hit in that one weekend. A wedding and an 88th birthday. A high school best friend, a study abroad friend, a high school friend, a college friend, a grandma, and an aunt all in one location on one weekend. What a happy coincidence!
But we were in Denver, which we were leaving after having spent 4 busy days there, getting up almost every day earlier than we do on work days.
Wednesday
Flew in Wednesday night and headed to Joyce and Jack's apartment, where we were staying. Great apartment Twice the size of ours with awesome mountain views.
Thursday
Up bright and early and off to Winter Park for a day of skiing. Jeff was really anxious to go as he hadn't been skiing all winter. I was a little less anxious, as I've only been skiing once before on a trip 4 years ago to the German Alps in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I'd spent most of those two days on my butt, but I was willing to give it another go. This time, I signed up for a lesson and spent the morning learning to stop, turn, and ski in general. Jeff took off to the top of the mountain (14,000 feet) and skied the more advanced trails. We met up at lunchtime and then skied together in the afternoon. I actually enjoyed myself and didn't even fall once!
In the evening, we went to a get together at Dave & Buster's so I could spend some time actually talking to Laura, my friend who I studied abroad with in Germany who was getting married on Saturday.
Friday
Woke up early again with plans to go to Rocky Mountain National Park, but when I stepped into the living room and looked out the window, I saw snow being blown every which way by crazy winds. The visibility was so poor we couldn't even see the mountains. Not wanting to test the oh so sweet Kia rental car we had and not wanting to drive two hours to maybe not be able to see anything, we scrapped those plans. So we spent the morning hanging out with Joyce and then in the afternoon, when bizarrely enough the temperature rose into the 60s, we went downtown and saw the capitol and walked along the 16th Street Mall.
That evening we went to Jeff's grandma's and then out for a Greek dinner with her and Jeff's aunt. Later on we went to a wine bar with Jeff's high school friend Ned and his fiance Kim, and Joyce and Jack met up with us there.
Saturday
Jeff was really interested in seeing the Body Worlds exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Jack was just as eager, and Joyce and I, while hesitant, agreed to go. It was a popular exhibit, so we headed out early and got tickets for the 10:15 admission. At first, I have to admit that I was pretty turned off by the whole thing, but it became oddly fascinating. I was particularly interested in the comparison of the sections of the obese and non-obese person. The amount of fat and the way it clogged everything, along with the way the organs were all pushed together was really disturbing. Also disturbing was the comparison of the regular lung, smoker's lung, and coal miner's lung. Don't know how people could leave that exhibit and go smoke or eat fast food. The preservation of the entire system of blood vessels from the head and all of the nerves from the central nervous system was really amazing. But I did still find some of it disturbing, particularly the way he tried to make a lot of it artsy. I can go for the scientific perspective on all of this, but not the art. That's just kind of vulgar to me. And I'm interested in knowing whether all of the money earned from these exhibits is actually going to fund research as claimed or if some of it is lining some pockets. I'm a bit uneasy about that. Especially because the exhibit is extremely popular - by the time we left around noon, all the rest of the day's tickets were sold out.
That afternoon Jeff went and played golf with a college friend, while Joyce, Jack, and I hung out around Denver. We went to the park, had some ice cream, and explored some really wealthy neighborhoods with absurd houses. The wedding was that evening, so we headed out in plenty of time but got lost and ended up running in, although we did make it before it started. The ceremony was really interesting, as it was led primarily by a Jewish minister with a blessing by a Catholic deacon, and I'd never been to such a ceremony. I liked it and thought some of the prayers were really thoughtful and nice. Laura looked beautiful and you could tell they were a happy couple. The food at the reception was great and we had a good time dancing.
Sunday
With temperatures in the 70s, we decided to get outdoors, so we headed down to Colorado Springs to the Garden of the Gods, which is a park full of really interesting red stone formations. (I'll post photos when I get home from work.) We did a few hikes and enjoyed the view and being outdoors before heading back to Denver. We then met up with Jeff's grandma and aunt to celebrate the day, which was Jeff's grandma's 88th birthday. After a birthday dessert, we headed to the airport and back to DC.
So it was an exhausting but great long weekend. It was crazy how many people we saw and how many events we hit in that one weekend. A wedding and an 88th birthday. A high school best friend, a study abroad friend, a high school friend, a college friend, a grandma, and an aunt all in one location on one weekend. What a happy coincidence!
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
The Silly, Silly French
In a Washington Post article in the Sunday Outlook about the proposed employment bill and related rioting in France, a young French person is quoted as saying something like, "This (law) means that we would have to go to work and do whatever our bosses told us to do if we don't want to get fired." (Not exact quote, but pretty close.)
Gasp. How shocking.
I'm sorry but that didn't win any sympathy from me, and I doubt it won sympathy from the majority of working people. Going to work and doing what we're told to do is what most of us do every day. Maybe I've had a string of bad jobs, but I was always under the impression that in order to keep my job, I had to do my job.
Maybe French bosses ask for atrocious things. I'm not sure. But really, I doubt that French bosses are that much worse than any other boss. I think it's just time that these young people are welcomed to the real world. Considering most of them will be "students" until late into their twenties, I really don't think they have it that bad.
Gasp. How shocking.
I'm sorry but that didn't win any sympathy from me, and I doubt it won sympathy from the majority of working people. Going to work and doing what we're told to do is what most of us do every day. Maybe I've had a string of bad jobs, but I was always under the impression that in order to keep my job, I had to do my job.
Maybe French bosses ask for atrocious things. I'm not sure. But really, I doubt that French bosses are that much worse than any other boss. I think it's just time that these young people are welcomed to the real world. Considering most of them will be "students" until late into their twenties, I really don't think they have it that bad.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Good Reads, Anyone?
I go through fazes with reading. I'll consume everything I can find for a while, and then I'll quit reading much more than the occassional newspaper or magazine for a while. I think the lull happens when I end up with a book that I can't really get into. After I do finally finish it (I have trouble not finishing a book, even if I don't really like it), I'm tired and don't feel like reading anything else. Anyhow, I've just gotten into a reading spell, and I need some book suggestions.
On Sunday night, I finished "The Worst Hard Time," which is a really well-written nonfiction account of the Dust Bowl. I recommend it to anyone interested in US History. And Tuesday night, I picked up "My Sister's Keeper" from the library. I started it yesterday morning on the Metro, and I am now down to less than 50 pages left. I really want to finish it right now, but I'm going to wait until lunch. I have a few other books on hold at the library, but I'm still pretty far back on the list. And I have some magazines to read - we get The Economist, Smithsonian, Budget Travel, and a lot of tech and sports magazines that Jeff reads but I don't. But I need some suggestions for books. What have you read lately and enjoyed? Let me know, so I can add it to my list.
On Sunday night, I finished "The Worst Hard Time," which is a really well-written nonfiction account of the Dust Bowl. I recommend it to anyone interested in US History. And Tuesday night, I picked up "My Sister's Keeper" from the library. I started it yesterday morning on the Metro, and I am now down to less than 50 pages left. I really want to finish it right now, but I'm going to wait until lunch. I have a few other books on hold at the library, but I'm still pretty far back on the list. And I have some magazines to read - we get The Economist, Smithsonian, Budget Travel, and a lot of tech and sports magazines that Jeff reads but I don't. But I need some suggestions for books. What have you read lately and enjoyed? Let me know, so I can add it to my list.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Food for Thought
Hope everyone had a happy St. Patrick's Day. I was tempted to pinch all the people on the Metro not wearing green, but thought I might get thrown off and I was already running late to work.
Have I already mentioned our menu making venture on here? I don't think I have. Anyhow, Jeff and I have been making out dinner menus for a week to two weeks in advance. While this requires a bit of effort, it's more than worth it in the long run. Having a menu means that we know what we're going to eat when we come home and thus don't spend a good 15 minutes opening and closing the cabinets and refrigerator deciding what to eat. We also save money at the grocery by just buying what we need. And we have more variety in our menu. Chicken, being the easiest thing to thaw on short notice and the most versatile in cooking, had been the staple of most of our meals. But now we're incorporating all kinds of main dishes and we're looking up recipes and trying lots of new things. I highly recommend this method.
Here's what this week's menu looks like
Saturday - Shrimp with Mango & Basil, Rice
Sunday - Stuffed Peppers
Monday - Roast Chicken, Spicy Baked Macaroni, Salad
Tuesday - Honey Ginger Salmon, Whipped Potatoes, Brocolli
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Chicken & Rice, Green Beans
Friday - Pasta with Shrimp & Tomatoes in Wine Sauce
I also have to say how much I love stores that sell bulk spices (not sell me bulk amounts, but have bulk amounts that I can buy from). Tonight's dinner calls for turmeric, which is a spice I don't use much and thus don't have around. At the regular supermarket, I could buy a container of turmeric for nearly $5. Not only is that a lot of money, it's highly unlikely I would make even a dent in it before the turmeric expired. At My Organic Market, however, I was able to buy just the amount I needed - for all of 10 cents. That's seriously awesome.
Have I already mentioned our menu making venture on here? I don't think I have. Anyhow, Jeff and I have been making out dinner menus for a week to two weeks in advance. While this requires a bit of effort, it's more than worth it in the long run. Having a menu means that we know what we're going to eat when we come home and thus don't spend a good 15 minutes opening and closing the cabinets and refrigerator deciding what to eat. We also save money at the grocery by just buying what we need. And we have more variety in our menu. Chicken, being the easiest thing to thaw on short notice and the most versatile in cooking, had been the staple of most of our meals. But now we're incorporating all kinds of main dishes and we're looking up recipes and trying lots of new things. I highly recommend this method.
Here's what this week's menu looks like
Saturday - Shrimp with Mango & Basil, Rice
Sunday - Stuffed Peppers
Monday - Roast Chicken, Spicy Baked Macaroni, Salad
Tuesday - Honey Ginger Salmon, Whipped Potatoes, Brocolli
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Chicken & Rice, Green Beans
Friday - Pasta with Shrimp & Tomatoes in Wine Sauce
I also have to say how much I love stores that sell bulk spices (not sell me bulk amounts, but have bulk amounts that I can buy from). Tonight's dinner calls for turmeric, which is a spice I don't use much and thus don't have around. At the regular supermarket, I could buy a container of turmeric for nearly $5. Not only is that a lot of money, it's highly unlikely I would make even a dent in it before the turmeric expired. At My Organic Market, however, I was able to buy just the amount I needed - for all of 10 cents. That's seriously awesome.
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